What’s the best balance of city sights and countryside on a two-week Japan trip?

[Dennis_T]

I want to stay ahead of the curve with podcast news and updates, especially about upcoming podcast releases. Where do you go for reliable information about new seasons, special episodes, or changes to your favorite shows? I'm tired of finding out about great episodes weeks after they drop. Looking for sources that cover both mainstream and indie podcasts.

[SofiaM]

I’m trying to plan a two-week trip to Japan and I’m completely stuck on how to balance seeing the major cities with getting out into the countryside. Everyone says to experience the famous bullet trains, but I’m worried the itinerary will feel rushed if I try to fit in Tokyo, Kyoto, and a visit to the Japanese Alps. How did you decide what to prioritize when you had limited time?

[Layla54]

I tried to cram Tokyo and Kyoto and a dash to the Alps into two weeks and it felt like a sprint. The trains were amazing but we kept rushing from one hotel to the next and never settled.

[Nora29]

One trick that helped was picking one base and doing day trips. We stayed in a single city for five days then hopped to a countryside town for a long weekend.

[Timothy_H]

Do you really need all three big milestones or would a slower week in one place give you more memory to hold later?

[Donald_G]

I went looking for mountain scenery and ended up loving a tiny village where the locals knew the trains by heart and the food stood out more than a famous site.

[Michael_J]

We rode the bullet trains a few times and it blew my mind how quickly you can swap a city scene for a mountain view.

[Thomas20]

I had a moment when I questioned if the Alps were the real problem or if the pace was what wore me out and I still changed plans a couple times and learned to breathe.