No.01 - Destinations
Plan your route through Japan: cities, regions and islands
Where to go and how to combine regions in one trip, how far each is from Tokyo, which city fits a winter plan and the islands where ferries and tickets set the pace.
Eight regions, north to south
Tokyo and Kanto
Tokyo's neon and the easy day trips all around it.
Tokyo · Yokohama · Kamakura · Nikko
Hokkaido
Powder, lavender and the far north, each in its season.
Sapporo · Niseko · Otaru · Hakodate
Tohoku
Snow monsters, mountain onsen and August festivals in Japan's north.
Sendai · Hirosaki · Kakunodate · Ginzan Onsen
Nagano
Snow monkeys, village baths, a castle and the Alps, reached from Tokyo by Shinkansen.
Nagano · Matsumoto · Hakuba · Nozawa Onsen
Kansai
Temples, street food and the old capitals of Japan.
Kyoto · Osaka · Nara · Kobe
Chugoku
Peace Park, a floating torii, castle towns and the San'in coast.
Hiroshima · Miyajima · Okayama · Izumo
Shikoku
Pilgrim trails, wild river gorges and bowls of udon.
Matsuyama · Takamatsu · Naoshima · Kotohira
Kyushu
Hot springs, harbour cities and volcanoes, one flight from Tokyo.
Fukuoka · Nagasaki · Kumamoto · Beppu
Okinawa
Subtropical islands, reefs and whale season.
Naha · Shuri · Ishigaki · Zamami
Guides
Japan runs from Hokkaido’s snow country to Okinawa’s reefs, and most of it links by Shinkansen or a short flight. From Tokyo it is from about 80 minutes to Nagano, about 2 h 10 to Kyoto, about 4 h 50 to Fukuoka and about 1.5 hours by air to Sapporo.
Some trips stay in one city and take day trips. Some chain two or three regions. A few islands need a plan of their own: the Ogasawara Islands count as Tokyo, but the ferry takes about 24 hours. Every region from Hokkaido to Okinawa has a guide, with Tokyo and Kanto as the hub.
What to explore
- Tokyo and Kanto Tokyo’s neon and the easy day trips all around it. The airports and the Shinkansen start here.
- Hokkaido Powder, lavender and the far north, each in its season. About 1.5 hours by air from Tokyo.
- Tohoku Snow monsters, mountain onsen and August festivals in Japan’s north.
- Nagano Snow monkeys, village baths, a castle and the Alps. About 80 to 120 minutes from Tokyo by Shinkansen, depending on the train type.
- Kansai Temples, street food and the old capitals of Japan. About 2 h 10 from Tokyo.
- Chugoku Peace Park, a floating torii, castle towns and the San’in coast.
- Shikoku Pilgrim trails, wild river gorges and bowls of udon.
- Kyushu Hot springs, harbour cities and volcanoes. About 4 h 50 to Fukuoka from Tokyo.
- Okinawa Subtropical islands, reefs and whale season.
- Sapporo Snow Festival 2027 Runs 4 to 11 February 2027 at Odori, Susukino and Tsudome; book the bed first.
Which city fits your plan?
Four cities cover most winter plans, and many trips link two or three of them. Dollar figures use ¥155 = US$1, rounded; you pay in yen, so check the rate.
| City | Good for | Key number | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | Shinkansen day trips to snow, nightlife | Nagano in about 80 minutes; Subway Ticket $6 (¥1,000) for 24 hours | The ticket covers Metro and Toei, not JR |
| Osaka | Kyoto, Kobe and Nara by rail | Kyoto in about 30 minutes on the JR special rapid | Kyoto's New Year closure dates are unconfirmed |
| Fukuoka | Beppu and Yufuin onsen weekends, yatai stalls | Tourist City Pass $16 (¥2,500) a day for overseas visitors; airport to Hakata in about 5 minutes | The pass is not valid on the Dazaifu Liner Bus |
| Sapporo | Niseko, Otaru, crab hotpot | Airport train in about 37 minutes, $8 (¥1,230) in 2025 | Festival week, 4 to 11 February 2027: book the bed first |
Snow day trips from Tokyo have their own times and fares in Tokyo to ski resorts. Kyoto raised its lodging tax on 1 March 2026 and Hokkaido added one on 1 April; What changed in Japan in 2026 lists the Kyoto rates.
Safety Kabukicho overcharging is the documented risk. Shinjuku police logged 91 complaints from January to June 2026, against 77 in all of 2025. Do not follow street touts: say “daijobu desu”, keep walking, and ask the price before you sit. Guides put Golden Gai seat fees at $3 to $10 (¥500 to ¥1,500), posted on the door.
City details sit inside the region guides: Tokyo and Kanto for neighbourhoods, airport transfers and Kabukicho, Kansai for Kyoto and Osaka, Kyushu for Fukuoka, Beppu and Yufuin, and Hokkaido for Sapporo.
What decides an island trip?
| Island | The fact that decides it |
|---|---|
| Hokkaido | About 1.5 hours by air from Tokyo (unconfirmed). The Shinkansen does not reach Sapporo; the extension is reported as not before the late 2030s. |
| Naoshima and Teshima | Chichu Art Museum is closed Mondays and from 12 Jan to 19 Mar 2027, and Benesse announced a Jan to Mar 2027 maintenance closure across its art sites, with exact dates not shown. Teshima Art Museum is open Friday to Monday only, 10:00 to 16:00, from December to February. Tickets are timed and online. Check Benesse before you go. |
| Ogasawara | Ship only: about 24 hours from Tokyo, roughly one round trip a week. Economy was $205 (¥31,450) one way in September 2026, and fares change monthly. Humpback whales peak from February to April. |
| Yakushima | The Jomon Sugi hike is about 10 hours round trip from a pre-dawn start. Private cars are banned on the road to the Arakawa trailhead from March to November. Winter conditions are not sourced yet. |
| Kerama (Okinawa) | The Zamami association's 2026 humpback season ran 8 January to 25 March; a Naha operator listing ran tours from about 20 December to 5 April in 2025-26. The 2026-27 dates are not confirmed. |
Islands sit inside their region guides: Naoshima and Teshima in Shikoku, Yakushima in Kyushu, the Kerama Islands in Okinawa and Ogasawara in Tokyo and Kanto.
Before you book Read the Ogasawara timetable before anything else: one sailing a week does not make a short trip.
Can I…?
- Use a JR Pass for Tokyo, Hakuba and Kyoto? Depends on your legs. Since 1 October 2026 a 7-day pass is $340 (¥53,000) from agents and $325 (¥50,000) on the official site for now.
- Rent a car in winter with an IDP? Yes, with a paper 1949 Geneva permit.
- Work remotely on a tourist visa? No, not on a tourist stay; no allowance for remote work is published. The Digital Nomad status needs $64,520 (¥10 million) a year.
Quick answers
Is Kabukicho dangerous for tourists?
Overcharging is the documented problem. Shinjuku police logged 91 complaints from January to June 2026, many from overseas visitors. Do not follow street touts, and ask the price before you sit.
Which city fits a winter trip?
Match the city to the snow. Tokyo suits Nagano and Hakuba (Shinkansen, then bus), Sapporo suits Niseko and Otaru, and Fukuoka suits the Beppu and Yufuin onsen towns. The 2026-27 fares are not confirmed.
Can I visit Japan's islands in winter?
Some, with limits. Teshima Art Museum is closed Tuesday to Thursday from 1 December to the end of February. Ogasawara has about one sailing a week, and humpback whales peak from February to April. Okinawa whale tours ran from about 20 December to 5 April in 2025-26, per an operator listing, and the Zamami association's 2026 season ran 8 January to 25 March.