Read Japan as regions such as Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, not as a pin.
Tokyo-Hakone-Kyoto-Osaka is the spine.
Regions
- Tokyo — Tokyo is stop 1 in a Japan map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Kyoto — Kyoto is stop 2 in a Japan map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Osaka — Osaka is stop 3 in a Japan map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Hokkaido — Hokkaido is stop 4 in a Japan map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Kanazawa — Kanazawa is stop 5 in a Japan map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Naoshima — Naoshima is stop 6 in a Japan map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
Routes
- Tokyo-Hakone-Kyoto-Osaka — Tokyo-Hakone-Kyoto-Osaka — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
- Hiroshima-Miyajima-Naoshima — Hiroshima-Miyajima-Naoshima — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
- Sapporo-Furano-Biei — Sapporo-Furano-Biei — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
- Kanazawa-Shirakawa-go — Kanazawa-Shirakawa-go — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
Icons
- Tokyo — Why Tokyo photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Kyoto — Why Kyoto photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Osaka — Why Osaka photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Hokkaido — Why Hokkaido photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Kanazawa — Why Kanazawa photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
Pairings
- Slow pair — Pair Tokyo with Kyoto; drop a third stop before you add one.
- Weather pair — Do not force a wet coast and a dry highland into the same week.
- Honeymoon pair — Two city nights plus three quiet nights recover better than a trophy circuit.
Dropping the third city is usually a gain.
When to goPlacesHow to travelCultureCostHoneymoon notesToday