Last summer I did a 16-day trip through Japan (Asahikawa to Kagoshima) using the JR Pass. While my itinerary is definitely rushed, I thought I might share it. A few notes: Temples/castles/shrines aren’t really my thing and I prefer more contemporary destinations. I also happen to really enjoy ramen and have visited Japan 4-5 times in the past (Kansai, Kanto, Hokuriku, Hokkaido etc) so the traditional must-sees are skipped to make room for niche spots that require more travel time. With that in mind, here’s how that trip went down. I hope you enjoy my itinerary!
**Day 1: Arrival at Shin-Chitose Airport.**
Starting my trip in Hokkaido. I chose a capsule hotel in Susukino (a more lively part in central Sapporo) and spent the evening roaming **Tanukikoji**, stocking up on stuff I might need for Wakkanai (that…didn’t go as planned). Had some butter miso ramen there as well, but it wasn’t that great.
* Hotel: City Cabin Susukino
* Fair prices, but gets a bit stuffy at night. Also, Susukino is a bit rowdy come summertime!
* Food: Kiraito (Miso Ramen)
* The locals seem to like this place, but I think it’s just okay. They substituted chashu with hamburger meat, which is interesting. Also, lots of green onions.
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**Day 2: Sapporo to Asahikawa via JR.**
Arrived at Asahikawa, the entryway of northern Hokkaido early afternoon, after perusing some stationery stores and sharing some baked potato with the pigeons at **Odori park**. Upon arrival I learned that trains to Wakkanai have been suspended due to poor weather. Dinner was a bowl of shoyu ramen. Can’t really go wrong with that.
* Hotel: R Hotel Asahikawa
* Business hotel within walking distance of Asahikawa Station. Room not noteworthy but serves the greatest breakfast buffet ever.
* Food: Ichikura (Shoyu/soy sauce ramen)
* Great ramen! Open until 2AM.
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**Day 3: Asahikawa to Otaru via JR.**
Woke up early to enjoy the breakfast buffet provided at my hotel. They have all you can eat seafood donburi! Breakfast of the gods! Before heading back south, I made a trip to **Kawamura Kaneto Ainu Memorial Museum** in Asahikawa. It was small but really nice. Got to chat with the friendly Ainu lady about indigenous culture. That evening, I accidentally booked a hostel in Minamiotaru instead of Otaru, so I had to hop back onto the train after yet another bowl of ramen (mediocre shio ramen this time) and haul my stuff up and down several hills until I reached the hostel. It’s a very charming old house with creaky floors and a nice Taisho vibe.
* Hotel: Little Barrel Otaru
* Rustic little guesthouse with bunk beds and nice Taisho era vibes
* Food: Nishiya (Shio/salt ramen)
* Not very good
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**Day 4: Otaru to Tomakomai via JR.**
Enlisted the help of my friend who works in Japan and got to book a last-minute spot on the **Taiheiyo ferry** Kitakami that would take me overnight to Sendai. Before setting out, I wandered around **Otaru** and got some souvenirs. Had horumon (grilled cow guts) miso ramen for lunch halfway up a hill in Minamiotaru. Delicious! Checked out some train tracks and the (kinda beat-up) Nagasakiya department store that locals frequent across the station, before boarding the train for Tomakomai. Upon arrival at Tomakomai, I made friends with the taxi driver and taught him how to speak a few words of Taiwanese, despite my terrible Japanese. Ferry was packed with middle schoolers returning from/setting out for some kind of sports event. No one spoke a word of not Japanese. Despite not being able to understand half of what was being announced through the intercom (the seas got choppy at night; I was having Titanic-themed intrusive thoughts), I had a great time. The buffet onboard was nice, atmosphere was quite lively, and there was a public bath with massive windows that allowed for a great view of the sea.
* Hotel: Taiheiyo Ferry
* Kitakami is the newest ship. Nice onboard amenities, but a pain to reserve. You would need a Japanese phone number to reserve a spot after navigating the Japanese website, or try and make a reservation in-person at Tomakomai (staff members are friendly but do not speak English). There are many room types to choose from, some with pet living spaces.
* Food: Kuraya (Miso ramen)
* Delicious and really flavorful! Generous serving of grilled cow innards (it’s not bad, really) if you order the horumon ramen.
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**Day 5: Sendai to Iwaki, via JR**
Central Sendai is very far from Sendai Port where the ferry docked. I felt like Taiwanese Forrest Gump as I pushed my luggage towards the horizon under the scorching sun. Another last minute hotel booking plus a beef tongue bento purchased from Sendai station later, and I am off to Iwaki, Fukushima! Iwaki is a charming mid-sized city with little to no tourist presence. I spent some time pretending to be a local and wandering in one of their supermarkets, where I bought deeply discounted salmon sashimi and other food items to enjoy back at the capsule hotel. The hotel is connected to Iwaki station and DEFINITELY the best capsule I have ever stayed at.
* Hotel: Hotel B4T Iwaki
* Really cool capsule with self check in using a Suica card. While it is technically a capsule, there is a desk, mini fridge, and other amenities in your bunk. Amenities are great, spotless environment, and extremely convenient, given that it is connected to Iwaki Station itself
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**Day 6: Iwaki-Tomioka-Tokyo via JR.**
Visited coastal areas severely damaged by the 311 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident. Along the Joban line, I stopped at Futaba and Tomioka, both towns that have been demolished by the events of 311 and located within 10km from Fukushima Daichi. Only in recent years have the residents been allowed to return. The folks of Tomioka have managed to rebuild their town from the ground up and create the **Historical Archive Museum of Tomioka**, a deeply moving memorial of 311 that includes relics from that day and the efforts they’ve made to resuscitate their hometown after returning. Another noteworthy place to visit is the **TEPCO Decommissioning Archive Center**, also in Tomioka. Staffed by TEPCO employees, reservation is highly recommended (I did not make one) and their English-speaking guide was not available on the day of my visit. However, they graciously let me in. My guide spoke broken English; I spoke broken Japanese, but somehow we made it work. The displays are very high-tech and it seems like the company is making real efforts to clean up the mess and somewhat transparent about the process. Hint of defensiveness, though, but that is to be expected.
* Hotel: APA Hotel
* Business hotel chain.
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**Days 7-8: Tokyo**
I’m sure there are a lot of great Tokyo itineraries on this sub, so I won’t go into details. I visited my favorite ramen joint of all time (**Mugi to Olive**, near Higashiginza) again, and did some stationery store hopping. Met up with friend. Generally a good time in the city. For real though, try that ramen! It’s heavenly.
* Food: Mugi to Olive (Clam shoyu ramen)
* 5 minute walk from Higashiginza. Delicious noodles steeped in a flavorful soy-based broth, and topped with giant clams, naruto, and tender chicken chashu. Must try!
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**Day 9: Tokyo-Osaka via Shinkansen**
Went to **Tsukiji** for overpriced kaisendon for breakfast, visited **UTokyo** and then headed back to Tokyo Station. The station itself is a cool spot! There’s a ramen street in the basement food court and I tried one of the restaurants before taking the Shinkansen to Osaka
* Hotel: APA Hotel
* Business hotel chain
* Food: Tokyo Niboshi Ramen Kyoku (Niboshi/anchovies? ramen)
* Strong Niiboshi flavor that might not be for everyone, but I personally liked it! This is one of the many ramen joints in Tokyo Station’s basement.
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**Day 10: Osaka-Takarazuka back and forth via subway and Hankyu train.**
Day trip to Takarazuka to see the **Takarazuka Revue Theater** and the **Osamu Tezuka Museum**. (Note: Hankyu is not a part of JR, so the JR Pass will not work on this line. You’d have to purchase tickets or use Suica/ICOCA). No longer a massive fan of the Revue so did not purchase tickets to see a show; spent the rest of the afternoon at the Osamu museum (I’m a huge Black Jack fan!) and left with many souvenirs. Later that evening I headed back to Dotunburi. There was some sort of festival going on, and lots of old folks were dancing around on a platform in the river. Lively, as always.
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**Day 11: Osaka to Hiroshima via Shinkansen**
Visited the **Nissin Cup Noodle Factory** that morning and made my own cup noodles, which came in handy, because later that evening a typhoon got real close to Osaka and JR announced that all services in and out of Kansai the next day were to be suspended. Thus I had to bail one day early to get to my next destination-Hiroshima. All ekiben were sold out due to the massive influx of hungry humans on the move, so I had to eat my noodle creation for dinner 🙁
* Food: Hiroshima okonomiyaki
* Distinctively Hiroshima-style, this particular kind of okonomiyaki incorporates oysters and ramen alongside other ingredients such as cabbage. Various options are available within Hiroshima station.
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**Day 12: Hiroshima to Hakata via Shinkansen**
Went the **Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum**. Words cannot describe the visit.
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**Day 13: Hakata to Nagasaki and back, via Shinkansen**
Snuck into **Nagasaki University’s Atomic Bomb Medical Museum** (it’s a small room hidden in one of the campus buildings) and the adjacent **Tropical Medicine Museum**. As a med student interested in the effects of radiation on the human body, it was a very informative visit, but probably not worth the detour for most people. Free books line the shelves outside the exhibition room; both Japanese and English titles are available. Then I went to the **Urakami Cathedral** and **Nagai Takashi Memorial Museum**, which are both within walking distance. Dinner was Champon ramen paired with castella honey cake. So good!
* Hotel: Comfort Hotel Hakata
* Nice, inexpensive, good breakfast spread. Comfort serves Hakata-style chicken soup (Mizusaki) during breakfast, which is a delicious alternative to OJ and coffee.
* Food: Sosyurin (Champon ramen)
* This is a flavorful seafood-based broth that will probably please most palates. With the ramen lots of veggies and seafood bits are included, making for a balanced meal. This particular restaurant is located in Nagasaki station, but there are many alternatives outside of the station.
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**Day 14: Hakata to Uminonakamichi Seaside Park, via JR**
Spent the whole day exploring **Uminonakamichi**. This is a very family friendly seaside park with a massive aquarium (**Marine World**) ! Didn’t love how they had animal performances but the place is well-maintained and quite educational. To get around the park, I recommend renting a bike as the place is humongous.
* Food: Hamburger patty at Marine World
* Surprisingly good. Dine while gazing into the massive aquarium tanks.
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**Day 15: Hakata to Kagoshima and back, via Shinkansen**
Did some shopping that morning and decided to head to Kagoshima with the sole purpose of trying Kagoshima wagyu yakiniku at **Gyu!Do**. It was delicious and extremely inexpensive for the amount of wagyu you are served. Kagoshima-chuo also happens to be the southernmost major JR hub, and with Asahikawa at the opposite end, I guess taking the train there serves as a good way to conclude this trip.
* Food: Gyu!Do yakiniku
* Very pleasantly surprised by both the quality and cost of the meal. According to their site, the restaurant raises its own wagyu, which is why it’s so cheap. Probably the best meal of the trip!
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Wow. That was long! Thanks for reading! Please feel free to ask any questions as I’m sure I’ve left out many details due to the sheer length of this post.
I’m also thinking about heading to Japan again to spend some more time in the Kansai region, visit Wakkanai/East Hokkaido, check out Shikoku, traverse the Hokuriku/Tohoku region, or some combination of these. Any and all recs will be highly appreciated!
EDIT: formatting for readability and other minor issues
EDIT2: added hotel/food details
by jamieclo