I’m currently in the early weeks of my 75(!) day solo trip to Japan. I’m based out of Tokyo for all 75 days, but want to take some trips to other cities to get a good taste of Japan. I have a trip to Hiroshima booked, which I’m very excited for, and will also be heading to Osaka + Kyoto with my family, who are coming to visit me in May. There’s a nice spot in my schedule for a 3-6 day trip out of Tokyo at the end of the month, and I’m trying to figure out where I should go.
I had initially planned on going to Sapporo so I could see a bit of Hokkaido and potentially see the sakura again, but I’m worried there’s not going to be enough to do there. I feel like I can walk around Susukino, head up Mt. Moiwa and see the view, head out to the Ainu cultural center, and then… idk, from what I’ve read, it doesn’t feel like there’s that much else there that really excites me? I don’t have my international driver’s license, so renting a car to explore the more “off the beaten path” areas of Hokkaido isn’t an option. Maybe I’m just uninformed though about what Sapporo has to offer.
Another thought would be to do a trip to Kyoto and Osaka ahead of my family arriving in Japan (so going two times). My family wants to do all of Kyoto and Osaka in \~5 days, which feels a little rushed to me. I really want to head to Himeji to see the samurai castle, Nara to see the temples, and of course there’s plenty to do within Osaka and Kyoto, so I’m worried I may have to leave some really great things on the table if I try to squeeze everything into just five days vs. going there by myself for an additional \~4 days so I feel more confident I can see everything I want to see. But…it feels like a waste to see the same cities twice, and leave so many other stones in Japan unturned.
Are there any cities that come to mind as good contenders for a short-ish trip from Tokyo? Kagoshima and Matsuyama are both sort of floating around in my mind as options after some preliminary research, but would love to get input from some folks who have explored a lot of Japan!
by JebulousHooplah