Help with itinerary, especially for Shikoku and Nagano/Niigata areas.

Hi, I’m looking for recommendations and ideas for my next trip this November/December, I’ve been to Japan multiple times and this trip my focus will be in **Shikoku** and **Nagano/Niigata** area.
Won’t be renting a car and for what I’ve read Shikoku is not so “easy” without one so I’m willing to accept that and just visit whats possible with train/buses (or reduce my time there).

I do slow travel and don’t need to rush or “see everything”, I don’t mind some off days to just rest and take a break/do nothing. For this trip I’m considering either staying 1 up to 2 months depending on what I end up deciding.

* 17 November: **Kansai** area

So far I’m thinking to arrive in Osaka by plane and revisit some areas there and in Kyoto for 6-7 nights, visit USJ (haven’t been to the Nintendo world yet) and then take a train+ferry to Tokushima to begin the Shikoku leg of our trip.

* **Shikoku**:

**Tokushima**: 3 nights to explore city, visit Naruto, mt Bizan

Activate 7 day Shikoku pass:

* **Kochi**: 3 nights
* **Matsuyama**: 3 nights
* **Takamatsu**: 3-4 nights, visit **Teshima** and surroundings (I’ve been to Naoshima in the past)

Fly to **Tokyo** and spend a few days there before moving to **Nagano/Niigata** area

* activate 5 days JR east Nagano/Niigata pass:

My plan so far is to stay perhaps in Nagano for 4/5 nights and do day trips from there to:

**Yamanouchi** (onsen and monkey park)

**Karuizawa**

**Hakuba** (snowboarding/snow walking)

**Nozawa** or Bessho Onsen

(I’ve been to Kiso valley and Matsumoto, so they are not priority but might revisit Matsumoto if there’s time)

Activate another pass just like the one before and head towards Niigata

* **Stay in Niigata** city 2-3 nights to visit the area and maybe a nearby onsen
* **Head towards Echigo Yuzawa** and stay there 1-2 nights to visit the resorts, drink sake and check an onsen.

Last day of pass head to Tokyo

Spend either a week in Tokyo and then fly out of Japan before NYE, or stay 2 weeks there, then maybe do some other trip to a nearby area and leave Japan around 10-15 January.

* Are 13-14 days in Shikoku too much?
* Will I find stuff to do in Tokushima or Takamatsu after I see the 2-3 top recommended tourist things?
* Is staying in Nagano to visit the area around a good idea or should I be staying in the other towns as I visit them? I don’t mind day trips nor moving around, but I feel like day trips sometimes are less hassle than having to check-in/out constantly from hotels.
* Similar question for Niigata, are 4-5 days in the area ok or overkill?

I’m well experienced in terms of prices of hotels/transportation/food so my question this time has not much to do with budget, we (me and my SO) will be backpacking and using regional JR passes. We’d like to snowboard if possible in Nagano/Yuzawa area but definitely won’t be bringing equipment or clothes so it will depend on if there are rentals for that and how expensive they end up being.

Thank you for any information, recommendations and ideas, really appreciate any input.