Hi there, we booked our tickets heading to and from Tokyo arriving on Feb 4th and leaving on March 7th. This trip is much harder to plan since we’ve conquered the beaten path, so we’d love an early critique.
I’m going to post some information about us first, feel free to scroll past it to the draft.
Both of us: 26 years old, some Japanese speaking ability. Adore Japanese food and arcades. A whole lotta Chase Sapphire Reserve points to spend. Will get international driver’s licenses but would prefer to stick to public transit.
Me: Woman, Japanese speaking ability somewhere around N3 (don’t study via JLPTs). Likes hiking, is a sucker for cliffsides against a river and foot bridges. Interested in modern culture, and food factories.
Him: Man, Japanese speaking ability was around N4 last time we went but insists he used to be N2 and will surpass me. Will veto “too much” hiking and “too many” temples/shrines. Huge fan of sake and whiskey as well, so interested in factories. Especially interested in luxury experiences.
Already visited places: Tokyo, Yokohama, Hakone, Mt. Fuji (toured up and around by car), Mishima, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Himeji, Hiroshima, Miyajima
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Itinerary rough draft:
Feb 4th: Arrival in Tokyo
Feb 5th: Head to Sendai
Visit the Yuriage morning harbor market, Fukuurajima, Rairaikyo Gorge, and temples/shrines within Sendai. Maybe the aquarium. Take a half-day trip to Iwate to try the legendary Tankaku wagyu at Wakana.
Feb 8th: Go to and spend the night at a ryokan in Ginzen Onsen
Feb 9th: Fly to Sapporo via the Yamagata airport
Enjoy the Sapporo snow festival, Shiroi-koibito park, shopping centers, fish markets, and parks. Take a day trip to Otaru for the snow light path, and the canal. Take a trip to the Otokoyama sake brewery. Maybe visit onsens/ryokans around Hokkaido. Struggling to find parks or other activities in Hokkaido that are good to visit in the winter. Would like to visit local farms and such, need to research more here
Feb 17th: Fly to Fukuoka
Check out the food stalls, and eat lots of Hakata ramen. Yanagawa boat tour, visit local shrines/temples, and the park. Visit Ainoshima, the kitty island.
Feb 22nd: Head to Kumamoto
Check out Jyousaien, the castle, and Suizenjijyoujuen. Maybe an ryokan in Kurokawa Onsen? Also drive to see the Takachiho Gorge, and also the Beppu Hells
Feb 27th: Fly back to Tokyo
Take a day trip to Nagano, maybe visit the Suntory Hakushu Distillery on the way. Truthfully not really sure how to fill in this time; We should probably add another location or add some of this time to other locations since we’re not trying to spend that long in Tokyo.
March 6th: Concert in Yokohama
March 7th: Return home
Thanks guys!
20 comments
Sendai – Matsushima city – try to stay by the bay of Matsushima. They have a pretty cool view of Pine islets which helped to reduce damages from the 2011 tsunami. Reputed to be one of the greatest sceneries of Japan in existence for centuries.
I was there in November and it was awesome to watch the sun rise. Godaido temple has a dinky footbridge with a legend. Oshima island near Matsushimakaigan station is a nice little Island of a short hike with views from the other side. Less touristy but you will see some Buddhist caverns along the way. Kanrantei tea house serves nice kabocha cake.
Fuukurajima is in Matsushima. There’s a cruise around to see the islets.
I did a similar trip Feb this year and I just wanted to mention that Ginzan Onsen was not what I expected, I was very disappointed 🙁 the actual traditional looking area on the river was very small, took less than 5 mins to walk the length of it. As our trip coincided with Chinese New year (which I assume yours will too) it was absolutely packed with tourists which made it uncomfortable in such a small area. The busyness also meant the tiny bus that takes just under an hour was rammed too and we had to stand for all of it. We were expecting a nice peaceful trip to a beautiful authentic town but it ended up being our least favourite part of the trip! Maybe you’ll love it there, I just wanted you to be aware that it may not be quite what you expect.
Ahh your trip sounds amazing! I’m hoping to do something similar for my next visit next year. One recommendation I have for your time in Fukuoka (aside from eating all the hakata ramen) is [Nanzo-in](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanzo-in). We were able to make it a half-day trip so if you’re crunched for time probably not the best idea. However it was very beautiful and scratched my “wanna be outdoors and gotta hike” itch without it being intense or dragging down the people in my group who weren’t hikers, haha. Enjoy!
Since you plan to go in winter, farming activities are probably limited to things like dairy farm, not saying that farm experience is impossible, but might not be as fun as in summer, because when there is snow, you don’t do much, (my dad was a dairy farmer and I do not have much interest visiting a dairy farm, so it might explain things, lol).
For someone who have not visited Tohoku yet, I think that simply limiting it to Sendai area and Ginzan onsen is a bit sad, there is much more to see in that large area. I think you can totally focus on the northern part of the country. The only good point I can see about going to Kyushu is that it would be warmer and no snow compared to the north.
What I would personally do is to go directly to Sapporo, then follow you Hokkaido plan, can do a day in Hakodate, followed by shinkansen to Tohoku area. Appart from the area you named, Yamadera in Yamagata is a nice hike, not sure how it is with now tho. There is also Matsushima that is quite famous for it’s scenery. In the places that I liked in Tohoku, there is also Aizu-Wakamatsu and Kitakata (by the way that is famous for it’s ramen as sake), then possible to continue to Niigata, that also have a reputation for sake (there’s a bunch of video about ponshukan online, a place where you can taste a lot of different sake). From there, it’s a bit of a detour, but you can reach Nagano in 2 hours.
Actually, the second option I would take is to split time between Hokkaido and Kyushu only, there is much more to see in Kyushu then what you listed, I really liked Nagasaki and even Kita-Kyushu was fun. I’ve already been to a couple of places, but my plan for my next trip is 2 weeks in Kyushu or in Shikoku.
Small detail, Ginzan, not gizen, it mean “silver mine”.
Hokkaido has drift ice tours. https://o-tower.co.jp/
You can sit on an ice breaking ship and sail the frozen seas (well just the sea of Okhotsk.
I definitely recommend visiting the Hyotan Onsen in Beppu! Get a private room for 1 hour for around $20 USD. The onsen was recently renovated and is beautiful.
You can probably see most of Sapporo in around 3-4 days, including time for the Snow Festival. A day trip to Otaru would add a day. I haven’t been to the sake brewery but consider staying overnight at Asahikawa as it is a couple of hours from Sapporo. If you time it right there will also be a snow festival on there. They are also have a zoo which is worth checking out for the penguin parade.
Outdoor activities in Hokkaido would all be snow related as everywhere will be covered in it, so an option might be snow trekking.
I don’t envy you your luggage. To go from Hokkaido to Fukuoka, wow. Lots of excellent onsen in Hokkaido that you can find easily. My trip was more in the Asahikawa and we loved Obihiro, which is home to my favorite Japanese chocolate, Rokkatei.
Nagoya can make a nice stop, easy to get to from Tokyo..you mentioned Mishima, but have you been to the Izu peninsula? You can get a room with an ocean view and watch the sun rise in the morning.
> Huge fan of sake and whiskey as well,
And yet no mention of visiting either of Nikka’s distilleries in [Miyagikyo](https://www.nikka.com/eng/distilleries/miyagikyo/) (Sendai) or [Yoichi](https://www.nikka.com/eng/distilleries/yoichi/) (Sapporo)?
I’ve only been to the Yoichi one so far but it was a great experience. In addition to free samples, they have a tasting room with a nice variety of items including some of the items for sale in the shop. It’s about another 30 minutes west of Otaru, the trains aren’t as frequent, and there didn’t seem to be much else in Yoichi (at least that was open when I was there).
Also, [adding to this](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/hek2yx/1_month_february_2021_honeymoon4th_trip_super/fvrwwo5/): it’s probably too far out of the way but I spent a night at [Takinoya](https://www.ryokancollection.com/ryokan/takinoya/) in [Noboribetsu](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6750.html). It was pricey but very nice (I’m a solo traveler and the only other onsen I could reserve online seemed more family-oriented than I would have liked). I’m not sure if the trails around Hell Valley will be open in February, though.
If you’re going to be in Hokkaido for a week roughly, you could do a day trip or overnight up to Asahidake. You can rent snowshoes and hike around at the top with the thermal vents (fumaroles) and stay a night at one of the onsen hotels at the base of the mountain.
Then on the drive back to Sapporo make a stop in Furano to enjoy their dairy products. The Furano cheese factory is a great lunch stop with amazing pizza. Follow that up with a stop at Delice for some of their famous puddings! On your way out of town be sure to grab some of their special Sapporo “Furano Edition” beer that uses local hops.
This is all possible via bus/train/taxi but would be much more enjoyable/efficient with a rental car.
We did a somewhat similar trip as you outlined this year, but in a bit different order, and with a few additions and subtractions. You’ll find a complete itinerary linked in my post “Itinerary Check: Sapporo, Otaru, Hakodate, Sendai, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Kanazawa, Matsumoto, Hokuto, Tokyo (Feb 6 – March 2 2020)”. I haven’t written up a trip report yet but it’s essentially what we did except for a few times where we were too exhausted to do everything.
I would definitely recommend both the Nikka distilleries and the Suntory Hakushu distillery if they are open to the public again/by then. All are a bit out of the way but each was different and it was nice to travel outside of the big cities for a bit.
I’d probably switch from a day trip to at least a night or 2 in Otaru, since it was actually a great city to spend some time in exploring and makes getting to Yoichi easier if the distillery is open. We only spent 3 nights in Sapporo and 2 nights in Otaru, and while we definitely could have stayed longer, with 8 nights you are right to consider going somewhere nearby like Noboribetsu.
The snow monkeys at Nagano are worth going to. I was worried it’d be too much of a tourist trap, but the hike was fun even in horrible rain.
A trip to Matsumoto Castle between Nagano and the Suntory Hakushu Distillery works well, and was a highlight of our trip. The Matsumoto Brewery Tap Room was closed earlier than their stated close time, so I’d call to confirm if you try to go there.
We considered doing a sake brewery tour circuit in Suwa, and there’s supposedly another great castle there, but we didn’t feel we had enough time for that, but you might.
We spent a night at a really unique boutique hotel in Hokuto near the Hakushu Distillery that has an amazing whisky bar and a pop art museum. Definitely a great experience, but you’ll pay luxury prices to stay there.
You’ll have a great trip, hopefully the virus situation has improved by then, but there’s always 2022 if it doesn’t.
If you can find time to take the train from Otaru to the Nikka Distillery do so.
If you’re going to Kyushu I reccomend Yufuin and Beppu. If you go to Yufuin you must eat Bungo Mabushi
February is middle of crane season in Akan near Kushiro.
i cant add much to stuff to do in winter, but i have been in Miyagi in march last year…i would recommend the Nikka destillery in either Hokkaido or nearby Sendai (as another has recommended) as well as maybe going to Zaoonsen and/or Yamadera.
Zaoonsen is pretty popular for the snow monsters and winter sports with pretty hot water and lots of sulfur in it (you will smell it right after getting out of the bus/car). It also should be suited for hiking if the is not enough snow.
Yamadera is a temple located in about the middle between Sendai and Yamagata by train. As the name suggests it’s on the side of a mountain and has 1000 from base to top.
Was in Hokkaido and Ginzan around the same time this year. Snow levels were kind of a big issue this entire season. Hope you’ll have a better experience next year. If you’re into wiskey you should probably check out the Nikka distillery it is pretty close to to Otaru. Also if you’re looking for luxury experiences I stayed at this ryokan in Kutchan https://zaborin.com/ it was pretty awesome en suite indoor and and outdoor baths. The bathroom alone was larger than a lot of hotel rooms.
Its a little bit of a pain to get from Sendai to Ginzan with public transit. However there is some interesting stuff around Mt Zao that you might want to look into, fox villages, snow monsters, and a coupl e of onsens.
This is too spread out imo. Since you are going in winter either pick Kyushu area for warmer weather to explore or Tohoku + Hokkaido area. I would say a trip for each area to be enjoyable otherwise your just flying and traveling around while getting limited benefit from each location. You can do it all with Japan rail pass. For things to do use TripAdvisor app for some suggestions.
For hotels you can splurge on traditional Onsens ryokans once a week or so. Personally I picked middle-of-the-road business hotels with common public bathing areas like Dormy Inns. Nothing beats a long day like a good hot soak.
If you are going up north it’s winter hope you like snow. Here is my list. I would Japan rail up and down instead of flying. 3-week pass since it looks like you are going to be there a while.
Tokyo
1) Kawagoe. Old samurai town
2) Shibamata station. Old samurai town
3) You can come back here at the end for more. Basically the first two days to to get your bearings and adjust to the jet lag.
Nikko
1) Yes the temples but its a short walk and easy day trip. I would stay in Kinugawa Onsen hotel right next door for the night.
Sendai
1) what you have planned
2) Matsushima coast next door
Ginzan Onsen
1) You know what to do walk up and down the center foot baths and all of that especially at night.
Akita
1) Matsuri museums
2) Also try the local hot pot beef noodle soups
Kakunodate
1) Well-preserved samurai neighborhoods
Hirosaki
1) Definitely the castle park
Goshogawara
2) The Matsuri museum. It’s short cicular walk up multiple stories
Hokkaido
1) Sapporo
2) Otaru. Make sure you do the Ghengis Khan BBQ and beer resturant all tourists do.
3) Chitose airport. Yes the airport is an excellent destination to explore
4) Noboribetsu. Skiing, parks, onsens
5) Lake Toya
6) Hakodate. Go up the mountain to the observatory. Pick an onsen hotel facing the bay.
On you way back down figured out what you missed
Mito
1) Kairaku-en.
Tokyo
Narita
1)Old town. There are a couple of free tours
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SEPERATELY FOR KYUSHU
Kyushu
I would go from the northeast side and just circle down the coast and back up on the west coast.
Beppu
1) Onsen hells
Oita
1) Castle town
Takachiho Gorge
1) Beautiful park area
Miyazaki
1) Seaside temple with the great views
Kagoshima
Kumamoto
Nagasaki
Karatsu
1) Mongol Invasion of Japan started here in Kyushu.
Will update if I remember more. Did all of this and more in 5-6 trips to Japan.
You’re missing out on Ibaraki. Given your timeline, it’d be perfect for ume (Japanese plum) blossom season in Mito with the beautiful Kairakuen garden. There’s also the whole of Tohoku for you to explore.
Other than that… I’m not a fan of flying in general due to the carbon footprint so I do my best to minimize it by going via train or bus as much as I can. That’s just me, and I do get the time savings you can get by flying so I’ll leave that decision to you. That said… I’d probably fly directly to Sapporo for the Sapporo Snow Festival, explore the island a bit, then take the slow and long way back to Tokyo, hitting places along the way. You can probably zig and zag down Tohoku to Tokyo for a month and not run out of things to see and do
* Aquarium? Oarai in Ibaraki has a good one
* booze? Check out the Nikka distilleries in Yoichi and Miyagikyo, and the various beer breweries along the way
* Ryokans and onsens? The mountainous parts of Fukushima has you covered
* Ramen? Kitakata in Fukushima
* Yet more snow and inaka life? Akita.
* Beef? Hitachi wagyu in Hitachi, Ibaraki. Arguably at par or better than Kobe wagyu
I would have a back up plan since i highly doubt you will be allowed to travel there.
I spent 3 nights in Fukuoka this year, and used UR to transfer to Hyatt for staying at the Hyatt there in Canal City. I can recommend it. It’s a moderate walk to the nearest subway, but not bad at all. The island with the cluster of hatai stands is right across a bridge from the hotel.