Hey all,
I’m looking for some advice to formulate an itinerary from Tokyo to Sapporo. I am travelling in the winter and would be heading up from Tokyo on February 1st, so I am a bit worried about snow and transit? First time in Japan and I’m pretty well going all over. Here’s what I have:
Day 1 – Head to Nikko from Tokyo. Take a day to check out the Urushi Museum, Toshogu Shrine, Edo Wonderland (?), Shinkyo Bridge. Stay the night.
Day 2 – Head to Sendai. Check out Aoba Castle, Sendai City Museum. Maybe do some sightseeing in Matsushima, crossing Fukuurubashi Bridge into the bay, find a good soba restaurant. Head back to Sendai and stay the night. I’d love to try go to Yamadera to see Risshaku-Ji but I heard it may be inaccessible during the winter?
Day 3 – Head to Hakodate. Check out Fort Goryokaku, Mount Hakodate, Museum of Northern Peoples. Check out the morning market before leaving.
Day 4-6 – Head to Sapporo and stay for 2 nights. This would get me there the day that the Sapporo Snow Festival begins, so I can spend time checking that out, with Moerenuma Park and the Beer Museum, and Mount Moiwa Ropeway.
Day 7 – Head back to Tokyo, either train all the way back or fly from Chitose.
I am considering staying at a ryokan in Jozankei so that I can soak in an onsen after the inevitably cold days of exploring, and there’s a direct bus from Jozankei to Sapporo fairly often. Does anyone have experience with the buses there, especially in winter? Was also thinking of this since Noboribetsu Onsen seems a bit out of the way.
I have also been considering doing Nikko as just a day trip from Tokyo, and even skipping over Sendai entirely and just going straight up to Hakodate, or even taking an extra day to spend in Aomori instead of Nikko/Sendai. The books I’ve read talk a lot about travelling north in the spring/summer but not much about the winter. I am Canadian so I’m not entirely pressed about things being cold but I do know how snow can affect transit.
Anyway, thanks for any advice you may have in advance!