Me and my friend (both M19) are going to Japan for a month in from the middle of November to middle of December. We have set aside roughly half of the trip for Tokyo/Osaka/Kyoto but we both also agree that we are interested in experiencing some of the "non-touristy" areas of Japan. Some ideas we have are to explore the more rural areas of Kyushu, as well as to potentially go to Shikoku and explore Kochi/Ehime, etc., and then potentially bike ride the Shimanami Kaido before heading into Hiroshima. One concern we had with going to Shikoku however was that its not as easy to move from place to place, and getting to Kochi from Osaka can take 4+ hours. We would be willing to do some of the lengthier train rides but are just unsure if it would be worth it or if there is another area that any one suggests we should look into going instead…? We haven't really confirmed or organised anything yet so we are still quite flexible and open to ideas.
If anyone has any recommendations, or any advice for the trip in general it would be much appreciated!
by Correct-Door7202
