Japan
An island nation where tradition meets modernity, with distinct seasons and everything from urban food to hot springs, old temples, snowy mountains and islands.
Japan lies in East Asia and is made up of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku and many other islands. Stretching long from north to south, its climate ranges from cool temperate in the north to subtropical in Okinawa. Big cities such as Tokyo and Osaka are full of modern energy, Kyoto and Nara preserve a great many old temples and shrines, and places such as Nikko, Hida-Takayama and Nagasaki each have their own historic character. Kagoshima and Aso in Kumamoto have volcanic landscapes, Naoshima in the Seto Inland Sea is known for art, and hot springs and food across the country are major draws too. Cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves are peak season, while winter is good for skiing and soaking in hot springs. International airports such as Narita, Haneda and Kansai are the main gateways, and the Shinkansen connects the major cities.
Destinations
- Central Tokyo
- Kyoto
- Osaka
- Nagoya
- Fukuoka
- Yokohama
- Sapporo
- Hiroshima
- Kitakyushu & Shimonoseki
- Kobe
- Nagasaki
- Sendai
- Aomori & Oirase
- Hakodate
- Kumamoto & Aso
- Okayama & Kurashiki
- Okinawa Main Island
- Morioka
- Kanazawa
- Matsumoto
- Takamatsu & Naoshima
- Toyama & Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
- Ishigaki & Yaeyama Islands
- Tottori
- Kamakura
- Yamagata & Ginzan Onsen
- Kagoshima
- Tokushima & Naruto
- Beppu
- Nara
- Miyako Island
- Asahikawa
- Matsuyama
- Amami Oshima
- Miyazaki
- Otaru
- Kochi
- Hida-Takayama
- Izumo & Matsue
- Sado Island
- Nikko
- Yakushima
- Mount Fuji & Hakone
- Kushiro & Akan
- Atami & Izu
- Mount Koya
- Aizu-Wakamatsu & Ouchi-juku
- Onomichi & Shimanami Kaido
- Kinosaki Onsen & Amanohashidate
- Karuizawa
- Obihiro & Tokachi
- Ise-Shima
- Niseko
- Nemuro & Notsuke Peninsula
- Abashiri
- Hagi & Tsuwano
- Hakuba
- Tsuruoka
- Noto Peninsula & Wajima
- Rishiri & Rebun Islands
Itineraries
- Kyushu Rail Grand Loop (No Car) – A car-free loop around Kyushu: Nagasaki on the west, Aso in the center, Beppu and Miyazaki on the east, ending in Kagos…
- Grand Hokkaido Self-Drive Loop – A complete loop from New Chitose, covering Central Hokkaido's flower fields, Shiretoko, the easternmost point of Nemuro…
- Grand Tohoku Six-Prefecture Rail Loop – Depart from Tokyo and loop through all six prefectures of Tohoku, exploring both the Pacific and Sea of Japan coasts.
- Chugoku Region San'in & Sanyo Grand Loop Self-Drive – Depart from Okayama to loop around western Honshu, covering both the Sea of Japan and the Seto Inland Sea sides in one…
- Japan Golden Route: Tokyo, Hakone, Kansai & Hiroshima – Travel west from Tokyo through Hakone, Kyoto, Nara, and Himeji to Hiroshima, returning to Osaka for departure.
- Tokyo, Hokuriku, Takayama & Kyoto Northern Route – Skip the Tokaido route and travel via Karuizawa, Nagano, Kanazawa, Shirakawa-go, and Takayama to Kyoto.
- Grand Kanto & Shinshu Loop – A loop from Tokyo covering Hakone, Mt. Fuji, Matsumoto, Kamikochi, the Snow Monkeys, Kusatsu, and Karuizawa.
- Heading North by Shinkansen: Tokyo, Aomori, Hakodate & Sapporo – Take the Shinkansen from Tokyo through the Seikan Tunnel, exploring Oirase, Hakodate, Toya, Noboribetsu, Sapporo, and O…
- Classic Tohoku Rail Traverse – Head north from Sendai along the Shinkansen line, connecting Matsushima, Hiraizumi, Morioka, Kakunodate, Hirosaki, and…
- Shikoku Grand Loop Self-Drive – Embark on a grand loop from Naruto through Iya, Kochi, Shimanto, Ashizuri, Uwajima, and Dogo, ending in Kotohira and Ta…
- Western Kyushu Road Trip: Porcelain, Churches & Amakusa – From Saga's porcelain towns to Nagasaki, Unzen, and across the sea to Amakusa, tracing porcelain, ports, and Hidden Chr…
- Shikoku Henro Highlights & Mount Koya – Follow the traditional pilgrimage route to representative temples from Tokushima to Kagawa, complete the journey at Oku…