Hokkaido
Big skies, serious snow and a road-trip rhythm found nowhere else in Japan.
- Gateway
- New Chitose Airport · Sapporo
- Allow
- 5–8 days
- Best time
- Dec–Mar for snow · Jun–Sep for outdoors
- Best for
- Skiing, nature, driving, seafood
JAPANFind your region ↘
ALL TEN REGIONS
Find your place
in Japan.
Compare geography, gateway cities and realistic stays before opening a complete guide written for international travellers.
Tohoku
Mountain onsen, powerful festivals and rural landscapes linked by fast trains.
- Gateway
- Sendai Station · Sendai Airport
- Allow
- 4–7 days
- Best time
- May–Aug for green season · Oct–Feb for colour and snow
- Best for
- Onsen, festivals, history, repeat trips
Kanto
Tokyo’s intensity balanced by temple towns, coastlines and volcanic onsen.
- Gateway
- Haneda · Narita · Tokyo Station
- Allow
- 4–7 days
- Best time
- Year-round · Winter for clear skies
- Best for
- First trips, food, cities, day trips
Hokuriku Shinetsu
Old towns, contemporary craft and mountain journeys shaped by heavy snow.
- Gateway
- Nagano · Kanazawa · Toyama stations
- Allow
- 4–6 days
- Best time
- Apr–Nov for alpine routes · Dec–Mar for snow
- Best for
- Craft, gardens, hiking, winter scenery
Tokai
Japan’s central corridor opens into tea fields, coastlines and storybook villages.
- Gateway
- Nagoya · Shizuoka · Mishima stations
- Allow
- 3–6 days
- Best time
- Oct–Feb for Fuji · May–Oct for highlands
- Best for
- Fuji views, craft, food, mountain towns
Kansai
Kyoto mornings, Osaka nights and centuries of history between them.
- Gateway
- Kansai Airport · Shin-Osaka · Kyoto
- Allow
- 5–8 days
- Best time
- Mar–Apr · Oct–Nov · winter for quieter travel
- Best for
- First trips, temples, food, urban culture
Chugoku
Powerful memory, quiet old towns and islands scattered across blue water.
- Gateway
- Hiroshima · Okayama stations
- Allow
- 4–6 days
- Best time
- Mar–May · Oct–Nov
- Best for
- History, gardens, islands, cycling
Shikoku
A compact island where the journey between places matters as much as arrival.
- Gateway
- Takamatsu · Matsuyama · Tokushima
- Allow
- 4–7 days
- Best time
- Apr–May · Oct–Nov
- Best for
- Walking, art, road trips, slow travel
Kyushu
Restorative onsen, generous food cities and landscapes still being formed.
- Gateway
- Fukuoka Airport · Hakata Station
- Allow
- 5–8 days
- Best time
- Mar–May · Oct–Nov
- Best for
- Onsen, food, driving, volcanic scenery
Okinawa
Coral water, subtropical forests and an island culture with its own history and pace.
- Gateway
- Naha Airport · Ishigaki Airport
- Allow
- 5–8 days
- Best time
- Apr–Jun and Oct for beach weather
- Best for
- Beaches, diving, families, island culture
FIRST VISIT?
Start with a route,
not a checklist.
Tokyo and Kansai make the clearest first combination. Add one contrasting region only when the journey still leaves room to slow down.
Compare three realistic routes →