Hi all! My friends and I are planning to do a 4 week (All though September) long road trip across Japan. Our goal is to see as much of the country as we can, and really find some unique places to enjoy and make memories!
This is the itinerary so far…
D0 – Arrive Tokyo (capsule night)
- Jet-lag walk: Akihabara arcades & anime shops, quick ramen, early sleep at capsule hotel.
D1 – Pick up van → Nikko Drive 2–2.5 h
- Toshogu Shrine, Shinkyo Bridge.
- Food: yuba (tofu-skin) soba.
- Sleep: Nikko area/Michi-no-Eki or onsen town.
D2 – Nikko → Sendai (via Matsushima option) Drive 3.5–4.5 h
- Matsushima Bay cruise; Sendai gyūtan dinner.
Night: Kokubuncho izakaya lane (cheap drinks).
D3 – Sendai day BUFFER #1 if weather
- Visit Zuihoden and Kokubuncho nightlife. (Optional, day before possible)
D4 – Sendai → Aomori Drive 4–5 h
- Nebuta Museum, A-factory market. Prep for Hokkaido hop.
D5 – HOKKAIDO SHINKANSEN DAY
- Park near Shin-Aomori → Shinkansen 1.5–2 h to Hakodate.
- Mt. Hakodate night view; morning market shio-ramen/kaisendon.
- Return to Aomori by evening or sleep in Hakodate and return next morning (use part of a buffer if needed).
D6 – Aomori → Akita/Niigata corridor Drive 4–6 h (split ok)
- Sea-of-Japan scenery; sake tasting stop.
- Sleep: Niigata area.
D7 – Niigata → Kanazawa Drive 3–5 h
- Omicho Market sushi/kaisendon, Kenrokuen Garden.
- Optional animal café stop.
D8 – Kanazawa deep dive
- Samurai & geisha districts, gold-leaf treats.
Special meal #1: fresh sushi set or Noto-wagyu yakiniku (¥3k–6k).
D9 – Kanazawa → Kyoto Drive 3.5–5 h
- Evening at Gion/ponto-cho lanes walk and food.
D10 – Kyoto classics
- Fushimi Inari shrine(early), Kiyomizu-dera, Nishiki Market.
- Tea ceremony or tofu-kaiseki (¥4k–9k).
- Bamboo Forest and Sushi
D11 – Kyoto → Osaka Drive 1–1.5 h
- Dotonbori street food run; Den-Den Town (anime).
- Karaoke nomihodai night.
D12 – Kobe wagyu splurge (from Osaka) Train 30–50 min
- Special meal #2: Kobe beef teppanyaki/yakiniku (from ~¥4k pp).
- Alt: USJ Day (pre-book).
D13 – Osaka → Himeji → Hiroshima Drive 4–6 h total
- Himeji Castle quick stop.
- Hiroshima okonomiyaki dinner.
D14 – Hiroshima & Miyajima
- Peace Park & Museum; ferry to Itsukushima Shrine; oysters (in season).
D15 – Hiroshima → Fukuoka Drive 3.5–5h
- Nakasu yatai ramen night.
D16 – Fukuoka day BUFFER #2 (typhoon flex day)
- Canal City, Ohori Park; ramen crawl. (Can be done day before)
D17 – Fukuoka → Beppu Drive 2.5–3.5 h
- Beppu “hells” (viewing), then a cheap public onsen soak.
- Sleep: onsen ryokan or Michi-no-Eki with showers.
D18 – Beppu → Kagoshima Drive 4–6 h
- Sakurajima viewpoints; Sengan-en garden if time.
- Special meal #3: Kagoshima wagyu or Kurobuta set (¥3k–5k).
- Maybe kumamoto castle visit
D20 – Begin return north (long day)
- Drive towards Chugoku or kansai all day and find a resting spot for the evening
D21 – Toward Chugoku/Shikoku or Inland Drive 4–6 h
- If weather sketchy on the coast, go inland.
- Shikoku option: Sanuki udon in Takamatsu, Ritsurin Garden.
D22 – To Fuji Five Lakes Drive 6–8 h (from Chugoku/Kansai)
- Lake Kawaguchi viewpoints; evening onsen with Fuji views.
D23 – Fuji area
- Fuji-Q Highland (coasters; occasional anime collabs).
- Calm alternative: lakeside cycle + onsen.
D24 – Fuji → Yokohama → Tokyo (return van) Drive 3–4 h total
- Cup Noodles Museum + Ramen Museum; return campervan in Tokyo.
The last few days after D24 will be spent in Tokyo in an apartment! We've put a lot of effort into figuring out what we'd like to do… but ultimately would like some advice! is there anything people have experienced that they'd definitely recommend us doing/not doing in this list?
Please let us know if you have any tips for us!! (Yes it may look like AI but we spent as while making this and had some help with the formatting from chat GPT)
by Altruistic_Owl206