edit: Looking to keep costs down, so I won't have a car.
I'm heading to Japan in September 2025 (yes, a few weeks from now), and will have about 20 full days in the country (not including fly in / fly out days). I'll be arriving/leaving from Tokyo, flights are already booked, I'm just trying to figure out what regions to visit. This will be a solo trip and obviously isn't going to be super well planned, but I don't mind winging a lot of it – that's part of the benefit of going solo.
I've been to Japan 3 times before, and have done Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto-Hiroshima more than enough. I've also done the Nagano-Matsumoto-Kanazawa-Fukui path recently. Lastly, I've been to Fukuoka for a few days, but that's about it. I'm looking to avoid the heavy touristed areas.
I'm considering the following areas for the trip:
1) Tohoku. Seems good for potential hot weather in September, haven't been here before, proximity to Tokyo for flying in/out.
2) Kyushu. The amount of time I have lines up nicely for a trip around Kyushu and maybe a bit more.
3) Shikoku. Seems a bit boring but could also be very interesting/unique.
4) Southern Kansai. Never been here before.
Does anyone have any opinions on what makes the most sense for a solo traveler? I'm going to spend a minimum of 5 days in Osaka/Tokyo of course, leaving around 14-15 full days. All of these regions seem to have pros and cons. Part of me is thinking of flying from Tokyo to Fukuoka, then doing a tour of Kyushu->Shikoku->Osaka+Tokyo and done. Another part of me is thinking of just doing Tohoku + Tokyo, maybe cutting out Osaka entirely.
Any advice or thoughts? Anything I'm not even considering that you'd suggest?
by ChurnDisciple