3 months in Japan – 2 weeks Hokkaido road trip done – questions about the rest of the trip.

Hello everyone, I hope you're all having a great day!

I'm currently in Japan for three months (first time here) and the plan is to travel across the country.
I just finished a two-weeks road trip around Hokkaido and wanted to share my itinerary and a few tips, in case anyone's looking for some inspo.

I flew from Tokyo to Sapporo with ANA, it was a cheap flight and super easy. I rented a Toyota Yaris in Sapporo with Orix. I only used the expressways a couple of times. I’m not sure what they’re like in the rest of Japan, but in Hokkaido, the speed limit is usually 70 or 80 km/h if it's a 2×2-lanes road, and the tolls are pretty expensive. So honestly, I don’t think you save much time by taking the expressways in Hokkaido. I used both Google Maps + Waze for directions. I have a Holafly eSIM, it works perfectly, but just so you know the hotspot is limited to 500 MB per day.

Itinerary
Sapporo > Otaru > Yoichi > Niseko > Shimoyubetsu > Lake Toya > Jigodunaki > Lake Shikotsu > Yubari > Nibutani > Shintoko > Obihiro > Mikage > Shibecha > Kushiro Shitsugen > Mori Tsubetsu > Akanko Ainu > Bihoro Pass > Lake Kussharo > Kussharo Kotan > Lake Mashu > Rausu > Shiretoko Goko > Abashiri > Cape Soya > Wakkanai > Asahikawa > Kamikawa > Sounkyo > Mikuni Pass > Furano > Sapporo – train to Hakodate. 

Some of the accommodations where I stayed and were good
Sapporo – Residence Hotel Sapporo Susukino
Asahikawa – Premier Hotel CABIN 
Furano – Chalet Burlap Furanui 
Hakodate – Four Points Flex by Sheraton
Tsubetsu – Moritsubetsu 
Shikotsuko – Sapporo's Secret Onsen Sanctuary Marukoma Onsen Ryokan
Kushiro – Sanko Onsen

Wine
If you are interested in wine, Yoichi is the place to be! There are a few natural winemakers there. I was lucky enough to meet Muneo Matsumura from Misono Vineyard. They usually don't sell their wines directly, but they made an exception that day. I think he was pleasantly surprised to meet a French person, as he studied winemaking in France. The best place to buy great bottels is Nakane, a wine shop run by an enthusiast who only stocks the good stuff! Check out Misono Vineyard, Domaine Takahiko, La Grande Colline, Domaine ICHI.

Cheese 
If you're into cheese like me, and especially "raw milk" cheeses, you'll find some gems! Unpasteurized cheeses are not common in Japan due to strict sanitary regulations, however a few artisanal producers make cheese from raw milk. My fav so far Kyodo Gakusha Farm and Cheese Takara. Takashi Toppepo Factory is a shop selling good local cheeses too and cheesecakes. 

Horses
Hokkaido is home to the native Dosanko horses. There are many ranches around Biratori, and you can also check out the Shizunai Livestock Farm in Shinhidaka. For horse riding, there’s a ranch called Tsurui Ranch, which offers both short and long trail rides. I couldn’t join because it was fully booked, but I went riding at Heart Ranch instead. They don’t have Dosanko horses, but American Quarter Horses. The ranch is quite new (it opened three years ago), and the team is amazing. The horses are super well treated, and the setting is just stunning. I can’t recommend it enough! Plus, they speak very good English. 

In Sapporo, I had some really good food at these places
Jingisukan Daruma Hon Ten
Junren
Sumire
Menya Saimi
Suage
Robatayaki Utari
Donbe and Fujita at Nijo Fish Market
On the coast, I had great seafood at a little place called Kaki Goya.

Hikes
Bear season is in full swing, please take care of yourself, don’t hike alone, and carry a bear bell and bear spray! I was able to do most of the hikes and walks, except for the Moss Corridor, which is no longer accessible due to a landslide, and the ground pathways at Shiretoko Goko Lakes, which were closed because of bear activity.

Best natural onsen I’ve tried
KOTAN-NO-YU, right after watching the sunrise, I was alone, it was a dream!

I think I’ve covered the main points, but if you’d like any details or more information about the route, feel free to ask me 🙂

Now I'm in the north of Honshu. I took the ferry from Hakodate to Aomori yesterday morning. Aomori has a great art museum btw! I really struggled to find a car to rent yesterday for three weeks, every rental company was sold out. But I finally got one from Toyota Rentals. It's one of those tiny Japanese cars, so not very comfortable to drive :/ I'm planning a three-weeks road trip across Tohoku and a bit of Kanto and Chubu. If you have any recommendations, please send them my way. On October 27th, I'll be in Tokyo, and the idea is to make my way all the way down. I'm thinking about maybe renting a camper van via Japan RV Rental – has anyone rented one from this company? I'm not sure if renting a camper van is the best idea, since I also want to explore big cities like Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, etc. Maybe just a car would be enough, mixing train travel and driving… What do you guys think? Thank you so much in advance for your help and tips!