Thinking of moving out of Tokyo (remote worker) looking for recommendations

Currently living in Tokyo, but thinking about moving.

I work fully remote and only need to be in Tokyo maybe 4 to 5 times a year, so I’m considering moving somewhere outside Tokyo as long as I can still get there within around 3 hours when needed.

One big factor for me is that Tokyo summers are honestly becoming unbearable. I’m totally fine with cold weather.

I’m trying to balance better quality of life and lower cost while still being reasonably connected.

I was initially interested in Sapporo, but someone mentioned that places like Nagano or Niigata might be more practical options (can’t remember which one they recommended😅

I’m open to both renting and buying.

• Where would you move in my situation?
• Any specific cities or towns you recommend?
• Pros and cons of places like Sapporo vs Nagano or Niigata?

Edit:
I should have mentioned that I’m a freelancer and plan to stay that way, so I won’t be required to go into an office. If I do need to come to Tokyo, I can expense transportation and even a hotel if I need to stay overnight, so occasional trips aren’t a big issue.

As long as I can get to Tokyo within about 3 hours, I’m pretty flexible on location. I’ve just started seriously considering this move, so I don’t have strong preferences yet, but I expect I might develop some as I learn more.

Thanks!