As the title suggests, I’m heading back to Japan this September/October, but I’m struggling to decide on the final part of my itinerary for booking my hotels.

On my previous trip, I visited Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka. This time I want to explore a few different regions, but I’m unsure whether some of my current stops are actually worth it for my interests.

Last time I tried a mix of activities:

• Hiking / nature walks
• Exploring cities without a strict plan
• Retro game shopping
• Museums
• Zoo
• Hot spring

What I really enjoyed most:

• Nature walks and scenic areas (for taking pictures)
• Wandering through cities and neighborhoods
• Retro game hunting

My dilemma

I’m currently debating whether it’s worth staying in Nagoya and Okayama, or if I should:

• Skip one (or both) entirely (wasting time on checking-in and travelling to hotels)
• Reallocate those days to other cities
• Replace them with somewhere more aligned with my interests

I also briefly considered Hiroshima, but I’m not sure it fits what I’m looking for beyond the obvious historical sites.

Current itinerary

• Day 1 – Arrive in Narita Airport (recover from jet lag)
• Day 2–4 – Tokyo
• Day 5 – Travel to Nagoya
• Day 6–7 – Stay in Nagoya (maybe a day trip to Takayama)
• Day 8 – Travel to Fukuoka
• Day 9–12 – Stay in Fukuoka (day trip to Nagasaki)
• Day 13 – Travel to Kumamoto
• Day 14–16 – Stay in Kumamoto (mainly for the One Piece statues)
• Day 17 – Travel to Okayama
• Day 18–19 – Stay in Okayama
• Day 20 – Travel to Osaka
• Day 21–23 – Osaka
• Day 24 – Depart from Osaka

What I’d love input on

• Is Nagoya worth 2 nights, or should I reallocate those days?
• Same for Okayama — good base, or skippable?
• Are there better cities for nature, exploring, and retro games that would fit into this route?