Hello,

I'm flying to Tokyo at the end of March 2024. I'll arrive on the 22nd and only want to spend maximum of two nights, possibly one night in Tokyo upon arrival. I will then need to be back in Tokyo for a workshop on Thursday, 28th March, so I'm looking for somewhere to spend 3 or 4 nights in between. Ideally somewhere that doesn't involve more than about three hours of travel each way.

After the workshop in Tokyo I'll be walking parts of the Nakasendo Way and will then be moving on to Osaka/Echizen/Kyoto/Nara, possibly Naoshima if I can fit it in.

As the second part of my trip takes me into the Kiso Valley and then South, I was wondering if there is anywhere North of Tokyo that I should include in my itinerary, to avoid heading down, back up and back down again? I'm open to any good ideas though!

I should probably add that I spent five weeks in Kawaguchiko last year, so probably not the Fuji lakes area and I have also previously visited further South in Kyushu and Miyajima/Hiroshima.

Thanks in advance!!!

>> Ideally somewhere that doesn't involve more than about three hours of travel each way.

You can fly from Tokyo to just about anywhere in Japan in three hours.

I would point you to Kyushu, depending on where you have been on that island.

Kanazawa comes to mind, but check on how rainy it would be. Kusatsu Onsen. Unazuki Onsen and the Kurobe Gorge. You might like the Tateyama - Kurobe Alpine Route if it is open - I think there would still be feet of snow.

What about Nikko or Sendai or even Kamakura?

I was thinking the same as mrwunrfl - Kanazawa...Fukui, Eiheiji...also the Noto Peninsula is near Kanazawa....

Echizen, why? Do you mean the city in Fukui prefecture? The reasons for visiting the other places you mention are obvious, but not so for Echizen.

You could fly to Okayama and visit Noashima and Kurashiki or Okayama or go on to Shikoku and fly back.

When I flew to Tokyo and had a tight schedule like yours, I decided to spend a night in Tokyo upon arrival and then headed over to Nikko for a couple of nights. It was totally worth it! Nikko's got these stunning shrines and nature spots that blew my mind.

Now, when it comes to finding a place north of Tokyo to avoid unnecessary backtracking, Sendai is the way to go! Trust me, I've been there. It's a happening city with an awesome food scene and a mix of modern and traditional vibes. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy your trip! 🍣🗻

Thanks everyone for the useful suggestions.

I'll definitely look into Nikko and Sendai tripplanner001 & Marysmith0901. Nikko was already on my radar but not Sendai.

mrwunrfl & Mara I've been to Kanazawa and absolutely loved it. Maybe I can talk my friend, who I'm meeting to do the Nakasendo with, to walk in Kyushu instead. Would love to visit again. Also, Echizen is on the list as I'm attending a conference there. I realise it would appear as quite a random destination. It's one of the centres of traditional Japanese paper making and as such the International Mokuhanga Conference is happening there in April.

In Kyushu I was thinking Kagoshima and Kirishima, the latter being for hiking more than walking (I have not done either, just onsen). Kumamoto and Kurokawa Onsen (which I loved visiting last month and would love to go back, there is a nice walk through town and along a river). Kumamoto has an excellent castle and I think there is a nice garden next to it which was closed when I visited the castle years ago. There might be cherry blossoms at that time of year.

Considering Nikko, I suggest you look into the links for the Okunikko area and the 'nearby attractions' on the page linked below. That whole area is worth a few days. You could get to Utsunomiya on your arrival day, have some of their famous gyoza (I can recommend a restaurant in front of the station where you can get nice bowl of ramen with gyoza in it), go on to Nikko/Okunikko/Kinugawa next day.

Also see the Itinerary Ideas on this page

Nikko Travel Guide - What to do in Nikko (japan-guide.com)

Thanks for the link and suggestions mrwunrfl