Where to go in Japan: compare regions and first-trip routes
Compare Tokyo and Kansai with northern, central, southern and island routes, then match the trip to your nights and arrival gateway.
Start with Tokyo and Kyoto, or choose a regional trip
Tokyo and Kyoto are a useful first-trip pairing if you want both city neighbourhoods and temples. Choose a Kansai-only trip if you prefer fewer long moves: Kyoto, Osaka and Nara offer different days from one regional base. For snow, northern landscapes, hot springs or island time, choose the relevant region first rather than adding it to a short Tokyo–Kyoto visit. The comparisons below are editorial starting points. Use the named towns and gateways to narrow the route; sharing a region does not mean two places have a fast or direct connection.
JNTO: regional geography and destination directoryFirst-trip route choices
Scroll sideways to compare every column.
| Compare | Route shape | Choose it for | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo / Kanto | City neighbourhoods with optional nearby excursions | A concentrated urban trip with flexible day choices | A side trip still needs its own transport and weather check |
| Kyoto and Osaka / Kansai | Temples, gardens, food and contrasting cities | A regional trip without repeated long-distance moves | Choose a main hotel base rather than moving every night |
| Tokyo plus Kansai | Two different regions on a first visit | A broader introduction with one main intercity move | Reserve time and money for the move and possible return |
| One regional focus | Northern scenery, central towns, Kyushu or islands | A specific interest rather than a national checklist | Gateway, season and local transport become more decisive |
Tokyo and Kanto: neighbourhoods, then one chosen excursion
Tokyo suits a trip built around food, shopping and different city districts. Start with Asakusa and Ueno in the east, then Harajuku and Shibuya in the west. Use a spare day for your own interests before deciding to leave the city. Kamakura is a coastal temple-town choice; Hakone is a hot-spring and mountain-area choice; Nikko is a historic-shrine and mountain-area choice. They are alternatives with different transport and time needs, not three compulsory additions to the same short Tokyo stay.
Choose the Tokyo neighbourhood clustersKansai: Kyoto for temples, Osaka for city evenings
Choose Kyoto if temple visits, gardens and historic streets are the main reason for travelling. Osaka suits visitors who put more weight on city dining and shopping; Nara adds another historic-city choice. Compare where you want to spend the evenings before deciding which city should be the main hotel base. A Kyoto stay does not make Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari and Higashiyama one compact walk. Give Kyoto its own area-based days rather than treating a regional rail connection as permission to pack in every sight.
Plan Kyoto by sightseeing areaHokkaido or Tohoku: choose the actual northern cluster
Sapporo and Hakodate are different Hokkaido city stops; Niseko is a winter-sport choice rather than another district of Sapporo. In Tohoku, compare a Sendai-led route with Aomori and Hirosaki farther north. Choose one cluster before adding rural scenery or mountains. A snowy landscape trip needs a different access plan from a city stay. Do not treat a Hokkaido or Tohoku label as proof that every stop works as a day trip, especially in winter.
JNTO: Hokkaido and Tohoku destinationsCentral Japan: Kanazawa, Takayama or a mountain-focused stay
Compare Kanazawa for a city-led stop, Takayama for a smaller-town focus, and Nagano or Matsumoto for a route with mountain-area interests. These names help narrow a route more than the broad label Chubu. A mountain excursion is a separate choice with its own seasonal access needs. Our planning groups Hokuriku, Nagano and the Japanese Alps alongside Nagoya and Takayama under Chubu. JNTO divides this broad area between Hokuriku Shinetsu and Tokai. Use actual town names and directed rail or bus legs when booking, not only the region label.
JNTO: Hokuriku Shinetsu and Tokai destinationsWestern Japan and Kyushu: choose a gateway and a reason to stay
Hiroshima is a practical starting point for a Chugoku-focused trip; Takamatsu is a Shikoku city and island-access choice; Fukuoka is a Kyushu city gateway. Choose one of these because the surrounding places interest you, not because a national map places them all west of Kyoto. An art-island visit, an inland Shikoku valley stay and a Kyushu hot-spring visit require different onward travel. They should not share a generic promise of easy access. Set the exact overnight places before deciding whether a regional pass or vehicle helps.
JNTO: Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu destinationsOkinawa: main island or a separate island group?
Naha is the city starting point on Okinawa’s main island. Ishigaki, Miyako and the Kerama Islands are separate choices, not hotel districts of Naha. Choose the island group before comparing flights, accommodation and onward transport. Okinawa fits a holiday built around islands and coast rather than an extra rail stop after Kyoto. If a boat trip or water activity is the reason for travelling, keep weather-dependent time flexible and check the exact service before committing the surrounding nights.
JNTO: Okinawa island choicesMatch the route to the nights
For a week or less, start by testing one main base. Around ten days to two weeks, compare Tokyo and Kansai with a more focused regional holiday. With longer, add a region because it serves a specific interest, not because the extra days exist. These are editorial starting points informed by JNTO’s trip-length guidance, not guaranteed schedules.
JNTO: choosing a trip lengthChoose the regional seasonal window
A Tokyo–Kyoto walking trip, northern snow visit and Okinawa stay need different date choices. Compare climate patterns and access constraints before fixing the route; a national blossom-front description is not a forecast.
Match the chosen Japanese region to your travel datesBuild the booking order
Turn the region choice into airports, nights and a first-day plan.
Build the booking orderCheck the Tokyo–Kyoto connection
If your route crosses between Tokyo and Kansai, plan the move before filling the transfer day.
Check the Tokyo–Kyoto connectionTurn Tokyo and Kansai into a nine-night route
The ten-day itinerary gives Tokyo four nights and Kyoto five, with a separate transfer day. A Tokyo-return variant gives up the extra Kansai day to avoid a same-day long train ride before the international flight.
Read the day-by-day ten-day Japan itinerarySource check
JNTO destination and planning pages checked on 23 October 2026. This is a route chooser, not confirmation that a seasonal attraction or individual transport service is operating.
Add Osaka for city days and evening food areas
Osaka adds Namba and Dotonbori, Umeda, the castle area and bay attractions to a Kansai trip. We suggest two full city days for a first visit, with a separate theme-park day if that is a priority. Decide whether to sleep there or visit from Kyoto rather than treating the cities as one hotel location.
Plan Osaka sightseeing and connectionsNara: a temple-and-park day from Kansai
Nara adds Todaiji, park walking and a choice of Kasugataisha or Naramachi to an Osaka or Kyoto stay. Choose the arrival station before comparing the train time, and leave room for lunch and breaks.
Read the Nara day-trip guidePlan Kansai as a connected region
Compare Kyoto and Osaka bases, then choose Nara, Uji, Kobe or Himeji according to the day you want. The regional guide includes a six-night outline and explains when a temple overnight needs its own time.
Kansai bases and day trips