Road-trip routes
Japan road-trip itineraries, stop by stop
Twelve drives we'd actually do — onsen loops, coastal roads and alpine crossings, each built around the best michi-no-eki along the way. Open any route in the planner, make it yours, then send it straight to Google Maps.
Hokkaido Onsen Loop: Lakes, Volcanoes & Hot-Spring Towns A 2–3 day Hokkaido road trip from New Chitose Airport: Lake Shikotsu, Niseko, Lake Toya and Noboribetsu onsen, linked by 8 michi-no-eki roadside stations. View the route →
Mt Fuji Loop: Fuji Five Lakes & Asagiri Highlands Circle Mt Fuji by car in 1–2 days: Fuji Five Lakes, Asagiri highlands and 7 michi-no-eki with the mountain in view almost the whole way. View the route →
Izu Peninsula Coastal Loop: Onsen, Cliffs & Seafood A 2-day Izu Peninsula drive from Tokyo: east coast onsen at Ito, Shimoda’s beaches, the wild west coast at Matsuzaki and Toi — with 8 michi-no-eki stops. View the route →
Boso Peninsula Loop: Tokyo’s Easiest Coastal Road Trip The easiest coastal road trip from Tokyo: across the Aqua-Line to the Boso Peninsula’s beaches, flower fields and 9 michi-no-eki — doable in a weekend. View the route →
Noto Peninsula Loop: Rice Terraces & the Sea of Japan A 2-day drive from Kanazawa around the Noto Peninsula: the Chirihama beach driveway, Shiroyone Senmaida rice terraces, Wajima and the wild outer coast — 9 michi-no-eki stops. View the route →
Matsumoto to Kanazawa: Takayama & Shirakawa-go Drive The Japan Alps crossing by car: Matsumoto to Kanazawa via Takayama, Hida Furukawa and the UNESCO villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama, with 8 michi-no-eki along the way. View the route →
Kii Peninsula Coast: Kumano Kodo by Car Drive the Kumano coast: Shirahama’s beaches, Hashigui-iwa rock spires, Nachi Falls and the grand shrines of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage — 8 michi-no-eki stops on Japan’s spiritual south coast. View the route →
Kumamoto to Beppu: The Aso Volcano & Onsen Road Kyushu’s greatest drive: across the Aso caldera and the Yamanami Highway to Yufuin and Beppu, with 6 michi-no-eki including Nagayu’s carbonated onsen. View the route →
San’in Coast: Tottori Sand Dunes to Izumo Taisha Japan’s uncrowded northern coast: Tottori Sand Dunes, Hawai onsen, Mt Daisen views, Matsue castle town and Izumo Taisha — 8 michi-no-eki along the San’in coast. View the route →
Sanriku Coast: Tohoku’s Cliff Road from Hachinohe to Rikuzentakata Drive Tohoku’s Sanriku coast: Kitayamazaki cliffs, Jodogahama beach, amber and sea-urchin at Kuji, and the 2011 memorial parks — 9 michi-no-eki along Japan’s recovery road. View the route →
Okinawa Main Island: Naha to Cape Hedo Coastal Drive Okinawa by rental car: from Itoman in the south along the west-coast beaches to Yanbaru jungle and Cape Hedo — 7 michi-no-eki with island food and ocean views. View the route →
Shikoku’s Pacific Coast: Tokushima to the Shimanto River Shikoku’s wild south coast by car: surf beaches, Cape Muroto’s geopark, Katsurahama at Kochi and the clear Shimanto River — 9 michi-no-eki on the pilgrimage coast. View the route →
Ise-Shima to the Kumano Coast: Shrines, Pearls & the Pacific Drive from the great shrine of Ise and the pearl bays of Shima down Mie’s Pacific coast to the sacred Kumano shore, linking 7 michi-no-eki along the way. View the route →
Nikko, Kinugawa & the Nasu Highlands Onsen Drive A highland onsen drive from the shrines of Nikko through Kinugawa and Shiobara to the Nasu plateau — 5 michi-no-eki, hot springs and autumn colour a couple of hours from Tokyo. View the route →
Satsuma Peninsula: Kagoshima to Ibusuki’s Sand Onsen Drive the Satsuma Peninsula from Kagoshima to the volcanic sand baths of Ibusuki and Cape Nagasakibana, past tea fields and fishing ports — 5 michi-no-eki on Japan’s deep south coast. View the route →
Biei & Furano: Hokkaido’s Flower-Field Drive The classic central Hokkaido drive from Asahikawa through the rolling patchwork hills of Biei to the lavender fields of Furano — 5 michi-no-eki, the Blue Pond and big-sky farm country. View the route →
Kyoto–Nara Golden Route: Ancient Capitals & Uji Tea Country by Car Drive Japan’s golden route beyond the cities: the giant burial mounds south of Osaka, the first imperial capital at Asuka, the cherry mountain of Yoshino and Kyoto’s Uji tea country — 7 michi-no-eki linking Osaka, Nara and Kyoto. View the route →
Awaji Island Drive: Kobe to the Naruto Whirlpools Cross the world’s longest suspension bridge from Kobe and drive the length of Awaji Island to the Naruto whirlpools — 4 michi-no-eki with onion cuisine, ocean views and the two great Seto bridges. View the route →
Lake Biwa Loop: Driving Around Japan’s Largest Lake Circle Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest lake, by car in a day or two: the west-shore Biwako Ohashi bridge, Takashima’s windmill coast, the northern waterfowl marshes and the Azai castle country — 10 michi-no-eki just 30 minutes from Kyoto. View the route →
Niigata Sea of Japan Coast: Itoigawa to the Sasagawa Nagare Cliffs Drive Niigata’s full Sea of Japan coast: the Oyashirazu cliffs, Echigo seafood ports, Izumozaki’s sunsets and the Sasagawa Nagare rock coast — 9 michi-no-eki along Japan’s rice-and-sake shore. View the route →
Shimanami Kaido by Car: Onomichi to Imabari Island Drive Drive the Shimanami Kaido across the islands of the Seto Inland Sea from Onomichi to Imabari — 7 michi-no-eki with island citrus, sea views and Japan’s most famous bridge road. View the route →
Gunma Onsen Highlands: Kusatsu, Agatsuma & the Minakami Valleys A hot-spring highland drive from Kusatsu — one of Japan’s top-ranked onsen — across the Agatsuma valley to Minakami and the Kawaba farm village, linking 8 michi-no-eki two hours from Tokyo. View the route →
Tohoku Sea of Japan Coast: Chokai, Oga & the Shirakami Shore The long northern coast drive up the Sea of Japan through three prefectures: Mt Chokai, the Oga Peninsula, the Shirakami coast and Lake Jusan — 9 michi-no-eki across Yamagata, Akita and Aomori. View the route →
Aizu & Mt Bandai: Samurai Country and the Lakes of Fukushima Drive the Aizu highlands of Fukushima: Lake Inawashiro, the Bandai volcano and its coloured ponds, the samurai town of Aizu-Wakamatsu and the thatched post town of Ouchi-juku — 9 michi-no-eki. View the route →
Chichibu Valley Drive: Tokyo’s Nearest Mountains Escape Tokyo into the Chichibu mountains of Saitama: washi paper villages, pink moss fields, gorge onsen and the Arakawa’s headwaters — 8 michi-no-eki barely an hour from the city. View the route →
Yamaguchi & Western Honshu: Hagi, Tsunoshima & the Sea of Japan Drive the tip of Honshu: the samurai town of Hagi, the turquoise Tsunoshima Bridge, Shimonoseki’s straits and the Setouchi coast — 8 michi-no-eki around Yamaguchi. View the route →
Atsumi Peninsula Drive: Mikawa Bay to Cape Irago Drive Aichi’s Atsumi Peninsula from the old Tokaido post town of Okazaki out to the surf beaches and flower parks of Cape Irago — 6 michi-no-eki along Mikawa Bay. View the route →
Miyazaki & the Nichinan Coast: Palms, Shrines & the Pacific Drive Miyazaki’s subtropical Pacific coast from Hyuga’s sea cliffs down the palm-lined Nichinan road past Aoshima and Udo Shrine to Nango — 6 michi-no-eki on Kyushu’s sunny east coast. View the route →
Koyasan & Ryujin Onsen Drive: Osaka to the Sacred Kii Mountains by Car Drive south from Osaka to Koyasan — Japan’s great Buddhist mountain and temple-lodging town — then over the Koya–Ryujin Skyline to Ryujin Onsen, one of Japan’s three “beauty” hot springs. 4 michi-no-eki linking Osaka and the Kii mountains. View the route →
Japan Alps & Snow Monkeys Drive: Matsumoto to the Jigokudani Valley A 2–3 day Nagano road trip from Matsumoto up through the Japan Alps to Hakuba, then across to Zenko-ji, Obuse and the snow monkeys of Jigokudani — 7 michi-no-eki through Japan’s highland heart. View the route →
Kiso Valley Nakasendo Drive: Narai, Tsumago & the Edo Post Towns Drive the old Nakasendo highway down the Kiso Valley: the preserved Edo post towns of Narai, Kiso-Fukushima, Tsumago and Magome, cypress forests and river gorges, linked by 8 michi-no-eki through the mountains between Nagano and Gifu. View the route →
Northern Ibaraki Drive: Fukuroda Falls, Ryujin Gorge & Hitachi Seaside Park A 2-day rental-car escape from Tokyo through northern Ibaraki: Fukuroda Falls — one of Japan’s three great waterfalls — the Ryujin Gorge suspension bridge, the Oku-Kuji hills and the Pacific coast beside Hitachi Seaside Park, linked by 7 michi-no-eki roadside stations. View the route →
Kirishima & Ebino Highlands: Kagoshima’s Volcano-Onsen Drive Drive inland from Kagoshima into the Kirishima-Kinkowan volcanoes: Kirishima Shrine, the Ebino Kogen plateau and its crater lakes, and the onsen towns of Kobayashi and Miyakonojo — 4 michi-no-eki in southern Kyushu’s highland heart. View the route →
Eastern Hokkaido: The Crater Lakes, Bihoro Pass & Shiretoko The great wild drive of eastern Hokkaido: from the crane fields near Kushiro through the crater lakes of Akan, Mashu and Kussharo, over Bihoro Pass to the Okhotsk coast, and up the Shiretoko Peninsula — 7 michi-no-eki across Japan’s emptiest corner. View the route →
Hakone & the Tanzawa Mountains: Kanagawa by Car A car escape from Tokyo into Kanagawa’s mountains: the onsen and Lake Ashi views of Hakone, the Ashigara foothills and the wild Tanzawa range above Lake Miyagase — 3 michi-no-eki with Mt Fuji in view. View the route →
Saga & Fukuoka Pottery Road: Kilns, Yoshinogari & Yutoku Inari Drive the birthplace of Japanese porcelain: the pottery villages of Koishiwara, Arita and Imari, the Yayoi ruins of Yoshinogari and the great Yutoku Inari shrine — 6 michi-no-eki across Fukuoka and Saga. View the route →
Takachiho to Aso: Kyushu’s Land of Myth & Volcano Highlands Drive Drive inland Kyushu’s highland heart: the myth gorge of Takachiho, the vast Aso caldera, the castle town of Taketa and the Harajiri waterfall — 6 michi-no-eki linking Miyazaki, Kumamoto and Oita. View the route →
Shakotan Blue Drive: Otaru, Cape Kamui & the Sea of Japan Coast A day or two out of Sapporo along Hokkaido’s clearest coast: the whisky town of Yoichi, the turquoise capes of the Shakotan Peninsula and the Raiden shore to Iwanai — 4 michi-no-eki on the Sea of Japan. View the route →
Shimabara to Amakusa: Kyushu’s Volcano Coast & Island-Hopping Ferry Drive Drive from Kumamoto across the Amakusa Five Bridges to the island churches and dolphin coast of the Amakusa Islands, then take the ferry to the Shimabara Peninsula beneath Mt Unzen — 5 michi-no-eki linking Kumamoto and Nagasaki. View the route →
Southern Hokkaido Loop: Hakodate, Matsumae Castle & Onuma A 2-day loop from Hakodate around the southern Oshima Peninsula: the Shinkansen town of Kikonai, Hokkaido’s only castle at Matsumae, the herring port of Esashi and the mirror lakes of Onuma — 5 michi-no-eki on Hokkaido’s oldest-settled coast. View the route →
Nagasaki to Hirado: Hidden-Christian Coast, Kujukushima Islands & Japan’s First Trading Ports Drive Nagasaki’s north-west coast: the hidden-Christian shore at Sotome, the Kujukushima islands off Sasebo, the old trading port and castle at Hirado and the cliff-island of Ikitsuki — 6 michi-no-eki linking Nagasaki and Matsuura. View the route →
Tokachi & Obihiro: Hokkaido’s Garden Plains, Highland Terrace & Lake Shikaribetsu Drive the Tokachi plain out of Obihiro: the garden villages of Nakasatsunai, big-sky farmland, the Naitai highland ranch and the caldera lake of Shikaribetsu — 6 michi-no-eki across Hokkaido’s breadbasket. View the route →
Kyoto by the Sea: Amanohashidate, the Ine Boat Houses & the Tango Peninsula Drive the “Sea of Kyoto” north coast: the Amanohashidate sandbar at Miyazu, the Ine boat houses, the cliffs and singing-sand beaches of the Tango Peninsula and one of western Japan’s largest roadside stations — 6 michi-no-eki linking Yosano, Miyazu, Ine and Kyotango. View the route →
Ororon Line: Rumoi to Wakkanai — Japan's Northernmost Coast Drive The wide, empty Sea-of-Japan run up Hokkaido's northwest coast — the Ororon Line from Rumoi past herring mansions, a clifftop observatory and the Sarobetsu wetlands to Wakkanai and Cape Sōya, Japan's northernmost point. 6 michi-no-eki. View the route →
Okhotsk Coast Drive: Monbetsu, Lake Saroma & the Drift-Ice Sea Hokkaido's Okhotsk shore, where the sea itself freezes in winter — from the drift-ice port of Monbetsu down past Lake Saroma, Japan's largest lagoon, to the hot-spring town of Onneyu. Capes, tulip fields and a drift-ice icebreaker. 6 michi-no-eki. View the route →
Sorachi Flower & Melon Drive: Sunflowers, Canola Fields & Yūbari Melon Central Hokkaido's Sorachi farm basin — Japan's biggest sunflower field at Hokuryū, seas of canola around Takikawa and Uryū, coal-town heritage at Mikasa and the melon country of Yūbari. 6 michi-no-eki. View the route →
Far-East Hokkaido Drive: Kushiro Wetlands, Cape Nosappu & Notsuke Japan's easternmost coast — the Kushiro wetlands, the oyster town of Akkeshi, Cape Nosappu at the country's far edge and the ghost-forest sandbar of Notsuke, home to red-crowned cranes and whooper swans. 5 michi-no-eki. View the route →
Lake Toya, Mt. Yōtei & Muroran Drive: Volcanoes, a Caldera Lake & Cape Chikyū Southwest Hokkaido's volcano country — the spring-water foot of Mt. Yōtei, the caldera lake of Toya, the raw lava dome of Shōwa-Shinzan and the cliffs and night view of Muroran. Part of the Tōya-Usu UNESCO Geopark. 6 michi-no-eki. View the route →
Hakodate Jōmon & Komagatake Drive: World-Heritage Sites, a Seaside Geyser & Onuma East of Hakodate along the Jōmon coast — the active volcano of Esan, the UNESCO World-Heritage Jōmon sites at Minamikayabe, a seaside geyser at Shikabe and the Onuma lakes below Mt. Komagatake. 5 michi-no-eki. View the route →
Teshio River Valley Drive: Inland Northern Hokkaido, Asahikawa to Nakagawa The quiet inland run up northern Hokkaido — north from Asahikawa along the Teshio River through sake-and-limestone Tōma, the picture-book town of Kenbuchi, the sunflower fields of Nayoro and the sturgeon country of Bifuka to Otoineppu and Nakagawa. 6 michi-no-eki. View the route →
Hanamaki to Tōno Drive: Miyazawa Kenji's Iwate & the Tōno Folk Tales Inland Iwate through the world of Miyazawa Kenji and the Tōno folk tales — the sake town of Ishidoriya, the Kenji fairy-tale village at Tōwa, the "Galaxy Railway" arch bridge at Miyamori and the kappa-and-legend country of Tōno. 4 michi-no-eki. View the route →
Mogami River & Ginzan Onsen Drive: Shōnai to the Silver-Mine Hot Spring Up the Mogami River across northern Yamagata — from the Shōnai rice plain and cedar forests through the Mogami gorge boat cruise to Obanazawa and the Taishō-era gas-lamp hot spring of Ginzan Onsen. 4 michi-no-eki. View the route →
Kazuno & Ōyu Drive: Stone Circles, a Meiji Theatre & Lake Towada's South Gate The south side of Lake Towada in Akita — the Yatate pass, the Nanataki falls and Meiji-era Kōrakukan theatre at Kosaka, the UNESCO World-Heritage Ōyu Stone Circles and the festival town of Kazuno. 4 michi-no-eki. View the route →
Towada, Oirase & Hakkōda Drive: Aomori's Gorge, Caldera Lake & Onsen From the seaside onsen of Asamushi over the Hakkōda mountains to the Oirase Gorge stream and the caldera lake of Towada — one of Tōhoku's greatest scenic drives. 4 michi-no-eki. View the route →
Hirosaki & Tsugaru Drive: Castle Town, Rice-Paddy Art & Mt. Iwaki The Tsugaru plain under Mt. Iwaki — the apple-and-castle town of Hirosaki, the giant rice-paddy art of Inakadate and the hot springs of Ikarigaseki. 4 michi-no-eki. View the route →
Takeda Castle & Tajima Drive: Japan's "Castle in the Sky," a Silver Mine & Highlands Inland northern Hyōgo — the Kannabe highlands, the hot springs of Yabu, the ruins of Takeda Castle floating on a sea of clouds ("Japan's Machu Picchu") and the old Ikuno Silver Mine. 5 michi-no-eki. View the route →
Yoshino & Totsukawa Drive: Cedar Mountains, a Suspension Bridge & Kumano Kodō Deep into Nara's southern mountains — the cedar country of Yoshino and Kawakami, the villages of Kurotaki and Ōtō, and Totsukawa with its great suspension bridge, hot springs and the Kumano Kodō pilgrimage. 4 michi-no-eki. View the route →
Arida & Shirasaki Drive: Round Rice Terraces & Wakayama's "Aegean" Coast Down the Arida River to the sea in western Wakayama — the fan-shaped rice terraces of Aragi-jima, mikan-orange hills and the white limestone cliffs of the Shirasaki coast, "Japan's Aegean." 4 michi-no-eki. View the route →
Gokayama & Nanto Drive: World-Heritage Gasshō Villages & Woodcarving Towns Inland Toyama into the mountains of Nanto — the tulip fields of Tonami, the Shōgawa gorge, the woodcarving town of Inami and the World-Heritage gasshō-zukuri villages of Gokayama. 5 michi-no-eki. View the route →
Toyama Bay Drive: Himi, the Amaharashi Coast & the Kurobe Gorge Along Toyama Bay from the fishing town of Himi and the Amaharashi coast — where the 3,000 m Tateyama range floats over the sea — to Shinminato, Namerikawa and the Kurobe Gorge railway at Unazuki. 5 michi-no-eki. View the route →
Tōjinbō, Eiheiji & Echizen Drive: Sea Cliffs, a Zen Temple & Crab Coast Coastal and inland Fukui — the basalt sea cliffs of Tōjinbō, the great Zen temple of Eiheiji, the Ichijōdani samurai-town ruins and the crab-and-pottery Echizen coast. 4 michi-no-eki. View the route →
Kyoto's Thatched Village: Miyama Kayabuki-no-Sato & the North Kyoto Hills A 2-day drive from Kyoto into the northern hills to Miyama's Kayabuki-no-Sato — one of Japan's largest villages of thatched farmhouses — and back through the Tamba food highlands, linked by 6 michi-no-eki roadside stations. The area is barely served by rail, so a rental car is what turns it into one easy loop. View the route →
Behind Kobe: Arima Onsen, Rokko Night Views & the Satoyama Roadside Stations A 1–2 day drive into the hills right behind Kobe: Arima Onsen — one of Japan’s three oldest hot springs — the night view from Mt Rokko, and the thatched post towns, blacksmith villages and old silver country that ring the city, linked by 6 michi-no-eki roadside stations. Arima has a train, but the satoyama around it barely does — a rental car is what turns it into one easy loop from Osaka. View the route →
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