Japan road trip: 3 unforgettable off-the-beaten-path itineraries
· 8 min read
Why a road trip is the best way to see Japan
Japanese trains are exceptional, but they don't go everywhere. The country's most beautiful landscapes — windswept capes of Hokkaido, mountain villages of the Kiso valley, secret peninsulas of Kyushu — are earned behind the wheel. A car transforms your trip: stop where you want, when you want, far from the crowds.
Itinerary 1: Hokkaido, the wild north (7-10 days)
From Sapporo, head east to the flower fields of Furano and Biei, then Daisetsuzan National Park, the mists of Lake Mashu and the UNESCO-listed Shiretoko peninsula. Wide roads, almost no traffic, breathtaking scenery. The paradise of Japanese road trips.
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Order my translationItinerary 2: the Japanese Alps (5-7 days)
From Nagoya: Takayama and its preserved streets, the thatched-roof villages of Shirakawa-go, the Tateyama-Kurobe alpine route with its snow walls in spring, then Matsumoto and its crow castle. A concentrate of traditional Japan, accessible year-round.
Itinerary 3: volcanic Kyushu (6-8 days)
Fukuoka, the hells of Beppu, Mount Aso and its giant caldera, the secret onsen of Kurokawa, then Kagoshima facing the Sakurajima volcano. Kyushu offers Japan's best scenery-to-crowds ratio.
Before you go: the document that changes everything
To rent a car in Japan with a French, Swiss, Belgian, Monegasque or German licence, you need the official JAF translation of your licence. Order it online a few days before departure — you'll receive it as a PDF within 72h with our Priority plan.