Northern Japan Travel

Hi all,
I am planning to travel in December or January to Japan from Tokyo to Hokkaido for 2.5 weeks.

Here is my brief Itinery

Tokyo - Kusatsu - Nikko - Sendai/Matsushima - Morioka - Tazawa lake - Akita - Aomori and around - Hakodate - Sapporo and around for a few days - back to Tokyo

Are there some good scenic onsen area with nice rutenburo that you could suggest along the way. Dont mind a detour trip as long as it does not take ridiculous amount of travel?

Is it very difficult to drive from Kusatsu to Nikko? how long does it take?

Is it still worth while to go to Sendai/ Matsushima after the tsunami?

What is a good place for hot spring and place to visit in Akita and Aomori prefecture?

Where can I get a delicious crab meal in hokkaido area?

Where is the best place to try seafood in hokkaido area?

Which area is good to try kaiseki ryori and possible which restaurant?

Is it better to use public transport in Hokkaido or take public transport? Which one is more economical if two people are going together?

Planning in progress will post more later please advise thanks

Tokyo - Kusatsu - Nikko - Sendai/Matsushima - Morioka - Tazawa lake - Akita - Aomori and around - Hakodate - Sapporo and around for a few days - back to Tokyo

Out of curiosity, why Lake Tazawa?

Are there some good scenic onsen area with nice rutenburo that you could suggest along the way. Dont mind a detour trip as long as it does not take ridiculous amount of travel?

Nyuto Onsen has some of the highest rated onsen in the country. Its only a little ways away from Lake Tazawa.

Is it very difficult to drive from Kusatsu to Nikko? how long does it take?

Not too difficult especially if you have navigation. The direct route over the mountains is closed in winter so you'll have to go the long way around. Luckily they just completed the Kita Kanto Expressway through Gunma, which cuts the trip down to about 2-2.5 hours.

Is it still worth while to go to Sendai/ Matsushima after the tsunami?

I think so. I went about a month after the tsunami and most things were back to normal in both cities. It seems only Oshima Island in Matsushima is still inaccessible but its not a major attraction.

Where can I get a delicious crab meal in hokkaido area?

I had some great crab in Suskino, but you can find crab shops all over Sapporo and Hakodate.

Where is the best place to try seafood in hokkaido area?

I haven't been, but I'd be interesting in checking out Hakodate's morning market.

Which area is good to try kaiseki ryori and possible which restaurant?

Most ryokan serve kaiseki dinners, so I'd consider staying at a ryokan when you visit an onsen.

Is it better to use public transport in Hokkaido or take public transport? Which one is more economical if two people are going together?

Public transport should be fine if you are just visit Hakodate and Sapporo, however a rental car will probably be cheaper for two people.

There are many beautiful onsen destinations in the Tohoku region, namely Ginzan Onsen, Nyuto Onsen, Naruko Onsen, Akiu Onsen, Zao Onsen, etc.

Sendai and Matsushima are recovering. The following are travel blogs on the 2 places after Mar 11:
http://www.japan-guide.com/blog/schauwecker/110421_sendai.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/blog/schauwecker/110421.html

Popular sites in Akita prefecture include Kakunodate and Tazawa-ko. Nyuto Onsen is near Tazawa-ko.

Besides the town of Aomori itself, Hirosaki and Towada-ko in Aomori prefecture are worth visiting. Beautiful Oirase Stream is near Towada-ko.

There are lots of good restaurants in Sapporo that specialize in the popular Hokkaido crabs. Choices are many:
http://www.sekkatei.com/
http://www.kani-syougun.com/
http://www.kani-honke.co.jp/
http://www.kani-ya.co.jp/kani/sapporo/

With just a few short days in Hokkaido, stay in Sapporo and go to Curb Market or Nijo Market for fresh seafood. Hakodate Morning Market is another option.

A rough route search shows that it is about 3.5 hrs drive from Kusatsu to Nikko's Tosho-gu area at a distance of 144 km.

During winter months, using public transport is preferred to self-drive.

In February we visited Tohoku region. I would recommend everything we experienced, particularly nyuto onsen, where we took a daytrip to Ganiba onsen's outdoor mixed gender facilities. It was amazing.

We stayed at Aizu-Wakamatsu, Morioka and Zao Onsen. We also went to Kakunodate, Yamadera and took the scenic railway from Kakunodate to Takanosu, then into Odate and back down to Morioka. It was beautiful scenery. I'd read about the train on a thread here actually.

Aizu-Wakamatsu has a lot on offer - samurai house, castle, sake brewery tours, Iimoriyama, etc.

Yamadera has a spectacular view and is not your average temple.

I would absolutely recommend Kumagai Ryokan in Morioka. The night we spent chatting in their restaurant after a delicious meal and over many a glass of umeshu was brilliant. They're so hospitable.

I dont know Tazawa Ko is sort of on the way from Morioka to Akita thats why I am going there. Not sure what other place to see ... could you guys make some suggestions as to what is magnificient in Tohoko area I am pretty open minded. Nothing is fixed and set yet. I could just fit it around.

In Hokkaido I am thinking about Sapporro, Hakodate, Niseko, and Otaru and the national park in the center. Do you think I could do it in probably four days? Is Furano worth while during winter or pretty much the same as Niseko?

All the attractions with 2 or 3 stars in the following sightseeing guide are magnificent:
http://www.japan-guide.com/list/e1102.html

Some of them are not easily accessible in winter or entirely closed.

In Hokkaido I am thinking about Sapporro, Hakodate, Niseko, and Otaru and the national park in the center.

The national park in the center is called Daisetsuzan and it is covered in deep snow.

Do you think I could do it in probably four days?

No. You will need a minimum of 5-6 days. If you drop Daisetsuzan, you should be able to squeeze it into 4 days if you travel at a very fast pace (and enter through Hakodate and leave through Sapporo or the other way around).

Is Furano worth while during winter or pretty much the same as Niseko?

The snow landscape around Furano ane especially Biei can be very beautiful. But I don't think it is worthwhile the big effort of adding it into a short visit to Hokkaido, that already contains Niseko.

Assuming you start from Tokyo, Nikko should be your first stop with a combined side trip to beautiful Chuzenji-ko and Kegon Falls.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3800.html

Aizu-Wakamatsu is worth visiting if you are interested in samurai history.
http://www.city.aizuwakamatsu.fukushima.jp/e/sight/index.html

An interesting side trip from Aizu-Wakamatsu is the scenic village of Ouchijyuku
http://www.jnto.go.jp/tourism/en/s024.html

Not far north of Aizu-Wakamatsu is Kitakata, the town with the most preserved kura storehouses in Japan. Kitakata also claims to be the origin of Japanese ramen. In town are more than 130 ramen shops
http://www.city.kitakata.fukushima.jp/

Sendai is the gateway to Tohoku and is worth a stay for the good food, esp. the famous and popular gyutan (ox tongue) dish
http://www.city.sendai.jp/keizai/kankou/

The most popular side trip from Sendai and considered to be a must for sightseeing in Tohoku is scenic Matsushima. Oyster is a famous dish in Matsushima
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5100.html
http://www.town.matsushima.miyagi.jp/top02.html

Another worthwhile side trip inland from Sendai is Yama-dera whose temple bldgs. are magnificently perched against the mt. slopes
http://www.yamaderakankou.com/

NW of Yama-dera is the holy mt. of Dewa Sanzan.
http://www.dewasanzan.jp/info.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7900.html

For a relaxing onsen experience in Yamagata Prefecture, consider Zao Onsen and Ginzan Onsen.
http://www.yamagatakanko.com/english/sightseeing/zao.html
http://eng.e-tohoku.jp/05w/yamagata/01/index.html

Naruko Onsen is also worth going with a scenic excursion to Naruko Gorge.
http://www.naruko.gr.jp/

On the eastern side following the shinkansen line north of Sendai is Hiraizumi which is worth a stay. Konjiki-do in Chuson-ji is said to be the first designated national treasure of Japan.
http://www.town.hiraizumi.iwate.jp/hiraizumi/english/

Hiraizumi is also a good base for side trip to beautiful Gembikei Gorge and Geibikei Gorge
http://www.geibikei.co.jp/

Morioka is another destination worth considering.
http://www.city.morioka.iwate.jp/m-guide/en/highlight.html

On the outskirt of Morioka is Morioka Handi Works Square where you can experience many hand-on workshops on local crafts. My wife had a great time making the famous Morioka Reimen in Pyon Pyon Sha.
http://tezukurimura.com/

West of Morioka is beautiful Tazawa-ko.
http://www.tazawako.org/

Near Tazawa-ko is famous onsen destination of Nyuto Onsen. For many years Tsurunoyu is voted the best onsen place in Japan.
http://www.nyuto-onsenkyo.com/english/index.html
http://www.tsurunoyu.com/english.html

Not far from Tazawa-ko is Kakunodate which is also rich in samurai history. Kakunodate is affectionately known as little Kyoto of the north.
http://kakunodate-kanko.jp/

Further north is another scenic lake of Towada-ko.
http://www.net.pref.aomori.jp/city/towada/youkoso/english/top.htm
http://towadako.or.jp/WordPress/

Next to Towada-ko is the hiking trail of Oirase Stream which is extremely popular during autumn foliage season.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3775.html
http://www.oirase.or.jp/

Hirosaki is known as the apple capital of Japan and has a well-preserved castle.
http://www.hirosaki.co.jp/htcb/foreign/english/index.html

The northernmost city of Honshu is Aomori and is worth a stop before going over to Hokkaido.
http://www.city.aomori.aomori.jp/contents/english/05-2spots.html
Personally I like the spacious Aomori Museum of Art and the Sannai-Maruyama Iseki archaeological site. The 2 places are next-door to each other and are connected by a free shuttle.
http://www.aomori-museum.jp/ja/
http://sannaimaruyama.pref.aomori.jp/

With just a few days in Hokkaido, I would suggest to skip Furano which is best visited during summer for its flower fields. Niseko is a scenic resort destination nice for relaxation. If you want to combine an onsen experience with a bit of sightseeing, consider going to Toya-ko and Noboribetsu instead. You can stay at either of these 2 places and do the other as a side trip. Some onsen hotels in these places have free shuttle pick-up from Sapporo.

A rough route search shows that it is about 3.5 hrs drive from Kusatsu to Nikko's Tosho-gu area at a distance of 144 km.

Are you referring to approx 150km long route 120 over the mountains via Okunikko? If so that's the road that's closed in winter. The alternate route described at the following link is about 200 km long. I think google maps overestimates the time it take, but I'm gonna revise my earlier estimate and say it takes about 2.5-3 hours to drive (assuming not everyone drives as fast as the locals).

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=36.4439,139.01481...

I dont know Tazawa Ko is sort of on the way from Morioka to Akita thats why I am going there.

I see. The reason I was wondering is because there isn't all that much to see at Tazawako. It may be worth a quick stop while on the way to Nyuto Onsen, but I wouldn't go out of my way to visit the lake.

Is Furano worth while during winter or pretty much the same as Niseko?

I agree with the others that you should drop Furano.

So many great suggestions.
So great to see more growing interest in Tohoku too.

A couple of other places I like in the area -
the first two are off the train lines though and may be difficult to get to in winter.

Goshogake very impressive volcanic activity, Tamagawa Onsen - also impressive - radioactive onsen - not a whole lot to see perhaps but a worthwhile stop if it's on your way.

Sakata in Yamagata is a very pleasant little town.

Hi yllwsmrf, thank you for your expert input.

The following is the route search I did for the OP. Could it be the one that you mentioned that is closed during winter!? I suppose you know better since it passes through your turf - the Gunma Prefecture.

http://drive.yahoo.co.jp/route/preview?sid=SSEoPDVBKza85AW_xGZIKU0KtWD...

Though a bit more difficult to use, we find the driving time indicated by the Yahoo site more true to real time.

Hi William5,

The link you posted didn't work for me for some reason, but this is the route that I was referring to:

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=%E7%9C%8C%E9%81%9...

Its really a nice drive, and part of the Japan Romantic Route, but unfortunately it is closed in winter. I had the occasion to find this out the hard way, so hopefully others can learn from my mistake.

Though a bit more difficult to use, we find the driving time indicated by the Yahoo site more true to real time.

I've never tried yahoo, but I do find Google maps to be generally reliable. Its just in this case they really overestimate the time it takes between Kusatsu and the expressway, and also haven't updated their maps to include the recent opening of the kita kanto expressway. Combined they make for a pretty drastic reduction in driving time.

Hi yllwsmrf

The Yahoo route is not the same as your Google one. It uses a more southern route and doesn't pass through Numata, Chuzenji-ko, nor Kegon Falls. After initially taking a same part on Rte 145, it goes to Shibukawa and onto Rte. 353, then 122 and finally 120.

My new Itenary as follow:
Tokyo - Nikko - Yamagata - Yamadera Temple- Sendai - Matsushima - Geibikei Gorge - Morioka - Nyuto Onsen - Akita - Hirosaki - Aomori - Hakodate - Sapporro and around

I am very interested in a retenburo in Hokkaido with snow ... Any suggestion of a good onsen town with good scenic view probably particular bath house

Oh I see, perhaps this route then? I've driven that way too, and it should be open during winter. I think it'll also take around 3 hours to drive.

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=36.50816,139.0439...