Questions about Travel in January

So I'm going to be travelling to Japan from January 6 - February 10 2012 and am having a few problems planning my trip.

I've been to Japan twice before and have visited; Kyoto, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka, Takayama and Kanazawa.

Basically I need help/suggestions on what to do in the periods when I'm by myself, and maybe even the week when I'm with my friend.

Jan 5 - 11: Tokyo
11 - 15: ???
15 - 22: Hokkaido
23 - 29: Me & My friend in maybe Tokyo ???
30 - Feb 4: ???
4 - 10: Hokkaido

I'm guessing because I'm visited in Jan, it's not worth going to any of the smaller islands? Hiking/Beaches aren't really an option because of the weather right?

Some points:

Ideas for day/2 day trips are welcome!

If possible I'd like it to maybe be an area where snow is less likely. I love scenic gardens, but don't really wanna tramp around in the snow to see them. It happened to me in either Takayama or Kanazawa last time I was there and I ended up just not going to some of the parks I was planning to see because the ice was too slippery. Also I figure I'll be seeing plenty of snow when I'm up in the Hokkaido area.

For some of the time, I'd like to visit somewhere where there's temples/shrines (not Kyoto. I really love the whole peaceful vibe thing and would like to have some "me-time" staying in a Ryokan near temples. I'm not too fussed about Onsens as I'll be doing that with friends up North. Also - I've seen Mt Fuji, and don't need to revisit it. Castles and historical buildings also interest me.

I'm 24, so would also like to spend some time in a place where there's fun things to do/good entertainment disctrict. Any ideas outside of Tokyo?

This also ties in to what me and my friend will do for our week away. I think we'll be in Tokyo for part of it - but I'd love to go somewhere else with her. We like the nightlife, and shopping. She's on a little bit of a budget, so we wouldn't want anything too pricey.

I'd also like us to go on a 2 day trip to a scenic area, maybe near Tokyo? Not sure where though.

So yes. Again I apologise for the length of this. I know it's so hard to suggest places to people. I'm just a bit stuck this time, considering the weather, and the fact I've seen more of the Touristy side of Japan.

Any advice would be HUGELY welcome!

Well, I took a trip to Takamatsu and Okayama in January and it wasn't bad. There was no snow anywhere and Ritsurin Park (one of the nation's largest gardens) was still pretty. Some of the reeds were dead in the water, but it actually made for a strangely pretty scene.

In Okayama, the Kibi Plains are still well worth visiting in January (I did not visit Korakuen Garden in January so I can't say how it looks at that time of year).

Takahashi's original castle is also great! Iwami Ginzan is also not affected by the seasons so much and in February plum blossoms bloom in one area there.

Aside from Takamatsu, I think Shikoku could still be worthwhile. I doubt Kochi city will be affected much and although you can't swim at the beach, Katsurahama is still very scenic and the city's palm trees will give you a feeling much different from snowy Hokkaido. Shikoku is actually home to 4 of the nations original castles (more than any other region), so if you are interested in castles, it's highly worthwhile. Kompirasan, a shrine in Kagawa, is very historical and not dependent upon any season to be good.

With all that said though, I'm not sure it makes sense with your trip to go west. Are you flying from Tokyo to Hokkaido or will you travel through the Tohoku region?

If you travel through Tohoku, Hirosaki Castle is an original castle. I've never been there, but I want to visit.

I have a great interest in historic sites, castles, gardens, temples, shrines, etc. so I always enjoy making suggestions to others with a similar interest. As far as shopping and nightlife go... You've visited most of the "happening" places. Osaka and Tokyo are considered to be the best, although Nagoya, Fukuoka, Kobe (any large city) have some shopping. Nightlife doesn't seem to go far beyond the major cities, so I don't really have any suggestions for nightlife in highly historic areas...

Hey thanks for the tips. I'm gonna look them up tonight.

I'm actually getting a JAL foreigner pass - meaning I can fly anywhere in Japan 4/5 times.

I think I'll be mainly using that to travel from Tokyo to Sapporo, and will be getting the train everywhere else. However, it could definitely be worth thinking about using one of the flights to travel down to maybe Kobe and exploring from there.