The Road Less Travelled: A 17-Day Central and Western Japan Rail Itinerary

Seventeen days. Eleven cities. One 14-day JR Pass, activated on Day 4 when the Shinkansen journeys begin, and running through to the final leg home. It is a lot of ground to cover, but the trains make it feel effortless. Buy the 14-day JR Pass here.

Prefer to focus purely on Kyoto, Osaka, and the Golden Route? Our 7-day JR Pass itinerary from Tokyo to Fukuoka covers that route in depth. Or if you want to continue from Hiroshima all the way south into Kyushu, our 17-day Tokyo to Kyushu itinerary takes you all the way to Kagoshima.

How the 14-Day JR Pass Works on This Itinerary

The 14-day JR Pass gives you unlimited travel on all JR-operated trains — including the Shinkansen — for fourteen consecutive days from first use. On this itinerary, you spend the first three days in Tokyo using the city's metro (not JR-covered, so use a Suica IC card), then activate the pass on Day 4 when you board the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Karuizawa. It runs through to Day 17 when you take the Tokaido Shinkansen back to Tokyo from Nagoya.

Important: the Nozomi and Mizuho Shinkansen services on the Tokaido and Sanyo lines are not covered by the standard JR Pass. Always book Hikari or Kodama services instead. They take slightly longer but are fully covered. On the Hokuriku Shinkansen (Tokyo to Nagano and Kanazawa), Kagayaki services require a supplement — book Hakutaka or Asama services instead.

Seat reservations are free and unlimited with the JR Pass. Book them at any JR ticket office after arrival, or in advance online through the JR East reservation system. On this itinerary with multiple Shinkansen legs, reserving all seats before you leave home is strongly recommended — especially during cherry blossom or autumn foliage season. See our full guide on how JR Pass holders can reserve Shinkansen seats online for a step-by-step walkthrough. Buy the 14-day JR Pass here

Days 1–3: Tokyo — Three Days Before the Journey Begins

Do not activate your JR Pass yet. Tokyo runs on its own metro system — load a Suica IC card at the airport and use that for everything in the city. Three days in Tokyo is the right amount of time to get your bearings, adjust to the time zone, and explore a few of the city's very different neighbourhoods without feeling rushed.

Day 1: Old Tokyo — Temples, Markets, and the Shitamachi

• Senso-ji Temple, Asakusa — Tokyo's oldest temple and the spiritual heart of the old downtown. Go early before the crowds arrive, walk the full length of Nakamise shopping street, and take time in the temple grounds. The surrounding Asakusa neighbourhood, with its rickshaws and traditional craft shops, is among the most atmospheric in the city.

• Yanaka — One of the few Tokyo neighbourhoods that survived the 1923 earthquake and wartime bombing largely intact. The old cemetery, narrow Yanaka Ginza shopping street, and wooden temples give a rare sense of what pre-modern Tokyo looked like.

• Akihabara — A genuinely singular experience: multi-storey electronics shops, walls of anime merchandise, vintage game arcades, maid cafes. Even if none of that is your thing, it is unlike anywhere else on earth and worth an hour of your time.

Day 2: West Tokyo — Modern City, Designed Spaces

• Meiji Shrine and Harajuku — Begin in the forested calm of Meiji Shrine, then step directly into the adjacent chaos of Harajuku's Takeshita Street. The Omotesando boulevard nearby is quieter and architecturally extraordinary — a parade of flagship buildings designed by some of the world's leading architects.

• Shibuya — The crossing, the Shibuya Sky rooftop observation deck for the full aerial view, and the Shibuya Stream riverside walk for an evening stroll. The restaurant floors of the Hikarie building make a good dinner choice.

• Shinjuku — Tokyo's most intense neighbourhood: the world's busiest station, the neon towers of Kabukicho, the narrow lanes of Memory Lane with their smoky yakitori stalls, and the Golden Gai bar district where dozens of bars each seat no more than eight people. Best after dark.

Day 3: Day Trip — Nikko or Kamakura

Use Day 3 for a day trip from Tokyo. Two strong options, very different in character:

• Nikko — About two hours north by JR train (save your pass, buy a separate ticket). The Toshogu Shrine complex is the extravagant mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu — every surface carved, lacquered, and gilded in a way that is deliberately excessive and completely extraordinary. The surrounding cedar forests and Kegon Falls make a full day.

• Kamakura — About one hour south on the JR Yokosuka Line. The Great Buddha (Kotoku-in) is one of Japan's most iconic statues, and Hasedera Temple's hillside gardens and sea views are quietly beautiful. The Shonan coastline nearby is worth a walk on the way back.

Where to Stay in Tokyo

Stay near Tokyo Station or Shinjuku for easy Day 4 Shinkansen access. Search Tokyo hotels near Tokyo Station

Day 4: Tokyo to Karuizawa — Activate Your Pass, Breathe Mountain Air

Activate your JR Pass today and board the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Karuizawa — about one hour. The landscape changes almost immediately as the train climbs into the mountains of Nagano Prefecture, and Karuizawa itself sits at around 1,000 metres elevation. The air is noticeably cooler and cleaner than Tokyo, and the town moves at a completely different pace.

Karuizawa has been a summer retreat for Tokyo's wealthy since the Meiji era, when a Canadian missionary named Alexander Shaw discovered it in the 1880s and spread the word. The result is a town with an unusual blend of Japanese mountain resort culture and old-money Western influence — stone churches, European-style villas, and wide, tree-lined avenues sit alongside craft shops and excellent coffee.

• Karuizawa Ginza Street — The main shopping street through the old town, lined with boutique shops, bakeries, and galleries. Quieter and more characterful than the name suggests.

• Kumoba Pond (Karuizawa Swamp) — A small forest pond a short walk from the station, particularly beautiful in autumn when the surrounding trees reflect in the still water. The birdlife here is excellent for those who care about such things.

• Shiraito Falls — A short bus ride from the centre, Shiraito (White Thread Falls) is a wide, thin curtain of water dropping over a mossy cliff — more delicate than dramatic, and all the more beautiful for it. The surrounding forest walk is lovely in any season.

• Hoshino Onsen Tombo-no-yu — A quality hot spring bath in the Hoshino Resort area, a short bus ride from the station. A good way to end an afternoon in the mountains before dinner.

Where to Stay in Karuizawa

Karuizawa has excellent accommodation ranging from pension-style guesthouses to luxury resort hotels. [AFFILIATE LINK: Search Karuizawa hotels]

Day 5: Karuizawa to Nagano — Snow Monkeys and a Thousand-Year-Old Temple

The Hokuriku Shinkansen takes about 30 minutes from Karuizawa to Nagano — barely time to settle into your seat. Nagano hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics and is still best known internationally for ski resorts, but the city itself is anchored by one of Japan's most important pilgrimage temples and, a bus ride away, one of its most photographed natural spectacles.

• Zenko-ji Temple — Founded in the 7th century and one of Japan's most visited pilgrimage sites, Zenko-ji is remarkable for a specific reason: it belongs to no single Buddhist sect and has always welcomed worshippers of every faith and background. The main hall contains the Ikkou Sanzon, Japan's oldest Buddhist image, which is never publicly displayed (a copy is shown every six years during the Gokaicho festival). The pre-dawn morning service, with its incense smoke and chanting monks, is one of the great atmospheric experiences in Japan if you can drag yourself out of bed for it.

• Jigokudani Monkey Park — About 45 minutes from Nagano by train and bus, Jigokudani (Hell Valley) is a steep gorge where a troop of wild Japanese macaques has taken to bathing in a geothermal pool during winter. The sight of snow monkeys sitting in steaming water with snow falling around them is exactly as extraordinary as it looks in photographs. The park is accessible year-round, but the monkeys bathe most reliably from November through March.

• Nagano's covered shopping arcades — The Zenko-ji Monzen-machi (temple approach shopping street) is lined with shops selling oyaki (stuffed dumplings, a Nagano speciality), miso, and soba noodles. Nagano produces excellent buckwheat, and the soba here is some of the best in Japan.

Where to Stay in Nagano

Stay centrally, within walking distance of Zenko-ji. Search Nagano hotels

Day 6: Nagano to Kanazawa — Japan's Craft Capital

Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen west from Nagano to Kanazawa — about two hours through the Japanese Alps. Kanazawa sits on the Sea of Japan coast and was, for most of the Edo period, the wealthiest domain in Japan outside of Tokyo itself. That wealth produced a cultural legacy that rivals Kyoto: extraordinary gardens, a thriving geisha district, world-class craft traditions in lacquerware, gold leaf, silk dyeing, and ceramics, and a food culture built on the exceptional seafood of the Sea of Japan.

Kanazawa escaped bombing in the Second World War, which means it is one of the few Japanese cities where the old city fabric survives largely intact. Walking between the castle, the samurai districts, and the geisha quarter feels genuinely historic rather than reconstructed.

• Kenrokuen Garden — Consistently ranked as one of Japan's three most beautiful landscape gardens, Kenrokuen is a masterpiece of Edo-period garden design. The name means 'garden of six qualities' — spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, water, and views — and it delivers on all six. Visit early in the morning before the tour groups arrive. In winter, the trees are tied with rope in a technique called yukitsuri to protect them from snow — itself one of the most beautiful things the garden offers.

• Kanazawa Castle Park — Adjacent to Kenrokuen, the castle park features beautifully restored turrets and a wide moat. The white plaster and lead tile roofing is visually striking and quite different from the black-lacquered castles of Himeji or Kumamoto.

• Higashi Chaya District — The best-preserved of Kanazawa's three geisha districts, Higashi Chaya is a street of two-storey wooden ochaya (teahouse) buildings that looks almost unchanged from the early 19th century. Several operate as cafes or gold leaf craft shops. Visit in the late afternoon when the light hits the wooden facades at its best.

• Omicho Market — Kanazawa's covered fresh food market, in operation since the Edo period. The Sea of Japan seafood here is exceptional: snow crab (in season from November to March), yellowtail, sweet shrimp, and sea urchin. The sushi restaurants around the market are excellent and reasonably priced by Japanese standards.

• 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art — One of Japan's most important contemporary art museums and a genuinely special building — a circular glass structure that blurs the boundary between inside and outside. The permanent collection includes James Turrell's light installation 'Blue Planet Sky', which is worth the visit alone.

Where to Stay in Kanazawa

Stay in or near the old city to walk the historic districts easily. Search Kanazawa hotels

Day 7: Kanazawa to Kyoto — The Thunderbird to the Old Capital

Take the Thunderbird Limited Express south from Kanazawa to Kyoto — about two and a half hours along the coast of Lake Biwa and through the mountains of Fukui Prefecture. It is a scenic journey and a relaxed way to arrive in Kyoto in the early afternoon, leaving time to orientate yourself before the full days of sightseeing ahead.

Kyoto was Japan's imperial capital for over a thousand years. It has 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, more surviving traditional machiya townhouses than anywhere else in Japan, and a food culture considered the country's most refined. Two days here barely scratches the surface — treat it as a careful introduction rather than a comprehensive tour.

Afternoon Arrival

• Fushimi Inari Taisha — The shrine of ten thousand vermillion torii gates is best visited in the late afternoon when the day-trippers have thinned and the light turns golden through the gates. The full hike to the summit takes about two hours, but even thirty minutes into the tunnel of gates is extraordinary. Free to enter, open at all hours.

• Nishiki Market — A narrow covered market street in central Kyoto known as 'Kyoto's Kitchen'. Good for an early evening browse and snack: pickled vegetables, grilled tofu, fresh yuba (tofu skin), and matcha everything.

• Gion in the evening — Kyoto's most famous geisha district is best walked after dark, when the ochaya lanterns are lit and the wooden building facades glow. Walk Hanamikoji Street and then wander the stone-paved lanes around Shirakawa Canal.

Where to Stay in Kyoto

Stay centrally near Kyoto Station or in Gion for the next two nights. At least one night in a traditional ryokan is strongly recommended. Search Kyoto hotels and ryokan

Day 8: Kyoto — Temples, Bamboo, and the Western Hills

A full day in Kyoto with no trains to catch. The western and northern parts of the city are where the great temple gardens concentrate — give them the time they deserve.

• Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) — The three-storey Zen temple covered in gold leaf, perfectly reflected in the pond below, is one of those images that exceeds even its own photographs in person. It is very popular — go first thing in the morning and accept the crowds as part of the experience.

• Ryoan-ji — Japan's most famous rock garden: fifteen stones arranged in raked white gravel, with no two visible simultaneously from any angle. Sit on the wooden veranda with it for a while. It does not resolve — it opens up.

• Arashiyama Bamboo Grove — The famous bamboo grove on the western edge of the city is genuinely beautiful — towering stalks, filtered green light, the sound of the canopy in the wind. Go early. The surrounding Arashiyama district, with its riverside views, hillside temples, and Tenryu-ji garden, warrants a half-day.

• Philosopher's Path — A two-kilometre stone canal path through the eastern hills, lined with cherry trees. Walk it north to south and finish at the Silver Pavilion (Ginkaku-ji), whose understated moss garden is the quiet counterpoint to the Golden Pavilion's showiness.

Kaiseki dinner — Kyoto is the home of kaiseki cuisine, Japan's most refined multi-course tradition built around seasonal ingredients and extraordinary presentation. Book at least one kaiseki dinner during your time here. It is expensive and completely worth it.

Day 9: Nara Day Trip — The Ancient Capital and Its Deer

Take the JR Nara Line from Kyoto to Nara — under an hour, fully covered by the JR Pass. Note: there is also a faster Kintetsu line connecting the two cities, but Kintetsu is a private operator and not covered by the pass. Check your platform before boarding.

Nara was Japan's first permanent capital in the 8th century. Its central park is still dominated by the monumental temples and shrines built during that brief imperial period, and by approximately 1,200 sika deer who roam freely, hold official status as national treasures, and have absolutely no fear of humans.

• Todai-ji Temple and the Daibutsu — The Great Buddha Hall is the largest wooden building in the world. The bronze Daibutsu inside it — 15 metres tall, cast in the 8th century — is one of the most awe-inspiring single objects in Japan. The deer wander right up to the entrance.

• Nara Park — Buy shika senbei (deer crackers) from vendors and feed the deer by hand. They bow to ask for food — a behaviour apparently learned from watching humans — and will nudge, nibble, and occasionally headbutt you if you are too slow. It is simultaneously chaotic and completely charming.

• Kasuga Taisha — One of Japan's most important Shinto shrines, set in the cedar forest at the eastern edge of the park. Its thousands of stone and bronze lanterns give the shrine approaches a deeply atmospheric quality, especially in the early morning.

• Naramachi — The preserved Edo-period merchant district south of the main sights, with old machiya townhouses converted into craft shops and cafes. A good place for a final wander and some lunch before the train back to Kyoto.

Day 10: Kyoto to Osaka — Japan's Most Enthusiastic Food City

The JR Special Rapid Service from Kyoto to Osaka takes about 30 minutes and runs frequently throughout the day. Osaka is Japan's third-largest city and its most unabashedly hedonistic — a trading port that has spent centuries eating, drinking, and getting on with life, with very little patience for Kyoto's refinement or Tokyo's corporate formality. The locals call it kuidaore — 'eat until you drop' — and mean it as a philosophy, not a warning.

• Dotonbori — The neon-lit canal district is Osaka at its most concentrated. The giant mechanical crab, the Glico running man sign, the wall-to-wall restaurants and street food stalls. Eat takoyaki (octopus balls, invented here), okonomiyaki (savoury pancake), and kushikatsu (breaded skewers — no double-dipping in the communal sauce, and they are very serious about it).

• Osaka Castle — The magnificent white and green castle towers over a large park in the centre of the city. The interior museum is interesting, the view from the top floor is excellent, and the castle park itself is one of Osaka's best cherry blossom spots in spring.

• Kuromon Ichiba Market — 'Osaka's Kitchen': 580 metres of covered market with fresh seafood, grilled skewers, and Osaka produce. Go in the late morning when most stalls are at their liveliest.

• Namba and Shinsaibashi at night — Osaka's main shopping and nightlife districts sit side by side. The covered Shinsaibashi-suji arcade stretches for over half a kilometre; the streets around Namba Parks are excellent for dinner.

Where to Stay in Osaka

Stay in Namba or Shinsaibashi for food and nightlife, or Umeda for easy rail connections. Search Osaka hotels

Day 11: Osaka to Kobe — Beef, Harbour Views, and a Different Kind of Japan

The Sanyo Shinkansen from Osaka to Kobe takes about fifteen minutes. Kobe is one of Japan's most cosmopolitan cities — it was one of the first ports opened to foreign trade in the 1850s, and the legacy of that early international contact is still visible in the Western-style buildings of the Kitano district, the significant Chinese and Indian communities, and a general atmosphere that is noticeably more international than most Japanese cities. It also sits between steep mountains and a deep natural harbour, which makes it physically one of the most dramatically situated cities in the country.

• Mount Rokko and the Rokko Cable Car — The cable car ascends through forest to the Rokko ridge, where the views over Kobe, Osaka Bay, and the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge are exceptional. On a clear day you can see across the Seto Inland Sea. The mountain-top garden and observatory are worth an hour at the top.

• Kitano Ijinkan — The hillside district of preserved 19th-century Western-style residences (ijinkan) built by foreign merchants and diplomats. Walking the streets here — past French consulates, German mansions, and English country houses — is one of the more surreal experiences in Japan.

• Kobe Harborland — The converted waterfront warehouse district along the harbour, now a mix of shops, restaurants, and the Kobe Maritime Museum. The evening view of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge illuminated over the bay is excellent from the waterfront here.

• Kobe Beef — The main event. Kobe beef comes from Tajima cattle raised under specific conditions in Hyogo Prefecture, and is among the most heavily marbled and intensely flavoured beef in the world. A teppanyaki lunch or dinner where the chef prepares it in front of you is the classic way to eat it. It is expensive and completely worth it — at least once.

Where to Stay in Kobe

Stay centrally near Sannomiya Station. Search Kobe hotels

Day 12: Kobe to Himeji to Okayama — Two Castles and a Canal Town

A day of movement, but each stop earns its place. Himeji in the morning, Okayama in the afternoon — the Shinkansen makes both feel relaxed.

Himeji (Morning)

The Sanyo Shinkansen from Kobe to Himeji takes about fifteen minutes. Himeji Castle is the reason you are here, and it delivers completely. Often called the most beautiful castle in Japan, Himeji's brilliant white walls and complex of interconnected towers earned it UNESCO World Heritage status in 1993 and it remains one of only twelve original (non-reconstructed) feudal castles in the entire country.

• Himeji Castle — Allow at least two hours inside the castle and grounds. The main keep is open throughout, and the views from the upper floors over the city and the surrounding mountains are spectacular. The defensive complexity of the castle's layout — the deliberately confusing paths, the shooting galleries, the hidden wells — makes the interior as interesting as the exterior.

• Kokoen Garden — Immediately adjacent to the castle grounds, Kokoen is a series of nine interconnected Edo-period-style gardens, each with a different character. The contrast with the castle's martial severity makes it a good place to decompress after the crowds of the main keep.

Okayama (Afternoon)

The Shinkansen from Himeji to Okayama takes about thirty minutes. Okayama is a relaxed, manageable city with two of the best things in this category: a garden that competes with Kanazawa's Kenrokuen, and a preserved canal district that is one of Japan's most picturesque.

• Korakuen Garden — One of Japan's three officially designated great gardens, Korakuen is a spacious Edo-period strolling garden built around a central pond, tea fields, plum and cherry groves, and an open lawn that is almost unique in Japanese garden design. The scale and variety of the garden are exceptional, and the views across to Okayama Castle from within the garden are particularly good.

• Okayama Castle (Crow Castle) — Known as Ujo — Crow Castle — for its distinctive black lacquered exterior, in deliberate contrast to Himeji's white walls. The interior has been reconstructed but is informative, and the castle's reflection in the river below makes for one of the more satisfying architectural views in western Japan.

• Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter — A short train ride from Okayama, Kurashiki's preserved canal district is one of the most beautiful in Japan: white-walled kura (storehouse) buildings reflected in a willow-lined canal, with several converted into museums and cafes. The Ohara Museum of Art, housed in a converted kura, contains an impressive collection of Western and Japanese modern art. Allow two to three hours.

Where to Stay in Okayama

Stay in Okayama city centre for easy Shinkansen connections to Hiroshima tomorrow. Search Okayama hotels

Days 13–14: Hiroshima and Miyajima — History and the Floating Torii

The Sanyo Shinkansen from Okayama to Hiroshima takes about forty minutes. Hiroshima was the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon, on August 6th, 1945. What makes visiting so unexpectedly moving is not just the memorials but the city itself: a thriving, warm, and thoroughly modern place rebuilt on the same ground, carrying its history with remarkable grace. Come prepared to feel something.

Day 13: Hiroshima

• Peace Memorial Park and Museum — The park sits at the hypocentre of the blast; the Atomic Bomb Dome — the skeletal ruins of the former Industrial Promotion Hall, left deliberately unrepaired — stands at the river's edge. The museum is graphic, honest, and essential. Allow at least two hours and do not rush it.

• Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki — Hiroshima's version of okonomiyaki layers noodles, cabbage, pork, and egg in a way that differs entirely from the Osaka style, and is by many accounts better. The Okonomi-mura building near Hondori Street has three floors of okonomiyaki restaurants.

• Shukkei-en Garden — A beautiful Edo-period strolling garden in the centre of Hiroshima, often overlooked by visitors focused on the Peace Park. The miniature mountain and lake landscapes within it were damaged in the bomb blast and painstakingly restored in the postwar years — knowing that makes walking the paths here quietly affecting.

Day 14: Miyajima Island

Take the JR Sanyo Line from Hiroshima to Miyajimaguchi Station (about 25 minutes, covered by the JR Pass), walk three minutes to the ferry terminal, and board the JR West Miyajima Ferry (10 minutes, also covered by the JR Pass) to Miyajima Island. Total journey time is about 45 minutes. For full step-by-step directions, see our dedicated guide: Visiting Miyajima from Hiroshima Station.

• Itsukushima Shrine and the Floating Torii — The shrine is built over the water on stilts; its enormous vermillion torii gate appears to float at high tide. Check tide times in advance — high tide gives the floating effect, while low tide lets you walk out to the gate across the sand. Both are worth experiencing if you can time your visit right.

• Mount Misen — A ropeway takes you most of the way up the sacred mountain, with a short hike from the top station to the summit at 535 metres. The panoramic views over the Seto Inland Sea and its scattered islands are breathtaking. Allow two to three hours for the full experience.

• Daisho-in Temple — On the descent from Misen, stop at this beautifully maintained Buddhist temple complex filled with prayer wheels, stone statues, and small shrines. It receives a fraction of the crowds of Itsukushima Shrine and is considerably more peaceful.

• Momiji manju and grilled oysters — Miyajima's signature foods. The maple-leaf cakes are sold everywhere and best eaten warm; the grilled oysters (Hiroshima Prefecture produces more oysters than anywhere else in Japan) are served on the half-shell at stalls along the waterfront. Both are excellent.

Where to Stay in Hiroshima

Stay in Hiroshima for both nights. Alternatively, consider staying overnight on Miyajima Island itself — after the last ferry departs, the island becomes quiet and almost eerily beautiful, and the illuminated torii gate at night is unforgettable.

If you stay in Hiroshima, we recommend HOTEL GRANVIA HIROSHIMA SOUTH GATE which is directly connected to Hiroshima Station!

Also check my article A Complete Guide: Visiting Miyajima from Hiroshima Station, which also includes recommended ryokan hotels on Miyajima Island.

Days 15–16: Hiroshima to Nagoya — Japan's Most Underrated City

The Sanyo-Tokaido Shinkansen from Hiroshima to Nagoya takes about two hours on the Hikari. Nagoya is one of Japan's great underappreciated cities — the fourth-largest in the country, home to a magnificent castle, a major Shinto shrine, an extraordinary covered market district, and some of the most distinctive regional food in Japan. It is also the closest base for Ghibli Park, which is reason enough for many visitors to include it.

Day 15: The City

• Nagoya Castle — One of Japan's finest feudal castles, famous for the pair of golden shachi (killer whale) dolphins on the roof of the main keep — a symbol of the city. The castle was largely destroyed in wartime bombing and the main keep is a 1959 reconstruction, but the Honmaru Palace (the lord's residence adjacent to the keep) has been painstakingly restored over recent decades using traditional materials and techniques. It is one of the finest examples of Edo-period interior decoration in Japan.

• Atsuta Shrine — One of the most important Shinto shrines in Japan, second only to Ise Jingu in significance, Atsuta houses the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi — one of the three imperial treasures of Japan (a sacred sword). The shrine grounds are vast, forested, and deeply peaceful. The treasure museum nearby displays armour, swords, and ceremonial objects spanning centuries.

• Osu Shopping District — A vibrant covered arcade district around the Osu Kannon temple, combining traditional Japanese shops, vintage clothing, electronics, street food, and a distinctly young and international atmosphere that feels quite different from most Japanese shopping areas. Excellent for an evening wander.

• Nagoya's Food — Nagoya's food culture is distinctive enough to have its own name: Nagoya-meshi. The key dishes are hitsumabushi (grilled eel on rice, eaten three ways: plain, with condiments, and as a soup), miso katsu (tonkatsu with a rich red miso sauce), and kishimen (flat wheat noodles in a clear broth). All three are excellent and genuinely unlike anything you will have eaten elsewhere on this trip.

Day 16: Ghibli Park

Ghibli Park is about 30 minutes from Nagoya Station on the Linimo maglev line, within the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park. It opened in 2022 and is dedicated to the films of Studio Ghibli — not a theme park with rides, but a beautifully realised environment of life-sized recreations of locations from the films.

• Mononoke Village — Recreates the Iron Age village setting from Princess Mononoke, built in a forested hillside with extraordinary attention to detail.

• Howl's Moving Castle Area — The Valley of Witches area features the witch Howl's castle and environments from several Ghibli films including Kiki's Delivery Service.

• The Catbus — The life-sized Catbus from My Neighbour Totoro is one of the park's most beloved attractions, accessible to children under 12 (adults can photograph from outside).

Important: tickets for Ghibli Park must be booked in advance — they are released online on specific dates and sell out quickly, especially for weekend visits. Book as early as possible before your trip.

Alternatively, you can book this tour Ghibli Park: Day Tour from Nagoya + Lunch

Where to Stay in Nagoya

Stay centrally near Nagoya Station for the easiest access to both the city sights and the Ghibli Park Linimo line. Search Nagoya hotels

Day 17: Nagoya to Tokyo — The Journey Home

The Tokaido Shinkansen from Nagoya to Tokyo takes about one hour and forty minutes on the Hikari — the last Shinkansen of the trip, and one of the fastest. On a clear day, watch the right-hand side of the train as you leave Nagoya heading east: Mount Fuji appears about an hour into the journey, rising above the plains in a way that manages to be both familiar and, every time, genuinely arresting.

If you have time before your international flight, Tokyo's airports are well set up for last-minute shopping and food. Haneda's international terminal in particular has an excellent selection of Japanese food and regional products — a good chance to pick up anything you missed along the way.

Practical Tips for the Route

• Nozomi, Mizuho, and Kagayaki are NOT covered — On the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen lines, always book Hikari or Kodama. On the Hokuriku Shinkansen, book Hakutaka or Asama (not Kagayaki). Slightly slower, fully covered.

• JR Nara Line only — Travel Kyoto to Nara on the JR Nara Line (covered), not the faster Kintetsu line (not covered). Check the platform sign before boarding.

• Ghibli Park tickets — Must be booked in advance online. Tickets release monthly and sell out very quickly. This is the one thing on this entire itinerary that can genuinely derail your plans if you leave it too late.

• Kurashiki from Okayama — Kurashiki's canal district is a short train ride from Okayama Station on the JR Sanyo Line (covered by the pass). It is easily combined with an Okayama afternoon.

• Reserve all Shinkansen in advance — Free with the pass, but trains fill fast in peak season. See our guide on how to reserve Shinkansen seats online.

• IC card — Load a Suica card at Tokyo Airport for metro travel, non-JR local buses, and convenience store purchases. It works across the entire country.

• Luggage forwarding — Moving between eleven cities is a lot of packing and unpacking. Use takkyubin (luggage forwarding) to send bags ahead to your next hotel overnight. Most hotels and convenience stores offer the service for 1,500–2,000 yen per bag.

• Best season — This itinerary is exceptional in spring (cherry blossoms, late March to early April) and autumn (foliage, mid-November). Kanazawa and Kyoto in snow are also beautiful. Summer is hot and humid but the festivals are extraordinary.

Ready to Book?

The 14-day JR Pass is available to purchase online before you travel and exchanged at any major JR station on arrival. Buy the 14-day JR Pass here

This is the Japan trip that goes further than the brochure. Kanazawa instead of a second day in Kyoto. Kobe beef instead of another bowl of Osaka ramen. Nagoya's castle and Ghibli Park instead of flying straight home. Seventeen days across the width of the country and back, and every stop different enough from the last to feel like the journey is constantly beginning again. That is what the trains do to a trip. They make distance effortless and everywhere feel reachable — which means you have no excuse not to go a little further than you planned.

Happy travels.