Destination: Japan
LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION
Itinerary: Headin' South
2 WEEKS -1 MONTH/TOKYO TO THE SOUTHWEST
The Headin' South route is an extremely popular route (especially in the colder months, when heading north has obvious disadvantages). This 2000km route involves around 25 hours of train travel and allows you to sample the metropolis of Tokyo, the cultural attractions of Kansai (Kyoto and Nara), and the varied attractions of Kyushu and western Honshu.
Travellers with more time to spend in Japan tend to head west and south before considering northern Honshu and Hokkaido. The reason is that Kansai, western Honshu and Kyushu are richer in sights than the northern regions of Japan.
Assuming you fly into Tokyo, spend a few days exploring the city before heading off to the Kansai area, notably Kyoto and Nara. A good side trip en route is Takayama, which can be reached from Nagoya.
From Kansai, many Japan Rail (JR) Pass travellers take the San-yo shinkansen straight down to Fukuoka/Hakata in Kyushu. Some of Kyushu's highlights include Nagasaki, Kumamoto, natural wonders like Aso-san, and the hot-spring town of Beppu.
The fastest way to return from Kyushu to Kansai or Tokyo is by the San-yo shinkansen along the Inland Sea side of western Honshu. Possible stopovers include Hiroshima and Himeji, a famous castle town. From Okayama, the seldom-visited island of Shikoku is easily accessible. The Sea of Japan side of western Honshu is visited less frequently by tourists, and is more rural - notable attractions are the shrine at Izumo and the small cities of Matsue and Tottori.
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