Japan In-Depth Travel Guide | 15 Days to Experience the Ultimate Romance of Tradition and Modernity

🗓 [Itinerary Planning | Year-Round Hidden Gems] ✔ Summer (Jun-Aug): Furano Lavender Fields in Hokkaido (peak bloom mid-July) + Osaka Tenjin Festival Fireworks (Jul 25), cool 25°C escapes in Hokuriku region ✔ Autumn (Sep-Nov): Arashiyama Bamboo Forest & Momiji Hunting in Kyoto (mid-Nov) + Zen Buddhist cuisine experience at Zenkoji Temple, Nagano ✔ Winter (Dec-Feb): Niseko Powder Snow Skiing + Shirakawa-go Illumination (Dec-Feb only, book accommodation 6 months ahead!) ✔ Spring (Mar-May): Philosopher's Path Night Sakura in Kyoto (late Mar) + Green tea picking & wagashi making in Shizuoka tea fields 🌟 [Two Classic In-Depth Routes | Local's Perspective] 🔹 Kanto + Hokuriku Cultural Route (8 days) Day1-3 Tokyo Citywalk ❶ Wear furisode kimono at Sensoji Temple & shoot Nakamise Shopping Street (recommend "Wafuku Kobo Miyabi", ¥3,000/set with hairstyling) ❷ Beat the crowds! Private Tokyo Tower observation deck at 6am for sunrise cityscapes ❸ Retro coffee at Kagurazaka's "Kuramae" machiya houses - stone paths & lantern alleys straight from J-dramas 📍 Stay: Smile Hotel Ueno (¥500/night, 3min walk to Ameyoko Market's steak bowls) Day4-5 Kanazawa + Shirakawa-go ❶ Kenrokuen Garden at 8am sharp - matcha at "Shiguretei" teahouse with koi ponds ❷ Omicho Market's uni+salmon roe donburi (try "Marutake", ¥1,500/bowl) ❸ Stay at Shirakawa-go's thatched "Ogimachi Honjin", learn Hida beef miso soup from hostess 📍 Transport: "World Heritage Bus" from Kanazawa Station (¥2,600/1.5hrs) Day6-8 Kyoto Slow Living ❶ Fushimi Inari's torii gates: Reverse route from "Okusha" at 7am for empty corridors ❷ Must-do Arashiyama: Hozugawa River rafting (45min, ¥3,900) + bamboo grove whispers ❸ Nanzenji's "Junsei" tofu kaiseki lunch: 12-course melt-in-mouth tofu feast 📍 Stay: Hiiragiya Bekkan (200-year-old machiya, ¥2,000/night with private tea ceremony) 🔹 Hokkaido Nature & Food Route (7 days) Day1-2 Sapporo-Otaru Healing Trip ❶ Odori Park Beer Garden's "Sapporo Draft" + lamb BBQ set (¥2,500) ❷ Otaru Canal evening lights + glass windchime making at "Kitaichi Garasu" 📍 Stay: ANA InterContinental Sapporo (ocean-view rooms, ¥1,200/night) Day3-4 Furano-Biei Flower Chase ❶ Farm Tomita's rainbow fields: July lavender + lupines, rent bikes (¥500/day) ❷ Must-stop Biei "Patchwork Road": Panoramic hilltop wheat field shots like Ghibli films 📍 Stay: Shikisai-no-Oka B&B (3min to flower fields, ¥600/night) Day5-7 Hakodate-Noboribetsu Fire & Onsen ❶ Hakodate Night View: Ropeway (¥1,280) to "Million-Dollar Vista" symmetrical bay ❷ Noboribetsu Hell Valley: 9am soak at "Dai-ichi Takimotokan" outdoor bath with sulfur mists 📍 Stay: Dai-ichi Takimotokan (¥1,800/night with crab+beef feast) 🚃 [Transport Hacks | JR Pass Guide] Cross-region: Nationwide 7-Day Pass (¥29,000) covers Tokyo-Kanazawa-Kyoto-Osaka + Hokkaido routes City travel: Tokyo/Osaka metro 24hr pass (¥800) + "Metro Bike" rentals (¥300/30min) Hokkaido tip: Rent cars! ¥5,000/day for Furano-Biei backroads (Google Maps works perfectly) 🍣 [Foodie's Hidden Gems Map] ❶ Tokyo/Kagurazaka: "Fukudaya" unagi three-ways (¥3,800/set) ❷ Kanazawa/Omicho: "Wajima Fugu" oden with red-throat fish broth (¥1,200/person) ❸ Kyoto/Gion: "Kikunoi" kaiseki (Michelin 3-star, book 1 month ahead, ¥12,000 seasonal set) ❹ Hakodate: "Wakamatsu" morning market uni don (¥2,000/bowl) 🏠 [Accommodation Guide] ✔ Onsen ryokan: Shuzenji "Ryokan Yagyu-no-Sho" (¥1,800/night bamboo private bath) ✔ Design hotel: Tokyo "Ace Hotel" (¥1,200/night Shibuya rooftop bar) ✔ Unique stay: Shirakawa-go thatched house (¥800/night with farm meals) ⚠ [Must-Know Tips] Visa: 30-day visa-free until 2025! Pre-fill "Visit Japan Web" for instant clearance Payment: Alipay in cities, carry ¥10,000+ cash for rural areas (7-11 ATMs accept UnionPay) Onsen rules: Ask about tattoos, shower before bathing, no towels in water Photo etiquette: No shots inside shrines/temples, ask before photographing locals 💴 [Budget Guide] ▪ Value (¥25,000-30,000/15 days): Business hotels + teishoku meals