{"id":2464,"date":"2026-10-23T14:56:58","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T14:56:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/?p=2464"},"modified":"2026-10-23T15:17:17","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T15:17:17","slug":"second-time-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/ja\/second-time-in-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Second Time in Japan: 6 Routes for When You\u2019ve Done Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka (2026\u201327)"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you have already done Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, the best second time in Japan trip is a regional loop on a regional rail pass: Hokuriku and Takayama for craft towns, Tohoku for nature and festivals, Shikoku for gorges and pilgrim temples, Setouchi for art islands, Kyushu for volcanoes and hot springs, or Hokkaido in winter for snow. Most of these passes cost \u00a512,000\u2013\u00a535,000 for adults, less than the 7-day Japan Rail Pass, and children aged 6\u201311 pay half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide is opinionated. It picks six routes, matches each to a type of traveller, and gives the pass, its 2026 price from the rail company, the time you need and the best season. It also makes the case for skipping a second Kyoto visit, or at least shrinking it to a night.<\/p>\n\n\n

\u00a535,000<\/p>

JR East Pass, 5 days (from 14 Mar 2026)<\/p><\/div>

\u00a535,000<\/p>

Hokuriku Arch Pass, 7 days<\/p><\/div>

6\u201311<\/p>

Ages that pay half on JR passes<\/p><\/div>

\u00a510,000<\/p>

Kyoto's top lodging tax per person per night<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

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\"Second
Sakurajima, Kagoshima \u2014 one of the Kyushu route highlights. Photo: TANAKA Juuyoh<\/a> \uff0f\u30a6\u30a3\u30ad\u30e1\u30c7\u30a3\u30a2\u30fb\u30b3\u30e2\u30f3\u30ba\u3001 CC BY 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n\n

Where should you go on your second time in Japan?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Plan your second time in Japan around what you liked most on trip one. If it was the old streets of Kyoto, go to Hokuriku. If it was the food in Osaka, go to Kyushu. If you liked the bits between cities more than the cities, go to Shikoku or Tohoku.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traveller type<\/th>\u30eb\u30fc\u30c8<\/th>Pass (adult, 2026)<\/th>Time needed<\/th>Best season<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Craft and old-town lovers<\/td>Hokuriku + Takayama (Tokyo\u2013Kanazawa\u2013Takayama\u2013Osaka)<\/td>Hokuriku Arch Pass \u00a535,000 (7 days) or Takayama-Hokuriku pass \u00a519,800 (5 days)<\/td>5\u20137 days<\/td>Oct\u2013Nov, or Jan\u2013Feb for snow<\/td><\/tr>
Nature and festival people<\/td>Tohoku (Sendai, Hiraizumi, Aomori, Hirosaki)<\/td>JR East Pass \u00a535,000 (5 days)<\/td>5\u20137 days<\/td>Late Apr (blossoms), early Aug (festivals), Oct (leaves)<\/td><\/tr>
Hikers and slow travellers<\/td>Shikoku loop (Takamatsu, Iya, Kochi, Matsuyama)<\/td>All Shikoku Rail Pass \u00a512,000 (3 days) to \u00a520,000 (7 days)<\/td>5\u20137 days<\/td>Apr\u2013May, Oct\u2013Nov<\/td><\/tr>
Art and island people<\/td>Setouchi + Hiroshima (Okayama, Naoshima, Miyajima)<\/td>Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass \u00a517,000 (5 days)<\/td>4\u20135 days<\/td>Mar\u2013May, Sep\u2013Nov<\/td><\/tr>
Food and hot-spring fans<\/td>Kyushu (Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Nagasaki)<\/td>All Kyushu Rail Pass \u00a522,000\u2013\u00a526,000 (3\u20137 days)<\/td>5\u20137 days<\/td>Oct\u2013Apr<\/td><\/tr>
Snow and ski people<\/td>Hokkaido in winter (Sapporo, Otaru, Asahikawa, Hakodate)<\/td>Hokkaido Rail Pass \u00a522,000\u2013\u00a537,000 (5\u201310 days)<\/td>5\u201310 days<\/td>Late Jan\u2013Feb<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Prices are adult prices from the rail operators’ own pages, checked on 23 October 2026. All six passes are for foreign visitors on temporary visitor status, and all run on consecutive days. If you are still deciding between these and the national pass, our Japan Rail Pass verdict<\/a> does the maths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Hokuriku and Takayama: the second time in Japan route for Kyoto lovers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is the obvious upgrade on Kyoto. Kanazawa has a samurai district, two teahouse districts and one of Japan’s three great gardens, at a fraction of Kyoto’s crowds. Takayama adds an old merchant town and morning markets, and Shirakawa-go adds thatched farmhouses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The route runs Tokyo to Kanazawa on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, then to Takayama and Shirakawa-go by bus, and down to Osaka. Our 3-day Kanazawa itinerary<\/a> \u3068 Takayama and Shirakawa-go weekend<\/a> cover the ground in detail, so here is just the transport logic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which pass works for Hokuriku?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n