Japan in May: Golden Week, Green Season and Where to Visit

Hokkaido

Hokkaido is not a single-city extension of a Japan itinerary but an island-sized region whose landscapes, weather and transport gateways reward deliberate planning. Sapporo is an excellent arrival base, yet the 50-place Hokkaido list also reaches Otaru and the Shakotan side of central Hokkaido, Asahikawa, Biei and Furano in the north-central area, Hakodate and Matsumae in the south, and the wetlands, lakes, drift-ice coast and World Heritage nature of eastern Hokkaido. Choose one or two regional arcs, use different arrival and departure airports when possible, and leave enough time for weather to change the plan.

Toyama

Toyama is a prefecture of extreme vertical and regional contrasts: a compact tram city beside Toyama Bay, a multi-vehicle mountain crossing through Tateyama and Kurobe, craft and port communities around Takaoka and Himi, tulip fields and living gassho villages in Tonami and Gokayama, and the hot-spring and gorge railway gateway of Unazuki. These are not five attractions on one effortless day trip. Rail works well along the coastal plain, but mountain transport, rural buses and seasonal sightseeing railways operate under their own calendars, reservation systems and weather decisions. Snow can remain at altitude after the lowlands turn warm, while heavy rain, wind, landslides and restoration work can alter access. A strong itinerary stays modular, checks official notices by travel date and never treats a transport ticket as a guarantee of mountain safety.

Nagano

Nagano is not one destination but a highland prefecture of separate valleys, historic corridors and mountain gateways. A Shinkansen can reach Nagano City or Karuizawa quickly, yet the final approach to Togakushi, Jigokudani, Kamikochi, the Kiso post towns or an alpine trail may depend on a bus with limited departures, a seasonal ropeway or a road that closes in winter. The reward for accepting that geography is an unusually varied journey: early worship at Zenkoji, black-timbered Matsumoto Castle, clear Azusa River water in Kamikochi, Nakasendo streets in Narai and Tsumago, resort architecture in Karuizawa, snow-country hot springs and high ridgelines. This guide organizes the existing fifty-place Nagano database into five realistic regional modules. It is written for travellers who want practical depth—when to stay overnight, when luggage becomes a problem, why a mountain forecast matters, and which areas should not be forced into the same day. Always check official opening, trail, wildlife, road and transport notices before departure.

Ishikawa

Ishikawa is often introduced through Kanazawa, but the prefecture becomes much more coherent when read as four connected regions: Kanazawa's castle-town culture, the craft and hot-spring communities of Kaga, the mountain settlements and protected landscapes around Hakusan, and the long Noto Peninsula. The 50-place list reflects this range. Use Kanazawa as a rail hub rather than the only destination, add regional nights where transport makes sense, and treat every Noto plan as a current-status decision because recovery after the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake continues to change access, opening arrangements and visitor capacity.

Kochi

Kochi stretches in a long arc between the Shikoku Mountains and the Pacific, so it is better planned as several transport zones than as one compact destination. Kochi City is the urban gateway; the Niyodo basin lies west and north of it; the Shimanto and Hata region occupies the far southwest; Cape Ashizuri and Tatsukushi sit beyond Nakamura; and the eastern railway-and-bus corridor continues through Aki to the Muroto UNESCO Global Geopark. This guide distributes a seven-day journey across those areas while treating typhoons, river rises, surf, landslides and sparse final connections as normal planning concerns. Beaches, rivers and cliffs are never described as safe merely because a photograph shows calm water. Check official weather, transport and local safety notices on the day.

Okinawa

Okinawa is an island prefecture, not a single beach resort. A rewarding itinerary separates walkable Naha, the historical and coastal south, the urban and resort belt of central Okinawa, the long distances of Yanbaru in the north, and any remote-island stay. This guide builds those regions into realistic days while treating weather, sea conditions and transport as decisions to review rather than fixed promises.