During our last stay in Japan in 2023, we toured Tokyo and down the southwest of the country to the island of Kyushu. This time, we started with two weeks in Tokyo, exposing our sons to a bit of Japanese culture and our nomadic lifestyle, then after they returned home we set off on a road trip north with the main goal of witnessing some of the spectacular fall colours in the hills.
Our Japan visit started with a week each with our sons, along with our youngest’s girlfriend. This was the first time they’ve joined us during the four years we’ve been living a nomadic lifestyle, and after we gave them a choice last Christmas of destinations we were going to visit in 2025, they both chose Tokyo.
Aside from showing them around the sights of Tokyo, a big part of their time was spent experiencing the wonderful and varied food.
Just as we started planning the road trip, we learned that some good nomad friends were also going to be in Japan at the same time, so we invited them to join us. Brent and Michael are both published novelists, with Brent also writing several screenplays, and Michael taking amazing photos for their successful online newsletter. They are two of my favourite writers, and you can check them out at brentandmichaelaregoingplaces.com
We planned this trip a few months ago, using websites that predict when the leaves will change across different regions of Japan, but with the warmer year they’ve had in 2025 the colour change was a bit delayed. However, as our route took us to some higher elevations, we did manage to go through all the different autumnal climate zones, including some spots where many of the leaves had already fallen, so I think we still hit it close to perfect.
While searching for accommodations for the trip, I found a place with good rates and reviews, so we booked it. I have to admit that the pictures did have a “Love Hotel” feel, but from the descriptions and reviews, I couldn’t really tell, so I warned Brent and Michael that I couldn’t guarantee it WASN’T a love hotel.
Love hotels in Japan were created in the late 1960s for intimate rendezvous in a country where the houses are small, often with thin walls and close neighbours, and where many people live with their parents or extended family. Customers are quite frequently married or in a relationship. Due to their large size, affordable rates, and attention to cleanliness, they are becoming popular with tourists looking for a unique experience, which indeed it was.
We continued to Yamagata and the nearby Zao Echo Line, which is a 26-kilometre road that runs through some amazing scenery and viewpoints.
From Yamagata we did a day trip to the northernmost point on our trip, the Ginzan Onsen town, whose main feature is the hot springs that provide warm water throughout the town. These hot springs are used in the many onsen bath houses and inns along the main stream.
In the city of Niigata we paid a visit to the Saké Tasting Room in the Niigata train station. Train stations in Japan are often major shopping locations, with Niigata’s being home to one of the best places in Japan to try different types of saké, a rice wine with 15-20% alcohol.
From Niigata, we continued to Karuizawa, where we visited the picturesque Onioshidashi Volcanic Park.
On the final leg back to Tokyo, we passed Mount Fuji.
We rented a minivan through Nissan Rent A Car, and I’d recommend them to anyone looking for a car in Japan. Just make sure you have an International Driver’s License, since you WILL need to show that upon pick-up of the vehicle (obtained through your local AAA office in the States or CAA in Canada – you must get it from your local area before going to Japan). You will also probably need to have the car rental company provide an ETC card (which most major Japanese companies should be able to do) which allows you to pay road tolls using the automated ETC payment gates. You then pay the total of all tolls upon returning the car. Our road-trip was a total of 1,593 km (990 miles), and cost us about $170 in tolls ($121 US$), which we split between the two couples.
We love road trips, and seeing Japan outside the huge urban areas gave us a better sense of the country. Sharing it with great friends made it even better!
