Pacific ocean route by car, interesting?

Hi,

Me and my wife did a few scenic car routes across the world already, and now we are looking to do a route through japan by car. We know public transport is really good in japan (we have visited Japan before, and took the train across the country) but now we wanted something different, more intimite, and being able to stop in villages we like. Those you don't encounter by public transport.

Now i would like to know if this is interesting to do. We both love the sea, japanese culture and old towns.
Last year we did the pacific route in the US and we loved it. Looking forward to a new road experience. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Marcus

Open Google Maps and use their street view.
You can also search by National road number at YouTube.
https://bit.ly/31lOymn (each ˜H�ü–¼ is so)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_highways_of_Japan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_highways_of_Japan

I�fd say that the Pacific coast of Japan is the most built up and the highways that runs along the coast isn�ft specially scenic.

Japan is at its most scenic in the mountains, where you get small villages and really nice landscapes. The coasts are the �gonly�h places major cities can be built and thus they are quite busy.

Thus for Japan if it shall be a scenic car ride I would look into the more remote areas, which will be invariably more mountainous.

This still leaves you a LOT of ground to cover. You can check this webpage for interesting places, but be aware that it generally focuses much more on the less remote areas. If you start drilling down in the Prefectures you�fll get info on more remote. Maybe if you search on the internet you can find websites dedicated to remote Japan.

I did a cycling trip 2 years ago but did NOT go to the mountains but still came through quite remote areas. If you want you can have a look:

http://bicycletraveljapan.blogspot.com

Enjoy planning your trip to Japan!

Personally, I think road trips in Japan are a great way for people to explore and am sure you'd have a wonderful trip.

That said, I think that the Sea of Japan coast is MUCH more scenic and interesting than the Pacific coast.

Driving along the San'In coast road through Yamaguchi, Shimane & Tottori, then into Kyoto, Fukui and Ishikawa (Noto Peninsula), into Toyama, Niigata and then up the north western Tohoku coast... amazing! It's much less populated than the pacific coastline and has some spectacular views.

Have fun!

We often used to drive the Pacific non-Expressway roads from Greater Tokyo to Izu Peninsula, but I'm not sure if it's something you're expecting. If I were you, I might just do the Sea of Japan side, or fly to places like Setouchi or Okinawa and drive there. Note that the Setouchi Islands are among the top places to visit according to New York Times, and Okinawa's beaches are known to be among the best in the world.

First of all, the Pacific coastal roads tend to jam, which means that driving can be tricky especially on the left side of the road. Secondly, it's not really a "stop-by-villages" kind of route (while there are other roads that are). Third, the trains are scenic enough. There are even amenity trains to enjoy the view, such as Super View Odoriko and Resort 21 among others. The Shinkansen also gives you a nice view of the Pacific, which I always love.

So if you want to see the Pacific, use trains. If you want to drive along the seaside, drive the short and jamming Route 134 along the Miura Peninsula which is winding and tricky, or like I said, aim for other oceans in the countryside.

By the way, in Japan there are many "Michi-no-eki" (roadside stations) where there would be farmer's markets and other treats. These are available only along the non-Expressway ordinary car roads. The Expressway has "Parking Area"s which are fun in its own way, but it seems that that may not be what you're looking for.

Actually, I'm a sea-lover who travels around the world, and while I annually visit both mountains and seas, I don't necessarily think that Japan's mountains are better than its seas. It's really a matter of preference.

I forgot to ask what season you are considering. The Sea of Japan side gets heavy snow and definitely gloomy in winter as opposed to the Pacific side, but I'm pretty sure you'll love it in other seasons. Of course, it's still a great place to visit by train even in winter, because the seafood is terrific.

One vote for the sea of Japan. Hagi, Matsue and the San-in Coast are really great. I've also enjoyed the Noto Peninsula as well

Wow, thanks for all your answers.

The initial idea was to do a one way coastal trip either from south to north, or vice versa. The idea to do the pacific side was that we love the ocean, stong waves etc. But the Japan Sea side seems to be much better according to the experiences posted above. We know that trains have scenic routes, and we love that as well (but we did this before). Though the feeling of self driving and stopping where you want is just so liberating in a way. Plus we noticed that on other trips we had much more of those 'spontaneous stops' compared to using public transport that we decided to make these trips around the world in beautiful countries.

The idea is spring 2020 (april/may). The last time we visited Japan was in a very hot and humid summer, and that was not so pleasant.

One of our biggest passions is photography (both on a professional level) so photogenic postcard places are high priority. Both countryside and urban. We do want to incorporate the lakes around mt fuji to capture the sunrise. To give you an idea: https://www.flickr.com/photos/therealthings/albums/72157631479407672
This is what we photographed in 2012 when we visited Japan.

Thanks again for your time.

Hi again Marcus

The photos from your previous trip are great. I have no doubt you'd be able to add to the collection if you did a Sea of Japan coastal road trip.

You'd be able to see places such as

Bentenjima (https://images.app.goo.gl/565YzReMFSfAjwKPA)
Izumo Shrine (https://images.app.goo.gl/565YzReMFSfAjwKPA)
The Uradome Kaigan coastline (https://images.app.goo.gl/EyF5TGsmHZVu3vEn9)
Tottori Sand Dunes (https://images.app.goo.gl/Sx9ndWknYH8FzEWB9)
Amanohashidate (https://images.app.goo.gl/AvFvo8nwmhM9WkjLA)
Ine fishing village (https://images.app.goo.gl/ZtNghig2MYTA3F8x8)
Tojinbo rock formations (https://images.app.goo.gl/XoMp61tQ3EqUEoCA6)
The rugged Noto Peninsla coastline (https://images.app.goo.gl/kka8Nq8oyde7Jg8L6)
The Amaharashi coast of Toyama (https://images.app.goo.gl/si5kdresrRWTHV8TA)
The Sasagawa Nagare coat of Niigata ( https://images.app.goo.gl/8AHFavS8fYGyygyW7)

And so on and so on... so much to see!

;-)

Sorry.. correct link for Izumo Shrine (and its Shimenawa) : https://images.app.goo.gl/KuGUsa5vTUip5uof7

Having done so extensive by sailboat and by car i think exploring the coastline & it's villages and scenery is THE way to enjoy "old time" Japan. If not by boat, consider the use of camping car/motor home.
For that i would suggest All of Kyushu and West-North West Honshu.
In my opinion the Inland Sea is too highly rated. It's pretty by times, but there is always a big city or industrial area in view and it's definite missing out "ocean feeling".

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions.

I think the Pacific side can be quite lovely if you are doing Sendai north, though I also thought the Sea of Japan side from Sakata to Akita was quite pretty. Honestly, I think it depends most on where you plan to start and end your trip. It is important to look at drop-off fees, they can be high. I found in Tohoku if you return to the same prefecture there are no fees. I guess season can play a role too. I wouldn't want to do a lot of driving in Tohoku in the Winter even near the coast.

Good luck!