best way to spend 2 months

I have 2 monthys to travel in Japan. I have to many thing and place togo and do. I would like to see rural area, onsens, and hiking trail and experance the less touristy path of Japan. I plan on hitchhiking around and staying at Ryokan. I limited the list of places togo to.
1. Sapporo
2. Tokyo
3. Northern Kyoto
4. Izu pennisula
5. Beppu
I know these are major touristy spots but the plan is to travel around these areas and leave enough time to be spantanous. Any ideas?

I plan on hitchhiking
Hitchhiking is not common in Japan and as your being a foreignor, your chance to being picked up is very small, I guess.

As JLady says, I suggest you to use the Japan Rail pass for overseas visitors if you want to travel around the country. Even if you stand on the side of the street and wait for a ride, you will get nowhere.

I posted a question a few months ago and some people gave me some interesting books to read."Hokkaido Highway Blues: Hitchhiking Japan" by Will Ferguson and "The Roads to Sata" by Allan Booth. Now these books are close to 10 years old. Just wondering if you guys have heard of it and if it is full of it or has thing change that much. I thank you guys for the post and take care.

I read these books. These guys could speak Japanese and one of them especially, The tall husky Canadian, if I remember well, wasn't afraid to drink and get drunk with total strangers, something definitely not recommended. Also, as all writers,they likely glossed over the numerous times when they took a train or bus when they couldn't get a ride. Hitch hiking was very popular with young North Americans in Europe 30-40 year ago, times when life was less frantic and there were no freeways. As the time I was a young driver in France and I would regularly take hitch-hikers, especially on rainy evenings. I sure wouldn't do it now as in the years since both drivers and hitch-hikers have been assaulted, robbed, killed in a hitch-hiking situation. Japan is a safe country but there are assaults and murders too (even young men can be sexually abused by the way0. Japanese in general are usually friendly and helpful to foreigners but taking them into their car isn't something that they would generally do.
HOW ABOUT BIKING AROUND JAPAN?
quite a few foreign tourists have done it. check the internet..

Thanks for the info. Biking sounds fun. I do plan to get in shape but I plan on being all over Japan in Nov and Oct and it fun But Hokkidao. LOL!!! I know the pubic transportation is one of the best in the world.