My friend and I will be traveling to Japan for 14 nights in May (first time for both of us). Our itinerary thus far includes 4 nights in Tokyo, 2 nights in Hakone, 3 nights in Kyoto, 2 nights in Osaka and 1 night back in Tokyo at the end.
This leaves us with 2 nights between Osaka and Tokyo we're not sure what to do with.
We were thinking maybe Hokkaido. But there might be better choices. We're interested in history and culture, as well as natural beauty and the offbeat (doesn't really narrow things much, I know). Budget is not our main constraint, though we don't want to go completely wild, either. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Once in Osaka, take the train to Koyasan (mount Koya) and enjoy the mystical "cemetery" forest where the largest buddhist sect (Shingon Sakurawatashito) is based. Truly an amazing place filled with culture and history. It's a few hours by train and you can spend the night there in a temple or just go back to Osaka for cheaper accommodation.
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From Osaka it's not that far for a day trip to Hiroshima Prefecture, perfect for history.... Or you could add a detour to Kobe and try the excellent Kobe beef. Hokkaido is definetly not a good idea since it will take you too much time to get there...
Hope you will enjoy your trip in Japan
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From Osaka you could easily go to Naoshima Island . The island has several amazing museums and public art installations. 
Hiroshima Prefectureis doable-visit the Heiwakinen Park and Museum. If you're looking for accommodation there, try World Friendship Centre (wfchiroshima.com) who can give traditional type accommodation, maybe arrange for you to meet with a bomb survivor, and can give you a guide to the peace park. Accommodation needs to be booked in advance, but staying there is a worthwhile experience.From Hiroshima take the tram out to the ferry to Miyajima Island. If you have a JR pass, it will cover the ferry fare. I'd suggest you do get a JR pass if you haven't done so-save you time and frustration. Try to experience tide variation at Miyajima-arrive on the full tide and the torii seems to float in the water-when tide is low, can walk out to it-supposed to be lucky to touch the barnacles on the uprights. Some lovely walking trails or take the cable car to the summit. Take water with you as there wasn't facility to buy any at the top. Watch the deer round the ferry terminal-they will eat anything, maps, hats-don't put anything down round them!
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How about going to Nikko Yunishigawa or Mashiko in Tochigi pref. Also Kusatsu (Gunmahot springs hotsprings. Also spring has come so Ashikaga Flower Park or Hitachi Seaside Park is a nice place.
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I agree to Christell. Hokkaido is a bit too far & large for 2 nights (Though I recommend Hokkaido if you want to enjoy skiing instead of sight-seeing) and Hiroshima is good for history.
Also, I recommend Kanazawa . It's beautiful old castle town and not so large. You can enjoy the history & gastronomic culture.
I would suggest going for Nara as I believe it totally fits the description of your likes. It is not far from Osaka and is tipped as the cultural cradle of Japan. It has many significant temples dating back to as far as the 8th century, so you get lots of history and culture. Plus, it's kind of off-beat and packs in beautiful gardens for peace and quiet. The deer park is one of its kind with many friendly deers roaming around freely with the humans. The Great Buddha Temple is a must visit too.
I had visited Nara during my trip to Japan and had been guided by my Japanese friends there to all the wonderful places it holds like Yoshikien Garden, Deer Park and Todaiji Great Budddha Temple (my blog links on all). These are some of my favorite places you can consider including in your list.
The answer contains some of the links from my blog but if you have any questions on Nara, Kyoto or Tokyo please feel free to ask me here and I will be happy to answer them.
Hope this helps!
Ali
Idris
Juli
