It's the question I get asked most about autumn. Both are wonderfully quiet, both are best by rental car, and both have ryokans you'll remember for years. But they're very different trips.
Side by side, mid–late October
| Tohoku + Niigata | Shikoku | |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn colours | ✅✅ at their peak | 🟡 early: peak in November |
| Onsen & ryokans | ✅✅ Japan's best onsen region | ✅ Dōgo, Iya and a few famous ones |
| Variety | Mountains, gorges, onsen villages | Art islands, rivers, coast, castles, bridges |
| Weather | 10–20 °C, cool | 18–25 °C, mild |
| Tourists | Very few | Very few, except on Naoshima |
| Food | Beef tongue, soba, sake, rice | Udon, seared bonito, citrus, seafood |
| Budget (pp, stays + car) | ≈ €2,150 for 18 days | ≈ €1,950 for 16 days |
Verdict
For October, Tohoku wins on autumn colours and onsen. Shikoku wins if you prefer milder weather, art and the coast, or if you can move the trip to early or mid-November, when Iya, Oboke and Omogo Gorge are at their peak.
The two routes
18 days · road tripTohoku · Niigata
Steam, sake & scarlet maples: 18 autumn days through southern Tohoku and Niigata
Gas-lit Ginzan Onsen, 2,446 cedar-lined steps on Mount Haguro, crater lakes and a pagoda in the forest. Japan's best onsen region, in peak autumn colour.
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16 days · road tripShikoku · Seto Inland Sea
Vine bridges, art islands & the last clear river: a slow loop around Shikoku
Sleep inside a museum on Naoshima, cross vine bridges in the Iya Valley, eat straw-seared bonito in Kochi and finish by driving the Shimanami Kaidō island bridges.
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Comments
Questions, tips, your own experience?
Done this route, planning it, or found a great ryokan I missed? Leave a comment below. Please keep it friendly and on topic.
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