Hit The Road

So you’ve knocked off the big four. Insatiable island-hoppers still have thousands to choose from. Some Let’s Go favorites, from Awaji-shima to Zamami-jima:

1. Awaji-shima. Wedged between Honshû and Shikoku, this oblong isle boasts Earth’s longest suspension bridge.

2. Fukue-jima. Gaze toward Asia from these cliffs off Kyûshû, one of Japan’s western-most points.

3. Ikuchi-jima. Citrus trees dot this Mediterranean-styled isle in the Inland Sea.

4. Iriomote-jima. Find truly untrampled territory on this wildest member of the Yaeyamas.

5. Miyajima. The Shintô torii gate is a don’t-miss at Hiroshima’s photogenic cousin.

6. Nii-jima. Once home to criminal exiles, this speck in the Izu-Shotô chain now attracts Tôkyôites fleeing urban prisons.

7. Odaiba. A man-made mass in Tôkyô Bay, this is where business-as-usual turns to unbridled creativity and pure pleasure.

8. Rishiri-tô. This dot off Hokkaidô’s northernmost tip is marked by a majestic volcano.

9. Sado-ga-shima. Exiled literati have long found inspiration on this isle in the Sea of Japan.

10. Zamami-jima. Claim your slice of paradise at this laid-back locale in the Keramas.

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Japan’s geography spans from the sub-arctic to the sub-tropical, so there are no hard and fast rules about the weather. Hokkaido and the north have cool summers and harsh winters, while Kyushu and Okinawa are warm year-round with limited variation (though they can be plenty hot and humid in summer). The central mountains stay cool in all seasons, with some retaining snow-capped peaks through the hottest months. Honshu’s east coast is temperate, and hot in summer, while the Sea of Japan coast gets heavy precipitation blown over from continental Asia. For more on regional variation, consult our climate chart.