Spring 春
March – May
Sakura fronts move north for six weeks. The trick is chasing the bloom away from the crowds — post-town lanes, castle moats and river valleys instead of Kyoto at peak.
Sakura
Rural villages
Temples & history
Photography
Japan only · 紀行 · in-depth experiences over just highlights
Three months of planning, done in one afternoon.
Kikō is an AI trip planning agent for Japan. It picks experiences and places worth your time — not the famous ones — then routes them into realistic days with transportation via trains, buses, ferries or rental-car, and accommodation (hotels, ryokan or onsen stays) that actually fit your party.
47
prefectures, plus every city, town and village in English and Japanese
22
rural areas from a veteran planner's doctrine, enforced not suggested
13
self-check points before you read it
Planned for the season you travel in
The same route is a different trip in April and in January. Kikō shifts experiences, places, pacing, opening hours and stays to the month you fly — and mirror your needs to your in-depth travel.
Summer 夏
June – August
Hot and humid inland, glorious on the coast and in the highlands. Plan around festival /matsuri evenings, romantic fireworks, island ferries and early-morning hikes.
Islands & coast
Festivals
Hiking & nature
Food
Autumn 秋
September – November
The most forgiving weather of the year, with stunning autumn leaves, mountain temples, gorge railways and harvest festival.
Autumn colours
Hiking & nature
Onsen
Crafts & workshops
Winter 冬
December – February
Snow country at its best: steaming onsen villages, powdery snow ski resorts, silent cedar forests, crab and sake season, and empty city mornings.
Snow
Onsen
Food
Off-the-beaten-path
This is what a day looks like
Not a bullet list of city names. Every entry carries travel time and mode from the previous stop, the name and address in English and Japanese, a Mapcode for your rental car, opening hours, a food pick inside a real meal window, and a plan for when it rains.
- —Max 2 major and 3 minor stops a day, scored 1–10 so you see why each won
- —Walking caps and transfer limits enforced in code, not just suggested
- —2–3 stays per base with room fit, onsen, parking, laundry and accessibility facts
- —A hidden café, viewpoint, shrine or secret onsen woven through every week
Sample from a 14-day winter plan
Day 4 · Ginzan Onsen, Yamagata 尾花沢市
Morning
Yamadera 山寺 stone stairs
1,015 steps through cedar; arrive 07:30 to beat coaches. 9/10 seasonal value.
Transit
Yamadera → Ōishida → Ginzan
JR Senzan + Ōu line 62 min, 1 change, then 38 min bus. Forward luggage from Sendai.
Afternoon
Ginzan gaslit riverfront
Free footbath, Shirogane falls loop 1.4 km. Rain plan: Nogawa Soba noodle-making.
Stay
Notoya Ryokan 能登屋旅館
Family room 4, kashikiri onsen, tatami-safe for parents, ¥¥¥, 2 min walk from the bus stop.
Self-check: 4.1 km walking · 1 train change · meals inside windows · no repeat prefecture.
How it works
01
Tell us your trip
Dates, party, budget band, pace, themes and the accommodation must-haves you never compromise on.
02
The agent plans
It builds the route arc, then writes each day against a strict rulebook: walking caps, transfer limits, meal windows, crowd and weather logic.
03
Read 3 days free
Days 1–3 arrive in full detail. Unlock the rest at US 1 dollar per travel day (including the initial 3 days) when you like what you read.
04
Vet in minutes
Every day shows its self-check. Lock what you love, rebuild a single day with a note like “less walking” or "no amusement park" etc.
Niches it plans well
OnsenRural villagesFoodHiking & natureTemples & historyCrafts & workshopsSnowSakuraAutumn coloursOff-the-beaten-pathCity cultureAnime & pop culturePhotographyFestivalsIslands & coastShopping