I'm just beginning to plan a trip to Japan with my wife and daughter. I'm think of spending a few days checking out small Japanese towns like Shirakawa-go and Takayama. I'll be in Kyoto and need to eventually wind up in Tokyo. Would a car rental make sense for this type of touring? I've driven once in Japan, about a decade ago, in the Kagoshima/Miyazaki area. I remember some things being a bit confusing (I had help at the rent-a-car office, where little English was spoken), but overall the experience was enjoyable. I would think modern GPS would now make the driving significantly easier for Westerners in Japan.
The alternatives would be to go by train (but it seems like the trains are a pretty bad deal cost-wise these days) or bus. What do you guys think? Thanks.