JNelson113

Hi everyone,
Here in Japan right now for my first visit. Husband and 7 year old are with me. We are in Kyoto right now and are supposed to fly to Okinawa on Thursday for four nights then fly back to the US. The forecast is terrible: thunderstorms and rain. I'm now realizing that I'm visiting during the rainy season. DUH! Wondering, should I switch to Hokkaido? I haven't bought any air tickets yet and I should be able to cancel my hotel. We were looking forward to some beach time but if we're going to be rained out it may make more sense to go somewhere else. We're open on activities. Thanks!

abmj-jr

The weather in Sapporo and Hakodate this week looks pretty good. There will likely be some rain a couple of days but daytime temperatures look decent.

I would jump on this change but take that with a grain of salt. Hokkaido is one of my favorite parts of Japan. If you can find accommodations in Sapporo or Hakodate - or both - I'd say go for it.

CaliforniaSteve

My only experience on either island was in Hakodate as part of a cruise from Singapore to Seattle back in 2010. I can heartily recommend the seafood there. I'd assume flights are similar prices, so I'd go for Hokkaido.

JNelson113

Thank you!

We're also now looking at Miyazaki. Sounds like it was "the Hawaii of Japan" before Hawaii flights became more reasonable. Weather looks good. There is a Sheraton resort there that appears to give good platinum treatment. I like the looks of the Takachiho gorge two hours away as a day trip. Will consider. Thanks for your help and advice!

jib71

Myt feeling is "Don't bother with Miyazaki."
Japan isn't the best bang for your buck for a beach holiday IMHO.

RichardInSF

I'd vote for Hokkaido too, particularly if you are willing to rent a car -- the trains don't cover as much of Hokkaido as they do in Honshu.

I am not as huge a seafood fan as most of the other folks on this forum and even I found the seafood both amazing and noticeably cheaper than elsewhere in Japan.

abmj-jr

My friend Richard and I disagree on few things but one is the need to rent a car when visiting Hokkaido. I enjoyed visiting every place on my lists, using trains and the occasional local bus. A car would have just gotten in my way. Admittedly, I am pretty experienced and skilled at using the rail/bus system and it might be a little harder for a first-timer but you can enjoy a few days on Hokkaido without a car.

The point about the seafood is well taken. When visiting Hakodate, the morning market near the dock and close to the main JR station is almost a must-see, even if you don't fancy a fresh seafood breakfast. Just walking around and looking is a wonderful cultural experience and a source of tons of interesting vacation photos. Get there early - 6-7 am would be good.

JNelson113

You all are amazing. Thank you so much. Hokkaido is definitely on the agenda, if not for this trip then another.

evergrn

If the forecast is terrible and the trip is cancel-able, then canceling it is a no-brainer.

I've never been to Miyazaki, but I've always wanted to go to Seagaia resort there and I know there are some really scenic spots. I have a feeling Seagaia might be a place that would appeal more to Japanese people rather than to Westerners, though. I have to think that Hokkaido is the safer choice.

Hokkaido is really amazing. I do have to agree with Richard that driving is the way to go in Hokkaido. I'm reluctant to drive in Jpn, but the first time I went to Hokkaido as an adult, I realized how painful it is to tour around just on buses and rails. If you're just going to stick to the Hakodate-Onuma-Noboribetsu-CTS-Sapporo-Otaru corridor, though, you can definitely get by without a car.

If you're an SPG person, you have resort hotel options in Kiroro and Rusutsu. However, I don't rate Kiroro highly as a summer destination yet, and there'd be nothing to do in Rusutsu until the adjoining amusement/water park opens for the summer.

JNelson113

We will definitely hit Hokkaido on another trip, probably during more of a late June-August time frame. Once my family saw pictures of the Miyazaki area (especially the gorge where you can canoe through) that was it.

Thanks again!

abmj-jr

If it would work, late-October to early-November is also a great time to visit Hokkaido. The fall color is very nice up in the national parks.

kaka

Go to hokkaido.
seagaia is a good old joke.

Taipei

How was Miyazaki?? I have been to Hokkaido over 10 times (work and holiday) fist time train is good, after a few trips a car is good except in winter time !

kaka

Takachiho Gorge is nice and relaxing. and they have good beef there too!

evergrn

Going back to this original question of Okinawa vs Hokkaido (although this is a more general comment and not meant to help OP since she is already done with the trip), I will comment now that I've been to Okinawa.

From what I hear, you can only really swim in the ocean from April-Oct, with June-Sept being the most optimal time. For me personally, Okinawa is all about the beach and the marine sport. So I will compare Okinawa vs Hokkaido in terms of summer vacation.

Okinawa:
- Lots of storms during the summer, so you really have to have luck on your side. The week we were there, perfect weather. But typhoon the week before and after our stay. I think the typhoon would've ruined our vacation.
- Food not so great. Okinawan food is weird and not very refined to me. While there's plenty of regular Japanese food/restaurants, the standard is low compared to Tokyo or Hokkaido.
- While it's nice that people there are more casual (flip-flops and shorts are standard), people are not as friendly or professional there, as compared to rest of Jpn. This comment doesn't necessarily apply to the locals. It more has to do with the many younger transplants (20's~40's) from other parts of Jpn working the stores and restaurants.
- You need a car.
- Amazing corals and amounts of tropical fish, better than Hawaii (although I've only been to Oahu). As long as you do the research and select the right beaches to go to, the beaches are really nice, well-maintained, well-equipped (parasols you can rent, showers, faucet to wash your feet), very nice sand and clear water.
- Really not much onsen.
- Lots of Asian tourists, plus tons of American (presumably military) folks thrown in. Hilton Chatan was 1/3 Americans, mostly with tattoos. In some places, you feel like you're in America (which is not a bad thing, of course).
- Other than the beach and marine sports and Kokusai-dori, not much else to see. The cave at Okinawa World was really great (everything else at Okinawa World sucked) and American Village was cool, but once is enough for each.

Hokkaido:
- Although it surprisingly rains more often than you'd think in summer time (even though it's not supposed to have tsuyu), I've never experienced storms or downpour up there in all our summer visits. And even if it rains a little bit, you can still do whitewater rafting, onsen, malls, etc.
- Amazing food, although I have to say you see a lot of the same stuff recurringly and therefore Tokyo is ultimately the food capital imo. Still Hokkaido's got some amazing food, including certain things that are hard to find in Tokyo. Easy to find great desserts.
- You need a car.
- People just as friendly and polite as the rest of Jpn, except for some rough-edged men in the seafood market.
- Outdoor activities would be rafting, fishing, hiking. Mostly river and mountain oriented.
- Great onsens everywhere.
- Lots of tourists, primarily from Asia. Some, but not many, Western tourists.
- Lots of things to do asides from onsen and nature.

In summary, Hokkaido > Okinawa, except Okinawa has two huge things going for it which are the beaches and the marine sports.