30 days Japan!

Good morning from Europe!

First I would like to say that I love your plan, 30 days Japan with so many great stops is just awesome! From your itinerary I can see that you have been planning very well, so I hope that I add a little to it.

1.) It can be hard to find a beautiful beach, even though Japan is an island. The best place to catch some waves is Okinawa, unfortunately you can't travel there by Bullet Train (yet). I see that you already plan to visit some of the more famous beaches in Japan, near Kamakura, Shimoda and Nanki Shirahama, the last one in particular is very beautiful. One option you could consider is a visit to Tokushima and Osuna beach. (last in the list). This may add some extra travel time to your plans but Shikoku is well worth a visit!

2.) About a Kanto Pass. I would not recommend buying one. As part of the route to Shimoda beach may not be covered by the Kanto pass and is not far from Atami in any event.

3.) I think that you can pretty much see Toba in a day, the question however is how much travel time you will have. For instance the travel time to Toba from Nagoya is 110 Minutes. You would have most of the day if you plan a return to Nagoya on the same day and take an early train.

4.) In general I would say go to Kagoshima for sure. It is my favorite city in Japan, especially the ocean view is beautiful. You can see Sakura-Jima in the bay of Kagoshima. This is an active volcano that always blows out smoke. Also some beautiful beaches like Ibusuki is a great beach where you can enjoy a sand bath.

Beppu however is a great visit too, it is famous for Onsen, Onsen and more Onsen. The reason to visit Beppu is Onsen. So if you want to enjoy an Onsen, visit Beppu!

Have a great time in Japan!
-Daniel