I've been to many places in the main island, and made a few trips to Kyushu and Hokkaido. My favourite is Nara, a small city from where it is very easy to get to all types of places. Osaka is a big city that can be reached in an hour. Kyoto is just 30 minutes away. The beautiful mountains in Yoshiko are an hour away. And the Nara park, with its deer, is a great place to relax.