off the beaten path

Otaru, Hokkaido | Wall Street of the North

Otaru makes for a great day trip from Sapporo, or a nice stop along the way for those traveling to…

5 years ago

Furano and Biei, Hokkaido | Beautiful rural scenery

Furano and Biei are located next to each other and are usually visited in one trip. Most people discover the…

5 years ago

Hakodate, Hokkaido | An important port town connecting Japan and other countries

Hakodate is well-loved by domestic tourists but often overlooked by foreign tourists which makes it a hidden gem. If you…

5 years ago

Shiretoko and Abashiri, Hokkaido | Nature that can only be experienced in the farthest reaches of the earth

Shiretoko in Hokkaido is a real nature paradise. You can enjoy hiking, fishing, hunting, an ice breaker boat, and a…

5 years ago

Kushiro, Tsurui, Tokachi | Hokkaido’s beautiful wilderness

Kushiro is the largest city on the sparsely-populated eastern side of Hokkaido. The area is a treasure trove for those…

5 years ago

Akan Mashu National Park, Hokkaido | Beautiful wilderness formed by volcanic activity

The Akan Mashu area was formed by volcanic activity around 6000 years ago. Akan Mashu National Park is especially known…

5 years ago

Lake Tazawa, Kakunodate, Nyuto Onsen, Akita | Some of the best hot springs in Japan

Akita is not on the top of the list for destinations within Japan for the average foreign tourist, which is…

5 years ago

Yamadera: a Hidden Gem in the Mountains

Yamadera is a temple in a mountainous region of Yamagata. It was founded over a thousand years ago, and now…

5 years ago

Yamagata City, Yamagata | A city surrounded by beautiful and magnificent nature

Yamagata City is a centrally located town within a short distance of famous sightseeing areas like Mt. Zao with its…

5 years ago

Matsushima and Naruko Onsen, Miyagi | Beautiful scenery created by Mother Nature

Matsushima near Sendai on the northern Pacific coast, is considered one of the three most scenic spots in Japan while…

5 years ago

Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima | Kingdom of Agriculture

Aizu-Wakamatsu in Fukushima is especially known for its delicious sake and long history of samurai culture.

5 years ago

Ouchijuku, Fukushima | Time travel to the Edo period!

If you are interested in Japan's history and want to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Edo Period, you…

5 years ago

Hirosaki City, Aomori | A town that lives together with beautiful nature in every season

Hirosaki is known as a cherry blossom city, and you can enjoy beautiful sakura around Hirosaki Castle between late April…

5 years ago

Oirase and Lake Towada, Aomori | Japan’s beautiful wilderness

Along with Lake Towada, the Oirase river has been designated as a special scenic spot and a natural monument of…

5 years ago

Iwakuni, Yamaguchi | The one and only beautiful bridge

Near Miyajima and Hiroshima, there is another town that many foreign tourists don't know of but is worth a detour.…

5 years ago

Yakushima, Kagoshima | The most beautiful and powerful wilderness

Yakushima is a subtropical island off the southwestern coast of Kyushu. It is covered by an extensive cedar forest that…

5 years ago

Tanegashima, Kagoshima | Beautiful nature and Japan’s largest rocket launch site

Tanegashima is an island that is part of Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu. The headquarter of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency…

5 years ago

Kitakyushu, Fukuoka | Abundant gourmet food and beautiful scenery

Kitakyushu City is a non-touristy, industrial city in the north of Kyushu. There is still something to see though; Kokura…

5 years ago

Takachiho, Miyazaki | Beautiful land also called the home of myths

In the deep forests of Kyushu, there's a village named Takachiho, which is where you can find the famously beautiful…

5 years ago

Shimabara, Nagasaki | Beautiful nature and rich tourism resources

Although Shimabara has been plagued by (man-made) disasters in its history, it is a nice town to visit when you…

5 years ago