Most Beautiful Towns to Visit in Japan’s Countryside
If you are coming to Japan, you are likely trying to find places that are off-the-beaten-path. Everyone keeps saying that Japan is so crowded and touristic but after visiting more than 40 countries, I can guarantee you that I have never seen a country with more hidden gems than Japan.
That is because the (many) tourists who visit Japan stick to the main cities of Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka, leaving so much of the country quite empty and unexplored for the locals and more adventurous tourists to enjoy.
Here is a list of places to visit in Japan for a more relaxed and authentic experience than most tourists have.
Kinosaki Onsen
Kinosaki Onsen is one of the best places to see cherry blossoms in Japan
Kinosaki Onsen feels like a movie set when you see everyone walking around in their Yukata
Shibu Onsen
If you are up for another Onsen town in the Japanese countryside, this is a really great place to add to your Japan itinerary!
Many people come really close to Shibu Onsen without actually realizing that it exists. That’s because Shibu Onsen is located very close to the Snow Monkey Park, which has become World-famous for the monkeys that bathe in the thermal waters that exist there. I still haven’t understood why but even though it’s so closely located to that tourist hotspot, Shibu Onsen remains quite the hidden gem.
Shibu Onsen is one of the biggest hidden gems I found in Japan
The cute town of Shibu Onsen is well worth a visit for its picturesque streets and the scenic view of the river running by, but there is something else that is very special about it.
Shibu Onsen is one of many onsen towns in Japan and there are 9 traditional onsen baths to visit around the small town. The thing that’s so special about them is that you need a special key to unlock them. It’s such a unique system and it just gives the whole town an even more magical atmosphere, but learn everything you need to know about it here so that you don’t make the same mistake as me when I visited Shibu Onsen.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE: The Most Unique Onsen Town in Japan
Hida-Furukawa
Located only 15 kms away from the historical city of Takayama, Hida-Furukawa is the perfect place to explore the Japanese countryside without facing the crowds of tourists that famous touristic places already have to deal with.
This small and undiscovered town is a very special place to see traditional japanese festivals like the special festival that makes the whole population turn into foxes or the Hida-Furukawa festival held on the 19th and 20th of April.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE: This Festival in Japan Makes a Whole Town Transform Into Foxes
In Hida-Furukawa, the main thing to see is the Japanese lifestyle in its purest form. You will get to see japanese kids walking home from school with their cute backpacks, elderly japanese people walking their dogs around the town and people hard at work to keep the whole system going like only the Japanese know how to. Basically it’s the perfect place to go to if you want to see how the real japanese life is.
There are no real attractions or much happening at all in Hida-Furukawa on a random day, which allows for simply taking in the picturesque vibe of this place while you walk along the canals that run alongside some of the streets.
Hida-Furukawa is full of canals running alongside its picturesque streets
These canals are full of koi fish and watching them swimming around while walking on these traditional japanese streets is one of the most unforgettable experiences I had in Japan. The locals stop by to watch them too and you can even feed them with special food you can buy for 100 yen from boxes located alongside the canals.
The best thing to do in Hida-Furukawa is to watch and feed the koi fish swimming around the canals
Gero Onsen
Another cute city that is easily accessible from Takayama, Gifu and Nagoya is Gero Onsen. Located in Gifu Prefecture, this city is known for its great thermal waters and mountain views. The picturesque river running by gives the city such a majestic vibe and it’s the perfect place for either a day trip or some days of relaxion on your trip to Japan.
The best thing to do in Gero Onsen is to visit Gero-Onsen Gassho-mura. This open-air museum is one of the biggest hidden gems I ever found in Japan and it should really be on your Japan travel bucket list if you want to see historical Japanese houses without facing the crowds of Shirakawa-go.
This open-air museum in Gero Onsen is one of the biggest hidden gems in Japan
The reason why I recommend this museum in the japanese countryside to anyone interested in Japanese historical buildings is that it’s one of very few places where you can see traditional houses from the Hida region.
These A-shaped houses have become famous due to the village of Shirakawa-go. That is where they originally come from and it’s so worth it to go there and see a whole village full of genuine traditional houses that are still inhabited, but unfortunately the crowds of tourists have invaded Shirakawa-go.
If you are interested in seeing buildings from Shirakawa-go but don’t want to face those crowds, heading to Gero-Onsen Gassho-mura could be the perfect alternative for you. The buildings that make up the open-air museum were moved from Shirakawa-go and arranged to create such a peaceful little arrangement of houses that will take you back hundreds of years of History. The crowds haven’t arrived there yet and surprinsingly enough, most people don’t even know you can see real buildings from Shirakawa-go in any other place than the town itself – so enjoy this hidden gem before everyone else finds out about it.
Gero Onsen Gassho-Mura is the perfect place to see buildings from Shirakawa-go without any crowds
Koyasan
If you are looking for the best day trips from Osaka, Koyasan is the perfect option for you. This small town located in the mountains of Wakayama Prefecture is one of the most special places I found in Japan and it should definitely be on your Japan itinerary if you want to explore a lesser-known side of Japan.
The mountain town of Koyasan started being built in 826 by Kobo Daishi after he wondered around Japan trying to find the perfect place to center his religion of Shingon Buddhism. Over 1200 years, it has developed into one of Japan’s most sacred towns, with more than 100 temples surrounded by a magical atmosphere of typical japanese forrests.
There are more than 100 temples in the sacred mountain town of Koyasan
One of the most popular things to do in Koyasan is to experience a temple stay where you can see the monks’ morning prayers, taste their vegetarian food and experience their peaceful lifestyle.
Those temple stays are not cheap by any means but those who book them swear it’s one of the best bucket list experiences to have in Japan.
Bessho Onsen
Located in Nagano Prefecture, this small onsen town is a secret hidden in plain sight. I visited because I was looking for day trips from Ueda and I didn’t even have much expectations about it, but it turned out to be such a cute town with no tourists at all.
At 1500 years old, Bessho Onsen has the oldest hot spring History in all of Nagano. There are three traditional onsens and a footbath you can visit there, so taking a relaxing spa day out in the japanese countryside could be a great addition to your Japan itinerary.
Bessho Onsen has a very old History and the town is truly picturesque
Besides bathing in Bessho Onsen’s renowned thermal waters, visiting this town to see its beautiful temples is also really worth it. My favorite was Kitamuki Kannon Temple, which is known as the temple that faces North (unlike most temples, that usually face South). It’s beautifully perched on top of a hill overlooking the Japanese countryside and there is such a typical Japanese vibe to it. If you take some time to walk around, you will even find a tree that is supposed to be 1200 years old.
There are beautiful temples to visit in Bessho Onsen
I hope this list inspires you to visit more of Japan outside of the big cities, because that is where the real japanese beauty is! By going to any of these places, you will dodge the crowds and have an unforgettable experience on your trip to Japan.
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