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Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/13 21:07
Hi All,

As I'm currently bored out of my mind (I'm teaching on the Mongolian Steppes in Kazakhstan - long story....) I've been putting together my next Japan holiday.

And this raises a question - what is your favorite hidden gen town in Japan?

For me - it's Hagi in Yamaguchi prefecture and Fukuroka in Ibaraki prefecture.

What are your favourite gems??? It might inspire other people to visit them as well...

http://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-1422

http://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-1223
by mfedley  

Re: Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/14 12:00
Kitsuki and the Kunisaki Peninsula:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4725.html
by Uji rate this post as useful

Re: Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/14 12:06
I'm not sure I would call it a "hidden gem", but I loooooooove Kusatsu onsen in Gunma. It's off the beaten track simply because its a bit difficult to get to via public transportation, but every time I visit I love it even more. Too bad Mt. Shirane is closed right now due to volcanic activity.

Also in Gunma, Mt. Haruna's Haruna Shrine. That, I would call a hidden gem! It's quite the walk and then steps, but it looks like it was built into the mountain, or maybe the mountain carved out around it, but either way, it's a really beautiful place in any season!
by scarreddragon rate this post as useful

Re: Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/14 12:14
Still working on the list - Togura (near Nagano) when I'll have an extra day to enjoy in April. Kagoshima was surprisingly interesting (only had three days, might go back for another week if I can arrange it).

Anywhere small?
by JapanCustomTours rate this post as useful

Re: Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/14 12:22
Good to hear about Kusatsu Onsen. I'll be staying there for 2 night in June - followed by Manza Onsen. I've also got plans to visit Kitsuki on Kyushu on another trip to Japan.

My hope was to visit every prefecture in Japan that I've not already visited (basically Shikoku, Shikoku and Okinawa) over 5 weeks in summer. However - I don't think I can do this justice in that time and do I really want to spend July in these places???
by mfedley rate this post as useful

Re: Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/14 13:54
Well if it's hot, Okinawa is ideal... just jump in the water!

I dunno, I'd totally do it, heat be damned. There's really no way to escape it anyway!
by scarreddragon rate this post as useful

Re: Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/14 19:26
Hotel Zuiho Akiu Onsen outside Sendai...the ryokan section is something else...but you pay for it
by AusTF rate this post as useful

Re: Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/14 19:46
Hotel Zuiho Akiu Onsen outside Sendai

Technically, it's inside. ;)
by Firas rate this post as useful

Re: Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/14 22:37
There are many. I'd probably never produce the same list twice.

Takahashi is on this guide and is one of my favorite places. Along with Bitchu Matsuyama Castle, though, the Fukiya area is a really beautiful and unique historic area.

I really like Maniwa. It's dynamic, with the historic district, waterfall, amazing onsen, delicious food, and cycling and although it's actually popular among Japanese in the area, it's completely left out of foreign guidebooks.

Tsuyama will always be dear to me. A nice historic town with a nice castle and truly one of the best cherry blossom spots in the country.

Also in the Mimasaka area, Nagi's MOCA is top-knotch modern art.

Wake is another really nice place to visit, especially when the wisteria is in bloom.

The Koto Sanzan temples in Shiga are great, especially in the autumn.

Obama is a great historic town, particularly for those who like using the rentacycles.

Kumagawa is a nice historic district, also in Fukui.

Tsuruga was a great daytrip that was good for rentacycling.

Kyotanabe's Ikkyuji Temple and Kannonji Temple are great and easy to reach for the typical Osaka/Kyoto visitor. Kizugawa's Stone Buddha walk is also unique and fun.

I also like Mino in Gifu Prefecture. The town is nice, and I also went to a festival there that I really enjoyed.

Although World Heritage Sites are hardly "hidden", Ainokura Village was a much nicer experience for me than Ogimachi. Ainokura has the nice lookout and a few of the buildings you can enter but without the hords of tourists and tour buses.

I liked Aki in Kochi Prefecture. Ryugado Cave is also a great place.

In Yamaguchi Prefecture, I loved Yanai and Hofu.

Izushi near Kinosaki Onsen is a nice castle town.

I have a lot of interests, but the above do seem to show a pattern of castles, historic districts, and cycling.
by Rabbityama rate this post as useful

Re: Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/15 02:48
Thanks for all of the info guys. It's giving me and hopefully many other people some good ideas.

I also second Takahashi as being a fantastic place to visit.

I'm specifically interested in places in Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa for future reference...
by mfedley rate this post as useful

Re: Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/15 03:07
If you want to splurge on a ryokan in Shikoku, check out Iya Onsen http://www.iyaonsen.co.jp/english/
It's off the beaten path, the public onsen is down at the bottom of the valley and only accessible by cable car, the food was delicious. We were there several years ago and had a rental car. I see on their much improved website that they now also offer a shuttle bus once a day for those who have a reservation. The shuttle bus picks up at Oboke Station, the ride takes about 20 min.
by Dutch Ann rate this post as useful

Re: Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/15 05:24
Takaragawa Onsen in Minakami if you want a true Onsen experiences near a river with a natural nature suroundings.
I had a booking here for June, but have instead change to a day visit, decided to go to Kusatsu for a overnight stay, they have one of the best water in Japan, I'm a return visitor to Kusatsu, been there in my last trip.
by kms899 rate this post as useful

Re: Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/15 07:19
There are really so many...some maybe not so hidden, but off the beaten trail at any rate.

Akiyoshido in Yamaguchi is stunning.

The Sanriku Coast - wonderful.

Konpirasan in Kotohira: superb day hike
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ley9rVIewoQ

Yakushima - beyond description
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkHsKiyb4tU

Kosanji in Onomichi - a real gem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97Q5EjEOXI8

Gunkanjima in Nagasaki - surreal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOdA3eipM0o

Nanzoin in Fukuoka - gorgeous
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT4VQFmHFyM
by Ken (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/15 12:19
I'll just list old traditional towns which are better than slightly overrated places such as Takayama:

- Gujo Hachiman in Gifu
- Seki-juku in Mie

If we talk about natural scenery spots, the list would be endless.
by AlexanderStankov rate this post as useful

Re: Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/16 00:19
In Shikoku, along with Aki and Ryugado Cave that I mentioned above, some other places that are interesting/unique are Kanonji's Zenigata Sand Coin, Honjima Island, Nanrakuen Garden (in Uwajima).

I'd like to visit Shimanto, the Besshi mines, Wakimachi, Hiketa, the temples of the 88 temple pilgrimage, and many other places, but I cannot actually recommend them, since I haven't visited them.
by Rabbityama rate this post as useful

Re: Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/16 07:59
Interesting question... and some great answers.
Two places I have really enjoyed are:
Out from Shimoda on the Izu Peninsular, we drove out of the township to a small peninsular, and at the end of the road was a small fishing village, very peaceful, don't know its name, but the atlas says Cape Tsumekizaki.

Other place more popular but most enjoyable in summer, in Yamanashi, near Kasagai-cho, enjoyed peaches and grapes at a roadside stall that had flavor like no other fruit I have eaten in any other country.
by LoveJapan (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/16 19:32
Since people have spent a lot of time answering my questions - I should probably answer with some detail as well.

Apart from Hagi and Yamaguchi, I've also enjoyed the following places:

Kushiro Marshland - my fondest memory was being on a bus for 90 minutes and not being able to go into the park due to a bear sighting. Thus - I went back on the bus and came to the marshland from the other direction. Absolutely beautiful around dusk!

Obuse in Nagano: http://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-1573

Inujima - http://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-1410

Ito - it's basically my favourite haunt.... http://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-1388

Shosenkyo Gorge - beautiful in Koyo... http://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-1356

Tono - Iwate prefecture.... It's just the place, not any specific attraction....

Ororezan - an amazing place.... http://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-1102

Furukawa - http://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-972

Geibei-Ki Gorge - http://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-1021

Minami-Izu - only for Kawazusakura! - http://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-947
by mfedley rate this post as useful

Re: Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/16 20:49
It's nice to see some love for Furukawa! It has a lot of charm, and all of the craftsman make the experience more than just appreciating the town's beauty. With the carpenter museum, the candlestick makers, sake breweries, and cloth dyer all packed in there, it's highly underrated. Should have put it on my list, as well! (Also, Inujima, Teshima, and Naoshima. I love the Setouchi art islands)
by Rabbityama rate this post as useful

Re: Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/16 21:33
The Oga Peninsula at New Year, when the Namahage come down from the mountains to scare the children!!
by Winter Visitor (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Hidden Gems - Your Favourite Town/Place 2015/3/16 21:36
I'm guessing that the Namahaga are kind of like Kappu.....
by mfedley rate this post as useful

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