Japan Off The Beaten Path

 6 Reviews  Ohara is a major stomping ground for Japanese 'aki-front' followers; when the nation gets bored of pining for cherry blossoms and instead glues its eyes to NHK for the first news reports of Kyoto's... 

 See All 110 Off The Beaten Path in Kyoto

 16 Reviews  We came accidentally to this small garden with a shrine and a cemetery inside and had a look around: Shinko-in Temple A ceremony had started shortly after we came and we were invited to participate.... 

 See All 64 Off The Beaten Path in Osaka

 23 Reviews  Gotokuji temple, a Soto-sect zen temple in Setagaya-ku, is best known by the legend of Manekineko better known as "lucky cats" or "beckoning cats". It was originally built in 1480 in a part of... 

 See All 223 Off The Beaten Path in Tokyo

 2 Reviews  Otagi Nenbutsu-ji, beautiful buddhist stone sculptures. In Arashiyama, go to Adashino Nenbutsu-ji, where one can walk the bamboo grove. pass this temple, follow the walking path north,till one reaches... 

 See All 110 Off The Beaten Path in Kyoto

 8 Reviews  Just three hours from Osaka by Shinkansen, Imabari is a beautiful city on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea. It is the home to beautiful Imabari Castle, one of the most outstanding examples of medieval... 

 See All 64 Off The Beaten Path in Osaka

 17 Reviews  It is common to see the beautiful Mt Fuji from the window of the Bullet train (direction: Kyoto, Osaka). It is particularly a superb experience to see the snow-covered Mt. Fuji in early Spring... 

 See All 223 Off The Beaten Path in Tokyo

 4 Reviews  Lake Biwa is the largest lake in Japan and among the top largest lakes in the world. It is actually surrounded by a few prefectures, one of which is Shiga. All the usual lake activities can be found... 

 See All 110 Off The Beaten Path in Kyoto

 7 Reviews  This almost went in as a "warning" tip, but I think seeing things like this are essential if you want to get a good sense of a foreign country. On Sundays there is a flea market west of the pedestrian... 

 See All 64 Off The Beaten Path in Osaka

 16 Reviews  Don't speak much or any Japanese and looking to meet some friendly Japanese people who do? Com Inn is a cozy, little English conversation cafe in Ebisu, near the Doutor building. Most of the time it... 

 See All 223 Off The Beaten Path in Tokyo

 5 Reviews  Two train stops south out of Kyoto, a brilliant walk right from Fushimi station takes you to the temple of Fushimi-Inari, and continuing up the hill through 10,000 red torii dedicated by companies to... 

 See All 110 Off The Beaten Path in Kyoto

 3 Reviews  This little gem hides in a sub-urban area of Osaka. Located in the heart of Hattori-Ryoukuchi Park. It contains a collection of 11 old Japanese Farmhouses from all over Japan. Most of them are... 

 See All 64 Off The Beaten Path in Osaka

 10 Reviews  Shinjuku Nichome (literally Shinjuku 2nd District) is a name known to most straight Japanese but visited by very few- it is the "notorious" epicentre of gay life in Japan. In a four block radius,this... 

 See All 223 Off The Beaten Path in Tokyo

 2 Reviews  If you fancy something different to do in Kyoto or simply suffering from temple fatigue and like animals, how about a trip to the Monkey Park at Arashiyama. You enter the park strolling up a steep... 

 See All 110 Off The Beaten Path in Kyoto

 1 Review  Kansai Airport has an observation hall tour you can take thats intresting. Bus ride for the Observation Hall departs every 10-15 minutes from the AEROPLAZA, located in front of Kansai Airport. Bus... 

 See All 64 Off The Beaten Path in Osaka

 6 Reviews  The world's biggest car showroom is just under the railway bridge in front of sunshine city. On five floors you can see all Toyotas cars, including some that only seem to be made for the Japanese... 

 See All 223 Off The Beaten Path in Tokyo

 3 Reviews  Old Cliffie is a bit too old for white-knuckle pastimes such as bungee jumping or whitewater rafting. But he did enjoy the 'Hozugawa Kudari' - trip down the river Hozu - near Kyoto. Take the train (20... 

 See All 110 Off The Beaten Path in Kyoto

 7 Reviews  Though not a fishing trip in the usual sense of the word, you will see more fish here than you ever have before. I struggled to find a way to describe it. I have come across the following passage... 

 See All 223 Off The Beaten Path in Tokyo

 4 Reviews  This is a huge temple complex situated in the eastern part of Kyoto at the foot of the hills, and can be considered off the beaten track as it doesn't seem to get as much visitors as the other more... 

 See All 110 Off The Beaten Path in Kyoto

 8 Reviews  The Yebisu Beer Museum is one of those places you can only find in Tokyo. The admission is free, although the beer isn't. It is in the Yebisu Garden Palace, and is a place that commemorates the... 

 See All 223 Off The Beaten Path in Tokyo

 6 Reviews  Kyoto is not really a very large city, although there are many places to visit! The bus, train, and subway system really makes most of the city very easy to access. What many people consider to be... 

 See All 110 Off The Beaten Path in Kyoto

 4 Reviews  What greeted me next was quite a surprise (even for a liberal thinker such as myself!) & even though I had mentally prepared for it. A sea of women of all ages and a few girls, were changing out of... 

 See All 223 Off The Beaten Path in Tokyo

 3 Reviews  Yoshino is south of Kyoto, located in Nara-ken. It's a famous place of watching cherry blossoms and red leaves. About 2 hours of trains from Kyoto, with a change of train at Kashihara-jingu-mae,... 

 See All 110 Off The Beaten Path in Kyoto

 14 Reviews  The Ueno Zoo is just like most every other metropolitan zoo. The calling card for this one though is its Panda Bears. The panda's are pretty cool to look at, and there are a few other animals which I... 

 See All 223 Off The Beaten Path in Tokyo