Japan Off The Beaten Path

  An small island at the Port of Nagasaki
by KevinMichael
 
  • An small island at the Port of Nagasaki
      An small island at the Port of Nagasaki
    by KevinMichael
  •   Ohara Area
    by shrimp56
  •   Ohara Area
    by shrimp56
  •   Ohara Area
    by shrimp56
  •   Ohara Area
    by shrimp56
 

Most Viewed Off The Beaten Path in Japan

126.

Day Trip out of Tokyo   Tokyo

Day Trip out of Tokyo, Tokyo

 44 Reviews  ....Every year in late April/Early May, the 1300-year-old Shiofune Kannon Temple's grounds come afire with brilliant azaleas blooming on a stadium-like landscape that is focused on a huge standing... 

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127.

Ohara Area   Kyoto

Ohara Area, Kyoto

 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

128.

temples & shrines   Osaka

temples & shrines, Osaka

 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.... 

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129.

Shrines and Temples   Tokyo

Shrines and Temples, Tokyo

 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... 

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130.

Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple   Kyoto

Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple, Kyoto

 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... 

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131.

Sightseeing outside Osaka   Osaka

Sightseeing outside Osaka, Osaka

 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... 

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132.

Experience   Tokyo

Experience, Tokyo

 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

133.

Otsu City   Kyoto

Otsu City, Kyoto

 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

134.

shopping   Osaka

shopping, Osaka

 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

135.

Local People and Lives   Tokyo

Local People and Lives, Tokyo

 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... 

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136.

Fushimi Inari Shrine   Kyoto

Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto

 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

137.

culture & history   Osaka

culture & history, Osaka

 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... 

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138.

Shinjuku   Tokyo

Shinjuku, Tokyo

 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

139.

Arashiyama   Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto

 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... 

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140.

Kansai international airport   Osaka

Kansai international airport, Osaka

 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... 

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141.

Tsukiji Market   Tokyo

Tsukiji Market, Tokyo

 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... 

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142.

Hozu River   Kyoto

Hozu River, Kyoto

 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

143.

Ikebukuro   Tokyo

Ikebukuro, Tokyo

 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... 

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144.

Nanzenji Temple   Kyoto

Nanzenji Temple, Kyoto

 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... 

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145.

Theatres and Museums   Tokyo

Theatres and Museums, Tokyo

 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... 

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146.

General   Kyoto

General, Kyoto

 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... 

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147.

Parks, Yards, Gardens and Squares   Tokyo

Parks, Yards, Gardens and Squares, Tokyo

 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... 

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148.

Hyogo Prefecture   Kyoto

Hyogo Prefecture, Kyoto

 3 Reviews  Many say that one will not need to visit any other castle after seeing the most beautiful castle of Japan, the Himeji Castle. Although a bit far from Kyoto than other nearby places, this castle is... 

 See All 110 Off The Beaten Path in Kyoto

149.

Odaiba & Ariake   Tokyo

Odaiba & Ariake, Tokyo

 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

150.

Yoshino City   Kyoto

Yoshino City, Kyoto

 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

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Onsen - hot spring baths

by Maline

In Izu hantó and other parts of Japan, like the Hakone area, you can visit the natural hot springs, the onsen. If you travel on a tight budget my advice is to stay at a cheaper hostel or hotel and only visit the onsen resorts for the actual bathing. Staying at an onsen hotel is of course bound to be luxurious, and I wish we could have tried it, but since it is also quite expensive, we decided to stay and eat other places and only come to the onsen for a soak. Many of the onsen establishments have these kinds of bath-only admission for aournd 1000 yen and up (about 6 euros).I am sure you know how to go about a bath in Japan? Otherwise I'll just make a tip about it in the local customs section here.Good luck,ps it can be very hot! Careful!In the picture is the outdoor pool of the Kanaya onsen in Rendai-ji, one stop north of Shimoda on the railway. The Kanaya onsen is quite famous and was...

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Sendai - a most friendly city

by Maline

Sendai lies on the east coast of Honshu island, north of Tokyo. The town was destroyed during WWII and has been built up since. We spent three days here and came to really love this town. It felt really clean and somehow wider than Tokyo, where one can feel crammed sometimes. Here there were big avenues and some space to breathe, as well as some small cute alleys with miniature restaurants. The town served as the base for visiting famous Matsushima( see other tip), a short train-ride to the north, but is well worth a visit in itself. The covered shopping arcades in the town center offer endless shopping possibilities, the adjacent restaurant alleys promise culinary discoveries, we had some great food here, and the whole town itself was a very friendly place. Only one thing was a problem, most maps were not really accurate, so it took us some time befor we foiund our way around.Sendai is...

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Takayama - The high mountain town

by Maline

The town of Takayama is a bit "off the beaten path" even though it gets its fair share of visitors, esp during the twice-annually festivals in spring and autumn.Takayama (Taka=high, Yama=mountain) is located on the Japanese island of Honshu (often referred to as the main island, since most of the important cities are located here) in the highland mountainous area west of Tokyo in Hida district.Travelling there by train you will have splendid views over tha mountains and mountain streams. Have your camera ready! The train that runs there is called Wide View Hida, and is driven by diesel, not electricity.In Takayama town you can visit the remaining old quarters, have a bite at the many great restaurants, shop for Saru Bobos (a kind of faceless red doll) or maybe visit the Festival Floats exhibition.The town's two annual festivals are known all over Japan and visitors crowd during these...

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Onjuku- very much off the beaten track!

by Maline

Onjuku is the name of a small community on the east coast of the Chiba peninsula east of Tokyo. We were fortunate enough to be able to visit here. The town has great beaches and is popular with surfers. There is also a big community of elderly people who have moved here since retiring, much like Florida in the US I imagine. For info on traveling to this area I recommend you go to one of the Tourist offices in Japan since this usually isn't listed in most guide books.

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Hida folk village 2

by Maline

The Gasshó-zukuri style houses are named after what they look like, namely two hands joined in prayer.These houses used to have a great number of inhabitants.On the top floors of the buildings (they are often 4-storied) there was silk-worm farming and factoring. The Hida folk village is located some 40 minutes by bike outside Takayama town and takes some two hours or so to visit. I very much recommend this, it was both beautiful and interesting! In one of the 12 or so gathered farmhouses in the village you can sit down for a cup of the by the always burnig hearth. Don't miss it!!

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Hida folk village

by Maline

In the Hida folk village you can see the Gasshó-zukuri style farmhouses of the Hida area. They have been brought to this village from all around the mountainous surroundings. One of the buildings here survived a great earthquake thanks to its flexible construction.The village shows the houses and also some of the traditional craft of the Hida area. There are also everyday items on dislay, such as shoes and kitchen utensils.In the picture is one of the employees of the village showing traditional skills.

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Shimoda - and the marine center

by Maline

In Shimoda town we found this aquatic center where you could have a great meal and a great view at the same time. We happened to come during the dolphin show, which we have an excellent view of just from the restaurant. Make sure to take the walkway around the cliffs as well, it runs westward from the marine center. There are some wonderful views there.Check a Shimoda map for details on the whereabouts of the marine center.Behind the center we happened upon these lovely old ladies who despite their age (70 or over) still dived for clams and other seafood around the cliffs. They showed us the days catch and agreed to this photo. So nice :-)

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Eikando Temple in Kyoto

by Paul2001

For me a highlight along the Philosopher Walk was a stop at Eikando Temple. Not one of the more famous of many temples in Kyoto is still worth visiting for its lovingly landscaped grounds. The temple is surrounded by maple trees. Naturally this cuts quite a picture in the autumn when the leaves turn colour but alas I visited in June. The temple is also known as Zenrinji Temple. It was founded in 856. It was named Eikan after a head priest in the 12th century. The interior of the temple seems to be forgotten in all the take about the wonderous fall colours around the temple grounds, but I found the alter and Buddhist carvings quite interesting. Also of interest were the fine screens pictured here. They were some of the best that I saw in Japan.The temple is open from 9am to 4pm daily and the admission price is 600 yen.

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Authentic Mountain Hot Springs at Nyuto Onsen

by naruto

One thing anyone should do when they visit Japan is to indulge at a hot springs resort.A place I highly recommend is Nyuto Onsen in Akita-ken. It is home to many rustic hot springs and the best, I personally feel, is TSURUNOYU.Tsurunoyu does not get more authentic and rustic. It is a very popular hot springs destination to the locals who treats bathing as a religion, but practically unknown to foreign tourists. This little gem of a hot springs inn in the Nyuto Onsen area of Tazawako is the ultimate get-away-from-it-all. It gets so popular during the autumn and spring seasons, that it has been known to accept reservations months in advance.I went there during winter and it was HEAVEN!Prices varies depending on what kind of room/service (1000yen=US$8):8000yen - Basic room(w/o toilet/bath) Meals at communal hall9000yen - Basic room(w/o toilet/bath) Meals are self-cooked in rooms10000yen -...

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Miyajima - the torii in the water

by Maline

You'll know it when you see it. The bright red torii (shinto gate) in the water. It is the entrance to Itsukushima shrine at Miyajima island in the Seto nai kai (Seto inland sea) just outside Hiroshima. It is on my intro page on Japan.Miyajima and Itsukushima shrine are also of the "Top three beautiful sights of Japan". The place really is beautiful.From Hiroshima take the train to Matsushima Kaigan, and from there a ferryboat that takes about 10 minutes to the island itself. We rented bikes on the island which proved a great way of getting around (even though some roads are pretty steep).The Istukushima shrine set halfway out into the sea is a must see as well as other temple and shrine buildings. There is also a local history museum which I can really recommend - if you can find it, it took forever.

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Off The Beaten Path: Cities in Japan
  1. Tokyo Off The Beaten Path
  2. Kyoto Off The Beaten Path
  3. Osaka Off The Beaten Path
  4. Nagoya Off The Beaten Path
  5. Kobe Off The Beaten Path
  6. Sapporo Off The Beaten Path
  7. Hiroshima Off The Beaten Path
  8. Sasebo Off The Beaten Path
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  23. Fuji-Hakone-Izu-kokuritsu-koen Off The Beaten Path
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  25. Okayama Off The Beaten Path
  26. Kamakura Off The Beaten Path
  27. Himeji Off The Beaten Path
  28. Miyajima Off The Beaten Path
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  30. Kanazawa Off The Beaten Path
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  32. Kawasaki Off The Beaten Path
  33. Otaru Off The Beaten Path
  34. Hakodate Off The Beaten Path
  35. Kitakyushu Off The Beaten Path
  36. Sendai Off The Beaten Path
  37. Iwakuni Off The Beaten Path
  38. Misawa Off The Beaten Path
  39. Shizuoka Off The Beaten Path
  40. Okinawa City Off The Beaten Path
  41. Harajuku Off The Beaten Path
  42. Chiba Off The Beaten Path
  43. Yokohama Off The Beaten Path
  44. Koyasan Off The Beaten Path
  45. Toyama Off The Beaten Path
  46. Ise Off The Beaten Path
  47. Komaki Off The Beaten Path
  48. Utsunomiya Off The Beaten Path
  49. Matsuyama Off The Beaten Path

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Questions and Answers

Jarahako profile photo

Q:  Hello, I'm going to Japan next week and wanted to get some suggestions on hotels in Tokyo. I would like to stay somewhere close... 

SfumatoPants profile photo

A: Take a look at my Tokyo page for some answers to your questions: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/d6834/ Shinbashi is convenient to Yokohama as well. You don't... 

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