Nihon-GO! 5 Awesome Places In Japan Other Than Tokyo
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Ok, so maybe Tokyo is the world’s biggest city. And perhaps when you think of Japan, the bright lights and skyline of the Japanese capital are typically the first things that come to mind. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an amazing city and one definitely not to be missed, but there’s much MUCH more to Japan than just Tokyo.
Tottori
Yes, it may be one of the smallest prefectures in Japan, and I might be a little biased since I lived there for 3 years, but Tottori is truly a special little place.
Visit Mt. Daisen, the “Fuji of the West,” where you can snowboard in the winter, hike for a large portion of the year, or visit one of Japan’s largest flower parks–The Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park.
View of Mt. Daisen from the flower park
There’s nothing more authentic than visiting a school festival in the Japanese countryside and what better place to do it than…in the Japanese countryside!
School festival in Nanbu Town, Japan
While on the topic of festivals, no trip to Tottori would be complete without viewing the Gaina Matsuri. A lantern festival down the streets of Yonago, Tottori, which is capped off by a seemingly endless fireworks display.
Gaina Matsuri
Shimane
Though technically not in Shimane Prefecture, the Naked Man Festival in Okayama city is just a stone’s throw away and worth the short trip. Kick back and relax while watching guys aggressively compete for good luck charms on one of the coldest nights of the year. And as the name suggests, they are all practically naked.
Naked Man Festival
While castles can be found throughout the country, very few remain in their original wooden form. Take a walk through Matsue Castle, also nicknamed “The Black Castle,” admire the medieval interior, and then enjoy the views of the city from the top.
Matsue Castle interior
DIY Japanese mochi shop right outside of Matsue Castle
Kyoto
Sakura, the cherry blossoms of the Japanese spring, are one of nature’s most beautiful gifts. They are on display pretty much everywhere once the season hits, but Kyoto offers the opportunity to view the natural beauty of these blossoms, while also seeking to steal a glimpse of the natural beauty of a Geisha.
Sakura
No visit to Kyoto would be complete without a trip to Kinkaku-Ji, The Golden Pavilion. Simply being in the presence of this beautiful temple is enough to evoke feelings of extreme royalty.
The Golden Pavilion
Hiroshima
Although the floating Torii of nearby Miyajima Island is the biggest attraction, before paying it a visit, it is a very humbling experience to walk through the centrally located Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The sole surviving structures of the blast stand hauntingly as hollow shells of their original form.
A-bomb Peace Memorial Park
Okinawa
Fun, sun, and sand. Okinawa is home to some of the world’s oldest people so they definitely must be doing something right. There’s an island vibe and culture that make this tiny dot in the Pacific unlike anywhere else in mainland Japan.
Okinawan beach
23 Comments
I would love to visit Sakura one day! I love cherry blossoms.
Southern Soul
They definitely make spring my favorite season in Japan!
The Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park looks amazing. That would be the perfect place to visit in the spring.
Yup, that’s the best time to visit 🙂
You forgot on, Sapporo Japan is very nice, it’s in the Northern part of Japan. A lot different then Tokyo. But nice post. 🙂
I didn’t forget, but I can only speak from experiences of places I’ve been to and, sadly, Sapporo is one of the few locations in Japan I never had the pleasure of visiting.
Japan has always been on my list and so often you hear about Tokyo. Thanks for introducing some other fantastic places to visit with your beautiful photos.
From north to south, the entire island is so varied that just about any location would make for a great destination 🙂
Amazing!! I like the Sakura its so Beautiful…
It’s even better in person!
Japan looks like such an interesting place to be! I loved everything on this list, well…with the exception of the Naked Man festival, that I can go without ever seeing lol
Haha, I’ll admit I’m still a bit scarred from it myself lol 🙂
great photos! I must say, you have done a wonderful job in capturing the best parts of Japan, other than Tokyo. Makes me want to go check it all out.
Thank you 🙂
I am glad you have presented other places than the very well-known and famous Tokyo! These places look very nice and worth to visit!
They are definitely worth a visit and in some places you can still get a taste of how old Japan must have been centuries ago!
Oh gosh!! wait for me Japan!! I will be coming. I love the first photo, it look so surreal! Did you take that photo? really beautiful! I am also curious about the naked men festival.. ahahahaha!
Yes, I took that first photo while just driving along in Okinawa…amazing place!
OMG Dreaming about visiting Japan so much ! Its on my bucket list ! Great post 🙂
Sandra xoxo
http://www.thetravellingbrunette.com
Take your time and explore when you get there…I LOVE small-town Japan! 🙂
Mt. Daisen looks like it would be an incredible place to go visit!
It really is…Fuji gets all the hype but Daisen looks just as majestic from a distance and is only 30 minutes away from the sea of Japan!
You make me always cannot focus on my work. I should get the ticket for Japan right away! Thanks for the amazing story.?