In this week’s episode of the podcast, I join forces with my former guest from Lesson 4, Chiara Terzuolo, and finally talk about one of my passions that I had in mind when I first started the podcast–off-the-beaten-path travel in Japan. Chiara and I have 24 years of experience traveling in Japan between the two of us and are going to move beyond Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima to discuss the places you’ve probably never heard of if you’re only a casual Japan fan—from the delights of staying in a Japanese ryokan to a 1200 km hiking trail with 88 temples, being buried in a hot sand bath on the island of Kyushu, and scuba diving off of so islands so inaccessible that the only way there is to take a 24-hour boat ride (and is still technically part of Tokyo), we cover a lot of ground in Part 1 of our two-part series. For those of you who have ever dreamed of visiting Japan or would love to return to this incredible country to see more, you won’t want to miss this episode!
What We Cover in This Episode:
- The best off-the-beaten-path places to see in Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa
- What it’s like to stay at a Japanese ryokan (inn)
- Japan’s omiyage culture
- What to expect for breakfast on a ski trip to Japan
- Why you need to get a Japan Rail pass before you come to Japan
Meet Chiara
Find Chiara’s Portfolio and Travel Articles here
Buy a copy of “Tokyo Vegan Guide: The Plant-Based Foodie’s Guide to Japan’s Capital” written by Chiara here
Japan – Off-the-Beaten Path
Hokkaido
- Hakodate
- Otaru
- Niseko
- Sapporo
Honshu
- Nagano
- Niigata
- The Naka-sendo Trail
- Sado Island
- Saitama – Chichibu, Nagatoro, Shibazakura
- Yamagata
- Mishima, Fukishima, Japan
- Ogasawara Islands
- Izu-Oshima
- Nii-jima
- Nara Yamanobe no michi trail – Sakurai to Tenri
Shikoku
- 88 Temple Pilgrimage
- Iya Valley
- Kochi – Makino Botanical Center
- Kagawa Udon
- Seto Island Sea – Setouchi Triennale
Kyushu
- Kurokawa Onsen
- Mt. Aso
- Hakata, Fukuoka – Tonkatsu ramen
- Kumamoto
- Amami Oshima
Okinawa
- Ishigaki-jima
- Taketomi-jima
- Miyako-jima
