Small Towns, Food and Onsens

Hey all,

I'm looking to spend two weeks in Japan with some friends in late march/early April and am interested in getting some opinions. We're looking to fly into a big city that we can use as a base, then jump off and go to small, beautiful villages. We're interested in onsens, nature, foods that are special to specific towns, and good drinks. On my last trip, shakotan was the highlight. Loved the scenery, the seafood, and the general vibe.

Here are some places I've considered:
Sado island
Nato island
Kanazawa & the kaga onsen town
Sakai
Gunma
Shikoku
Kagoshima
Fukuoka
Yatai
Miyajima

I know this is all over the place, but I'm in the nascent stages of planning. We rather go to a few great places and relax rather than rush all over the place. We're open to potentially renting a car and we're all very experienced travelers who don't mind destinations that are a challenge to get to.

So, with all that in mind, do you have any suggestions? I'd say food and beautiful nature are our primary draws.

Thanks much!

Well Shikoku's lovely, but you really need a car to get out into the most beautiful, interesting rural regions of the island, at least if you ask me.

There's good nature all over Japan - most places on your list would work. What do you mean by Sakai? The Sakai in Osaka Prefecture?

Well Shikoku's lovely, but you really need a car to get out into the most beautiful, interesting rural regions of the island, at least if you ask me.

There's good nature all over Japan - most places on your list would work. What do you mean by Sakai? The Sakai in Osaka Prefecture?

Hi Giora,

We're definitely up for renting a car and driving to get to the more rural regions. I have an international drivers license and have experience driving on the left side of the road. Are there specific rural regions of the island you enjoy? Judging from my previous trips to Japan, I think I'd have a great time and eat well just about anywhere. More looking to see what has really resonated with other people who have spent time in Japan.

Yep, Sakai in Osaka Prefecture. I know that's a little inconsistent with my list, but I cook a lot and was interested in the knife making that goes on there.

I know that I wont be of much/any help, as the only place I have visited on your list is Miyajima. But I am already thinking of my next trip to Japan, and your post sounds really interesting and I dont want to miss any reply on it, so that is my main reason for replying.

I really loved Miyajima, especially after the many day visitors left, and before they got there - a totally different experience, so much more relaxed and quiet. The famous Tori gate in the sea is iconic, but there is so much more to the island - the many temples and shrines, the nature, the mountain, the beaches, the small village, the peacefulness etc. And if you love sea food, and especially oysters, you will be in paradise. I stayed at a Ryokan (with an onsen) that includes half board and I was in "sea food paradise". I had oysters in every imaginable way (raw, in soup, grilled, fried, in gratin etc.), and Sashimi, and many other things and it was great. I think I would return there alone for that. I dont speak any Japanese and was the only western guest in the Ryokan and nobody spoke much/any English, but I still had a fantastic time.

I did the Shimanami Kaido from Onomichi to Imabari - basically that involves you travelling over the Seto Inland Sea through 5 different islands. I cycled, but think you can also drive if you wanted to, but I think cycling was a really cool experience. More about that here: https://theoccasionaltraveller.com/cycling-the-shimanami-kaido-from-onomichi-to-imabari/

From Imabari, I took a short train ride to Matsuyama in the Ehime region which is famous for its Dogo Onsen, a place that apparently inspired the onsen in the movie Spirited Away. It's a lovely old place and a quieter sort of town that you can explore a little, or take a ferry to Hiroshima.

Miyajima is lovely of course, but I also loved Iwakuni with its many arched bridge, super picturesque and quiet sort of place.

On the Fukuoka side I know hot spring lovers usually head to Beppu with its thermal sands and pools. I didn't have time for that but I spent some time in Kitakyushu which has some industrial heritage and where you can walk through an underground tunnel to Shimonoseki, the place for Fugu (pufferfish).

Hope that helps! I reached all these places by trains mostly, but I think if you drive you can probably manage even more :)

I live close to Shikoku, and I drive around the island all the time. I've driven nearly the whole coast of Shikoku, and plenty of the interior as well, though thankfully there's still more for me to explore! There's lots to see on the island, but some suggestions:

Iya Valley - beautiful scenery, and some lovely villages in the highlands. Gets more interesting as you drive higher up the valley. South of the Iya Valley, the upper Yoshino River valley is also very scenic.

Kagawa - Kagawa's got all kinds of interesting things and unexpected scenery hidden away in the plains. It's the most heavily populated region of Shikoku - though the towns are spread out - but it's still lots of fun to explore.

The South-West - I had a really lovely weekend down there in the summer. There's some unexpectedly nice snorkeling, some gorgeous beaches (reachable only by car), beautiful coastal scenery, some good driving.

I'm hoping to hit the mountains along the Ehime/Kochi border sometime. With a car though, it's difficult to go wrong. The only stretch of Shikoku that I don't like is the heavily industrialized coastal strip running roughly between Imabari and Shikokuchuo, though even then, there's interesting stuff in the mountains above the coastal plains.

Matsuyama and Kochi are the two most interesting cities on Shikoku.

I know nothing about knife making. Sakai's a rather uninspiring stretch of suburbia. There are some interesting sights there - most notably the kofun - but it's more of a place I'd daytrip to rather than actually stay. If you want nice countryside, you'll have to head further afield from Osaka.

I really loved Miyajima, especially after the many day visitors left, and before they got there - a totally different experience, so much more relaxed and quiet. The famous Tori gate in the sea is iconic, but there is so much more to the island - the many temples and shrines, the nature, the mountain, the beaches, the small village, the peacefulness etc. And if you love sea food, and especially oysters, you will be in paradise. I stayed at a Ryokan (with an onsen) that includes half board and I was in "sea food paradise". I had oysters in every imaginable way (raw, in soup, grilled, fried, in gratin etc.), and Sashimi, and many other things and it was great. I think I would return there alone for that. I dont speak any Japanese and was the only western guest in the Ryokan and nobody spoke much/any English, but I still had a fantastic time.

Do you remember the name of the Ryokan you stayed at? Seafood, especially oysters, are a huge draw for me.

Thanks!

I did the Shimanami Kaido from Onomichi to Imabari - basically that involves you travelling over the Seto Inland Sea through 5 different islands. I cycled, but think you can also drive if you wanted to, but I think cycling was a really cool experience. More about that here: https://theoccasionaltraveller.com/cycling-the-shimanami-kaido-from-onomichi-to-imabari/

From Imabari, I took a short train ride to Matsuyama in the Ehime region which is famous for its Dogo Onsen, a place that apparently inspired the onsen in the movie Spirited Away. It's a lovely old place and a quieter sort of town that you can explore a little, or take a ferry to Hiroshima.

Miyajima is lovely of course, but I also loved Iwakuni with its many arched bridge, super picturesque and quiet sort of place.

On the Fukuoka side I know hot spring lovers usually head to Beppu with its thermal sands and pools. I didn't have time for that but I spent some time in Kitakyushu which has some industrial heritage and where you can walk through an underground tunnel to Shimonoseki, the place for Fugu (pufferfish).

Hope that helps! I reached all these places by trains mostly, but I think if you drive you can probably manage even more :)

Wow! This is tremendously helpful and interesting. I read through your blog post and I'd love to take that cycling trip. I'm worried it might be a little too cold in March, but we could certainly play that part by ear. Thanks so much!

I live close to Shikoku, and I drive around the island all the time. I've driven nearly the whole coast of Shikoku, and plenty of the interior as well, though thankfully there's still more for me to explore! There's lots to see on the island, but some suggestions:

Iya Valley - beautiful scenery, and some lovely villages in the highlands. Gets more interesting as you drive higher up the valley. South of the Iya Valley, the upper Yoshino River valley is also very scenic.

Kagawa - Kagawa's got all kinds of interesting things and unexpected scenery hidden away in the plains. It's the most heavily populated region of Shikoku - though the towns are spread out - but it's still lots of fun to explore.

The South-West - I had a really lovely weekend down there in the summer. There's some unexpectedly nice snorkeling, some gorgeous beaches (reachable only by car), beautiful coastal scenery, some good driving.

I'm hoping to hit the mountains along the Ehime/Kochi border sometime. With a car though, it's difficult to go wrong. The only stretch of Shikoku that I don't like is the heavily industrialized coastal strip running roughly between Imabari and Shikokuchuo, though even then, there's interesting stuff in the mountains above the coastal plains.

Matsuyama and Kochi are the two most interesting cities on Shikoku.

I know nothing about knife making. Sakai's a rather uninspiring stretch of suburbia. There are some interesting sights there - most notably the kofun - but it's more of a place I'd daytrip to rather than actually stay. If you want nice countryside, you'll have to head further afield from Osaka.

This is tremendously helpful! Thanks so much!

I cycled end March / early April as it was just about Sakura season - you're going to work up a sweat cycling so as long as you have some layers just in case, think you'll be fine :) have fun!

I cycled end March / early April as it was just about Sakura season - you're going to work up a sweat cycling so as long as you have some layers just in case, think you'll be fine :) have fun!

Thanks!

I stayed at Miyajima Morinoyado and the food was really fantastic. They have Japanese style rooms (with Tatami mats and Futon), but also European rooms, so make sure you book a Japanese room if you go there. The location is also really good, its next door to the aquarium, and right on the sea and very peaceful and quiet.

I stayed at Miyajima Morinoyado and the food was really fantastic. They have Japanese style rooms (with Tatami mats and Futon), but also European rooms, so make sure you book a Japanese room if you go there. The location is also really good, its next door to the aquarium, and right on the sea and very peaceful and quiet.

This place looks fantastic. Thanks!

You are most welcome.

Hey @Giora & @jaclynnseah,

I'm thinking of two different itineraries and was wondering how much time you'd alot... or if it would be possible to combine the itineraries over two weeks.

Option One
Fly into Osaka
Kagawa
Shikoku (bike loop & Iya Valley)
Hiroshima
Miyajima
A couple of days in Tokyo to see friends before leaving

Option Two
Fly into Tokyo
Gunma
Nagano?
Kanazawa
Kaga Onsen
Noto
Fly out of Tokyo

I feel like I'm leaning towards the southern route, but perhaps because I've just done a little more research into it so far.

Thanks!

I'm more familiar with the first option than the second. You could certainly cover Shikoku in a few days, giving yourself time at the end to do a few other things: visit Gunma from Tokyo, say, or head to Kanazawa on the way to Tokyo. That would involve a fair amount of travel/expense though.

You could also spend extra time on Shikoku, or perhaps visit other places of interest around western Honshu, like Onomichi, Fukuyama, Okayama/Kurashiki. If you want to head directly from Osaka to Kagawa, you should find direct buses from Kansai Airport to Takamatsu. There are several buses a day to Tokushima, and I think some to Takamatsu as well. Otherwise, there are numerous buses from the city itself to Takamatsu, and also to places like Miyoshi/Awa-Ikeda, useful for visiting the Iya Valley.

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Thanks, @Giora. I really appreciate your insight.

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