Just got back from our trip a couple weeks ago, and we visited the countryside around/near Nagoya. Specifically - Gifu, Mino, Gujo Hachiman (during bon odori) and Gero Onsen. Visiting these towns were the absolute highlight of our trip. Can't recommend enough! A random stranger gifted my wife and I, day-passes to the local bus network in Gifu.
@@onlyinjapanGOwe loved Mino as well. Had breakfast at a michi no eki one morning in Mino, and so many people were interested in conversing with us. Thanks to your channel I had picked up a few key phrases in Japanese which helped out a lot. Plus, we highly recommend the sightseeing train that runs up and down the Nagara river in that area. Nagaragawa tetsudo line I believe.
I’m a bit biased because I love trains, but I recommend anyone intimidated about visiting the Japanese countryside, take a local train journey for a start. So relaxing and a nice way to mingle with the locals. Those small private railways like the Minami-Aso railway I went to last year are particularly nice, because some stations have little business inside it.
Good advice, they’re not as frequent but that’s part of the adventure! The private lines are also fascinating and fun! They cover many areas JR does not.
Made my first visit to Japan in October '23 & loved it so much I'm making my 2nd visit in 6 weeks time! Different places & Takayama is my 2nd base for 4 nights, so will visit the surrounding countryside as well as the city itself. Can't wait!
I love your videos about visiting places in Japan, it's like traveling with a specialized guide. I hope that one day you'll be encouraged to write a guidebook with hidden places and the secret Japan that can relieve mass tourism.
Kurama is definitely my favorite countryside part of Japan so far. Technically within the limits of Kyoto, but so far removed that you feel disconnected from it. Highly recommended! Awesome little village, and a great hike up to Kurama-dera, then down to Kibune for some tasty soba! Got to experience this last October, so amazing!
@@onlyinjapanGO We went for the Fire Festival, which was an amazing, albeit very crowded, experience. I'm only bummed that COVID had led to the closure of the onsen.
Great video. Was just a little sad that you did not cover Tohoku at all in this stream. Probably the first region that comes to my mind when talking rural Japan
This is a gateway for beginners. Takayama and Shirakawa have been catering to tourists in English for decades, longer than Tohoku so it’s an easier trip. I’ve promoted Tohoku SO MUCH, there are other places too. Too many to cover, but for “beginners” I’d say Takayama is easy and then unlock Tohoku too.
We spent 2 days on the Nakasendo between Nagiso and Nakatsugawa with an overnight stay a bit south of Tsumago. We've seen the most beautiful forests and mountains but, above all, we've met the nicest people. Everyone you meet in these small villages and towns, and on the path itself, is incredibly lovely. I miss these folks so much.
I was so lucky to come across your Shikoku video before my first trip to Japan. It convinced me to work it into our itinerary. We ended up spending a week in the area, and I can't wait to go back.
When you discover a new place you love, it can feel like returning to a second home! I’m glad you made the trip over to Shikoku. The effort is rewarded with an adventure!
I’m heading to Hokkaido for the first time in February. Abashiri & Kushiro are on the itinerary and I’m hoping to see a lot of wildlife (I’m a photographer) and to do some ice breaking
Bummed I missed the live! I'm counting down the days for my trip and I'm spending most of my time in Nakatsugawa in Gifu Prefecture. I will also be spending a couple days in Nagoya, Nagano & Tokyo.
We had a few days in Shirakawa-go with an overnight stay in May. A car rental is a big advantage. Very quiet at night with stunning scenery. The gassho villages are welcoming with a nice balance of tourism and local flavor. We walked up the mountain!
most travel guides are about "how to get to Tokyo from this airport", I personally would like to get to a more rural area directly bc I like a calm environment. So most guides make it sound like it's obligatory to get to Tokyo first
i agree - nagoya is a great jumping off point into the countryside. You could a day trip out to inuyama which has a castle and old town street or do a hike on the nakasendo from nakatsugawa to nagiso and then take the train up to matsumoto and bus into kamikochi. So many great places! Highly recommend the alpico 4 day bus pass if you are going to be in matsumoto/kamikochi and takayama/shirokawago area if you aren't keen on driving.
Ah. If I had another 5 min, I’d talk about that castle town. Visited it a bit when I filmed this episode. So worth it! th-cam.com/video/QDrbCUOIZe8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=-5-5jQoa6-A_0Q2c
Those visiting countryside…don’t forget to try their local cuisine! Sometimes you can’t find in the big city!!! Food is always important part of the visit to foreign countries!!!😊
Have you been to the hot springs resort Kanaguya? We did a 3 night stay there in 2018. This trip, which included 2 separate nights in Tokyo was one of our worst experiences in Japan. Not because of the people.
I found Nagoya a challenge in terms of my second trip to Japan. The announcement at the train station were not English friendly like Tokyo. It was a little bit of a shock and I certainly got a little lost. I was there for the aside event, which was amazing. 10/10, would go again.
I think getting my a little lost is part of adventure, if it’s too easy, what’s the story? Nagoya is much better than 1998 when I came, many major changes came from the 2005 World Expo. For most travelers, changing trains at Nagoya from Shinkansen to the Limited Express Hida is simple, the info available at the ticket windows at Tokyo Station including seat reservations and times. Once outta Nagoya, it’s small and manageable again in Takayama :) Nagoya is big but more local feeling than Tokyo. Local means less international.
I am rewatching "99.9% of Tourists NEVER visit here | Extreme East Hokkaido Experience" and if I may, the weight loss is amazing, John!!! You should do a weight loss secrets video! 🎉 Also, I encourage everyone to watch the live videos that John and PVG recorded on that trip. I liked those episodes better than the documentary because it is less formal, and unedited. The true experience is in the "unedited" moments.
Post pandem-ic, much easier to stay in shape, get back into good habits again. Low to no carbs, intermittent fasting 16-17 hours a day - easy if you finish dinner before 7pm and skip breakfast. No more beer, almost no alcohol - just feel better when I’m a little hungry if that makes sense so I like the mornings. I’m lighter for half the day! But I was bigger in 2021-2022. That was such fun trip but hard work filming it.
Hi Jon, l love your videos. I am a below the knee single amputee. Would it be disrespectful to the Japanese home owner or owners, if I would have some of the shoe covers to put on before I would go into their home?
Hi Tim, thank you ^_^ no, actually there have been certain situations where I had to keep shoes on and was given shoe covers for a TV shoot but you’d have to bring your own shoe covers or let people know in advance to prepare for your visit.
Incidentally just planning a five day road trip from Tokyo towards Kanazawa for early 2025. Well not much to plan really, going to book few places to stay and mostly just start driving and see what happens. One thing I'm wondering is winter tires, I assume they are useful even at that latitude because of the mountains. At first it looks like only specific rental locations offer winter tires and none of them are anywhere near Tokyo. I assume you can still get winter tires on a car when starting from outskirts of Tokyo and going towards the mountains but maybe it's a special request?
It is possible to get Winter tyres for a rental car in Tokyo but it would be an add-on or special request. In the snow regions it is usually the default. If the Tokyo company you have found a good deal with does not have the option try sending an email to ask. Or, take the train to a snow run and pick up the car there. For one or wo people the shinkansen tickets can be less than car hire, fuel and road tolls for many trips.
Do you have any tips for renting a car for a reasonable price or tips on travel in rural areas. My son and i are visiting Japan in December. We'd like to visit Okayama and Kagawa and surrounding area.
I don’t know what’s reasonable for you? I use Toyota. The cars are new, clean and well maintained, never been charged extra after for anything - fast in and out, love the small SUV. You get what you pay for. Sometimes there are specials for travel periods. If you use HERTZ, there’s a discount or if your sign up to their service as a member. 10% off, 20% for gold members.
yeah well, "post-Covid" is a bit premature definition at the moment. It's coming and going, has never been down to zero yet. More risk in crowded places and indoors like a restaurant or indoor onsen, less risk in other areas.
Urgent! The Japanese are trying to force self-censorship of works that feature Russian and Belarusian heroines. If things continue like this, it will become harder to feature Serbian, Greek, Bulgarian, Romanian, and Armenian heroines.
Just got back from our trip a couple weeks ago, and we visited the countryside around/near Nagoya. Specifically - Gifu, Mino, Gujo Hachiman (during bon odori) and Gero Onsen. Visiting these towns were the absolute highlight of our trip. Can't recommend enough! A random stranger gifted my wife and I, day-passes to the local bus network in Gifu.
Mino is wonderful, stayed there for a night in 2020 with Kanae! Worth it! So much to explore in Gifu on that line.
@@onlyinjapanGOwe loved Mino as well. Had breakfast at a michi no eki one morning in Mino, and so many people were interested in conversing with us. Thanks to your channel I had picked up a few key phrases in Japanese which helped out a lot.
Plus, we highly recommend the sightseeing train that runs up and down the Nagara river in that area. Nagaragawa tetsudo line I believe.
I’m a bit biased because I love trains, but I recommend anyone intimidated about visiting the Japanese countryside, take a local train journey for a start. So relaxing and a nice way to mingle with the locals. Those small private railways like the Minami-Aso railway I went to last year are particularly nice, because some stations have little business inside it.
Good advice, they’re not as frequent but that’s part of the adventure! The private lines are also fascinating and fun! They cover many areas JR does not.
Japannese countryside for beginners. lol.Boy was I a newbie when I went to Ishikawa when I was 16.❤
Made my first visit to Japan in October '23 & loved it so much I'm making my 2nd visit in 6 weeks time! Different places & Takayama is my 2nd base for 4 nights, so will visit the surrounding countryside as well as the city itself. Can't wait!
Hi, John. I think that visiting places like HAKKONE , AKAKURA, southern Japan , and / or even the countryside In HOKKAIDO are great places to visit.
This is one of my favorite live streams thank you!
I love your videos about visiting places in Japan, it's like traveling with a specialized guide. I hope that one day you'll be encouraged to write a guidebook with hidden places and the secret Japan that can relieve mass tourism.
John has a great intuition.He senses people's alterior motive..He has a great sense of humor .He has been around.❤
Kurama is definitely my favorite countryside part of Japan so far. Technically within the limits of Kyoto, but so far removed that you feel disconnected from it. Highly recommended! Awesome little village, and a great hike up to Kurama-dera, then down to Kibune for some tasty soba! Got to experience this last October, so amazing!
It’s a great getaway! Made an episode there a while ago. Doesn’t feel like “Kyoto” which is actually Kyoto! 😂
@@onlyinjapanGO We went for the Fire Festival, which was an amazing, albeit very crowded, experience. I'm only bummed that COVID had led to the closure of the onsen.
Great video. Was just a little sad that you did not cover Tohoku at all in this stream. Probably the first region that comes to my mind when talking rural Japan
Same here. I did a 9-day-long Seishun 18 Ticket trip all around Tohoku over Obon week last month and it was amazing!
This is a gateway for beginners. Takayama and Shirakawa have been catering to tourists in English for decades, longer than Tohoku so it’s an easier trip. I’ve promoted Tohoku SO MUCH, there are other places too. Too many to cover, but for “beginners” I’d say Takayama is easy and then unlock Tohoku too.
We spent 2 days on the Nakasendo between Nagiso and Nakatsugawa with an overnight stay a bit south of Tsumago. We've seen the most beautiful forests and mountains but, above all, we've met the nicest people. Everyone you meet in these small villages and towns, and on the path itself, is incredibly lovely. I miss these folks so much.
I was so lucky to come across your Shikoku video before my first trip to Japan. It convinced me to work it into our itinerary. We ended up spending a week in the area, and I can't wait to go back.
When you discover a new place you love, it can feel like returning to a second home! I’m glad you made the trip over to Shikoku. The effort is rewarded with an adventure!
And welcome back John!😁
I’m heading to Hokkaido for the first time in February. Abashiri & Kushiro are on the itinerary and I’m hoping to see a lot of wildlife (I’m a photographer) and to do some ice breaking
Bummed I missed the live! I'm counting down the days for my trip and I'm spending most of my time in Nakatsugawa in Gifu Prefecture. I will also be spending a couple days in Nagoya, Nagano & Tokyo.
This is a good list. Many areas seem to rally around a product, piece of history, mascot, etc. These are nice to discover.
Great for “beginners” but the list will only get longer from here.
We had a few days in Shirakawa-go with an overnight stay in May. A car rental is a big advantage. Very quiet at night with stunning scenery. The gassho villages are welcoming with a nice balance of tourism and local flavor. We walked up the mountain!
most travel guides are about "how to get to Tokyo from this airport", I personally would like to get to a more rural area directly bc I like a calm environment.
So most guides make it sound like it's obligatory to get to Tokyo first
i agree - nagoya is a great jumping off point into the countryside. You could a day trip out to inuyama which has a castle and old town street or do a hike on the nakasendo from nakatsugawa to nagiso and then take the train up to matsumoto and bus into kamikochi. So many great places! Highly recommend the alpico 4 day bus pass if you are going to be in matsumoto/kamikochi and takayama/shirokawago area if you aren't keen on driving.
Ah. If I had another 5 min, I’d talk about that castle town. Visited it a bit when I filmed this episode. So worth it! th-cam.com/video/QDrbCUOIZe8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=-5-5jQoa6-A_0Q2c
I really love Toyama, Peaceful, Scenery place.
It is stunning, I’ll be near there next week!
Maybe visit one of Japan's many botanical gardens. We have a very beautiful one here in Chicago with 2 Japanese garden islands you can walk around.
Those visiting countryside…don’t forget to try their local cuisine! Sometimes you can’t find in the big city!!! Food is always important part of the visit to foreign countries!!!😊
Went to Tamagawa Onsen with wife in July. It was one of the most fascinating, unique and surreal experiences.
My favorite and first onsen resort 24 years ago! I’m glad you liked it. It’s even better in the snow!!
@@onlyinjapanGO I believe you did a video on hidden onsens!
I still highly recommend the Arch pass to new travellers over the JR Pass. Excellent deal and includes some country side visits.
It’s a good pass!
Have you been to the hot springs resort Kanaguya? We did a 3 night stay there in 2018. This trip, which included 2 separate nights in Tokyo was one of our worst experiences in Japan. Not because of the people.
I found Nagoya a challenge in terms of my second trip to Japan. The announcement at the train station were not English friendly like Tokyo.
It was a little bit of a shock and I certainly got a little lost.
I was there for the aside event, which was amazing.
10/10, would go again.
I think getting my a little lost is part of adventure, if it’s too easy, what’s the story? Nagoya is much better than 1998 when I came, many major changes came from the 2005 World Expo. For most travelers, changing trains at Nagoya from Shinkansen to the Limited Express Hida is simple, the info available at the ticket windows at Tokyo Station including seat reservations and times. Once outta Nagoya, it’s small and manageable again in Takayama :)
Nagoya is big but more local feeling than Tokyo. Local means less international.
@@onlyinjapanGO oh yeh, it was a little exhilarating!
Certainly worth the visit, I really enjoyed my time in Nagoya. I was glad the Aside event was there, it made me get out of my comfort zone
I am rewatching "99.9% of Tourists NEVER visit here | Extreme East Hokkaido Experience" and if I may, the weight loss is amazing, John!!! You should do a weight loss secrets video! 🎉 Also, I encourage everyone to watch the live videos that John and PVG recorded on that trip. I liked those episodes better than the documentary because it is less formal, and unedited. The true experience is in the "unedited" moments.
Post pandem-ic, much easier to stay in shape, get back into good habits again. Low to no carbs, intermittent fasting 16-17 hours a day - easy if you finish dinner before 7pm and skip breakfast. No more beer, almost no alcohol - just feel better when I’m a little hungry if that makes sense so I like the mornings. I’m lighter for half the day! But I was bigger in 2021-2022. That was such fun trip but hard work filming it.
@@onlyinjapanGO Whoa! Thanks for the tips. Sounds reasonable, and it doesn't sound like a diet. You are looking healthy and happy. 🎉
Hi Jon, l love your videos. I am a below the knee single amputee. Would it be disrespectful to the Japanese home owner or owners, if I would have some of the shoe covers to put on before I would go into their home?
Hi Tim, thank you ^_^ no, actually there have been certain situations where I had to keep shoes on and was given shoe covers for a TV shoot but you’d have to bring your own shoe covers or let people know in advance to prepare for your visit.
Hubby and I plan to do the Shikoku Circuit in 2028. 😊
Wonderful!!
Incidentally just planning a five day road trip from Tokyo towards Kanazawa for early 2025. Well not much to plan really, going to book few places to stay and mostly just start driving and see what happens.
One thing I'm wondering is winter tires, I assume they are useful even at that latitude because of the mountains. At first it looks like only specific rental locations offer winter tires and none of them are anywhere near Tokyo. I assume you can still get winter tires on a car when starting from outskirts of Tokyo and going towards the mountains but maybe it's a special request?
It is possible to get Winter tyres for a rental car in Tokyo but it would be an add-on or special request. In the snow regions it is usually the default.
If the Tokyo company you have found a good deal with does not have the option try sending an email to ask.
Or, take the train to a snow run and pick up the car there. For one or wo people the shinkansen tickets can be less than car hire, fuel and road tolls for many trips.
Do you have any tips for renting a car for a reasonable price or tips on travel in rural areas. My son and i are visiting Japan in December. We'd like to visit Okayama and Kagawa and surrounding area.
I don’t know what’s reasonable for you? I use Toyota. The cars are new, clean and well maintained, never been charged extra after for anything - fast in and out, love the small SUV. You get what you pay for. Sometimes there are specials for travel periods. If you use HERTZ, there’s a discount or if your sign up to their service as a member. 10% off, 20% for gold members.
Thank you for your reply, Right now on kayak I'm seeing $40 / day on the low side, what daily prices have you seen?
When you say you use Toyota are you saying you only rent Toyotas or Toyota has also a car rental company?
yeah well, "post-Covid" is a bit premature definition at the moment. It's coming and going, has never been down to zero yet. More risk in crowded places and indoors like a restaurant or indoor onsen, less risk in other areas.
Urgent! The Japanese are trying to force self-censorship of works that feature Russian and Belarusian heroines.
If things continue like this, it will become harder to feature Serbian, Greek, Bulgarian, Romanian, and Armenian heroines.
By the way, both KARUIZAWA and NAGANO have great winter skiing resorts for any ski fans ⛷️🎿🛷☃️☃️☃️❄️❄️❄️🌨️🌨️