We went beyond Tokyo to these lesser-known places in Japan
Japan is a bucket list destination that needs to be seen to be believed. It's not only the country's exquisite scenery and striking landscapes, but Japan's beauty is reflected in the people, who are polite, welcoming and more than delighted to show visitors around their beautiful home.
Thanks to an exciting new route that has re-opened with Finnair, you can now fly direct to Nagoya and kickstart your Japan adventure by following the slightly less trodden tourist path. As well as Tokyo and other well-known places in Japan, there is a plethora of less-discovered and fascinating destinations to explore in every season.
Whether you've been to the country before, or prefer to explore less-visited locations, there are some alternative places worth adding to your Japan itinerary. We took a trip to them to show you why there's more to Japan than Tokyo, and the beauty of going off the beaten path in Japan.
JAPAN DURING CHERRY BLOSSOM SEASON
Flying you there in style on its newly resumed Nagoya route, Finnair knows how to look after travellers in the luxurious business class suite. New to the fleet's business class offering, the seats turn into fully flat beds so when the time comes to switch out the lights, pull on the eye mask and catch forty winks, we're pleased to report that sleep comes incredibly easily.
There are little extras, too, along with impeccable onboard service. The food and wine on board is a highlight: we woke up to freshly-baked bread with marmalade and delicious black coffee - the perfect way to round off a long-haul flight.
Arriving in Nagoya, the city puts on a great welcome to Japan and is ideal for reaching other regions. A short train ride away is Inuyama - a town made famous by Inuyama Castle. Built in 1537, Inuyama Castle is the oldest surviving of the original castles. Fascinating to visit, it is possible to climb up to the very top which entails literally climbing up the vertical steps to each floor (essentially a ladder).
This rewards you with 360 degrees of dramatic views. Iconic on Japan's landscape, having gone through so much over the previous centuries with wars and earthquakes, it stands proud in 2024 and is a must-visit attraction.
Exploring Inuyama reveals immaculate and lovingly tended gardens, cherry trees and maples, all contributing to the tranquility of the area. This wasn't the only time we felt a zen feeling while in Japan. We were lucky enough to experience a tea ceremony in Inuyama - the care, attention and history wrapped up in the ceremony was captivating to see.
Matcha tea was served in beautiful ceramic bowls - each bowl is unique and beautifully painted to tell its own story. We learned that in Japan if cracks appear in the bowls, each one is glued back together with gold paint to highlight these. The tradition represents how beauty can be found in imperfection.
Back in Nagoya, the extremely comfortable Nagoya Prince Sky Tower was an ideal location to have as our base. The hotel's location on 32nd floor provided prime views of the city. Home to over two million people, Nagoya is Japan's fourth largest city. As well as boasting the beautiful 12th-century Osu Kannon temple, Nagoya has great shopping and incredible food (the traditional Japanese sweets at Osu Uiro Osu Main Shop are a highlight).
With our itinerary expertly created by Inside Japan, we soon discovered that one of the best ways to travel around Japan is by train. Not only the famous bullet train (more on that later) but all Japanese train journeys are incredibly comfortable and run like clockwork. The real highlight is the scenery on these train routes. Taking the train from Nagoya to Hida Furukawa, we travelled up through the mountains of Japan, through the Gifu region (pictured top). The green, lush scenery was captivating. Rice fields, rivers, mountains - we were glued to the window for the full two and half hours.
Hida Furukawa is a beautiful riverside town with avenues of cherry trees, historic wooden buildings and canals flowing through the streets (which are also home to the famous coy carp). The town is famous for its annual festival taking place in April (coinciding with cherry blossom season) whereby 33 floats each representing the regions of Japan line the streets and a rousing drum parade takes place. This is one not to be missed if you visit in April.
Fifteen minutes by train south of Hida Furukawa lies Takayama. Famous for its onsen (hot springs), these baths are a definite must when visiting the region. Overlooking the Japanese Northern Alps, the traditional baths are wonderful to experience. A soothing and relaxing experience as you take in the hot spring waters and look out over the calming mountain scenery, it's hard to tear yourself away.
Taking the train back to Nagoya and a quick change on to the famous bullet train took us to Kyoto in no time. The bullet train lives up to its name and is a fantastic way to travel, not only for its speed. It's fascinating to see and experience the impressive efficacy of this piece of engineering. In many ways, Japan leads the way in technology and modernity and the bullet train is a prime example of the best way to get around.
Another fantastic way to see the country is on a Japan cruise. It allows you to explore multiple lesser-known regions. In fact, Good Housekeeping has an exclusive cruise around Japan for the 2025 cherry blossom season, which includes a host of destinations you can tick off in one trip.
Our next stop was Kyoto, once the imperial capital of Japan for over a thousand years and home to beautiful temples and shrines. A highlight of our time in Japan was visiting Kyoto's Eikando temple.
It is clear to see why it is not only cherry blossom season that attracts visitors to Japan, as Eikando temple is surrounded by maple trees across the foothills of the Higashiyama mountains and come autumn, the bold shades of orange and red are a sight to behold. But whatever the time of year (we were here in June), you'll be transfixed by the beauty of the temple.
During our visit, the rain started to fall. It was not quite what we were hoping the weather would be, but the mist over the trees, and the rain gently falling into the temple gardens was atmospheric, showing nature at its finest.
The history of Eikando is evident and this strong contrast to modern day living in Kyoto is worth witnessing: here modernity lives in total harmony with history and the great significance of the past.
Kyoto itself is charming. Avenues of cherry trees abound the city and it is very easy to picture how the colours pop and the blossom blooms in spring, creating the epic scenery we've seen in the photos. Staying at the luxurious The Thousand Kyoto, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the hotel was stylish and perfectly placed for getting to know the city.
Dinner in Kyoto was also sublime. At restaurant Futagoya, we ate the most amazing Karaage Chicken (Japanese fried chicken), followed by a Shabu Shabu (hot pot). For the Shabu Shabu, a broth is brought out to the table for you to cook your noodles, vegetables, mushrooms and more. It's not only fun but an utterly delicious experience.
A visit to another temple called Tenryu-ji was glorious, with plenty of sunshine this time. We rounded off our visit to Kyoto with a rare meeting with a geisha. Graceful geishas have become experts in various artistic hobbies, whether it's musical instrument, dancing, calligraphy or even the art of conversation. However, this is a dying profession in modern day Japan, with just 200 geishas in Kyoto, out of only 500 in the country.
Japan lived up to every one of our expectations and was a joy to visit, with history and tradition at every turn.
Our trip was expertly organised by Inside Japan, with stays at the Nagoya Prince Sky Tower, Tokyu Stay Hida-Takayama and The Thousand Kyoto. Flights with Finnair from Heathrow to Nagoya with seamless connections in Helsinki start from £800 in economy, £1,561 in premium economy and £2,827 in business.
You can also explore Japan on Good Housekeeping's cherry blossom cruise departing in March 2025 and taking in the likes of Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima and Niigata.
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