A Guide to Japan Beyond Tokyo

Tokyo is extraordinary, and most first trips to Japan begin and end there. But the country that stays with people is usually the one they found after leaving it: a wooden lane in Kyoto before the shops open, a mountain village where dinner arrives in twelve small bowls, a regional train that stops at a station with one platform and a persimmon tree.

Start with Kyoto, but not the famous half

Kyoto rewards early risers. Be at the big temples when they open and you will have the raked gravel and the cedar shade almost to yourself. By ten, the lanes of Higashiyama belong to everyone.

Spend the middle of the day somewhere quieter. The northern neighbourhoods of Ohara and Kurama are twenty-five minutes from the centre and feel like a different century. In the evening, return to the narrow streets of Pontocho or the canal-side lanes around Gion Shirakawa.

Visit the famous temple once, then spend the rest of your days in the small ones with nobody at the gate.

A Kyoto day that avoids the crowds

1. Dawn: a famous shrine or temple before the gates are fully open

2. Mid-morning: coffee and a walk through a neighbourhood market

3. Lunch: a set meal at a counter with a hand-written menu

4. Afternoon: choose one of:

   • A tea ceremony in a historic wooden teahouse

   • A pottery or dyeing workshop

   • The Philosopher’s Path, walked slowly

5. Evening: a kaiseki dinner, booked well ahead

Where to go next

Japan’s smaller places are easier to reach than they look. A single rail pass and a little patience will take you to most of them, and the journey is part of the point.

The ryokan experience

A ryokan is not a hotel with tatami. It is a way of spending an evening: arriving in the late afternoon, changing into a yukata, soaking in the onsen, and eating a multi-course dinner that changes with the season and the town.

What to expect

• Futons are laid out for you while you are at dinner

• Breakfast is a full meal — rice, grilled fish, pickles, miso soup

• Tattoo policies for shared baths vary, so ask when booking

• Dinner and breakfast are usually included, and worth the price

Eating regionally

Every region has a dish its neighbours argue about. In Kanazawa it is seafood so fresh it barely needs explanation; in Takayama, Hida beef grilled over charcoal; in the Kii Peninsula, mountain vegetables picked that morning. Ask at your inn what is local and in season — shun is the word they will use.

Practical notes

• A regional rail pass often beats the national pass for a slower itinerary

• Use a luggage-forwarding service to send bags ahead

  • Ask your hotel for a takkyubin form

  • Hand it over the night before you leave

• Carry some cash — many small inns and shops are still cash only

• Learn five phrases; the effort is always noticed

Whatever route you choose, give it a little more time than feels necessary. The reward for leaving Tokyo behind is a country that moves at the speed of a footpath. Browse our tour packages for ideas, or speak to a consultant.