Visuals of both on and off the beaten path Japan travel

Click on picture below to go to its official tourism website

Sakura in Okayama Korakuen Garden

Onbashira Matsuri

Waterfall at Akame 48 Falls

Iya Valley in Autumn

Handayama Botanical Garden in Okayama

Aomori Nebuta Festival Museum

Entry to Tsurunoyu Onsen

Koyasan

Great light through the trees at UNESCO Koyasan

Okayama Castle

Motsuji Temple in Hiraizumi

Moss ar Kanazawa Kenrokuen Garden

Adachi Museum of Art Garden

UNESCO Koyasan casual shot

Mt Yoshino in Wakayama

Kanazawa Tea District

Aizu Homare Sake Brewery Tour

Site of Reversible Destiny in Yoro Park

View from the street in Kyoto, April 2008

Toei Kyoto Studio Park

Hakata Ningyo from Fukuoka

Euan Craig Mashiko Pottery

Kiyomizudera

Performance at Fushimi Inari Shrine

Fushimi Inari on a rainy day

Arashiyama street photography

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

Umeda Sky Building Osaka

Tenmangu Shrine Flea Mart on 25th of each month

Garden at Himeji Castle

Okayama Handayama Botanical Park

Shirakawago Winter

Shirakawago Spring

Shirakawago scale of houses

River around Shirakawago

Maruyama Park in Kyoto

Lake Kawaguchiko near Mt Fuji

Lion at Tennoji Zoo, Osaka

House at Little World Anthropological Museum Park in Inuyama

Daio Wasabi Farm in Nagano

Family Fun at Harvest Hill in Osaka

Special visitor while viewing fall colors at Eikando inKyoto

View of the city near Tennoji Station in Osaka

Bamboo at Korakuen Garden in Okayama

Fish for sale at Yoshinoyama during hanami season

Mini Sakura Tree for sale at Yoshinoyama

Teramachi Shopping District Kyoto

Paper Cranes at Hiroshima Peace Park

Hiroshima Peace Park

Miyajima Island near Hiroshima

Kamakura at the end of the cherry blossom season

Beautiful Cherry Blossoms in Shinjuku Park, Tokyo

Shinjuku Park during Sakura Season in Tokyo

Performance in Ueno Park Tokyo

Walking through Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo

Fall colors in Iya Valley, Shikoku

Hakone Yuryo Day Onsen Resort

Sailor Moon Cafe 2017 in Osaka

Natto

Kushikatsu cuisine in Osaka

Chu Toro (Medium Fatty Tuna) in Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo

Fake food models in Kyoto Station

Favorite sake from Shirakawago

Umeda Sky Building Osaka

Street view in Namba, Osaka

Osaka Nipponbashi Denden Town

Power lines are a reality in Japan

Yoshinoyama during the end of cherry blossom viewing season

Maruyama Park in Kyoto

Mt Fuji Kawaguchiko Clouds

Kanazawa Kenrokuen

Aomori Nebuta Museum

Hida Furukawa Village near Takayama

Fall Colors in Iya Valley, Shikoku

Euan Craig Mashiko Traditional Pottery

UNESCO Koyasan casual shot

Koi fish at Himeji Castle Garden

Osaka Namba district at night

Kinkakuji Temple in Kyoto

Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Memorial

Miyajima near Hiroshima

Sakura in Okayama Handayama Botanical Park

Typical festival for cherry blossom season in Okayama

Akame 48 Waterfalls

Fall Colors in Iya Valley, Shikoku

Fushimi Inari exploration

Kurama Onsen near Kyoto

Mt Fuji View from Kawaguchiko on a cloudy day

Tsurunoyu Onsen in Northern Japan

Highlights

Akame 48 Falls Nature Day Trip from Kyoto or Osaka

A hidden day trip from the Kansai area allows you to experience a lovely but challenging, slippery hike along a stair trail that leads to dozens of beautiful waterfalls. Many serious photographers come here but this shot was handheld so you don’t necessarily need a lot of equipment. I’ve been twice. This is not for kids because it is dangerous but if they’re older and like hiking it should be ok. Link or video

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The risk you take with Lake Kawaguchiko’s Mt. Fuji view

Warning. You must watch the weather like a hawk because clouds can totally block your view of Mt Fuji. This is on the beaten path but it is worth visiting if the weather is good.

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Adachi Museum of Art and Garden

Not far from Kyoto or Osaka and a gorgeous garden as well as some of the most stunning ukiyoe art I’ve ever seen. This isn’t busy among overseas visitors. Link to official website.

The most frequent question on TripAdvisor is around the JR Pass. This is everything you need.

Disclaimer: I frequently answer Japan questions on TripAdvisor under the handle @GLKLLCIO. This is site is a free resource that serves as a FAQ and to serve as inspiration for travel in Japan. Everything is based on unbiased experience, not commercial affiliation.