Hiking
Half-day walks with the numbers you actually need: cable car and ropeway fares, and how long the climb from the station really takes.
73 guides across 50 regions of Japan
Start Here
Guides to quiet nature across Japan you can reach by train and bus: slow walks, still lakes, and small mountain towns.
Guides by interest
Shrines & Temples
Mountain shrines and temple towns, with how long the approach walk really takes — and which ones fill up with day-trippers by late morning at the weekend.
Hot Springs
Day-use baths you can reach and be back the same day, with adult admission prices and where visitors with tattoos are welcome.
Food
Soba, unagi, yokan and sweet-potato snacks in temple towns across Japan — and how far the eating streets are from the nearest station.
Local Trains
Single-track diesel and country lines across Japan, and the small wooden stations that are worth getting off at on the way.
Quiet Towns
Castle towns and hillside settlements compact enough to walk in an easy loop, with time for a slow lunch in the middle.