Japan’s EPIC Hidden Gems: 12 Reasons to Return (in the north)

Get my ebook full of handpicked, utterly unique, off the beaten path destinations in the Kansai region.

======

======
GET READY FOR YOUR TRIP
======

======
RAIL PASSES/TICKETS
======

*There are some affiliate links in this description and using them helps to support this channel.

CREDITS

/// PHOTOS
Yubatake at night in Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma Prefecture, Japan by bizmac
CC-BY-2.0

ライトアップされた夜の湯畑 by Σ64
CC-BY-4.0

大内宿 by くろふね
CC-BY-3.0

// VIDEO

AOMORI DAY 1 - Nebuta Warasse & Japanese Ryokan! by Keira Ashley

青森ねぶた2023其の三　(2023 Aomori Nebuta Festival Part3) by Kiyokawa Nao Travel (清川直虎べる)

【青森ねぷたまつり】念願の青森県のねぷたまつりに行ってきた by ソトゴモリぷれいすのチャンネル

คนดอยเที่ยวหิมะ/ชมวิวมุมสูงหมู่บ้านโบราณ Ouchi juku Fukushima by 108 CHANNEL

Japanese Scenic Town in the Mountains Street ### Ouchi Juku ### 大内宿 by Sanjaya Bandara

คนดอยเที่ยวหิมะ/ชมวิวมุมสูงหมู่บ้านโบราณ Ouchi juku Fukushima by 108 CHANNEL

クロスカブで421km埼玉県から福島県の大内宿へ③ 大内宿観光保存版＆ランチでネギそばとお餅をいただく！【まさチャンネル】 by Masa Channel [Cross Cub & X-ADV]

เที่ยวญี่ปุ่นก่อนโควิทระบาดหนัก เมืองโบราณโออุจิ จูคุ:Ouchi Juku by Joawying Ying

Exploring A Village in the Japanese Countryside | Fukushima, Japan by T0KEEYO

Kodo - Earth Celebration 2020 - Miyake by Michael de Groot

0:00 Intro
0:26 Hot Spring Hideaway
2:21 Eyeball Melting Festival
4:22 No Tokyo Oasis
6:58 Supreme Statue
8:54 Galactic Journey
10:15 Time Travel Town
11:47 Post-disaster place
13:04 Hidden Mountain Temple
14:33 Waterfall Paradise
16:31 Gold Mine Island

[japanunravelled]

Get my ebook full of handpicked, utterly unique, off the beaten path destinations in the Kansai region.

[adfjasjhf]

I'm just doing a research for my second time in Japan and man, you're channel is pure gold mine of information. Many thanks for your videos. I now need to watch all of them :)
So many places I didn't know about!

[peterww]

Great video, Andrew, and great ideas! Maybe my favourite is Ouchijuku because the telegraph poles and spaghetti wires, which spoil every other view in Japan, are missing! Kusatsu in Gunma and Karuizawa are also definitely worth a visit.

[MrRolandMichel]

Andrew! I will be forever grateful that I found your channel a few years back, and have garnered SO
much useful knowledge since then, Thank You!

[Panda_Roll]

Nice list. A bit sad Uji didn't get a shout out. I loved it during my visit and it's one of the few places I intend to go again on my second trip.

[willpharroe]

Love these vids. One of your videos took me to Take-no-michi outside of Kyoto (bamboo forest). I had the whole multi kilometer park to myself it seemed. Met a local playing his bamboo flute (shakuhachi) in a pavilion in the forrest. Got a private concert. Keep up the good work.

[Chiisanabatta]

Great spots!! Looking forward to check some out in my next year japan trip ❤

[Gazumi-inOZ]

Great insight into some 'not so visited' destinations Andrew. You're ahead of the game with current trends showing an increase in visitors searching out lesser travelled locations.
Karuizawa is an excellent suggestion close to Tokyo as a day-trip or short-stay. Shiraito Waterfall and the Stone Church are just 2 standout sites to explore there and would in-turn inspire travellers to seek out further destinations across Japan such as those you have highlighted.
There is so much of Japan to experience !

[phiromthach]

Thanks for the list! I will be going to Kansai area this year so I will check out your West japan list!

[lotusdevi]

Thanks again for some gorgeous reccomendations, def adding the Oira stream walk and Yamadera to my next trip :)

[yann_p]

Great list, I visited about half on a recent tour of Tohoku, the other half is now on my list! Looking forward to seeing them all, thank you

[mrwackyy]

Amazing video! Next year I want to visit Tohoku and Hokkaido :)

[rkt_duuud]

Hidden gem video uncovering hidden gem places🔥💎

[lokeshsekhri]

Love your videos Andrew.
As one planning his first visit to Japan, you sure help people like me who like to take the path less traveled.

Perhaps one kyoto specific video can be shared for your viewers here.

Much thanks

[Igs-bi]

Lake Towada looks like an incredible place to do a wild camp. Not sure what the rules are about that in Japan, but I'm hoping to find out when I move end of the year 😊

[lordivandjo]

Fantastic.. i love your videos..we travel around Japan for six weeks arriving on March 19th.
In your opinion what would be your epic view for us to park our camper van in.
We are travelling from Tokyo and far down as Nagasaki xx

[Eldiran]

As always, this video look awesome. I mean i've tried some of your recommandation before so i know that i won't be dissapointed if something seem nice.
I've also some question: is it difficult to get to Ouchijuku? It seem lost in the mountain, which seem cool but if i dont have a car, it seem difficult to go there sadly. I've to say that the winter look is astonishing, and i definitivly want to explore the tohoku in the winter for my first time.

Yamadera was already on my list of thing to do here but i'm glad you talk a bit about it. I can't believe that the place is not crowded! It give me more incentive to go, even if i bet that the numero 1 reason noone is here is because the place is not accessible easely, like Ouchijuku.

Also even if i want to discover tohoku with the snow, how was the weather in the north? I mean you seem to be here in august and Japan is known to have harsh condition in the summer BUT northen japan is also known to be okay in the summer. So if i may ask, how was it?

When you where talking about a goldmine in the intro, i bet you where talking about Sado island (which is also on my list). Another question here if possible: Is the travel to the island difficult? I've discover that i probably have seasickness. Small distance in the calm sea like near Myajima is more than fine but i was litteraly in recovery position when i was going to ikeshima.

PS: thanks again for the recommandation, i will take note : )

[WizardOfOss]

From this list only been to Aomori and Yamadera, but al the others were already on my the pandemicmy focus has been more west though....
Not quite sure if I would consider Kusatsu a hidden gen though, from what I've heared they are dealing with quite some overtourism problems too.

As for Aomori, love the city, and you even skipped one of the most fun experiences there: Creating your own nokkedon fish bowl at the Furukawa fish market! I did visit the matsuri twice and it was amazing, though I wouldn't even consider it my favorite of the many Tohoku summer matsuri: As good as it is, I would still rank it behind Akita Kanto, Goshogawara Tachineputa and Hachinohe Sansha Taisai. Still, highly recommended, despite the hellish summer heat. Oh and when in Aomori, also make the trip to Shimokita hanto for Osorezan, what might just be the most outlandish place in all of Japan....

[vendesita]

Hello, I enjoy all your videos that I managed to watch so far. My question is regarding traveling around because it is really confusing for myself. On 02/07/2025 we are arriving from Okinawa to Kobe Airport. Here is my question:What is the best (cheapest) way to travel from Kobe Airport to Kyoto where our hotel is, close to the Central train station. Then we will need a pass to bring us between Osaka and Kyoto. From 02/07 to 06/07 we will be exploring Osaka, Kyoto mainly and anything else if we have time. On the 06/07we are going to Tokyo, where we will spend from 06/07 to 11/07, when we will fly from Haneda Airport. Please let me know, what pass or tickets should we buy(me, my husband, my daughter who is 16 years old) to cover all of our journey.

[gmm]

John lennon used to stay in Karuizawa when visiting Japan