Easy walk
Nomizo Falls: The Heart of Light
6.30am and Nomizo is quick to reveal itself. Little by little, a streak of light is emerging. Pretty impressive.
Dreamlike
Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu
Here’s a burst of colour for starters: Ritsurin in Takamatsu, one of the most beautiful gardens in the country.
Off the map
Futtsu Park
Futtsu has something special to offer (who’d have thought it!) – a park on a small narrow peninsula. By stretching things a little (6 kilometres anyway), you can reach the seaport of Yokosuka on the other side and make a complete tour of Tokyo Bay.
Frosty
Zao Fox Village
At Zao, in Miyagi prefecture, lies the answer to an eternal question: why do we say something is foxy!? With a hundred foxes roaming around, you'll have an extreme immersion experience.
Haunting
Kumamoto: Greenery and Limpid Water
Suizen-ji, Kumamoto Castle after the 2016 earthquake, limpid rivers and green valleys: a tour of Kumamoto Prefecture by car, train, boat and on foot, beyond the famous Laputa Road.
Haunting
Nichitsu Ghost Town
The abandoned tin-mining village, about 50 km from Chichibu in Saitama, can also be reached from Kofu in Yamanashi.
Haunting
The Abandoned Western Village in Japan
Exploration of the abandoned Western Village in Japan with three girls who enjoyed pretending to be part of a western movie.
Easy walk
Goshikinuma : Five Coloured Lakes
Goshikinuma is a hidden corner at the foot of the mountain in Fukushima prefecture, with five differently coloured volcanic lakes.
Easy walk
Yamanouchi: Chihiro, Monkeys & Onsen
My favourite film from the Ghibli studios is Spirited Away. A number of ryokan inspired this anime fantasy, particularly Kanaguya, near the famous Jigokudani monkeys in the town of Yamanouchi.
