Hard hike
Oshima and its Black Desert
Oshima is the largest island in the Izu peninsula. It has an active volcano surrounded by black desert... the only desert in Japan!
Lively
Oarai Shrine: Ocean Gateway
Oarai Shrine is also known as Kamiiso no Torii, the Gateway of the Sea God. It was established in 856 but rebuilt in 1690.
Easy walk
Motonosumi Inari Shrine
Motonosumi Inari Shrine is located in western Japan, far from the rest of the world. The nearest city, 80 kilometres away, is Yamaguchi. Never heard of it?
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
Haunting
Nichitsu Ghost Town
The abandoned tin-mining village, about 50 km from Chichibu in Saitama, can also be reached from Kofu in Yamanashi.
