The Kansai area is really an overlooked gem. I’ve lived here for a decade and I still have not seen all that the area has to offer. Just recently, I took advantage of a drop in COVID cases to go see Hikone Castle and Wakayama Castle for the first time, but the list of things to see just goes on and on. And everything is within about an hour’s train ride, too. You can even go to Hiroshima in an hour by bullet train.
I can see why people from overseas would want to go and experience Tokyo, but Kansai keeps people coming back.
I was thinking the same, i’d rather go to places that aren’t tourist traps. I don’t mind crowds but i certainly dislike it when everything is presented to entice tourists rather than have locations and businesses be naturally interesting and good. The one and only time i visited Japan i think the time i had the least fun was when i was in Tokyo, not that i hated it but i found other places much more fascinating.
The one big thing that i did that was pretty fun was seeing the Yokosuka Baystars play i’m not into sports normally but i had a blast. Besides that most of my time was spent hiking by temples and exploring side streets and little businesses
One thing I made a point of when first visiting with my son was that we weren’t going to just hit the tourist hotspots. 2 days in Tokyo to get grounded (and one day failing to climb Fuji because of bad weather) then we headed north - this was August, so Sendai, Ishinomaki and then Hakodate were welcome respites.
Second visit we managed to climb Fuji, then cycled the Shimanami Kaido. Subsequent solo trips I’ve come to love Nara & Osaka, got really lucky as the annual Shōsō-in exhibition was on in Nara - mindblowing.
Since then I’ve gotten really attached to Kyushu - Beppu, Aso, Kumamoto, Kagoshima and Fukuoka. So different from the UK, but somehow feels like home from home.
i’m not into sports normally but i had a blast. Besides that most of my time was spent hiking by temples and exploring side streets and little businesses