Nihon a Budget

Japan beyond Tokyo, and on the cheap

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My Favourites

  • The Iya Valley

    The Iya Valley, made famous by the book “Lost Japan”, is a beautiful, ragged region in the heart of Shikoku where clear blue rivers cut down steep, wooded gorges, and homes perch up on the hillsides, linked only by winding switchback roads.

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    Shikoku
  • Toyako Onsen

    About half way between Hakodate and Sapporo you’ll find an almost circular lake with a handful of islands in the middle, and on the southern shore of that lake the resort town of Toyako Onsen. Lonely Planet describes it as “faded”, which is a pretty fair description, but if you’re a fan of either onsen or hiking (or, ideally, both) it’s well worth a stop.

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    Hokkaido
  • Aoshima

    Aoshima is a tiny island just off the west coast of Kyushu, south of the city of Miyazaki – and one of the loveliest places I’ve visited in all of Japan. Getting there is a bit of a pain, but if you’re visiting Kagoshima or Beppu, I’d recommend making a detour here.

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    Area Guides, Kyushu
  • Nagasaki

    Like Hiroshima, everybody knows of Nagasaki for one reason. And, also like Hiroshima, it’s the home to both an excellent museum documenting the nuclear attack and some moving memorials to the victims. But, away to the South, there’s much more to see besides – if you’re in Kyushu, it’s a city I wouldn’t want to miss.

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    Kyushu
  • Nara

    Nara, the capital of Japan before even Kyoto, is all about the parkland, temples and slightly hazardous deer (see also Miyajima). If you’re interested in Japan’s history or fascinated by beautiful temples – or even if you just want to see the world’s biggest bronze buddha, it’s well worth a trip.

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    Honshu

Staying

Ryokan

Ryokan are traditional Japanese inns; the key difference from a hotel (which in Japanese are ホテル - "hoteru") being that ryokan will…

Youth Hostels

I'm now the wrong side of 30 years old, and the prospect of staying in a super-cheap dormitory in order…

Business Hotels

Where the USA and UK have motels, Japan has the Business Hotel - and they're far nicer. In just about…

Travel

Trains and the Japan Rail Pass

If you want to visit multiple places in Japan, and do it on a budget, then the trains should be…

Cars and Car Rental

Trains will get you a very, very long way, and to most of the country – but sometimes there's more to…

Domestic Flights

Most international flights to Japan serve Tokyo and Osaka, so if you're heading to Hokkaido or Kyushu (Hokkaido in particular)…

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