Japanese lakeside and river towns off the beaten path.
Less-touristed lakeside and river towns in Japan, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
Otsu
Enryaku-ji, the ancient headquarters of the Tendai Buddhist sect on Mount Hiei, draws visitors to this lakeside prefectural capital in Shiga, Japan.
Kurokawa Onsen
Forested valley in Kumamoto's uplands holds this atmospheric hot-spring village, where multi-storey timber ryokan line a modest river and visitors stroll the…
Kinosaki
Lantern-lit canal lined with traditional multi-storey inns, willow-draped stone embankments, and an arched bridge reflected in still water makes this compact…
Sengokuhara
Low-rise town spread across a broad upland valley in Hakone, Japan, with densely forested volcanic peaks rising on all sides, a caldera lake visible in the d…
Kurashiki
Kurashiki's historic canal district — lined with white-walled merchant storehouses dating to the Edo period — is one of the most photographed streetscapes in…
Kuwana
This Japanese city in Mie Prefecture where a broad river meets the bay, offering elevated viewpoints over patchwork rice fields, winding waterways, and a low…
Omihachiman
On the eastern shore of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, Omihachiman is a Japanese city known for its merchant heritage — the Omi merchants were among feudal J…
Nagahama
This walkable street of dark-timber merchant buildings and café-lined arcades draws visitors through Nagahama's historic core, a lakeside city in Shiga Prefe…
Matsue
Matsue Castle, one of the last surviving feudal castles from the Tokugawa era, anchors this lakeside city in Shimane Prefecture on Japan's Honshu island.
Niimi
A compact Japanese town spread along a river valley between forested hills, with cherry blossoms framing elevated views over the low-rise centre and a walkab…
Ozu
A hilltop viewpoint above this Ehime town rewards visitors with a sweeping panorama of low-rise rooftops, a bridged river curving through the valley floor, a…
Mishima
A mid-size Japanese city spread across a broad river plain, viewed from surrounding hills, with a lively dining scene, easy access to upland country, and UNE…
Hikone
A traditional Japanese pond garden with autumn maples, a timber pavilion at the water's edge, and a white castle keep crowning the wooded hill above make thi…
Kurume
A sprawling Japanese city spread across a flat plain in Fukuoka Prefecture, Kurume offers a lively eating and drinking scene, a riverside setting, and easy a…
Ibara
A compact Japanese town in Okayama Prefecture where a winding river lined with cherry blossom trees curves around low-rise rooftops, all set within a bowl of…
Nakatsugawa
This mid-size Japanese city in Gifu's forested uplands, where low-rise urban streets spread across a broad river valley ringed by densely wooded hills, offer…
Katori-shi
Katori, in Chiba Prefecture, is home to Katori Shrine and the historic merchant town of Sawara, whose canal-lined streets are designated a Preservation Distr…
Komatsushimacho
This working Japanese port town on the Kii Strait, where fishing boats line a calm river channel and low-rise buildings give way to forested hills rising in…
Inawashiro
Inawashiro sits on the shore of Lake Inawashiro, Japan's fourth largest lake, where beach resorts, swimming, camping, and boating draw visitors to this compa…
Abiko
A Japanese city on the shores of a broad lake, where a long arched bridge reflects in calm water, fireworks festivals light the night sky, and green parkland…
Tsuchiura
Sitting on the shore of Lake Kasumigaura — the second largest lake in Japan — Tsuchiura is a city in Ibaraki Prefecture with a walkable centre of cafés and r…
Kameoka
A city in Kyoto Prefecture where visitors can ride a scenic railway through a dramatic river gorge, explore ancient stone castle ruins, and drift downstream…
Hita
A riverside town in Ōita Prefecture's hill country, Hita draws visitors with elaborately decorated festival floats bearing life-size costumed figures, a walk…
Meguro City
A canal lined with dense rows of flowering cherry trees draws crowds of strollers each spring through this residential Tokyo ward, which also offers a thrivi…
Komae
This compact city on the Tama River in western Tokyo is the smallest administrative city in the metropolis by both area and population, with the river and su…
Nakatsu
White-walled castle tower in this northern Kyushu city offers sweeping views over a low-rise townscape, a bridged river mouth, and the open sea beyond, with…
Chino
A city in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, with scenic surrounds that include the Yatsugatake mountains, Shirakaba Lake, the Tateshina highlands, and Kurumayama — m…
Tsuyama
A mid-size Japanese city in Okayama Prefecture where a large wooded castle hill rises dramatically from the urban grid, bordered by a river and offering walk…
Towada
Towada, in Aomori Prefecture, is the gateway city for Lake Towada and the Oirase Stream, two of the scenic highlights of the Towada-Hachimantai National Park.
Echigawa
A former post town on the historic Nakasendō highway, Echigawa sits beside a river with surrounding hills, offering a compact centre and easy access to the w…
Ichinoseki
This city in Iwate Prefecture's Tōhoku region where broad volcanic rock formations line a clear river corridor through dense summer forest, with UNESCO World…
Inagi
This western Tokyo city along the Tama River where traditional Shinto shrines stand amid suburban greenery, a riverside amusement park adds a lively edge, an…
Ōnojō-shi
A mid-size Japanese city in Fukuoka Prefecture where a calm river with grassy banks winds through a low-rise urban landscape, with a backdrop of distant moun…
Yanagawa
Pole-guided wooden boats drift along narrow canals flanked by white-walled buildings and lush greenery in this Fukuoka town, where waterway cruising is the d…
Tama
This mid-size Japanese city on the western edge of Tokyo's metropolis, where a broad river winds through grassy banks beside a low-rise and high-rise skyline…
Iizuka
This mid-size Japanese city in Fukuoka Prefecture where two rivers meet on a broad grassy floodplain, backed by low mountain ridges, and well-placed for expl…
Maibara
A compact Shiga Prefecture town where bullet trains streak past snow-dusted mountains, sitting close to Lake Biwa's northern shore with easy access to the wi…
Agematsu
This pocket-sized town in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, sits along the Kiso River, with the Kiso Komagatake peak of the Central Alps rising at its eastern edge.
Kusatsu
A city on the shores of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest freshwater lake, this Kusatsu in Shiga Prefecture is often confused with the famous hot spring resort of t…
Fukuchiyama
A mid-sized city in northern Kyoto Prefecture where a concrete civic core gives way to riverside scenery, upland countryside, and a lively dining scene worth…
Atsugi
This mid-size Japanese city in Kanagawa Prefecture with a lively dining scene, a riverside setting, and easy access to the upland country and World Heritage…
Kizugawa
City in southern Kyoto Prefecture served by a distinctively curved modern JR station, Kizugawa sits along the Kizu River with upland country close by and UNE…
Ome
Mid-size Japanese city on Tokyo's western edge where a modern civic centre gives way to upland river country, offering a practical base for exploring the for…