I holidayed like a local in Japan and didn’t touch Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto

Beyond the crowded streets of its best known cities, Japan has a wealth to offer visitors (Picture: Getty Images)

From Tokyo’s neon-lit streets to the world-leading restaurants of Osaka, Japan is the destination of dreams for millions of travellers.

But after a record-breaking year for tourist arrivals in 2024, the country is grappling with overtourism, and the challenges that come with it.

Kyoto has been dubbed the ‘seventh ring of hell’ as its cobbled streets buckle under the weight of surging visitors. And, in a crack down down on ‘paparazzi tourists’, the government is considering raising departure tax.

Yet there are whole swathes of Japan that remain largely undiscovered.

If you’re willing to veer off more well-trodden tracks, you’ll be rewarded with ancient hot springs, volcanic mountains and verdant forests — practically untouched by international travellers.

From the rolling hills of Nasu Highlands to the striking shrines of Nikko, I took the road less travelled in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Here’s my top tips for holidaying like a local in Japan, including the best onsens and and the small but charming spots that are worth your time.

A historic bridge in Nikko, a tiny city in Japan’s Tochigi Prefecture (Picture: Faima Bakar)

Onsens without the crowds

Hot springs are big business in Japan.

Known as onsens, they are essentially baths of volcanic spring water replete with natural minerals that claim to provide health benefits from stress relief to clearer skin.

Onsens are part of Japan’s self-care culture, but popular spots like Kurokawa and Beppu have become stiflingly crowded since the advent of TikTok.

A quieter alternative is Nasu, a sprawling mountain village where onsens have been on the go since the 8th-century. They are believed to be among the oldest in Japan.

Nikko and Nasu are in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo (Picture: Metro)

Located on the eastern slope of Mount Nasu, my top choice is Shika-no-Yu, the village’s oldest onsen which is still open to the public.

Bear in mind that all onsens require you to be totally naked (they’re gender segregated) and people with tattoos may be refused entry.

Some resorts also have in-house onsens (check before booking).

Bettei Kai, one of the locally-owned hotels I stayed at, had a private onsen I’d recommend to anyone.

As well as hot springs, Nasu, in the Tochigi prefecture north of Tokyo, boasts excellent hiking, skiing and artisanal cheese (the region is one of the biggest producers of cheese in Japan).

What a private onsen looks like (Picture: Faima Bakar)

Shrines

Did you really go to Japan if you didn’t visit any shrines? Across the country there are thousands of fascinating historical sites, most with no entry fee.

The crowds at temples like Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Taisha cause headaches for everyone, but you can wander in peace at Sessho-seki in Nasu.

Known as the Killing Stone and a short walk from the Shika-no-Yu onsen, this shrine is essentially a huge lava rock on the slope of Mount Nasu.

Legend from the Muromachi period has it that a fox with nine tails disguised itself as a beautiful woman and tried to kill the Emperor Toba.

After fleeing to Nasu, the demon vixen was vanquished and turned into a stone, late named Sessho-seki because many creatures died from the poisonous air it emitted. This place has been designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty.

The killing stone shrine (Picture: Faima Bakar)

While it’s stunning, be warned that there is a strong smell of sulphur in the area from the rocks.

In nearby Nikko, a one-hour drive, you’ll find the UNESCO World Heritage site Toshogu Shrine, as well as Futarasan-jinja Shrine and Rinnoji Temple all within walking distance of each other.

At the latter two are ‘matchmaking’ temples for couples who want to stay the course (not sure what happens if you’re single).

Another good choice is the Unganji Temple, a working monastery where monks train. It’s free to wander the grounds.

Cycling, hiking and the great outdoors

I’m not a natural cyclist , but Japan’s countryside sparked a love affair with bikes, namely the e-bike variety.

I recommend a tour with Rider Experience Inc, a multi-day cycling tour operator that takes you to ‘hidden Japan’. Packages include slow e-bike journeys, a foodie bike tour from Nasu to Nikko and a 12-day trip around the Tohoku region for the professionals among us.

My group cycled through bamboo forests, rice villages and the haiku field, once frequented by Matsuo Basho, one of Japan’s most famous Haiku poets.

If you fancy it, you can try writing your own Haiku, inspired by the dramatic landscapes that surround the field which influenced Matsuo.

Classic maple trees line the streets of Nasu and Nikko (Picture: Faima Bakar)

One of my favourite parts of this trip was riding through Nikko Kaido Cedar Avenue, registered by the Guinness World Records as the longest tree-lined road in the world.

A one-day private tour which includes lunch, harvesting experience and souvenir, as well as the renting of bikes is ¥38,500 Japanese Yen (£202).

There are also shorter alternatives, such as a three-hour tour which costs around £35. This is definitely worth it, especially if you do the Kitomana forest route where you may see Mount Fuji at sunset towards the end of your cycle.

Book via the Rider Experience website (all guides speak English).

The Japanese Highlands has exceptional natural beauty, with vibrant bursts of crimson, orange and yellow that rival the cherry blossoms the country is better known for.

But there are specific places you can go to for the perfect shot of Momiji — red maple trees that come to life towards the end of the year.

This includes the Shiobara Onsen area. While most go for the hot springs, it’s also a great place to stop and take in the view.

Pedestrian suspension bridges span the river nearby and offer sweeping views over the water and surrounding forest. The scenery is particularly beautiful from late October to early November during the autumn leaf season.

Another great area for foliage is Komadome Falls, which falls about twenty metres from a cliff on the Yosasa River. Its name means ‘waterfall where even the horses stop’.

The national forest, beloved by Japan’s royal family (Picture: Faima Bakar)

If you’re in the highlands, chances are you’re there to hike.

My favourite trek was in Heisei-no-Mori, a national park beloved by the Japanese royal family.

Nasu Heisei-no-Mori Forest consists of two areas: the Forest Recreation Zone and the Forest Learning Zone. The Forest Recreation Zone is free and open to anyone to roam around and explore. This zone features wheelchair-accessible paths, trails to the observation deck at Komadome Falls, and sheltered rest areas.

The Forest Learning Zone which is a big hike with a private guide giving you history and insight into the environment costs around around ¥10,000 (£52, depending on the size of the group).

The Forest Learning Zone is only accessible through guided walks with a nature expert as part of the park’s conservation efforts. I recommend the latter, especially as our guide was full of enthusiasm and interesting insights (we even found a discarded bear paw on the floor).

This hike is not difficult and lasts around 1.5 hours.

Food in Nasu and Nikko

Get ready to become an expert on chop sticks as these local eateries really are local (but don’t panic, you can ask for a fork if you fail).

Head to Tensui for delicious soba (buckwheat noodles), served cold or hot with freshly fried vegetable and prawn tempura. Meals cost between ¥1,000 (£5.23) and ¥2,999 (£15.69).

Over at restaurant Mizuhokura, expect kaiseki meals (Japanese traditional meals of different items arranged in various dishes), which include fish, rice topped with seaweed, pickled vegetables, fried chicken, tofu, and miso soup (be careful, the last one isn’t vegetarian like it is in other eateries).

My meal of local vegetables, egg, rice, miso soup cost ¥1,500 (£7.87).

A traditional kaiseki breakfast (Picture: Faima Bakar)

Over in Nikko, we had a private yuba (tofu skin) kaiseki dinner at Takaiya. Our group were the only diners, meaning we got a tailored experience of a traditional Japanese meal.

For a banquet cuisine featuring the full works you’re looking at prices from ¥7,260 (£38) for lunch and upwards of ¥9,680 (£50.68) for dinner.

Our meals – tofu and beancurd inspired meal with vegetables, fish, rice, soup and others – cost slightly more as the restaurant was open exclusively for us, costing ¥12,000 (£62).