off the beaten path Japan– tag –

Kanazawa gets mentioned. Nikko gets a day trip. But Japan's genuinely underrated prefectures — Yamagata, Shimane, Tottori, Tokushima, and Iwate — remain largely empty of foreign visitors despite holding some of the country's best temples, food, and landscapes. Here's what's there in 2026.

From the deep snow villages of Gokayama to Iya Valley's vine bridges and the mountain hot spring inn at Tsurunoyu, these are Japan's most genuinely isolated villages where you can actually spend the night in 2026.