Japan off the Beaten Path

There are two Japans. Everyone has seen the first one in photographs: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Fuji through the Shinkansen window. It deserves every visitor it gets. The second is less translated, less prepared to receive you in English, and it is where travellers go on their third trip. This guide is for them — and for anyone who wants to start differently. For the classic Japan, see our guide to travelling to Japan from Quebec.

Where does the lesser-known Japan begin?

In two places, mainly. Kyushu, the southern island: warmer, more volcanic, open to the outside world longer than anywhere else in the country. And Tohoku, northern Honshu: the least visited part of the main island, home to samurai villages, temples pinned to cliffs, and deep winters.

What is worth seeing in Kyushu?

Fukuoka first, regularly voted by its own residents the most liveable city in Japan. Its international airport is six metro minutes from the centre, a Japanese anomaly. Hakata ramen was born here: pork broth simmered for the better part of a day until it turns opaque, thin noodles cooked in thirty seconds. In the evening the yatai — some sixty covered stalls along the Naka River — make for the most sociable meal in Japan: you sit elbow to elbow on a stool and end up talking to your neighbour.

Then Beppu, world capital of hot springs, where steam rises from everywhere and gives the town a spectral look at dawn. Its eight jigoku — the "hells" — are too hot to bathe in but remarkable to see: one is cobalt blue from precipitated sulphate, another blood red from iron oxide. An hour away, Yufuin reverses everything: rice paddies, morning mist and small ryokan at the foot of Mount Yufu. We cover it too in our tour of the thermal baths of the world.

Further south, Mount Aso and one of the largest inhabited calderas on the planet — people farm and raise cattle inside the crater. And Nagasaki, where Christianity survived in secret through two and a half centuries of persecution, a port city mixed with Chinese, Portuguese and Dutch long before the rest of the country opened up.

And Tohoku?

Kakunodate has kept its samurai quarter intact, with weeping cherries that bloom two to three weeks after Kyoto's — the same spectacle, without the crowd. Yamadera is a temple built up a sandstone cliff, a thousand steps through the forest, and a view that justifies every one of them.

On the Sea of Japan, the Noto Peninsula is recovering from the January 2024 earthquake. The Shiroyone terraced rice fields step down to the water; ama divers still free-dive for abalone there, a two-thousand-year-old tradition. Wajima's morning market has been rebuilt. Check road conditions before you go: the region is still at work.

How does a ryokan work?

It is not a hotel with Japanese fittings, it is a temporary way of living. You sleep on a futon laid on tatami, you wear the yukata provided, you eat a kaiseki meal served in your room by the nakai. A few rules avoid missteps: shoes come off at the genkan, the yukata is closed left over right, and you shower completely before entering the onsen, which you enter naked and where hair must not touch the water. Flag dietary restrictions when you book, not on arrival — few ryokan can adapt without notice. Visible tattoos are still barred in several establishments; check before booking.

Which season should you pick?

Spring for the cherry blossom, with Tohoku's useful lag. Summer for the great northern matsuri — Nebuta in Aomori, Tanabata in Sendai, Kanto in Akita, all in early August. Autumn for the maples, often finer than the cherries and far less crowded. Winter for onsen in the snow, which for many travellers is the whole point.

How do you get there from Quebec?

No direct flights from Montreal. You connect through Tokyo, Seoul or Vancouver, then take the Shinkansen or a domestic flight. The Japan Rail Pass has not been sold in Japanese stations since 2023: you must buy it before departure, and whether it pays for itself depends entirely on the itinerary — on a trip concentrated in Kyushu, it often does not.

Spirits enthusiasts will want to graft on a distillery stop: see our Japanese whisky route.

Voyages AquaTerra holds a Quebec travel agent licence. Our clients benefit from the Compensation Fund for Customers of Travel Agents, under the conditions set out in the regulation. An adviser can line up the connections and book the ryokan that take no online reservations: 1-866-628-6241.

Frequently Asked Questions

More than in Tokyo or Kyoto, but it is not a barrier. Staff at traditional ryokan often speak little English. A few basic words and camera translation cover most of it, and an adviser can handle the bookings for you.
It depends on the itinerary. It has not been sold in Japanese stations since 2023, so it must be bought before departure. On a trip concentrated in Kyushu, individual tickets often come out cheaper. On a Kyushu-to-Tohoku route that crosses the country, the pass earns its keep.
Yes, with a prepared itinerary. Kyushu is in fact a good entry point: fewer people, a slower rhythm, and Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Beppu and Aso cover a lot of ground in a week. Many travellers arrive through Tokyo for two or three days, then head south.
No. The Jigokudani macaques have their own pool and visitors watch from the path. Bathing with them is neither allowed nor possible.
Yes, part of the region welcomes visitors again and the Wajima morning market has been rebuilt. Some access remains disrupted, so check road conditions before fixing your route.
In several establishments, yes. Visible tattoos are barred. Some ryokan accept cover patches, others offer private baths. Settle it when you book, never on arrival.
Autumn for the maples, and late spring in Tohoku, where the cherries bloom two to three weeks after Kyoto. Winter in the northern onsen is the quietest season and arguably the finest.