People always ask me “Where is a nice place to visit in Japan?”
That’s a very difficult question to answer because it depends what you’re looking for! If you love the city perhaps you should be looking to 大阪 (おおさか) Osaka or 神戸 (こうべ) Kobe or even 東京 (とうきょう) Tokyo if you are a lover of huge cities!
If staying in a city with easy access to the countryside is more your cup of tea, then perhaps you should go for somewhere smaller like 熊本 (くまもと) Kumamoto or 福岡 (ふくおか) Fukuoka of course I gravitate towards 九州 (きゅうしゅう) Kyushu because that’s where I spent five years of my life but Japan has a lot to offer and there are lots of amazing places to visit.
I always tell people that when they visit they should really hire a car (and make sure to have the International driving permit) to really take in the country. You can have an amazing time touring the different areas and have the freedom to stop at the many amazing 道の駅 (みちのえき) having the freedom to jump out and take 写真 (しゃしん) photos along the way.
One of my favourite places in Japan is 高千穂峡 (たかちほかい) Takachiho Gorge is just South of where I used to live in 大分県 (おおいたけん) Oita prefecture, it is located in 宮崎県 (みやざきけん) Miyazaki prefecture. The view is stunning and you can take a boat to go down the river (whilst trying to avoid the 滝 (たき) waterfalls. It really is the perfect spot and just breathtaking. You will also be treated to an extremely beautiful drive to get there.
I would also suggest a trip to 阿蘇 (あそ) Aso and a visit to Aso Farmland. The whole area surrounds an active volcano, which recently erupted, but in general it’s a safe area and you can drive around the edge of the crater left from a super eruption 90,000 years ago, absolutely breathtaking. When I visited in 2013 I took my boyfriend with me and he fell in love with my Japanese home too. I think it’s easy to fall for such a beautiful place.
If you don’t want to drive then try out the amazing transport. If you want to visit Kyushu you can now get the 新幹線 (しんかんせん) shinkansen. This wasn’t available when I lived there but now the 桜(さくら) runs down the West coast through 熊本 (くまもと) Kumamoto down to 鹿児島 (かごしま) Kagoshima just taking that 新幹線 (しんかんせん) allows you to stop off at other beautiful areas on the way.
Finally, I think people worry a lot about the language, especially if they plan on going to the countryside. Try not to worry. Japanese people are so helpful and someone will be there to assist. With the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the Olympics in 2020 Japan is doing a lot of hard work to ensure that the English language and other languages are represented at least where these sporting events are being held. Don’t let language fears stop you!
Wherever you decide to go (Ahem: *Kyushu*) know that you will have an amazing time!
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