Travel outside Tokyo and Kyoto: Japan's fascinating remote regions

Kawagoe

Walk in the shoes of a traditional Japanese – literally – in Kawagoe​, a small town that is just a 30-minute train ride from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo and a world away in atmosphere.

Here in Saitama Prefecture you can take a step back in time to the Edo period (1603 - 1868), with visits to traditional sword and knife shops and sampling traditional Japanese foods from street market stalls.

Many old storehouses and warehouses dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries have been maintained and restored, and visitors can hire kimonos for a day – attracting attention not from locals, who are used to such bizarre spectacles, but from other Japanese visitors.

Visitors can visit the rustic Matsumoto soy sauce factory and take in the pungent aromas, or check out the town's bell tower, which dates back to the 1600s.

A retro-style bus makes regular loops of all the major tourist attractions although you'll certainly want to stroll down "Kashiya Yokocho" (Penny Candy Alley) with its 20+ traditional-style sweet shops.

Kawagoe is also a good alternative base to staying in expensive Tokyo hotels – many of the locals commute to the capital each day.

Sado Island

A hydrofoil trip (one hour) or ferry ride (2 1/2 hours) away from Niigata​, a busy Japanese city on the Japan Sea, Sado Island is home to temples, historic ruins and small villages, like the fascinating fishing hamlet of Shukunegi​, where many old buildings remain intact.

This is a remote, quiet area, little visited by overseas tourists although popular with Japanese vacationers looking for a traditional holiday experience.

The island is home to the world-famous Kodo group of Taiko drummers, and a school where visitors can learn the rudiments of playing. There's also an interesting old gold mine that is now a tourist attraction with animated robots playing the roles of the miners.

Urashima is a lovely resort overlooking the water and its restaurant, in an adjacent building, specialises in superb local seafood.

There are several spa resorts dotted over the island – Japan's sixth-largest – and several ryokan (traditional inns). Many have views of the island's mountain ranges and Lake Kamo.

Back on the mainland, the coastal strip outside Niigata city is known as the Niigata Wine Coast, and is home to five wineries making western-style wines, a surprise in a nation best-known for sake and whisky production. The Cave d'Occi winery offers a fascinating tourism experience.

Hida Takayama

This small mountain town in Gifu Prefecture is a delightful rural escape and slice of the real Japan. It boasts beautiful old homes, two morning markets, alpine air, a delightful river; and several affordable restaurants where you can match local sakes with Hida beef.

The best places to stay in this region are the traditional ryokan, or Japanese inns, like Hotakaso Yamano-an, where you sleep on a futon on the floor and can bathe in the open air pools with views of the Japanese Alps. Dinner here is a traditional Kaiseki meal of multiple courses featuring fresh local ingredients, including fish from local streams and sansai (wild mountain vegetables).

There is a magnificent temple downtown. Hida-Kokubunji Temple is the oldest structure in the town and has a three-level pagoda beside a ginko tree that is over 1200 years old.

Hida Takayama looks at its prettiest in winter, when snowflakes descend and coat the town in white.

Getting there

Qantas flies twice daily to Tokyo via Sydney (Sydney-Haneda) or Brisbane (Brisbane-Narita).

Winsor Dobbin was a guest of Tobu Top Tours and the Hokuriku Shinkansen operators, and was assisted by Qantas.

See also: 20 things that will shock first-time visitors to Japan

See also: Six of the best uniquely Japanese experiences