“At Satoyama Juyo —a modern ryokan housed in a lovingly refurbished 150-year-old farmhouse in Niigata—the first ritual is the bath. As I lower myself into the open-air onsen, bounded by whispering trees, the setting sun paints the mountains in amber hues. Though just over an hour from Tokyo, this place feels a world away. Later, as evening deepens, I make my way to the nearby river where a flutter of fireflies performs a luminescent ballet.

After nearly two decades of calling Tokyo home, Japan continues to reveal itself to me in layers. The capital’s labyrinthine sprawl—more a patchwork of village-like neighborhoods than monolithic metropolis—remains endlessly fascinating, with izakayas tucked into narrow alleys and century-old shops wedged between gleaming towers. But it was during the pandemic’s forced stillness, when the borders shut for three years, that I began venturing deeper into Japan’s peripheral spaces.”

There’s so much to discover in Japan. It’s no surprise that the country was named the #1 travel destination for the third consecutive year in the 2025 @cntraveler’s Reader’s Choice Awards.

But if you’ve only visited Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka, consider this your invitation to venture further. The depth of culture, cuisine, and landscape in lesser-known regions is staggering. I wrote an essay about my newfound excitement for exploring the countryside, inspired by recent visits to places like @engawa.yamanakaonsen @hanamurasaki_official @satoyamajujo @tenkunomori @sanei_1933 and more.

Link in bio and:
https://www.cntraveler.com/story/uncovering-japan