I first fell in love with Japan 10 years ago while working at Kafuu Resort, a hotel on the main island of Okinawa, a subtropical island chain located far southwest of mainland Japan. Once an independent Ryukyu Kingdom, the islands only became part of Japan in the late 19th century, so the experience here feels completely different from anywhere else in the country.
Since then, I’ve built a career focused on connecting travelers with the destinations I love across Asia as a travel advisor, and Japan always calls me back to explore different corners—beyond the well-trod Golden Route of Tokyo, Kyoto, and the hot-springs region of Hakone (which are absolutely worth visiting, but receive more than their fair share of visitors).
One of my favorite trips that I like to share with others is a 10-day journey I took with my brother, some friends and their siblings through the lesser visited Gifu & Ishikawa Prefectures, which we did in the fall. In Japan, each season has its distinct rituals and charm, with autumn being my favorite—but you can visit in any season and be rewarded. Leaving from Tokyo, this route took us to four very special places: Takayama in the Japanese Alps, known for its preserved Edo-period towns, mountain landscapes, and deep craft traditions; Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage village famous for its thatched gassho-zukuri houses; onward to Kanazawa, a cultural hub on the sea of Japan, known for its samurai districts, gardens and contemporary art; and finally to Kaga Onsen, a historic hot-spring area surrounded by countryside and traditional ryokan. Together, these destinations form a seamless loop that shows a quieter, more intimate side of Japan.
Our group started in Tokyo, staying at K5, a boutique hotel with large Noguchi-style paper lanterns in each room, and a vinyl record playing as you walk in. It is located in the old financial district, Nihonbashi, walking distance from Ginza and Tokyo Station, which has become a neighborhood full of cute cafes (like Parklet Bakery) and bars (OMNIPOLLOS and AKAI BAR in K5). In the morning, we grabbed food for the train (my go-to for any time of day: iced coffee and egg sandwich from 7-11) and headed for Nagoya (a little over 1.5 hours). From there, we transferred to the scenic train bound for Takayama.
TAKAYAMA (GIFU Prefecture)
Takayama is a small town surrounded by mountains in the Gifu prefecture, known for its beautifully preserved Edo-period streets, morning markets, and traditional festivals. And the town’s alpine setting produces some of Japan’s best sake, made with the pure mountain water that flows down from the surrounding peaks. It’s worth a visit in any season—in spring, cherry blossoms frame the old town (a great alternative to Kyoto to take in the blooms) and the famous Sanno Matsuri sweeps through the streets with ornate floats; summer brings lush greenery and cool mountain air; while winter transforms Takayama into a quiet, snow-covered village with cozy ryokans and warming regional dishes. In fall, it comes alive with fiery orange and red leaves.
Following the river, start at the Kusakabe Traditional House before working your way to the morning market and then down to the old townscape of Hidatakayama Sanmachi Historic District, home to beautifully preserved wooden buildings from the Edo Period.
Kusakabe Traditional House – A former merchant’s house now turned museum featuring household objects and folk art from the Edo period
Miyagawa Morning Market – A farmers market along the river, a great place to buy produce for a picnic or, in my case, hand-woven slippers from old kimono fabric.
Hida Takayama knife shop Konoha – A really charming knife shop, close to the morning market where you might buy a knife to cut your fruit for your picnic with.
Nakabashi Bridge – A landmark within the Sanmachi Historic District. Make sure to cross the red bridge to take in the beautiful architecture along the river.
Aji-no-Yohei – Another “delicacy” in the area is Hida beef, which this restaurant is famous for, along with their sake selection.
Pen Shop IMAI – I love this shop for its vast collection of pens and stationery.
Sake breweries – You really can’t go wrong with any of the sake breweries in town, most of which will allow you to sample what they have on offer for a few hundred yen. We really liked Kawashiri Sake Brewery & Harada Brewery.
Takayama Jinya, a restored government building that has a beautiful Japanese garden, also great for leaf peeping.
Walk to Hie Shrine for a peaceful break in the day.
Just outside of town is Hida no Sato Open Air Museum, home to more than 30 traditional buildings that have been moved here from throughout the Hida region.
Where to stay:
We stayed at Hotel Wood Takayama, located just outside of Sanmachi Historic District, which has its own onsen and really welcoming open spaces where we enjoyed their complimentary evening sake tasting and traditional Japanese breakfast in the morning.
A bit north of the historic district is Hidatei Hanaougi, known for its onsens.
SHIRAKWAWA GO (Gifu Prefecture)
Something to note is that travel between Takayama and Kanazawa is not typically done by train and it often includes a stop at Shirakawa-go, famous for its “gassho-zukuri” houses.
The most direct and convenient way to get to Kanazawa (with the stop at Shirakawa-go) is by highway bus. The journey works in two simple legs: Takayama to Shirakawa-go (about 50 minutes by bus) then Shirakawa-go to Kanazawa (about 1 hour 15 minutes by bus). Despite taking the highway, the views the entire way are amazing. Alternatively, this route can also be done by car. You would need to rent a vehicle in Takayama and drop it in Kanazawa, or arrange a private transfer.
As you descend into the valley village of Shirakawa-go you are greeted by its famous rooftops, the “gassho-zukuri” houses meaning “praying hands construction,” named for the steep, thatched roofs that resemble hands pressed together in prayer, designed to withstand heavy snowfall and, in earlier times, provide spacious attics for cultivating silkworms. In recent years, Shirakawa-go has become quite popular, bringing in large crowds, but I think it’s still worth a visit, especially when you stay overnight in one of the historic gassho-zukuri homes and wake before the tourists arrive, which is what we did.
Once again, the best thing to do is wander around the very tiny town, where there are shops selling handmade souvenirs like slippers and baskets. Below are a few of my favorite places:
Wada House – A preserved historic home in the gassho-style (thatched A- frame homes) on farm land that is still in use. The second story window is great for taking in the views of the rest of the gassho-style buildings.
Shirakawago Three Houses – Best for photo ops of the A-frame homes, set among the changing seasons, in winter it feels like you are in a snowglobe.
Ochūdo Cafe – Run by an elderly couple, this cafe serves Japanese curry, and great coffee that combines well with their decadent butter toast
Ogimachi Castle Observation Deck – Not to be missed and a short walk uphill, take in the views of the whole village in any season).
Where to stay
We stayed at Iccha, a husband-and-wife-run ryokan, where we slept on tatami mats and enjoyed traditional Japanese dinner & breakfast. Outside of our room there was a small pond, which had a patio to take in the persimmons that were hanging to dry (a perk of visiting in fall).
A bit bigger than Iccha and along the river is another traditional ryokan, Gassho no Yado Magoemon
KANAZAWA (Ishikawa Prefecture)
Kanazawa is often compared to Kyoto, due to its own historic Higashi Chaya District (known for its Geisha performances) and the Nagamachi Samurai District. But It’s truly a city that stands on its own, with incredible seafood, modern art museums, local craftsmen (and now also its fair share of visitors).
Kanazawa Castle Park – A historic castle complex surrounded by scenic gardens, at its most stunning in the fall when the trees surrounding the park turn fiery gold.
Omicho Market – One of my favorite places in the city and a great place to enjoy the freshly caught high-quality seafood that the city is known for, such as the snow crab, which is a local specialty in winter.
The Nomura-ke Samurai Heritage Residence offers a window into what a traditional house a samurai family home was like, with its wooden architecture, tatami rooms, and sliding shoji screens that open onto a small landscaped inner garden filled with koi fish.
Kenroku-en – Designed to be beautiful in any season, a must visit while you are in town, famous for being one of only 3 perfect gardens in Japan, a title earned because it combines six classical attributes of a perfect landscape garden: spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, water features, and sweeping panoramas.
Pizza in Japan is one of my favorite things to enjoy in any city, with most chefs training in Italy to perfect their craft and then returning home to make the best pizza you’ve ever had. Pizza SALINA (named for the owner’s grandfather, who was a salt maker—salina means means salt fields) is another gem, which makes Neapolitan-style pizza.
Kanazawa is a city of craftsman known for Gold Leaf (Kinpaku), Lacquerware (Wajima-nuri), Kaga Yuzen Dyeing and partaking in those crafts is a great way to get an understanding of the city:
Kanazawa produces over 99% of Japan’s gold leaf, you can visit the Kanazawa Yasue Gold Leaf Museum to participate in a gold-leaf workshop. And Kaga Yuzen Dyeing can be experienced at the Kaga Yuzen Kimono Center, where you can try dyeing.
There are a few amazing art museums in town:
KAMU KANAZAWA for contemporary art: everything from immersive installations to sculpture, ceramics, and sound/light art, including Leandro Erlich’s Infinite Staircase, a signature site-specific installation at KAMU Center.
Kanazawa Noh Museum is home to masks & kimonos used in Noh theater, a tradition dating to the 14th century. Grab a coffee at nearby Logic or at one one otta afterward.
Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art – Modern & large-scale displays of Japanese & international art (there is a James Turrell exhibit there)- the building itself is also a work of art.
D.T. Suzuki Museum is a museum dedicated to Kanazawa-born Buddhist philosopher D. T. Suzuki, which has a quiet reflecting pool.
Where to stay:
OMO5 – Part of the Hoshinoya brand, the OMO5 chain has affordable properties throughout Japan – this location was centrally located on a pedestrian street downtown.
Yamanoo – A traditional ryokan located around the corner from Higashi Chaya District, located on a small hill you can take in the roofs of the historic district from above.
Korinkyo Kanazawa – A minimalist former art gallery turned into boutique hotel
KAGA ONSEN (Ishikawa Prefecture)
A quick train ride from Kanazawa, Kaga Onsen is a series of four hot-spring villages that feel like a time warp. We stayed in Yamashiro Onsen, which is only a 10-minute taxi from the train station. There is a local bus that connects the onsen towns (cash only), all of which are a short drive from one another. A worthwhile stop is the nearby Natadera Temple that has incredible gardens, especially in the fall—a whole afternoon could be spent wandering the grounds. The area is known for its lacquerware, which can be found predominantly in Yamanka Onsen along the main street.
Yamashiro Onsen
Known for its historic sento, a traditional public bathhouse, with wood interiors and stained glass windows with two communal baths, this tiny village is a great jumping off point for the rest of the area.
Where to eat
Choraku – Amazing Izakaya
Iburu Yakitori – Definitely the meal highlight for us, this cozy yakitori spot was locals only when we went and ordered everything off the small menu.
Kame Sushi – Fantastic sushi
Where to stay
Hoshino Resorts KAI Kaga – Located in front of the town’s public sento is KAI Kaga, where we stayed. The rooms are spacious (all 48 of them) and on site there is an onsens, kintsugi repair experience, and a tea ceremony in the historic tea room.
Beniya Mukayu Ryokan – Much smaller than KAI Kaga, with only 16 rooms. A destination in itself, it’s a traditional ryokan that overlooks the town. There are a few bath options and gardens onsite. I have had friends honeymoon there and not leave the property.
Yamanaka Onsen – My personal favorite of the onsen towns, due to the nature surrounding it and the abundance of lacquerware stores. There is a beautiful walk along the Kakusenkei Gorges that leads to Kakusenkei Kawadoko, a tatami-mat open-seating cafe serving drinks/pastries (1-2 choices of each), alongside the flowing river and a small waterfall. We walked up to Mugen-an, a former samurai residence in the Kaga domain.
There is also amazing access to craftsman experiences like at Mokume, where you can try your hand at woodworking. If making your own bowl is not your thing, you can find amazing options at GATOMIKIO. One of the reasons I was so drawn to this area was because of the Wagatabon trays, a style of wooden trays known for their distinct ridges across the grain, mostly carved from chestnut, which I read about in Hannah Kirshner’s Water, Wood, and Wild Things. I popped into many stores along the main road until I found what I was looking for at Bunpeido Laquerware Store.
Where to stay:
Kayotei – The pinnacle and definitely the one you should prioritize staying at, every inch of the ryokan is highly thought out. One of Kayotei’s standout features is its strong partnership with local artisans. Guests can arrange visits with local craftsmen for wood-turning, washi (Japanese paper) making, and lacquer work.
Hanamurasaki – Next door to Kayotei, blending traditional Japanese elements with contemporary design and each guest room offers views of the Kakusenkei Gorge.
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