Japan: Five emerging cities to visit
(Kanazawa)
Japan is becoming ever more popular with British travellers and it's not just the more well-known destinations that are piquing our interest.
Forget Tokyo for a minute because there are plenty of other fascinating places to discover all over the beautiful country.
See also: Family holidays: Unusual places to take the kids
See also: Ten places that are just as good in winter as they are in summer
Along with the help of our friends at TripAdvisor we have put together a list of five emerging, must-see cities in Japan.
Searches for holidays in the cities below are increasing at a rate of knots, so take a look to see which one you fancy visiting!
Kanazawa
Kanazawa, on the west coast of Japan, is home to ancient Samurai history where the highest ranking social caste of military nobility lived and ruled for over 700 years in the 1100s. Also known as Little Kyoto, Kanazawa is the capital city of Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture.
Today, Kanazawa is the only place where the Samurai presence remains and visitors can still see the remaining homes.
What to see:Kanazawa Castle, one of the largest relics of the Samurai age, is located right at the heart of the city. The castle is next to the famous Kenrokuen Garden, renowned for its beautiful ponds and streams. This place comes into its own during the Sakura season when the cherry-blossoms are in full bloom. Not too far away sits the Myoryuji Ninja Temple which was built to protect the Emperor in dangerous times. With hidden staircases, secret passages, escape routes and pinholes there's plenty to see.
Where to stay: Toyoko Inn Kanazawa Kenrokuen Korinbo (recommended by travellers for its location, value and cleanliness) Ryokan Yamamuro (recommended by travellers for its great hosts, warm service and central location) – both bookable on TripAdvisor at an average rate of £47 and £79 per night 2
Where to eat: Kanazawa is known for its fresh seafood. Morimorizushi Kanazwa-ekimaeten is one of the most popular restaurants for high quality sushi but at affordable prices. A great izakaya (Japanese gastro pub) option would be Itaru Honten, which is famous for its Japanese sake pairings and use of local ingredients.
What not to miss: Kanazawa Jazz Street 2016 takes place in the middle of September featuring over 200 jazz concerts performed in the city centre for four consecutive days by some of the world's leading jazz artists and university bands.
How to get there: To get to Kanazawa, travellers will need to fly to Tokyo. It is then a short 2.5 – 3 hour bullet train ride on the JR Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kanazawa.
Ishigaki
Ishigaki is an island hub known for its beaches and great diving sites where you can find rare corals, located in Japan's south western Okinawa Prefecture.
What to see: The jewel of the island is Kabira Bay on the north coast, an ideal location for a dreamy tropical holiday, with turquoise waters and white sand. Not far from the bay stands Mount Omotodake, which, at 528 metres, offers hikers magnificent views of the island and surrounding reefs. At the Tamatorizaki Observatory, visitors are able to get a panoramic view of the island.
Where to stay:Hotel Patina Ishigakijima (recommended by travellers for its location and value) and Club Med Kabira Beach (recommended by travellers for its vicinity to the beach and service) are bookable on TripAdvisor for an average rate of £71 and £386 per night.
Where to eat: Ishigaki beef is the island's most famous specialty and meat lovers should head to Sumibiyakiniku Yamamoto for the beef steak special. Yaeyama soba is another popular dish – its taste and texture is different to soba on the mainland. A good place to try this is Akaishi Shokudo. If you are at an izakaya, try Awamori an alcoholic beverage indigenous to Okinawa which is distilled from long grain indica rice.
What not to miss: Experience Okinawan culture with the Hounensai harvest festival that takes place between mid-July and early August. This is one of the most important festivals in Ishigaki where locals pray for a rich harvest, ceremoniously bearing the hatagashira flag poles in a street parade.
Other highlights of the festival include traditional dance, a staged warrior battle performance and a public tug-of- war contest that anyone present is able to participate in.
How to get there: Domestic flights to Ishigaki are available via Tokyo Haneda to Naha Airport in Okinawa – this takes about 2.5 hours – followed by another hour-long flight to New Ishigaki Airport.
Takayama
Not far from Kanazawa is Takayama, which is also on Japan's official 'Samurai route' but tucked away in the mountains of Hida in the Gifu Prefecture. Takayama is a beautiful castle town known for its well-preserved old merchant districts from the Edo-period (1603-1868). Sannomachi Street, which is located in the old town, is lined with ancient wooden houses, museums, coffee houses and shops selling traditional crafts and food specialties. To experience the picturesque Hida countryside, you can consider booking the Satoyama Experience tour, a private tour where you can cycle through local villages, rice fields and lovely Japanese homes.
What to see: With its cold climate and the crystal clear mountain water nearby, Takayama has the perfect conditions for producing high quality Japanese sake.
Where to stay:Ryokan Tanabe (recommended by travellers for its authentic ryokan experience, service and location) bookable on TripAdvisor for an average rate of £194 per night.
Where to eat: Hida beef is a specialty of the Gifu prefecture. Meat lovers should visit Ajilkuratengoku to savour this through an authentic Japanese barbeque experience.
What not to miss: The Takayama Matsuri Autumn Festival takes place in October and is held after the crops have been harvested. The festival is known for the large ornate floats, or yatai, that roam around the city at night. These date back to the 17th century and are intricately decorated with detailed wood carvings, lacquering and ornate metal-work. The festival is also known for the puppet performances, operated by strings and push rods from within these floats.
How to get there: Getting to Takayama is fairly easy by bullet train on the JR Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagoya which takes approximately two hours. You'll then need to take the hour and a half transfer on the JR Hida limited express train to Takayama.
Visitors can also fly to Kanazawa and take the JR limited express train and Shinkansen to Takayama via Toyama station which takes just over two hours.
Nagasaki
Nagasaki is the largest city and capital of Japan's Nagasaki Prefecture. It is surrounded by mountains and the sea providing for amazing scenic views wherever you look. The city has a somber history dating back to the second World War, when it was devastated by an atomic bomb. The atomic bomb disaster is heavily documented at the Nagasaki Bomb Museum. To get a 360 degree view of the city, visitors can ride a cable car to the summit of Mount Inasa, which is beautiful both in the day and at night.
What to see:Hashima Island is the sinister-looking island that features in the 2012 James Bond movie 'Skyfall', as the deserted hideout for its villain Raoul Silva. Visitors can take a boat tour to Hashima Island, an abandoned island also known as 'Battleship Island'. Known for its undersea coal mines, the island was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2015.
Where to stay: Richmond Hotel Nagasaki Shianbashi (recommended by travellers for it location and cleanliness) and Fujiwara Ryokan (recommended by travellers for its location, value and warm service) bookable on TripAdvisor for an average rate of £83 and £70 per night.
Where to eat: Champon (pronounced 'Chan-pon') is Nagasaki's regional noodle dish made with fried pork, seafood, vegetable and chicken in a pork broth. A great place to try this is at Shirairo and fans of Chawanmushi (steamed custard egg) should also pay Yossou a visit.
What not to miss: Nagasaki Kunchi which takes place from 7 to 9 October is the city's main highlight, a festival celebrating the autumn harvest that spills into the streets. It has been celebrated annually for 400 years and incorporates dance and performances by groups that represent Nagasaki's various districts. These districts take turns to participate once every seven years so the festivities stay fresh.
How to get there: You can fly to Nagasaki Airport from Tokyo Haneda in just over an hour and a half.
Fujikawaguchiko-machi (Mount Fuji)
Fujikawaguchiko is a resort town located on the northern part of Mount Fuji. It surrounds Lake Kawaguchi, one of the famous Fuji Five Lakes around the mountain. The area is also home to plenty of hot springs, bathhouses and scenic golf courses.
Many hikers use Fujikawaguchiko as a starting point for climbing the volcano along the Yoshida Trail. For music-lovers, the Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum will enchant and beguile with its exquisite music boxes, organs and other instruments.
What to see: The last time Mount Fuji erupted was in December 1707.
Where to stay:Lakeside Kawaguchiko Sunnide Resort (recommended by travellers for its service and good views) and Konansou (recommended by travellers for its authentic ryokan experience and service) bookable on TripAdvisor for an average rate of £241 and £317 per night.
Where to eat: Pumpkin Hoto is a popular local noodle soup from the Yamanashi Prefecture that is served in a big iron pot. To give this a try, visitors should visit Kosaku Hoto Kosaku, which is highly recommended by travellers on TripAdvisor.
What not to miss: With Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchiko as your backdrop, the Fuji Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival (Oct 31 – Nov 23) is the perfect time to visit and to admire the colours of the season. Fujikawaguchiko literally turns red during this time as the maple leaves change colour.
How to get there: Travellers can easily get to Fujikawaguchiko from Tokyo in 40 minutes by taking the JR Limited Express line Kaiji from Tokyo or Shinjuku station to Otsuki station. From Otsuki station, they can then take the Fujikyu Railway Line to Kawaguchiko station which is a 55 minute journey.
