prolog
Lake Biwa
(Suburb) Otsu
(Suburbs) Omihachiman & Hikone
(Suburb) Nagahama

Amanohashidate
(Suburb) Ineno Funaya
(Suburbs) Himeji
(Suburbs) Takeda Castle Ruins

Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter
(Suburbs) Okayama City

Tokushima
(Suburbs) Naruto
(Suburb) Iyakey

Kagawa Prefecture Udon Pilgrimage
(Suburbs) Takamatsu
(Suburbs) Marugame City, Kotohira Town, and Zentsuji City

Miyajima
(Suburbs) Onomichi
(Suburbs) Tomonoura
(Suburbs) Iwakuni

Shimane SL Theme Tour
(Suburbs) Tsuwano
(Nearby) Yuda Onsen & Kamiyamaguchi Station area

Kitakyushu-Yamaguchi Driving Trip
(Suburbs) Wakamatsu
(Nearby) Kawatana Onsen
(Suburb) Tsunoshima

Akizuki
(Suburbs) Ukiha
(Suburbs) Kurume

Karats
(Suburbs) Yobuko & Hadomisaki & Nagoya Castle Ruins
(Suburb) Takeo

Kitsuki
(Suburbs) Beppu

Shimabara
(Suburb) Obama Onsen

Motobu & Nakijinson Map
(Suburbs) Kourijima
(Suburbs) Biseno Fukugi Namiki

Smaller, deeper, more emotional, and more romantic… .
Traveling to small towns in Japan

A clean, quiet place full of small pleasures
Into the charm of small Japanese cities
A special travel destination in a small Japanese city revealed!

Japan is bigger than you think.
There are many places in every corner that we don't know about.
A place where many people try to preserve the small, old taste and style.
So, if you travel to small towns in Japan, you will experience unexpected happiness and joy.

Take a Michigan cruise with a 19th-century American atmosphere around Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, which is crystal clear.
Experience the 'Beppu Jigoku Meguri', a pilgrimage to the seven hells of Beppu Onsen, a city synonymous with relaxation and healing.
Take a steam locomotive ride down memory lane in Shimane Prefecture, and experience a variety of udon noodles on a bus in Kagawa Prefecture.
All of these are unique experiences that can only be enjoyed in small Japanese cities.
It will be remembered longer than any expensive and extravagant trip, and it will revive forgotten romance and memories.

Akizuki, known as “Little Kyoto,” is beautiful in all four seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter.
If you dream of a splendid cherry blossom ending, you can't miss the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter.
Ine-cho, which is said to be the most beautiful town in Japan; Tomonoura, where Hayao Miyazaki stayed for a long time and which was the actual setting for his animation “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea”; Iwakuni Kintai Bridge, which was ranked first in the Chugoku region in NHK’s “Japanese Landscapes We Must Preserve in the 21st Century”; and so on.
Many travelers love Japan, but there are many hidden travel destinations in its small cities that few people know about.
It's amazing how everything is gathered in a small town.

With just this one book, you can explore every nook and cranny of Japan's hidden cities that we know little about and that no one has taught us about.
You'll witness the famous festivals in Himeji, enjoy the samba festival in Tokushima, and marvel at the uzushio (whirlpools) created by the tidal currents in the Naruto Strait.

Traveling to small Japanese cities is no longer a vague and distant dream; it is now the perfect 'realistic travel destination' where you can easily go for a few days and come back right away.

Small differences make a big difference!

You can feel the taste of another ‘master’ with your whole body
The ultimate guide to culinary adventures in small Japanese cities!

Why do people seek out famous restaurants? Especially in Japan, food tours often involve traveling long distances and waiting in long lines to enjoy the food.
But it's not like they're big or fancy restaurants.
A shabby house with no sign and not a newly built building.
But what if it's a century-old establishment? What if it's been making only one thing, fish cakes, for a century? What's the big deal about driving for hours and waiting in line?
If there's a flavor you absolutely must try before you die, no matter what! What kind of fish cake is it? How on earth are these udon noodles made? Curiosity and curiosity are bound to arise, and people will inevitably travel far and wide to find it.

In small towns in Japan, there are many restaurants that maintain class, pride, and tradition.
But no book tells you about these places in an easy and friendly way.
In "Small Romance, Traveling in Small Towns in Japan," the best restaurants scattered across 45 locations in Western Japan are all densely packed into one book.
We provide information of a different level for true gourmets.

At the Yobuko Asaichi morning market, be sure to try the Ika Burger (squid burger) made with squid, a specialty of Yobuko.
In Karatsu, stay overnight at Karatsu's representative ryokan, Yoyokaku, and enjoy a kaiseki meal.
At this Japanese-style wooden ryokan, which is over 100 years old and retains its Taisho-era appearance, you will experience the bliss of stepping back in time.
Also, when you return from Karatsu, you must buy some Shoromanju as a souvenir.
Shoromanju is a truffle-shaped Japanese confectionery said to have been offered to the lord of Karatsu since the late Edo period.
Kawashima Tofuten, a tofu specialty restaurant that has been open for over 200 years, is also a place I make a point of visiting.
If they've been making just one tofu for 200 years, then it's not just any tofu, right?
Also, Matsuo Shokudo, which opened in 1931, evokes nostalgia for the early Showa period.
The only menu here is donburi.
How could I not try it!

These foods aren't just for one meal.
Even a bowl of udon or a bowl of soba is the result of hundreds, thousands of hands and sweat.
It is a precious food.
This is why even if you do nothing but eat a bowl of udon, that trip will be the best trip ever.
If you go on a food tour of a small Japanese city, you might learn more about life's values ​​and attitudes than just tasting a single dish.

Even maps and QR codes to read maps and map codes!

I'll tell you the easiest way to get there!

Essays and guidebooks are different.
If you want to experience someone else's journey vicariously, you can read an essay.
But if you want to go there yourself and experience the taste and charm of the place with your whole body, you have to go there on your own feet anyway.
There are many regional guidebooks for Japan, but until now there has been no guidebook for traveling to small Japanese cities.
It was difficult to easily obtain information on hidden restaurants in small towns and famous ryokans on the outskirts.
This book includes maps and QR codes that link to the maps.
Simply download the QR code app on your phone and scan it to connect directly to Google Maps.
If you are renting a car, we also include map codes so you can input them into your navigation system.
Just enter the map code into your navigation system and it will guide you to your desired destination.