Hey folks, wanted to share my experience in some less-visited wider Kansai area destination, covering both food and attractions. Will use a loose 1 star to 3 star rating system. Most of the places are from my recent trip, but some from my previous trips to the area as well. This time, I did 21 days in peak summer, covering Kyoto, Okayama, Kurashiki, Kojima, Saijo, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Onomichi, Odashi, Nima, Izumo, Matsue, Yonago, Mt Daisen, Takamatsu, Nagashima Spaland, and Osaka. I won't really talk about the big tourist spots in the major cities because there is more than enough information about those already. For food, I tried to only eat at places above 3.5 on Tabelog, ignoring Google Map reviews for the most part unless I was in the less-touristed areas. I didn't enjoy some more highly-rated places on Tabelog, but overall this led to many good meals. Thanks to everyone on the r/JapanTravel Discord.
Link to the itinerary check for this trip is in my profile, except I ended up doing Takamatsu instead of the Tottori stuff, and ended up skipping Kobe too.
Spending: around 1.7k USD for 21 days in Japan, excluding flights and shopping. I tracked my expenses fairly comprehensively with a budget tracker app.
General advice: For the San-in coast and less urban Japan ideally come with a car. Plenty doable without trains, but hard, because trains run once an hour, and some buses are three times a day. It was actually impossible to get to Yuushien and back with public transport, for instance. You can get a 1000yen bus to and from Hiroshima to the major Shimane hubs. Hostels in rural Japan are less occupied, but you have a much better chance of meeting locals there. On a couple of nights I was the only guest or one of two guests, although things do pick up on the weekends. As with elsewhere in Japan, capsule hotels are a universally worse experience compared to a hostel. FInally, learn how to use Tabelog, especially the Tabelog map. Google Maps reviews in the cities are 90% Western tourists and you get the silliest ratings.
KYOTO:
[2 star] Chishaku-in: Head temple of the Chisan subsect of Shingon Buddhism, and deserves to be far more on the tourist track. This is one of my favourite Kyoto temples. It's 1600s so not as historical, but possesses large grounds, an excellent and quiet sitting garden that isn't a rock garden, and a Treasure Hall with beautiful wall paintings, many of which are National Treasures. This place apparently also offers a temple stay like some others in Kyoto; no need to head to Koya-san for that.
[2 star] Kyoto Trail: a network of hiking trails in the outskirts and hills of Kyoto. Again seemingly unknown by tourists. There are many sections you can do, and I originally wanted to do the long walk by the Kiyotaki River from Saimyo-ji, but ran out of time. So the next day I walked part of an the eastern section, starting behind Nanzen-ji (where there is a quiet Shugendo waterfall!) and heading to Yamashima via Bishamon-do (which I wanted to visit, but had closed by the time I reached it). This path, and Bishamondo, will be epic in autumn, and the 2 star is awarded on that expectation
[1 star] Toyokuni-jinja: For a small fee you get to enter the Treasure Hall and see Toyotomi Hideyoshi's tooth.
[1 star] Shugakuin Imperial Villa: the gardens are overhyped tbh, was almost turned away by the Imperial Household Agency for being 2 minutes late
[3 star] Hassun: my second time here for lunch. I don't have much basis for comparison, but for me it is hard to imagine a better value kaiseki for 11000 yen. The ayu and anago both seem to have improved from my last time here, which was neat. I still think occasionally of that eel intestine jelly they served me on my first visit. 4.24 Tabelog.
You want to try and eat obanzai in Kyoto. A regional specialty, and again something many tourists seem to miss.
OKAYAMA:
[3 star] Kōraku-en: admittedly I have not been to any of the other Three Great Gardens, but this is beautiful. The 1000 yen teahouse is worth it. Some of the best tea I had on my trip. Bought excellent peach jelly and peach sake from the omiyage store outside while waiting for the bus. The actual Okayama white peach I bought for 750 yen from the station was super mid despite being in season.
KURASHIKI:
[2 star] Ryokan Tsurugata: I think Kurahsiki in general should be considered as a ryokan destination for golden route travellers, especially if you don't mind a sento instead of an onsen. Dinner here was creative and tofu products were excellent, even if nothing was truly memorable. Relatively affordable as far as ryokans go as well.
[2 star] Shopping district: excellent variety of craft products. My partner and I both walked out happy although we have very different tastes. I got a really unique piece of Bizen ware. There is a unique Traveler's Notebook store in Kurashiki.
KOJIMA:
[1 star] Shopping district: only my partner visited this. She liked it and there was stuff to buy, just not in her size surprisingly, she is somehow smaller than the Japanese size. Things were much cheaper than in the west. Area had a rather past-its-prime vibe, with discernible amounts of stores closed. A lot of tourist infrastructure, and the whole town had meshed its identity with denim, but few tourists were actually there. This might be better as a weekend destination.
SAIJO:
[2 star] Renowned sake breweries lining a single street with tastings offered for a token price. The tourist information office has a map and a list of opening hours. This is useful for figuring out what you like and trying different flavour progiles. The only one which has invested into tourist facilities (like a museum/showroom) is Kamotsuru, and we found this had the best sake as well (including the "Obama sake"). Seriously excellent sake. We bought as much as we thought we could fit in our luggage.
HIROSHIMA:
[2 star] 一麺天に通ず: one of the top three ramens I've had in Japan. Sure yuzu-infused broth isn't revolutionary, but this is done onomichi-style and done very well. The taste grows on you. Rice in the leftover broth was epic. 3.52 on Tabelog.
MIYAJIMA:
[1 star] Oshokujidokoro Miyajimaguchi: quite like the oysters they did here at Miyajimaguchi port. Done in a variety of ways. The sardine tempura and sardine sashimi were both fantastic. Somehow, and I disagree, only a 3.09 on Tabelog, but looks like a lot of those reviews are about conger eel
[2 star] Miyajima Itsuki Coffee: lol wtf I don't like coffee ice cream and this coffee ice cream is insane? 3.21 on Tabelog.
ONOMICHI:
[0 star] City: disliked this place quite a lot. Only went because JR suspended all local trains that day over a drizzle, and it was literally impossible for me to get to Okunoshima, which I still regret missing. Meh views, overhyped "backstreets" which are just touristy coffeeshops. Seriously, cycle over the Seto Inland Sea and get out of here.
[2 star] Karasawa Ice Cream: great egg-based ice cream. 100 yen a scoop. I thought I was just here to try out a scoop, left after having four. Don't be that google review which gave it one star because it "didn't taste like vanila". 3.63 on Tabelog.
[1 star] Onomichi-style ramen: a unique seafood broth
ODASHI:
[1 star] Guesthouse Yukimi-inn: great opportunities for interacting with locals here! In general the more rural you go, the more locals you meet in hostels. Drank with the owner one night, that was fun. Local treated me to some dried fugu, which tastes like stiff cardboard
[1 star] Iwami Ginzan: not sure if I would make the trip here just for this, like I did. The museum is cool, mineshaft itself is mid. Possibly better if you fork out the money for the hike and tour of the less-accessible mineshaft.
NIMA:
[1 star] Nima Sand Museum: not sure how I ended up here. Nima has nothing to do with sand culturally or historically. This museum has the world's biggest hourglass, which takes a year exactly to empty. The best part is the basement, where you get to do sand painting, make sand art, and do your own miniature rock garden (or inflatable duck garden). I enjoyed myself greatly.
[2 star] Slide: exiting the Nima Sand Museum you will see a park with a slide. This slide is a roller slide and it is huge, coming down from atop a steep hill and twisting and turning its way through the trees.
[1 star] Sanin Main Line: the train here, though infrequent, winds between the forest and the coast. It is quite pretty.
IZUMO:
[1 star] Izumo Taisha: still very actively used in worship unlike most of the buildings in Kyoto Theme Park. Saw some shrine maidens. The Treasure Hall was neat.
[0 star] Shimane soba: tried it at three 3.4-3.7 Tabelog-rated places to make sure I wasn't missing anything. This is nothing special, to my mouth. You want to make your own verdict.
[1 star] Nodoguro: the other local specialty. This was slightly better than the above
[? star] I really wanted to head out to Cape Hinosaki and try the highly rated Tabelog kaisendon place, Hanafuna. Alas, a freak landslide destroyed the road and no buses were operating there. You really need a car in Shimane.
MATSUE:
[3 star] Old Town: Get the Discover Another Japan pass, it's super worth. I really liked the vibes of the old town in general. Castle, boat, samurai residences, tea houses, gardens, Lafcardio Hearn's house. Underrated as a tourist destination, and not even hard to get to.
[1 star] Shimane Museum of Art: like seemingly every other art museum in Japan, they have a Monet
[1 star] Shikkuinoyado Tenjin: cute asf common room, pity I was the only one in the hostel that night
Continued in comments
by Astraphemeral
