Once the playground of poets, politicians, and film stars, Atami is a retro seaside resort where steaming baths meet sweeping ocean views. The hot springs here gush with mineral water that has soothed travellers for centuries, filling both grand bathhouses and intimate hillside ryokan. Stroll the narrow lanes lined with Showa-era cafés, seafood stalls, and lantern-lit izakaya, or wander down to the harbour for fresh sashimi. A soak in an open-air bath overlooking Sagami Bay feels timeless — part nostalgia, part renewal, with the rhythm of the waves as your soundtrack.

There's no place like Kyoto. Kyoto whispers of another Japan — one of hushed temple gardens, centuries-old teahouses, and narrow alleys where lanterns glow at dusk. In spring, cherry blossoms spill over riversides; in autumn, fiery maples frame wooden shrines. The city balances grandeur and intimacy: golden pavilions reflected in still ponds, and tiny ramen counters tucked behind sliding doors. Walk through Gion at twilight and you might glimpse a geiko on her way to an evening appointment, a fleeting reminder that Kyoto’s traditions are not relics, but a living, breathing culture.

A small island transformed into a living gallery, Naoshima is Japan’s contemporary art pilgrimage site. Cutting-edge museums by Tadao Ando rise from pine-covered hillsides, Yayoi Kusama’s polka-dotted pumpkins rest against the sea, and minimalist architecture frames Seto Inland Sea horizons. Cycling between installations reveals quiet fishing villages and sandy coves where daily island life continues unchanged. The balance of radical creativity and rural simplicity gives Naoshima a meditative quality, making it a place where art and nature feel inseparable.

Nicknamed the “Land of Sunshine” for its mild climate, Okayama blends samurai heritage with a laid-back modern charm. Its crown jewel, Korakuen Garden, is one of Japan’s three great strolling gardens, where carp-filled ponds, teahouses, and cherry groves unfold against the backdrop of Okayama Castle. The city is also a gateway to the art islands of the Seto Inland Sea and the cycling routes that weave across them. Markets brim with local fruit — most famously the white peach and muscat grape — giving a taste of the region’s fertile farmlands.

On the Pacific coast of Wakayama, Shirahama pairs a dazzling crescent of white sand with one of Japan’s oldest hot spring traditions. Outdoor rotenburo cling to rocky headlands, where you can bathe to the sound of waves crashing far below, while other pools overlook the turquoise sweep of Shirarahama Beach. Beyond bathing, explore the dramatic Sandanbeki cliffs, visit the nearby Adventure World for giant pandas, or feast on local delicacies like freshly caught tuna and abalone. With its mix of sea, spa, and scenic drama, Shirahama has long been a favourite retreat for Kansai’s travellers.

A fishing town on the rugged Kii Peninsula, Kii-Katsuura is renowned both for its daily tuna auctions and its hot spring sanctuaries. The morning market bustles with the calls of fishmongers as the day’s catch comes in, while offshore ryokan invite you to soak in cave-carved baths where the ocean echoes through the stone. The town also serves as a gateway to the Kumano Nachi Taisha, one of the great Kumano shrines, where Japan’s tallest waterfall plunges dramatically beside vermillion temple halls. This pairing of sacred pilgrimage and coastal vitality makes Kii-Katsuura a place of both energy and renewal.

Osaka hums with an energy that feels more playful than polished — a city where neon signs flicker over canal-side streets, and the air smells of sizzling yakitori skewers and takoyaki octopus balls. Locals laugh loudly in izakaya pubs, comedians hold court in theatres, and food is celebrated with the same seriousness other cities reserve for temples. Beneath its big-city bustle, Osaka is a place of warmth and welcome, where the phrase kuidaore — “eat until you drop” — is both a motto and an invitation.