5 Traditional Japanese Villages to Explore

The rural area of Japan is quite worth an exploration. Many villages in Japan have typical Japanese styles. Although they are quite far away from big cities, you can enjoy enchanting natural views and interesting life in these villages. Here I recommend you 5 amazing Japanese villages that you should explore:

1.Shiba Village in Mizayaki Prefecture
Located in the mountains of middle Kyushu, the village is regarded as one of the top 3 secret lands in Japan. Here you can see ancient buildings and forests. Residents here all live in a natural way. There are no shops while the food and drinks all are produced in this village, which is the first charming of Shiba.
After arriving here, you will enjoy the peaceful and simple village life. In the early morning, the vast water is covered by the blaze, which the superb scenery you can only see here.

2. Shirakawa Village in Gifu Prefecture
Only if you come here, you can know that why the Shirakawa Village is called as “the lost Shangri La”. 113 gassho-structure houses spread in a small plain surrounded by mountains. No matter watching it from distance or exploring it in the village, you will always forget the troubles of your life and have an enjoyable journey here.

3. Shimoguri Village in Nagano Prefecture
The village is surrounded by the beautiful mountains of the Minami Alps, and the area is covered by Nature’s brilliant shades of green. It is sometimes called Japan’s Tyrol, because it is located on the middle of a hill, which is similar to villages in Austria’s Tyrol region. The colorful autumn leaves are also beautiful.

4. Ine Town in Kyoto

In Yosa District, Kyoto Prefecture, there is a unique town called Ine with traditional fishing houses. The unique Ine buildings which have existed since the 1700s were at first storage houses for wooden boats built for hanging up fishing nets. The first floor of this kind of building is for stopping boats while the second floor is for living, which forms a spectacular view that you can oversee boats and sea water on streets.
The jade-like water is quite smooth, and you can feel the peaceful environment here when you wander by the port. You can also explore the whole fishing town by boat.

5. Hayakawa in Yamanashi Prefecture
The crystal water and eight beautiful bridges are the symbols of this place. Nearly 96% of this area is covered by mountains and forests. Here you can totally feel the beauty of nature. November is the “autumn leaves season” of this place when you will see a beautiful mountain village amid red leaves, what an enchanting view!
Hope you have a great travel in rural Japan!
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