In this article, I would like to introduce some nice spots in the Okutama region in western Tokyo and give an example how you could organize a day trip.

On any given day, the banks of the Kamogawa are flourishing with activity, and depending on the season, you’ll find a variety of people walking dogs or cycling.

Ogaki, known as the “City of Water” due to the Suimon River with its canals forming a ring around the old part of town to protect Ogaki Castle.

Sumatakyo Valley is a rural area of Japan a few hours west of Tokyo and has so much to do off the beaten path. As you travel Japan, especially when you are in more rural areas, we highly recommend asking around for advice. That is how we found so many unique experiences on our 50-day runAway Japan adventure.

If you travel to countries hoping to experience another culture, Japan is still rich with it and Nara is the perfect place surrounded by culture and history. It is many things at once: traditional, natural, delightful, heartfelt, and all around wonderful. Come to Nara and be amazed. I honestly could name 100 things in Nara that would make for an amazing trip, but I have narrowed it down to the top 15 spots that you will not find even in most guidebooks.

A long row of monks and a hidden gorge in central Nikko that’s well worth a visit.

The river is the historic Ara River, known by its Japanese name, Arakawa, and is the source of the water you drank half an hour ago. It flows north down from the Chichibu mountains, then curves east out onto the Kanto Plain until it bends south at around Kumagaya City.

Oboke Gorge, deep in the secluded mountains of Tokushima and Kochi, has some of the clearest waters in Japan. The winding stretch of the Yoshino River has a rocky bottom that the bright blue-green water runs through creating—given ideal weather—an incredible rafting experience.

Saitama is rare because it is a Prefecture with balance. Sandwiched between Tokyo in the south and the mountains of Gunma in the north, it's easy to escape from one jungle to another.

Out of the many tourists destinations to witness in winter, lake Hyo or Hyoko (Ko meaning lake in Japanese) is one the most popular one. To meet and greet those gorgeous guests you better be there between November to March.

Baba Brook is a hidden stream which crisscrosses a low-rise residential area in Yokohama's Tsurumi-ku. Walking along the Baba Brook gives you a rarely seen side of Japan.

If you go to Sapporo, never skip this beautiful port city. Otaru, situated in the western part of Hokkaido, the city has developed and prospered as "the sea entrance of Hokkaido" over the last 100 years and it has gained the nickname "Wall Street of the North".