Visiting Japan has become a bucket-list ambition with growing numbers of travellers.

Over the past 25 years visitor figures have soared, from 4m in 2000 to 36m in 2024 – a figure that is expected to rise to 60m by 2030.

The projections come from Inside Travel Group, celebrating the 25th anniversary of its InsideJapan holidays catering for small group tours and self-guided cultural adventures.  

Co-Founder Simon King reflects on how the landscape of travel to Japan has drastically changed over the past two and a half decades.  

“Japan, once a niche destination, has seen a 600% increase in tourism since 2000 and, while this growth has benefited the Japanese economy significantly, it has also brought inevitable challenges. 

“Over the past two years, overtourism issues have been increasingly captured in the media.  We know that 80% of travellers visit only 10% of destinations – and we want to change that. 

“We’ve helped thousands of people discover Japan over the years, championing a type of travel that goes beneath the surface and immerses visitors in local life and culture. With ever-growing visitor numbers, we believe part of the solution to overtourism lies in dispersing travel to lesser-known parts of the country.” 

InsideJapan has selected five regions  – Yamaguchi, Nagasaki, Toyama, Nagoya and Aomori –  to discover in 2025. The locations are spread across the north, central and south of mainland Honshu, as well as the southern island of Kyushu.  

The five undertourism destinations to be introduced are –

Toyama:
A bullet train journey from Tokyo, on the edge of the Japanese Alps and Japan Sea Coast, Toyama is an emerging rural destination. This region is home to unique crafts, traditional buildings, natural beauty and incredible food. The area and communities have invested in a programme of rural regeneration offering unique traditional accommodation, local crafts people have opened their doors, and one district in particular has a street with no less than six Michelin restaurants. Toyama remains off-radar for many but offers quintessential Japan and a slower pace of life. 

Nagasaki:
Built on the shores of a natural bay, Nagasaki’s rich history as a trading port and the only place in Japan open to the outside world for over 250 years, is reflected in its local culture, atmosphere, and its architecture. This laid-back city is better known for the atomic bomb but offers much more with a rich feudal history and influence from Europe and China. The city sits on the Shimabara peninsula opening the door to traditional farming and fishing communities, is surrounded by traditional hot spring towns and is also the departure point for the island of Gunkanjima – once, one of the most densely populated places on earth but mysteriously abandoned.

Yamaguchi:
This small city was once known as ‘Little Kyoto’ with Rurikoji temple named as one of the official ‘most beautiful temples’ in Japan, but Yamaguchi city is the gateway to some beautiful places across the region. The coastal samurai old town of Hagi can still be navigated using its 17th century maps and his home to some of the most prized ceramics in Japan. The traditional hot spring town of Nagato Yumoto Onsen dates back over 600 years, is home to impressive shrines with hundreds of red tori gates and some special traditional ryokan accommodation. A little trickier to reach, makes the Japanese experience that much richer.

Nagoya:
Nagoya has an unfair reputation for being a dull industrial town, but this is an exciting city. Scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find it’s an art-lover’s haven, with scores of galleries featuring local and internationally acclaimed artists. The Aichi Triennale (13th Sept- 30th Nov) arts festival draws well-deserved attention to Nagoya’s impressive art scene. July brings the sumo basho tournament in the grounds of Nagoya Castle. The nearby town of Tokoname is a ceramics haven, Inuyama is home to one of Japan’s twelve original Edo period castles, and the Nakasendo samurai walking route is nearby. Nagoya is also the Japanese home of InsideJapan.

Aomori:
Aomori sits in the far northern Tohoku region of Japan’s main island of Honshu with the Hakkoda mountain range providing its backdrop. Sitting on the coast and on the edge of the mountains, Aomori’s markets offer a vast array of produce and some incredible culinary options. The samurai castle town of Hirosaki sits nearby with one of Japan’s last few original castles and one of the best-preserved samurai districts in Japan. There are also traditional hot spring towns and one of Japan’s most impressive caldera lakes. Most people tend to head south from Tokyo.

A dedicated microsite, highlighting the places will be launched soon. For more information on InsideJapan visit here.