The long haul flight to Japan is a breeze in Air NZ’s comfortable Business Premier seating. Video / Air New Zealand
So many images come to mind when someone mentions Japan: from neon-saturated Ginza nights to Harajuku’s wild alternative fashion to the traditional tea houses and temples of Kyoto.
It’s known as a land of contrasts where the impossibly ancient sits strangely comfortably alongside the ultra-modern.
But on a recent visit to the Kansai region, I discovered a slower side of Japan - a complete contrast to the bright lights and life-at-a-million-miles of other trips. If you’re heading to Kyoto or Osaka on your next holiday you may want to consider one of these side excursions.
LAKE BIWA
Kyoto is a wonderful destination, steeped in culture and history - and a must-visit for its majestic temples, tea houses and traditional culture. But if you’re there in high season you might want a breather from the tourist crowds. Lake Biwa is Japan’s largest lake with 235km of shoreline and at its closest point is only a 10-minute train ride from Kyoto.
We delighted in hiring bikes and cruising its well-manicured shores; pretty sure I’ve never seen so many ducks in one place - Siberian migrants, according to our guide. In summer it would be a great place to kayak, take a boat ride, swim or camp. Further up the west side of the lake is Biwako Ropeway, a cable car that will whisk you upwards for a drink with a hell of a view.
The shimmering sapphire pool - purely decorative - that surrounds all the terraces make this spot next-level instagrammable.
Hire a bike and cruise the shores of Lake Biwa. Photo / Alexia Santamaria
If you head up the other side of the lake, Hikone Castle, home of feudal lords from 1622 to 1867, is a beautiful historical structure well worth visiting. On the way there or back, Omi Hachiman is a charming stop for a peek at historic merchant buildings and meandering canals.
We took a ride on Hachiman-bori canal and I only wish I could have bottled that sense of serenity. It was all the benefits of the best meditation/yoga/float tank experience just by sitting in a low-slung vessel on tatami mats, drifting under bridges, soaking up the stillness of glass-like reflections and watching a slower, simpler life float by.
This area is also well known for Omi beef, one of Japan’s favourite wagyus. Due to the fatty marbling, it will literally melt in your mouth – if you do this side trip it would be criminal not to make it a lunchtime priority.
Take a boat ride on Hachiman-bori canal, sitting on tatami mats. Photo / Alexia Santamaria
SAKAI
This one is a little offbeat, but if you like to cook or are a history geek it’s worth the 25-minute drive (45-minute train ride) to Sakai. It flourished for many years as one of Japan’s leading trade cities and the knife industry here goes back 600 years.
Sakai knives are sought after by chefs around the world and I am still in daily wonder at the cutting capability of my own purchase. The museum not only details the history of knife making but several other artisan crafts like fabric dying and carp-flag making.
If you do go to Sakai, head up to the observation deck at City Hall where you will get a view out over the city. But don’t let the pretty patches of green fool you, what look like nice hills covered in trees are actually ancient burial mounds. The biggest (you can see a few from up high) is the 5th-century tomb of the Emperor Nintoku - at 486m long it’s one of the largest tombs in the world. Who knew?
Sakai knives are sought after by chefs all around the world. Photo / Alexia Santamaria
MIYAMA
This side excursion is a little further out at one and a half hours from Osaka and an hour and a quarter from Kyoto but worth the drive if you want a truly Japanese rural experience. We stayed at the cutely-named Futon & Breakfast in Miyama - a beautiful old farmhouse, complete with a traditional sunken cooking pit.
The people who own it set us up with a number of artisan activities in the area – learning to create compost, rake and plant crops on an organic farm, learning to thatch a roof (won’t be giving up my day job) - and there’s also mochi making and other fun activities available.
Thatching is an important activity in this area as Miyama is one of the few places that work to preserve this distinct type of architecture - many of the houses date back to the mid-19th century. In fact, it’s been designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings.
You can visit a living village where all the houses are thatched, it’s like stepping into a bygone era. As part of our stay we also had some lovely ladies come and teach us to cook some Japanese dishes - a base dashi stock, tai meshi, chawanmushi and even local potatoes (maybe the creamiest I’ve ever tasted).
The Aunty in charge spoke rudimentary English but it’s amazing how easy it is to communicate in a kitchen with hand gestures and a lot of laughing. Staying in the house itself was a truly unique experience (even for people who have stayed in traditional Japanese ryokan before).
The Futon & Breakfast in Miyama boasts a beautiful traditional sunken cooking pit.
Photo / Alexia Santamaria
So if you’re on your second trip to the Land of the Rising Sun, or even if you have time on your first, there’s plenty to explore in the beautiful Kansai region. Osaka and Kyoto definitely shouldn’t be missed but they are not the only interesting places to explore in this part of Japan.
