Summer in the city makes us want to beat the heat and escape to cooler, quieter spots. This is especially true in Japan, where storied shrines and pockets of nature punctuate the bright lights and bustle of popular urban centers like Tokyo and Osaka. Japan is resplendent with these hidden micro-destinations, ideal for sustainable, slow, or silent travel that appeals to luxury or luxe-for-less seekers and budget-bougie travelers.
Cooling off in the city begins with a kakigori, shaved ice flavored with matcha, strawberry, sweet plum, or a variety of other flavourful blasts of refreshment. These traditional desserts are trending across Tokyo and Osaka in ever-extravagant options. Another popular edible found at convenience stores is somen. Once boiled, these thin noodles are set in ice water and served with an umami-filled mentsuyu dipping sauce. Summertime also gives rise to a bounty of fruit like apples, watermelon, muskmelon and yuzu so perfect they seem to be plucked straight out of a fairy tale.
Almost 70 percent of Japan is forested and home to popular “Power Spots”, where health and well-being enthusiasts immerse themselves in the phytoncide emissions of the woods for rejuvenation. Interestingly, there is a quantifiable physiological effect from doing this.
Escaping the bustle of Tokyo, Okutama lies two hours west by train. It’s an easy jaunt to inspirational scenery and serenity. “Okutama” means “beyond the spirit of the waters”, and here you’ll find lush mountains gushing with waterfalls and rivers that rush past trails, paths and caves.
On the Japan Sea Side, Sado Island, Niigata is renowned as the home of Kodo Taiko drumming, where you can beat massive drums in guided classes. It’s also a bastion of coveted high-end sake breweries, including Hokusetsu, a favorite of Robert De Niro, and his Michelin-starred restaurant, Nobu. Unique to water transportation, the Tarai-Bune (Tub Boats) seem like DIY boats made from wooden hot tubs in which women in traditional folk attire steer you around the bay. The lush greenery and purity of the waters make this area of Niigata prized for its high-quality rice and seafood.
Like the award-winning Adachi Museum of Art, Shimane is renowned for authentic tea houses and immaculate gardens. This is a bucket list destination for green tea enthusiasts and horticulturalists. Meander around the Matsue Castle area and take a relaxing gondola ride under low-hanging trees, passing the turtles, ducks, river fish and exotic birds of the Horikawa River along the way. The bridges are so low that, while singing Japanese folk songs, the boat captain casually pushes a button to close the boat’s awning within an inch of your head. Admire one of Japan’s few remaining original castles along with the architecture of this samurai-era town.
Along the rocky coast, the recreation of choice is geo-kayaking in crystal clear waters through sea caves along the Oki Islands, while the interior is home to Omori town’s ancient temples and shops, and the storied forest-walk to the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine.
The Imperial Family frequents the resort town of Karuizawa, where Hoshinoya Karuizawa Resort is the height of luxury. Sip green tea on the porch of your own private villa and watch the floating lanterns reflecting the starry night in the water below. The focus here is on embracing simplicity and relaxing the body and mind through nature walks that trace the migration of birds, frogs and bears. In the evening, before shuffling off to sleep, enter a Meditation Bath. Wade into the hot spring and glide through a dark corridor, into a pitch-black room with zero visibility. Free of any distractions, the body unwinds into complete calmness.
Over half of Japan’s apples are produced in Hirosaki, Aomori. More than 80 varieties of apples are found here in entrées, desserts, soy sauce, wine, brandy, honey and other edibles. There is also an apple pie trail with close to 50 stops of ambrosial apple delights. Deep within the nearby lush, unspoiled Shirakami Mountain Range, the gentle breeze is a nourishing caress. Hike toward the spectacular Anmon Waterfall (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) that spills out of an ancient forest of beech trees. Forage for leaves to eat, or fold up a giant fuki leaf into the shape of a ladle and scoop pristine water that has been filtering underground for decades and now flows through bamboo shoots above a well.
The Japanese way is not one of opulence, but rather of an appreciation for austerity, and a shrugging off of all the unnecessary clutter. Summer is the best time to appreciate the cool oases of Japan: the green mountains and rushing rivers; the glittering night skies and crisp mountain air.
