I've traveled beyond Japan's popular Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka route. There are 4 day trips I'd actually recommend.

wakayama tktkkt

Alessa Hickman

• After moving to Japan, I started taking day trips beyond the usual Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka travel circuit.
• Places like Saitama were easy to reach by train, but felt different from Japan's bigger cities.
• Wakayama City, Kobe, and Nara are a few of my other favorite spots for food, scenery, and shopping.

The first time I visited Japan, I followed the so-called Golden Route and visited three major tourist spots: Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka.