Hirayu
Hirayu belongs to the Okuhida Onsen Villages which consists of five villages. It is located in Takayama City in the Gifu Prefecture. You can get to these villages by taking an hour bus ride from Takayama.
You can relax and take a soak at some of the most spectacular outdoor onsens (hot springs) in Japan. With onsens everywhere in Hirayu (even in the bus terminal), there is no excuse for you not to visit an onsen at least once. Besides, Hirayu is also great for hiking as it is located right at the western base of the Japanese Alps. One of the most popular routes from Hirayu is the route up Shin-Hotaka.
Naoshima
Naoshima is an island in the Seto Inland Sea that is known for its modern art museums, architectures and sculptures.
Visitors can expect to see underground caverns with greenery complementing the modern museums. Even abandoned buildings are repurposed and transformed to house art works. Additionally, the museums in Naoshima also are made to complement the pieces housed in them.
Kotohira
This is a popular shrine, commonly known as Konpira-san. It is the head shrine of "Kotohira" or "Konpira" shrines in Japan and has been worshiped since ancient times as "the God of the Sea". The area around the shrine is crowded with many shops such as cafes, teahouses, souvenir shops and Udon restaurants. You can rent a walking stick and go for a stroll or take a ride in a "kago" palanquin and enjoy the sights as you are carried around.
Kotohira also house of the Kanamaruza theatre, the oldest one operating Kabuki theatre in Japan. The Kanamazura theatre is an original building, which means that nothing is operated by electricity in the Kanamazura theatre – even lighting in the theatre is controlled by blinds and candles.
Matsue
Matsue, located along the banks of the Ohashi river, is a beautiful historic city that boasts one of the 12 remaining original castles in Japan.
Matsue is famous for its tea ceremony culture and sweets that accompany the tea ceremony. The reason for the fame of the tea ceremony in Matsue can be traced back to the seventh Matsudaira daimyo, Matsudaira Harusato. Furthermore, remember to drop by the Yuushien Garden. The Yuushien Garden is outstanding even by Japanese standards. With fairytale-esque flowers and waterfalls.
Iriomote
Iriomote Island (Iriomotejima) is Okinawa's second largest island. Largely undeveloped, nearly 90 percent of the island is covered by dense jungle and mangrove forests.
The island's attractions are based around tours to Iriomote's abundant nature including sea and river kayaking, fishing and sailing. Other activities can be enjoyed either on tours or individually such as beaches, snorkeling and various hiking trails. For the more adventurous traveller, canoeing through the mangroves might be a more appealing option.