Want to Experience Rural Japan? Stay in a Small Onsen Town

When people plan their first trip to Japan, Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka are often at the top of the list.

And for good reason. They are exciting cities, full of things to see, eat and experience.

But Japan is not only its cities.

Travel a few hours away from Tokyo and you will find another side of Japan — mountains, rivers, small towns, old ways of life, and a much slower rhythm.

If you are looking for rural Japan or want to experience the Japanese countryside, I think one of the best ways is surprisingly simple:

Stay for a night or two in a small onsen town.

What Is Rural Japan Really Like?

I have lived in Shima Onsen for many years, and whenever I go to Tokyo, I sometimes feel as if I have arrived in another country.

It is the same Japan, but even the speed of time seems different.

Shima Onsen is a fairly well-known hot spring town in Japan. And yet, there are days when you can walk from one end of the town to the other and hardly meet anyone.

Guests from Tokyo sometimes tell me:

“Time seems to move more slowly here.”

I think they are right.

Things do not change very quickly here. And I don’t necessarily mean that in a bad way.

Some habits and ways of living that were common in Japan more than half a century ago are still part of everyday life.

Almost everyone in town knows who I am, and I know almost everyone too.

Nature is also very close to daily life. The river runs beside our homes and ryokan, and the mountains rise just beyond it.

Is it convenient?

Not particularly.

The nearest 7-Eleven is about 12 km away. The nearest McDonald’s is about 35 km away.

So for us, McDonald’s is almost a special treat.

But perhaps a little inconvenience is part of the pleasure of being in the countryside.

You cannot always get whatever you want, whenever you want it. There are few shops open late at night, and public transportation does not come every few minutes.

On the other hand, there is not much reason to hurry either.

At night the town becomes quiet, and you hear the river more than people or cars.

Give up a little convenience, and somehow time begins to slow down too.

For me, that peaceful, quiet atmosphere is what rural Japan feels like.

Don’t Just See Rural Japan. Stay There.

When traveling through the Japanese countryside, I don’t think you always need to look for famous attractions.

Of course, beautiful scenery, temples and historic buildings are worth visiting.

But if you have traveled all the way to a rural town, it would be a shame simply to pass through it.

Stay overnight.

Walk through town after the day visitors have gone home. Soak in an onsen. Eat a local meal. Experience how quiet the night becomes. Wake up and see the town in the morning.

It is different from simply sightseeing.

For a little while, you become part of the rhythm of the place.

Why Stay in a Small Onsen Town?

Staying in an onsen town has been a way of traveling in Japan for generations.

You soak in the hot spring, eat dinner at a ryokan, perhaps walk around town in a yukata — and most importantly, slow down.

There is no need to schedule every hour.

Check into your ryokan.
Take a bath.
Walk along the river.
Have dinner.
Take another bath.

That can be the whole day.

And if you have been traveling through busy places such as Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, a day like this can completely change the rhythm of your trip.

Want to know more about private onsen in Japan?

Busy Japan, Quiet Japan

We often hear something similar from overseas guests staying with us.

They have been traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto, Osaka and other popular destinations. They have had a wonderful time, but after days of trains, walking, sightseeing, restaurants and crowds, they are tired.

Then they arrive in Shima Onsen.

Some tell us how good it feels simply to be somewhere quiet. Others say that soaking in the onsen and doing very little helped them feel rested and refreshed.

Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka are filled with people, trains, shops, lights, sounds and things to do.

Shima Onsen is almost the opposite.

At night, it becomes quiet.
Few people are in a hurry.
You can soak in an onsen, look at the mountains and listen to the river.

It is still Japan, but it can feel like a completely different country.

Some guests stay here in the middle of their journey before continuing to their next destination. Others choose Shima Onsen as one of their last stops in Japan, taking time to remember everything they have seen and done before heading home.

Either way, I think spending a little time in the countryside can give your journey a chance to slow down.

Shima Onsen: A Small Onsen Town in the Mountains

Shima Onsen is in the mountains of Gunma Prefecture, about three hours from Tokyo.

A river runs through the valley, mountains surround the town, and old ryokan, small shops and hot springs are scattered along its streets.

It is not a place where you need a long sightseeing checklist.

In fact, doing very little may be the best way to enjoy it.

Walk along the river.
Have a coffee.
Soak in an onsen.
Listen to the water.
Look at the mountains.

That is enough.

How to get to Shima Onsen from Tokyo.

Stay at a Ryokan in Rural Japan

If you visit Shima Onsen, staying at a ryokan is another way to experience this slower side of Japan.

At Kashiwaya Ryokan, we have just 14 guest rooms, all facing the river.

There are three private open-air baths that staying guests can use freely, without reservations or extra charges. Tattoos are welcome in all of our baths, including the public baths.

Dinner and breakfast are Japanese-style meals served in our dining room. Vegan meals are also available with advance reservation for parties of two or more.

And we don’t try to fill every moment of your stay with activities.

Quite the opposite.

Slow down and do nothing.

That is the kind of time we hope you will spend here.

Add a Little Rural Japan to Your Journey

You don’t have to choose between Japan’s famous cities and its countryside.

Do both.

Visit Tokyo. Walk through Kyoto and Osaka. See the places you have dreamed of seeing. Eat the things you have wanted to try.

Then, somewhere along the way, slow down.

Take a train or bus into the mountains. Stay in a small town. Soak in an onsen.

Japan has its busy side and its quiet side.

Both are Japan.

Rather than adding the countryside to your itinerary as just one more place to see, try adding it as a place to change the speed of your journey.

That is the way I would recommend experiencing rural Japan.

Planning your first trip to Japan?

Interested in a Japanese-style onsen stay?
Shima Onsen Kashiwaya Ryokan >