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Thanks man. I'm going to Japan 2nd week Nov - 1st week Dec. Will definitely consider the places you mentioned!

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My recommendations in Tokyo Would be mount Takao San in hachioji, mitake San in Ome, okutama area . If you want to see a different side of Tokyo. Other places in Japan would be Takayama in Gifu prefecture also Kanazawa. Akita prefecture during winter and Fukuoka City.

Awesome video, I am going next year mid February and will try to visit some of these places while there.

I have a trip planned to Japan in 2026. But it's with EF Tours. I'm not sure about going with them. I'm currently taking Japanese classes and trying to learn the language, the culture, and the rules. I'm afraid to get stuck with a group that embarrasses themselves in that country. It's so sad for me to know just how disrespectful the people visiting Japan have been.

What? As an american, I never thought eating and picking up the food to be bad manners. Maybe that is somewhere else in America, but if you are hungry and in the south. All that manners bs is thrown out the window. If you are hungry, get down with it

Thank you so much.

Thanks for doing this! Living in Kyoto for the last 8 years, I got to see first-hand how the chaos went from organized, to bad, to worse. I would like to see a vid on alternative places to visit in Kansai.

Been in Japan for around 4 months now and I will be staying for at least two more years. I only recently found the time to finally start traveling a bit and be a tourist and this video helped me a lot. Thank you m8, maybe we'll meet somewhere along the way.

Ur content is much appreciated🙇🏾

It's nice to see a fellow Black man that can speak Japanese putting out information that conveys what Japan has been dealing with in recent months. Nice alternatives, too.

I've seen the more annoying tourists being described in Japanese TV as "social media tourists". They got hooked on looking at pics and videos from some specific areas, and then only go to those areas, only to take the same pics and videos. They have no regard for other people, traffic, or the tourism industry, meaning they don't even bring as much cash into the area as a normal tourist would. And when I went to Japan last year, I have seen behavior(and number) of tourists change drastically sometimes, for example when walking from Arashiyama to the Toriimoto preserved street, so there is at least some truth to this. I'll link the TV clip if I can find it, I'm positive I've seen it here on youtube.

shout outs to osaka, go to amerika mura and den den town

Excellent content but please slow down your speech. I had trouble following what you were saying at times because of the speed.

Thanks for some great alternatives to GoldenGai. There's a lot of movement toward Asakusa from Shinjuku, but it seems to have brought the worst of the touts as well.

Awesome review. I think that's a little busier than I'd want to be but it's interesting to see how somebody a bit more ambitious than I am plans something, and then see what you liked and criticized. I need to chop my list of a couple hundred ideas down into something I can make a prototype itinerary out of. Nov '25 but time flies and planning is fun.

My first trip to Japan I spent a few days in Nagasaki (incredibly underrated) before heading to Kyoto. Just a complete culture shock of how much over-tourism is destroying Gion in Kyoto. You can't even breath there with so many instagrammers on the streets. Highly recommend getting off the beaten path like you say!

This video is great, but please NAME each city before talking about them. Its confusing otherwise!

My wife and I will be going to Japan in November. We'll spend eight days (half of our trip) in Kyoto, which is her hometown. She mainly will be visiting girlhood friends, while I go off on my own. We've been to Kyoto so often that by now I've seen the main sights, some of them multiple times. On this trip I'll confine myself to places not much frequented by tourists. On the other half of our trip, I'll be going through Tohoku (the northern part of Honshu) while my wife visits elsewhere. I haven't been north of Tokyo much, so I'm looking forward to this jaunt. In some of the places I'll go, I expect to be just about the only foreigner. Wherever I go in Japan, I try my best to balance out impressions left by what used to be called the "Ugly Americans," people who think the places they visit need to conform to their own bad habits and ignorance.

Great advice. I want to mix tourist stuff (maybe the #2 attractions instead of the biggest #1 places) and free time to just wander around. Your talk about burning time traveling from place to place has me thinking about strategy - how to maximize the variety of cool experiences but not just have a whirlwind of travel travel travel. Maybe it would be best to focus on fewer places and neighborhoods and think like this: "hey I want to see some temples and shrines, but maybe the less famous one nearby is almost as cool as the super famous one full of people." Like, what is more impactful and worthwhile? Doing all the "must do" stuff or really trying to get the vibe of neighborhoods, gardens, streets full of izakaya, or taking a day hike in the hills?

Heiwa no Torii in Hakone and Osaka in general are very much ruinied by tourism as well. I can't recommend going there.

I think Takehara is a place worth a visit. I was there on a saturday in late march and no one was even on the streets of this wonderful town.

Great video

I'm planning a trip for next fall and am dismayed at the overtourism problems - and I'm extra salty about it because I can't stand when people don't have manners and respect the locals. Definitely taking your advice. I've already found TONS of options that look awesome and aren't even really off the beaten path. Aizuwakamatsu got on my list last week when I saw something about a sightseeing train up there - looks like a great place to spend some time. I guess the decision to visit someplace different involves a bit of FOMO, but we should swallow it and see equally cool spots with less crowds and problems for the locals.

Went to all the top tourist places last yr, wanted them checked off the list So this vid is very useful for my next visit ありがとー！

No likes is wild, no worries I got you haha.

The thing is, for every person that complains about tourism there is another that relies on it. Zoom out and look in as a collective issue then yeah, over tourism is a big issue in major travel destinations. But when you’re a shop owner that relies on steady tourism, even a small dip can make a big difference.

Great video my guy, hitting that subscribe button.

I would always be careful reinforcing the Japanese line on bad tourist. I was in Japan for a whileover 10 years ago now, and I saw more locals acting badly than foreign nationals. In fact, a lot of the things that have been dominating the headlines in Japan about tourist behaving badly I never saw foreign national doing, but saw plenty of locals doing. Take that random view of Mt. Fuki, that local was a local photo spot which mainly only locals went to as most tourist ether didn't know of it or didn't know how to get too. Even in the NHK news story about them blocking the view of MT. Fuji, it was locals who were in the back of the video mostly, no real foreigners. Then the one with the Geisha in Kyoto, I knew from back then because it was mainly a problem with locals. There was even a news article for locals reminding them of the procedure for taking pictures of them (recall, its Japanese phones that now must make the click noise when they take a picture). I also remember there was this blog I read in preparation for my own stay there, and he was pretty clear (for the record the he stop posting too much prior to that Earthquake then then stopped completely prior to COVID so I have no clue what happened to him). But he was an expat who had been in Japan for decades and he was clear, Japan has always had a hate, hate relationship with tourism. Sure, on some level they need it, but and COVID reinforced this, many Japanese still believe to this day that the nation would be better if foreign nationals were banned. This goes way back in Japanese culture, all the way back to the 1800's right after Japan first...we'll say opened up. In all honestly, its just like here in the US, a local can do something a hundred times and get away with it. A foreigner does it once and all the sudden its a crime against humanity. Now don't get me wrong, I know bad tourist exist. I've worked around airports most my career, I used to work in Downtown DC, I know the idiots are out there, but especially since COVID Japan has been on an anti-tourist kick the likes of which the country hasn't seen in over 90 years. Thanks for the alternatives though.

If you have been living in japan since 2005 you are not an "EXPAT". You are an immigrant, just because you moved from the US doesnt make you better than other people who immigrated to other countries like the US.

Nice video and summary. I live and work in Tokyo as an American in the legal field. Although I won't mention my recommendations, this list is super good too. It's too bad the bad tourist behavior, after the leave, tends to also connect us foreign residents just trying to live peacefully. News media here love to pin everyday problems on foreigners (e.g., rice shortage) because of those bad behaviors so that doesn't help either. The bit about the bar rules is very true and people should pin that part if they plan to drink out here. The cover charge, hourly charge, +20% service fee, 1 champagne bottle minimum, drink minimums are fairly common in drinking quarters. I know a few bar owners and the reasons you explained why they hesitate to open their doors wider to foreigners, not just tourists. Anyway, I'll check out your other vids.

Japan doesn't want tourists, see how they like it when no one goes there, and they lose out on that tourists money.

I've had the best times when outside of the Golden Circle/route idk. Okinawa islands and Hokkaido region are great for escaping tourism and enjoying the calmness. Golden Circle was nice but I can't see myself going back to the chaos.

Very well done! Thank you for the great alternatives to over touristed areas. Less crowds, cheaper prices and great, sometimes unique food too. That Aizu Wakamatsu recommendation is good. I’ll try visiting. Tohoku area is an under appreciated off the beaten path destination.

Very well done! Thank you for the great alternatives to over touristed areas. Less crowds, cheaper prices and great, sometimes unique food too. That Aizu Wakamatsu recommendation is good. I’ll try visiting. Tohoku area is an under appreciated off the beaten path destination.

Wow very touching video bro! What a wonderful experience you've had... And that Ungaikyo is basically the theme of a video game project m part of 👻

Very well made video man. I come from a place suffering from over-tourism also so I have a lot of empathy for the people living at those spots. Been trying to find some other places not as well known lately and have been having a blast at that. Can greatly recommend doing that!

Last Year i stayed at Higashiyama Onsen Mukaitaki, one of the best accomodations i have experienced. I was not aware of the entertainment possibilities there

Dude. I ate up this video - Clean 4K visuals, Clean audio, clean background, and most important gleaming info! - I'm onboard! ✅Would love to make a video with you when I come to Japan! Oh btw I couldn't download your guide - could only view it? Or maybe thats the point.

Nice topic, pretty hot lately. I have been traveling to Japan since 2013. Yes, the last time I was in Tokyo - march 2023 - it caught my eye that there where just much more tourists then 10 years before. But this has two driving elements. 1) the Japanese government them self's who wanted to attract more tourists to create more jobs and 2) the cheap yen, even though flights are expensive the stay is pretty cheap. To avoid crowds you can go off season but that is not always possible for everyone. Okutama and its vicinity is cool and indeed a very good alternative for climbing up some 400m and have some nice waterfalls to view at. Limestone cave is excellent and a nice walk within nature as well. Kamakura and Enoshima is always busy and mostly crowded by Japanese tourist not even foreign ones. If you want a quiet spot for a bamboo forest reasonable close to Tokyo, go to Sakura city. They even have an alley with old samurai houses to visit so you can be in ye old Japan. I know there are better spots but if you want to stick close to bigger city's this is one you can do easily. And for temples near Kyoto, try Mii-Dera which is on the other side of Kyoto, near Ootsu.

Here before this channel blows up

Man Sometimes I wish I went to Japan when I was working in the office xD now it looks like a tourist nightmare everywhere I wanna go... Damn.... xD

Now imagine the number of American cities destroyed by "immigration".

Great recommendations, but I can't help but feel this video would have more impact if it was in Chinese.

Some great suggestions! We are going to some of these places next year, so we will do our best to consider how we behave in crowded places. But we are also going "off the beaten track," so hopefully, we can experience some more relaxed environments.

Was able to travel nearly the entire western side of the country last year along with touristy areas. Fukuoka is nice since not many people are willing to travel across the entire island, Tottori and southern Wakayama we basically saw 0 tourists

Fully agree with this list. I'd also suggest Kanazawa as a nice alternative to Kyoto but even that is starting to become more known/crowded, but definitely not to the same extent as the big three. I love stopping by Kanazawa though on the way to Kansai after visiting my grandma/family in Toyama prefecture.

Great list! I will definitely check these alternatives out when I visit next year. Btw isn’t Gion completely closed to non natives due to these idiots

Hard to find a video about japan made by someone I'd actually wanna chill with. Dope alternatives, most I've never looked at before. Keep being you bro

Right to the point, not just complaining but you have good suggestions. Really enjoyed this video.