Asia Cozy Towns Map

Takayama

Old town, morning markets and Hida beef

8.1

Sake breweries hang cedar balls above their doors to show that the new brew is ready. Dark wooden merchant houses fill the Sanmachi Suji district. Morning markets by the river sell pickles and apples. Mountain air is crisp. Hida beef skewers warm cold hands on winter days.

Highlights:

🏯 Tour the Takayama Jinya, the historic Edo government house
🍠 Visit the morning markets along the Miyagawa River
🏮 Wander through Takayama’s preserved old town of Sanmachi Suji

Yufuin Onsen

Lakeside onsen town below Mount Yufu

8.4

Mount Yufu rises behind the small town, with morning mist on Lake Kinrin. Small cafes, galleries and craft shops line the main lane. Ryokan inns have private baths overlooking the hills. Walk the trail to the lake early, before day trippers arrive. Sweets shops sell cheesecake.

Highlights:

🌅 Take a morning walk around tranquil Lake Kinrin
🛍️ Stroll along Yufuin’s picturesque Yunotsubo Kaido shopping street
🛀 Bathe in a private open-air onsen with mountain views

Shirakawa-go

Thatched gassho farmhouses in the Hida mountains

7.6

Farmhouses with steep thatched roofs, shaped like hands in prayer, stand in a quiet valley. The style is called gassho zukuri. Snow piles high in winter. On select nights the houses are lit up. Inside, hearths smoke softly. Guests sleep on futons and eat mountain vegetables.

Highlights:

🏺 Visit the open-air museum to explore preserved houses
📸 Capture winter scenery with snow-covered village rooftops
🏡 Admire the traditional gassho-zukuri thatched farmhouses

Kinosaki Onsen

Seven bathhouses to stroll between in yukata

8.3

Seven public bathhouses line a willow shaded canal. Guests wander between them in yukata and wooden sandals. Each bath has its own style, from rock pools to cypress tubs. Winter brings Matsuba crab, served at ryokan dinners. Steam drifts from the stone bridges on cold nights.

Highlights:

⛩️ Visit the historic Kinosaki Shrine and participate in local rituals
👘 Stroll through the charming streets wearing a yukata and geta
🛁 Relax in a traditional ryokan and soak in private onsen baths

Kurokawa Onsen

Riverside bath hopping in a Kumamoto valley

8.8

A small river valley on Kyushu holds some of Japan's quietest baths. Visitors buy a wooden pass, called a tegata, that lets them try three inns' outdoor pools. No neon signs are allowed. Lanterns glow along the stream at night. Steam rises beside mossy rocks.

Highlights:

🏮 Enjoy seasonal lantern festivals lighting the village
👘 Stroll the charming streets in traditional yukata robes
♨️ Use the wooden pass for onsen hopping across baths

Shibu Onsen

Nine public baths and cobbled lanes

8.5

Nine public bathhouses line the stone lanes. Guests of local inns get a key to all of them. Locals still bathe in them every day. The town has wooden inns and a stamp walk. Nearby, snow monkeys soak in hot springs in the Jigokudani valley.

Highlights:

👘 Stroll historic streets wearing yukata robes
🐒 Visit Jigokudani Monkey Park to see bathing snow monkeys
♨️ Soak in nine unique public hot spring baths

Kurashiki

Canal town with storehouses and Western art

7.7

A willow lined canal runs through the Bikan historical quarter, with white walled storehouses on both banks. Flat bottom boats drift under stone bridges. The Ohara Museum of Art opened in 1930 and holds works by Monet and El Greco. Nearby Kojima is known for its denim.

Highlights:

🌿 Visit Kurashiki Ivy Square, a scenic former textile mill
🖼️ Explore the Ohara Museum of Art’s priceless collection
🏞️ Stroll the historic Kurashiki Bikan Quarter canals

Kusatsu-Onsen

Steaming hot water field and bath hopping

8.1

Steam rises from the Yubatake, a long wooden channel where hot spring water cools before it flows to the baths. Sulfur scent fills the air. Women with wooden paddles stir hot water in a traditional show. Warm sweet buns called manju are sold on every street corner.

Highlights:

🌿 Relax in open-air baths at Sainokawara Park
🎍 Watch a traditional Yumomi hot water cooling show
♨️ Admire the steaming Yubatake hot spring field in the center of town

Kawagoe

Edo-style warehouse town near Tokyo

7.8

Black walled warehouses called kurazukuri line the main street of this old merchant town. It is nicknamed Little Edo. The Toki no Kane bell tower has rung the hours since the 1600s. Candy Alley sells sweet potato snacks and old fashioned sweets. Tokyo is a half hour away by train.

Highlights:

🕰️ Visit the iconic Toki no Kane clock tower
🍠 Taste traditional sweet potato treats at Kashiya Yokocho
🏮 Stroll down Kurazukuri Street and admire Edo-era warehouses

Nozawa Onsen

Thirteen free public baths and a ski area

8.3

Every January 15, villagers in this ski town set fire to a huge wooden shrine in a night festival. Thirteen free public baths are open to visitors, heated by hot springs. Steaming oyaki dumplings are sold on the main street. Snow piles on tiled roofs.

Highlights:

🔥 Experience the unique Ogama boiling hot spring kitchen
🥾 Hike trails around the scenic Nozawa Onsen village
♨️ Tour the 13 historic public hot spring bathhouses

Hida

Carp canal and sake town near Takayama

7.3

White walled storehouses line a narrow canal in the old quarter of Hida Furukawa. Carp swim in the clear water below. Candle shops and sake breweries sit in wooden buildings with dark lattice windows. In April, drummers parade in the Furukawa Festival. Local beef grills over charcoal.

Highlights:

🚆 Ride the scenic Hida-Furukawa rail line through mountain valleys
🍶 Take a sake brewery tour and sample local varieties
🏮 Wander through the preserved streets of Hida-Furukawa

Gero

One of Japan's three great hot springs

7.5

A scholar in the Edo period ranked this valley among Japan's top three hot springs. Hot water flows from the hills beside a river. Soak in an inn bath, then stroll in a yukata, a light cotton robe. Footbaths are free. Old wooden farmhouses sit in the open air museum.

Highlights:

🚶🏻 Stroll along the Gero Onsen street and footbaths
🏮 Stay overnight in a traditional ryokan inn
♨️ Soak in Gero’s famous natural hot spring baths

Best cozy town destinations in Asia