I day-tripped to 3 peaceful Japanese towns just a few hours from major cities

Visiting Shirakawa-go felt like stepping into a fairy tale. Anika Nayak

On my first visit to Japan , I checked out some villages that turned into the highlights of my trip.

Oshino was peaceful and unforgettable, with great food and charming, thatched-roof houses.

I also recommend checking out Shirakawa-go and Nachi-Katsuura for tons of culture and nature.

When I planned my first trip to Japan during cherry blossom season, I knew I wanted to see the tourist highlights in major urban hubs like Tokyo and Osaka, but I wanted to embrace the countryside, too.

I asked my family members who live in Japan for their recommendations, and their suggestions led me to three rural day trips, each just a couple of hours away from a major city.

Luckily, each of these places was fairly easy to navigate and well worth the public-transit rides it took to get to them.

If you're also headed to Japan and looking for a break from the noise of the major cities, here are the day trips I recommend.

Oshino gave me my first real taste of the Japanese countryside

Oshino was tranquil and full of charm. nongpimmy/Getty Images

From Tokyo, I took a two-hour bus to Oshino, a small village in Yamanashi Prefecture. The big attraction is Oshino Hakkai, a set of eight ponds fed by spring water from Mount Fuji.

The village is known for its thatched-roof houses, tall grass, and working watermill. The slow pace felt peaceful and calming. I spent the afternoon wandering between traditional houses, browsing local hot food and craft stalls, and sampling regional snacks.

For lunch, I tried hōtō, a noodle dish that originated in this area. It's made with flat, thick udon-style noodles and veggies like kabocha squash, stewed together in a savory, miso-based broth.

It was the perfect meal, especially since I visited on a cold, rainy day. Mount Fuji stayed behind clouds most of the afternoon, but it broke through long enough for me to see it above the river, where the cherry-blossom trees were just beginning to bloom, making for a breathtaking view .

Shirakawa-go looked like a fairy-tale village frozen in time

I'm so glad I made time to visit Shirakawa-go while I was in Japan. daboost/Getty Images

My second day trip was Shirakawa-go , a short 75-minute bus ride from Kanazawa.

The main draw is Ogimachi Village, home to about 500 residents and famous gassho-zukuri farmhouses. The name translates to "like praying hands," since the steep, triangular thatched roofs resemble Buddhist monks' hands pressed together.

I spent the day visiting an open-air museum of 25 farmhouses (some of which we could visit inside), eating gohei mochi (a grilled rice snack) from a street stall, and hiking up a gentle slope to the Ogimachi Castle Observation Deck, the former site of Ogimachi Castle.

From the top, I could see the entire village spread out below, with farmhouses scattered across green fields.

There were other tourists in the area when I visited, but the experience didn't feel noisy or crowded because of the village's wide layout.

Walking along the stone-paved roads, surrounded by forest and mountains, felt so serene.

Nachi-Katsuura had mountains, shrines, and Japan's tallest waterfall

I visited Nachi Otaki, Japan's tallest single-drop waterfall. Anika Nayak

Nachi-Katsuura, also known as Kii-Katsuura, is about four hours from Osaka by train. If you're up for a longer travel day, I'd highly recommend it.

I visited while on a pilgrimage to the Kumano Sanzan, three sacred shrines — one of which is located in Nachi-Katsuura. I took the Daimon-zaka slope to visit the shrine, which meant climbing 267 moss-covered stone steps winding uphill through a corridor of cedar trees.

While there, I also got to see Nachi Otaki, Japan's tallest one-tier waterfall at roughly 436 feet. Visitors can hike up the mountain trails to get closer views of the waterfall from several lookout points.

Beyond sightseeing, the seaside town is also known for its seafood and cave onsens (natural hot-spring baths by the sea). After a long day of hiking, soaking my feet in an onsen — while surrounded by gorgeous water views — felt like the perfect, relaxing ending.

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