@theroundjournal: 24 hours in Nakagawa-machi, Tochigi Prefecture. A town 90 minutes from Tokyo that most travellers may have never hear about.
 I was kindly invited by Otawara Tourism to stay at Iizuka-tei, a beautifully restored Edo and Meiji-era residence turned boutique hotel. The kind of place where history lives in every corner, but the interiors feel surprisingly modern. Spent my short stay cycling through quiet streets, visiting the Nakagawa-machi Bato Hiroshige Museum of Art, and created my own traditional Koisagoyaki pottery with a local artisan who gave me a tour of his workshop, and of course eating delicious food.
 No crowds. Just mountains, rivers, craft traditions passed down through generations, and the kind of hospitality that reminds you why slowing down matters.
 This is a side of Japan I can’t wait to head back to, explore more of! How to get there: Take the JR Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Utsunomiya (50 mins), then JR Utsunomiya Line to Ujiie Station (20 mins) and then transfer to a bus heading to Batosyako (20 mins). Places to visit: - Iizuka-tei (A recently renovated 200-year-old hotel) - Nakagawa-machi Bato Hiroshige Museum of Art (designed by Kengo Kuma) - Koisagoyaki Pottery Experience Centre (Toyu-kan) - Gozeniwa Bussan Center (make your own soba here and eat in the restaurant after) - Mumo River #japantravel #japantrip #slowtravel #tochigi #japancountryside

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Sunday 30 November 2025 00:47:02 GMT