🇯🇵Five Japanese Cities I Can’t Wait to Visit Again — And Five I Don’t Plan on Visiting Again

Japan is one of those countries where every city feels strangely different.

You can take a two-hour train ride and suddenly feel like you entered another world.

Some places made me immediately think

“I need to come back here.”

Others made me say:

“I’m glad I visited once… but once was enough.”

This isn’t a ranking of “good” or “bad” cities. Sometimes a place just doesn’t match your personality, travel style, or expectations.

And honestly, that’s part of traveling too.

Five Japanese Cities I Can’t Wait to Visit Again

1. Kyoto

Yes, it’s crowded. Yes, everyone complains about overtourism.

And yet

Kyoto at 7AM feels almost unreal.

The silence, the old streets, the tiny cafés hidden between temples — it somehow feels like time moves differently there.

Kyoto is best when you stop trying to “see everything.”

Just walk.

2. Sapporo

Sapporo feels comfortable in a way that’s hard to explain.

Wide streets. Good food. Less chaos than Tokyo.

And the food somehow tastes emotionally healing in winter.

I genuinely think Hokkaido air improves your mood.

3. Kanazawa

Kanazawa feels like Kyoto’s quieter cousin.

Beautiful gardens, old districts, incredible seafood — but without feeling overwhelmed.

Rain somehow makes this city even prettier.

4. Hukuoka

Fukuoka feels livable.

That’s the word.

Big enough to stay exciting, small enough to stay human.

The yatai food stalls at night make you feel like you accidentally walked into the best evening of your trip.

5. Hakodate

Hakodate feels nostalgic even if you’ve never been there before.

The old trams, sea air, mountain views, and slightly faded atmosphere somehow work perfectly together.

It feels cinematic.

Five Japanese Cities I Probably Don’t Need to Visit Again

1.Shibuya

I understand why people love it.

But after a while, the crowds started to feel exhausting instead of exciting.

It’s like your brain has 37 browser tabs open at the same time.

Fun once. Maybe enough for me.

2. Nagoya

This might be controversial.

Nagoya isn’t bad at all. It just never emotionally grabbed me.

Everything felt fine.

And sometimes fine is the hardest thing to remember.

3. Atami

I think I visited at the wrong time.

Too crowded, too hot, too many people trying to take the exact same photo.

I can absolutely imagine loving it during a quieter season though.

4. Osaka

Osaka has incredible food and amazing people.

But personally, the energy level was a lot.

People always describe Osaka as “lively.” For me, it sometimes crossed into “I need a nap immediately.”

5. Beppu

The hot springs were amazing.

But after two days, I realized I had basically done everything I personally wanted to do there.

Still worth visiting once though.

Final Thought

One of the best things about Japan is that there’s no correct favorite city.

Some people fall in love with giant neon cities. Others want quiet countryside towns with one tiny café and a train that comes once an hour.

The fun part is discovering which version of Japan feels most like your Japan.