Secret Japan: 7 new and excitig places to visit in the Asian hotspot

If you want cherry blossoms to rain, but the crowds of Tokyo and Kyoto don't appeal, head north to this dreamy town in Akita prefecture. Developed in the early 17th century as a city of samurai, it's home to some of Japan's most well-preserved historic sites - the standout Edo architecture often sees it dubbed "Little Kyoto".

Built landmarks aside, Kakunodate's river is lined with more than 400 sakura (cherry blossom) trees, perfuming the air every spring; there's a festival held annually in April and May to celebrate their beauty.

Connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan, this body of water separates the country's three main islands (Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu). The region hosts the Art Setouchi Triennale - the next will take place in 2025 - across a dozen islands, spearheaded by the numerous cutting-edge contemporary art projects founded by the Benesse Corporation on the island of Naoshima, Inujima and Teshima.

You'll enjoy views of many of these beauties from oceanside Simose Art Museum on the Honshu mainland, where the world's first moveable galleries, housed in rainbow-hued shipping containers, have just opened. Check in to one of the 10 architecturally-stunning villas on-site, designed by Shigeru Ban.

Just north of Kyoto, this freshwater lake is the largest of its kind in Japan - it's also believed to be one of the world's oldest, formed some four million years ago. Swim, paddleboard, cruise or bliss out on one of the many beaches, knowing you're keeping fine company with more than 60 endemic faunal species thanks to the lake's age, as well as a hugely diverse floral ecosystem.

Then when it's time refuel, head to new Sower restaurant, a true destination-dining experience helmed by Michelin-pedigree chef Coleman Griffin and designed in industrial-chic style by Teruhiro Yanagihara Studio.

This drop of land in the East China Sea is not easy to get to - but that's part of the allure. Remote and ravishing, the subtropical isle is located 60 kilometres off the south coast of Kyushu (Japan's most southwestern main island), and is knitted with ancient cedar forests that look like they've fallen from the script of a fairy-tale - indeed, some of the country's oldest trees are found here, sprouting from mist-swirled valleys and moss-covered groves.

If you're a fan of shinrin yoku (aka forest bathing) and connecting with nature, this island is your bliss. Just keep in mind that to get this lush, there's often rain on the horizon.

North of Tokyo on Honshu Island, Sendai is the epitome of a Japanese castle town - enveloped by modernity. The remains of a 17th-century samurai castle sit pretty on Aoba Hill, with many more historic attractions unlocked in the surrounding countryside, including Yamadera (a scenic temple on a steep hillside), Matsushima (a bay dotted with pine-clad islets) and the beguiling Sanriko Coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. If you need another reason to visit, make it Hoshino Resorts' freshly minted KAI Akiu, a Zen ryokan overlooking the Natori River and replete with bountiful onsen. Or new Aquaignis Sendai, part restaurant, part hot-spring complex.

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Want to experience Japan, in serious seclusion? The Mujinto Project organises overnight stays on some of the country's most remote islands, off the coast of Honshu cities Wakayama, Okayama and Nagasaki. Each island is completely uninhabited and devoid of buildings, so yours will be the only footprints in the sand. When you book, you're handed essentials (tent, sleeping bags, cooking equipment) and can add on extras, including tours. All you need to do is BYO food, water and sake.

Things get rather steamy in Beppu, quite literally - this town on the east coast of Kyushu, wedged between volcanic mountains and a bay, produces more hot spring water than any other destination in the country. In fact, there are more than 2000 onsens to soak in.

The health benefits of easing weary limbs in these bubbling pools is well-documented, and indeed samurai and Japanese warriors have been coming here to cure what ails them for more than 1000 years. Expect public and private hot-spring baths, as well as places where you can soak in mud.