Rural japan destinations

Hi! I'm from italy and i've been in japan last year for 2 weeks, this year i want to come back in summer. I'm defining my trip but i will be in tokyo and osaka, one week each city. i would like to see rural places quite easy to reach from those main cities in one day trip excursion, some lovely little towns in countryside or something by the sea, not usual tourist areas but something intimate and peculiar from japan, also interested in some typical matsuri in AUGUST. can you help me? thanks :)

Hi!

How about visiting some traditional swordsmith at work in Bizen-Osafune halfway between Kyoto and Okayama? It is reachable by JR and maybe 15min of walking (or just take a cab)

http://osahune.com/index.html (I registered at http://www.osahune.com/cgi-bin/enquete/form0001.reg for my visit in March 2015)

I believe the live performance is only on sundays or public holidays but it was quite entertaining. However, some knowledge of the japanese language is recommended in order to enjoy the experience to the fullest. The guide speaks a little bit of English, the smiths don't. The nearby swords museum was also really interesting!
And it is definitely something to remember!

If you want Matsuri in August, you can go to Tohoku, there are many matsuri in this area on the first week of august:
- Aomori Nebuta Matsuri (2-7)
- Goshogawara Neputa Matsuri (4-8)
- Morioka Sansa Odori: taiko dancers (1-4)
- Akita Kanto Matsuri (3-6)
- Sendai Tanabata matsuri (6-8)

Tohoku has also many stunning rural areas. Nice cities/villages are (among others) Hiraizumi and Kakunodate. The coastlines (both Pacific and Sea of Japan) are very beautiful). There is a train from Akita to Aomori which goes along the coastline, it is very beautiful, but it takes a long time. The regular train from Akita to Aomori goes in the forests and the landscape is also very nice. Train stop in the middle of nowhere.... i really enjoyed my trip to Tohoku last year.

Chichibu is on a day trip from Tokyo and a lovely countryside town with a famous Kannon pilgrimage and a famous Shinto Shrine; with a direct train from Ikebukuro station.

From Osaka Koyasan is iconic. Very rural, and extraordinary atmosphere. The trip is beautiful: the place is just amazing.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4900.html

Agree with Bizen as a beautiful little rural town, known for its for ceramics and �gclimbing kilns�h.
We went on a weekday in early April, and we were the only people there. Literally: saw one other person walking in the whole village in 3 hours.
Lunch in the restaurant in the station was also excellent!

The sword museum is at Osafune: it is only one station away from Imbe (the actual Bizen station) but we were advised to go by taxi from Imbe rather than wait for infrequent trains, as you need a taxi from Osafune station to the museum anyway. Great advice.

We are also going to Ohara (1 hour north of Kyoto station by bus/subway&bus) next trip: can't recommend or otherwise as we have not been before, but it looks beautifully rural.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3932.html

There is an interesting area not far out of Osaka, Tondabayashi: excellent information place opposite station with an English walking map: beautifully restored house in the area, delightful local temple, great soba noodle restaurant on a side road overlooking rural fields: we loved our day there.
It is definitely not strictly �grural�h, but it is definitely not mainstream Osaka!
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~heritage/english.html

Enjoy your trip!

You can also explore the Kii Peninsula, south of Osaka (Wakayama and Mie prefectures).