Off the Beaten Tracks in Japan

John Dougill has lived in Kyoto since 1994, before which he taught at Kanazawa University. He is the author of several books about Japan, and his 2012 book, In Search of Japan's Hidden Christians, was hailed as "one of the most compelling and important books on Japan in recent years." He has run Writers in Kyoto for nine years, editing the website and overseeing the group’s many activities. He also runs the Green Shinto blog.

2023 FOREWORD INDIES BOOK OF THE YEAR GOLD WINNER FOR TRAVEL"John Dougill's honest observations and deeply personal style leave a lasting impression."—Nikkei Asia"Skillfully combining history, culture, food, society, literature, and old-fashioned observation, Dougill educates as well as entertains, soothing the restless spirit of the traveler who is determined to visit every place they read or hear about."—Rebecca Otowa, author of At Home in Japan"Dougill takes delight in every aspect of Japan, from the fish and pickles he has for dinner, to a weird conversation with a stranger that takes a surprise turn. I know of no Japan journey that is so full of joy as this one."—Alex Kerr, author of Lost Japan and Another Kyoto"Erudite and deftly constructed, Dougill offers an original point of view and a sense of literary composition yoked with a deep knowledge of the country and culture."—Stephen Mansfield, author of Tokyo: A Biography

• Preface Introduction: Japan’s RailwaysHOKKAIDO 1) Wakkanai 2) Asahikawa 3) Sapporo 4) Otaru 5) Shiraoi 6) Hakodate TOHOKU 7) Aomori 8) Akita 9) Tsuruoka 10) Sado Island 11) Niigata (Joetsu-Myoko) HOKURIKU 12) Toyama 13) Kanazawa 14) Fukui 15) Tsuruga (Obama-Fukuchiyama) CHUGOKU 16) Tottori 17) Matsue 18) Izumo 19) Tsuwano 20) Hagi 21) Shimonoseki KYUSHU 22) Fukuoka 23) Iki Island 24) Karatsu-Imari 25) Hirado 26) Nagasaki 27) Shimabara 28) Kumamoto 29) Kagoshima 30) Ibusuki