Hi,

I was looking for advice for an upcoming trip to Japan this October. I will be spending a week in Kansai (Kyoto, Nara, Osaka) playing tour guide to my parents, for better or worse. I will then have a week on my own, and am torn between heading back down the Sanyo coast, perhaps stopping by Tomonoura and Onomichi, then up to Matsue and Izumo, or visiting some combination of Kanazawa, the Kiso Valley, and Matsumoto. I have visited Hiroshima and Miyajima already in the past.

I enjoy mountain scenery, but also like traveling in areas that are not too overrun by tourists. I also like anything of cultural or historical value. Local food/color is also appreciated. I will probably have a JR pass for this trip, and will be leaving from Narita for my return flight home.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. If it helps any, on my previous visits I really enjoyed two side trips to Hikone, and Hasedera in Nara.