Originally Posted by Aventine

I'd much rather be in Kyoto than Osaka. Osaka is just another megacity metropolis but Kyoto has so many historical things to see.

Kanazawa isn't so much off the beaten path anymore with the Shinkansen going there but the city is the center of Japanese lacquerware and gold leaf. Also home to one of the top 3 Japanese gardens in the country. I adore the city.