\t\t\t\tThe Japan you don’t learn about in anime. Weekly. Free.<\/a><\/p>\n What are hisho-chi? A little bit of history<\/p>\n The idea of summer resorts is hardly novel, and along those same lines, hisho-chi have been around for a while. It started in Karuizawa in 1886 after a Canadian missionary, Alexander Croft Shaw, marveled at its beautiful, clear nature and climate. He built a villa (called \u30da\u30f3\u30b7\u30e7\u30f3, or pension, in Japanese<\/a>), and many Japanese natives followed suit. In just 50 years, this city in Nagano Prefecture went from zero villas to almost 1,200.<\/p>\n Something similar happened in the Kiyosato Plateau in the 80s and 90s. Famous as the home of American missionary Paul Rusch (a.k.a. the man who brought American football to Japan<\/a>), the area was a bustling domestic tourist attraction until the bubble burst.<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to see why hisho-chi would attract so many people. Not only do the mountains offer unforgettable scenery, but the higher altitude makes it much cooler than cities closer to sea level. The Usui New Railway being built in 1893 also helped, as it created a relatively quick path to Karuizawa from Tokyo.<\/p>\n Karuizawa hasn\u2019t been the only place to host hisho-chi. The Imperial family helped to cement their enduring popularity in the 1920s, when Crown Prince Hirohito fell in love with the highland scenery of Nasu in Tochigi Prefecture. He had the Nasu Imperial Villa built soon after, and many emperors since have spent summers there.<\/p>\n Planning a trip to Japan? Get an authentic, interpreted experience from Unseen Japan Tours<\/a> and see a side of the country others miss!<\/p>\n Today, hisho-chi remain some of the most sought-after summer destinations in the country, despite barely registering on most foreign itineraries. Frankly, it\u2019s not the first time<\/a> something became wildly popular among the Japanese while being barely noticed by foreign crowds.<\/p>\n Evolution of hisho-chi into high-end summer homes<\/p>\n Karuizawa, where it all began, remains the top spot for hisho-chi in Japan according to separate surveys conducted by NEWT and Hankyu Travel. Respondents said they loved how cool and accessible it was, and the hype built through social media sure didn\u2019t hurt. Second place for both surveys went to Furano, Hokkaido<\/a>, which is famous for its lavender fields.<\/p>\n Karuizawa\u2019s hills are lined with summer villas that can run anywhere from an average of \u00a5200 million (1.2 million USD) to \u00a52 billion (12 million USD) for luxury mansions. Land values in this town have held the top spot in Nagano Prefecture for three years in a row, with benchmark prices rising 11.2% year-on-year.<\/p>\n In this way, Karuizawa has basically become the Hamptons of Japan. While not all hisho-chi are as high-end as Karuizawa, and Japanese-style inns or ryokan<\/a> (\u65c5\u9928) abound, many want to keep that exclusive feel.<\/p>\n A shift from summer resorts to tourist hotspots<\/p>\n While Karuizawa rules domestically, for a time, Nikko looked like it would become Japan\u2019s international summer resort. By the early Sh\u014dwa era, over 40 foreign embassy villas lined Lake Ch\u016bzenji. The town also has culturally significant sites like the T\u014dsh\u014dg\u016b Shrine that make it more than just a pretty escape from the summer heat. Really, it\u2019s no wonder it drew people in.<\/p>\n The only problem was that, with foreign tourists crowding Nikko, a lot of domestic travelers no longer wanted to go. Nowadays, Nikko is not so much a hisho-chi as it is yet another tourist destination. It still sees impressive numbers, hitting nearly 2 million in 2024, with foreign overnight stays hitting new records<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hakone is also starting to see this happen. Visitor numbers hit 20 million in 2024, and of the roughly four million who stayed overnight, almost an eighth (493,000) were foreigners. That\u2019s 149,000 more foreign travelers than the previous year, all the while domestic travelers went down.<\/p>\n For now, it\u2019s a slight decrease, but a real estate magazine noted that more than half of vacant property inquiries in the area are from people looking to operate short-term rentals. It\u2019s just another sign that it may be following in Nikko\u2019s footsteps.<\/p>\n Keeping hisho-chi under control and away from overtourism<\/p>\n Most of the hisho-chi circuit, including Nasu Highlands, Kamik\u014dchi, and Furano, want to maintain their status as premier summer getaways. Overcrowding makes it hard to relax, after all.<\/p>\n Funnily enough, the prefectures with hisho-chi (like Nagano, Tochigi, and Yamanashi) don\u2019t see huge spikes in tourist growth as you see in event-driven destinations. For example, Osaka for the World Expo last year, or the Seto Inland Sea islands<\/a> for the Setouchi Triennale. This is because for hisho-chi, it\u2019s mostly long-term repeat visitors who take up bookings.<\/p>\n Take Kamik\u014dchi. It\u2019s one of Japan\u2019s most famous alpine valleys, but private vehicles are banned for the entire open season. Visitors have to park outside the valley and catch a shuttle in. Despite how restrictive it sounds, it achieves exactly what it goes for: ensuring that the valley isn\u2019t clogged with traffic and overrun by tourists, a struggle faced by other small villages such as Shirakawa-g\u014d<\/a>.<\/p>\n Atami is another interesting example<\/a>. The city, easily accessible from Tokyo, has long been popular among domestic travelers for the way it combines onsen<\/a>, ocean views, gourmet food, and a Sh\u014dwa retro feel. While not specifically known as a highland vacation spot, it is home to J\u016bgoku-t\u014dge, which provides great views, cool summer weather, and glamping accommodations.<\/p>\n For those in the know, hisho-chi remain a big draw for domestic travelers who want to escape the summer heat. It\u2019s not just about seeing new places, but knowing where the best already is and sticking to it.<\/p>\n \t\tKeep reading<\/p>\n \t\tDiscover the “unseen” side of Japan<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tWe started Unseen Japan Tours<\/a> for the same reason we started Unseen Japan: to give people a unique glimpse into Japan they can’t get anywhere else. Let us create a custom itinerary of hard-to-find spots centered on your interests. We can also serve as your guides and interpreters, taking you to places that non-Japanese speakers can’t access.\n\t\t<\/p>\n \t\tAsk for a quote today \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n \tSources<\/p>\n 2025\u5e74\u590f\u4f11\u307f\uff087\u670815\u65e5\uff5e8\u670831\u65e5\uff09JTB\u4eba\u6c17\u65b9\u9762\u30e9\u30f3\u30ad\u30f3\u30b0 JTB Newsroom<\/a><\/p>\n 2025\u5e74\u590f\u4f11\u307f\uff087\u670815\u65e5\uff5e8\u670831\u65e5\uff09\u306e\u65c5\u884c\u52d5\u5411 JTB Newsroom<\/a><\/p>\n \u300c\u697d\u5929\u30c8\u30e9\u30d9\u30eb\u300d\u30012025\u5e74\u590f\u306e\u4eba\u6c17\u4e0a\u6607\u90fd\u9053\u5e9c\u770c\u30e9\u30f3\u30ad\u30f3\u30b0\u3092\u767a\u8868 Rakuten Group<\/a><\/p>\n \u5168\u56fd1,724\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f53\u304b\u3089\u9078\u3076\uff01\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f53\u30e9\u30f3\u30ad\u30f3\u30b0\u300c\u590f\u306b\u884c\u304d\u305f\u3044\u907f\u6691\u5730\u300dTOP100 NEWT<\/a><\/p>\n \u65e5\u672c\u306e\u907f\u6691\u5730\u30e9\u30f3\u30ad\u30f3\u30b0\uff01\uff5e2\u4f4d\u300c\u5bcc\u826f\u91ce\u300d\u3092\u6291\u30481\u4f4d\u306b\u8f1d\u3044\u305f\u306e\u306f\uff1f \u962a\u6025\u4ea4\u901a\u793e\u304c\u516c\u958b PR TIMES (Hankyu Travel)<\/a><\/p>\n \u65e5\u5149\u3068\u9ad8\u5c3e\u306e\u5927\u304d\u306a\u9055\u3044 \u89b3\u5149\u5730\u306e\u300c\u6b74\u53f2\u300d\u304c\u62db\u304f\u30a4\u30f3\u30d0\u30a6\u30f3\u30c9 \u65e5\u672c\u7d4c\u6e08\u65b0\u805e<\/a><\/p>\n Hotels.com\u30012025\u5e74\u590f\u306e\u4eba\u6c17\u56fd\u5185\u65c5\u884c\u5148\u30e9\u30f3\u30ad\u30f3\u30b0\u3092\u767a\u8868 \u6700\u59279\u9023\u4f11\uff01\u304a\u76c6\u671f\u9593\u4e2d\u306e\u56fd\u5185\u65c5\u884c\u306e\u6df7\u96d1\u4e88\u60f3\u65e5\u3082\u516c\u958b PR TIMES (Hotels.com)<\/a><\/p>\n \u7bb1\u6839\u753a \uff16\u5e74\u3076\u308a\uff12\u5343\u4e07\u4eba\u8d85\u3048 \uff12\uff10\uff12\uff14\u5e74\u5165\u8fbc\u89b3\u5149\u5ba2\u6570 \u30bf\u30a6\u30f3\u30cb\u30e5\u30fc\u30b9<\/a><\/p>\n \u4eba\u6c17\u89b3\u5149\u5730\u306b\u898b\u308b\u30a4\u30f3\u30d0\u30a6\u30f3\u30c9\u306e\u5149\u3068\u5f71\uff5e\u795e\u5948\u5ddd\u770c\u7bb1\u6839\u753a\uff5e \u6708\u520a\u4e0d\u52d5\u7523<\/a><\/p>\n Birth of Karuizawa as a summer resort Karuizawa Tourist Association<\/a><\/p>\n 2025\u5e74\u57fa\u6e96\u5730\u4fa1\uff5c\u65e7\u8efd\u4e95\u6ca2\u306f3\u5e74\u9023\u7d9a\u3067\u770c\u5185\u306e\u6700\u9ad8\u4fa1\u683c\u5730\u70b9\u306b\uff01 \u30ea\u30be\u30fc\u30c8\u30db\u30fc\u30e0BLOG<\/a><\/p>\n \u5730\u57df\u7d39\u4ecb \u7687\u5ba4 \u90a3\u9808\u9ad8\u539f\u30d3\u30b8\u30bf\u30fc\u30bb\u30f3\u30bf\u30fc<\/a><\/p>\n \u30a4\u30bf\u30ea\u30a2\u5927\u4f7f\u9928\u5225\u8358\u8a18\u5ff5\u516c\u5712 \u6803\u6728\u770c\u7acb\u65e5\u5149\u81ea\u7136\u535a\u7269\u9928<\/a><\/p>\n \u65e5\u5149\u6771\u7167\u5bae\u306e2024\u5e74\u53c2\u62dd\u8005\u306f199\u4e07\u4eba\u4e0a\u56de\u308b \u524d\u5e74\u3088\u308a\uff15\u4e07\u4eba\u8d85\u5897\u3048\u30b3\u30ed\u30ca\u798d\u524d\u306e\u6c34\u6e96\u306b \u5897\u3048\u305f\u8981\u56e0\u306f\uff1f \u4e0b\u91ce\u65b0\u805e SOON<\/a><\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/pixta_11943952_M-1024x682.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Unseen](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778426805_70_See-the-unseen-side-of-Japan.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"J\u016bgoku-t\u014dge](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/pixta_128627262_M-1024x682.jpg\")
Known as a hot domestic tourist attraction, Atami is host to J\u016bgoku-t\u014dge, which provides spectacular views and cool weather at elevation. (Picture: booji<\/a>\u00a0\/ PIXTA(\u30d4\u30af\u30b9\u30bf))<\/p>\n