Think of Japan and you may conjure up images of cities crowded with skyscrapers and people. But visitors keen to explore another side of the country can leave behind such scenes of overpacked humanity faster than you can say "bullet train". Step outside the cities and a different world unfolds: cloud-brushing peaks, rice fields, remote islands, old wooden farms, forests and deserted beaches.
There is also a super-speedy, clean and efficient transport system, which includes the Shinkansen bullet-train network. Upon arrival at the white beaches of tiny Zamami Island, the summer flower fields of Hokkaido or volcanic hot springs of Kyushu, "crowded" is likely to be the last word to spring to mind.
The exchange rate may not be at its friendliest but Japan can still be a good-value destination, if you plan carefully. It is worth buying a Japan Rail Pass before arriving in the country to make massive savings on train travel. Eating out is also often cheap and consistently high quality. Options range from food outlets at rail stations (a million miles from the burger bars at British stations) to the tapas-sized dishes served at izakaya - Japanese-style pubs, recognisable by red lanterns outside their doors.
In terms of accommodation, check into a minshuku, a kind of inn, for a fascinating and generally low-cost insight in to Japanese home life; be prepared to take off your shoes at the front door, drink gallons of green tea, sleep on futons on tatami mats and eat fish for breakfast. Another budget option is a night in a temple - this is recommended on remote Mount Koya and in the Kyoto region. The experience offers a dose of spirituality, complete with Buddhist cuisine and often early-morning prayers.
Alternatively, pack a tent. Camping is a much-loved pastime in Japan and so there are numerous sites. Camping wild is not strictly legal but is still common.
With winter approaching, there are plenty of options for skiers. Given that more than 70 percent of Japan is mountainous, it is not surprising that skiing is a national pastime. However, although the country has twice hosted the Winter Olympics, it is not a well-known skiing destination outside Japan. This is changing, perhaps because of the irresistible combination of excellent powder snow, cheap sushi, heated techno-loos and après-ski fun in the form of volcanic hot-spring onsen baths.
Head to Japan's northernmost island, Hokkaido, for excellent powder. Niseko is a popular resort and has a growing number of high-quality places to stay, good restaurants and plentiful runs. Ski Safari offers a 12-night trip which includes skiing in three Hokkaido resorts, stays in Tokyo and Kyoto, flights and accommodation with breakfast, from £1 999 (about R22 000).
Countless resorts are accessible from the capital. One is the Hakuba Valley near Nagano, which hosted the Winter Olympics in 1998. It is four hours by train from Tokyo. Inside Japan Tours (0117-314 4620; insidejapantours.com) offers seven-night trips - including five nights skiing in Hakuba Valley and two in Tokyo - for £694. This excludes lift passes, equipment rental and international flights.
Mountain exuberance is not confined to winter. When the snow melts, stay in wooden mountain huts while hiking from picturesque Kamikochi to Tateyama in the Japanese Alps. Audley Travel (01933 838 000; audleytravel.com) offers a 16-day mountain-climbing tour in these areas from £4 300 a person.
Japan's best-kept travel secret is the nationwide delivery service Takkyubin (00 81 3 3541 3411; kuronekoyamato.co.jp/english). Fast and reliable, it delivers pretty much anything - skis, suitcases, surfboards - within 24 hours. Pick-ups can be made from hotels, airports or convenience stores, and costs are reasonable: for example, an average-sized suitcase sent from northern Hokkaido to southern Kyushu costs only Y3,040 - The Independent.
- For more information contact the Japan National Tourism Organisation (020-7398 5678; seejapan.co.uk).