As the host nation of the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Olympics, Japan will be in the collective travel consciousness for the next two years. Osaka, Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima will always be popular but to experience the culture and escape the crowds, try lesser-known regions such as the mountainous Iya Valley, known as the Tibet of Japan; the islands of the Seto Inland Sea; and the hiking haven of Tohoku.