Hitotsuku Beach (人津久海水浴場)

This hidden corner of the country is rural Japan at its best, where underground activity is to thank for active volcanoes and bubbling natural hot springs along the Shimabara Peninsula as well as the crystal clear waters of the Goto Islands off the west coast. Less well known than Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park, Nagasaki commemorates its own past at the Nagasaki Peace Park, which sits alongside the charming Meganebashi stone bridge and a mix of religious buildings with beautiful architecture, such as the Zen Buddhist Sofukuji Temple, the Confucian Shrine, and the Oura Christian Church.