I’m not sure about the off the beaten path as general advice. There’s people who will always go off the beaten path because that’s what they do. Getting around

I’m not sure about the off the beaten path as general advice. There’s people who will always go off the beaten path because that’s what they do. Getting around and finding things to do in large cities is much easier than rural ones. I love going to onsens and the best ones are off the beaten path and usually vary hard to get to without access to a car. (If you’re into driving Japan is a lot of fun. I particularly like driving along the coastline through the Atami Ito area. Mountain driving with steep incline/declines and switchbacks is also fun.) In small towns there’s often just one central train station and everything else is by bus, taxi, or car. Buses and taxis are terrible options so it basically leaves driving. While it’s easy to rent a car I don’t think it’s a realistic option for most travelers. While there’s things to do in small towns it’s often a lesser experience. Shops and restaurants close earlier and there’s less variety. It’s a lesser experience than what you’d get in a major city. Moreover there’s tons of things to do on the outskirts of large cities. Take Koedo (小江戸) as an example. You often don’t have to go very far out for a different experience and still have all the accessibility of the city.