Time to visit the lesser-known parts of Japan

Tourists enjoying a different kind of river rafting on Shiingu River in Kitayama village, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. Photo: AP

At a fireworks festival in Katsushika Ward, Tokyo, in late July, some of the paid seats were occupied by tourists from Taiwan and Hong Kong. Guiding the party in fluent Mandarin was Koichi Yoshida, 36, who is known in Taiwan as a promoter for travel to Japan. The Chinese-language travel website he runs is so influential that many tourists use it to decide where to go in Japan.

Yoshida has a unique career. He first enrolled in the National Defense Academy of Japan, then transferred to Keio University. After graduation, he worked at a TV station.