While we’re on the topic of uncrowded places in places you least expect…
Consider Japan. Now here’s a country with a population almost half that of the United States, and yet all these folks
are squished into a country mass about the size of California. That’s crowded. But
in the New York Times, we learn about the Noto Peninsula, an area about midway along the western coast of Japan and
200 miles or so northwest of Tokyo where a “raw, unspoiled Japan” still exists.
The photos of Noto are beautiful, and a little Googling
reveals that Noto is an excellent kayaking
spot, with long rocky shore and place to pull up to walk local markets.