If you're in Hokkaido, you can take a powered paraglider over Furano, the flower capital of Japan's northernmost main island. Operated by MPG Sorachi, you can check out the mountains and flower fields as you float up to 400 meters (1,312 ft) in the air.

Further south, East Japan Outdoor School in Ishioka City offers licensing courses with the Japan Hang & Paragliding Foundation, as well as tandem flights for beginners and even paragliding experiences for kids. The nearest train station, Ishioka, is accessible in less than an hour on the Tokiwa 57 Limited Express Katsuta from Ueno Station in Tokyo.

While the above option is unpowered, if you prefer powered paragliding, that can be found at Angel Zip Sky Sports in Joso City, Ibaraki. The nearest station, Midorino, can be accessed in about 45 minutes using the Tsukuba Express from Akihabara Station in Tokyo.

Located in the town of Tokigawa in west-central Saitama Prefecture, accessing this area requires about an hour on the Tobu-Tojo Line out of Ikebukuro, followed by another hour on two different local buses if you're heading out from Tokyo. Operated by Dodaira Sky Park Paraglider School, a number of unpowered paragliding courses are available, including introductory, tandem and custom options.

Nishitokyo Paragliding School is located in Uenohara City, Yamanashi. The nearest station, Shiotsu, is accessible in about 90 minutes from Shinjuku Station in Tokyo. There are both solo courses and two different tandem courses available for unpowered paragliding.

Imaihama Flying School is located in the mountains above the town of Kawazu, found on the southeast side of the Izu Peninsula, about 2.5 hours from Shinjuku Station in Tokyo. You can take your first step into solo flight with an instructor, or sign up for a tandem paragliding experience (unpowered).

For unpowered paragliding around Nagoya, head out to Okazaki City, located about 45 minutes to the southeast. Choose from tandem or solo flights, or try both! Operated by Skytry.

Learn the basics of paragliding and take as many short solo flights as you like up to 30 meters up—or sign up for a tandem experience that will take you through a 340-meter (1,115-ft) altitude change! Operated by Jamsports Paraglider School out of the Ski Jam Katsuyama ski resort, which is in the northeast corner of Fukui Prefecture.

Want to do more than temples around Kyoto? There are introductory, tandem and solo paragliding courses available at the Nishi-Kyoto Paraglider Training Hill in Nantan City, which is roughly 40 minutes west of Kyoto Station by train. Operated by Birds Paraglider School. Click for details on the morning course, general course and leisure course.

Birds also operates another location at Para Park Kyoto, which is accessible by (rather infrequent) bus from Kameoka Station, about 25 minutes from Kyoto Station on the Sanin Main Line.

Why not soar above Tottori's famous sand dunes on a paraglider! There are various course options, including family experiences, tandem courses with an instructor, half-day courses, or fly as many times as you like with a full-day course!

The island of Amami Oshima is part of Amami Gunto National Park, which was established on March 7, 2017. Japan's second-largest remote island, it's located between the southern tip of Kyushu and the islands of Okinawa. Known for its forests and coral reefs, why not join an instructor on a powered paraglider to fly over this subtropical island!

And of course, you can paraglide in Okinawa, Japan's premier resort destination. Head to the village of Nakagusuku on Okinawa's main island to take a powered paraglider over the blue sea with an experienced instructor from Sky Sports Planning Blue Sky.