Nature
Mountains, rivers, forests, and natural wonders
398 spots
Sakurai Futamigaura
At Sakurai Beach in western Itoshima, two granite rocks rise from the shallow water 150 meters offshore — connected by a…
Shiraito Falls (Itoshima)
High on the granite flanks of Mt. Raizan (955m), Shiraito Falls drops 24 meters in a single white ribbon into a deep eme…
Nokonoshima Island
Nokonoshima, a teardrop-shaped island 10 minutes by ferry from Meinohama Port in western Fukuoka, is barely 3 km long an…
Yanagawa Canal Cruise
Yanagawa was built on water — a network of 930 canals originally dug as defensive waterways around the castle and later…
Keya Otehon Sea Cave
On the western tip of Itoshima Peninsula, the Genkai Sea has been cutting into basalt cliffs for millennia, producing a…
Mizuma Temple
Perched on a 221-meter hilltop above the Chikugo River plain, Mizuma-dera (水分寺) offers an extraordinary panoramic view t…
Raizan Sennyoji Temple
On the upper slopes of Mt. Raizan, behind a cedar forest that filters almost all direct sunlight, Sennyoji Temple has be…
Ohori Park
Ohori Park was created in 1929 when the former outer moat of Fukuoka Castle was converted into a public lakeside park —…
Amago Falls
In the mountain river valleys of Asakura, the Amago River has carved a narrow gorge where the water drops through a seri…
Fukuoka City Waterfront
The Momochi district, built on reclaimed land in the 1990s to host the 1989 Asia-Pacific Expo, contains an unexpectedly…
Uminonakamichi Seaside Park
Uminonakamichi National Seaside Park occupies the entirety of a 10km-long sand spit between Hakata Bay and the Genkai Se…
Nakagawa River Walk
The Nakagawa River runs 4km through the center of Fukuoka from Ohori Park to Hakata Bay, its banks lined with a continuo…
Atago Shrine
Atago Shrine sits on Atago Hill (68m) in the Nishi-ku district of Fukuoka City, overlooking the full arc of Hakata Bay f…
Itoshima Organic Farm Trail
The inland areas of Itoshima Peninsula are defined by rice paddy agriculture — the combination of volcanic soil from Mt.…
Niji-no-Matsubara
Niji-no-Matsubara is a 5km arc of coastline planted with approximately 1 million black pine trees — one of Japan's 'thre…
Hamanoura Rice Terraces
The Hamanoura rice terraces, on the western coast of Kyushu facing the Genkai Sea, are ranked among Japan's 100 most bea…
Ogi City Hirado-bashi
Ogi is a small castle town on the southern slopes of Mt. Tenzan, known primarily within Saga Prefecture for its cherry b…
Karatsu Sea Cave Kayaking
The Matsuura coastline west of Karatsu is a 20km arc of basalt sea cliffs, small fishing harbors, and sea caves accessib…
Mifuneyama Rakuen
Mifuneyama Rakuen, a 500,000-square-meter garden carved into the forested slopes of Mt. Mifuneyama (sheer granite cliffs…
Higashimatsuura Peninsula Cycling Route
The Higashimatsuura Peninsula, north of Karatsu, is a 40km circuit of dramatic coastal scenery accessible by bicycle — r…
Kyuragi Valley
The Kyuragi River valley, between Takeo and Saga City, is one of western Kyushu's most intact examples of the mixed broa…
Kase River Firefly Festival
The Kase River and its tributaries in the southern Saga mountains host one of Kyushu's most concentrated firefly populat…
Genkainada Sea Route
Iki Island, accessible by ferry from Karatsu or Hakata, is a 138-square-km island in the Genkai Sea with exceptional arc…
Hiratani Valley
Hiratani Valley, in the mountains between Ureshino and Nagasaki, follows the upper Hiratani River through a narrow gorge…
Saga Riverine Plain
The Saga Plain, particularly the rice paddy areas south and west of Saga City, hosts one of the largest concentrations o…
Nijinomatsubara Seaside Cycling
The Niji-no-Matsubara pine grove fronts a 5km bicycle lane alongside the beach, rated by Cycling magazine as one of Japa…
Takeo Shrine 3,000-Year-Old Camphor Tree
Within the grounds of Takeo Jinja, a camphor tree estimated at 3,000 years old stands 30 meters tall with a circumferenc…
Karatsu Bay Sunset Fishing
From June to October, the fishing boats of Karatsu Bay go out at sunset using bright lights to attract squid to the surf…
Mifuneyama Autumn Maple Forest Walk
The maple forest on the slopes below Mifuneyama's granite cliff face contains 4,000 Japanese maple trees (momiji) that t…
Sefuri-san Mountain
Sefurisan (1,077m), on the border between Saga and Fukuoka prefectures, is the highest peak in northern Kyushu and carri…
Kujukushima (99 Islands)
Kujukushima ('99 islands,' though actually 208) is a scattering of forested islets across Omura Bay north of Sasebo — a…
Unzen Jigoku (Unzen Hell)
Unzen Jigoku is a 500-meter-wide field of active volcanic vents on the slopes of Mt. Unzen, emitting sulfurous steam at…
Mount Inasa Night View
Mount Inasa (333m) overlooks Nagasaki from the west, providing a 360-degree panorama that includes the harbor, city cent…
Fukue Island Beaches
Fukue Island, the largest of the Goto Islands, has 20+ named beaches with water clarity and sand quality that rival Okin…
Shimabara Spring Water Swimming Carp Streets
Shimabara City's residential streets flow with crystal-clear spring water emerging from underground volcanic aquifers be…
Nagasaki Ropeway Night View to Mt. Inasa
The Nagasaki Ropeway, rebuilt in 2020 with new larger cabins, is the definitive way to experience the Mt. Inasa night vi…
Mt. Aso Nakadake Crater
Mt. Aso is one of the world's largest active calderas (25km across) containing five volcanic peaks. Nakadake is the only…
Amakusa Islands
The Amakusa Islands (120+ islands, population 100,000) were a center of hidden Christian faith during the 250-year prohi…
Kumagawa River Rafting
The Kumagawa River, flowing through the mountains of southern Kumamoto, is called 'Japan's three fastest-flowing rivers'…
Suizenji Jojuen Garden
Suizenji Jojuen is a 400-year-old stroll garden that recreates the 53 stations of the Tokaido road in miniature landscap…
Kikuchi Valley
Kikuchi Valley is a 4km walking trail following the Kikuchi River through a gorge of broadleaf forest, designated as one…
Amakusa Five Bridges Sunset Drive
The Amakusa Pearl Line is a 17km scenic route connecting five islands via five consecutive bridges, built in 1966 to end…
Tatsuda-yama Park Cherry Blossoms
Tatsuta-yama Park contains 500 cherry trees (predominantly someiyoshino) planted along a 1.5km hillside path, creating a…
Beppu Jigoku Meguri (Hell Tour)
Beppu's 'Hells' (地獄, jigoku) are seven spectacular geothermal hot springs too hot and chemically extreme for bathing — c…
Yufuin
Yufuin is a highland hot spring resort (elevation 450m) set in a basin surrounded by mountains, most notably Mt. Yufu (1…
Beppu Ropeway to Mt. Tsurumi
Mt. Tsurumi (1,375m) overlooks Beppu from the west, and the Beppu Ropeway ascends 800 meters in 10 minutes to an observa…
Oka Castle Ruins
Oka Castle (岡城) was built on a 100-meter-tall volcanic plateau in 1594, defended by sheer cliffs on three sides and acce…
Mt. Yufu Hiking
Mt. Yufu (1,584m) dominates Yufuin's skyline with its distinctive twin peaks (東峰 East Peak 1,583m and 西峰 West Peak 1,584…
Harajiri Falls
Harajiri Falls (原尻の滝) is a 120-meter-wide, 20-meter-high waterfall that drops in a perfect curtain across the Ogata Rive…
Takasakiyama Monkey Park
Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden is home to over 1,000 wild Japanese macaques (snow monkeys) that descend from Mt.…
Kamado Jigoku
Kamado Jigoku (かまど地獄, 'Cooking Pot Hell') is the most hands-on of Beppu's seven hells — in addition to viewing colorful…
Kinrinko Lake
Lake Kinrin (金鱗湖, 'Lake of Golden Fish Scales') is a small spring-fed lake at the eastern edge of Yufuin town that produ…
Takachiho Gorge
Takachiho Gorge is one of Japan's most dramatic natural landscapes, carved by the Gokase River through ancient volcanic…
Cape Toi (Misaki Horses)
Cape Toi (Toi Misaki) is famous for its free-roaming Misaki horses — one of Japan's eight native horse breeds. Around 10…
Udo Jingu Shrine
Udo Jingu is one of Japan's most dramatically sited shrines — built inside a seaside cave carved into volcanic cliffs, w…
Sun Messe Nichinan
Sun Messe Nichinan is a hillside park featuring seven full-scale Moai statues — officially licensed replicas of Easter I…
Omi Shrine
Omi Shrine (大御神社) is a coastal Shinto shrine perched on rocks directly facing the Pacific Ocean, famous as one of Japan'…
Aoshima Island
Aoshima is a small island (1.5km circumference) connected to the mainland by a walking bridge, famous for two features:…
Takachiho Amaterasu Railway
The Takachiho Railway line was permanently closed after a typhoon in 2005 destroyed sections of track. Rather than resto…
Miyazaki Jingu
Miyazaki Jingu is one of Kyushu's most important shrines, dedicated to Emperor Jimmu — Japan's legendary first emperor w…
Miyazaki City Phoenix Zoo
Miyazaki City Phoenix Zoo is set on a hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean, housing 1,200 animals with particular focu…
Amano Yasukawara Cave
Amano Yasukawara (天安河原) is a large riverside cave along the Iwato River, believed to be the site where 8 million kami (g…
Sakurajima Active Volcano
Sakurajima is one of the world's most active volcanoes, erupting thousands of times per year — smoke plumes and ash fall…
Yakushima Ancient Cedar Forest
Yakushima is a subtropical island 60km off Kagoshima's coast, covered in primeval forest where Japanese cedars (杉, sugi)…
Chiran Samurai Gardens
Chiran was an outer castle town of the Satsuma Domain, where samurai families built residences along a preserved street…
Amami Oshima
Amami Oshima is a large subtropical island 380km south of mainland Kagoshima, closer to Okinawa culturally and ecologica…
Kirishima Shrine
Kirishima Jingu is a Shinto shrine complex set deep in the forested slopes of the Kirishima volcanic range, dedicated to…
Sengan-en Garden
Sengan-en is a vast feudal lord's garden (50,000 m²) created in 1658 by the Shimadzu clan — rulers of Satsuma Domain for…
Shiroyama Observatory
Shiroyama (城山, 'Castle Mountain') rises 107 meters above central Kagoshima City, providing the definitive panoramic view…
Kanoya Rose Garden
Kanoya Rose Garden (かのやばら園) is one of Japan's largest rose gardens with 50,000 bushes representing 1,500 varieties sprea…
Lake Ikeda
Lake Ikeda (池田湖) is a volcanic caldera lake — the largest lake in Kyushu at 15km circumference — with Mt. Kaimon (開聞岳, 9…
Iso Beach
Iso Beach (磯海水浴場) is a small city beach in Kagoshima's northern suburbs, offering the unique combination of urban swimmi…
Ebino Kogen Plateau
Ebino Kogen (えびの高原, 1,200m elevation) is a volcanic highland plateau in the Kirishima range, featuring a collection of c…
Kagoshima City Aquarium
Kagoshima City Aquarium (いおワールドかごしま水族館) sits on the waterfront directly facing Sakurajima volcano, with the main Kuroshi…
Chiran Tea Fields
Chiran produces some of Japan's highest-grade sencha green tea, grown on terraced hillsides south of the samurai distric…
Maruo Falls
Maruo Falls (丸尾滝) is a 23-meter waterfall on the approach to Kirishima Shrine, unique among Japanese waterfalls because…
Kabira Bay
Kabira Bay (川平湾) is Ishigaki Island's most iconic scenic spot — a shallow turquoise bay dotted with forested islets, whe…
Yonaha Maehama Beach
Yonaha Maehama Beach stretches 7 kilometers along Miyakojima's southwest coast — consistently ranked among Japan's top 3…
Taketomi Island
You'll step into a world where utility trucks still honk before navigating lanes barely wide enough for bicycles. Taketo…
Blue Cave
The Blue Cave (青の洞窟, Ao no Dokutsu) is a partially submerged sea cave near Maeda Point where sunlight filtering through…
Churaumi Aquarium
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium houses the world's second-largest aquarium tank (after Dubai) — the Kuroshio Sea tank holding…
Sunayama Beach
Sunayama Beach (砂山ビーチ, 'Sand Mountain Beach') is a secluded cove accessed by climbing over a large sand dune (the 'mount…
Yonaha-Oke Cape Park
Yonaha-Oke Cape (与那覇岬) sits at Miyakojima's southwestern tip, featuring a distinctive white lighthouse and two large win…
Fukushu-en Garden
Fukushu-en (福州園) is a traditional Suzhou-style Chinese garden built in 1992 to commemorate 10 years of sister-city relat…
Manta Ray Snorkeling
The cleaning station at Kabira sits in 8-12 meters of water above three coral bommies where cleaner wrasse (Labroides di…
Nakijin Castle Ruins
Nakijin Castle (今帰仁城跡) is a gusuku (Ryukyuan castle/fortress) ruin atop a 100-meter hill commanding views over the East…
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Taisha is Kyoto's most iconic shrine, famous for the Senbon Torii (千本鳥居, 'thousands of torii gates') — a t…
Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion
Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺, 'Temple of the Golden Pavilion') is a three-story Zen Buddhist temple covered in pure gold leaf, reflec…
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (嵯峨野の竹林) is a path through thousands of towering bamboo stalks that create a natural cathedr…
Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺, 'Pure Water Temple') is a UNESCO World Heritage temple famous for its wooden stage (清水の舞台, Kiyomizu…
Philosopher's Path
The Philosopher's Path (哲学の道, Tetsugaku no Michi) is a 2-kilometer stone walkway following a canal lined with hundreds o…
Ginkaku-ji Silver Pavilion
Ginkaku-ji (銀閣寺, 'Temple of the Silver Pavilion') was built in 1482 by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa as a retirement villa,…
Ryoan-ji Rock Garden
Ryoan-ji Temple (龍安寺) houses Japan's most famous Zen rock garden (枯山水, karesansui 'dry landscape') — a rectangular plot…
Tenryu-ji Temple
Tenryu-ji (天龍寺, 'Heavenly Dragon Temple') is a UNESCO World Heritage Zen temple built in 1339, ranking first among Kyoto…
Amanohashidate
Amanohashidate (天橋立, 'Bridge to Heaven') is a 3.6km pine-covered sandbar stretching across Miyazu Bay, ranked as one of…
Byodo-in Phoenix Hall
Byodo-in Temple (平等院) features the Phoenix Hall (鳳凰堂, Hōōdō), a National Treasure depicted on Japan's 10-yen coin and 10…
Sagano Scenic Railway
The Sagano Scenic Railway (嵯峨野観光鉄道, Torokko Train) runs 7.3km along the Hozugawa River gorge between Arashiyama and Kame…
Togetsukyo Bridge
Togetsukyo Bridge (渡月橋, 'Moon Crossing Bridge') spans the Katsura River in central Arashiyama, serving as the district's…
Miyama Kayabuki Village
Thirty-eight farmhouses with roofs made of miscanthus grass, some piled a meter thick. No power lines. The only sounds a…
Kifune Shrine
Kifune Shrine (貴船神社) sits in a forested mountain valley north of Kyoto, famous for its summer river dining platforms (川床…
Kurama-dera Temple
Kurama-dera Temple (鞍馬寺) sits atop Mt. Kurama (570m) in northern Kyoto, accessible by cable car or a scenic 30-minute fo…
Katsura Imperial Villa
In 1933, German architect Bruno Taut visited Katsura and wept. "The greatest work of Japanese architectural genius," he…
Tofuku-ji Temple
Tofuku-ji Temple (東福寺) is Kyoto's premier autumn foliage destination, featuring 2,000 maple trees that create a 'sea of…
Shosei-en Garden
Shosei-en Garden (渉成園), also called Kikoku-tei, is a tranquil 10-acre stroll garden just east of Kyoto Station — remarka…
Eikan-do Temple
Eikan-do Temple (永観堂), officially Zenrin-ji, is renowned for its autumn night illuminations (mid-November) when 3,000 ma…
Kamo River Noryo-yuka
The Kamo River (鴨川) flows through central Kyoto, and during summer (May–September) restaurants along its banks construct…
Daitoku-ji Temple Complex
Daitoku-ji (大徳寺) is a sprawling Zen temple complex containing 22 sub-temples, several with exceptional gardens open to t…
Heian Shrine
Heian Shrine (平安神宮) was built in 1895 to commemorate Kyoto's 1,100th anniversary, recreating the original Heian Imperial…
Sento Imperial Palace
Sento Imperial Palace (仙洞御所) served as the residence for retired emperors from 1630 onward. The palace buildings no long…
Osaka Castle
Osaka Castle (大阪城) was built by warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1583 as headquarters for his unification of Japan. The cur…
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan (海遊館) is one of the world's largest aquariums, featuring a massive 5,400-ton Pacific Ocean tank…
Tennoji Zoo
Tennoji Zoo (天王寺動物園) opened in 1915 as Japan's third zoo, housing 1,000+ animals from 180+ species on 11 hectares. The z…
Nakanoshima
Nakanoshima (中之島, 'island in the middle') is a 3km sandbar island between two rivers (Dojima and Tosabori) forming Osaka…
Minoo Park
Minoo Park (箕面公園) is a forested valley 30 minutes from central Osaka, famous for Minoo Falls (33m waterfall) and autumn…
Day Trip to Nara
Nara, Japan's capital from 710–794 CE, is 45 minutes from Osaka by train and offers one of Japan's best day trips. The c…
Expo '70 Commemorative Park
Expo '70 Commemorative Park preserves the 1970 World's Fair site in northern Osaka. The centerpiece is Taro Okamoto's To…
Osaka Bay Night Cruise
Osaka Bay evening cruises depart from Tempozan Harbor Village passing illuminated landmarks: Tempozan Ferris Wheel (worl…
Spa World
Spa World (スパワールド世界の大温泉) in Shinsekai is an 8-floor onsen (hot spring) complex themed around world bathing cultures — Eu…
Mt. Rokko Night View
Mt. Rokko (六甲山, 931m) overlooks Kobe, Osaka, and the Inland Sea, offering what's called the '¥10 million night view' (一千…
Naruto Whirlpools (Awaji side)
The Naruto Strait between Awaji Island and Shikoku creates the world's largest tidal whirlpools (鳴門の渦潮, Naruto no Uzushi…
Awaji Yumebutai
Awaji Yumebutai (淡路夢舞台) is an architectural complex designed by Tadao Ando, featuring terraced gardens, conference cente…
Kokoen Garden
Kokoen Garden (好古園) is a collection of nine separate Edo-period style gardens built on the former site of samurai reside…
Shoshazan Engyoji Temple
Engyoji Temple (円教寺) sits atop Mt. Shosha (書写山, 371m), a sprawling mountain monastery founded in 966 CE. The complex inc…
Nunobiki Herb Garden & Ropeway
Nunobiki Herb Garden (布引ハーブ園) is a hillside botanical garden featuring 75,000 herbs and flowers arranged in 12 themed te…
Awaji Farm Park England Hill
England Hill (イングランドの丘) is a family-friendly farm park themed after English countryside, featuring flower fields, pettin…
Himeji Central Park Safari
Himeji Central Park (姫路セントラルパーク) is a combined safari park and amusement park where visitors drive through wildlife encl…
Akashi Castle Ruins & Sakura Park
Akashi Castle (明石城) is a partially-preserved castle built in 1619, with two original three-story turrets (巽櫓 and 坤櫓) rem…
Suma Beach
Suma Beach (須磨海岸) is Kobe's main beach, a 1.8km sandy coastline facing Osaka Bay with views across to Awaji Island. The…
Zuihoji Temple
Zuihoji Temple (瑞宝寺) is a Zen temple in Arima Onsen's forested hills, famous for autumn foliage — over 2,500 maple trees…
Nara Park
Nara Park (奈良公園) is a 660-hectare park where over 1,200 wild sika deer roam freely among visitors, temples, and open mea…
Mount Yoshino
Yoshino's 30,000 cherry trees bloom in four elevation zones called senbon (千本, 'thousand trees') — Shimo, Naka, Kami, an…
Ukimido Pavilion
Ukimido (浮見堂, 'Floating Pavilion') is a hexagonal pavilion built on stilts over Sagi-ike Pond in Nara Park's southern ar…
Wakakusayama Hill
Wakakusayama (若草山, 'Young Grass Mountain') is a 342-meter grassy hill on Nara Park's eastern edge offering panoramic vie…
Isonokami Jingu Shrine
Isonokami Jingu (石上神宮) is one of Japan's oldest Shinto shrines, established in the 4th century as a repository for sacre…
Nara Park Maple Viewing
Nara Park transforms in autumn (mid-November to early December) when 2,000+ maple, ginkgo, and cherry trees turn vibrant…
Yoshino Mikumari Shrine
Yoshino Mikumari Shrine (吉野水分神社) is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Mikumari-no-Kami (水分神), the deity of water distribution…
Lake Biwa
Lake Biwa (琵琶湖) is Japan's largest lake, covering 670 km² and holding 20% of Japan's freshwater. The lake has sustained…
Genkyuen Garden
Genkyuen Garden (玄宮園) is a traditional Japanese daimyo garden built in 1677 adjacent to Hikone Castle. The garden demons…
Chikubushima Island
Chikubushima (竹生島) is a small sacred island in northern Lake Biwa, home to Hogonji Temple (宝厳寺) and Tsukubusuma Shrine (…
Shirahige Shrine
Shirahige Shrine (白鬚神社) is a 2,000-year-old Shinto shrine famous for its vermillion torii gate standing in Lake Biwa, 30…
Nagahama Castle & Lake Biwa Lakeside Park
Nagahama Castle (長浜城) was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1576 when he was still a rising warlord under Oda Nobunaga. The…
Lake Biwa Museum
Lake Biwa Museum (琵琶湖博物館) is a comprehensive natural history and cultural museum dedicated to Lake Biwa's 4-million-year…
Biwako Valley
Biwako Valley (びわ湖バレイ) is a year-round mountain resort at 1,100m elevation on Horai Mountain, overlooking Lake Biwa. The…
Hachiman-yama Ropeway & Panoramic Views
Hachiman-yama (八幡山, Mt. Hachiman, 271m) rises above Omihachiman city, offering panoramic views of Lake Biwa, the histori…
Lake Biwa Leisure Activities
Lake Biwa functions as an inland ocean for Kansai region residents, offering beach swimming, fishing, kayaking, SUP (sta…
Ishiyama-dera Temple
Ishiyama-dera (石山寺, 'Stone Mountain Temple') is a historic Buddhist temple founded in 747 CE, built on a massive natural…
Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Trails
The Kumano Kodo is 70 kilometers of stone path through the Kii Mountains, connecting Kyoto to the three Kumano Sanzan sh…
Nachi Falls & Kumano Nachi Taisha
Nachi Falls (那智滝, Nachi-no-Taki) is Japan's tallest single-drop waterfall, plunging 133 meters from a sheer cliff into a…
Shirahama White Beach Resort
Shirahama (白浜, 'white beach') is Wakayama's premier beach resort town, famous for its 600-meter crescent of white quartz…
Senjojiki & Sandanbeki Cliffs
Senjojiki (千畳敷, 'thousand tatami mats') is a massive wave-cut limestone platform extending into the Pacific Ocean, its s…
Kumano Hongu Taisha
Kumano Hongu Taisha (熊野本宮大社) is the head shrine of the Kumano Sanzan (Three Grand Shrines) and spiritual terminus of the…
Wakayama Mikan & Umeboshi
Wakayama Prefecture is Japan's largest producer of mikan oranges (温州みかん, unshu mikan) and umeboshi pickled plums (梅干し),…
Engetsu Island
Engetsu Island (円月島, 'full moon island') is a small uninhabited island in Shirahama Bay, famous for its natural rock arc…
Takijiri-oji Shrine
Takijiri-oji (滝尻王子) is the starting point of the Nakahechi Trail, the most popular Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route, and his…
Kimii-dera Temple
Kimii-dera (紀三井寺, 'Temple of Three Wells of Kii Province') is a hilltop temple complex founded in 770 AD, famous for its…
Meoto Iwa (Wedded Rocks)
Meoto Iwa (夫婦岩, 'Wedded Rocks') are two sacred rocks in the ocean connected by a thick shimenawa (sacred rope) made of r…
Toba Aquarium
Toba Aquarium (鳥羽水族館) is Japan's largest aquarium by species diversity, housing over 1,200 species across 12 themed zone…
Nabana no Sato
Nabana no Sato (なばなの里) is a 230,000㎡ flower park that transforms into Japan's largest light festival each winter (Octobe…
Ago Bay
Ago Bay (英虞湾) is a deeply indented ria coastline (drowned river valleys creating complex shoreline) dotted with over 60…
Kumano Kodo Iseji Route
The Kumano Kodo (熊野古道) is a network of UNESCO World Heritage pilgrimage trails crossing the Kii Peninsula to reach the s…
Matsusaka Castle Ruins & Former Merchant District
Matsusaka Castle (松坂城跡) was built in 1588 by Gamo Ujisato, a samurai lord who also designed Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle. Thoug…
Kashikojima Island
Kashikojima (賢島) is a small resort island in Ago Bay, connected to the mainland by bridge and serving as the gateway to…
Kenrokuen Garden
Kenrokuen (兼六園, 'Garden of Six Sublimities') is one of Japan's Three Great Gardens alongside Kairakuen in Mitsukura and…
Kaga Onsen
Kaga Onsen (加賀温泉郷) refers to four historic hot spring villages in southern Ishikawa: Yamanaka, Yamashiro, Katayamazu, an…
Notojima Aquarium
Notojima Aquarium (のとじま水族館) is located on Notojima Island in Nanao Bay, showcasing the marine life of the Sea of Japan a…
Senmaida Rice Terraces
Shiroyone Senmaida (白米千枚田, 'White Rice Thousand Terraces') is a UNESCO World Heritage site comprising 1,004 small rice p…
Wakura Onsen
Wakura Onsen (和倉温泉) is a luxury hot spring resort town on Nanao Bay's western shore, established over 1,200 years ago wh…
Noto Peninsula Coastal Drive
The Noto Peninsula (能登半島) extends 100km into the Sea of Japan, offering dramatic coastal scenery, traditional fishing vi…
Chirihama Nagisa Driveway
Chirihama Nagisa Driveway (千里浜なぎさドライブウェイ) is Japan's only beach where you can legally drive a car directly on the sand —…
Nomura Samurai House & Garden
The Nomura Samurai House (武家屋敷跡 野村家, Nomura-ke) in the Nagamachi district is the finest preserved samurai residence in K…
Mitsukejima Rock
Mitsukejima (見付島, 'Found Island') is a rock island rising from the shallow waters off Suzu's eastern coast, connected to…
Natadera Temple
Natadera Temple (那谷寺) is an ancient mountain temple founded in 717 AD, renowned for its dramatic natural setting among m…
Kamikochi Valley
Kamikochi sits at 1,500 meters in a glacial valley carved between 3,000-meter peaks. The road in closes mid-November thr…
Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
Jigokudani Yaen-koen (地獄谷野猿公苑, 'Hell Valley Wild Monkey Park') is the only place in the world where wild Japanese macaqu…
Daio Wasabi Farm
Daio Wasabi Farm (大王わさび農場) is Japan's largest wasabi cultivation facility, covering 15 hectares of terraced fields fed b…
Nozawa Onsen
Nozawa Onsen (野沢温泉) is a 700-year-old hot spring village that doubles as one of Japan's premier ski resorts. The village…
Shibu Onsen
Shibu Onsen has operated for 1,300 years as a hot spring village, and walking its cobblestone alleys at night under gas…
Bessho Onsen (Nagano)
Bessho Onsen (別所温泉) is a quiet hot spring town with a remarkable concentration of Kamakura-period (1185–1333) temples, e…
Hakuba Valley
Hakuba Valley (白馬) is a collection of 10 interconnected ski resorts in the Northern Japanese Alps, host of alpine skiing…
Hotaka Mountain Range
The Hotaka Range runs along the spine of the Northern Japanese Alps, a series of 3,000-meter peaks connected by knife-ed…
Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (Nagano side)
The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (立山黒部アルペンルート) is a 90km mountain sightseeing route crossing the Northern Japanese Alps…
Karuizawa Resort Town
Karuizawa (軽井沢) is Japan's original resort town, established in 1886 when Canadian missionary Alexander Croft Shaw built…
Shiraito Falls (Karuizawa)
Shiraito Falls (白糸の滝, 'White Thread Falls') is a 70-meter-wide curtain waterfall where hundreds of thin streams cascade…
Togakushi Shrine
Togakushi Shrine (戸隠神社) is a complex of five Shinto shrines scattered across the forested slopes of Mount Togakushi, con…
Utsukushigahara Open-Air Museum
Utsukushigahara Open-Air Museum (美ヶ原高原美術館) is Japan's highest art museum, located at 2,000 meters elevation on the Utsuk…
Happo Pond
Happo Pond (八方池) is a small alpine pond at 2,060 meters elevation on the Happo-one ski resort's summer hiking trail, fam…
Yudanaka Onsen
Yudanaka Onsen (湯田中温泉) is a traditional hot spring town serving as the gateway to Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park. The town…
Mt. Fuji
Mount Fuji (富士山, Fuji-san) at 3,776 meters doesn't just loom over the Kanto plain—it commands it. The Shizuoka side owns…
Nihondaira Tea Plantations
Nihondaira (日本平) is a hillside plateau overlooking Suruga Bay and Mt. Fuji, covered in perfectly manicured green tea pla…
Shimoda Beaches
Shimoda (下田) is the southernmost city on the Izu Peninsula, famous for white-sand beaches, crystal-clear water, and hist…
Joren Falls
Joren Falls (浄蓮の滝, Joren-no-taki) is a 25-meter waterfall cascading through columnar basalt formations in the forested m…
Izu Kogen
Izu Kogen (伊豆高原, 'Izu Highlands') is an elevated plateau on the eastern Izu coast, known for art museums, craft gallerie…
Shiraito Falls (Fujinomiya)
Shiraito Falls (白糸の滝, 'White Thread Falls') is a 20-meter-high, 150-meter-wide curtain waterfall where spring water emer…
Hamamatsu Sand Dunes
Nakatajima Sand Dunes (中田島砂丘) are Japan's three largest coastal sand dunes, stretching 4km along the Pacific coast with…
Sunpu Castle Park
Sunpu Castle (駿府城) was Tokugawa Ieyasu's retirement residence after he passed the shogunate to his son in 1605. Ieyasu g…
Izu Wasabi Farms
The Amagi Mountains region of Izu is Japan's premium wasabi-growing area, producing 30% of the nation's fresh wasabi (本わ…
Kadowaki Suspension Bridge
Kadowaki Suspension Bridge (門脇吊橋) is a 48-meter-long suspension bridge spanning 23 meters above the Pacific Ocean at Jog…
Nagoya Castle Night Illumination
Nagoya Castle hosts seasonal nighttime illuminations during spring cherry blossoms (late March–early April) and autumn f…
Atsuta Jingu Forest
The sacred forest (鎮守の森, chinju-no-mori) surrounding Atsuta Shrine comprises 190,000 square meters of old-growth camphor…
Shirakawa-go Gassho-zukuri Village
Shirakawa-go (白川郷) clusters 114 gassho-zukuri (合掌造り, 'praying hands') farmhouses in a mountain valley where snow piles 3…
Gokayama Ainokura
Gokayama's Ainokura (相倉集落) is Shirakawa-go's smaller, quieter neighbor — a hamlet of 20 gassho-zukuri farmhouses set on…
Hida Furukawa
Hida Furukawa (飛騨古川) is Takayama's smaller, calmer sibling — a canal-lined town of white-walled storehouses, wooden town…
Gero Onsen
Gero Onsen (下呂温泉) is ranked among Japan's 'Three Great Hot Springs' (alongside Kusatsu and Arima) for its exceptionally…
Gujo Hachiman
Gujo Hachiman (郡上八幡) is a castle town built on spring water — over 100 natural springs flow through the streets in open…
Gifu Castle
Gifu Castle (岐阜城) crowns Mt. Kinka (329m), a dramatic mountain rising from the Nagara River plain. Originally built in 1…
Nagara River Cormorant Fishing (Ukai)
Ukai (鵜飼, cormorant fishing) happens after dark on the Nagara River between May 11 and October 15. Fishermen in traditio…
Magome to Tsumago Hike
The Magome-Tsumago hike follows a 7.8km preserved section of the Nakasendo (中山道) — the Edo-period mountain route connect…
Gero Onsen Gassho Village
Gero Onsen Gassho Village (合掌の里) combines two of Gifu's signatures — alkaline hot springs and UNESCO-style gassho-zukuri…
Shinhotaka Ropeway
The Shinhotaka Ropeway (新穂高ロープウェイ) is Japan's only double-decker cable car, ascending 1,308 meters from the Hida mountai…
Toki Forest Park
The Japanese crested ibis (toki, Nipponia nippon) was declared extinct in the wild in 1981 when the last five wild birds…
Hoshitoge Rice Terraces
The Hoshitoge rice terraces (星峠の棚田) are layered across a mountain ridge 600 meters above sea level in the Tokamachi high…
Kiyotsukyo Gorge Tunnel
Kiyotsukyo Gorge is a 750-meter-long ravine carved by the Kiyotsu River through solid granite, with vertical cliffs risi…
Niigata City Aquarium Marinepia
Marinepia Nihonkai is a coastal aquarium specializing in Sea of Japan marine life, featuring species rarely seen in othe…
Koshihikari Rice
Koshihikari is Japan's most famous rice variety, representing 35% of all rice grown in Japan and commanding premium pric…
Senkaku Bay
Senkaku Bay is a 2-kilometer stretch of Sado's northwestern coast where granite cliffs rise vertically 30–50 meters from…
Hakusan Shrine Furusato Village
Hakusan Shrine is a modest Shinto shrine in Niigata City's outskirts, known not for its religious significance but for t…
Gala Yuzawa Ski Resort
Gala Yuzawa is the only ski resort in the world with a dedicated shinkansen station inside the resort building — Tokyo v…
Northern Culture Museum
The Northern Culture Museum occupies the former estate of the Ito family, who were the largest landowners in Niigata dur…
Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (Toyama side)
The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is 90 kilometers of cable cars, ropeways, trolley buses, and highland coaches cutting t…
Kurobe Dam
Kurobe Dam (黒部ダム) is Japan's tallest dam at 186 meters, an engineering marvel completed in 1963 after a 7-year construct…
Kurobe Gorge Railway
The Kurobe Gorge Railway (黒部峡谷鉄道, Kurobe Kyokoku Tetsudo) is a 20.1km scenic railway that travels through Japan's deepes…
Toyama Bay Firefly Squid
Toyama Bay is the only place in the world where firefly squid (hotaru-ika, ホタルイカ) wash ashore en masse during their spaw…
Toyama Castle & Matsukawa River Cruise
Toyama Castle (富山城) is a reconstructed castle in central Toyama City, originally built in the 16th century and destroyed…
Amaharashi Coast
Amaharashi Coast (雨晴海岸) is a 3km stretch of rocky coastline on Toyama Bay, famous for views of the 3,000-meter Tateyama…
Toyama City Night View from Kureha Hills
The Kureha Hills (呉羽山, Kureha-yama) on Toyama City's western edge offer sweeping panoramic views across Toyama City, Toy…
Chureito Pagoda
The Chureito Pagoda, a five-story vermillion structure perched on the hillside above Fujiyoshida City, offers the postca…
Lake Kawaguchiko
Lake Kawaguchiko is the most accessible and developed of the Fuji Five Lakes, offering the clearest reflection views of…
Mt. Fuji Yoshida Trail
The Yoshida Trail is the most popular of the four official Mt. Fuji climbing routes, accounting for over 60% of all summ…
Lake Yamanakako
Lake Yamanakako, the largest and highest-elevation (980m) of the Fuji Five Lakes, stretches 6.8km east-west with the sou…
Shosenkyo Gorge
Shosenkyo Gorge, carved by the Arakawa River through the granite mountains north of Kofu, stretches 5km through vertical…
Aokigahara Forest
Aokigahara, also known as the 'Sea of Trees' (樹海, Jukai), is a dense virgin forest that spreads across 30 square kilomet…
Oshino Hakkai
Oshino Hakkai is a collection of eight crystal-clear ponds fed by snowmelt from Mt. Fuji that has filtered through under…
Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum
The Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum is a European-style garden and music box museum set against the backdrop of Mt. Fuji…
Lake Saiko Bat Cave and Forest
Lake Saiko, the fourth-largest of the Fuji Five Lakes, remains the quietest and least developed — no lakeshore hotels, m…
Maizuru Castle Park
Maizuru Castle Park occupies the grounds of historic Kofu Castle (舞鶴城), built in 1583 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi's vassal and…
Momiji Kairo Maple Corridor
The Momiji Kairo (紅葉回廊, 'Maple Corridor') is a 150-meter pathway along the northern shore of Lake Kawaguchiko lined with…
Lake Shojiko and Lake Motosuko
Lake Shojiko (西湖) and Lake Motosuko (本栖湖) are the westernmost of the Fuji Five Lakes, connected by a 2km walking path th…
Tojinbo Cliffs
Tojinbo is a 1-kilometer stretch of vertical basalt columnar jointing cliffs rising 20–30 meters above the Sea of Japan…
Wakasa Bay
Wakasa Bay (若狭湾) is a deeply indented coastal region facing the Sea of Japan, historically famous as the terminus of the…
Mount Hakusan White Mountain
Mount Hakusan (白山, 'White Mountain', 2,702m) is one of Japan's three sacred mountains alongside Mount Fuji and Mount Tat…
Yokokan Garden
Yokokan (養浩館庭園) is the former villa garden of the Matsudaira clan, feudal lords who ruled Fukui Domain for 270 years dur…
Sotomo Crags
The Sotomo coast (蘇洞門) on the Uchikoshi Peninsula in northern Wakasa Bay is a 6-kilometer stretch of sheer granite and a…
Odori Park
Odori Park (大通公園) is a 1.5-kilometer-long boulevard running east-west through central Sapporo, dividing the city into no…
Mt. Hakodate Night View
Mt. Hakodate (函館山, 334m) offers what Japanese tourism authorities rank among the world's top three night views (alongsid…
Furano Lavender Fields
Furano's lavender fields (富良野ラベンダー畑) transform the Tokachi mountain foothills into rolling purple waves each summer (Jul…
Biei Patchwork Hills
The Biei hills (美瑛の丘) are a living agricultural canvas — gently rolling farmland where each field grows a different crop…
Kushiro Shitsugen
Kushiro Shitsugen (釧路湿原) is Japan's largest wetland, covering 280 square kilometers of marshes, reed beds, and meanderin…
Shiretoko Peninsula
Shiretoko is the end of the road in Hokkaido—literally. The peninsula juts northeast into the Sea of Okhotsk, and there'…
Lake Akan
Lake Akan (阿寒湖) is a volcanic caldera lake famous for marimo (毬藻) — rare spherical algae colonies that grow naturally on…
Goryokaku Star Fort
Goryokaku (五稜郭) is a star-shaped fortress built in 1866, Japan's first Western-style citadel designed with artillery def…
Tokyo Metropolitan Building
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (東京都庁, Tocho) has twin towers rising 243 meters, each with a free observation…
Ueno Park
Ueno Park (上野恩賜公園, Ueno Onshi Koen) is Tokyo's largest public park (133 acres), housing five major museums, a zoo, shrin…
Tokyo Skytree
Tokyo Skytree punches through the skyline at 634 meters (2,080 feet) — the tallest tower on the planet, though locals wi…
Yoyogi Park
Yoyogi Park (代々木公園) is Tokyo's fifth-largest park (134 acres) and the city's most socially active green space. The park'…
Sankeien Garden
Sankeien Garden (三溪園) is a sprawling 175,000-square-meter traditional Japanese garden created by silk merchant Tomitaro…
Hasedera Temple
Hasedera Temple (長谷寺) is a hillside Buddhist temple famous for its 9.18-meter wooden statue of Kannon (11-faced Goddess…
Enoshima Island
Enoshima (江の島) is a small island (0.4km²) connected to the Shonan coast by a 600-meter bridge, crowned with shrines, bot…
Yuigahama Beach
Yuigahama Beach (由比ヶ浜) is Kamakura's main swimming beach, a 900-meter crescent of sand facing Sagami Bay with views to E…
Lake Ashi
Lake Ashi formed when Mt. Kamiyama erupted roughly 3,000 years back, collapsing part of the mountain and damming the Hay…
Owakudani Valley
Owakudani (大涌谷, 'Great Boiling Valley') is an active volcanic valley where sulfurous fumes vent from fissures in the roc…
Shonan Beach
The Shonan coast (湘南, Shonan) stretches 30km from Fujisawa to Oiso, encompassing multiple beach towns that embody Japane…
Hakone Shrine
The torii gate standing in Lake Ashi's shallows is what phone cameras were invented for, but the shrine complex itself c…
Old Tokaido Road
The Old Tokaido Road (旧東海道, Kyu Tokaido) is a preserved section of the historic highway that connected Edo (Tokyo) and K…
Pola Museum of Art
Pola Museum sits 700 meters into Hakone's beech forest, connected to the road by a narrow access drive that discourages…
Hokokuji Temple
Hokokuji Temple (報国寺, 'Temple of Nation Protection') is a small Zen temple famous for its bamboo grove — over 2,000 moso…
Hitsujiyama Park Shibazakura
Each spring, Hitsujiyama Park's hillside explodes into 400,000 pink, white, and purple shibazakura (芝桜, moss phlox) flow…
Omiya Bonsai Village
Omiya Bonsai Village (大宮盆栽村) is a unique neighborhood dedicated entirely to bonsai cultivation — six historic nurseries…
Nagatoro River Rafting
Nagatoro (長瀞) sits where the Arakawa River cuts through a crystalline limestone gorge, creating Class II–III rapids over…
Hodosan Shrine & Ropeway
Mt. Hodo (宝登山, 497m) rises steeply above Nagatoro town, its summit accessible by a 5-minute ropeway ride that climbs 320…
Mitsumine Shrine
Mitsumine Shrine (三峯神社) sits at 1,100 meters on a remote mountain peak in the Chichibu range, enshrining wolf deities (o…
Nagatoro Autumn Foliage
Nagatoro's limestone gorge transforms each November into one of Kanto's premier autumn foliage destinations — the layere…
Tenranzan Hiking
Mt. Tenranzan (天覧山, 197m) is Hanno's introductory hiking mountain — a gentle 40-minute ascent through cedar and deciduou…
Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine
Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine (武蔵一宮氷川神社) is the grand headquarters of over 280 Hikawa shrines scattered across the Ka…
Nagatoro Iwadatami Rock Shelf
The Nagatoro Iwadatami (長瀞岩畳, 'rock tatami mat') is a 500-meter exposed limestone shelf along the Arakawa River where ti…
Inubosaki Lighthouse
Inubosaki Lighthouse, built in 1874 by British engineer Richard Henry Brunton, stands 31 meters tall on Cape Inubo — the…
Okinoshima Island
Okinoshima is a small island connected to the Tateyama coast by a 500-meter sandbar, creating a tide-dependent land brid…
Tateyama Flower Fields
Tateyama's temperate coastal climate — moderated by the Kuroshio Current — creates the 'Flower Highway,' a 50km stretch…
Katori Shrine
Katori Shrine, founded over 2,600 years ago according to shrine records, is one of Japan's three great martial shrines (…
Nokogiriyama
Nokogiriyama (鋸山, 'Saw Mountain,' 329m) earned its name from the jagged cliff face created by 300 years of stone quarryi…
Taibusa Cape
Taibusa Cape (太房岬) forms the southernmost tip of the Boso Peninsula, where the Pacific Ocean meets Uraga Channel. The ca…
Oze National Park
Oze National Park sits at 1,400-1,600 meters elevation on the Gunma-Fukushima-Niigata border, a high wetland plateau whe…
Mt. Haruna & Lake Haruna
Mt. Haruna (榛名山, 1,449m) is a dormant volcano with a crater lake (Lake Haruna, 榛名湖) at 1,100m elevation, surrounded by v…
Akagi Shrine
Akagi Shrine (赤城神社) sits on the shore of Lake Onuma (大沼, 1,350m elevation) in the caldera of Mt. Akagi (赤城山, 1,828m), a…
Itsukushima Shrine
Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社) rebuilt in 1168 by Taira no Kiyomori, sits on stilts because Miyajima itself was considered to…
Miyajima Island
Miyajima (宮島), formally Itsukushima Island, is a sacred island in Hiroshima Bay revered since ancient times as a dwellin…
Shimanami Kaido (Onomichi side)
The Shimanami Kaido (しまなみ海道), completed in 1999, runs 70 kilometers from Onomichi to Imabari, linking six islands with e…
Shukkei-en Garden
Shukkei-en Garden (縮景園, 'shrunken-scenery garden') is a traditional Japanese stroll garden in central Hiroshima, designe…
Sandankyo Gorge
Sandankyo Gorge (三段峡) is a 16-kilometer river gorge carved through the Chugoku Mountains in northwestern Hiroshima, reno…
Mt. Misen
Mt. Misen (弥山, 535 meters) has been Miyajima's spiritual anchor since 806, when Kobo Daishi spent 100 days meditating in…
Korakuen Garden
Korakuen Garden (岡山後楽園) ranks among Japan's Three Great Gardens alongside Kenroku-en (Kanazawa) and Kairaku-en (Mito), r…
Kibiji Cycling Road
The Kibiji Cycling Road (吉備路自転車道) is a scenic 17-kilometer rural cycling route connecting Okayama City to Soja City, pas…
Bitchu Matsuyama Castle
Bitchu Matsuyama Castle (備中松山城) sits atop Mount Gagyu at 430 meters elevation, making it Japan's highest castle with an…
Tsuyama Castle Ruins
Tsuyama Castle (津山城, Tsuyama-jō), also known as Kakuzan Castle, was once one of Japan's three greatest hilltop castles a…
Achi Shrine
Achi Shrine (阿智神社, Achi Jinja) sits atop a forested hill overlooking Kurashiki's Bikan Historical Quarter, offering pano…
Kintaikyo Bridge
Kintaikyo Bridge (錦帯橋) is a 193-meter wooden arch bridge spanning the Nishiki River with five graceful wooden spans supp…
Motonosumi Inari Shrine
Motonosumi Inari Shrine (元乃隅神社) features 123 bright vermillion torii gates cascading down a coastal clifftop toward the…
Tsunoshima Bridge
Tsunoshima Bridge (角島大橋) is a 1,780-meter toll-free bridge connecting Honshu to tiny Tsunoshima Island, arcing over wate…
Akiyoshido Cave
Akiyoshido Cave (秋芳洞) is Japan's most extensive limestone cave system, with 10.7km of surveyed passages of which 1km is…
Omijima Island
Omijima Island (青海島) is a rugged, uninhabited coastal wilderness where volcanic rock formations, sea caves, and towering…
Hinoyama Park
Hinoyama Park (火の山公園) crowns a 268-meter hilltop overlooking the Kanmon Strait, providing 360-degree panoramas where you…
Iwakuni Castle
Iwakuni Castle (岩国城) perches atop Mt. Yokoyama (200m elevation) overlooking Kintaikyo Bridge and the Nishiki River valle…
Sesshu Garden
Sesshu Garden (雪舟庭) is a karesansui (dry landscape) garden designed by Sesshu Toyo (1420–1506), Japan's most revered ink…
Akiyoshidai Plateau
Akiyoshidai Plateau (秋吉台) is Japan's largest karst landscape — a 130-square-kilometer elevated plateau where thousands o…
Tawarayama Onsen
Tawarayama Onsen (俵山温泉) is a historic hot spring village tucked into the mountains of northern Yamaguchi, where narrow l…
Kanmon Pedestrian Tunnel
The Kanmon Pedestrian Tunnel (関門トンネル人道) is a 780-meter underwater walkway connecting Honshu (Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi) and…
Yuda Onsen
Yuda Onsen (湯田温泉) is Yamaguchi City's hot spring district, where 2,000 tons of alkaline thermal water (pH 9.1, 72°C at s…
Kikko Park
Kikko Park (吉香公園) occupies the former grounds of Iwakuni Castle's outer fortifications, where samurai residences and adm…
Hagi Castle Ruins
Hagi Castle (萩城跡, Shizuki Castle ruins) occupies a promontory where the Hashimoto River meets the Sea of Japan, built in…
Tottori Sand Dunes
The Tottori Sand Dunes stretch 16 kilometers along the Sea of Japan coast and rise up to 50 meters in height, creating J…
Mt. Daisen
Mt. Daisen (1,729m) rises in near-perfect symmetry above the western Tottori plains, earning the nickname 'Mount Fuji of…
Uradome Coast
The Uradome Coast stretches 15 kilometers of jagged volcanic cliffs, sea caves, and white-sand coves along the San'in Ka…
Yonago Castle Ruins
Yonago Castle once stood as one of the most strategically important fortifications in western Japan, commanding views ov…
Kannon-in Temple Garden
Kannon-in Temple in central Tottori City preserves a 500-year-old pond-stroll garden (chisen-kaiyu-shiki) designated as…
Adachi Museum of Art
Adachi Museum of Art has been ranked the #1 Japanese garden in Japan by the Journal of Japanese Gardening for over 20 co…
Lake Shinji Sunset
Lake Shinji (宍道湖) is Japan's seventh-largest lake, famous for its spectacular sunsets ranked among the nation's top 100.…
Yuushien Garden
Yuushien Garden (由志園) is a Japanese stroll garden on Daikonshima Island featuring 10,000+ peony flowers in a 40,000 m² l…
Hinomisaki Shrine & Lighthouse
Hinomisaki (日御碕) is a dramatic cape at Shimane's western tip featuring Hinomisaki Shrine (vermillion shrine buildings) a…
Oki Islands
Oki Islands (隠岐諸島) are a remote archipelago in the Sea of Japan, 40–80km north of mainland Shimane. The islands form a U…
Kotohira-gu Shrine (Konpira-san)
Perched majestically on the slopes of Mount Zozu, Kotohira-gu Shrine stands as one of Shikoku's most revered spiritual s…
Ritsurin Garden
Ritsurin Garden stands as one of Japan's finest landscape gardens, a masterpiece of Edo-period design that rivals even t…
Naoshima Contemporary Art Island
Naoshima has transformed from a quiet fishing island into one of the world's most remarkable outdoor art museums, where…
Angel Road (Shodoshima)
Angel Road is Shodoshima Island's most romantic natural phenomenon, a mystical sandbar that emerges from the sea twice d…
Chichibugahama Beach (Sunset Reflections)
Chichibugahama Beach has earned the nickname 'Uyuni Salt Flats of Japan' for its remarkable mirror-like reflections that…
Shodoshima Olive Park
Shodoshima Olive Park celebrates the island's unique status as the birthplace of commercial olive cultivation in Japan,…
Kankakei Gorge
Kankakei Gorge ranks among Japan's three most beautiful gorges, a dramatic volcanic landscape of towering rock formation…
Yashima Temple & Historic Battlefield
Perched on the summit of Yashima, a distinctive table-shaped lava plateau rising 292 meters above sea level, Yashima Tem…
Shodoshima Monkey Park
Shodoshima Monkey Park offers unique encounters with wild Japanese macaques in a natural mountain setting where approxim…
Shimanami Kaido (Imabari side)
The Shimanami Kaido runs 70 kilometers from Honshu to Shikoku, crossing the Seto Inland Sea by hopping six islands conne…
Garyu Sanso Villa
Garyu Sanso is a refined villa and tea house built in 1907 by a wealthy merchant, perched on a cliff overlooking the Hij…
Ehime Mikan
Ehime Prefecture produces 20% of Japan's mikan (mandarin oranges), making citrus the region's defining agricultural prod…
Mount Ishizuchi
Mount Ishizuchi (石鎚山, 1,982m) is the highest peak in western Japan and one of Japan's seven sacred mountains, a Shugendo…
Nanrakuen Garden
Nanrakuen is a traditional Japanese landscape garden built in 1688 for the lord of Matsuyama Domain, featuring seasonal…
Sada Misaki Peninsula
Sada Misaki is a narrow peninsula extending 40km into the Bungo Channel, forming Shikoku's westernmost point. The dramat…
Bessho Onsen (Ehime)
Bessho Onsen is a secluded hot spring resort nestled in the mountains near Mt. Ishizuchi, known for its milky-white sulf…
Naruto Whirlpools (Tokushima side)
Stand on the Uzu-no-Michi glass floor and watch seawater spiral 45 meters below your feet. The Naruto Strait squeezes 44…
Iya Valley Vine Bridges
Step onto the slats and the bridge lurches sideways. Vine cables groan. Through the 7-centimeter gaps between boards, th…
Oboke and Koboke Gorges
The Yoshino River has carved two dramatic gorges through western Tokushima: Oboke (大歩危, 'big steps danger') and Koboke (…
Mt. Tsurugi
Mt. Tsurugi (剣山, 'Sword Mountain,' 1,955m) is Shikoku's second-highest peak, featuring alpine meadows, dwarf bamboo slop…
Yakuoji Temple
Yakuoji (薬王寺) is Temple #23 of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage, dramatically positioned on a coastal mountain with Pacific Ocea…
Kazurabashi at Oku-Iya
Deeper in the Iya Valley, 45 minutes beyond the main tourist bridge, lie the Oku-Iya Double Kazurabashi (奥祖谷二重かずら橋) — tw…
Bizan Ropeway
Mt. Bizan (眉山, 'Eyebrow Mountain,' 290m) rises behind central Tokushima City, named for its eyebrow-like ridge profile w…
Iya Onsen Cliff Bath
The cable car drops you 170 meters down a cliff face in five minutes. Through the window, tree canopy gives way to rock…
Takegashima Hot Spring
Takegashima Onsen (竹ヶ島温泉) is a small hot spring resort on Tokushima's southern coast, featuring outdoor baths overlookin…
Shimanto River
The Shimanto River flows 196 kilometers from the mountains of western Kochi to the Pacific, and is famously called 'Niho…
Niyodo River
The Niyodo River is often called 'Niyodo Blue' (仁淀ブルー) for the surreal, transparent turquoise color of its water — a col…
Muroto Cape
Muroto Cape is the southeastern tip of Shikoku, a jagged promontory of uplifted rock that juts 15 kilometers into the Pa…
Ryuga Cave
Ryuga Cave (龍河洞) is one of Japan's three great limestone caves, a 4-kilometer underground system carved over 175 million…
Ashizuri Cape
Ashizuri Cape is the southernmost point of Shikoku, a granite headland wrapped in subtropical vegetation and surrounded…
Katsurahama Beach
Katsurahama is a crescent-shaped beach on Kochi's southeastern coast, famous for its black sand, pine-covered headlands,…
Makino Botanical Garden
The Makino Botanical Garden, perched on a hillside in western Kochi, is dedicated to Tomitaro Makino (1862–1957), the 'f…
Oirase Gorge
Oirase Gorge (奥入瀬渓流) runs 14 kilometers from Lake Towada's outlet through old-growth forest where moss coats every bould…
Hirosaki Castle
Hirosaki Castle (弘前城) is one of only twelve original castle towers remaining in Japan, built in 1611 by the Tsugaru clan…
Lake Towada (Aomori side)
Lake Towada (十和田湖) is a double-caldera lake straddling the Aomori-Akita border, formed by volcanic eruptions 200,000 yea…
Shirakami-Sanchi
Shirakami-Sanchi (白神山地) is a 1,300-square-kilometer mountain range straddling Aomori and Akita prefectures, home to the…
Aomori Apples
Aomori Prefecture produces over 50% of Japan's apples, with vast orchards blanketing the countryside around Hirosaki and…
Hakkoda Mountains
The Hakkoda Mountains (八甲田山) form a volcanic range south of Aomori City, famous for extreme winter snowfall (up to 8 met…
Mount Osore
Mount Osore (恐山, Osorezan — 'Dread Mountain') sits on Shimokita Peninsula as one of Japan's three holiest Buddhist sites…
Aomori Bay Bridge
The Aomori Bay Bridge (青森ベイブリッジ) is a 1.2-kilometer cable-stayed bridge spanning Aomori Harbor, completed in 1994 as par…
Jogakura Bridge
Jogakura Bridge (城ヶ倉大橋) is a 360-meter-long arch bridge spanning Jogakura Gorge at a height of 122 meters, making it Jap…
Aoni Onsen
Aoni Onsen (青荷温泉) is a remote mountain hot spring inn accessible only via narrow forest road (or on foot), where electri…
Shimokita Peninsula
The Shimokita Peninsula (下北半島) is Honshu's northernmost landmass, jutting into the Tsugaru Strait toward Hokkaido. This…
Tsugaru-Iwaki Skyline
The Tsugaru-Iwaki Skyline (岩木山スカイライン) is a 9.8-kilometer toll road ascending Mt. Iwaki (岩木山, 1,625m), Aomori's most icon…
Jodogahama Beach
Jodogahama (浄土ヶ浜, 'Pure Land Beach') is one of Tohoku's most scenic coastal landscapes — a protected cove with pure whit…
Geibikei Gorge
Geibikei Gorge is a narrow limestone gorge carved by the Satetsu River, famous for traditional flat-bottomed boat rides…
Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamon-do
Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamon-do is a Buddhist temple built into a cliff cave, dramatically perched on a rock face 15 meters…
Genbikei Gorge
Genbikei Gorge is a 2km rocky gorge carved by the Iwai River, featuring dramatic boulder formations, rapids, and the fam…
Mt. Iwate
Mt. Iwate is a 2,038-meter stratovolcano dominating Morioka's skyline, nicknamed 'Nambu Fuji' for its symmetrical cone s…
Koiwai Farm
Koiwai Farm is Japan's largest privately-owned pasture farm, covering 3,000 hectares of rolling hills used for dairy cat…
Sanriku Coast
The Sanriku Coast is a 250km stretch of dramatic Pacific coastline running through Iwate Prefecture, characterized by st…
Ryusendo Cave
Ryusendo Cave is one of Japan's three largest limestone caves, famous for its underground lakes of exceptional clarity a…
Matsushima Bay Scenic Cruise
Matsushima Bay contains exactly 260 islands (the count was verified in the 1790s by a monk who documented each one). The…
Akiu Great Falls (Akiu Otaki)
Akiu Great Falls ranks among Japan's three most famous waterfalls, a powerful 55-meter cascade where the Natori River pl…
Rinnoji Temple and Garden
Rinnoji Temple presents a serene sanctuary in northern Sendai, a Zen Buddhist temple renowned for its exceptional landsc…
Zao Fox Village (Miyagi Zao Kitsune Mura)
The first fox you see at Zao Fox Village is sleeping in a dirt hollow three meters from the entrance gate, curled nose-t…
Miyagi Zao Ski Resort and Okama Crater
Miyagi Zao encompasses both a world-class ski resort renowned for its powder snow and ice-encrusted trees, and the stunn…
Michinoku Coastal Trail
The Michinoku Coastal Trail stretches over 1,000 kilometers along the Pacific coast from Aomori Prefecture through Iwate…
Kakunodate Samurai District
Kakunodate preserves 2 kilometers of samurai district from the Edo period, with wide unpaved streets lined by black wood…
Lake Tazawa
Lake Tazawa (田沢湖) is Japan's deepest lake at 423 meters, located in Akita's mountainous interior. The depth creates an o…
Nyuto Onsen
Nyuto Onsen (乳頭温泉郷) is a cluster of seven secluded hot spring inns deep in the Towada-Hachimantai National Park, 50 kilo…
Senshu Park
Senshu Park (千秋公園) occupies the site of Kubota Castle (久保田城), the Edo-period stronghold of the Satake clan who ruled Aki…
Oga Aquarium GAO
Oga Aquarium GAO (男鹿水族館GAO) perches on a cliff overlooking the Sea of Japan, specializing in cold-water species native t…
Lake Towada (Akita side)
Lake Towada (十和田湖) is a double-caldera lake straddling the Akita-Aomori border, formed by volcanic eruptions 13,000 and…
Oga Peninsula
Oga Peninsula (男鹿半島) juts 30 kilometers into the Sea of Japan from Akita's western coast, forming a rugged landscape of…
Dakigaeri Gorge
Dakigaeri Gorge (抱返り渓谷) is a 10-kilometer river valley carved by the Tamagawa River, renowned as one of Tohoku's premier…
Hachimantai Plateau
Hachimantai Plateau (八幡平) is a volcanic highland straddling the Akita-Iwate border, part of Towada-Hachimantai National…
Omoriyama Zoo
Akita City Omoriyama Zoo (秋田市大森山動物園) is one of Japan's few zoos emphasizing cold-climate species and winter adaptations.…
Zao Snow Monsters (Juhyo)
At 1,600 meters on Mt. Zao, Siberian wind hits moisture from the Sea of Japan and does something strange to the Maries f…
Mogami River Boat Ride
The Mogami River is one of Japan's three most rapid rivers, flowing 224km from the mountains of southern Yamagata to the…
Gassan Ski Resort
Mt. Gassan (月山, Moon Mountain, 1,984m) is one of the three sacred mountains of Dewa Sanzan and Japan's only ski resort w…
Tsuruga Castle
Tsuruga Castle is the five-story white keep where the Aizu clan made their last stand in 1868, holding out for a month w…
Lake Inawashiro
Lake Inawashiro (猪苗代湖) is Japan's fourth-largest lake, spanning 103 square kilometers at 514 meters elevation, famous fo…
Goshiki-numa Ponds
Goshiki-numa (五色沼, 'Five-Colored Marshes') is a collection of 30+ volcanic ponds created by the 1888 eruption of Mt. Ban…
Tadami Line
The Tadami Line (只見線) is consistently ranked as Japan's most scenic railway, a 135km route threading through remote moun…
Abukuma Cave
Abukuma-do (あぶくま洞) is a spectacular limestone cave system stretching 3,300 meters underground (600m open to visitors), f…
Mt. Bandai
Mt. Bandai (磐梯山, 1,816m) is an active stratovolcano that dominates Fukushima's central landscape, known as 'Aizu-Bandai-…
Hanamiyama Park
Hanamiyama Park (花見山公園, 'Flower Viewing Mountain Park') is a privately-owned hillside park where ornamental flower farme…
Aquamarine Fukushima
Aquamarine Fukushima (アクアマリンふくしま) is a world-class marine science museum combining aquarium, interactive exhibits, and e…
Lake Hibara
Lake Hibara (桧原湖) is Bandai-Kogen's largest lake (10.7 km²), created during Mt. Bandai's catastrophic 1888 eruption when…