Japan by Season

Yamanashi

Akashi Castle Ruins & Sakura Park — Cherry Blossom Viewpoint

Hyogo

Kimii-dera Temple — Hydrangea Hillside & Cherry Blossoms

Wakayama

Ueno Park — Museums, Zoo, & Cherry Blossoms

Tokyo

Tsuyama Castle Ruins — Sakura no Meiho Cherry Blossom Fortress

Okayama

Ogi City Hirado-bashi — Hidden Cherry Blossom Town

Saga

Tatsuda-yama Park Cherry Blossoms — Best in Kumamoto

Kumamoto

Sakura Shrimp — Sweet Pink Shrimp from Suruga Bay

Shizuoka

Chureito Pagoda — Iconic Mt. Fuji Viewpoint

Yamanashi

Iwase Canal Historic District — Preserved Port Warehouses

Toyama

Nagoya Castle — Golden Shachihoko Fortress

Aichi

Sunpu Castle Park — Tokugawa Ieyasu's Retirement Residence

Shizuoka

Takeda Shingen Historical Sites — Legacy of the Warring States

Yamanashi

Toyama Castle & Matsukawa River Cruise — Urban Moat Boat Ride

Toyama

Toyama City Night View from Kureha Hills — Illuminated Bay Panorama

Toyama

Genkyuen Garden — Daimyo Strolling Garden Masterpiece

Shiga

Great Buddha of Kamakura — 13.35m Bronze Colossus

Kanagawa

Ise Jingu — Japan's Most Sacred Shinto Shrine

Mie

Kyoto Machiya Stay — Traditional Townhouse Lodging

Kyoto

Odawara Castle — Reconstructed Feudal Fortress

Kanagawa

Oharai-machi & Okage-yokocho — Ise's Edo-Period Shopping Streets

Mie

Osaka Castle — Concrete Reconstruction with Museum

Osaka

Sankeien Garden — 175,000㎡ Traditional Japanese Garden

Kanagawa

Senso-ji Temple — Tokyo's Oldest Buddhist Temple

Tokyo

Togetsukyo Bridge — Arashiyama's Iconic Landmark

Kyoto

Wakayama Castle — Tiger's Den Fortress & Ninja House

Wakayama

Yoyogi Park — Sunday Gathering & Green Escape

Tokyo

Fukuyama Castle — Rose City's Historic Fortress

Hiroshima

Hagi Castle Ruins — Seaside Fortress Foundations

Yamaguchi

Hiroshima Castle — Reconstructed Fortress & Samurai Museum

Hiroshima

Iwakuni Castle — Hilltop Fortress Over the Valley

Yamaguchi

Kikko Park — Samurai Gardens and White Snakes

Yamaguchi

Kintaikyo Bridge — Five-Arch Wooden Engineering Marvel

Yamaguchi

Rurikoji Temple — Five-Story Pagoda National Treasure

Yamaguchi

Kochi Castle — Original Tenshu & Honmaru Intact

Kochi

Makino Botanical Garden — Flora of Shikoku

Kochi

Matsuyama Castle — Hilltop Fortress with Original Keep

Ehime

Uwajima Castle — Original Keep with Coastal Views

Ehime

Fukuoka Castle Ruins — City Panorama at Maizuru Park

Fukuoka

Karatsu Castle — Sea Castle on the Bay

Saga

Kumamoto Castle — Earthquake Survivor Being Restored

Kumamoto

Ogi-Juku Post Town — Edo Period Highway Rest Stop

Saga

Ohori Park — Castle Moat Turned City Sanctuary

Fukuoka

Oka Castle Ruins — Castleless Castle in the Sky

Oita

Day Trip to Nara — Deer Park & Ancient Temples (45 min)

Osaka

Gifu Castle — Mountain Fortress Above the Clouds

Gifu

Hakone Open-Air Museum — Outdoor Sculpture Garden

Kanagawa

Hida Furukawa — Quieter Alternative to Takayama

Gifu

Iga-Ueno Ninja Museum — Real Ninjutsu Techniques & Trick Houses

Mie

Kamakura Komachi-dori — Temple Town Shopping Street

Kanagawa

Kibiji Cycling Road — Momotaro Legend Countryside Route

Okayama

Kotohira-gu Shrine (Konpira-san)

Kagawa

Nijo Castle — Shogun's Nightingale Floor Palace

Kyoto

Shuzenji Onsen — Historic Temple Town Hot Springs

Shizuoka

Toshodaiji Temple — Tang Dynasty Architecture Preserved

Nara

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu — Kamakura's Grand Shinto Shrine

Kanagawa

Yakushiji Temple — Twin Pagodas & Healing Buddha

Nara

Korakuen Garden — One of Japan's Three Great Gardens

Cherry blossomLate March (approx.)

Okayama

Shimoda Beaches — White Sand Bays of Southern Izu

Shizuoka

Ishite-ji Temple — Cave Temple with 88 Statues

Ehime

Premium Kaiseki Ryori — Multi-Course Japanese Haute Cuisine

Osaka

Shimanami Kaido — Island-Hopping Cycling Route Paradise

Hiroshima

Tokyo Yakatabune — Dinner Cruise on Sumida River

Tokyo

Kiyomizu-dera — Wooden Stage Over Cherry Trees

Kyoto

Expo '70 Commemorative Park — Tower of the Sun & Gardens

Osaka

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park — Testimonial to Nuclear Tragedy

Hiroshima

Nara Park — 1,200 Sacred Deer Roaming Free

Nara

Ritsurin Garden

Kagawa

April

161 spots

Mount Yoshino — 30,000 Cherry Trees in Pilgrimage Mountains

Nara

Goryokaku Star Fort — Sakura Viewing Tower

Hokkaido

Hirosaki Castle — Cherry Blossom Paradise

Aomori

Kakunodate Samurai District — Feudal Streets & Cherry Blossoms

Akita

Morioka Castle Ruins — Stone Walls & Cherry Blossoms

Iwate

Senshu Park — Kubota Castle Ruins & Cherry Blossoms

Akita

Kajo Park — Yamagata Castle Ruins and Cherry Blossoms

Yamagata

Philosopher's Path — Cherry Blossom Canal Walk

Kyoto

Maizuru Castle Park — Cherry Blossoms and Kofu Views

Yamanashi

Akashi Castle Ruins & Sakura Park — Cherry Blossom Viewpoint

Hyogo

Kimii-dera Temple — Hydrangea Hillside & Cherry Blossoms

Wakayama

Ueno Park — Museums, Zoo, & Cherry Blossoms

Tokyo

Tsuyama Castle Ruins — Sakura no Meiho Cherry Blossom Fortress

Okayama

Ogi City Hirado-bashi — Hidden Cherry Blossom Town

Saga

Tatsuda-yama Park Cherry Blossoms — Best in Kumamoto

Kumamoto

Sakura Shrimp — Sweet Pink Shrimp from Suruga Bay

Shizuoka

Asakura Akizukijo Castle Town Walk

Fukuoka

Heian Shrine — Vermillion Grandeur and Garden Paradise

Kyoto

Tendo Shogi Pieces — Hand-Carved Chess Tradition

Yamagata

Bizan Ropeway — City and River Panorama

Tokushima

Erin-ji Temple — Takeda Clan Temple and Rock Garden

Yamanashi

Gangoji Temple — Nara's Oldest Temple & Roof Tile Museum

Nara

Heijo Palace Site — Reconstructed Ancient Capital

Nara

Hikone Castle — Original Edo Castle with Gardens

Shiga

Himeji Castle — Japan's Most Beautiful Original Castle

Hyogo

Horyuji Temple — World's Oldest Wooden Buildings

Nara

Inuyama Castle — Japan's Oldest Original Castle

Aichi

Ishiyama-dera Temple — Literary & Autumn Color Spot

Shiga

Kanazawa Castle Park — Reconstructed Feudal Fortress

Ishikawa

Kenrokuen Garden — One of Japan's Three Great Gardens

Ishikawa

Kofukuji Temple — Five-Story Pagoda & Buddhist Treasures

Nara

Kokoen Garden — Nine Edo-Period Gardens

Hyogo

Marugame Castle

Kagawa

Maruoka Castle — Japan's Oldest Surviving Keep

Fukui

Matsue Castle — Original Black Castle National Treasure

Shimane

Matsumoto Castle — Black Fortress of the Alps

Nagano

Miidera Temple — Historic Tendai Temple with City Views

Shiga

Nagahama Castle & Lake Biwa Lakeside Park

Shiga

Nara Hotel — Historic Meiji-Era Luxury & Afternoon Tea

Nara

Natadera Temple — Moss-Covered Cave Grottoes

Ishikawa

Okayama Castle — The Jet-Black Crow Castle

Okayama

Sakunami Onsen

Miyagi

Seta no Karahashi — Historic Bridge & River Views

Shiga

Shiroishi Castle

Miyagi

Takamatsu Castle (Tamamo Park)

Kagawa

Takayama Jinya — Japan's Last Edo Government Office

Gifu

Tsuruga Castle — Red-Tiled Fortress of the Samurai Aizu Clan

Fukushima

Ukimido Pavilion — Floating Pavilion at Sunset

Nara

Yokokan Garden — Edo-Period Feudal Lord's Retreat

Fukui

Yonago Castle Ruins — 360° Panorama Over San'in Coast

Tottori

Chureito Pagoda — Iconic Mt. Fuji Viewpoint

Yamanashi

Iwase Canal Historic District — Preserved Port Warehouses

Toyama

Nagoya Castle — Golden Shachihoko Fortress

Aichi

Sunpu Castle Park — Tokugawa Ieyasu's Retirement Residence

Shizuoka

Takeda Shingen Historical Sites — Legacy of the Warring States

Yamanashi

Toyama Castle & Matsukawa River Cruise — Urban Moat Boat Ride

Toyama

Toyama City Night View from Kureha Hills — Illuminated Bay Panorama

Toyama

Genkyuen Garden — Daimyo Strolling Garden Masterpiece

Shiga

Great Buddha of Kamakura — 13.35m Bronze Colossus

Kanagawa

Ise Jingu — Japan's Most Sacred Shinto Shrine

Mie

Kyoto Machiya Stay — Traditional Townhouse Lodging

Kyoto

Odawara Castle — Reconstructed Feudal Fortress

Kanagawa

Oharai-machi & Okage-yokocho — Ise's Edo-Period Shopping Streets

Mie

Osaka Castle — Concrete Reconstruction with Museum

Osaka

Sankeien Garden — 175,000㎡ Traditional Japanese Garden

Kanagawa

Senso-ji Temple — Tokyo's Oldest Buddhist Temple

Tokyo

Togetsukyo Bridge — Arashiyama's Iconic Landmark

Kyoto

Wakayama Castle — Tiger's Den Fortress & Ninja House

Wakayama

Yoyogi Park — Sunday Gathering & Green Escape

Tokyo

Fukuyama Castle — Rose City's Historic Fortress

Hiroshima

Hagi Castle Ruins — Seaside Fortress Foundations

Yamaguchi

Hiroshima Castle — Reconstructed Fortress & Samurai Museum

Hiroshima

Iwakuni Castle — Hilltop Fortress Over the Valley

Yamaguchi

Kikko Park — Samurai Gardens and White Snakes

Yamaguchi

Kintaikyo Bridge — Five-Arch Wooden Engineering Marvel

Yamaguchi

Rurikoji Temple — Five-Story Pagoda National Treasure

Yamaguchi

Kochi Castle — Original Tenshu & Honmaru Intact

Kochi

Makino Botanical Garden — Flora of Shikoku

Kochi

Matsuyama Castle — Hilltop Fortress with Original Keep

Ehime

Uwajima Castle — Original Keep with Coastal Views

Ehime

Fukuoka Castle Ruins — City Panorama at Maizuru Park

Fukuoka

Karatsu Castle — Sea Castle on the Bay

Saga

Kumamoto Castle — Earthquake Survivor Being Restored

Kumamoto

Ogi-Juku Post Town — Edo Period Highway Rest Stop

Saga

Ohori Park — Castle Moat Turned City Sanctuary

Fukuoka

Oka Castle Ruins — Castleless Castle in the Sky

Oita

Day Trip to Nara — Deer Park & Ancient Temples (45 min)

Osaka

Gifu Castle — Mountain Fortress Above the Clouds

Gifu

Hakone Open-Air Museum — Outdoor Sculpture Garden

Kanagawa

Hida Furukawa — Quieter Alternative to Takayama

Gifu

Iga-Ueno Ninja Museum — Real Ninjutsu Techniques & Trick Houses

Mie

Kamakura Komachi-dori — Temple Town Shopping Street

Kanagawa

Kibiji Cycling Road — Momotaro Legend Countryside Route

Okayama

Kotohira-gu Shrine (Konpira-san)

Kagawa

Nijo Castle — Shogun's Nightingale Floor Palace

Kyoto

Shuzenji Onsen — Historic Temple Town Hot Springs

Shizuoka

Toshodaiji Temple — Tang Dynasty Architecture Preserved

Nara

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu — Kamakura's Grand Shinto Shrine

Kanagawa

Yakushiji Temple — Twin Pagodas & Healing Buddha

Nara

Korakuen Garden — One of Japan's Three Great Gardens

Okayama

Aso Shrine — Earthquake Recovery & Shinto Architecture

Kumamoto

Glover Garden — Western Mansions on the Hillside

Nagasaki

Harajiri Falls — Japan's Niagara

Oita

Honmyo-ji Temple — Samurai Cemetery on the Hill

Kumamoto

Oboke and Koboke Gorges — Marble Rock Canyons

Tokushima

Uchiko Town — Wax Merchant Preservation District

Ehime

Zentsuji Temple

Kagawa

Horikawa Moat Boat Ride — Roofed Boat Through Castle Town

Shimane

Miyajima Island — Sacred Island of Deer & Shrines

Hiroshima

Onomichi Temple Walk — 25 Temples Across Hillside City

Hiroshima

Shukkei-en Garden — Miniature Landscape Stroll Garden

Hiroshima

Tottori Karo Historical Samurai Residence

Tottori

Tsuwano — Little Kyoto of San'in & Carp Canal

Shimane

Amanohashidate — Heaven's Bridge Sandbar

Kyoto

Ginkaku-ji Silver Pavilion — Zen Aesthetic Perfection

Kyoto

Ikaho Onsen Stone Steps — Historic Spa Town

Gunma

Kashihara Jingu Shrine — Mythical First Emperor's Shrine

Nara

Katsura Imperial Villa — Perfection in Garden Design

Kyoto

Kinugawa Onsen — River Gorge Hot Springs

Tochigi

Kitano Ijinkan — Western Mansions from the Meiji Era

Hyogo

Kongobu-ji Temple — Shingon Buddhism Headquarters

Wakayama

Koyasan Temple Town — Sacred Mountain & Temple Stays

Wakayama

Lake Ashi — Volcanic Caldera Lake with Mt. Fuji Views

Kanagawa

Nanzen-ji Temple — Zen and Aqueduct Architecture

Kyoto

Naramachi — Edo-Period Merchant District

Nara

Omihachiman Canal Town — Historic Merchant District

Shiga

Sagano Scenic Railway — Romantic Train Through Gorge

Kyoto

Sawara Historic District — Little Edo Canal Town

Chiba

Senba Lake Cycling — Lakeside Loop Trail

Ibaraki

Sento Imperial Palace — Emperor's Retirement Villa Garden

Kyoto

Shinkyo Bridge — Sacred Vermilion Arch

Tochigi

Shosei-en Garden — Hidden Oasis Near Kyoto Station

Kyoto

Shoshazan Engyoji Temple — Mountain Monastery & Film Location

Hyogo

Tea Ceremony Experience — Chanoyu in Traditional Tea House

Kyoto

Tochigi Kurazukuri — Edo Warehouse District

Tochigi

Tokyo Tower — Nostalgic Red Landmark

Tokyo

Yoshino Mikumari Shrine — Mountain Water Goddess Shrine

Nara

Daio Wasabi Farm — Japan's Largest Wasabi Fields

Nagano

Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins — Buried Samurai City

Fukui

Lake Kawaguchiko — Mt. Fuji's Mirror Lake

Yamanashi

Magome to Tsumago Hike — Nakasendo Trail Villages

Gifu

Nakamachi Street — Merchant Quarter with Black-Walled Kura

Nagano

Takayama Sanmachi Old Town — Edo-Period Merchant District

Gifu

Zenkoji Temple — Pilgrimage to the Hidden Buddha

Nagano

Zuiryuji Temple — Zen Architecture Perfection

Toyama

Akita Museum of Art — Foujita's Akita Masterworks

Akita

Genbikei Gorge — Flying Dango Basket Delivery

Iwate

Ishite-ji Temple — Cave Temple with 88 Statues

Ehime

Premium Kaiseki Ryori — Multi-Course Japanese Haute Cuisine

Osaka

Sazae-do Temple — Unique Double-Helix Architectural Wonder

Fukushima

Sendai Castle (Aoba Castle Ruins)

Miyagi

Shimanami Kaido — Island-Hopping Cycling Route Paradise

Hiroshima

Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamon-do — Cliffside Temple in Rock Cave

Iwate

Zuihoden Mausoleum

Miyagi

Tokyo Yakatabune — Dinner Cruise on Sumida River

Tokyo

Hanamiyama Park — Cherry Blossom & Plum Mountain Paradise

Fukushima

Kiyomizu-dera — Wooden Stage Over Cherry Trees

Kyoto

Expo '70 Commemorative Park — Tower of the Sun & Gardens

Osaka

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park — Testimonial to Nuclear Tragedy

Hiroshima

Nara Park — 1,200 Sacred Deer Roaming Free

Nara

Ritsurin Garden