Central Honshū
This lookout on the site of a former castle provides a lovely view of the valley. It's a 15-minute walk via the road behind the east side of town. You can…
Must-see attractions in Japan
Hiroshima Region
Close to the waterfront, this temple dates back to the 10th century. Adjoining the temple is Taichōrō, a reception hall built in the 1690s. This is where…
Kyūshū
This intimate temple dates from 761 and was one of the most important Buddhist ordination monasteries in Japan. Combine it with a visit to the more…
Tokyo
Within the north end of the original Tokyo Station brick building, this small museum mounts regularly changing exhibitions sometimes based around JR's own…
Central Honshū
Housed in the Taisho-era tax office, this museum and cultural centre is a one-stop shop for Gujō-Hachiman history and culture. Exhibits include historical…
Tokyo
These 1960s ferro-concrete buildings, done in Japanese modernist style, are home to Japan's emperor and family. The central building contains the throne…
Fukuoka
Couples date here a lot, particularly in spring and summer, when the hills are covered with cosmos or sunflowers. Otherwise, it's a pretty run-of-the-mill…
Kansai
Two of the hikiyama (festival floats) used during Nagahama's famous Hikiyama Matsuri are on display here, along with video footage of the festival.
Ginza & Tsukiji
If you have a ticket to see a show at the Kabukiza theatre, you get a ¥100 discount on entry to this small gallery displaying stage props, scenery and…
Fukuoka
This red-brick, copper-turreted British-style building from 1909 has simple historical exhibits and a charming coffee shop. The architect, Tatsuno Kingō,…
Toyama Municipal Folkcraft Village
Kanazawa & the Hokuriku Coast
Here you'll find folk art, ceramics, sumi-e (ink brush paintings) and more in a cluster of hillside buildings. Toyama's free Museum Bus (10 minutes,…
Osaka
This strolling garden in the northeast corner of Shitennō-ji illustrates a Buddhist parable of overcoming earthly hell to arrive at paradise, symbolised…
Kyūshū
On the grounds of the Tenman-gū shrine, many historical and religious objects related to Tenman Tenjin are on display in this classic museum, including…
Nagasaki
A historic house in the hillside Glover Garden, this important cultural property has been in its original location since the 1860s. The first owner was a…
Kansai
This historic 18th-century home belonged to a wealthy family of sake brewers and silk traders. There are well-preserved architectural details and…
Minami-Sanriku Crisis Management Centre
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
The steel shell is all that remains of this three-storey building, standing alone in what once was central Minami-Sanriku. It has been preserved by the…
Hokkaidō
Thirty kilometres east of Wakkanai, Sōya-misaki is mainland Japan's northernmost point, where walkers and cyclists traversing the full length of Japan…
Kansai
Only about 50m north of Sanzen-in, this small temple is often praised for its lovely garden and fudan-zakura cherry tree, which blossoms between October…
Kyūshū
The life story of Sugawara-no-Michizane is told here in dioramas using Hakata ningyō (dolls). It's not easy to digest if you're not a Japanese speaker,…
Kurashiki Museum of Folk-craft
Western Honshū
This museum is housed in an attractive complex of rice warehouses dating from the late 18th century, with interesting exhibits of exquisite household…
Central Honshū
Perched atop Kinka-zan and with sweeping views over the cities of Gifu and Nagoya, this castle is a 1956 concrete replica of daimyō Oda Nobunaga's…
Western Honshū
This sprawling Shintō shrine is dedicated to an ancient warrior who subdued a local demon-bandit called Ura and brought the area under central control…
Takayama
Various trails lead through Shiroyama-kōen and up the mountainside to the ruins of the castle, Takayama-jō. As you descend, you can take a look at the…
Kyūshū
Toi-misaki is famed for its wild horses. However, lest you think this means a stampede of never-seen-a-human-before stallions, it doesn't: these 'wild'…
Miyazaki Prefectural Museum of Nature & History
Kyūshū
Just north of Miyazaki-jingū, this museum exhibits items on local history, archaeology, festival artefacts and folk crafts. Behind the museum, Minka-en …
Izu Peninsula
This museum showcases the unusual plaster art 'paintings' of native son Chōhachi Irie (1815–99) including one of his masterpieces, Shungyo-no-zu (Dawn in…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery is at its best when it holds solo shows and retrospectives of major modern Japanese artists and movements (spanning diverse…
Western Honshū
Located 22km northeast of Hagi, this sprawling site shows the scale of traditional Japanese iron-making, which existed for centuries, and the skills of…
Sapporo
Established in 1876 this university is a scenic spot, with a number of unique buildings, including the Furukawa Memorial Hall and the Seikatei. The bust…
Ueno & Yanesen
The 'red gate' is the most famous of the several entrances to Tokyo University (commonly known as Tōdai). The attractive and leafy campus occupies what…
Shikoku
Lapis Ōboke is a geology and local yōkai (ghost) museum. There are interesting rocks on display, but the reason to stop is to get acquainted with the…
Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum
Hiroshima
This prefectural art museum has a small collection featuring Salvador Dalí's Dream of Venus and the artwork of Hirayama Ikuo, who was in the city during…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
This traditional Japanese-style garden centred on an ornamental pond was formerly attached to the Azabu villa residence for the Mori Family and dates back…
Ueno & Yanesen
Near the southern entrance to Ueno-kōen is this unconventional statue of a samurai walking his dog. Saigō Takamori started out supporting the Meiji…
Western Honshū
At Kasa-yama, 6km north of Higashi-Hagi, this Hagi glassware showroom and shop displays some beautiful coloured-glass vases and cups, and you can watch…
Ueno & Yanesen
This Yanaka temple is known for its part in the story of the 47 ronin (masterless samurai). It was here that they plotted to avenge their master (the…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Part of the public space surrounding the Tokyo Midtown development. Some 140 cherry, camphor and other trees that were on the former Self Defence Agency…
Nagoya
Nagoya's tallest building (247m) houses Toyota's corporate HQ and showroom, boutique shopping on the lower floors and a beehive of offices in the middle…
Kagoshima
This famous shrine is in memory of Shimazu Nariakira (1809–58), celebrated 11th leader of the Satsuma clan in the late Edo period. He is credited with…
Odaiba & Tokyo Bay
Designed by the late, great Kenzō Tange, the Fuji TV headquarters building is easily recognisable by the 1200-tonne orb suspended from the scaffolding…
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