Asakusa & Sumida River
This late-17th-century stroll garden offers beautiful views across its central tidal pond and is well worth a visit if you're in the area. It used to take…
Must-see attractions in Japan
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Once the opulent headquarters of Akita Bank, this brick structure built in 1912 is now a local history museum. On the top floor you'll find beautiful…
Miyajima
South of Itsukushima-jinja, stone steps (before you reach Miyajima History & Folklore Museum) lead up from the road to this picturesque pagoda. There's a…
Higashi Iya History & Folk Museum
Shikoku
This folk museum is in a large red building in Kyōjō, right by the main road. It displays historic artefacts and daily-use tools of the valley, as well as…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
At the foot of Iimori-yama, this museum tells the story of the dramatic suicides of the teenage samurai who died during the Bōshin civil war of 1868, and…
Sapporo
Defeating Sapporo TV Tower when it comes to views and class (but not cultural significance!), the 38-floor JR Tower (173m) has a spacious observatory with…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Meaning ‘culture village’, Bunkamura has a theatre, concert hall, cinema and museum. Offerings swing between commercial and artsy; the Tokyo Philharmonic…
Western Honshū
Tools, armoury and Bizen pottery are among the historic artefacts exhibited at this museum, located near the entrance to Kōraku-en.
Kansai
This temple near Sanzen-in is worth a look, even if only through its admission gate, to admire the thatched roof of the main hall. It’s a good option if…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
The most famous piece of public art scattered around Roppongi Hills is this 30ft-tall bronze spider sculpture by Louise Bourgeois. It's one of six…
Downtown Kyoto
This tucked-away temple makes for a worthy detour when hitting the boutiques and restaurants downtown. The name refers to its unique hexagonal shape, and…
Western Honshū
On Kasa-yama, this is Hagi's own beer and citrus-juice factory, where you can stop in to see the very small team at work, taste juice in the attached shop…
Downtown Kyoto
This one-room museum is filled with unexpected wonders in a wide variety of kaleidoscopes. Not sure who will enjoy this more, children or the adults…
Kagoshima
The Kagoshima City Museum of Art has a small permanent collection of works by modern-day Kagoshima painters, as well as some 16th-century porcelains and…
Kansai
Named for the sugi (cryptomeria) trees that surround it, this fine little shrine is a nice place to gather your thoughts after climbing to the summit of…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
This sprawling hilly park has views of the ocean and is a wonderful spot for a stroll or a picnic, especially at sunset. In April, 400 cherry trees burst…
Kyūshū
At this mid-20th-century hall within the Kanzeon-ji grounds, of particular note is the wooden statuary from the 10th to 12th centuries. Many items show…
Hokkaidō
Come here to see videos of the drift ice in winter and small tanks of the fascinating creatures that live beneath it, such as the tiny kurione (sea angel)…
Yaeyama Islands
On the south coast of the island is the pleasant little village of Higawa, which has a wide, sandy crescent of beach. The water here is clear and shallow,…
Western Honshū
Worth visiting in Tanoura is this perfectly preserved 1902 school, setting for the Twenty-Four Eyes story and the 1954 film. It's a short walk from the…
Harajuku & Aoyama
Pritzker Prize–winner Itō Toyō designed the Tod's boutique (2004). The criss-crossing strips of concrete take their inspiration from the zelkova trees…
Hiroshima Region
A Shintō shrine dedicated to the god of sake. Sake is brewed here every year in the lead-up to Saijō Sake Matsuri. It's a five-minute walk north of Saijo…
Southern Higashiyama
This subtemple of Kōdai-ji has a lovely Zen garden and is a pleasant retreat from the busy touristy surrounds. You can buy a combo ticket with Kōdai-ji…
Nagasaki
This temple in Teramachi dates from the 1620s and is noted for the Ming architecture of the main hall. Like Sōfuku-ji, it is an Ōbaku Zen temple – and the…
Naoshima
Minamidera, one of the sites within the Art House Project, is a James Turrell experiment with light. Queue up to enter in total darkness…and wait…
Tokyo
Nakano's vintage 1950s covered shopping arcade has a glass ceiling, which allows natural light to filter in; over 100 shops, ranging from family-run deli…
Ōsumi Islands
This small, coarse-sand beach is located on the north coast of the island, about midway between Miyanoura and Nagata. It's a short walk from the Yahazu…
Harajuku & Aoyama
On the top floor of Aoki Jun's Louis Vuitton boutique, this light-filled gallery hosts contemporary exhibitions backed by the luxury brand's well-endowed…
Osaka
Among the biggest in the world, this 112m-high Ferris wheel offers unbeatable views of Osaka Bay and the seemingly endless Osaka/Kōbe conurbation. Give it…
Tokyo
Ōte-mon, meaning 'great hand gate', was the main entrance to Edo-jō and would have had a guard of 120 men. It is now the main gate to the Imperial Palace…
Kōchi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden
Shikoku
Next to Chikurin-ji entrance gates on the south side of Godaisan, east of the city centre, are the impressive Kōchi Prefectural Makino Botanical Gardens,…
Kyūshū
At Aoshima-jinja, this museum tells the story of sun goddess Amaterasu, Emperor Jimmu and the founding of Japan in wax-museum-style dioramas with English…
Hakone
In the complex opposite the Ōwakudani ropeway station, this interactive natural history exhibit is a fun way to learn about the volcanic forces that…
Beppu
Oni-yama is especially known for the 80-plus crocodiles that have been bred here since the Taishō period (1912–26). It's one of the Kannawa group's jigoku…
Kayabuki Art Museum & Folk Museum
Kansai
There are two historic kayabuki-yane (thatched-roof) farmhouses here: one that displays artefacts from traditional life in Miyama and another that serves…
Okayama Prefectural Bizen Ceramics Art Museum
Western Honshū
This ceramics-focused museum exhibits pieces from the Muromachi (1333–1568) and Momoyama (1568–1600) periods, plus work by several modern artists who have…
Hiroshima
Located in an interesting 1970s building, this museum has a decent collection of minor works by well-known painters including Picasso, Gauguin, Monet and…
Osaka
This state-of-the art museum inside Abeno Harukas hosts temporary shows that vary wildly, including, so far, Renaissance painting and tantric Buddhist…
Kanazawa
This compact museum, consisting of two relocated Edo-era homes and a small garden, offers a look at the lives of the ashigaru (foot soldiers), the lowest…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
Run by four veteran artists (including pioneering street photographer Daido Moriyama), this gallery serves as a hub for the city's photography scene…
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