Southern Higashiyama
This is one of the largest Buddhist graveyards in Kyoto. It's an atmospheric (if spooky) place for a walk.
Must-see attractions in Japan
Ginza & Tsukiji
Built in 1940, this is the only drawbridge over the Sumida-gawa, but it hasn't been raised since 1970.
Kyūshū
On the mainland across from Aoshima island, this manicured garden is home to 64 species of fruit tree.
Yokohama
This small museum opposite Yamashita-kōen pays tribute to Yokohama's history as a silk trading port.
Yaeyama Islands
At the west of the village, this private museum houses a diverse collection of local folk artefacts.
Yaeyama Islands
This is the workshop where the island's woven minsā belts and other textiles are produced.
Western Honshū
Buddhist temple on the edge of Tsurugata-yama-kōen park, with fine views across town.
Western Honshū
The Shizuki shrine houses the remains of some lords of the Mōri clan.
Western Honshū
The former house of Meiji Restoration movement leader Yoshida Shōin.
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
This pavilion was presented to the Date family by the daimyō (domain lord) Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the late 16th century. It served as a genteel venue for…
Osaka
This classic shopping arcade wends along the path of an old moat (from an earlier, larger incarnation of Osaka-jō), long since filled in. The arcade…
Kii Peninsula
Sandan-beki is a 50m cliff face that drops away vertiginously into the sea – a particularly awesome sight when the big rollers are pounding in from the…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Founded in 1950 by the former Lord Shōnai in order to preserve local culture, this museum features Sakai-family artefacts, two Meiji-era buildings, a…
Kansai
Kyōga-misaki is a cape at the northernmost point of the Tango Peninsula. The name means 'cape of sutras' for the shape of the stone formations. A car park…
Kōbe Maritime Museum & Kawasaki Good Times World
Kōbe
This attraction in Meriken Park has two parts: a collection of high-quality model ships from around the world, including some of feudal-era Japanese ships…
Hiroshima Region
This quirky homemade museum houses hundreds of the ornamental beckoning cats that wave you into shop entrances all over Japan, dating from the Meiji era …
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Dōgenzaka, named for a 13th-century highway robber, is a maze of narrow streets. Home to one of Tokyo's largest clusters of love hotels (hotels for…
Fukuoka
Inside this unique building are a tourist-information centre (1st floor), cultural-information centre (2nd floor) and craft gallery. The building itself…
Historical Obata ('NK Agent') Building
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
This building featured in the 2009 Academy Award–winning Best Foreign Language film, Okuribito (おくりびと; Departures). You can't go in, but you'll see stills…
Fukuoka
Although it doesn't compare in scale or offerings to larger food markets in Japan, Yanagibashi presents the opportunity to browse for fresh fish, seafood,…
Beppu
Chi-no-ike is named for its photogenic waters, said to be red like blood (chi). The colour comes from iron oxide and magnesium oxide. This is said to be…
Kumamoto
The castle's soaring black Tenshūkaku (main building, 29.5m tall) is today a historical museum with 6th-storey lookouts. The tower was closed at the time…
Kansai
Matsusaka's grand castle, constructed in 1584, was short-lived: a typhoon destroyed the five-storey donjon (main keep) in 1644, while fire and…
Fukuoka
This popular Shintō shrine is set right in the midst of the city, steps from Tenjin Station. While it's not as grand as some other religious sites in town…
Kagoshima
This statue and landmark commemorates the students from Satsuma (the feudal name for Kagoshima) who went to study Western technology in the UK in 1865…
Kii Peninsula
This small lighthouse (c 1870) was the first of eight modern lighthouses to be built after Japan opened up to foreign trade. The building itself isn't all…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
This Nishi-Shinjuku landmark building (completed in 2008) is a 50-storey webbed tower designed by Tange Associates. Easily identifiable among the blockier…
Western Honshū
There's not much of the old Hagi-jō to see, apart from the typically imposing outer walls and the surrounding moat. The castle was built in 1604 and…
Ginza & Tsukiji
Get an insight into how newspapers are produced on a free tour of the Tokyo headquarters of this national newspaper. Reserve two days in advance; English…
Hokkaidō
Tokachi wine is aged in this 'castle' – which looks a bit like a chateau-themed love hotel – set on a hillside overlooking the town. Samples and bottles…
Kagoshima
Kagoshima's most famous historical figure, Saigō Takamori has been called the 'last samurai' and was known as both a loyalist and a rebel. His statue is…
Tokyo
Built in 1636 (and partially restored after the Great Kantō Earthquake in 1923), this is one of the Imperial Palace gates that was part of the original…
Fukuoka
There's no particular reason to visit Fukuoka's boxy skyscraper of a city hall, but the large building is good for orientation, just west of Tenjin-chūō…
Kagoshima
This monument honours the Kagoshima samurai turned statesman (1830–78) who helped overthrow the feudal regime and pave the way for the modernisation of…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
This collection of 10 kura (mud-walled storehouses) has been arranged as a small local museum, as well as the obligatory gift shop or two.
Beppu
Built in 1957, this erector-set-style tower near the bay has an observation deck with 360-degree views. It's a popular visit for couples.
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