Kōchi Castle Museum of History
Shikoku
This new museum (opened in 2017), celebrating the history of Kōchi castle, is an architectural achievement in its own right. Entry is free to the museum…
Must-see attractions in Japan
Hakone
Showcasing the private collection of the late Suzuki Tsuneshi, son of the founder of the Pola Group (a cosmetics company), this impressive building…
Nagano Region
Japan's most famous ukiyo-e (woodblock print) artist, Hokusai, spent his final years in Obuse. There's an audiovisual presentation on his life in the…
Kanazawa & the Hokuriku Coast
Founded in 1294 by Nichizō, a disciple of Nichiren's, the imposing Myōjō-ji remains an important temple for the sect. The peaceful grounds comprise 10…
Western Honshū
You came to see sand? Well, there's truckloads at this impressive museum of sand sculptures, where sand aficionados from all over the world are invited to…
Kyūshū
About 15 minutes on foot from Arita Station, this large, hilltop operation is the most comprehensive ceramics museum in the region. The Shibata Collection…
Shikoku
The grounds of Temple 38, set on dramatic Ashizuri-misaki, feel incredibly tropical and consist of a diverse array of small temples, statues, gardens and…
Naha
In Naha, a great place to sample everyday Okinawan eats is at one of the 2nd-floor eateries in this covered food market just off Ichibahon-dōri, about…
Shikoku
Our favourite street market in Shikoku is 300 years old and takes place every Sunday along 1.3km of Ōte-suji, the main road leading to the castle. Around…
Ōsumi Islands
This enormous yakusugi tree is estimated to be between 3000 and 7000 years old, and though no longer living, it remains a majestic sight. Most hikers…
Kanazawa & the Hokuriku Coast
Among a few hundred elderly women selling fresh-off-the-trawler seafood, this entertaining morning market features cool boutiques offering tasteful…
Yaeyama Islands
At the north end of the island, on the west coast, you will find this long strip of sand with a bit of offshore reef. As the name implies, this is one of…
Takayama
This merchant and moneychanger's house, dating from the 1890s, showcases the striking craftsmanship of traditional Takayama carpenters. Inside is a…
Kii Peninsula
The wooden, thatched roof gate here is as far as you can go in Oku-no-in. Beyond it lies the crypt Kōbō Daishi entered in 835, never to leave. Pilgrims in…
Kanazawa
This spiritual museum is a tribute to Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki, one of the foremost Buddhist philosophers of our time. Published in Japanese and English,…
Yaeyama Islands
From Shirahama, at the western end of the north coast road, there are four daily boats (¥500) to the isolated settlement of Funauki. Once there, it's a…
Nagasaki
From afar, the Unesco World Heritage island of Hashima resembles a battleship, hence its nickname Gunkanjima ('battleship island'). Up close, this long…
Kyūshū
This hilltop castle was ruled mostly by the Matsudaira clan from the 1660s and played a part in the Shimabara Rebellion. It was rebuilt in 1964. As well…
Tokyo
One of Tokyo's best parks, Inokashira-kōen has a big pond in the middle flanked by woodsy strolling paths. A highlight is Inokashira Benzaiten, a shrine…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Roppongi Hills sets the standard for 21st-century real-estate developments in Tokyo. The centrepiece of the office, shopping, dining and entertainment…
Nagasaki
Situated on a forested hilltop and reached via multiple staircases with nearly 200 steps, this enormous shrine was established in 1625. Around the grounds…
Naha
One of the best parts of Naha is this neighbourhood, a centre of ceramic production from 1682, when Ryūkyū kilns were consolidated here by royal decree…
Sapporo
This haven in the heart of the city is fully 13 blocks (1.5km) long, with the TV Tower at its eastern end. Among the green lawns and flower gardens are…
Miyajima
Just south of town at the foot of Misen, Daishō-in is a worthwhile stopping point on the way up or down the mountain. This Shingon temple is crowded with…
Kyūshū
Takachiho's magnificent gorge, with its waterfall, overhanging rocks and sheer walls, was formed over 120,000 years ago by a double volcanic eruption…
Miyajima
Covered with primeval forest, the sacred, peaceful Misen is Miyajima's highest mountain (530m), and its ascent is the island's finest walk – especially in…
Nagasaki Museum of History & Culture
Nagasaki
This large museum with attractive displays focuses on Nagasaki's proud history of international exchange. Additionally, there's a fabulous, detailed…
Kyūshū
This fascinating pottery factory has something for everyone: you can try making simple pottery on the throwing wheel (your pieces can be fired and mailed…
Western Honshū
This is Kurashiki's premier museum, housing the predominantly Western art collection amassed by local textile magnate Ōhara Magosaburō (1880–1943), with…
Western Honshū
This kiln and gallery-shop is run by the Kimura family, one of the six original families granted official permission in the early 1600s to produce pottery…
Osaka
This ambitious museum showcases the world's cultures, presenting them as the continuous (and tangled) strings that they are. There are plenty of…
Kumamoto
Southeast of the city centre, this photogenic lakeside garden was built between 1636 and 1716 for the ruling Hosokawa clan. The main path represents the…
Kyūshū
Across from the waterfront, this building was the trading house of the Dutch East India Company. Shogunal authorities took the Gregorian date on the front…
Beppu Traditional Bamboo Crafts Centre
Beppu
You may be blown away by the versatility of bamboo, which grows copiously in the Beppu region. In the ground-floor gallery, intricate, refined pieces span…
National Museum of Modern Art (MOMAT)
Tokyo
Regularly changing displays from the museum's superb collection of more than 12,000 works are shown over floors 2 to 4; special exhibitions are mounted on…
Fukuoka
Spread over three machiya (traditional Japanese townhouses), this folk museum re-creates a Hakata nagare (neighbourhood unit) from the late Meiji era…
Nagoya
Although the current buildings were completed in 1966, Atsuta-jingū has been a shrine for over 1900 years and is one of the most sacred Shintō shrines in…
Hiroshima Region
Senkō-ji is the best known and most impressive of Onomichi's temples. Among its features is the kyō-onrō, a bell tower whose bell always rings in the new…
Kanazawa & the Hokuriku Coast
Designated a national historic site, this out-of-the-way place features one of the largest town ruins in Japan, dating from the early 15th century. It's…
Western Honshū
Iwakuni's chief claim to fame is this graceful bridge, built in 1673 during the rule of feudal lord Kikkawa Hiroyoshi. It has been restored several times…
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