Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps
Fancy some wasabi wine or ice cream? This farm, a 15-minute bike ride from JR Hotaka Station, is a must for wasabi-lovers. An English map guides you among…
Must-see attractions in Japan
Nikkō Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park
Nikkō
About 1km west of Shin-kyō bridge, this splendidly restored imperial palace (c 1899) of more than 100 rooms showcases superb artisanship, with parts of…
Kamakura
The grounds of this hillside Zen temple make for a blissful stroll in fine weather and include lovingly tended gardens laid out by Musō Soseki, the temple…
Shikoku
Discover the history and development of washi (Japanese paper) at Ino, about 10km west of downtown Kōchi. There are demonstrations of nagashizuki…
Nara
The great south gate of Tōdai-ji contains two fierce-looking Niō (guardians). These recently restored wooden images, carved in the 13th century by famed…
Western Honshū
Close to Ieura Port, an old house has been converted into exhibition spaces, with a colourful take on a traditional Japanese rock garden outside (which…
Western Honshū
Matsue's excellent modern museum gives a broad-ranging introduction to the history of the regional clans and development of local industry and crafts…
Nagoya
This hands-on museum claims the world's largest dome-screen planetarium, with some seriously out-of-this-world projection technology. There's also a…
Kanazawa
In Higashi-chaya-gai, Kaikarō is an early-19th-century geisha house refinished with contemporary fittings and art, including a red-lacquered staircase…
Kanazawa
Completed in 1643 in Teramachi, the temple was designed to protect its lord from attack. It contains hidden stairways, escape routes, secret chambers,…
Ginza & Tsukiji
If you see advertising as art, this museum is a spectacle. Run by Dentsu, Japan’s largest advertising agency, this fine collection runs from woodblock…
Kyūshū
It looks humble from the outside, but stunning works of art are on display in the gallery of one of Japan's Living National Treasures, the 14th generation…
Kyūshū
In the centre of Unzen village and at the base of the jigoku (literally 'hells'; boiling mineral hot springs), this plaza commemorating the national park…
Shikoku
The Iya Valley's famous statue of a boy peeing into the gorge is turning 50! Put in place in 1968, 'Peeing Boy' has been photographed urinating into the…
Fuji Five Lakes
In a Gaudí-influenced building above the lake, this charming museum displays the kimono art of Kubota Itchiku (1917–2003). You might see Mt Fuji in the…
Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo
Western Honshū
Just to the right of Izumo Taisha's front gate, this informative museum contains modern exhibits on local history. These include reconstructions of the…
Takayama
This nostalgia bonanza from the Shōwa period (1926–89) focuses on 1955 to 1965, a time of great optimism between Japan's postwar malaise and the 1980s…
Yokohama
Moored at the eastern end of Yamashita-kōen, this 1930s luxury liner has stories to tell from its days conveying well-heeled Japanese passengers to…
Fuji Five Lakes
On a serene wooded hillside facing Mt Fuji is this faithful re-creation of a peasant village that was washed away by a landslide in 1966. Visitors can…
Kyūshū
This fabulously restored late–Meiji period villa of a local trader is built in a mix of Japanese and Western styles, with lantern-filled gardens, a…
Matsumoto
Housing more than 100,000 woodblock prints, paintings, screens and old books, this renowned museum exhibits but a fraction of its collection. The museum…
Yaeyama Islands
Cycling along roads criss-crossing fields of sugar cane and tracing kilometres of unspoiled coastline – the southernmost point of Japan's southernmost…
Kanazawa & the Hokuriku Coast
This hilltop temple has a wonderful outlook, but you've come to see the 500-plus stone statues of rakan (Buddha's disciples) lined up in the forest. It's…
Matsumoto
Nawate-dōri, a few blocks south from the castle, is a popular street for a stroll. Vendors along this riverside walk sell antiques, souvenirs, and…
Yokohama
This magnificent, four-masted barque (built in 1930 as a training ship for naval cadets) sits in a wet dock adjacent to the Yokohama Port Museum, and is…
Yaeyama Islands
This lovely stretch of beach is on the southwest coast, also happens to be the main hoshi-suna (star sand) hunting ground. If you don't arrive bearing…
Matsumoto
This sleek museum has a good collection of the work of Japanese artists, many of whom hail from Matsumoto or whose art depicts scenes of the surrounding…
Kyūshū
Seven of the mid-Edo-period residences along Chiran’s 700m street of samurai houses have gardens open to the public. Water is usually symbolised in the…
Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
If you've seen the crowds at Yonaha-Maehama and decided you want something quieter, head across the Kurima Bridge and drive to the northwest coast of…
'Umi' Museum of Contemporary Art
Nagano Region
This light-filled gallery showcases an impressive collection of contemporary work by Japanese artists who have found fame abroad in genres such as oil…
Central Honshū
The main attraction of this orange-and-white temple is the papier-mâché daibutsu (Great Buddha; c 1832), one of the three Great Buddha statues of Japan…
Takayama
Lovers of art-nouveau and art-deco glassware and furniture will appreciate this large private gallery set back from town with a ritzy cafe, its own London…
Around Tokyo
Local ordinances have preserved the traditional architectural look of Narita's main shopping drag as it winds its way towards the Narita-san Shinshōji…
Around Tokyo
The landscaped grounds of this venerable temple, founded in 940, are among the largest in Japan, and are laced with walking paths. The temple buildings…
Kanazawa & the Hokuriku Coast
Here you can view a selection of the impressive illuminated, lacquered floats used in the Wajima Taisai festival, some up to 15m tall. Take the bus to…
Around Tokyo
The big-ticket attraction of Chūzen-ji is this billowing, 97m-high waterfall. Take the 1930s elevator down to a platform to observe the full force of the…
Kyūshū
This colourful morning market for squid, fish and produce animates the quaint, dwindling fishing port of Yobuko (呼子) each day, drawing visitors from all…
Yaeyama Islands
Just to the west of the port is this perfect beach of snow-white sand with some good coral offshore. Here you will find free public showers, toilets and a…
Kyoto
Daigo-ji is a World Heritage–listed sprawling temple complex located in the Daigo district of Kyoto, which lies on the east side of the Higashiyama…
Odaiba & Tokyo Bay
In 2018, Tokyo's central wholesale market moved from its iconic Tsukiji location to this new facility in Toyosu, a structure clearly dreamed up by…
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