Meiji Shrine
Tokyo's Most Important Shinto Shrine
Shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, set within a 70-hectare evergreen forest in...
Iwatayama Monkey Park
Wild Monkeys Above the Arashiyama Treetops
Climb the forested slopes of Iwatayama mountain to encounter over 120 wild Japanese macaques roam...
Shitennoji
Shitennoji Temple
Japan's oldest officially administered Buddhist temple, founded in 593 AD by Prince Shotoku, feat...
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Kabukicho
Shinjuku's Neon-Lit Entertainment Quarter
The name is a leftover from a plan that never happened. After the 1945 firebombing flattened this...
Photo: Syced / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Shibuya Crossing
Tokyo's Scramble Crossing, Often Called the World's Busiest
Shibuya's scramble crossing, where traffic stops every couple of minutes and people cross from al...
Pontocho
A Narrow Lantern-Lit Alley of Traditional Dining Along the Kamo River
One of Kyoto's most atmospheric streets, a narrow lantern-lit alley running along the Kamo River ...
Suma Beach
Kobe's Most Popular Urban Beach
Kobe's most popular urban beach, a long stretch of white sand along Osaka Bay with views of the A...
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Munakata Grand Shrine
Sacred Island and Ancient Shrines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site of five component parts, including the three shrines of Muna...
Ibaraki City Museum of Christian Relics
Museum of the Kakure Kirishitan (Hidden Christians)
A small municipal museum in the mountain hamlet of Senteiji, north of Ibaraki City, preserving re...
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Kanazawa
A preserved castle town with Kenrokuen Garden, samurai districts, geisha quarters, and 99% of Jap...
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Koyasan Okunoin
The most sacred site on Mount Koya, featuring Japan's largest cemetery along a mystical forest pa...
Nushima
The Mythological Birthplace of Japan, a 10-Minute Ferry Off Awaji's South Coast
A 2.5-km island off the south coast of Awaji, traditionally identified as Onogoro-jima, the first...
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Gangoji
Japan's Oldest Temple with 1,400-Year-Old Roof Tiles
A World Heritage temple and one of Japan's oldest, where remarkably some original roof tiles from...
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Ginkaku-ji
Silver Pavilion
A Zen temple famed for its elegant Silver Pavilion and meticulously raked sand garden reflecting ...
© 金沢市 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.1 jp)
D.T. Suzuki Museum
Contemplative Museum for a Zen Philosopher
A quiet museum in Kanazawa devoted to the Buddhist philosopher Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki, built arou...