Discover Japan's Hidden Gems

Explore temples, shrines, castles, parks, and more

Meiji Shrine
Shrine
Tokyo

Meiji Shrine

Tokyo's Most Important Shinto Shrine

Shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, set within a 70-hectare evergreen forest in...

Tokyo, Japan
Iwatayama Monkey Park photo
Attraction
Kyoto

Iwatayama Monkey Park

Wild Monkeys Above the Arashiyama Treetops

Climb the forested slopes of Iwatayama mountain to encounter over 120 wild Japanese macaques roam...

Kyoto, Japan
Shitennoji photo
Temple
Osaka

Shitennoji

Shitennoji Temple

Japan's oldest officially administered Buddhist temple, founded in 593 AD by Prince Shotoku, feat...

Osaka, Japan
Kabukicho
Neighborhood
Tokyo

Kabukicho

Shinjuku's Neon-Lit Entertainment Quarter

Neon signs blaze and giant screens flicker in Japan's largest entertainment district, a sensory o...

Tokyo, Japan
Pontocho photo
Neighborhood
Kyoto

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 ...

Kyoto, Japan
Shibuya Crossing
Landmark
Tokyo

Shibuya Crossing

The World's Busiest Pedestrian Crossing

The world-famous scramble crossing where up to 3,000 pedestrians cross simultaneously from all di...

Tokyo, Japan
Munakata Grand Shrine
Shrine
Fukuoka

Munakata Grand Shrine

Sacred Island and Ancient Shrines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising three shrines dedicated to the three Munakata goddesses, ...

Munakata, Fukuoka, Japan
Ibaraki City Museum of Christian Relics photo
Museum
Osaka

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...

Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
Koyasan Okunoin
Temple
Wakayama

Koyasan Okunoin

The most sacred site on Mount Koya, featuring Japan's largest cemetery along a mystical forest pa...

Koya, Wakayama, Japan
Suma Beach photo
Beach
Hyogo

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...

Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
Ginkaku-ji
Temple
Kyoto

Ginkaku-ji

Silver Pavilion

A Zen temple famed for its elegant Silver Pavilion and meticulously raked sand garden reflecting ...

Kyoto, Japan
Gangoji
Temple
Nara

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...

Nara, Japan
Nushima photo
Island
Hyogo

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...

Minamiawaji, Hyogo, Japan
Ryoan-ji
Temple
Kyoto

Ryoan-ji

Ryoan-ji Temple

UNESCO World Heritage Zen temple with the famous rock garden of 15 stones on white gravel. From a...

Kyoto, Japan
Echizen Daibutsu photo
Temple
Fukui

Echizen Daibutsu

Echizen Great Buddha at Seidaiji Temple

Japan's tallest seated Buddha statue (17m) inside a massive five-story pagoda temple complex, riv...

Katsuyama, Fukui, Japan