Discover Japan's Hidden Gems

Explore temples, shrines, castles, parks, and more

Shrine
Yamaguchi

Motonosumi Shrine

Motonosumi Shrine - 123 Torii Gates by the Sea

A stunning seaside shrine where 123 vermillion torii gates snake down a clifftop hillside to the ...

Nagato, Yamaguchi, Japan
Temple
Iwate

Motsuji Temple

Motsuji Temple - UNESCO Pure Land Garden in Hiraizumi

A UNESCO World Heritage temple in Hiraizumi featuring one of Japan's finest Pure Land gardens fro...

Hiraizumi, Iwate, Japan
Attraction
Kumamoto

Mount Aso

The world's largest volcanic caldera with an active crater, vast grasslands, and dramatic highlan...

Aso, Kumamoto, Japan
Attraction
Tokushima

Mount Bizan

Tokushima's Eyebrow Mountain with City Views

Tokushima's symbol mountain—named for its eyebrow-shaped ridge. A ropeway reaches the summit in 6...

Tokushima, Japan
Attraction
Tottori

Mount Daisen

Known as the 'Mt Fuji of the San'in Region', Mount Daisen is a striking volcanic peak offering ex...

Daisen, Tottori, Japan
Attraction
Ehime

Mount Ishizuchi

Western Japan's Highest Peak and Sacred Mountain

The highest peak in western Japan at 1,982 meters and one of Japan's seven holy mountains, popula...

Saijo, Ehime, Japan
Attraction
Hyogo

Mount Rokko

Kobe's Main Mountain with Million-Dollar Night Views

Kobe's main mountain, 931m high. Famous for its night view of the city and Osaka Bay—locals call ...

Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
Attraction
Tokyo

Mount Takao

Mount Takao - Tokyo's Beloved Hiking Mountain

A hugely popular 599-meter mountain just 50 minutes from Shinjuku, drawing over three million hik...

Tokyo, Japan
Attraction
Tokushima

Mount Tsurugi

Shikoku's Mythical Sword Mountain with Ancient Forest

The second-highest peak in Shikoku at 1,955 meters, steeped in mythology as the hiding place of a...

Miyoshi, Tokushima, Japan
Attraction
Nara

Mount Yoshino

Japan's most celebrated cherry blossom viewing site, with approximately 30,000 cherry trees cover...

Yoshino, Nara, Japan
Historic Site
Osaka

Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group

UNESCO World Heritage Ancient Burial Mounds Including Japan's Largest Tomb

Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019, the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group consists of 49 a...

Sakai, Osaka, Japan
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
Temple
Nara

Muroji

Women's Koya and Japan's Smallest Outdoor Pagoda

Known as Women's Koya for welcoming female worshippers when Mount Koya banned them, this mountain...

Uda, Nara, Japan
Park
Saitama

Musashi Kyuryo National Government Park

Musashi Kyuryo National Government Park sprawls across the hills of Saitama, famous for its breat...

Saitama, Japan
Temple
Osaka

Myokensan (Nose Myokensan)

Nose Myokensan Temple

Nose Myokensan is a Nichiren-sect temple at the 660-metre summit of Mount Myoken, on the border b...

Nose, Osaka, Japan
Attraction
Niigata

Myoko Kogen

A Mountain Resort with Waterfalls and Hot Springs

A scenic highland area at the base of Mount Myoko, known for the stunning Naena Falls, natural ho...

Myoko, Niigata, Japan
Temple
Ishikawa

Myoryuji (Ninja Temple)

A Temple of Hidden Traps and Secret Passages

A fascinating temple built with hidden staircases, trap doors, and secret passages as defensive m...

Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
Garden
Mie

Nabana no Sato

Transforming into a wonderland of light each winter, Nabana no Sato hosts Japan's largest illumin...

Mie, Japan
Attraction
Wakayama

Nachi Falls

Japan's Tallest Single-Drop Waterfall

Japan's tallest single-drop waterfall at 133 meters, a sacred site of the Kumano pilgrimage for o...

Nachikatsuura, Wakayama, Japan
Garden
Hyogo

Nada Kuroiwa Suisenkyo

Cliffside Slope of Five Million Wild Narcissus by the Sea

A steep seaside slope on southern Awaji Island carpeted with around five million wild narcissus t...

Minamiawaji, Hyogo, Japan