Discover Japan's Hidden Gems
Explore temples, shrines, castles, parks, and more
Otagi Nenbutsu-ji
1,200 Whimsical Stone Buddhas Hidden in the Arashiyama Hills
Tucked away at the far end of Arashiyama's tourist trail, this enchanting temple surprises visito...
Otaru Canal
Romantic Gaslit Canal in a Historic Port Town
A picturesque canal lined with stone warehouses and gas lamps in the charming port town of Otaru.
Ouchi-juku
A beautifully preserved Edo-era post town lined with thatched-roof houses, Ouchi-juku is famous f...
Oura Church
Japan's Oldest Standing Church and National Treasure
Japan's oldest standing Christian church, designated a National Treasure and part of the UNESCO H...
Oya History Museum
A Cathedral-Like Underground Quarry Carved from Stone
A stunning underground space carved out of Oya stone quarries, with soaring 30-meter ceilings rem...
Oyamazumi Shrine
Guardian Shrine of Japan's Samurai Treasures on the Shimanami Kaido
One of Japan's most significant Shinto shrines on Omishima Island along the Shimanami Kaido, hous...
Oze National Park
Japan's most beloved highland marsh, with wooden boardwalks winding through vast alpine wetlands ...
Ozu Castle
Authentically Reconstructed Wooden Castle Above the Hiji River
A beautifully reconstructed castle built using traditional Edo-period wooden construction methods...
Philosopher's Path
A serene canal-side walking path in Kyoto lined with cherry trees, connecting Ginkaku-ji and Nanz...
Ponshukan
A Sake Tasting Museum Inside a Train Station
A unique sake tasting facility inside Echigo-Yuzawa Station offering samples from all of Niigata'...
Railway Museum
The Railway Museum
The Railway Museum in Omiya is one of Japan's largest train museums, housing 36 real train cars s...
Rikugien Garden
A Masterpiece of Edo-Period Strolling Garden Design
One of Tokyo's finest Edo-period landscape gardens, built in 1702, featuring a large central pond...
Rishiri Island
Rishiri Island - The Floating Mountain of the North
A remote volcanic island off northern Hokkaido where the dramatic 1,721-meter Mount Rishiri rises...
Ritsurin Garden
Japan's Largest Cultural Property Garden
Japan's largest cultural property garden with six ponds, thirteen hills, and over a thousand scul...
Roppongi
Art, Nightlife & Panoramic City Views
Art and nightlife converge in this cosmopolitan district where world-class museums neighbor some ...
Rurikoji Temple
Rurikoji Temple Five-Story Pagoda
Rising elegantly above a tranquil pond garden, the five-story pagoda of Rurikoji Temple has been ...
Ryoan-ji
Ryoan-ji Temple
UNESCO World Heritage Zen temple with the famous rock garden—15 stones on white gravel. From any ...
Ryozenji
Starting Point of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage
Temple #1 of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, where most pilgrims begin their 1,200-kilometer jo...
Sado Island
Japan's sixth largest island with gold mines, traditional performing arts, and rugged coastal sce...
Sado Island Gold Mine
Once Japan's largest gold mine producing gold for the Tokugawa shogunate, the Sado Island Gold Mi...