Kinkaku-ji
Golden Pavilion Temple
Kyoto's golden icon, where a pavilion sheathed in real gold leaf floats above its mirror-still po...
Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter
A beautifully preserved canal district with white-walled warehouses from the Edo period in Kurash...
Kushida Shrine
Hakata's Most Important Shrine and Festival Hub
Hakata's central shrine and starting point of the famous Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival, with a ye...
Miyako-jima
Miyako-jima Island
A coral island in the far south, closer to Taiwan than to the Japanese mainland, ringed by white ...
Sannai-Maruyama Archaeological Site
Japan's Largest Jomon Settlement, a UNESCO World Heritage Prehistoric Site
One of Japan's most important archaeological sites and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sannai-Maruy...
Kairakuen Garden
One of Japan's Three Great Gardens
One of Japan's Three Great Gardens, Kairakuen is known for its collection of over 3,000 plum tree...
Shiogama Shrine
Tohoku's Most Revered Shrine Overlooking Matsushima Bay
One of the most important shrines in the Tohoku region, perched on a hilltop overlooking Matsushi...
Shiretoko Peninsula
A UNESCO World Heritage wilderness at the northeastern tip of Hokkaido, where brown bears roam fr...
Takasaki Byakue Daikannon
A 42-Meter Goddess of Mercy Watching Over the City
A striking 42-meter white Kannon statue built in 1936, standing on a hilltop overlooking Takasaki...
Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
A spectacular mountain transit route through the Northern Japan Alps with towering snow walls and...
Chion-in
Monumental Head Temple of Pure Land Buddhism
The head temple of Jodo (Pure Land) Buddhism, featuring Japan's largest temple gate at 24 meters ...
Kagoshima
A subtropical southern city facing the active Sakurajima volcano across the bay, with a samurai h...
Nagashima Spa Land
Large Amusement Park with the Steel Dragon 2000 Coaster
A large amusement park in Kuwana, part of the Nagashima Resort, home to the Steel Dragon 2000 rol...
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
Home of the World's Largest Whale Sharks
Built around the Kuroshio Sea tank, one of the largest in the world, which holds whale sharks and...
Toyama Glass Art Museum
A museum designed by architect Kengo Kuma, featuring intricate timber lattice interiors and accla...