Discover Japan's Hidden Gems

Explore temples, shrines, castles, parks, and more

Neighborhood
Tokyo

Golden Gai

A labyrinth of tiny bars in six narrow alleys, preserving old Tokyo's intimate drinking culture i...

Tokyo, Japan
Museum
Fukuoka

Hakata Machiya Folk Museum

Window into Hakata's Traditional Merchant Culture

Small folk museum preserving Hakata's traditional merchant culture with Meiji-era machiya townhou...

Fukuoka, Japan
Shrine
Hyogo

Izanagi Shrine

Japan's Oldest Shrine, Birthplace of the Creation Myth

Considered Japan's oldest shrine, dedicated to the creator deities Izanagi and Izanami who, accor...

Awaji, Hyogo, Japan
City
Kumamoto

Kumamoto City

Castle Town of the Legendary Kato Kiyomasa

Major Kyushu city centered around Kumamoto Castle, known for horse meat cuisine, streetcar networ...

Kumamoto, Japan
Shrine
Wakayama

Kumano Hongu Taisha

Head Shrine of 3,000 Kumano Shrines and Pilgrimage Endpoint

The head shrine of over 3,000 Kumano shrines across Japan, serving as the spiritual endpoint of t...

Tanabe, Wakayama, Japan
Attraction
Kagawa

Naoshima

Contemporary Art Island in the Seto Inland Sea

A small island in the Seto Inland Sea given over almost entirely to contemporary art, with museum...

Naoshima, Kagawa, Japan
City
Hiroshima

Onomichi

A hillside port town of temples, cats, and the gateway to the Shimanami Kaido cycling route.

Onomichi, Hiroshima, Japan
Historic Site
Niigata

Sado Island Gold Mine

Once Japan's largest gold mine producing gold for the Tokugawa shogunate, the Sado Island Gold Mi...

Sado, Niigata, Japan
Onsen
Nagasaki

Unzen Onsen

Unzen Onsen - Volcanic Hot Springs and Jigoku Hells

A historic hot spring resort in the Unzen volcanic mountains, famous for its dramatic jigoku (hel...

Unzen, Nagasaki, Japan
City
Aomori

Aomori

Aomori - City of the Blazing Nebuta Festival

Northern Honshu city famous for the spectacular Nebuta Festival, one of Japan's most dramatic sum...

Aomori, Japan
Castle
Ishikawa

Kanazawa Castle

Maeda Clan Castle with White Lead Roof Tiles

The castle of the wealthy Maeda clan, featuring beautifully reconstructed gates and turrets with ...

Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
Attraction
Miyagi

Matsushima Bay

One of Japan's Three Great Views

A bay dotted with over 260 pine-covered islands, celebrated as one of Japan's Three Most Scenic V...

Matsushima, Miyagi, Japan
Attraction
Saitama

Nagatoro

River Gorge and Autumn Foliage Haven

Scenic river gorge along the Arakawa River featuring thrilling boat rides through rapids, dramati...

Nagatoro, Saitama, Japan
City
Nagano

Obuse

A charming small town in northern Nagano famous for the Hokusai Museum, beautifully landscaped st...

Obuse, Nagano, Japan
Historic Site
Yamanashi

Saiko Iyashi no Sato Nenba

Saiko Iyashi no Sato Nenba is a restored thatched-roof village at the northwestern base of Mount ...

Yamanashi, Japan