Discover Japan's Hidden Gems

Explore temples, shrines, castles, parks, and more

Onsen
Oita

Beppu Onsen

Hot Springs City

Japan's most prolific hot spring city with more sources than anywhere else, famous for the specta...

Beppu, Oita, Japan
Historic Site
Nagasaki

Dejima

Restored Edo-Period Dutch Trading Post

A restored fan-shaped island in central Nagasaki that served as the Netherlands' trading post dur...

Nagasaki, Japan
Attraction
Kanagawa

Enoshima

Enoshima Island

A small island near Kamakura with shrines, sea caves, panoramic views, and a lively seaside atmos...

Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
Historic Site
Nara

Heijo Palace Site

UNESCO Imperial Palace Ruins with Reconstructed Gate and Hall

The ruins of the imperial palace of the Nara-period capital, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a ...

Nara, Japan
Shrine
Nara

Kasuga Taisha

Kasuga Grand Shrine

Ancient Shinto shrine set in a primeval forest, famous for thousands of stone and bronze lanterns.

Nara, Japan
City
Hyogo

Kobe

A cosmopolitan port city celebrated for Kobe beef, mountain-harbor scenery, and multicultural her...

Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
Temple
Kyoto

Kurama-dera

A Mountain Temple of Mystical Energy and Ancient Forests

A powerful mountain temple said to be where Yoshitsune trained as a child. The forested trail con...

Kyoto, Japan
Historic Site
Nagasaki

Nagasaki Peace Park

Memorial to Nagasaki's Atomic Bombing

A solemn peace memorial featuring the Peace Statue and the Atomic Bomb Museum documenting Nagasak...

Nagasaki, Japan
Attraction
Shizuoka

Oigawa Railway

Steam Locomotive Line with Thomas Trains and a Mountain Branch

A private railway in central Shizuoka that runs regular steam locomotive trains, seasonal Thomas ...

Shimada, Shizuoka, Japan
Attraction
Hiroshima

Okunoshima

Okunoshima (Rabbit Island)

A small island in the Seto Inland Sea famous for its hundreds of friendly wild rabbits.

Takehara, Hiroshima, Japan
Shrine
Ishikawa

Oyama Shrine

Shrine with a Three-Style Shinmon Gate

A Kanazawa shrine dedicated to Maeda Toshiie, known for a front gate blending Japanese, Chinese a...

Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
Historic Site
Aomori

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...

Aomori, Japan
Castle
Nagasaki

Shimabara Castle

Castle of the Christian Rebellion

Reconstructed castle famous for its connection to the Shimabara Rebellion, with exhibits on Chris...

Shimabara, Nagasaki, Japan
Castle
Hyogo

Takeda Castle Ruins

The legendary 'Castle in the Sky', famous for floating above a sea of clouds on autumn mornings.

Asago, Hyogo, Japan
Attraction
Fukui

Tojinbo Cliffs

Dramatic volcanic columnar basalt cliffs stretching one kilometer along the Sea of Japan coast, a...

Sakai, Fukui, Japan