Discover Japan's Hidden Gems

Explore temples, shrines, castles, parks, and more

Historic Site
Fukuoka

Mojiko Retro

Early 20th-Century Port District with Western Architecture

Beautifully preserved early 20th-century port district with Western-style buildings, museums, and...

Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
Attraction
Nagasaki

Nagasaki Chinatown

One of Japan's Three Great Chinatowns

One of Japan's three great Chinatowns alongside Yokohama and Kobe, famous for champon noodles and...

Nagasaki, Japan
Shrine
Ibaraki

Oarai Isosaki Shrine

Oarai Isosaki Shrine features one of Japan's most photogenic views: a torii gate perched on rocks...

Ibaraki, Japan
Attraction
Tokushima

Oboke Gorge

Emerald River Gorge Carved Through Crystalline Schist Rock

A dramatic river gorge with emerald-green water and towering crystalline schist cliff walls along...

Miyoshi, Tokushima, Japan
Historic Site
Fukushima

Ouchi-juku

A beautifully preserved Edo-era post town lined with thatched-roof houses, Ouchi-juku is famous f...

Shimogo, Fukushima, Japan
Museum
Saitama

Railway Museum

The Railway Museum

The Railway Museum in Omiya is one of Japan's largest train museums, housing 36 real train cars s...

Saitama, Japan
Attraction
Niigata

Sado Island

Japan's sixth largest island with gold mines, traditional performing arts, and rugged coastal sce...

Sado, Niigata, Japan
Castle
Saga

Saga Castle

Restored Honmaru Palace of the Nabeshima Clan

Beautifully reconstructed Honmaru Palace of the former Nabeshima lords, one of the largest wooden...

Saga, Japan
Shrine
Shiga

Taga Taisha

Major Shinto Shrine Honouring Izanagi and Izanami

One of Shiga's principal shrines, dedicated to Izanagi and Izanami and popularly called Ota-ga-san.

Taga, Shiga, Japan
Temple
Kyoto

Tofuku-ji

Kyoto's Supreme Autumn Foliage Temple

One of Kyoto's Five Great Zen Temples. Best autumn foliage in the city. The view from Tsutenkyo B...

Kyoto, Japan
Castle
Okayama

Tsuyama Castle

One of Japan's Top Cherry Blossom Castle Ruins

Impressive castle ruins famous for towering stone walls and over 1,000 cherry trees. One of Japan...

Tsuyama, Okayama, Japan
Garden
Nara

Yoshiki-en

Japanese Garden Next to Isuien near Nara Park

A quiet Japanese garden beside the Isuien garden near Nara Park, made up of a pond garden, a moss...

Nara, Japan
Shrine
Kyoto

Atago Shrine

A Mountaintop Fire God Shrine Reached by a Rewarding Hike

Perched atop 924-meter Mt. Atago, this ancient shrine dedicated to the fire deity has protected K...

Kyoto, Japan
Historic Site
Gifu

Hida Furukawa

Old Town of White-Walled Storehouses and Carp-Filled Canals

A preserved old-town district in Hida city with white-walled storehouses lining the Setogawa cana...

Hida, Gifu, Japan
Castle
Aichi

Inuyama Castle

One of only five National Treasure castles in Japan, with an original donjon dating to 1537.

Inuyama, Aichi, Japan