Discover Japan's Hidden Gems

Explore temples, shrines, castles, parks, and more

Castle
Osaka

Osaka Castle

Symbol of Osaka

One of Japan's most famous landmarks, a reconstructed castle housing a museum about the unificati...

Osaka, Japan
Attraction
Aomori

Shirakami-Sanchi

A UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving the largest virgin beech forest in East Asia, Shirakami-S...

Nishimeya, Aomori, Japan
Park
Nara

Soni Kogen

Highland Plateau of Silver Pampas Grass

A grassland plateau of about 38 hectares at the foot of Mount Kururuso, covered in pampas grass t...

Soni, Nara, Japan
Zoo
Osaka

Tennoji Zoo

Century-Old Zoo in Tennoji Park near Shinsekai

One of Japan's oldest zoos, opened in 1915, home to around 1,000 animals across roughly 170 speci...

Osaka, Japan
Beach
Toyama

Amaharashi Coast

Coastline with Views of the Tateyama Range Across the Bay

A stretch of coast in Takaoka known for views of the snow-capped Tateyama mountains rising across...

Takaoka, Toyama, Japan
Castle
Okayama

Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle

The highest original castle in Japan at 430 meters elevation, a mountaintop fortress often shroud...

Takahashi, Okayama, Japan
Historic Site
Kagoshima

Chiran Samurai District

Preserved Samurai Residences with Exquisite Gardens

A beautifully preserved Edo-period samurai district featuring seven exquisite gardens and a 700-m...

Minamikyushu, Kagoshima, Japan
Beach
Ishikawa

Chirihama Nagisa Driveway

Beach You Can Drive a Car On

A stretch of firm sand beach in Hakui where cars, motorcycles and bicycles can drive directly alo...

Hakui, Ishikawa, Japan
Shrine
Shizuoka

Kunozan Toshogu

Ornate Shrine and Original Burial Site of Tokugawa Ieyasu

An ornately decorated hilltop shrine built in 1617 as the first burial place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, ...

Shizuoka, Japan
Temple
Shiga

Miidera Temple

Perched on the slopes of Mount Hiei overlooking the blue waters of Lake Biwa, Miidera Temple has ...

Shiga, Japan
Park
Osaka

Minoo Falls

33-Metre Waterfall in Meiji-no-Mori Minoo Quasi-National Park

A 33-metre waterfall reached by a forested riverside trail, known for autumn foliage and deep-fri...

Minoo, Osaka, Japan
Mountain
Hyogo

Mount Maya Kikuseidai

Mountaintop Viewpoint with One of Japan's Three Great Night Views

An observation plaza near the summit of Mount Maya, reached by cable car and ropeway, known for i...

Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
Temple
Nara

Muroji

Women's Koya and Japan's Smallest Outdoor Pagoda

Known as Women's Koya for welcoming female worshippers when Mount Koya banned them, this mountain...

Uda, Nara, Japan
Garden
Mie

Nabana no Sato

Lit up each winter, Nabana no Sato hosts Japan's largest illumination festival with millions of L...

Mie, Japan
Attraction
Kochi

Ryugado Cave

Large Limestone Cave with Stalactite Formations

A limestone cave in Kami city with stalactites, stalagmites and an underground stream, designated...

Kami, Kochi, Japan