Discover Japan's Hidden Gems

Explore temples, shrines, castles, parks, and more

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
Onsen
Shizuoka

Atami

Atami - Tokyo's Seaside Hot Spring Escape, Reborn

A classic seaside onsen city just 45 minutes from Tokyo by shinkansen, experiencing a vibrant ren...

Shizuoka, Japan
Museum
Tokushima

Awa Odori Kaikan

Year-Round Home of Japan's Largest Traditional Dance Festival

A year-round venue and museum dedicated to the Awa Odori, Japan's largest traditional dance festi...

Tokushima, Japan
Park
Hyogo

Awaji Hanasajiki

Hillside Flower Park with Panoramic Sea Views

A vast hillside flower park on northern Awaji Island with seasonal displays of canola, lavender, ...

Awaji, Hyogo, Japan
Attraction
Hyogo

Awaji Island

Largest Island in the Seto Inland Sea

The largest island in the Seto Inland Sea, connected to Kobe by the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, known f...

Awaji, Hyogo, Japan
Onsen
Fukui

Awara Onsen

One of Hokuriku's most famous hot spring towns, known as the 'parlor of the Kansai region' for ov...

Awara, Fukui, Japan
Attraction
Oita

Beppu Hells

Spectacular Geothermal Hot Spring Hells Tour

Seven spectacular natural hot springs too hot for bathing, each with unique colors and features, ...

Beppu, Oita, Japan
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
Attraction
Hokkaido

Biei

Biei Patchwork Hills

Rolling patchwork hills of lavender, wheat, and wildflowers set against the Tokachi mountain rang...

Hokkaido, Japan
Castle
Okayama

Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle

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

Takahashi, Okayama, Japan
Shopping
Fukuoka

Canal City Hakata

Fukuoka's City Within a City

A massive entertainment and shopping complex in the heart of Hakata with a canal, fountains, and ...

Fukuoka, Japan
Landmark
Kochi

Cape Ashizuri

Shikoku's southernmost cape, crowned by a striking white lighthouse perched on 80-meter sea cliff...

Kochi, Japan
Attraction
Miyazaki

Cape Toi

A dramatic cape at the southern tip of Miyazaki where wild Misaki horses roam freely along rugged...

Kushima, Miyazaki, Japan
City
Saitama

Chichibu

Chichibu is a mountain town famous for its spectacular December night festival with towering floa...

Chichibu, Saitama, Japan
Temple
Kochi

Chikurinji Temple

Temple 31 on the sacred Shikoku 88 Pilgrimage, Chikurinji Temple crowns Mount Godai with a striki...

Kochi, Japan
Temple
Kyoto

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 ...

Kyoto, 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
Landmark
Yamanashi

Chureito Pagoda

Standing five stories tall against the backdrop of Japan's best-known mountain, Chureito Pagoda o...

Yamanashi, Japan
Temple
Iwate

Chusonji Temple

Golden Hall of the Northern Fujiwara

A UNESCO World Heritage temple complex featuring the stunning Konjikido, a hall covered entirely ...

Hiraizumi, Iwate, Japan
Attraction
Tochigi

Chuzenji Lake

A Serene Mountain Lake at the Foot of a Sacred Volcano

A scenic mountain lake at 1,269 meters elevation, formed by the eruption of Mount Nantai. Surroun...

Nikko, Tochigi, Japan