Discover Japan's Hidden Gems

Explore temples, shrines, castles, parks, and more

Landmark
Oita

Harajiri Falls

Wide Curtain Waterfall in Farmland

A wide waterfall about 120 metres across and 20 metres high that drops from flat farmland, one of...

Bungo-ono, Oita, Japan
Landmark
Wakayama

Hashigui-iwa

Mysterious Row of Rock Pillars Stretching Into the Sea

A striking natural monument of roughly 40 rock pillars stretching 850 meters into the sea near Ku...

Kushimoto, Wakayama, 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
Landmark
Shiga

Kaizu-Osaki

Cherry-Blossom Coastline on Northern Lake Biwa

A rocky cape at the northern end of Lake Biwa where about 800 cherry trees line roughly 4 km of s...

Takashima, Shiga, Japan
Theme Park
Mie

Suzuka Circuit

Motorsport Circuit and Theme Park Hosting the F1 Japanese Grand Prix

A motorsport circuit in Suzuka that hosts the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix, with an attached amu...

Suzuka, Mie, Japan
Shrine
Nagano

Togakushi Shrine

Five-Shrine Complex with a Cedar-Lined Approach

A Shinto shrine complex of five shrines at the base of Mount Togakushi, with an Okusha approach l...

Nagano, Japan
Aquarium
Oita

Umitamago Aquarium

Seaside Aquarium Beside Takasakiyama

A large aquarium on the shore of Beppu Bay, across the road from Takasakiyama, with marine tanks,...

Oita, Japan
Shrine
Yamagata

Dewa Sanzan

Dewa Sanzan (Three Sacred Mountains)

The three sacred mountains of Dewa -- Haguro, Gassan, and Yudono -- have been a center for yamabu...

Tsuruoka, Yamagata, Japan
Shrine
Saitama

Hikawa Shrine

Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine

Hikawa Shrine in Saitama claims over 2,400 years of history, making it one of Japan's oldest Shin...

Saitama, Japan
Temple
Kyoto

Jojakko-ji

A Hillside Temple Famous for Its Fiery Autumn Foliage

Hillside temple in Sagano, best in autumn. The pagoda surrounded by red and orange maples is the ...

Kyoto, Japan
Attraction
Akita

Lake Tazawa

Lake Tazawa is Japan's deepest lake at 423 meters, its waters maintaining a deep cobalt-blue colo...

Akita, 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
Castle
Wakayama

Wakayama Castle

Hilltop Castle with Panoramic City Views

A reconstructed hilltop castle originally built in 1585, offering panoramic views over Wakayama c...

Wakayama, Japan
Region
Nagano

Karuizawa

Highland Resort Town with Shopping and Waterfalls

A highland resort town in eastern Nagano known for cool summers, outlet shopping, and nearby wate...

Karuizawa, Nagano, Japan
Landmark
Toyama

Kurobe Dam

Japan's tallest arch dam at 186 meters, set within a dramatic alpine gorge along the famed Tateya...

Tateyama, Toyama, Japan