Discover Japan's Hidden Gems

Explore temples, shrines, castles, parks, and more

Gotanjoji Temple photo
Temple
Fukui

Gotanjoji Temple

Gotanjoji Temple: Echizen's Cat Temple

A working Soto Zen training temple in the hills of Echizen City that became famous as the cat tem...

Echizen, Fukui, Japan
Michi-no-Eki Takata Matsubara and Tsunami Memorial Museum photo
Museum
Iwate

Tsunami Memorial Museum and Michi-no-Eki Takata Matsubara

Free tsunami-memorial museum and roadside station in Rikuzentakata

A combined roadside station and free memorial museum in the Takata Matsubara Tsunami Reconstructi...

Rikuzentakata, Iwate, Japan
Fukui Kodomo Kazokukan photo
Attraction
Fukui

Fukui Kodomo Kazokukan

Fukui Kodomo Kazokukan Children's Center

A large indoor play-and-learning center for children at the Umin-pia Ohi seaside complex on the W...

Oi, Fukui, Japan
Miracle Lone Pine photo
Landmark
Iwate

Miracle Lone Pine

The lone pine that survived the 2011 tsunami, kept as a monument

The single pine that survived the 2011 tsunami among Takata Matsubara's roughly 70,000 trees, pre...

Rikuzentakata, Iwate, Japan
Taro Kanko Hotel Tsunami Ruins photo
Historic Site
Iwate

Taro Kanko Hotel Tsunami Ruins

A tsunami-ruined hotel preserved as disaster heritage in Taro, Miyako

A six-story hotel on the Taro coast of Miyako, gutted to the fourth floor by the 2011 tsunami and...

Miyako, Iwate, Japan
Attraction
Miyazaki

Nichinan Coast

Scenic Coastline with Devil's Washboard Rock Formations

The Nichinan Coast stretches over 100 kilometers along Miyazaki's Pacific shore, famous for its d...

Miyazaki, Japan
Landmark
Osaka

Abeno Harukas

Western Japan's Tallest Building with 360-Degree Views

A 300-meter skyscraper featuring the Harukas 300 observation deck, a department store, art museum...

Osaka, Japan
Attraction
Hyogo

Taiyo Park

World Heritage Replicas Theme Park

A quirky theme park featuring full-scale replicas of world monuments including a Neuschwanstein-s...

Himeji, Hyogo, Japan
Historic Site
Miyagi

Zuihoden

The ornate mausoleum of Date Masamune, Zuihoden is an example of Momoyama-period architecture wit...

Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
Beach
Hyogo

Keino Matsubara Beach

Japan's Best Sunset Beach with Ancient Pine Groves

West-facing beach with 50,000 black pine trees and Seto Inland Sea sunsets. Swimming July to late...

Minamiawaji, Hyogo, Japan
Attraction
Okinawa

Okinawa World

A sprawling theme park featuring one of Japan's largest limestone caves, a recreated Ryukyu Kingd...

Nanjo, Okinawa, Japan
Attraction
Kyoto

Sagano Bamboo Grove

Tall bamboo stalks forming a corridor in Arashiyama. Very Instagrammed. Go at dawn or it's a queu...

Kyoto, Japan
Neighborhood
Osaka

Tsuruhashi Korean Town

Japan's Largest and Liveliest Koreatown

Japan's largest Koreatown around Tsuruhashi Station, with hundreds of yakiniku joints, kimchi ven...

Osaka, Japan
Attraction
Kagoshima

Amami Oshima

A UNESCO World Heritage island between Kyushu and Okinawa, with pristine mangrove forests, vibran...

Kagoshima, Japan
Park
Akita

Towada-Hachimantai National Park

Spanning Akita and Aomori prefectures, this national park encompasses the serene Lake Towada and ...

Towada, Akita, Japan