Discover Japan's Hidden Gems

Explore temples, shrines, castles, parks, and more

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
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
Historic Site
Miyagi

Zuihoden

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

Sendai, Miyagi, 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
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
Attraction
Kagoshima

Amami Oshima

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

Kagoshima, Japan
Temple
Kyoto

Saihoji (Kokedera)

The Moss Temple Requiring Advance Reservation

A World Heritage Zen temple blanketed in over 120 varieties of moss, creating an ethereal green l...

Kyoto, Japan
Restaurant
Tokyo

Ichiran Shinjuku

Japan's Most Famous Solo-Dining Tonkotsu Ramen

Ichiran's whole design exists so that you never have to speak to anyone. Buy a ticket from the ma...

Tokyo, Japan
Restaurant
Tokyo

Fuunji

Tokyo's Best Tsukemen: Rich Fish-Based Dipping Ramen

A narrow counter with about ten stools, a few minutes from Shinjuku's south exit, and a queue out...

Tokyo, Japan
Attraction
Kagoshima

Tanegashima

Island of Rockets and the Arrival of Firearms

Southern island famous as the site where firearms first arrived in Japan and home to JAXA's spect...

Kagoshima, Japan
Historic Site
Tokyo

Imperial Palace

The primary residence of the Emperor of Japan, set within vast gardens and moats in the heart of ...

Tokyo, Japan
Park
Akita

Towada-Hachimantai National Park

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

Towada, Akita, 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
Castle
Fukuoka

Kokura Castle

Kokura Castle - Edo-Period Castle with Unique Architecture

An Edo-period castle in the heart of Kitakyushu, notable for its distinctive karazukuri architect...

Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan