Discover Japan's Hidden Gems

Explore temples, shrines, castles, parks, and more

Suma Beach photo
Beach
Hyogo

Suma Beach

Kobe's Most Popular Urban Beach

Kobe's most popular urban beach, a long stretch of white sand along Osaka Bay with views of the A...

Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
Nushima photo
Island
Hyogo

Nushima

The Mythological Birthplace of Japan, a 10-Minute Ferry Off Awaji's South Coast

A 2.5-km island off the south coast of Awaji, traditionally identified as Onogoro-jima, the first...

Minamiawaji, Hyogo, Japan
Akashi Kaikyo Bridge photo
Landmark
Hyogo

Akashi Kaikyo Bridge

World's Longest Suspension Bridge

Suspension bridge with world's longest main span (1,991m), total length 3,911m, connecting Kobe t...

Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
JR Fukuchiyama Line Disused Railway Trail photo
Trail
Hyogo

JR Fukuchiyama Line Disused Railway Trail

Walk an Abandoned Railway Through Gorge Tunnels and Spring Sakura

A flat 4.7 km hiking trail along the original Fukuchiyama Line route through the Mukogawa Gorge, ...

Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan
Sumoto Castle Ruins photo
Castle
Hyogo

Sumoto Castle Ruins

Hilltop Castle Ruins with Panoramic Views of the Seto Inland Sea

A hilltop castle ruin on Awaji Island with Japan's oldest remaining concrete-built tenshu replica...

Sumoto, Hyogo, Japan
Sumaura Sanjo Yuen photo
Amusement Park
Hyogo

Sumaura Sanjo Yuen Park

Retro Ropeway and Sea Views Above Suma, Kobe

A nostalgic hilltop park above Suma reached by ropeway, a quirky 1966 'Karreta' inclined people-m...

Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
Neighborhood
Hyogo

Nankinmachi (Kobe Chinatown)

One of Japan's Three Great Chinatowns

One of Japan's three great Chinatowns alongside Yokohama and Nagasaki, famous for its bustling st...

Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
Garden
Hyogo

Nunobiki Herb Gardens

Hilltop Herb Garden with Panoramic Ropeway Views

Hilltop herb and flower garden reached by a scenic ropeway ride from Shin-Kobe Station, offering ...

Kobe, 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
Castle
Hyogo

Himeji Castle

Japan's Most Spectacular Castle

Japan's best preserved feudal castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the White Heron Castl...

Himeji, Hyogo, Japan
Onsen
Hyogo

Kinosaki Onsen

Kinosaki Onsen is a traditional hot spring town where visitors stroll between seven public bathho...

Toyooka, Hyogo, Japan
Historic Site
Hyogo

Kitano Ijinkan

Kobe's Historic Western Foreign Residences

Hillside district of beautifully preserved Western-style foreign residences from the Meiji era, b...

Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
Landmark
Hyogo

Naruto Whirlpools

One of the World's Largest Tidal Whirlpools

Among the world's largest tidal whirlpools, formed in the Naruto Strait between Awaji Island and ...

Minamiawaji, Hyogo, Japan
Attraction
Hyogo

Mount Rokko

Kobe's Main Mountain with Million-Dollar Night Views

Kobe's main mountain, 931m high. Famous for its night view of the city and Osaka Bay, which local...

Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
Garden
Hyogo

Koko-en Garden

Edo-Style Garden Next to Himeji Castle

A beautifully designed traditional Japanese garden featuring nine separate walled gardens, built ...

Himeji, Hyogo, Japan