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Not on the map (location not confirmed on an official source yet): Sato Yosuke Inaniwa Udon Flagship Store, Bandai-Azuma Skyline and Jododaira, Goshikinuma Nature Trail, Urabandai, Lake Hibara Sightseeing Boat, Lake Shikotsu Visitor Center, Noboribetsu Jigokudani / Hell Valley
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Onuma Quasi-National Park, Futatsujima and Isohara Coast, Hananuki Gorge, Hannyain Temple, Izura Misaki Park, Nakaminato Fish Market, Osugi Shrine, Otsu Fishermen's Co-op Market Restaurant, Rokkakudo, Izura (Okakura Tenshin), Takano Foods Natto Museum, THE BOTANICAL RESORT RINNE, The Hirosawa City "Yumenoba", Tsukuba Wanwan Land, Yokaren Peace Memorial Museum, Yuki City Traditional Crafts Hall, Geibikei Gorge Boat Ride, Pairon, Morioka Jajamen, Sanriku Railway, Hakuba Happo-one (Happo Alpine Line and Happo Pond), Kamikochi, Karuizawa, Koyaike Pond, Naeba Dragondola, Kura Warehouse Streets of Tochigi City, DMV (Dual Mode Vehicle), Island Little Aquarium (Marine Jam), Isuien, Iya Peeing Boy Statue, Konaki-jiji Statue, Manpukuji Temple (Naka), Minami-Awa Sunline, Mt. Tsurugi Sightseeing Chairlift, Sunny's Farm (Strawberry Picking), Undersea Sightseeing Boat Blue Marine, Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
Admission is read from the checked admission row: "Free" when the row starts with free entry, "Paid" when it lists a price in yen (some paid spots have free entry with paid extras), otherwise "Not listed".
1778 spots
Photo: KAMUI / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Seto, AichiAichi Prefectural Ceramic MuseumIn Seto, one of Japan's largest pottery-producing areas, this ceramics museum is known to fans as "Aito". Its collection of about 8,900 pieces, from Jomon pottery to contemporary ceramics, mainly from Japan and Asia, is among the largest in Japan. The "Aito Collection" exhibition shows about 500 pieces by region and theme, and changes several times a year. On the grounds are "Tsukurutoko! Togeikan" for pottery-making and painting (no booking needed; kiln-firing takes a month), the old kiln sites "Kama no Kioku I and II" where kilns of the 11th-14th centuries were excavated, and the tea room "Tosuian".Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Tomio344456 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Toyota, AichiAsuke Old TownscapeOld houses remain from the days when Asuke prospered as a post town: tsumairi and hirairi houses, white-walled storehouses, lattice doors and black board walls, and the "Manrin Koji" lane lined with storehouses. There are shops such as a cafe and gallery in a converted storehouse and a long-established blacksmith from the late Edo period with a live cafe.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Cheng / Pexels (resized)Nagoya, AichiAtsuta Jingu ShrineA shrine long revered as "Atsuta-san", founded, it is said, in 113. The deity Atsuta-no-Okami is Amaterasu with the Kusanagi sword, one of the three sacred treasures of the imperial regalia, as its sacred object. The grounds of about 190,000 m2 are thick with trees, including camphor trees said to be over 1,000 years old. The treasure hall holds more than 6,000 offerings, over 170 of them designated cultural properties. Since 2012 visitors can worship at Ichi-no-Misaki Shrine, at the innermost part of the grounds.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Tahara, AichiCape IragoA cape at the tip of the Atsumi Peninsula looking over the Pacific Ocean, Ise Bay and Mikawa Bay. The white lighthouse at its tip is the symbol of the cape; from here you can see Kamishima, the setting of Mishima Yukio's novel "The Sound of Waves". A promenade leads from the lighthouse, and the lighthouse is one of "Japan's 50 Lighthouses".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Alpsdake / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Toyone, AichiChausuyama HighlandOn the border of Aichi and Nagano, Mt. Chausu (1,416 m) is the highest peak in the prefecture, and the highland around it has pastoral scenery. On the "Shibazakura Hill" near the top of Mt. Hagitaro (1,358 m), 400,000 moss phlox plants bloom over 22,000 square metres from early May to mid-June, in seven kinds including pink and white. From spring to autumn there are go-karts, mountain bikes and canoes, and in winter the only ski area in Aichi opens, with a sledging slope, a snow play area and a moving walkway (on weekends and holidays skiing only).Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagoya, AichiChubu Electric Power MIRAI TOWER (Former Nagoya TV Tower)Built in 1954 in Hisaya-odori Park as the Nagoya TV Tower, 180 m high, Japan's first integrated broadcasting tower; it predates Tokyo Tower (1958) and the Sapporo TV Tower (1957), and is a national Important Cultural Property. It was renamed "Chubu Electric Power MIRAI TOWER" on May 1, 2021. The indoor Sky Deck at 90 m and the outdoor Sky Balcony at 100 m offer city views by day and night, and the tower was certified a Japan Night View Heritage in 2013.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagakute, AichiExpo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park (Morikoro Park)A park on the Nagakute site of the 2005 World Expo (Aichi Expo). It has lawns, water play areas, a 5.1 km cycling course and nature play equipment. The Aichi Children's Center is a four-storey building full of play equipment, and "Mori no Manabiya" offers nature experiences and crafts. Ghibli Park opened within the park on November 1, 2022. You can reach it on the Linimo, Japan's first maglev line.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagoya, AichiFUJI Nagoya Science MuseumA general science museum with the concept "see, touch and check", where children and adults can enjoy science through exhibits and hands-on experiences. Its planetarium, "FUJI Sky Dome", holds a Guinness record for its dome, 35 m in inner diameter and among the largest in the world, and aims to recreate a starry sky as close to the real thing as possible; the theme changes monthly. There are about 260 kinds of exhibits, including four large ones such as a room at minus 30 degrees with aurora images, a 9 m artificial tornado and electrical discharge shows.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHanda, AichiHanda Red Brick Building (Former Kabuto Beer Factory)One of Japan's finest brick buildings, keeping the form of an early beer brewery. Built in 1898 as a beer factory, it was designed by Tsumaki Yorinaka, one of the three great architects of the Meiji period. Its hollow double walls and multi-arch floors are very rare today, and it is a registered Tangible Cultural Property and Heritage of Industrial Modernization. The beer "Kabuto Beer" won a gold medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition; at the cafe and beer hall "Re-BRICK" in the building you can drink draught Kabuto Beer.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Bariston / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Minamichita, AichiHimakajima IslandKnown as "the island closest to Nagoya", about 10 minutes by high-speed boat from Morozaki Port, and loved as a producer of octopus and tiger puffer. Many restaurants serve fresh seafood, and fugu is in season from October to March. You can fish from the breakwaters, and in summer swim at Sunrise Beach on the east side and Sunset Beach on the west.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACInuyama, AichiInuyama Castle (National Treasure)One of only five castles designated National Treasures, with Matsumoto, Himeji, Hikone and Matsue; also called Hakutei Castle. It is said to have been built in 1537 by Oda Nobuyasu, uncle of Oda Nobunaga. Until 2004 it was the only privately owned castle in Japan. The keep, of the lookout type with three roofs, four floors and two basement levels, is the oldest surviving style in Japan. A corridor around the top floor looks out over the Kiso River, Mt. Ontake, Gifu Castle and the buildings around Nagoya Station.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACInuyama, AichiInuyama Castle TownThe castle town stretching south from National Treasure Inuyama Castle. Inuyama escaped war damage, so both the castle and the town keep the "sogamae" layout of a fortified town; old townhouses line the streets, now home to cafes and shops selling crafts. The town is known for skewered snacks such as handmade gohei-mochi and dango. In spring the Inuyama Festival of Haritsuna Shrine parades 13 floats through the town.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Alpsdake / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Tahara, AichiKoijigahama BeachA white sandy beach curving along the Pacific for about 1 km from Irago Cape Lighthouse to the Hinode no Sekimon rock arch, shaped by rough waves. The name has a long history and appears in Edo-period waka poems; it is said to come from a legend of noble lovers who fled here from the capital. It is also known as the setting of Shimazaki Toson's lyric poem "Yashi no Mi" (The Coconut).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: キョトゥー / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Toyota, AichiKorankei GorgeA gorge coloured through the seasons. In autumn about 4,000 trees turn red and yellow over the Tomoe River; from November 1 to 30 the Korankei Momiji Festival is held, with light-up from sunset to 21:00. The gorge is also a treasure house of wild plants: from late March to early April a 5,000 m2 colony of katakuri (dogtooth violet) is in full bloom.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShinshiro, AichiMt. Horaiji and Horaiji TempleMt. Horaiji, famous for autumn leaves, is known as home of the Japanese scops owl, the prefectural bird called the "voice of the Buppouso"; the whole mountain is a national Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument. It is a sacred mountain said to have been opened 1,300 years ago by the hermit Rishu, with the old temple Horaiji halfway up. The approach from the foot has 1,425 stone steps, with sights such as the Kasa-sugi cedar, about 800 years old and 60 m tall. The Niomon gate, built by Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1651, is a national Important Cultural Property.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagoya, AichiNagoya Castle and Hommaru PalaceConstruction began in 1610 under Tokugawa Ieyasu as the last step toward unifying the country; it was the residence of the Owari Tokugawa family, one of the three Tokugawa branch houses. Most buildings were destroyed in the air raid of May 1945, and only 6, such as the southwest and southeast corner turrets, survive from the Owari domain era. The five-storey main keep with golden shachi and the small keep were rebuilt in 1959. The Hommaru Palace, once the first castle building designated a National Treasure, was restored faithfully from records, drawings, old photos and wall paintings from 2009 and completed in 2018.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHanda, AichiNiimi Nankichi Memorial MuseumA memorial literary museum for Niimi Nankichi, the Handa-born author of children's stories such as "Gongitsune", "Tebukuro wo Kaini" and "Ojiisan no Lamp". It has a permanent exhibition with his manuscripts, diaries, letters and dioramas of his works, and a library. Its wave-like roof covered with grass blends with the surrounding land and the Chita landscapes of his stories; the adjacent "Fairy Tale Forest" has walking paths.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagoya, AichiNoritake GardenIn 1904 Noritake founded Nippon Gomei Kaisha on this site; it completed and exported Japan's first dinner set in 1914. Noritake Garden opened on the head factory grounds for the company's centenary, with a centre introducing Noritake's history and technology, a Craft Center where bone china is made, and a museum of Meiji vases and tableware from the Taisho and Showa periods. You can try porcelain painting on the 2nd floor of the Craft Center (no reservation needed).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagoya, AichiOasis 21A complex opened in Sakae, Nagoya, in 2002, whose symbol is the "Spaceship-Aqua", a glass roof floating in the air with water flowing over it. Around it runs an elevated walkway about 200 m round, 14 m above the ground. Under the roof is the "Green Earth" with grassy slopes, and the open underground "Galaxy Plaza" hosts events. A bus terminal for city buses and long-distance highway buses is also here.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Bariston / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Tokoname, AichiPottery Footpath (Tokoname)Tokoname's ceramic industry supported Japan with teapots and bowls as well as jars, shochu bottles, earthenware pipes, bricks and tiles. On the "Pottery Footpath", chimneys, kilns and factories remain, making it a popular route to tour industrial heritage, and cafes, galleries and shops selling goods have increased. Starting from the ceramics hall 5 minutes from Tokoname Station, course A (1.6 km, about 1 hour) passes brick chimneys, kilns and a slope paved with pottery waste; course B (4 km, about 2.5 hours) includes the INAX Live Museum.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Alpsdake / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Nishio, AichiSakushima IslandAn island floating almost in the middle of Mikawa Bay, about 25 minutes by boat from Isshiki Port, with calm beaches and coastline, walking paths through the hills and villages of black-walled houses. What made it famous is the artworks displayed all over the island, such as "Ohiru-ne House", a black box modelled on the black walls of the west village, where you listen to the waves. Jomon pottery shards and Yayoi-period shell mounds have been found in the island's strata, and about 50 ancient burial mounds are scattered across it.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACToyota, AichiSanshu Asuke YashikiA living folk museum recreating the life of a mountain farming household by actually using folk tools, under the policy "make what you need for life yourself". You can try vanishing Japanese handcrafts such as weaving, indigo dyeing, straw work and blacksmithing. There is a restaurant serving gohei-mochi, grilled sweetfish, soba and udon, and a cafe with charcoal-roasted coffee.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Bariston / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Nagoya, AichiSCMAGLEV and Railway ParkA museum showing the progress of high-speed railway technology through 39 real vehicles, centred on the Tokaido Shinkansen, from steam locomotives and conventional trains to the superconducting maglev. The railway diorama themed "24 hours of the railway" recreates the scenery along the Tokaido Shinkansen in detail. JR Central's superconducting maglev is shown with a real record-setting vehicle and explanations of how it floats and moves, and you can try a simulated 500 km/h ride. You can also go inside the vehicles (except some).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 円周率３パーセント / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Nagoya, AichiSEA LIFE NagoyaAn aquarium attached to the LEGOLAND Japan Hotel, surrounded by LEGO bricks and supporting children's growth. Original Japanese decorations and LEGO models are placed throughout the facility and in the tanks, so you can enjoy sea creatures together with LEGO models.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Asturio Cantabrio / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Seto, AichiSetogura Museum"Setogura", in central Seto, is a tourism hub with the Setogura Museum, a hall, an information desk and restaurants. The museum on the 2nd and 3rd floors covers Seto and its pottery under the theme "Seto in the 20th century", with over 1,000 years of history. On the 2nd floor are a reconstruction of Owari-Seto Station, demolished in 2001, and the "Setoden" train car Mo 754, whose driver's seat you can sit in, along with a workshop, a coal kiln and a chimney. On the 1st floor, "Setogura Ceramic Plaza", renewed in June 2020, sells Seto ware at kiln-cooperative prices.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Sakumi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Nagoya, AichiShirotori GardenOne of the largest Japanese gardens in the Tokai region, a pond-strolling garden themed on "a story of water": the artificial hill represents Mt. Ontake, the stream the Kiso River and the pond Ise Bay. You can enjoy seasonal scenery such as a headwater scene of waterfalls and huge rocks and autumn maples covering the gorge. At its centre is Seiu-tei, an authentic sukiya-style building made by Kyoto and Owari carpenters, where you can enjoy tea. Guided tours run every Saturday.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACGamagori, AichiTakeshima AquariumOne of Japan's most historic aquariums, full of creative touches born of the wish that visitors "have fun". It shows about 100 kinds of rare deep-sea creatures, including giant spider crabs, caught by local fishermen off Mie and Wakayama. There are sea lion and capybara shows, and the "Sawarin Pool" where you can touch deep-sea creatures, crabs and sharks. Handwritten, witty explanations throughout have drawn nationwide attention to this small aquarium.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: inunami / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Gamagori, AichiTakeshima IslandThe symbol of Gamagori: a small island about 680 m around in Mikawa Bay, about 400 m from shore and linked by Takeshima Bridge, which you can walk across. Surveys have found 238 species of higher plants in 65 families growing wild, and the island itself is a national natural monument. You can walk around it on paths and rocks in about 30 minutes. Yaotomi Shrine stands at its centre, and the Takeshima coast is a famous spot for sunrise.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagoya, AichiToyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and TechnologyThe Toyota Group, which grew from the textile machinery industry into the automobile industry, traces its roots to the former Toyoda Boshoku head factory founded in 1911; the museum opened on that site using the historic factory buildings. It has two main parts: the Textile Machinery Pavilion, in a Taisho-era spinning factory, and the Automobile Pavilion, a 7,900 m2 hall with working machines and demonstrations by operators. Visitors from abroad praise it as showing "everything about Toyota".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Ka23 13 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Inuyama, AichiUrakuen Garden (National Treasure Tea House Joan)Home of the National Treasure tea house "Joan", built by Oda Urakusai, a great tea master born in Owari, one of the three existing National Treasure tea houses with Taian and Mittan. It was moved east of Inuyama Castle in 1972 and set in a garden recreating as far as possible the one it had in Kyoto. Once a month an interior viewing is held (by reservation). There is also the Important Cultural Property "Former Shodenin Shoin", and you can enjoy the garden while tasting seasonal Japanese sweets.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Bariston / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Handa, AichiYakachi River (Red Spider Lilies)Handa is the birthplace of Niimi Nankichi, author of the famous children's story "Gongitsune", used in school textbooks; the countryside around the Yakachi River, the story's setting, looks just like the tale. Every year in late September more than 3 million red spider lilies, grown by local people, bloom along about 1.5 km of the river banks, covering them like a red carpet. The planting was started in 1990 after a line in the story: "the red spider lilies bloom like a red cloth".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Bariston / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Shinshiro, AichiYotsuya Senmaida Rice TerracesOn the slopes of Mt. Kurakake, a mountain hamlet has rice terraces described as one of Japan's three great stone-walled terraces. Stretching from 220 to 420 m above sea level, about 400 paddies are still farmed by 20 households, and local people look after them as a legacy from their forebears. Clear water springs from the mountainside and is divided into three streams that water all the terraces, which are home to many plants and animals.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Yauchi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Odate, AkitaAkita Dog Hall (Akita Dog Preservation Society)The museum on the 3rd floor displays detailed material on the history and nature of Akita dogs, and in front of the hall stands "Bokyo no Hachiko", a statue of the loyal dog Hachiko, who was born in Odate. On weekdays only, real Akita dogs are in the office (no petting; they may be absent at short notice). The society's main show is held every May 3, with over 150 Akita dogs from around the world judged by the "Akita standard".Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: inunami / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)Odate, AkitaAkita Dog Visitor Center, OdateIn front of Odate Station: see real Akita dogs through glass, plus a small Akita dog museum and a souvenir shop. The building is modelled on the old Shibuya Station of Hachiko's time.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Ocavis Leechroot / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Yokote, AkitaAkita Furusato-muraA family theme park with one of Tohoku's largest planetariums, a trick-art castle and Akita local food; entry to the village is free and it is 3 minutes from Yokote IC.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAkita, AkitaAkita Museum of ArtA Tadao Ando-designed museum near Akita Station, home to Tsuguharu Foujita's huge mural "Events in Akita".Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAkita, AkitaAkita Shimin Ichiba MarketAkita's kitchen, 3 min on foot from JR Akita Station: fresh fish, salted salmon roe and cod roe, vegetables, sake and souvenirs, with a market-run sushi bar.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Oga, AkitaCape Nyudozaki and Nyudozaki LighthouseA grassy headland at the northwestern tip of the Oga Peninsula on latitude 40° N, with one of Japan's 16 lighthouses you can climb.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Semboku, AkitaDakigaeri GorgeA 10 km gorge on the Tama River known for fresh green and autumn leaves, with a red suspension bridge and the Mikaeri Falls.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Daisen, AkitaFormer Ikeda Family GardenThe garden of the Ikeda family, once among the three greatest landowners in Tohoku; in 2004 it became the first garden in Akita designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kazuno, AkitaGoshogake OnsenA single mountain inn in Hachimantai with seven kinds of baths, including a box steam bath where only your head sticks out and a mud bath; day bathing 10:30-15:00, closed on Tuesdays.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: SAGI1955 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Semboku, AkitaHachimantai Dragon Eye, Kagami-numa PondA pond near the summit of Mt. Hachimantai whose melting snow forms a dragon's eye only when conditions line up, usually from late May to early June; about 20 minutes on foot from the summit car park.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSemboku, AkitaKakunodate Samurai DistrictA preserved Edo-period samurai quarter known as the "Little Kyoto of Tohoku"; several houses are open inside.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOga, AkitaKanpuzan Revolving ObservatoryA revolving observation room on the 4th floor that turns once every 13 minutes, giving a 360-degree view from Oga Peninsula to Mt. Chokai; open from mid-March to early December.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYuzawa, AkitaKawarage JigokuSulphurous gas still vents here, so no plants grow and the whole mountain shows bare, strangely shaped rock; also called the sacred mountain "Kawarage", its scenery looks like hell itself. It is counted among Japan's three great sacred sites with Osorezan and Tateyama.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKosaka, AkitaKorakukan TheaterA Meiji-era theater and National Important Cultural Property still in use; a guided tour of about 30 minutes shows the revolving stage, trapdoor and actors' graffiti in the dressing rooms (adults 700 yen).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Nikaho, AkitaKujukushima (Kisakata)Once known far and wide as a scenic place of "88 lagoons and 99 islands", Kisakata became land when the seabed rose in the great earthquake of 1804. In "The Narrow Road to the Deep North" (1689) Matsuo Basho wrote that "Matsushima seems to laugh, Kisakata seems to grieve" and composed a haiku here. It can be seen from the observation room of the roadside station "Nemu no Oka". A national natural monument.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSemboku, AkitaKuroyu Onsen, Nyuto Onsen VillageThe innermost inn of Nyuto Onsen Village, with the spring bubbling up beside the thatched bath huts; open for day bathing from mid-April to early November.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSemboku, AkitaLake ShusenkoA dam lake along National Route 341. From the dam park there is a refreshing view, and from the Shin-Tamagawa Bridge upstream you can see a submerged forest when the water is high and a marsh-like landscape when it is low; the autumn leaves reflected on the cobalt-blue water are also worth seeing.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Semboku, AkitaLake TazawaJapan's deepest lake (423.4 m), a round lake about 20 km around with deep blue water.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Ryuetsu Kato / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0Nikaho, AkitaMototaki Spring FallsWater from Mt. Chokai seeps out across a rock face about 30 m wide, 50,000 tons a day, falling over green moss; about 10 minutes on foot from the car park.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKitaakita, AkitaMt. Moriyoshi Ani GondolaA 6-seat gondola that climbs to 1,167 m on Mt. Moriyoshi, known for alpine flowers in summer and rime-covered "snow monster" trees from early January to early March.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Kumpei Shiraishi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Oga, AkitaNamahage Museum and Oga Shinzan Folklore MuseumMore than 150 Namahage masks on display, and next door a live Namahage ritual in a traditional farmhouse (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: KQuhen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Oga, AkitaOga Aquarium GAOAn aquarium on the Sea of Japan coast of the Oga Peninsula with polar bears, penguins and seals, and Akita's prefectural fish, the sandfish (hatahata), on show all year.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kazuno, AkitaOyu Stone CirclesTwo large Jomon-period stone circles (about 2000-1500 BC), part of the World Heritage "Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan".Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Cal3135 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Yuzawa, AkitaSato Yosuke Inaniwa Udon Flagship StoreThe flagship store of Sato Yosuke, an Inaniwa udon maker, where you can watch craftsmen twist, press and stretch the noodles through glass for free and then eat them; the most popular dish is the two-dip tempura seiro (1,850 yen).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Akita, AkitaSenshu Park, Kubota Castle SiteThe site of Kubota Castle, home of the Satake lords for 267 years, a castle with no stone walls or keep; the park is open all day and has about 630 cherry trees.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 8-Forest / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Nikaho, AkitaShishigahana MarshA 26-hectare spring-fed marsh on the northwest slopes of Mt. Chokai, a Natural Monument, home to the ball-shaped "Chokai marimo" moss and the giant beech "Agariko Daio".Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Raita Futo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Semboku, AkitaTamagawa OnsenA mountain hot-spring retreat known for Japan's most acidic spring water (pH 1.2, 98°C), with a 9,000-litre-a-minute source; day bathing 10:00-15:00, closed in winter.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSemboku, AkitaTsurunoyu Onsen, Nyuto Onsen VillageThe oldest of the eight inns in Nyuto Onsen Village, with a thatched-roof main building and four different springs on one site.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOga, AkitaUnosaki CoastA 1,500 m stretch of coast from the south of the Oga Peninsula to Daijima, sometimes called "Akita's Uyuni Salt Flat" for scenery reflected in its mirror-like water. At low tide shallows about 200 m wide appear and are busy with people exploring the rock pools. It is one of Japan's "100 Best Beaches", and the view at dusk is especially beautiful.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Raripochi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Yokote, AkitaYokote Kamakura-kanSee real kamakura snow huts made by craftsmen all year round in a display room kept at about minus 10 degrees; the Yokote Kamakura festival itself is held on the 2nd Friday and Saturday of February.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Ocavis Leechroot / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Yokote, AkitaYokote Masuda Manga MuseumJapan's first museum dedicated to manga, holding original drawings by over 100 artists; the permanent exhibition is free.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Aomori, AomoriA-FACTORY AomoriA food market by the bay about 1 minute on foot from Aomori Station, under six triangular roofs, with a cider works you can watch through glass and a tasting bar upstairs.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAomori, AomoriAomori Gyosai Center (Furukawa Market)A market a short walk from Aomori Station, known locally as "Furukawa Market", with scallops from Mutsu Bay and seafood landed that morning. Its speciality is "nokke-don", where you top a bowl of rice with whatever you like: buy meal tickets at the information desk, exchange them for rice at shops with a red sign (1 ticket for a regular bowl, 2 for a large), then exchange tickets for sashimi, side dishes or meat at about 30 shops, and eat in the rest area. Bowls cannot be taken away because they contain raw food, but fish shops will pack sashimi to take home.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Aomori, AomoriAomori Museum of ArtA white museum inspired by the neighbouring Sannai-Maruyama dig, home to Yoshitomo Nara's 8.5 m "Aomori-ken" dog and Chagall's huge "Aleko" backdrops.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Kuroishi, AomoriAoni Onsen, the Lamp-lit InnA single inn by the Aoni Gorge lit only by oil lamps at night, with 4 baths all fed straight from the spring; day bathing 10:00-15:00.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Oma, AomoriCape OmaThe northernmost point of Honshu, only 17.5 km across the Tsugaru Strait from Hokkaido, with a monument modelled on a 440 kg tuna caught by an Oma fisherman.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Sotogahama, AomoriCape TappiThe windswept northern tip of the Tsugaru Peninsula, with a lighthouse chosen among Japan's 50 best and a 362-step national highway that no car can drive.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Goshogawara, AomoriDazai Osamu Memorial Museum "Shayokan"The birthplace of the writer Dazai Osamu, a mansion built in 1907 of Aomori hiba cypress, with about 300 items including his cloak and handwritten manuscripts; 7 minutes on foot from Kanagi Station.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: あおもりくま (Aomorikuma) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Aomori, AomoriHakkoda RopewayA 10-minute ride up Mt. Tamoyachi in the Hakkoda range for autumn leaves, alpine wetlands and, in winter, snow monsters (rime-covered trees).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Hachinohe, AomoriHasshoku CenterHachinohe's big food market: about 70 shops along 170 m, and "Shichirin-mura" where you grill what you buy over charcoal.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Hirosaki, AomoriHirosaki Museum of Contemporary ArtA contemporary art museum in a Meiji-Taisho era brick warehouse built as a sake brewery, renovated under the concept of "inheriting memory"; entering the building and the library is free.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Feri88 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Hirosaki, AomoriHirosaki Park and Hirosaki CastleA castle park famous for cherry blossoms; the castle keep is one of Japan's original surviving keeps.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: SQZ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Sai, AomoriHotokegaura CoastPale green rock pinnacles lining 2 km of the Shimokita coast, best seen from the sightseeing boats that run from Sai port from April to October.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Inakadate, AomoriInakadate Rice Paddy ArtThe original rice paddy art, pictures drawn with 7 colours of rice plants; see them from the village office's 4th-floor viewing deck or the Yayoi-no-sato lookout, June to mid-October (300 yen).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Hirosaki, AomoriIwakiyama ShrineA shrine at the foot of Mt. Iwaki, founded according to its history in 780 on the summit and moved to its present site in 1091; its gate, main hall and other buildings are Important Cultural Properties.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAomori, AomoriJigoku-numa PondAbout 5 minutes on foot from Sukayu Onsen, this pond formed where hot spring water gathered near an old explosion crater. There are several fumaroles from volcanic activity nearby, venting sulphurous gas and hot water. The pond is so acidic that no fish can live in it, with water at 90 degrees welling up, and you cannot enter it. Steam and the smell of sulphur hang over a bare landscape. The views of Mt. Hakkoda change with the seasons, and in autumn the colourful trees contrast with the greenish pond.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAomori, AomoriJogakura BridgeA deck arch bridge in Towada-Hachimantai National Park, 360 m long with a 255 m arch span, one of the longest of its kind in Japan. From the bridge you can see the Hakkoda mountains, Aomori city and Mt. Iwaki, with the Jogakura stream far below; in the autumn-leaf season many people come to photograph the red and yellow mountains.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Fukaura, AomoriJuniko Lakes and Aoike PondA group of 33 lakes and ponds in the beech forests on the western edge of the Shirakami Mountains, famous for the cobalt-blue Aoike pond; open to walkers from April to November.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: panina.anna / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0Hachinohe, AomoriKabushima Island, Black-tailed Gull ColonyA former island, now joined to the shore, where tens of thousands of black-tailed gulls nest from spring to summer — a national Natural Monument you can watch up close, with Kabushima Shrine on the island.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Fukaura, AomoriKoganezaki Furofushi OnsenAn inn on the Sea of Japan with an open-air bath right at the water's edge, its iron-rich water a deep reddish brown; day visitors can use the seaside bath until 16:00.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Soica2001 / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (PD-self) (resized)Towada, AomoriLake TowadaA caldera lake straddling Aomori and Akita, 327 m deep at its deepest point (third deepest in Japan) and the source of the Oirase Stream.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Mutsu, AomoriMt. Osore / Osorezan Bodaiji TempleA volcanic sacred site on the Shimokita Peninsula where Buddhist belief about the afterlife meets sulphur vents, a lake and a white-sand shore; open only from May to October.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Kuroishi, AomoriNakamachi Komise StreetA street of komise, wooden arcades built to keep off snow and rain, surviving from the Edo-era domain days and chosen as one of Japan's 100 best roads; about 10 minutes on foot from Kuroishi Station.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSotogahama, AomoriNational Route 339 StairwayNational Route 339, which passes Cape Tappi at the northern tip of the Tsugaru Peninsula, includes Japan's only "stairway national road", which cars and motorbikes cannot use. There are several theories about why it became a national road; one is that it was designated with plans to improve it, but the 70 m height difference and dense houses meant the stairs were never rebuilt. From Tappi fishing port below the cape to Tappizaki Lighthouse there are 362 steps, 388.2 m long with a rise of about 70 m. The climb is fairly hard, but there are benches on the way, and the views over the Tsugaru Strait are good.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Aomori, AomoriNebuta Museum WA RASSERight next to Aomori Station: full-size Nebuta floats that actually paraded in the festival, on display all year, with a short drum-and-dance session.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Daderot / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Towada, AomoriOirase StreamA 14 km stream flowing out of Lake Towada from Nenokuchi to Yakeyama, with waterfalls and walking paths along the road.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Aomori, AomoriSannai-Maruyama SiteOne of Japan's largest Jomon settlement sites, with reconstructed pit houses and a huge post building; part of the World Heritage "Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan" (2021).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFukaura, AomoriSenjojiki Coast (Fukaura)A vast rock shelf where a lord is said to have once spread a thousand tatami mats for a banquet, with strange rocks named Ebisu-iwa and Kabuto-iwa lining the coast. It is a famous sunset spot, chosen as one of the "100 Best Sunsets in Japan", and one of the "55 best swimming beaches", with sea bathing in summer. From January to February a huge "ice curtain" forms on the cliff by Senjojiki Station as water seeping from the rock freezes in the cold wind from the Sea of Japan. The unstaffed station on the Gono Line, served by the "Resort Shirakami" rapid, is just across the road, and some trains stop for about 15 minutes so passengers can walk around.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKazamaura, AomoriShimofuro OnsenA hot spring village in Kazamaura on the Shimokita Peninsula at the northern tip of Honshu, facing the Tsugaru Strait with Hokkaido across the water, with milky sulphur springs used since the Muromachi period. You can bathe watching the sunset over the sea, or the fishing-boat lights at night, and enjoy fresh seafood from the strait. Three different springs rise within 100 m, which is rare in Japan, all flowing straight from the source; "Shimofuro Onsen Kaikyo no Yu" has two types of water, "Oyu" and "Shinyu". The "phantom Oma railway", abandoned under construction in 1943, is now a walking path over an arch bridge with a foot bath (closed in winter).Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Aomori, AomoriSukayu Onsen, day bathingA mountain onsen at about 900 m in Hakkoda, famous for the "Hiba Sennin-buro", a 160-tatami mixed bath built entirely of hiba wood.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Goshogawara, AomoriTachineputa MuseumA Tachineputa festival float as tall as the 4-storey atrium, viewed from walkways that circle it at different heights (the floats in the Goshogawara festival are about 23 m tall).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: D-Chillz / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Tsugaru, AomoriTakayama Inari ShrineAn Inari shrine in Aomori with countless vermilion torii gates, each about 2 m high, lined up in a row; cherry blossoms in spring, fresh green in summer and white snow in winter set off the torii, and the high ground beyond them looks over the whole scene. Many stone foxes also stand in the grounds. It is said to date from the Kamakura to Muromachi periods.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHachinohe, AomoriTanesashi CoastA national Place of Scenic Beauty inside Sanriku Fukko National Park, where over 650 kinds of plants grow. Walking the seaside path you see flowers, natural lawns, strange rocks, 100-year-old pines and black-tailed gulls. The long coast has four areas: Kabushima in the north, where many gulls come to breed from March to August each year; the Ashigezaki Observatory and Osuka Coast area, with Samekado Lighthouse, flowers on the Nakasuka rocks from mid-June to mid-July, and the "singing sand" of Osuka beach; the Tanesashi natural lawn area, where grass runs right down to the waves; and Okuki, with a thatched fishermen's hut and Itsukushima Shrine. The one-coin "Umineko" bus runs along the coast.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: re-kuma / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Towada, AomoriTowada Art CenterA contemporary art museum whose works, including pieces by Yayoi Kusama and Ron Mueck, spill out into the street.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Hirosaki, AomoriTsugaruhan Neputa VillageNext to Hirosaki Park: a full-size Neputa festival float, live Tsugaru shamisen without microphones, craft workshops and Tsugaru home cooking.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTsuruta, AomoriTsuru-no-Mai BridgeA 300 m triple-arched bridge made of Aomori hiba over Tsugaru Fujimi Lake, said to be the longest of its kind in Japan, with Mt. Iwaki reflected in the water.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Towada, AomoriTsuta-numa PondA pond in the beech forest 10 minutes on foot from Tsuta Onsen, on a 2.9 km loop past six ponds; in the autumn leaf season, early-morning entry to the viewing deck needs a reservation.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAomori, AomoriUto ShrineSaid to be the birthplace of Aomori City. When the area was called Uto village, its ruler Uto Chunagon Yasukata is said to have founded it, enshrining the three Munakata goddesses. It was rebuilt in 807 by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro and became the chief shrine of Aomori. In the grounds is a pond left from what was once a large marsh, and the spring water "Ryujinsui" behind the worship hall. It is linked to the woodblock artist Shiko Munakata, whose works it holds, and has many historic monuments, including a stone marking the end of the Oshu Kaido road and a haiku stone of Matsuo Basho.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Amazing AOMORI (Aomori Prefecture)Mutsu, AomoriYagen GorgeA clear mountain stream on the Tohoku Nature Trail with a 6 km loop path through hiba and beech forest, near the Yagen and Okuyagen hot springs.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Abasaa / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)Sakae, ChibaBoso-no-Mura Open-air MuseumA hands-on museum opened in 1986, merged in 2004 with the Boso Fudoki-no-Oka, where you learn and experience clothing, food, housing and crafts from ancient to modern times and traditional Boso life. The "hometown skills" area recreates late-Edo to early-Meiji merchant houses, samurai residences and farmhouses, with candle-making, papier-mache painting and vegetable picking. The Fudoki-no-Oka area has satoyama, burial mounds and relocated historic buildings.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Choshi, ChibaByobugaura CliffsCliffs formed as the waves cut into the Shimousa Plateau, stretching about 10 km from Inuiwa in Choshi to Cape Gyobu in Asahi, with beautiful sea and sunsets. The scenery has been a tourist sight since the Edo period and often appears on TV and in commercials. The Choshi Marina beach is next to the Byobugaura promenade.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACChoshi, ChibaChikyu no Maruku Mieru Oka ObservatoryAn observatory on the summit of Mt. Atago, the highest point in northeastern Chiba. From the 360-degree rooftop deck 90 m above sea level, the horizon is famous for looking curved at both ends; you can see the Kashima coast, Mt. Tsukuba, Kujukuri beach and Byobugaura, and on clear days Mt. Fuji. The 1st floor has local souvenirs and the 3rd floor a lounge cafe.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKatori, ChibaFormer Residence of Ino TadatakaIno Tadataka, who walked and surveyed all of Japan in the Edo period and completed the first map of Japan based on actual surveys, spent over 30 years, from age 17 to 49, in Sawara. The Ino family was one of Sawara's leading merchant houses, mainly brewing; the shop faces the Ono River, with the kitchen, shoin main house and storehouse behind. A national historic site, the shop and main gate predate Tadataka's adoption into the family, and the buildings are over 200 years old.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Tzu-hsun Hsu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Funabashi, ChibaFunabashi Andersen ParkOne of Japan's leading leisure spots, with seasonal flowers such as cherry blossoms and tulips and a windmill landscape. The park has five zones, including "Wanpaku Kingdom" with field athletics and a hill recreating 19th-century Danish pastoral scenery, plus a children's art museum and a nature experience zone. It is named after the fairy-tale author born in Odense, Denmark, Funabashi's sister city.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSakura, ChibaHiyodori-zaka SlopeAn old path next to the samurai residence street, surrounded by beautiful bamboo groves almost unchanged since the Edo period. Also called "the Samurai Path", it is a gently curving slope, with a bench halfway where you can rest. The Japan Heritage Sakura castle-town "Samurai Walk" tour lets you wear samurai costume and visit the slope, samurai houses and Makata Shrine with a guide.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: W650neco / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Chiba, ChibaHoki MuseumOpened in 2010, a rare museum in the world devoted to realist painting. Its 500 m corridor-style galleries on one floor above ground and two below always show about 120 fine realist works by about 60 contemporary artists, including Japan's largest collection of Morimoto Sosuke. Part of the building floats in the air on a steel frame. With your ticket you can go in and out freely all day.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACChiba, ChibaInage Seaside Park (SUNSET BEACH PARK INAGE)A beautiful beach covered in white sand; in the evening you can watch the sunset from the approximately 90 m pier. With glamping and barbecue facilities and a cafe, it draws attention as a new urban resort park, and on clear days Mt. Fuji can be seen. The park also has a baseball ground, tennis courts, an outdoor concert hall, a Japanese garden, a botanical museum and a dog run.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKatori, ChibaIno Tadataka MuseumA museum honouring Ino Tadataka, who completed Japan's first nationwide map based on actual surveys in the Edo period. It keeps and displays his surveying instruments, maps and diaries, follows his life, and presents the "Ino maps"; the National Treasure "Ino Tadataka materials" are changed every two months. His former residence stands across the river.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACChoshi, ChibaInubosaki LighthouseA white lighthouse at the tip of Inubosaki, the easternmost point of the Choshi peninsula, surrounded by the sea on three sides. Designed by the British engineer Brunton and completed in 1874, it was the first structure built of Japanese-made bricks and became a national Important Cultural Property in 2020. One of the "100 Lighthouses of the World", it is one of the few lighthouses you can climb: 99 spiral steps lead to the lamp level with views over the Pacific. Apart from mountaintops and remote islands, Inubosaki sees Japan's earliest New Year sunrise.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKamogawa, ChibaKamogawa Sea WorldAn aquarium facing the Pacific, built on the concept of "encounters with the world of the sea". Besides performances by orcas, belugas, dolphins and sea lions, exhibits recreating natural environments show about 11,000 river and sea animals of about 800 species. Programmes include the "Discovery Guidance" animal encounters and "Feeding Time" with keepers' commentary, and at the restaurant "Ocean" you can dine while watching orcas swim.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Chonan, ChibaKasamori Kannon (Kasamoriji Temple)A hall standing on a huge rock at the summit, held up by dozens of pillars. Built in 1028 at the wish of Emperor Go-Ichijo, it is known as the only "shiho-kakezukuri" (suspended on all four sides) hall in Japan and is an Important Cultural Property. The corridor reached by wooden stairs seems to float in the air, with views of the South Boso mountains and the Kasamori temple forest, a Natural Monument, below. It is the 31st temple of the Bando 33 Kannon pilgrimage.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Katori, ChibaKatori Jingu ShrineKnown with Kashima Jingu in Ibaraki as "Kashima-sama, Katori-sama", the head shrine of about 400 Katori shrines, mainly in Kanto. It is said to have been founded in 678 BC, and enshrines Futsunushi-no-Okami from the Nihon Shoki. As Ichinomiya of Shimousa, it was one of only three shrines, with Ise and Kashima, to hold the title "Jingu" before the Meiji period. The vermilion two-storey gate, an Important Cultural Property, bears a plaque written by Togo Heihachiro, and the shrine owns the National Treasure kaiju budo mirror. About 700 cherry trees of 15 varieties bloom from late March to early April.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKatsuura, ChibaMoriya Beach (Watarijima)A beach chosen as one of Japan's 100 best beaches and 88 best swimming beaches. Watarijima is a small island with a red torii about 170 m offshore; about 20 times a year at low tide, a sandbar links it to the beach. The white sand and cobalt-blue sea are so beautiful it is called "the Okinawa of Kanto". The swimming season is mid-July to late August.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFuttsu, ChibaMother FarmA tourist farm on Mt. Kano with views of the Boso mountains, Tokyo Bay and Mt. Fuji. Sheep, cows, horses, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs, capybaras, alpacas and many more live on its vast grounds, with daily events such as the sheep parade, cow milking and piglet races, and places to feed and touch animals. You can also enjoy seasonal flower fields of rape blossoms, petunias, nemophila and more.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFuttsu, ChibaMt. Nokogiri RopewayMt. Nokogiri in Minami-Boso Quasi-National Park was a source of fine "Boshu stone" from the Muromachi period; quarrying ended in 1982, and the vertical quarry walls, together with "Jigoku Nozoki" in Nihonji Temple, are now scenic spots. The ropeway goes up to the summit station observatory, with a 360-degree view; on clear days you can see Tokyo Skytree across Futtsu Cape. The view of Mt. Fuji from Mt. Nokogiri is one of the "100 Views of Mt. Fuji from Kanto".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYachiyo, ChibaMurakami Ryokuchi ParkA park in lush woodland about 10 minutes by car from Keisei Katsutadai Station, with a play area with wooden equipment and slides and a lawn, loved by locals for forest bathing. It is known for cherry blossoms in spring, when about 200 Somei-Yoshino trees colour the hill pink from late March to early April. In autumn many red spider lilies bloom among the trees and cover the gentle slopes; they are best from mid-September to early October, when the "Yachiyo Higanbana Festival" is held.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: まも(Mamo) / Wikimedia Commons, Public domainShibayama, ChibaMuseum of Aeronautical SciencesA museum whose entrance approach is modelled on Narita Airport's Runway A. Through moving large models, projection mapping and flight experiences you learn aviation history and how airports work; check the digital information board for experiences and apply at reception. From the 3rd-floor observation deck you can watch planes take off and land, and the 4th-floor restaurant serves in-flight-meal-style lunches.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagara, ChibaNagara DamKnown as one of the best cherry-blossom spots in the prefecture, Nagara Dam is an earth dam built by piling up soil rather than concrete, completed in 1985. It is 52 m high and 250 m long, and stores and regulates water brought from the Tone River. Around the lake, named "Shizuko", there is a walking path of about 4.4 km and three play areas, and about 3,200 cherry trees; at their best the "Nagara Sakura Marche" is held and the lit-up blossoms are reflected on the water at night. In autumn you can walk while viewing the coloured hills.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNarita, ChibaNarita Dream FarmA tourist farm spread over the size of seven Tokyo Domes, about an hour by car from central Tokyo, with goats, sheep, cows, ponies, ducks and peacocks. The "Usafuwa Room", opened in January 2023, lets you stroke rabbits even on rainy days. There are cow milking, horse riding, butter and jam making, seasonal vegetable picking, grass sledding and archery, with about 400 cherry trees in spring and sunflowers in summer.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNarita, ChibaNarita Sakura-no-Yama ParkKnown as "the hill where you see planes", a 4.9 ha park on a hill north of Narita Airport's 4,000 m Runway A. You can see planes taking off and landing up close and feel the sound of their jet engines. About 500 cherry trees bloom with the planes in spring, one of Chiba's 100 best views, crowded in late March to early April. The "Sora no Eki Sakurakan" sells local produce and airline goods.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNarita, ChibaNaritasan ParkA large garden of about 165,000 m2, using the hills behind the Great Main Hall of Shinshoji Temple. There are three ponds, Monju, Ryuju and Ryuchi, and the floating pavilion on Ryuchi pond is a good photo spot. From February to March about 360 red and white plum trees bloom, with a plum festival; cherries, wisteria, ginkgo and maples give green, autumn and snow scenes.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Eva Bronzini / Pexels (resized)Narita, ChibaNaritasan Shinshoji TempleKnown as "O-Fudo-sama of Narita", one of the three great Fudo temples of Kanto and popular with visitors from abroad; about 3 million people come in the first three days of the New Year and about 10 million a year. It is the head temple of the Shingon Chisan sect. Its principal image, a Fudo Myoo carved by Kobo Daishi, was brought from Kyoto by the priest Kancho to quell the Taira no Masakado rebellion, and the temple was founded in 940. Five Edo-period buildings, including the Komyodo, Shakado, three-storey pagoda and Niomon gate, are Important Cultural Properties, and the 165,000 m2 Naritasan Park lies to the east.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Wiiii / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Sakura, ChibaNational Museum of Japanese HistoryKnown as "Rekihaku", a museum that researches and exhibits Japanese history and culture comprehensively. Founded as a research institution in 1981, it opened to the public in 1983. Using real materials, precise replicas and scholarly reconstructed models, it presents history from prehistory to the present and the folk culture of the archipelago. The "Garden of Plants in Daily Life" is also good for a stroll.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKyonan, ChibaNihonji Temple on Mt. Nokogiri (Jigoku Nozoki)Mt. Nokogiri (329 m), whose jagged ridge looks like the teeth of a saw, is a prefectural Place of Scenic Beauty; Nihonji Temple stands on its southern slope. Founded in 725 by the monk Gyoki at the command of Emperor Shomu, it is the oldest imperial temple in Kanto. Its vast grounds hold Japan's largest rock-carved Buddha, the Hyakushaku Kannon and the 1,500 arhat statues. At the summit, "Jigoku Nozoki" (peek into hell) is a rock jutting into the air, with views of the Boso Peninsula and, in the distance, Mt. Fuji and the Miura Peninsula.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Kimitsu, ChibaNomizo Falls and Kameiwa Cave (Shimizu Keiryu Hiroba)A riverside park on the upper Sasa River in the interior of the Boso Peninsula, with fresh green, fireflies at their best in late June, and some of the latest autumn colours on Honshu. Light shining through the cave reflects on the water to form a heart shape, which became a talking point on social media; the clearest heart is said to appear early in the morning (from about 6:30, for about an hour) around the spring and autumn equinoxes. The cave was made artificially in the Edo period for rice farming.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: tak1701d / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Minamiboso, ChibaOkamoto Pier (Haraoka Pier)One of the few wooden sea piers in Japan, between Haraoka and Tatara-Kitahama beaches. Built for fishing in 1921, its nostalgic Showa-retro look is its charm. From the pier jutting into Tomiura Bay you can see across to the Miura Peninsula and Izu, and on fine days Mt. Fuji beyond the sea; people come for the view of sunset and Fuji's silhouette. It often appears in TV commercials.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Abasaa / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)Sakae, ChibaRyukakuji TempleA temple on the plateau between the Tone River and Lake Inba, said by temple tradition to have been founded in 709 when a dragon appeared; it is one of the oldest temples in the Kanto region. Its principal image, a seated Yakushi Nyorai of the Hakuho period, is an Important Cultural Property. A three-storey pagoda about 33 m high is thought to have stood here, and its site remains, with a foundation stone about 2.4 m across. Volunteer guides give explanations every Saturday and Sunday.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSakura, ChibaSakura Furusato Hiroba (Dutch Windmill)A park on the south shore of Lake Inba, beautiful through the seasons. Sakura has had historical and cultural exchange with the Netherlands since the Edo period, and a genuine Dutch windmill stands as a symbol of friendship. Seasonal events are held, with tulips in spring, sunflowers in summer and cosmos in autumn.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)Minamiboso, ChibaShiramazu Flower FieldsFlower fields in Shiramazu, Chikura, facing the Pacific, a mild area where frost does not fall even in midwinter. Rape blossoms, snapdragons, calendulas and stocks are grown outdoors, and from early January to mid-March, when many flowers bloom, you can pick flowers. Carpets of flowers stretch on both sides of the road, toward the mountains and the sea.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACChiba, ChibaTomita Satoniwa KoenThe Tomita Urban Agriculture Exchange Centre in the east of Wakaba Ward, Chiba City. In spring nemophila spread across the grounds, and hydrangeas and, in autumn, cosmos colour the site through the seasons. Blueberry picking is offered from June to August, and fresh vegetables and eggs are sold directly.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOtaki, ChibaYoro ValleyA valley formed by the Yoro River, running from Awamata in Otaki to Asoubara in Ichihara, near the centre of the Boso Peninsula, where rich nature, scattered waterfalls and the largest hot spring area in Boso remain. Fresh green is beautiful from spring to summer, and "Awamata Falls" in autumn leaves is the finest view in the valley. Hiking courses and riverside paths follow the valley, and there are day-trip hot springs.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Ippukucho / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Matsuyama, EhimeBansuisoA French Renaissance-style Western house built as the villa of Count Hisamatsu Sadakoto, a descendant of the former lords of Matsuyama, at the foot of Matsuyama Castle. It served as a stopping place for members of the imperial family and a social venue for prominent people. It keeps its original appearance and is now used for events and exhibitions; a permanent exhibition on the 2nd floor explains its history.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Dokudami / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Niihama, EhimeBesshi LineA scenic gorge of about 10 km on the upper Kokuryo River, which flows through the centre of Niihama, named for its likeness to the gorges of the Rhine in Germany. It has cherry blossoms in spring, fresh greenery in summer and autumn leaves, and has been chosen for the New 100 Views of Japan, the 20 Views of Shikoku and Shikoku's 100 natural sites. Near the bright vermilion Namago Bridge the autumn leaves are especially beautiful, and Prefectural Road 47 along the gorge makes it a scenic drive.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMatsuyama, EhimeDogo Onsen HonkanSaid to be Japan's oldest hot spring, appearing in the Kojiki and the Man'yoshu; the castle-style three-storey wooden main building is a national Important Cultural Property as a whole and appears in many works such as "Botchan". Three times a day the drum in the red-glazed Shinrokaku turret on the roof sounds the hour. The "Kami no Yu" bath is the model for the one Botchan swam in, and "Yushinden" (1899) is Japan's only bath built for the imperial family, open for viewing.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: ノボホショコロトソ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Niihama, EhimeEhime Prefectural Science MuseumA general science museum with a planetarium whose 30 m dome screen is one of the largest in the world. Exhibits of models and specimens cover nature, science and technology, and industry; the nature hall has life-size dinosaur models, and the science hall has hands-on corners such as a human kaleidoscope and a device where you can touch a tornado.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: nor.ed / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Shikokuchuo, EhimeGujo ObservatoryAn observatory looking at once over Shikokuchuo, home to Japan's largest paper-mill district, and the Seto Inland Sea, one of the biggest night-view spots in Shikoku and certified as a Japan Night View Heritage. At night the lights of the factories and ships become an illumination; the orange observatory, unchanged in shape for 50 years, is lit up in orange at night.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: そらみみ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Imabari, EhimeIkiki no Gomon (Living Tree Gate)A camphor tree on the approach to the inner sanctuary of Oyamazumi Shrine, said to be about 3,000 years old with a root girth of about 30 m and a prefectural natural monument. People treated the natural hollow at the base of its trunk as a gate and passed through it to worship at the inner sanctuary, hence the name "Ikiki no Gomon" (gate of the living tree). The inner sanctuary belonged to the shrine's former temple until the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in the early Meiji era.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMatsuyama, EhimeIsaniwa ShrineAt the top of 135 stone steps, from which you can look over the old townscape of Dogo, stand vivid vermilion buildings counted as one of Japan's three great Hachiman-style shrines and designated a national Important Cultural Property. Through the tower gate you can see gold-leafed pillars and carved kaerumata brackets, and many materials on wasan (traditional Japanese mathematics) offered to the shrine remain in the corridor, showing that it flourished in Matsuyama.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIyo, EhimeJR Shimonada StationA small station with a pastel-coloured building in harmony with its surroundings; the Iyo Sea spreads out right in front of it, and it is popular as a station people want to get off at once. Famous among railway fans, it has appeared in many films and dramas and on posters for JR's Seishun 18 ticket. By day the sea sparkles in the sunlight, and at dusk it shines gold in the setting sun.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACImabari, EhimeKirosan Observatory ParkAn observation park on the summit of Mt. Kiro at the southern tip of Oshima, said to have the best view on the Shimanami Kaido; on clear days you can see as far as Mt. Ishizuchi, the highest peak in western Japan, as well as the sunset over the sea and, on set days, the illuminated Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge. The observatory, designed by the architect Kengo Kuma, is set into the ground with trees planted on top so that it cannot be seen from outside. "The Kurushima Strait from the top of Mt. Kiro" is one of the 88 views of Shikoku.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Jyo81 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Matsuyama, EhimeMatsuyama CastleA castle whose construction began in 1602 and took about a quarter of a century, one of the 12 castles with an original keep built before the end of the Edo period. It is a hilltop castle with the main enclosure on the summit and the second and third enclosures at the foot; the top floor of the keep looks over the Matsuyama Plain and the Seto Inland Sea. The "nobori-ishigaki" climbing stone walls from the second to the main enclosure, a defence method of Japanese castles in Korea, survive almost intact on the south side (230 m, the largest in Japan). The whole of Shiroyama Park is a national historic site, and 21 buildings are Important Cultural Properties.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Imabari, EhimeMurakami Kaizoku MuseumA museum where you can learn, in an enjoyable, clear way, the story of the Murakami Kaizoku (sea pirates), recognised as Japan Heritage, with many valuable historical and cultural materials such as foreign trade goods and books on strategy. In the hands-on room you can put on armour and kosode robes, and the 3rd floor is an observation room. On the sea in front you can take a tidal-current boat ride around the rapids near Noshima, where the Noshima Murakami clan had its castle.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKumakogen, EhimeOmogo GorgeA gorge spreading at the foot of Mt. Ishizuchi, a nationally designated place of scenic beauty, changing its face with the seasons. The river is so clear that you can see the bottom from the walking paths. There are two paths: the main-stream route with many sights such as Goshiki-gawara, Momiji-kogen and Toragataki falls, and the quiet Teppo route along the Teppo River. With many trees that turn colour, it is very busy at the peak in early November.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACImabari, EhimeOyamazumi ShrineSaid to be the oldest shrine in Ehime and the head shrine of over 10,000 Yamazumi and Mishima shrines across Japan, worshipped as a god of the sea, the mountains and warriors. In the centre of the grounds stands a sacred camphor tree about 2,600 years old, about 20 m high and 12 m around. The treasure hall displays arms and armour offered by many warriors, such as Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Yoritomo, and is said to hold about 80% of Japan's arms and armour designated National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: キアラア / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Imabari, EhimeSakurai Sogo ParkA seaside park on high ground in the Yunoura hot-spring area, looking over the Seto Inland Sea. The large grounds have free play equipment such as an artificial-turf sledging slope and net trampolines, as well as a bobsleigh ride; the observatory at about 80 m looks over Sakurai Beach, about 8 km long and one of Japan's 100 best beaches. Cherry blossoms bloom in spring, and about 25,000 azaleas from early April to late May.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: ball banban / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0Kumakogen, EhimeShikoku KarstKarst is terrain where limestone has come to the surface through erosion by rain. Here karst plateaus at 1,000-1,485 m continue for about 25 km, including Mehikarinaru and Onogahara, making a superb scenic drive. The road is closed in snowy winter, but from spring to autumn you can enjoy driving, touring and camping, with pastures where cattle graze and starry skies.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShikokuchuo, EhimeSuiha Kogen PlateauHighlands around Suihamine with a 360-degree panorama over the Seto Inland Sea and the Shikoku mountains. Rape blossoms bloom in spring and early cosmos from summer to early autumn, with a rape-blossom festival in late April and a cosmos festival in late August. There are an observatory looking over the flowers and the Ishizuchi range, the "Washington Cherry Garden" with cherries returned from America, and a children's plaza.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACImabari, EhimeSunrise ItoyamaA starting point for cycling at the foot of the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge, where you can feel the sea breeze and look over the Seto Inland Sea from the bridge. Bicycles can be rented at the central rental cycle terminal next door to ride the sea road; the view of the bridge from here is overwhelming, and on days when it is lit up the night sea is coloured by the lights.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSeiyo, EhimeSusaki CoastA small cape about 90 m high surrounded by cliffs, west of Mikame along the coast, where striped strata about 400 million years old spread on a large scale. Surrounded by sea on three sides, it looks over the Uwa Sea islands and the Sadamisaki Peninsula, and on clear days as far as Kyushu. Seen whole, the peninsula looks like a Kannon lying on its back, so it is called "Ne-Kannon".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 地方の田舎もの / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Imabari, EhimeTokoro Museum OmishimaAn art museum opened in spring 2004 showing about 30 sculptural works, by Noe Katz and Marisol, Tom Wesselmann and others active in America, Giacomo Manzu, known for making the doors of St. Peter's Basilica over 14 years, and Japanese artists Hayashi Norichika and Fukai Takashi. The building is shaped like a climbing kiln, and the view of the Seto Inland Sea from it is part of the art.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNiihama, EhimeTonaru (Besshi Copper Mine Ruins)Industrial heritage of the Besshi Copper Mine, remaining deep in the mountains of Niihama. Once a busy town where many people lived, only ruins were left after the mine closed; the stone and brick structures on the heights have come to be called "the Machu Picchu of the East". From about 750 m you can see Niihama and the Seto Inland Sea on clear days. The Tonaru History Museum has dioramas of the old town and school, and there are also a copper theme hall and a learning hall.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOno, FukuiEchizen Ono CastleA castle built by Kanamori Nagachika, one of Oda Nobunaga's elite "Akahoro-shu" retainers, completed over four years from 1576. Its nozura-zumi stone walls are a prefectural cultural property, and the present castle was rebuilt in 1968, displaying belongings of successive lords. From late autumn to spring, weather permitting, the whole Ono basin fills with a sea of clouds and the castle alone seems to float, drawing attention as "the castle in the sky"; it is one of the "Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACEiheiji, FukuiEiheiji TempleA Zen training monastery founded by Zen master Dogen in 1244. More than 70 halls stand in the deep mountain grounds; the seven main halls, the "shichido garan" (Dharma hall, Buddha hall, monks' hall, kitchen, main gate, toilet and bath), are especially important as pure places where monks train. Many monks still carry out strict training every day, and visitors can glimpse their practice.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFukui, FukuiFukui Castle RuinsBuilt in 1606 by Yuki Hideyasu, second son of Tokugawa Ieyasu and first lord of the Fukui domain, it was the seat of the Echizen Matsudaira family for about 270 years and 17 generations. Its 37 m, four-roofed five-storey keep burned in a great fire; today only parts of the stone walls of local Shakudani stone and the moats remain. The Fukui Prefectural Office stands on the site of the main palace, and below the keep base is the well "Fuku-no-i", said to be the origin of the name Fukui.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKatsuyama, FukuiFukui Prefectural Dinosaur MuseumA museum specialising in geology and palaeontology centred on dinosaurs, called one of the world's three great dinosaur museums for its scale and content. Its three zones, "World of Dinosaurs", "Earth Sciences" and "History of Life", show 50 complete dinosaur skeletons, thousands of fossils and huge dioramas, with a moving Tyrannosaurus and a Dino Theater. Hands-on programmes let you clean fossils or try excavation. The silver building has a column-free structure that leaves the exhibition space open.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACWakasa, FukuiFukui Prefectural Varve MuseumAt the bottom of Lake Suigetsu, one of the Mikata Five Lakes, 70,000 years of sediment form a striped pattern; these stripes, "varves" (nenko), are recognised as the world standard for dating. The museum displays the world's longest 70,000-year, 45 m varve as stained glass, and has a café where you can eat.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACEchizen, FukuiHanagatami ParkA park known as a place associated with Emperor Keitai, famous for its spring cherry blossoms; the Misatoyama area with its zelkova and beech woods is also a mecca for autumn leaves, and the mountain road coloured by maples is well worth seeing. The Hanagatami Momiji Festival is held in mid-November.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKatsuyama, FukuiHeisenji Hakusan ShrineGrounds covered in beautiful green moss, also called "Koke-no-miya" (moss shrine). Said to have been opened by the monk Taicho in 717, it became the Echizen base of Hakusan worship; at its height in the Sengoku period 6,000 sub-temples stood here with 8,000 warrior monks. It burned in 1574, and after the Meiji separation of Shinto and Buddhism it became Hakusan Shrine. Excavations since 1989 found the old remains buried underground, and the whole former precinct is a national historic site, with one of Japan's largest medieval stone-paved roads.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 藤谷良秀(Yoshihide Fujitani) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Fukui, FukuiHokoshima RockA columnar rock about 50 m high, eroded by the rough waves of the Sea of Japan, on the Echizen coast about 5 km along Route 305 from Takasu beach toward Koshino. A promenade has been built, pines grow on the cliff top and a Jizo statue stands there. By day it is busy with swimmers and rock anglers, and in the evening a beautiful sunset sinks into the Sea of Japan.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Fukui, FukuiIchijodani Asakura Family Historic RuinsThe remains of a castle town about 10 km southeast of Fukui city, from which five generations of the Asakura clan ruled Echizen for about 100 years in the Sengoku period. Samurai houses, temples, townhouses, craftsmen's houses and even roads were excavated almost intact. The site is a national Special Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty, and the finds are Important Cultural Properties; part of the townscape has been reconstructed.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Suikotei / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Fukui, FukuiIchijodani Reconstructed TownscapeThe remains of the castle town where the Asakura clan ruled Echizen for about 100 years over five generations in the Sengoku period, excavated almost intact and reconstructed. You can go inside the reconstructed samurai houses and townhouses to see exhibits and glimpse daily life of the time. The site is a Special Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty, and the finds are Important Cultural Properties, a triple designation rare in Japan.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIkeda, FukuiKazurabashi Vine Bridge (Ikeda)A rare vine suspension bridge, 44 m long, 1.8 m wide and 12 m high, over the Asuwa River gorge, thrilling with its swaying. At the waterwheel plaza by the bridge, Somei-yoshino cherries bloom around mid-April, "Gyoiko" cherries in early May and rhododendrons in mid-May, and the gorge is coloured by autumn leaves from late October to early November.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACWakasa, FukuiKumagawa-juku Post Town (Saba Kaido)An important post town on the road from Wakasa to Kyoto, which kept growing from 1589. The sites of the magistrate's office, checkpoint and storehouse remain, and old water channels run along the road. It is a nationally selected Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, and in 2015 the Saba Kaido including Kumagawa-juku was recognised as Japan Heritage.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACObama, FukuiMantokuji TempleA temple where the red of autumn maples stands out beautifully against its dry landscape garden, with azaleas to see in spring and nature throughout the four seasons. The principal image, a wooden seated Amida Nyorai (Important Cultural Property), and a painting of Miroku Bosatsu in colour on silk are well worth seeing.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSakai, FukuiMaruoka CastleA castle built in 1576 by Shibata Katsutoyo, nephew of Shibata Katsuie. Its keep, a national Important Cultural Property, is an independent lookout-type keep with two roofs outside and three floors inside. The stone walls are of the old "nozura-zumi" style, rough with many gaps but said to drain well and not collapse in heavy rain. In spring about 400 Somei-yoshino cherry trees, chosen among Japan's 100 best cherry blossom spots, bloom around the castle, also called Kasumigajo.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMihama, FukuiMikata Five LakesThe general name for five lakes across Mihama and Wakasa: Mikata, Suigetsu, Suga, Kugushi and Hiruga. Their water and depth differ, so each looks a different shade of blue, giving them the name "five-coloured lakes". The differences are clear from the 11.2 km Rainbow Line road, with views of the five lakes and the Sea of Japan. The lakes were registered as a Ramsar wetland in November 2005, and their sustainable fishing culture became a Japanese Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage System in 2019.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSakai, FukuiMikuni Sunset BeachA shallow beach spreading north-west of Mikuni Port, popular with families with children; in season it becomes a marine resort for yachting, surfing and windsurfing, and it is also known as a spot to watch the sun set over the Sea of Japan. Every year on August 11 it is the main venue of the "Mikuni Fireworks Festival", the largest in Hokuriku.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFukui, FukuiMiyanoshita Cosmos FieldFukui's greatest cosmos field, where about 100 million cosmos bloom on a site more than four times the size of Tokyo Dome. They usually start to bloom in late September and are at their best by mid-October.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Alpsdake / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Tsuruga, FukuiMizushima IslandA small uninhabited island off the tip of the Tsuruga Peninsula, known for its very clear water and white sand and called "the Hawaii of Hokuriku". In the swimming season many families and couples visit, crossing to the island by a ferry that runs every day during the season.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Alpsdake / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Takahama, FukuiMt. Aoba (Wakasa Fuji)The symbol of Takahama, popular for climbing and called "Wakasa Fuji" for its beautiful shape. It has two peaks, the east peak (693 m) and the west peak (692 m), and its shape changes depending on where you see it from. The sunset over Mt. Aoba seen from Takahama is one of Japan's 100 best sunsets.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: 藤谷良秀 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Sakai, FukuiMuseum of Japan's Shortest LettersA museum introducing past winning entries of the "Ippitsu Keijo" Japan's Shortest Letter Contest. The highlight of the permanent gallery, "FUMI NO TAKI", is a video display where 4,400 past winning letters appear one after another. From the 2nd-floor castle viewing room you can watch videos of Maruoka Castle through the seasons.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACEchizen, FukuiOkamoto and Otaki ShrinesA shrine enshrining the paper goddess "Kawakami Gozen", with a hall said to have "the most complex roof in Japan", a national Important Cultural Property. About 1,500 years ago, legend says, a beautiful princess appeared upstream on the Okamoto River and taught villagers to make paper with the clear water; they revered her as "Kawakami Gozen" and built the shrine. The present hall dates from 1843.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSakai, FukuiOshima IslandThe largest island off the Echizen coast, 27 m high and 2 km around, long revered by local people as an island of the gods. Cross the 224 m vermilion bridge and climb 78 stone steps to reach a forest of yabu-nikkei and tabu trees full of legend. You can walk the island at any time (24 hours).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMihama, FukuiRainbow Line Summit ParkA park at the top of the Rainbow Line, an 11.24 km road across Mihama and Wakasa. From the first car park you ride a lift or cable car up to the summit park, with a 360-degree panorama over the scenic Mikata Five Lakes and Wakasa Bay. You can enjoy the view from five terraces, including a foot bath and a sofa terrace.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Alpsdake / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Ono, FukuiRokuroshi HighlandsHighlands with a pastoral landscape and many facilities for outdoor life, such as the "Okuetsu Kogen Bokujo" ranch with grazing dairy cows, the "Tron Onyoku Shisetsu Urarakan" with an open-air bath, the "Milk Kobo Okuechizen" dairy workshop and the "SORA to DAICHI" campsite. In 2005 it was recognised as having "Japan's most beautiful starry sky", and the Minami-Rokuroshi area was certified by DarkSky International as a "Dark Sky Place", Japan's fourth.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: 藤谷良秀(Yoshihide Fujitani) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Ikeda, FukuiRyusogataki FallsA waterfall about 60 m high, chosen as one of "Japan's 100 waterfalls" in 1990. Looking up from right beside it after going down the steps is spectacular, and it is also charming in the autumn-leaf season. Legends say a monk named Ryuso lived here carving sacred images, and that a dragon living in the deep basin sometimes climbed the falls to ascend to heaven. The car park is about 200 m downstream.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFukui, FukuiShibata Shrine (Kitanosho Castle Ruins)Shibata Katsuie, given 490,000 koku by Oda Nobunaga, is said to have spent years building his residence, Kitanosho Castle; the Spanish missionary Luis Frois marvelled at its nine-storey keep. In 1583, attacked by Toyotomi Hideyoshi's army, Katsuie set fire to the castle himself and died with his wife Oichi, Nobunaga's sister, and his family; the castle lasted only 8 years. Shibata Shrine now stands on the site, enshrining Katsuie and Oichi, with statues of them and Oichi's three daughters; the Kitanosho Castle Ruins museum keeps relics of the castle.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: っ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Sakai, FukuiTojinbo CliffsCliffs in Sakai city formed by columnar jointing stretching about 1 km. Columnar jointing on this scale is rare anywhere in the world, and Tojinbo is counted among the "three great scenic wonders of the world". Standing at the edge of the cliffs makes your legs go weak. You can walk the area at any time, and there are a shopping street, Tojinbo Tower and sightseeing boats.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: そらみみ (Soramimi) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Asakura, FukuokaAkizuki Castle RuinsThe site of a castle built in the early Edo period by Kuroda Nagaoki in Akizuki, Asakura, called "the little Kyoto of Chikuzen". Stone walls, the Kuromon gate and the Nagayamon gate keep the look of the past, and you can take a history walk together with the streets of the castle town. The cherry avenue and tunnel of autumn leaves on "Sugi-no-baba" are especially fine, and old-house cafes and a museum dot the area.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACItoshima, FukuokaAneko Beach (Singing Sand)A "singing sand" beach where the sand squeaks as you walk. Singing sand exists only on clean beaches; there were once about 90 in Japan, now only about 20. The sand here stopped singing from the mid-1960s, but thanks to local clean-ups it began to sing again around 1994, which is said to be rare nationwide. You can listen to it while looking at the Genkai Sea and the sunset.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Dazaifu, FukuokaDazaifu Government Office Ruins"Dazaifu" was the government office that ruled all of Kyushu from the late 7th century through the Nara and Heian periods, and the site of its central administrative area is known as the "Tofuro ruins". As the key to defending western Japan and a window to the Asian continent, the office was built at the heart of Dazaifu. Foundation stones remain, and it is a national special historic site laid out as a historic park; about 100 cherry trees bloom in spring, and the Dazaifu Exhibition Hall near the entrance introduces the history and culture of Dazaifu.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACDazaifu, FukuokaDazaifu Tenmangu ShrineThe shrine enshrining Sugawara no Michizane, known as the god of learning, and called the head of about 12,000 Tenmangu shrines across Japan. The vermilion main hall is surrounded by gardens, with buildings such as the treasure hall and the Kanko History Museum; the sacred plum tree "Tobiume", said in legend to have flown overnight from the capital to Dazaifu, is famous, and about 6,000 white and red plum trees of about 200 kinds grow in the grounds.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFukuoka, FukuokaFukuoka Castle RuinsA castle built over seven years from 1601 (Keicho 6) by Kuroda Nagamasa, who became lord of Chikuzen (520,000 koku) for his service at the Battle of Sekigahara. Most buildings were lost after the Meiji Restoration, but the stone walls and layout remain almost as they were, and it is a national historic site; surviving buildings include the Tamon-yagura turret (Important Cultural Property). In spring the cherry trees are in full bloom.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Nkmr844 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Fukuoka, FukuokaFukuoka City MuseumA museum showing many materials unique to Fukuoka, which has long had exchanges with the Asian continent. Its highlights are the National Treasure gold seal found on Shikanoshima and the famous spear "Nihongo" known from the song "Kuroda-bushi"; in the hands-on room "Mitaiken Lab" you can freely handle Asian toys, rare instruments, clothes and tools.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: arnaud audoin / Pexels (resized)Fukuoka, FukuokaFukuoka TowerAt 234 m in total, the tallest seaside tower in Japan. From the top-floor observation room, 123 m above ground, you get a 360-degree panorama of Fukuoka's streets and Hakata Bay; the view is chosen as one of the "100 best night views", and sunsets over Hakata Bay can also be seen. Seasonal events such as cherry blossoms, moon viewing and Christmas are held, with illuminations.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFukuoka, FukuokaFukuoka Yatai Food StallsYatai began as simple mobile food stalls that appeared one after another in the ruined streets just after the war. A famous feature of Hakata nights, they are scattered in areas such as Nagahama, around Tenjin and around Nakasu, serving ramen, gyoza, oden, tempura, grilled dishes and more to locals, tourists and business travellers alike.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: STA3816 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Asakura, FukuokaHarazuru OnsenA hot spring area spreading along the Chikugo River, said to be named after cranes seen bathing in the riverbed long ago. Besides the hot springs it can be enjoyed all year: cherry blossoms in spring, cormorant fishing and Kyoho grape picking in summer, and autumn leaves and persimmon picking in autumn.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: STA3816 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kitakyushu, FukuokaHiraodai Karst PlateauHiraodai, said to have about 200 limestone caves, is a representative karst plateau where scattered white limestone looks like a flock of sheep grazing on grassland ("Yogunbaru"); together with the caves below it is a natural monument, and the area is part of the Kitakyushu Quasi-National Park. It is known as a mecca for caving, and guided tours let beginners explore natural caves by headlamp. There is burning of the fields in spring, fresh greenery and silver grass in autumn. Scale: 400-600 m above sea level, 11 km north-south and 2 km east-west.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACDazaifu, FukuokaHomangu Kamado ShrineA shrine with over 1,350 years of history at the foot of Mt. Homan, long revered as a sacred mountain. It is said to have begun when, after defeat at the Battle of Baekgang in 663, Emperor Tenji moved Dazaifu for defence and enshrined the myriad gods on Mt. Homan, which lay in the "kimon" (demon gate) direction. The lower shrine is at the foot and the upper shrine on the summit; it is the entrance to the Mt. Homan climb and known for cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Dazaifu, FukuokaKanzeon-ji TempleA temple founded in the late 7th century by Emperor Tenji in memory of his mother, Empress Saimei, and mentioned in "The Tale of Genji"; it was the centre of temples in Kyushu and one of the three great ordination platforms. The lecture hall and main hall were rebuilt in the early Edo period, and it has Japan's oldest temple bell (a National Treasure), cast about 1,300 years ago. 16 of its 18 Heian-to-Kamakura Buddhist statues, all Important Cultural Properties, including 5 m figures, can be seen in the neighbouring treasure house.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: そらみみ (Soramimi) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kitakyushu, FukuokaKawachi Fujien Wisteria GardenA famous wisteria garden that has drawn visitors from around the world since it was chosen among CNN's "31 most beautiful places in Japan". From late April to mid-May about 22 kinds of wisteria bloom, with a great trellis of about 1,000 tsubo and two wisteria tunnels, 80 m and 110 m long; from mid-November to early December about 700 maples turn red.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACItoshima, FukuokaKeya no OtoKnown nationwide as a scenic rock formation in the Genkai Quasi-National Park, with hexagonal and octagonal basalt columns, Keya no Oto is said to be Japan's largest basalt cave (one of Japan's three great basalt caves, with Nanatsugama in Karatsu and Genbudo in Toyooka). The cave is 64 m high, 90 m deep and 10 m wide. From mid-March to November the "Keya no Oto sightseeing boat" lets you see the columns up close.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKitakyushu, FukuokaKokura CastleA castle whose keep has a "karazukuri" exterior, simple yet bold. It was founded by Hosokawa Tadaoki, and from Kan'ei 9 was the seat of the Ogasawara clan for about 230 years until Meiji; it burned in 1866, and the present castle was rebuilt in 1959. The 1st floor has a large-screen theatre, the 2nd and 3rd floors show Kokura's history, and the 5th floor has a view over the city.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFukuoka, FukuokaKorokan RuinsThe "Korokan" was a guesthouse for receiving foreign envoys in the Heian period, built in three places - Heian-kyo (Kyoto), Naniwa (Osaka) and Tsukushi (Fukuoka) - and the Tsukushi one in Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, is the only one whose remains have been found. For about 400 years from the late 7th to the 11th century it received envoys to Tang China, Silla missions and merchants. Its remains were found in 1987 during work on the Heiwadai Stadium; a lodging has been restored, and the exhibition hall shows excavated items such as Chinese celadon and West Asian glass.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFukuoka, FukuokaKushida ShrineThe oldest guardian shrine of Hakata, affectionately called "O-Kushida-san". It is thought to have been transferred from Kushida Shrine in Matsusaka, Ise, and the present buildings were built when Toyotomi Hideyoshi rebuilt Hakata. It enshrines three deities, and three bells hang in the worship hall. The sacred ginkgo at the entrance, said to be over 1,000 years old, is a prefectural natural monument. The shrine is famous for the summer festival "Hakata Gion Yamakasa" (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage); a 13 m decorated float is on display all year except June, and the "Hakata Okunchi" procession is held in late October.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: ノボホショコロトソ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Dazaifu, FukuokaKyushu National MuseumJapan's fourth national museum, newly built 108 years after the Tokyo, Nara and Kyoto National Museums. Under the concept of seeing how Japanese culture was formed from the viewpoint of Asian history, it shows Japanese culture from the Paleolithic to the late Tokugawa period; the Cultural Exchange Exhibition on the 4th floor always shows 800-900 items, and "Ajippa" on the 1st floor is a free hands-on room with traditional clothes, everyday goods, toys and music of Asian countries.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Kitakyushu, FukuokaMojiko RetroA harbour area of Kitakyushu lined with historic buildings from the Meiji to early Showa periods. Mojiko, opened as a port in 1889 (Meiji 22), prospered as an international trade port; landmarks include Mojiko Station, the former Moji Mitsui Club and the "Blue Wing Moji" drawbridge looking over the Kanmon Strait, with cafes and restaurants serving local dishes such as yaki-curry. The buildings are lit up at night, and in winter the "Mojiko Retro Roman Tosai" illumination is held.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSoeda, FukuokaMt. HikoA sacred mountain of about 1,200 m with three peaks on the border of Soeda in Fukuoka and Nakatsu in Oita, long revered as holy. It is known as a training ground of the yamabushi's Shugendo and is one of Japan's three great Shugendo mountains (with Haguro and Omine). At its centre is the Hikosan Jingu Hoheiden, a national Important Cultural Property, and in autumn many hikers come for the autumn leaves.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Muyo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Kitakyushu, FukuokaMt. SarakuraA mountain whose summit you reach by cable car and slope car, with a great panorama from the city of Kitakyushu to the Kanmon Strait. Besides the daytime view, you can see the night view of Kitakyushu, re-certified in first place as one of the "Three New Great Night View Cities of Japan".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (cropped and resized)Munakata, FukuokaMunakata Taisha Hetsu-miyaOne of Japan's oldest shrines, appearing in Japanese myth. The three goddesses are enshrined at Okitsu-miya on Okinoshima, Nakatsu-miya on Oshima and Hetsu-miya on the mainland, together called Munakata Taisha; the main hall and worship hall of Hetsu-miya are Important Cultural Properties. The "Shinpokan" treasure hall shows about 80,000 National Treasures excavated from Okinoshima, such as mirrors, magatama and gold rings. It was registered as a World Cultural Heritage site in July 2017.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Khoi Pham / Pexels (resized)Sasaguri, FukuokaNanzoin TempleThe head temple of the Sasaguri Shikoku pilgrimage and its first stop, and a special head temple of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism. Its reclining Buddha, built in 1995, is 41 m long, 11 m high and weighs 300 tonnes, one of the largest bronze statues in the world; inside are a chamber with relics of the Buddha and "sand stepping" for the 88 Shikoku temples (entry inside is paid). The temple asks visitors to remember it is a place of prayer, not a tourist site, and lists prohibited behaviour.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Tzuhsun Hsu from Taipei, Taiwan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)Fukuoka, FukuokaOhori ParkA waterside park opened in 1929 on an inlet of Hakata Bay that served as the outer moat of Fukuoka Castle. A path of about 2 km around the pond and a wild bird forest are good for jogging, cycling and birdwatching, and on the central island, linked by four bridges, stands the vermilion Ukimido pavilion, the park's symbol. Rental boats and a playground are also available, and at night the waterside and trees on the east of the island are lit up. The grounds also have the Fukuoka Art Museum, a Japanese garden and a Noh theatre.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACItoshima, FukuokaRaizan Sennyoji Daihioin TempleA temple founded by the Indian monk Seiga, also called "Raizan Kannon", on the northern slope of Mt. Rai; during the Mongol invasions it played an important role as a prayer temple of the Kamakura shogunate. The standing Thousand-armed Kannon and the seated statue of Seiga (Important Cultural Properties) and the "shinji" garden can always be seen, and the 400-year-old great maple (a prefectural natural monument) is best in mid-November.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACItoshima, FukuokaSakurai FutamigauraA prefectural scenic spot in Genkai Quasi-National Park in northern Itoshima, called "Futamigaura of the sunset" for the beauty of the sun setting into the Genkai Sea. Beyond a white torii, about 150 m offshore, stand the sacred "Meoto-iwa" (wedded rocks) tied with a sacred rope. It is chosen as one of Japan's 100 best beaches and 100 best sunsets, and stylish cafes and restaurants line the area.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFukuoka, FukuokaSeaside MomochiA waterfront area near central Fukuoka, created on the site of the 1989 Asia-Pacific Expo ("Yokatopia"). There are the white sands of Momochihama and "Marizon" with seaside restaurants and wedding halls; in summer it is busy with swimming and marine sports, and at dusk Fukuoka Tower and the city lights shine. Nearby are the Mizuho PayPay Dome and MARK IS Fukuoka Momochi.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: ブルーノ・プラス / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Fukuoka, FukuokaShikanoshima IslandA scenic island connected to the mainland, where the National Treasure gold seal "Kan no Wa no Na no Kokuo" was found, and which appears in the Man'yoshu. A drive via Uminonakamichi past historic sites such as Moko-zuka and Kin-in Park is recommended, and you can also enjoy swimming, fishing and scuba diving. It is 11 km around and 5.8 km² in area.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: STA3816 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Itoshima, FukuokaShiraito Falls (Itoshima)A 24 m waterfall halfway up Mt. Hagane (900 m) in southern Itoshima, falling over the rock like silk threads. Around the "Fureai no Sato" by the falls are a tea house, a waterwheel and an observation deck; from around Golden Week you can try yamame trout fishing and "nagashi somen" (flowing noodles). From mid-June to early July over 100,000 hydrangeas bloom, and in autumn the leaves take on colour.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTagawa, FukuokaTagawa City Coal Mining Historical MuseumA museum in Coal Memorial Park where you can learn the history of the Tagawa area, opened in 1983 on the site of the former Mitsui Tagawa Mining Ida pit. It holds 585 record paintings and 42 record documents of the Sakubei Yamamoto Collection, registered in the "Memory of the World", and shows some of them; it also has the only reconstructed coal miners' house in Japan, and the Ida pit headframe and chimneys are preserved in the park.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFukuoka, FukuokaUminonakamichi SandbarA long, narrow sandbar stretching from Nata Beach to Shikanoshima, only 500 m wide at its narrowest and 2 km at its widest; the dunes on the open-sea side change daily with the wind. It is chosen as one of Japan's 100 best beaches, and the area has Uminonakamichi Seaside Park, with flowers in every season.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: STA3816 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Yame, FukuokaYame Central Tea PlantationA great tea plantation (70 ha) spreading over gently sloping hills, a major producer of Yame tea, Fukuoka's leading brand of tea. The view from the observation point at the top is like a green carpet, and on clear days you can see the Ariake Sea and the Shimabara Peninsula. The best season is April to mid-May when tea is picked, and at the cafe "Green Monster" at the observation point you can enjoy Yame tea and Yame tea soft-serve ice cream.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYanagawa, FukuokaYanagawa River CruiseIn Yanagawa, a former castle town and the hometown of the poet Kitahara Hakushu, the famous "river cruise" takes "donko-bune" boats along the moats that run all over the town. Listening to the boatman's guide and boat songs, you go round about 4 km of moats in about an hour; in winter "kotatsu" boats with a brazier are also run.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Tamura, FukushimaAbukuma CaveA limestone cave found in a quarry in 1969 and open to visitors since 1973, with halls up to 29 m high and rare formations, plus an adventure course where you crouch through narrow passages.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAizuwakamatsu, FukushimaAizu Bukeyashiki Samurai ResidenceA museum centred on a reconstruction of the house of Saigo Tanomo, chief retainer of the Aizu domain, with historic buildings and hands-on crafts such as painting an akabeko cow.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAizuwakamatsu, FukushimaAizu Clan School NisshinkanA faithful reconstruction of the Aizu domain's top school, founded in 1803, where samurai sons studied from age 10; try archery or zazen, or paint an akabeko cow.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAizuwakamatsu, FukushimaAizu SazaedoA 16.5 m, six-sided three-storey hall built in 1796 on Iimoriyama, with a unique double-spiral slope inside (Important Cultural Property).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIwaki, FukushimaAquamarine FukushimaA large aquarium at Onahama port in Iwaki.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: clef / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Fukushima, FukushimaBandai-Azuma Skyline and JododairaA free 29 km scenic mountain road reaching 1,622 m, one of Japan's 100 best roads, passing scenic spots such as Mt. Azuma-kofuji and Jododaira; open from late April to mid-November.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Higa4 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Fukushima, FukushimaFormer Horikiri ResidenceThe old house of a wealthy farming and merchant family dating back to the Edo period, historically valuable for the "Jikkengura", the oldest earthen storehouse in the prefecture. An information office for Iizaka in the annex can be used as a rest stop, with free loan of towels and geta sandals, and there are foot and hand baths.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Yasu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Fukushima, FukushimaFukushima City Folk House ParkFolk houses of the northern Fukushima area from the mid-Edo to early Meiji periods have been moved and restored here, including "Kakujiken", one of Fukushima's leading restaurant inns of the late Edo and early Meiji era, said to be where Sera Shuzo was taken by Sendai domain samurai; the "Former Hirose-za" playhouse, a National Important Cultural Property; a merchant inn; and houses from the Aizu area. Everyday tools of the time are displayed, and seasonal events and folk-craft demonstrations are held.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Miyuki Meinaka / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Aizuwakamatsu, FukushimaFukushima MuseumThe prefectural museum next to Tsuruga Castle; permanent exhibition 400 yen, free for high school students and younger, with a combined ticket for the castle and Rinkaku tea house.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Fukushima, FukushimaFukushima Prefectural Museum of ArtOpened in July 1984 at the foot of Mt. Shinobu, on grounds of over 60,000 square metres shared with the prefectural library. It holds more than 3,800 works of painting, printmaking, sculpture and crafts, including 20th-century American figurative painting such as Andrew Wyeth and a collection of the printmaker Kiyoshi Saito from Aizubange, with special exhibitions held as well as the permanent display.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Sugikats / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kitashiobara, FukushimaGoshikinuma Nature Trail, UrabandaiAn easy 4 km trail past 20-30 small lakes whose colours change with the season, weather and time of day.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: T-KIMURA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Fukushima, FukushimaHanamiyama ParkA hillside of flowering trees planted by the farming family who own it, open to the public; in spring it is a mass of cherry, plum and other blossoms.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Altomarina / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)Inawashiro, FukushimaHideyo Noguchi Memorial MuseumThe Hideyo Noguchi memorial museum in Inawashiro, together with an infectious-disease museum; allow about 70 minutes for both.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Sayaca* / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.1 JPAizuwakamatsu, FukushimaHigashiyama OnsenA hot-spring town about 10 minutes by car from central Aizuwakamatsu, said to have been found by the priest Gyoki about 1,300 years ago and once the Aizu domain's spa; the sulphate water flows at about 1,500 litres a minute.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAizuwakamatsu, FukushimaIimoriyama, Byakkotai GravesThe hill where the Byakkotai, a unit of 16- and 17-year-old samurai, took their lives in the Boshin War on seeing smoke over Tsuruga Castle; a slope conveyor (250 yen) runs up to the graves.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 皓月旗 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Fukushima, FukushimaIizaka OnsenA hot-spring town 25 minutes by train from JR Fukushima Station, with 8 public bathhouses, foot baths and day bathing at inns; Basho mentioned it in The Narrow Road to the Deep North.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Osumi Akari / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Iwaki, FukushimaIwaki City Ammonite CenterThe first museum in Japan built on a fossil site, displaying many ammonite fossils just as they were found. Its highlight is fossil digging: collect a helmet, gloves, hammer and chisel at reception and dig at the outdoor quarry for shells, shark teeth and ammonites from 89 million years ago; it is enjoyed by children and adults alike.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShirakawa, FukushimaKomine Castle RuinsA national historic site 5 min on foot from JR Shirakawa Station: a hilltop castle rebuilt in stone in 1632, burned in the Boshin War in 1868, with a three-storey turret rebuilt in wood in 1991.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Tail furry / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Aizuwakamatsu, FukushimaKowashimizu SpringA spring known as "the famous water of Aizu", sung of in the folk song Aizu Bandaisan and chosen as one of Fukushima's 30 best waters; once an important rest stop on the old Nihonmatsu road.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Qwert1234 / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (cropped and resized)Kitashiobara, FukushimaLake Hibara Sightseeing BoatA 35-minute cruise among the islands of Lake Hibara, Urabandai's largest lake, with views of the crater left on Mt. Bandai; runs from April 29 to November 8.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Miharu, FukushimaMiharu Takizakura cherry treeA weeping cherry over 1,000 years old, one of Japan's three great cherry trees and the first cherry designated a Natural Monument (1922).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAizuwakamatsu, FukushimaMitsutaya, miso dengakuA miso shop where you can eat Aizu miso dengaku — tofu, konnyaku, herring and vegetables with sweet miso, grilled over a charcoal hearth.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKitashiobara, FukushimaMt. Bandai Eruption Memorial MuseumA volcano museum in Urabandai remembering the many victims of Mt. Bandai's 1888 steam explosion and explaining how the highlands formed afterwards; next door, a 3D theatre recreates the eruption.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Shimogo, FukushimaOuchi-juku post townA former post town on an old road with thatched-roof houses lining the street, now shops and restaurants.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Qwert1234 / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (cropped and resized)Aizuwakamatsu, FukushimaOyakuen Garden, Aizu Matsudaira Clan GardenA strolling garden of the Aizu lords around a heart-shaped pond on about 1.7 hectares, a National Place of Scenic Beauty, where about 400 kinds of medicinal plants are still grown.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: jeik / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)Iwaki, FukushimaShioyasaki LighthouseA white lighthouse you can climb, chosen as one of Japan's 50 best lighthouses, with a view over the Pacific from the top; visitors aged junior high and over are asked for a 300-yen donation.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIwaki, FukushimaShiramizu Amidado Hall, Ganjoji TempleA late-Heian Amida hall set in a Pure Land garden, said to have been built by Fujiwara no Kiyohira's daughter; it is the only building in Fukushima designated a National Treasure.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 皓月旗 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Aizuwakamatsu, FukushimaSuehiro Sake Brewery, Kaei-guraA sake brewery founded in 1850 in the town of Aizuwakamatsu, with free guided brewery tours of about 30 minutes, a café and a tall-ceilinged hall.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFukushima, FukushimaTakayu OnsenA hot spring area with milky-white sulphur water springing from Mt. Azuma, an active volcano of about 2,000 m, at the Takayu end of the Bandai-Azuma Skyline. All the inns use the water as it comes, without adding water or heating, and in June 2010 Takayu became the ninth place in Japan and the first in Tohoku to make a "source-flowing declaration". About 50 m above the shared bath "Attakayu" is the "Attaka Onsen Park", where you can see and touch the hot water in a pool and look down on the "Taki no Yu No. 26" source.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: 特急スカイツリートレイン / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Futaba, FukushimaThe Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial MuseumFukushima Prefecture's museum on the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, in Futaba.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShimogo, FukushimaTo-no-Hetsuri Rock FormationsA landscape of strange rock formations created as the Okawa (Aga) River repeated erosion and weathering over a million years. It is the largest scenic spot in Okawa-Hatori Prefectural Park and was designated a national Natural Monument in 1943 (Showa 18).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Yauchi / Wikimedia Commons, Public domainFukushima, FukushimaTsuchiyu Onsen and Tsuchiyu-toge Onsen-kyoA hot spring town in the valley of the Arakawa River, which flows from the Azuma mountains, inside Bandai-Asahi National Park. With over 1,400 years of history and more than 10 types of spring water, it is known as the birthplace of the traditional craft "Tsuchiyu kokeshi" dolls. In the town there are three foot baths using 100% source water, open all year. Further into the mountains is "Tsuchiyu-toge Onsen-kyo", a highland hot spring area at the Tsuchiyu end of the Bandai-Azuma Skyline, with scattered single inns; in late April you can bathe looking at the remaining snow.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Andy Wilson / Pexels (resized)Aizuwakamatsu, FukushimaTsuruga-jo Castle, Aizu-WakamatsuThe symbol of Aizu-Wakamatsu; the reconstructed keep houses a local history museum and the top floor looks out over the city.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTarui, GifuBodaisan Castle RuinsThe site of the mountain castle of Takenaka Hanbei, north-west of the Takenaka clan residence. It stands on a 402 m summit reached by a 2.7 km hiking course, and the castle site was large, about 260 m north to south and up to 60 m east to west.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACGifu, GifuCormorant Fishing on the Nagara River, GifuThe traditional fishing method "ukai", in which cormorant masters and their birds work as one by the light of blazing fires on the river, with Mt. Kinka and Gifu Castle as a backdrop. Its history goes back over 1,300 years; it was protected by rulers such as Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu, Matsuo Basho left a haiku about it, and Charlie Chaplin came to watch twice. It is held every night from May 11 to October 15, except on the night of the harvest moon and when the river is high.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACEna, GifuEnakyo GorgeNamed Enakyo in 1920 by the geographer Shiga Shigetaka, this is a man-made lake formed about 100 years ago when the Kiso River was dammed by the Oi Dam. Strange rocks line both banks; in spring about 200 cherry trees bloom at Sazanami Hiroba along with azaleas, in summer the red Enakyo Bridge stands out against the deep green, in autumn maples colour the lake, and in winter mandarin ducks and starlings arrive for birdwatching.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Gero, GifuGero OnsenA hot spring town on the Hida River, praised as one of Japan's "three famous hot springs" alongside Arima (Hyogo) and Kusatsu (Gunma). With a "Yumeguri Tegata" pass you can bathe at three member inns, and the town has the Funsen-ike spring by the river, three public bathhouses and free foot baths.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACGero, GifuGero Onsen Gassho VillageA recreated village of 10 gassho-zukuri houses moved from Shirakawa-go and elsewhere, centred on the former Oto family house (Important Cultural Property), with a folk museum of farm tools and utensils, workshops for pottery, painting and paper making, and the Enku Hall showing Enku's Buddhist statues.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACGifu, GifuGifu CastleA castle on the summit of Mt. Kinka, known as impregnable, once the seat of Saito Dosan and then Oda Nobunaga, who is said to have renamed the place Gifu. The present castle was rebuilt in Showa 31 (1956).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACGifu, GifuGifu Kinkazan RopewayA ropeway linking Gifu Park with the summit of Mt. Kinka (329 m) in about 4 minutes, running every 15 minutes (every 10 when busy), with views of the natural forest of Mt. Kinka, the Nagara River and the city. Near the summit station are a squirrel village, a shop and a restaurant; it also runs at night for limited periods.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 名古屋太郎 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Kakamigahara, GifuGifu-Kakamigahara Air and Space MuseumNicknamed "Sorahaku", this museum collects and displays aircraft, aviation materials and space development materials. More than 50 exhibits include real aeroplanes and helicopters and full-size models of space probes, among them the "Hien" (Type 2) built in Kakamigahara and a full-size model of "Kibo", the Japanese module of the International Space Station. Flight simulators of small jets and airliners and workshops let visitors see, learn and try, and the cafe and museum shop can be used without entering the museum.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACGujo, GifuGujo Hachiman CastleSaid to be Japan's oldest wooden reconstructed castle, which began as a fort built by Endo Morikazu in 1559 (Eiroku 2). All the stone walls are prefectural historic sites and the keep is a city tangible cultural property; the keep overlooks the castle town and the mountains of Oku-Mino, and the castle turns red with autumn leaves in early to mid-November, with night illumination.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACGujo, GifuGujo Hachiman Old TownA castle town on the upper Nagara River, famous for clear water such as the Sogi-sui spring and the summer Gujo Odori dance. In streets such as Shokunin-machi and Kajiya-machi, old houses line waterways running past their eaves; after a great fire the town was rebuilt with canals as a "water castle town" resistant to fire.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakayama, GifuHida Folk Village (Hida no Sato)An open-air museum of old Hida farmhouses moved and rebuilt here, with gassho-zukuri houses among the buildings, on a site of about 130,000 square metres.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: inunami / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Takayama, GifuHida Great Limestone CaveA limestone cave at an altitude of 900 m with an 800 m exploration course; in winter an "ice canyon" appears. Pets are allowed (no pet strollers because of the stairs).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Qurren / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Takayama, GifuHirayu Otaki FallsA waterfall 64 metres high and 6 metres wide, chosen as one of Japan's 100 best waterfalls; a walking path leads about 20 minutes from the car park to the falls. In winter it freezes into an icefall, and the "Ketsuhyo Matsuri" (ice festival) is held every winter.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACGujo, GifuHirugano Watershed ParkA park on the Hirugano Plateau (about 875 m) where water flowing down from Mt. Dainichi divides, heading to the Pacific on one side and the Sea of Japan on the other, laid out so you can see the water split at a glance. Dogtooth violets and skunk cabbage bloom in spring, Sasayuri lilies in the rainy season, and the autumn leaves are fine.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACEna, GifuIwamura Castle TownIwamura flourished as the political, economic and cultural centre of the Tono region, and historic merchant houses and townhouses still line its streets, selected as a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. Along the stone-paved street with lattice doors are shops selling the local castella, gohei-mochi and kankara-mochi, a sake brewery, and antique and handmade-goods shops.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Oilstreet / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Gifu, GifuKawaramachi District, GifuA river port where merchants came and went from the time of Oda Nobunaga, with latticed townhouses, a round red postbox and lanes between tall black storehouse walls. Many townhouses and storehouses have become shops, from Italian and Chinese restaurants to cafes and sundries, and there are Gifu souvenirs such as grilled ayu, ayu sweets and Gifu fans. It is right by the cormorant-fishing boat landing.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNakatsugawa, GifuMagome-juku Post TownA post town along a stone-paved slope, with the birthplace of the novelist Shimazaki Toson (the honjin) now a museum telling the history of Magome. Photo points include a waterwheel, the stone-paved slope and a viewpoint facing Mt. Ena; the Toson residence site was added in 2020 to the Japan Heritage "Kisoji wa subete yama no naka".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNakatsugawa, GifuNaegi Castle RuinsA mountain castle (National Historic Site) built in Daiei 6 (1526) by the Toyama clan, whose stone walls make use of huge natural rocks, with six different masonry techniques. The observatory on the keep site gives a 360-degree view of Mt. Ena, the Kiso River and the city; it was chosen as one of the "Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles" in 2017.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: K.F. / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Takayama, GifuNakabashi BridgeA bridge with vermilion railings over the Miyagawa River, loved as a symbol of Takayama; it was once a key point for defending Takayama Castle and the starting point of highways, and marks 100 years since it was rebuilt in Taisho 14. It is framed by cherry blossoms in spring and snow in winter, and lit up at night.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSeki, GifuNameless Pond ("Monet's Pond")A pond in the grounds of Nemichi Shrine in Itadori, Seki, where water lilies bloom in very clear spring water and colourful carp swim; its colours change with the angle and season, like Claude Monet's "Water Lilies". Originally an irrigation pond, not built for tourists, it became a talking point on social media. Spring water keeps it from freezing even in winter.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShirakawa, GifuOgimachi Castle Ruins Observation DeckThe site of a medieval mountain castle on a sheer cliff, and the best photo spot for the Shirakawa-go gassho-zukuri village spread out below; you can see that the houses all face the same direction to avoid snow and wind.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSekigahara, GifuSekigahara BattlefieldThe "decisive battle site", in the middle of today's farmland, is where some of the fiercest fighting of the Battle of Sekigahara took place; it has a stone monument and flags with the Tokugawa and Ishida family crests. To the northwest is Sasaoyama, where Ishida Mitsunari, commander of the Western army, set up his camp; horse-blocking fences have been rebuilt at its foot and a stone marks his camp at the top. Other sites include Tokugawa Ieyasu's last camp, the Maruyama beacon site and the place where the battle began, and rental bicycles are handy for touring them.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Alpsdake / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Takayama, GifuShinhotaka RopewayA ropeway in the Okuhida Onsen area that takes you up to 2,156 m in Japan's only double-decker gondola, with a 360-degree panorama of Mt. Nishihotaka, Mt. Yari, Mt. Kasa and other peaks of the Northern Alps. Autumn leaves usually last from early to late October, and a huge snow corridor forms in winter.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShirakawa, GifuShirakawa-go Gassho-zukuri Village (Ogimachi)A village of gassho-zukuri farmhouses in one of Japan's heaviest snowfall areas, where people still live. It was selected as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 1976 and, together with Gokayama (Toyama), registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (cultural) in 1995 as "Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama". Ogimachi has set three principles: "do not sell, do not rent, do not destroy".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Fumihiko Ueno / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Gujo, GifuSogisui SpringA spring that is the symbol of Gujo Hachiman, "the town of water", handing down a story of the Muromachi period: in Bunmei 3 (1471), when the renga poet Sogi returned to Kyoto after receiving the secret teachings of the Kokinshu from Tō Tsuneyori, lord of Gujo, master and pupil exchanged poems beside this spring, so it is also called "Hakuunsui".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOgaki, GifuSunomata Ichiya CastleSunomata Ichiya Castle is said to have been built in a single night in 1566 by Kinoshita Tokichiro, later Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Known for its avenue of cherry trees, it can be enjoyed through the seasons. The history museum shows the building of Sunomata Castle and the path Hideyoshi followed, based on historical materials. Sunomata-juku grew as a post town on the Minoji, an important side road linking the Tokaido and the Nakasendo.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakayama, GifuTakayama JinyaThe shogunate's government office that ruled Hida Province in the Edo period, and the only surviving gundai/daikan office; it was raised to a gundai office in An'ei 6 (1777).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Takayama, GifuTakayama Old TownA historic district that grew as a castle town and merchant town in the Edo period; the three streets of Kamimachi and Shimomachi are selected as a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. Rows of latticed windows, clear water channels under the eaves and sake breweries hung with "sakabayashi" balls of cedar leaves line the streets.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Yones / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Nakatsugawa, GifuTsukechi GorgeA gorge chosen among Japan's 100 best forests for forest bathing, Gifu's 50 best waters and the 33 best autumn-leaf spots of Hida and Mino. Along a walking path of about 860 m you see the Kannon Falls flowing over rock and the powerful Fudo Falls beside the crystal-clear "Aokawa" river.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: SHori / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Takayama, GifuUtsue Shijuhachi-taki Falls Prefectural Natural ParkA park 20 minutes by car from Takayama IC, designated a Gifu Prefecture Natural Monument in Showa 11, where the Shijuhachi-taki River forms a series of 13 waterfalls in a steep valley; the maintained walking path is easy for children and older people alike.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShirakawa, GifuWada HouseThe largest gassho-zukuri house in Ogimachi and a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. The family served as village headmen and checkpoint officials in the Edo period and prospered through the trade in saltpetre. It is still lived in, with the first and second floors open to visitors, showing an irori hearth room, a Buddhist altar room, old tools and red lacquer tableware used at weddings.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYoro, GifuYoro Park and Yoro FallsYoro Falls, one of Japan's 100 best waterfalls, has long been told of as the "filial piety falls", with the story of a parent and child for whom its clear water turned into sake. Its grand scenery has attracted many writers and artists.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACGero, GifuZensho-ji TempleA Rinzai temple of the Myoshin-ji school said to have been founded in the Heian period, counted among the "Ten Great Temples", with buildings in the Chinese Song style. The grounds include the "Banzaido" garden by Kanamori Sowa (a prefectural Place of Scenic Beauty), a tea room, a large Daruma painting by Sesshu, and a great cedar about 1,200 years old that is a national natural monument.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMaebashi, GunmaAkagi Shrine (Lake Onuma)A shrine on the shore of Lake Onuma on Mt. Akagi, in an area of lakes and the alpine-plant marsh Kakumanbuchi, known as "Little Oze".Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakasaki, GunmaByakue Dai-Kannon, TakasakiThe symbol of Takasaki, a 41.8 m, 6,000-tonne Kannon statue built in 1936 and said to have been the largest in Asia at the time; you can go inside.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 雷太 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Nakanojo, GunmaChatsubomigoke Moss ParkThe only place in the Kanto region where chatsubomigoke moss grows in colonies, nurtured by strongly acidic mineral water from the Anajigoku spring; in early June the green moss contrasts with Japanese azaleas.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Numata, GunmaFukiware Falls"The Niagara of the Orient", a waterfall about 7 m high and 30 m wide where the soft bedrock has split open; free, with footpaths, a suspension bridge and viewing decks.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: temaki from tokyo, Japan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Tomioka, GunmaGunma Safari ParkA safari park where lions, tigers, rhinos, zebras and giraffes roam free, seen from a tour bus or your own car; it is the only place in Japan showing Sumatran elephants, and the feeding bus is popular.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakasaki, GunmaHaruna ShrineA shrine said to date back about 1,400 years, reached by a long approach among giant rocks and cedars, with Important Cultural Property buildings at its end.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: ウィキ太郎 (Wiki Taro) / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Minakami, GunmaHoshi OnsenA secluded single-inn hot spring in Joshin'etsu Kogen National Park, where the water wells up naturally from beneath the bath itself, inside a wooden building registered as a Tangible Cultural Property.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShibukawa, GunmaIkaho Green Bokujo FarmA farm at the foot of Mt. Haruna near Ikaho Onsen with sheepdog shows, walks with goats and sheep, rabbit petting, feeding and horse riding.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShibukawa, GunmaIkaho Stone StepsThe 365 stone steps at the heart of Ikaho Onsen, laid out in 1576 with hot-spring water channelled beneath them, lined with inns, souvenir shops and shooting galleries.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Suikotei / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kiryu, GunmaKiryu Shinmachi Historic DistrictA town laid out about 400 years ago from Tenmangu shrine, where Honcho 1-2 chome still keep textile storehouses, merchant houses and sawtooth-roofed factories from Kiryu's weaving heyday, along with the original plot layout.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: shinohal / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Takasaki, GunmaLake HarunaA caldera lake on Mt. Haruna whose view of Haruna-fuji was loved by the Taisho painter Takehisa Yumeji, with boats, cycling and horse-drawn carriages around the shore.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Mukasora / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Takayama, GunmaLockheart CastleA historic castle moved and restored from Scotland, often used as a film and drama location. The 100,000 m2 grounds recreate a medieval European townscape with a stone church, a restaurant serving European country food and local beer, and an English garden with seasonal flowers; the "Princess Experience" lets you choose from over 500 dresses and take photos around the castle and garden.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Tsumagoi, GunmaManza OnsenA hot-spring resort at 1,800 m near the Nagano border, with over 20 sources of about 80°C water among the richest in sulphur in Japan; each inn draws its own spring, so colour and feel vary.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Guilhem Vellut / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Maebashi, GunmaMt. Akagi and Lake OnumaMt. Akagi, one of Japan's 100 Famous Mountains, is a volcano whose main peak Kurobisan rises to 1,828 m; its caldera lake Onuma offers boating in summer and ice fishing for smelt when it freezes in winter.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Jesse Fuller / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Tomioka, GunmaMt. MyogiOne of Japan's three most unusual landscapes, a mountain of jagged rock formations with views over the Kanto Plain; with Akagi and Haruna it is one of Gunma's three great mountains, and famous for autumn colours.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYoshioka, GunmaOkkirikomi no FurusatoOne of the few restaurants in Gunma specialising in okkirikomi, a Gunma local dish; it has been making it for 46 years and serves it all year.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Tsumagoi, GunmaOnioshidashi ParkA landscape of lava from the great 1783 eruption of Mt. Asama, named for the story that a demon pushed the rocks out of the crater; alpine flowers bloom among the rocks from around May.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKusatsu, GunmaSainokawara ParkSaid to be named for its place at the western edge of Kusatsu Onsen, the area is a special zone of the Joshinetsu Kogen National Park, with a large open-air bath at the far end. Kusatsu, one of Japan's three famous hot springs, has the largest natural flow of hot water in Japan, and here springs rise all over the wide riverbed at 1,400 litres a minute, flowing into streams of hot water that form waterfalls and pools. It is a 15-minute walk from Yubatake through the steam of the spa town, and the park is lit up from sunset until 22:00.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNakanojo, GunmaShima Blue (Lake Shima and Lake Okushima)Lake Shima at the gateway to Shima Onsen and Lake Okushima at its innermost end are dam lakes created by the Shimagawa and Nakanojo dams. Their greatest feature is the water, whose colour changes several times a day with the light and time: cobalt, indigo and turquoise, a world of blue called "Shima Blue". In the green season SUP and canoe tours are popular, and there are autumn leaves in autumn and snow scenes in winter.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Kentaro Ohno / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Nakanojo, GunmaShima OnsenA long, narrow hot-spring village of five districts along the clear Shima River, a traditional healing spa said to cure "40,000 ailments", with no traffic lights or convenience stores in sight.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMinakami, GunmaTakaragawa OnsenA single-inn hot spring at the headwaters of the Tone River, with huge open-air baths on both banks; everyone wears a bathing gown, so men and women can move freely between pools.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMinakami, GunmaTanigawadake Joch RopewayThe ropeway up Mt. Tanigawa, now run as Tanigawadake Joch, with fresh greenery in spring, alpine flowers in summer, autumn leaves and skiing in winter.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAnnaka, GunmaUsui Pass "Megane-bashi" BridgeJapan's largest brick arch bridge, completed in 1892 for the country's first rack railway over the Usui Pass, an Important Cultural Property popular in the autumn leaf season.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAnnaka, GunmaUsui Pass Railway Heritage ParkA railway theme park telling the history of the Usui Pass line, with 40 railway cars on display to see, touch and experience.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMidori, GunmaWatarase Keikoku RailwayA 44.1 km local railway from Kiryu in Gunma to Mato in Nikko, Tochigi, winding along the Watarase River for about 1 hour 20 minutes; the diesel-hauled open trolley train is a favourite.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakasaki, GunmaYaki-manju Paradise, Cafe Takasaki JimanGunma's soul food, grilled miso-glazed yaki-manju buns, reinvented as a dessert with seasonal Takasaki fruit and silk gelato, 1 minute from Takasaki Station.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Aspere / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (cropped and resized)Kusatsu, GunmaYubatake, Kusatsu OnsenThe symbol of Kusatsu Onsen, a steaming source that pours out about 4,000 litres a minute, with two footbaths nearby; open 24 hours and free.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFukuyama, HiroshimaAbuto Kannon (Bandaiji Kannon Hall)At the tip of the Numakuma Peninsula in south-east Fukuyama, this Kannon hall juts out from a cliff over the sea, its vermilion pillars and beams vivid against the blue sky and sea. Long known as a scenic spot, it was painted by Utagawa Hiroshige in "Famous Views of the Sixty-odd Provinces". The veranda around the hall slopes slightly towards the sea and has low railings, giving thrilling views of the islands of the Seto Inland Sea. The present hall is said to have been built by the warlord Mori Terumoto and is an Important Cultural Property.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Fukuyama, HiroshimaFukuzen-ji Taichoro HallA guest hall next to the main hall of Fukuzen-ji, built around 1690 in the Genroku era and designated a national historic site. The sea view from its room is superb: in 1711 Yi Bang-eon of the Korean envoy mission praised it as "Nitto daiichi keisho" (the finest scenery in Japan), and in 1748 Hong Gyeong-hae left the calligraphy "Taichoro".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Oos / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Onomichi, HiroshimaHirayama Ikuo Museum of ArtA museum showing works by the Japanese-style painter Hirayama Ikuo, born in Setoda, from his childhood works to his great Silk Road paintings; you can see how the landscape of his home island Ikuchijima shaped him, and the full-size final sketches (ooshitazu) made before the finished paintings.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Glen Zi 加侖子 / Pexels (resized)Hiroshima, HiroshimaHiroshima CastleConstruction began in Tensho 17 (1589) under Mori Terumoto; in the Edo period it was the seat of Fukushima Masanori and then 12 generations of the Asano clan. All its buildings were destroyed by the atomic bomb, and in 1994 (Heisei 6) the Hira, Tamon and Taiko turrets were completed, restoring the Ninomaru. The main keep closed in March 2026 due to ageing and other reasons, but its exterior can still be viewed.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Wiiii / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)Hiroshima, HiroshimaHiroshima Peace Memorial MuseumOpened in 1955 to convey the reality of the damage caused by the atomic bomb to people around the world and to contribute to the abolition of nuclear weapons and lasting world peace. It collects and displays belongings of A-bomb victims and photographs and materials showing the devastation, and presents Hiroshima before and after the bombing and the state of the nuclear age.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Yoshio Kohara / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Onomichi, HiroshimaInnoshima Suigun CastleJapan's only "suigun castle", displaying materials on the Murakami Kaizoku (Murakami navy), recognised as Japan Heritage, active here from the Nanboku-cho through the Sengoku period, such as armour, swords and scrolls on tactics. At Konren-ji at the foot of the castle are the gravestones of generations of the Murakami.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: JordyMeow / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Hatsukaichi, HiroshimaItsukushima ShrineSaid to have been founded in the first year of Empress Suiko (593). Because the whole island was revered as an island of the gods, it was thought too awe-inspiring to build on land, so the shrine was built where the tide ebbs and flows. Taira no Kiyomori built the shrine buildings in their present form; 17 buildings and 3 structures are National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties, and the corridors run about 260 m.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOnomichi, HiroshimaJodo-ji TempleSaid to have been founded by Prince Shotoku in 616; the main hall and the tahoto pagoda are National Treasures and the whole precinct is a nationally designated cultural property, so it is also called "the temple of National Treasures". Ashikaga Takauji prayed here for victory, and the teahouse "Rotekian", said to have been moved from Fushimi Castle, is an Important Cultural Property.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFukuyama, HiroshimaJoyato Lantern, TomonouraA lighthouse built in 1859 (Ansei 6) to guide ships in and out, the symbol of Tomonoura. Including the rounded stone base in the sea it is 12.1 m tall, the largest harbour lantern of its kind in Japan; it is lit at dusk.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOnomichi, HiroshimaKosan-ji Temple and MuseumA temple built by the businessman Kosanji Kozo as a memorial temple for his mother, whose halls are modelled on various National Treasure buildings; 15 of them are registered tangible cultural properties. The whole precinct is a museum showing Buddhist, tea-ceremony and modern art, and the marble garden "Miraishin no Oka", made over 12 years by the sculptor Kazuto Kuetani with marble all brought from Italy, covers 5,000 square metres.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Kzaral / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Kure, HiroshimaMitarai Historic TownscapeA port town that prospered in the Edo period as a place where ships waited for wind and tide, selected by the national government as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in Heisei 6. Merchant houses large and small, teahouses, boat inns, shrines and temples stand together along a web of lanes, and harbour structures such as the breakwater, stone bridge, tall lantern and stone-step landings remain.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHiroshima, HiroshimaMt. ArataniMt. Aratani in Asakita Ward, Hiroshima City, is a little-known spot for seas of clouds. From the 620 m summit, deep fog can cover the town below like a white ocean, and hilltops float like islands. It forms most easily on clear, humid mornings after a large temperature drop from radiative cooling, especially from September to November, and on foggy days it can linger until about 9 a.m. When there is no sea of clouds you can still look down on the Misasa River and farmland.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Josep M. Gracia / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Hatsukaichi, HiroshimaMt. Misen Observatory, MiyajimaAn observatory on the summit of Mt. Misen (535 m). On Miyajima, where the whole island was held sacred, the mountain itself is an object of worship, and the Misen primeval forest is a national natural monument. The observatory was rebuilt in 2013 to a design by Hiroshima-born architect Hiroshi Sambuichi, and "the view from the Miyajima Misen Observatory" was raised to three stars in the Michelin Green Guide Japan in 2015.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKure, HiroshimaMt. NoroIn the Setonaikai National Park in Kure, Mt. Noro is the highest peak on the Seto Inland Sea coast at 839 m. The "Sazanami Skyline" drive reaches near the summit, and the "Kabuto-iwa Observatory", a few minutes' walk from the car park beside the visitor centre, looks over the islands of the Inland Sea and, in good weather, the Ishizuchi range in Shikoku. Legend says the young Kobo Daishi trained here; the "Giant Rock Road" trail passes rocks such as "Ogasane-iwa" and the rock field "Gankai". There are cherry blossoms and azaleas in spring and autumn leaves, and in summer it is about 5 degrees cooler than the city.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOnomichi, HiroshimaMt. Shirataki, InnoshimaA 226.9 m peak and Innoshima's best-known viewpoint. The "500 Rakan" stone statues (actually about 700) along the approach and near the summit were made over three years from 1830 by Kashiwara Denroku, founder of Ikkankyo, and his disciples. Cherry blossoms in spring, autumn leaves and sunsets over the golden Seto Inland Sea are highlights.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFukuyama, HiroshimaMyoo-in TempleA temple said to have been founded by Kobo Daishi in 807 (Daido 2). Its main hall, in a style combining Japanese and Chinese elements, is the oldest surviving building of its kind, and its five-storey pagoda is the fifth oldest among Japan's National Treasure pagodas; both are National Treasures.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: そらみみ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Takehara, HiroshimaOkunoshima IslandAn island in the Seto Inland Sea, about 15 minutes by ferry from Tadanoumi Port, known for its many wild rabbits; several hundred live on the island. Rental bicycles make it easy to go around the roughly 4 km coast, and the island also has the Poison Gas Museum and ruins that tell of its past.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOnomichi, HiroshimaOnomichi City Museum of ArtA museum designed by the world-famous architect Tadao Ando, a symbol of Senkoji Park, holding works by artists linked with Onomichi such as Kobayashi Wasaku and Hirata Gyokuon, as well as by the French painter Georges Rouault. The café and shop on the ground floor and the second-floor terrace looking down on the Onomichi Channel and the Seto Inland Sea are also highlights.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHiroshima, HiroshimaOrizuru TowerA building just east of the Atomic Bomb Dome. From its rooftop observation deck you can see the Peace Memorial Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome and, on clear days, Mt. Misen on Miyajima: two World Heritage Sites at once. You can drop folded paper cranes into the "Orizuru Wall".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Mauricio Ortiz / Pexels (resized)Hiroshima, HiroshimaPeace Memorial ParkA city park created to mourn those killed by the atomic bomb and to pray for lasting world peace. The area, the city's central district from the Edo period to the early Showa era, was destroyed in an instant by the atomic bomb on August 6, 1945 (Showa 20); the park was completed in 1955 (Showa 30). It contains the Atomic Bomb Dome, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, many monuments and A-bombed Chinese parasol trees, and the sound of its Peace Bell is one of the Ministry of the Environment's 100 Soundscapes of Japan.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHigashihiroshima, HiroshimaSaijo Sake Brewery StreetSaijo is known as one of Japan's sake centres alongside Nada and Fushimi, and seven breweries still make sake around JR Saijo Station. The street keeps the national historic site "Saijo Sake Breweries" and brewery buildings selected as a "20th Century Heritage of Japan", with red-brick chimneys, red-tiled roofs and namako-walled and white-walled storehouses; some breweries offer tastings of sake and brewing water.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMihara, HiroshimaSankeien GardenA strolling Japanese garden of about 6 ha with a hill and pond, made to mark the opening of Hiroshima Airport. Modelled on Hiroshima's mountain valleys and the Seto Inland Sea, it has mountain, village and sea zones. There is a plum festival in March, fresh greenery, peonies and azaleas in May, a flower festival with 10,000 hydrangeas of 100 varieties in June, and an autumn-leaves festival in November.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOnomichi, HiroshimaSenko-ji TempleA Shingon temple said to have been founded by Kobo Daishi in Daido 1 (806), halfway up Mt. Senkoji; Senkoji Park is laid out around it. Its symbols are the vermilion main hall "Akado" and the bell tower, whose bell is one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan, and the grounds have many huge rocks such as the "Tama-no-iwa". The view from the grounds is one of Onomichi's signature scenes.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOnomichi, HiroshimaSenkoji ParkA park selected among Japan's 100 best cherry-blossom spots, with azaleas and wisteria through the seasons. The summit observatory was renovated in 2022, and below you can see the Onomichi Channel townscape (Japan Heritage) and the islands of the Shimanami Kaido, and on clear days the Shikoku mountains; the night view from the summit is one of Japan's 100 best night views. The path from the summit to Senko-ji is the "Literature Path", with poems carved in natural stones.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOnomichi, HiroshimaSenkojiyama RopewayA ropeway linking the town with Senkoji Park in 3 minutes, from which you can enjoy the miniature-garden-like townscape of Onomichi (Japan Heritage) with a guide's commentary.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFukuyama, HiroshimaShinshoji Zen Museum and GardensA temple whose whole precinct is a museum of Zen and gardens. The art pavilion "Kotei", a boat-shaped building wrapped entirely in wood, opened in September 2016; 20 to 30 works from a collection of 1,500 Zen calligraphies and paintings are shown in the halls without glass cases. You can also try "Shinshoji udon" and tea, and day or overnight Zen experiences at the international Zen dojo.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Hiroshima, HiroshimaShukkeien GardenA stroll garden built in Genna 6 (1620) by Ueda Soko, a chief retainer of the Asano domain known as a tea master, as the garden of the lord's villa. Large and small islands float in the central Takuei Pond. It was almost destroyed by the atomic bomb in 1945 (Showa 20), and the Seifukan, Meigetsutei and other buildings have since been restored.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKure, HiroshimaYamato Museum (Kure Maritime Museum)A museum with a faithful 1/10-scale model of the giant battleship Yamato, built in Kure, and real exhibits including a Zero fighter and a Kaiten human torpedo; it introduces the history of Kure and the science and technology, such as shipbuilding and steelmaking, behind Japan's modernisation.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: HOKKAIDO LOVE! Photo Library (Hokkaido Tourism Organization) / not for reuseAbashiri, HokkaidoAbashiri Prison MuseumAn open-air museum preserving the old buildings of Abashiri Prison, including four Important Cultural Properties, on a site about 3.5 times the size of Tokyo Dome.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 欅 (Keyaki) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Asahikawa, HokkaidoAsahiyama ZooA zoo run by Asahikawa City, open in a summer and a winter season, with houses for penguins, seals and polar bears and a penguin walk.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Lkj12344321 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Abashiri, HokkaidoAurora Drift Ice Sightseeing Icebreaker, AbashiriA one-hour icebreaker cruise into the Sea of Okhotsk drift ice, running only from late January to March; with no ice nearby it becomes a coastal cruise to Cape Notoro.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: MIKI Yoshihito / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Obihiro, HokkaidoBanei Tokachi, Obihiro RacecourseThe only horse race of its kind in the world: draft horses weighing about a ton pull iron sleds over two slopes on a 200 m straight course. Entry is free.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Highten31 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Muroran, HokkaidoCape ChikyuThe southern tip of the Etomo Peninsula in Muroran, with cliffs about 100 m high and the Chikyu-misaki lighthouse (lit in 1920); from 130 m above sea level the horizon seems to curve.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Douglas P. Perkins / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Nemuro, HokkaidoCape NosappuThe easternmost point of mainland Japan, where the sun rises first in the country; Hokkaido's oldest Western-style lighthouse (lit in 1872) stands at the tip, and on clear days you can see the Northern Territories.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Raita Futo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Wakkanai, HokkaidoCape SoyaThe northernmost point of Hokkaido's main island at 45°31'22"N, marked by a triangular monument; on clear days you can see Sakhalin more than 40 km away.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSarufutsu, HokkaidoEsanuka LineAn endless straight road in Sarufutsu, Japan's northernmost village, with no man-made structures on either side: only the asphalt and pastures as far as the eye can see. Apart from two crank bends, the road runs straight towards the horizon.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Jolly Yau / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Nakafurano, HokkaidoFarm TomitaA flower farm famous for its lavender fields, with free entry and free parking; the lavender peaks in early to mid July.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMonbetsu, HokkaidoGarinko Drift Ice Breaker CruiseA sightseeing icebreaker in Monbetsu that cuts through Okhotsk drift ice with two giant Archimedean screws at the bow; the Garinko, a Hokkaido Heritage, now runs as the Garinko III IMERU, with summer cruises too.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Shift / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kamikawa, HokkaidoGinga and Ryusei Falls, SounkyoTwo falls on the Sounkyo gorge cliffs, among Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls: the slender, silky Ginga and the single powerful Ryusei, seen up close from the car park.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHakodate, HokkaidoGoryokaku ParkA star-shaped Western-style fortress, a Special Historic Site and the last battlefield of the Boshin War; about 1,500 cherry trees bloom in spring, and the Hakodate Magistrate's Office was restored in 2010.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: HOKKAIDO LOVE! Photo Library (Hokkaido Tourism Organization) / not for reuseHakodate, HokkaidoGoryokaku TowerA tower whose observation deck, 90 m up, looks straight down on the star-shaped Goryokaku fort, a Special Historic Site, and across Hakodate to Mt. Hakodate.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (cropped and resized)Hakodate, HokkaidoHachimanzaka SlopeA stone-paved slope running straight down to Hakodate port, with the Seikan ferry Mashu Maru at its foot; named after Hakodate Hachimangu shrine that stood here until after the 1880 fire.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHakodate, HokkaidoHakodate Morning MarketAbout 250 stalls and eateries next to Hakodate Station selling crab, salmon and other seafood, with rice-bowl restaurants open from early morning.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: HOKKAIDO LOVE! Photo Library (Hokkaido Tourism Organization) / not for reuseSapporo, HokkaidoHistorical Village of HokkaidoAn open-air museum where buildings from across Hokkaido, built from the Meiji era to the early Showa era, have been moved and restored on 54.2 hectares, opened in 1983.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Sapporo Tourism Photo Library (City of Sapporo)Sapporo, HokkaidoHokkaido Jingu ShrineA Shinto shrine in Sapporo, 15 minutes on foot from Maruyama-Koen subway station, whose gates open and close at different times through the year.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: HOKKAIDO LOVE! Photo Library (Hokkaido Tourism Organization) / not for reuseAbashiri, HokkaidoHokkaido Museum of Northern PeoplesA museum on Mt. Tento in Abashiri about the peoples of the far north, from the Inuit of Greenland to the Sami of Scandinavia, and the ancient Okhotsk culture.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: HOKKAIDO LOVE! Photo Library (Hokkaido Tourism Organization) / not for reuseHakodate, HokkaidoKanemori Red Brick WarehouseRed-brick warehouses on Hakodate's bay, rebuilt in 1909 after the great fire and turned into shops, a beer hall and a hall in 1988; some are still working warehouses.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: lienyuan lee / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Kushiro, HokkaidoKushiro Japanese Crane ReserveA park 10 min from Kushiro Airport where red-crowned cranes, a Special Natural Monument, can be seen all year; in 1970 it achieved the world's first artificial hatching of the species.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kushiro, HokkaidoKushiro Marsh ObservatoryA city-run observatory over Kushiro Marsh, Japan's first Ramsar wetland, with exhibits, a rooftop view and a 2.5 km boardwalk loop.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Midori / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Kushiro, HokkaidoKushiro Washo MarketKushiro's market by the station, where you build your own "katte-don" rice bowl by buying rice at one stall and seafood toppings at others.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Inti-sol / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Kushiro, HokkaidoLake AkanA caldera lake formed about 150,000 years ago between Mt. Meakan and Mt. Oakan, the only place in the world where large marimo moss balls grow in colonies (a Special Natural Monument); Akanko Onsen lies on its south shore.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Teshikaga, HokkaidoLake Kussharo (Sunayu)Japan's largest caldera lake, 57 km round and the largest in Akan-Mashu National Park, with Nakajima island, the Wakoto Peninsula and open-air hot springs along its shore; canoeing and windsurfing are also possible.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Suicasmo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Teshikaga, HokkaidoLake MashuA caldera lake about 20 km round and up to 212 m deep, among the clearest in the world, ringed by 150-350 m cliffs; its deep "Mashu blue" and summer fogs are seen from three viewpoints.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: melvil / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Ashoro, HokkaidoLake OnnetoA lake about 20 min by car from Lake Akan, known for its reflection of Mt. Meakan; there is a viewing deck on the shore with room to park.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKitami, HokkaidoLake Saroma Wakka Primeval Flower GardenA 20 km sandbar between the Sea of Okhotsk and Lake Saroma, one of Japan's largest wild-flower grasslands (a Hokkaido Heritage) with over 300 coastal plants; cars are banned, so visitors rent bicycles at the nature centre.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Chitose, HokkaidoLake Shikotsu Visitor CenterThe national-park visitor centre by Lake Shikotsu, with exhibits on the volcanoes, forests and lake life, a kokanee salmon tank and a 15-minute film; the bus from New Chitose Airport takes about 55 min.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Toyako, HokkaidoLake Toya and Toyako OnsenJapan's third-largest caldera lake, with Mt. Usu and Mt. Yotei in view and a lakeside hot-spring town that holds a 20-minute firework show every night from late April to October.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: melvil / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Obihiro, HokkaidoManabe GardenA large garden in Obihiro combining a Japanese garden, a conifer-filled European garden and a landscape garden; open late April to late November, with pets and wheelchairs welcome.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: HOKKAIDO LOVE! Photo Library (Hokkaido Tourism Organization) / not for reuseMatsumae, HokkaidoMatsumae CastleJapan's last castle built in the traditional style (completed 1854) in Hokkaido's only castle town; the rebuilt keep is a museum, and the park has about 10,000 cherry trees of 250 varieties.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Higashikawa, HokkaidoMt. AsahidakeHokkaido's highest peak at 2,291 m, the symbol of Daisetsuzan National Park; a ropeway reaches Sugatami Station at about 1,600 m in about 10 minutes, where a 30-minute trail circles Sugatami Pond, and the autumn colours are the earliest in Japan.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHakodate, HokkaidoMt. Hakodate RopewayA three-minute ropeway ride up Mt. Hakodate (334 m) to one of Japan's best-known night views of the city.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Sorah Fukumori / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Sapporo, HokkaidoMt. Moiwa Ropeway, SapporoA ropeway and mini cable car up Mt. Moiwa, the classic spot for Sapporo's night view; open until 22:00 and wheelchair accessible all the way to the summit deck.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Sobetsu, HokkaidoMt. UsuAn active volcano that erupted four times in the 20th century (1910, 1944-45, 1977-78, 2000), part of Toya-Usu, one of Japan's first UNESCO Global Geoparks; a ropeway takes you to viewpoints over the crater and Lake Toya.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Oga / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kutchan, HokkaidoMt. Yotei (Ezo Fuji)A mountain called "Ezo Fuji" for its well-shaped form. Four climbing routes are maintained, about 80 kinds of alpine plants bloom near the summit in summer, and from the top a 360-degree panorama takes in the Sea of Japan to the west, the Pacific to the east and the town of Niseko and farmland below.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: HOKKAIDO LOVE! Photo Library (Hokkaido Tourism Organization) / not for reuseYoichi, HokkaidoNikka Whisky Yoichi DistilleryNikka's Hokkaido distillery, 5 min on foot from JR Yoichi Station: a free guided tour of the outdoor production area with tasting (booking required), plus a museum, shop and restaurant you can visit without booking.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNiseko, HokkaidoNiseko Takahashi Dairy Farm Milk KoboA dairy farm shop in Niseko selling soft-serve, cream puffs and drinking yogurt made with its own milk.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Calistemon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Noboribetsu, HokkaidoNoboribetsu Jigokudani / Hell ValleyAn explosion crater about 450 m across, full of steaming vents, that supplies some 10,000 tonnes of hot-spring water a day to Noboribetsu Onsen.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Sapporo Tourism Photo Library (City of Sapporo)Sapporo, HokkaidoOdori ParkA 1.5 km park strip through central Sapporo, from West 1-chome to West 12-chome, and the main venue for the Snow Festival, Autumn Fest and other events.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: lumoplank / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Nanae, HokkaidoOnuma Quasi-National ParkLakes Onuma and Konuma, dotted with 126 islets joined by bridges and walking paths, beneath Mt. Komagatake; 10 min by limited express from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: HOKKAIDO LOVE! Photo Library (Hokkaido Tourism Organization) / not for reuseOtaru, HokkaidoOtaru Art BaseFive museums in Otaru's old bank buildings and stone warehouses near the canal, including the former Mitsui Bank Otaru Branch, an Important Cultural Property.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Suicasmo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Otaru, HokkaidoOtaru CanalThe symbol of Otaru, a canal completed in 1923 and lined with stone warehouses; the North Canal keeps its original 40 m width, and 63 gas lamps light the stone path at dusk.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Twilight2640 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Otaru, HokkaidoOtaru Museum: Main Building and Canal BuildingOtaru's city museum: the Main Building in Temiya, where you can ride carriages pulled by the steam locomotive "Iron Horse", and the Canal Building beside the Otaru Canal, 1.5 km away.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShari, HokkaidoRoad to HeavenA straight road of 28.1 km linking National Routes 244 and 334, named because it looks as if it continues up to the sky. Near the top of the hill is a nameless observation deck overlooking the road and the Sea of Okhotsk, and only twice a year, around the spring and autumn equinoxes, the sun sets on the line of the road.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNakasatsunai, HokkaidoRokka no MoriA 100,000 m² forest garden of the wildflowers drawn on Rokkatei confectioner's wrapping paper, with galleries in relocated Croatian farmhouses; open from late April to mid-October.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Kzaral / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Sapporo, HokkaidoSapporo Beer MuseumA museum telling the story of beer-making that began in Sapporo as a Hokkaido development project, with a smartphone audio guide in Japanese, English, Korean and Chinese, and paid tastings.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Sapporo Tourism Photo Library (City of Sapporo)Sapporo, HokkaidoSapporo Clock TowerThe former drill hall of Sapporo Agricultural College, built in 1878 and now a museum; a National Important Cultural Property in the city center.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: S5A-0043 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped and resized)Sapporo, HokkaidoSapporo TV TowerA 144 m tower by Odori Park, with an observation deck at 90.38 m open until 22:00, right by exit 27 of Odori subway station.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Hakodate, HokkaidoSeikan Ferry Memorial Ship Mashu MaruThe Seikan ferry Mashu Maru, which once linked Aomori and Hakodate, moored at Hakodate port as a museum; see the bridge, radio room and exhibits, and look over Mt. Hakodate from the deck.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: lumoplank / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Biei, HokkaidoShikisai-no-Oka Flower FieldsHillside flower fields in Biei with an alpaca farm and tractor-bus rides; entry is charged only from July to September, and most payments are cash only.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Highten31 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kyowa, HokkaidoShinsen-numa PondSaid to be the most beautiful of the lakes around Niseko, a pond in a wetland reached by a boardwalk of about 20 minutes through alpine plants; grasses turn gold in autumn.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: lumoplank / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Biei, HokkaidoShirahige FallsA 30 m waterfall where groundwater gushes from the rocks into the cobalt-blue Biei River at Shirogane Onsen, lit up every evening all year.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Shari, HokkaidoShiretoko Five LakesFive lakes in virgin forest below the Shiretoko mountains, seen from a free elevated boardwalk or, with rules that change by season because of brown bears, from ground trails.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: AndyLeungHK / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Biei, HokkaidoShirogane Blue PondA pond formed behind an erosion-control dam below Mt. Tokachi, whose water looks strikingly blue among standing dead larches.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Sapporo, HokkaidoShiroi Koibito ParkThe theme park of Hokkaido's famous Shiroi Koibito biscuits: factory lines, a sweets workshop, a rose garden and a clock tower, 5 min from Miyanosawa subway station.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: NEXT-EXIT / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Nemuro, HokkaidoShunkunitai Wild Bird Sanctuary Nature CenterThe visitor centre for Shunkunitai, a sand spit between Nemuro Bay and Lake Furen with tidal flats, grassland and a rare pure forest of Sakhalin spruce; about 340 bird species have been recorded, and rangers are always on hand.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kamishihoro, HokkaidoTaushubetsu River Bridge (Old Shihoro Line Arch Bridges)Concrete arch bridges of the disused Shihoro railway line around Lake Nukabira, a Hokkaido Heritage; the Taushubetsu bridge appears from around January as the lake begins to freeze, and sinks beneath it by around August, earning the name "phantom bridge".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTsurui, HokkaidoTsurui-Ito Tancho Crane SanctuaryA sanctuary run by the Wild Bird Society of Japan on land given by a dairy farmer, where up to 300 red-crowned cranes gather in winter; from mid-February pairs perform courtship dances, watched from a warm nature centre.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Stingy Scoundrel / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)Kobe, HyogoAkashi Kaikyo BridgeOne of the world's largest suspension bridges, 3,911 m long, linking Kobe with Awaji Island, lit up at night. On the Kobe side, the Maiko Marine Promenade is a walkway about 47 m above the sea running out about 150 m from land, with glass floors looking down on the water; the Bridge World tour takes you up the tower, about 300 m above the sea.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAko, HyogoAko Seaside ParkA seaside park for picnics, sports, camping and glamping, with a science museum on the sea and how salt is made. "Tateho Wakuwaku Land" has a wide range of rides including a cycle monorail over the park, the big central pond has pedal boats, and at dusk the "Taiyo no Oka" hill looks over the sea turning orange.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKami, HyogoAmarube Viaduct "Sora no Eki"The Amarube Viaduct once supported the JR San'in Line for about 100 years and was at one time the highest in Japan. It was replaced in 2010, but three piers on the JR Amarube Station side were kept, and in 2013 part of the old track became "Sora no Eki", an observation deck 40 m above the ground. From it you can look over the Sea of Japan and see trains crossing the new bridge, and touch the rails and sleepers once in use. The all-glass lift "Amarube Crystal Tower" takes about 45 seconds and is lit up at night. The roadside station "Amarube" is at the foot.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAwaji, HyogoAwaji HanasajikiA prefectural nature park on a plateau in northern Awaji sloping gently towards the sea, covering an area about the size of three Tokyo Domes with a "carpet of flowers": rape blossoms and poppies in spring, sunflowers in summer, cosmos in autumn and stock in winter, with the Akashi Strait and Osaka Bay beyond. Entry is free.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Asturio Cantabrio / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Minamiawaji, HyogoAwaji Puppet TheatreAwaji Ningyo-za has carried on "Awaji Ningyo Joruri", a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, since the Edo period and still keeps it alive. Puppeteers, a chanter and a shamisen player perform as one. The puppets are larger than those of Bunraku, made to be seen by audiences outdoors, and quick costume changes and scenery changes are highlights.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAwaji, HyogoAwaji YumebutaiA complex designed by the architect Tadao Ando where nature and architecture are in harmony. The "Hyakudanen" garden of 100 flower beds rising in steps looks out over the Seto Inland Sea from the top, and the renovated greenhouse "Awaji Green Kan" shows rare plants from around the world; restaurants serve Awaji seafood, vegetables and Awaji beef.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTamba, HyogoByakugoji TempleA Tendai temple of about 1,300 years, said to have been founded in 705 by the hermit Hodo, and named because its principal image, Yakushi Nyorai, was said to shine from the white curl (byakugo) between its brows. In early summer the "kushaku-fuji" wisteria blooms like a purple shower, and the "Kushaku Fuji Festival" is held every early May, with the wisteria lit up at night. The grounds also have autumn leaves, rhododendrons in spring and crape myrtle in summer.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: iloverjoa / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Toyooka, HyogoGenbudo ParkA park designated a national natural monument, with scenery created by volcanic activity about 1.6 million years ago. Its highlight is columnar jointing, countless hexagonal columns formed as magma cooled; besides Genbudo cave there are four other caves (Seiryudo, Byakkodo, Kita-Suzakudo and Minami-Suzakudo), and the neighbouring Genbudo Museum explains how it formed.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Nikos Kitsakis / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Himeji, HyogoHimeji CastleA World Heritage Site and National Treasure with an original keep, and the first place in Japan to be registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Its beautiful white walls earned it the name "White Egret Castle" (Shirasagi-jo). With about 400 years of history, it escaped war and fire and still shows its original form; maze-like passages and steep stairs designed to stop invaders are among its highlights.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Himeji, HyogoIeshima IslandsA group of 44 islands large and small in the Harima Sea, just 30 minutes by boat from Himeji Port and part of Setonaikai National Park. Ieshima keeps the atmosphere of an old fishing town, with Ieshima Shrine associated with Sugawara no Michizane; Bouze Island is known for fresh seafood such as its branded mackerel and octopus.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKobe, HyogoIkuta ShrineA shrine with about 1,800 years of history in Sannomiya, the heart of Kobe, said to be the origin of the name "Kobe". Its main deity is Wakahirume-no-mikoto. The grounds include the Ikuta Forest, known as a battlefield of the Genpei War, and a row of vermilion torii gates at the Inari shrine.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAko, HyogoIwatsuhime ShrineAn old shrine dating from the Heian period, standing at the tip of Ako Misaki facing the sea; through the torii in front spreads a panorama of the sparkling Seto Inland Sea. Seasonal events include the Tondo festival in January, the Wakoshi festival in June with its grass ring, and lion dances at the autumn festival in October. From the shrine the colourful tiled "Kirakira-zaka" slope leads down to the sea.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACToyooka, HyogoIzushi Castle RuinsThe ruins of a hill castle built by the Koide clan, the symbol of the castle town of Izushi. Past a row of vermilion torii of the Inari shrine and up steep steps, you look over the grid-plan town and its clock tower "Shinkoro". The rough "nozura-zumi" stone walls remain, and the corner turret, gate and bridge have been rebuilt; the local speciality is Izushi sara soba.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Toyooka, HyogoKannabe HighlandsHighlands at 350 m surrounded by mountains, comfortable even in summer, where you can enjoy paragliding with instructors, golf, tennis, and skiing and snowboarding at three ski areas (Up Kannabe, Okukannabe and Manba). Mountain-vegetable picking and trout fishing in spring, camping in summer, autumn leaves and waterfalls in autumn and snow scenery in winter can all be enjoyed.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Naoki Seto / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Minamiawaji, HyogoKeino Matsubara BeachWhite sand and a forest of about 50,000 pine trees stretching about 2.5 km along the west coast of Awaji Island, a location for films and period dramas. The sunset over the Seto Inland Sea is chosen as one of Japan's 100 best sunsets, and the "Propose Kaido" displays carved tiles, a speciality of Minamiawaji, one of Japan's leading tile-producing areas.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (cropped and resized)Toyooka, HyogoKinosaki OnsenOne of the Kansai region's leading hot spring towns, with about 1,300 years of history, on the Sea of Japan side of northern Hyogo. Willows line the Otani River through the town, and the "sotoyu meguri", strolling in yukata between several public bathhouses, is a local speciality; snow crab in winter and Tajima beef and seafood all year round are also enjoyed.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAko, HyogoKirakira-zaka SlopeA romantic stone-paved path that slopes gently down to the Seto Inland Sea from the grounds of Iwatsuhime Shrine, with views of the calm sea from partway down and from the top. Its name is said to come from the blue sky, wide sea and white waves that sparkle as you walk down. At dusk the setting sun sparkles on the water. Cafes and restaurants are dotted around, and there are glass-making and salt-making workshops.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Brett Fagan / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Kobe, HyogoKobe HarborlandA classic Kobe sightseeing spot where you can spend a day by the harbour. Along the sea side of the umie shopping mall, "umie MOSAIC" has cafes, restaurants and shops looking out on Kobe Port; the Mosaic Big Ferris Wheel is its symbol, and the area is lit up at night. The Kobe Anpanman Children's Museum & Mall is next door.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Kobe, HyogoKobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens & RopewayA ropeway of about 10 minutes from a base station 5 minutes' walk from Shin-Kobe Station, with views of the city, the port and Nunobiki Falls, up to one of Japan's largest herb gardens at about 400 m, where some 75,000 plants of about 200 kinds of herbs and flowers bloom in 12 themed gardens.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (cropped)Himeji, HyogoKokoen GardenA Japanese stroll garden on the site of the western residence of Himeji Castle, using the castle as borrowed scenery. Opened in 1992, it has nine gardens of different character in the Edo-period style, and you can enjoy matcha and Japanese sweets at the Sojuan teahouse. The autumn-leaf light-up is a highlight.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Naokijp / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kobe, HyogoMeriken ParkKobe's signature waterfront, made by combining the old Meriken Wharf with reclaimed land. It has the Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park, which conveys the damage of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and the Kobe Maritime Museum shaped like a white sailing ship; the "BE KOBE" monument is a popular photo spot and is lit up at night.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Kobe, HyogoMt. Maya Kikuseidai ObservatoryAn observation plaza at about 700 m, reached by cable car and ropeway, known as one of Kobe's best night-view spots. The panorama over the city of Kobe to Osaka Bay and Kansai Airport is counted among Japan's three great night views, the "ten-million-dollar night view".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: そらみみ (Soramimi) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kobe, HyogoNankinmachi (Kobe Chinatown)One of Japan's three great Chinatowns, with Yokohama and Nagasaki, where Chinese restaurants and shops crowd an area about 270 m east to west and 110 m north to south. The streets were built by people who came from China when Kobe Port opened in the Meiji era, and events include the Spring Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Lantern Fair in December.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Nishinomiya, HyogoNishinomiya Shrine (Nishinomiya Ebisu)Affectionately called "Ebessan" in Kansai, Nishinomiya Shrine enshrines Ebisu and is the head shrine of all Ebisu shrines in Japan, said to be over 1,000 years old. Its main hall is in the rare "Nishinomiya-zukuri" style and is a registered tangible cultural property; many sake barrels offered by breweries across Japan line the vermilion buildings. The "Toka Ebisu" festival held for three days from January 9 each year is a winter tradition in Kansai, and its highlight is the "Kaimon Shinji Fukuotoko Erabi" at 6 a.m. on the 10th, when people race about 200 m from the main gate to the main hall as the gate opens.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Laitr Keiows / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)Kobe, HyogoNunobiki FallsFalls on the middle reaches of the Ikuta River, about 15 minutes' walk along a hiking trail from Shin-Kobe Station. Counted among Japan's three great sacred falls and chosen as one of Japan's 100 best waterfalls, Nunobiki is the collective name for four falls (Ontaki, Mentaki, Meotodaki and Tsutsumigadaki); Ontaki falls from a height of 43 m. It appears in the classic "Tales of Ise".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakarazuka, HyogoOsamu Tezuka Manga MuseumA museum where you can experience the world of the manga master Osamu Tezuka. The entrance hall is modelled on the palace in "Princess Knight", the permanent exhibition shows materials on "Astro Boy" and "Black Jack", and exhibitions change three times a year. The library holds about 2,000 Tezuka volumes to read freely, and in the "Animation Workshop" you can make your own animation.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakasago, HyogoOshiko Shrine (Ishi-no-Hoden)The "Ishi-no-Hoden" enshrined as the sacred body of Oshiko Shrine is counted among the "three wonders of Japan". The huge carved stone, estimated at about 500 t, is also called "Ukiishi" (floating stone) because it seems to float on water; it was cut by human hands, but who made it, why and how remains unknown. From the path to the hilltop park behind the shrine you can see the whole stone.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: そらみみ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kobe, HyogoRokko Garden TerraceAn area near the summit of Mt. Rokko at about 880 m with views, food and shopping, looking out over Kobe to the Akashi Strait, Osaka Bay and Kansai Airport. The night view from Mt. Rokko is known as the "ten-million-dollar night view", and the "Rokko Shidare" observatory is its symbol.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTambasasayama, HyogoSasayama Castle OshoinA historic building of Sasayama Castle, built on the orders of Tokugawa Ieyasu; the grounds, moats and stone walls keep the look of the time. Inside is a museum with a castle model, panels and a video "The Story of Sasayama Castle", and you can try on samurai armour or a princess's robe and walk around and take photos in them.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (cropped and resized)Tambasasayama, HyogoSasayama Castle TownA district around Sasayama Castle with a history going back to the Edo period, lined with white-walled townhouses, samurai residences and merchant houses; old buildings now house cafes, restaurants, Tamba pottery galleries and shops. Old-established bakeries and sweet shops over 100 years old offer food made with Tamba chestnuts and black soybeans, and in the chestnut season (September to November) many come for "kuri mochi".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHimeji, HyogoShoshazan Engyoji TempleAn old Tendai temple on the summit of Mt. Shosha, called "the Mt. Hiei of the West", founded by the priest Shoku in 966 and the 27th temple of the Saigoku 33 Kannon pilgrimage. Its highlights are the Maniden hall built on stilts on a cliff and three halls (Daikodo, Jikido and Jogyodo) arranged in a U shape; seeing everything takes about an hour and a half to two hours. It was a filming location for "The Last Samurai".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKobe, HyogoSumaura Sanjo Amusement ParkAn amusement park on a hilltop with fine views and quirky attractions. From Sumaura-koen Station (Sanyo Railway) you ride the Sumaura Ropeway up to Hachibuse-sanjo Station, then the "Carlator", a two-seat basket-like conveyor, to the revolving observatory. From above you can see the Suma sea, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge and Awaji Island; the revolving observatory has a retro game corner and a revolving cafe ("Cosmos") that turns once in 55 minutes, and a sightseeing lift leads to rides such as a two-seat cycle monorail.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSumoto, HyogoSumoto Castle RuinsCastle ruins overlooking Sumoto and the blue sea, with Japan's oldest mock castle keep on the summit: not a reconstruction but a reinforced-concrete keep built to commemorate the enthronement of Emperor Showa. It is open free of charge as Mikumayama Park, and on clear days you may see as far as Kansai Airport and Osaka; cherry trees bloom in spring, and the Sumoto Castle Festival is held every November 3.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAsago, HyogoTakeda Castle RuinsCastle ruins on a 353 m summit with 600 years of history. In the early mornings of late autumn, when thick fog rises, they look like an island floating in a sea of clouds, and are called "the castle in the sky" or "Japan's Machu Picchu"; the best chance is from late September to early December, and the recommended viewpoint is Ritsunkyo opposite.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Kamikawa, HyogoTonomine HighlandA vast highland at about 900 m in Kamikawa, known for its fields of silver grass and used as a location for films and NHK historical dramas. In autumn the grass covers the whole area and sparkles in the wind. It covers about 19 Tokyo Domes, with boardwalks so it is simple to walk around; bring warm clothing in the grass season. The "Tonomine Shizen Koryukan" has an observation terrace and charcoal-grilled dumplings, and next door soba is served. There is fresh greenery in spring and summer and snow in winter, and it is also good for stargazing.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (cropped and resized)Kobe, HyogoZuihoji ParkA park on the site of the Obaku-sect Zuihoji temple, abandoned in the early Meiji era, known as the "Higurashi Garden" and a famous spot for autumn leaves. It has a stone go board said to have been used by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a monument to the Hyakunin Isshu poems and the old temple gate said to have been moved from Fushimi Castle; every November an outdoor tea ceremony of the "Arima Grand Tea Party" is held in memory of Hideyoshi.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Miyuki Meinaka / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Oarai, IbarakiAquaworld Ibaraki Oarai AquariumA large aquarium on the Oarai coast, open all year including New Year, with lifts, braille maps and sign-language support.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: MChew / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)Shimotsuma, IbarakiDaiho Hachimangu ShrineSaid to be the oldest Hachiman shrine in Kanto, founded in 701 by inviting the deity of Usa Jingu; Taira no Masakado is said to have prayed here, and it holds a hydrangea festival and horseback archery.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: t.kunikuni / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)Daigo, IbarakiFukuroda FallsOne of Japan's three great waterfalls, 120 m high and 73 m wide, falling in four tiers; it freezes white in severe winters.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKitaibaraki, IbarakiFutatsujima and Isohara CoastAbout 1.5 km of sandy beach with the two islets of Futatsujima just offshore, the symbol of Isohara; at low tide you can touch the islands, and the seawall path is a popular cycling route along the Pacific.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakahagi, IbarakiHananuki GorgeA valley of autumn leaves along the clear Hananuki River, best seen from the Shiomitaki suspension bridge; leaves usually peak from mid to late November.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACRyugasaki, IbarakiHannyain TempleA Tendai temple said to have been founded in 978 and moved here in 1525; behind the main hall stands a weeping cherry about 400 years old, about 10 m tall, a prefectural Natural Monument lit up at night during the cherry festival.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Miyuki Meinaka / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Hitachinaka, IbarakiHitachi Seaside ParkA national government park famous for seasonal flowers, with a car park for 4,350 cars; admission 450 yen, rising to 700 yen in the spring and autumn peak seasons.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Strangesnow / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Ishioka, IbarakiIbaraki Flower ParkA flower park at the foot of Mt. Tsukuba, reopened in 2021, where you can meet 900 varieties of roses on terraces and in a rose tunnel.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Kitaibaraki, IbarakiIzura Misaki ParkA clifftop park overlooking Izura, five coves carved by Pacific waves with 50 m cliffs, one of Japan's 100 best beaches; it gives a bird's-eye view of the Rokkakudo where Okakura Tenshin meditated.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Raita Futo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Mito, IbarakiKairakuen GardenOne of Japan's three great gardens, opened in 1842 by the Mito lord Tokugawa Nariaki for his people, with about 3,000 plum trees of 100 varieties that bloom from mid-February.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKasama, IbarakiKasama Inari ShrineOne of Japan's three great Inari shrines, founded in 651 and visited by 3.5 million people a year; two wisteria trees, one a prefectural Natural Monument, bloom in early May.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Kashima, IbarakiKashima Jingu ShrineThe head shrine of about 600 Kashima shrines across Japan, said to date back to 660 BC and one of only three shrines long called "Jingu", enshrining the warrior god Takemikazuchi.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMito, IbarakiKodokan, Mito Domain SchoolJapan's largest domain school, founded in 1841 by the Mito lord Tokugawa Nariaki, where the last shogun Yoshinobu studied as a boy; a Japan Heritage site paired with Kairakuen.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKoga, IbarakiKoga Kubo Park (Koga Sogo Park)A 250,000 m² park with a large marsh and lotus ponds on the site of the Koga Kubo residence; about 1,500 peach trees bloom from late March, and ancient Oga lotuses in June and July. The first in Japan to win the Melina Mercouri International Prize (2003).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped and resized)Tsuchiura, IbarakiLake Kasumigaura Sightseeing Boat (Lacus Marina)A 30-minute cruise on Lake Kasumigaura, Japan's second-largest lake, on an 86-seat boat with views of Mt. Tsukuba and, on clear days, Mt. Fuji; from October to April seagulls follow the boat.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: RESPITE / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)Tsukuba, IbarakiMt. TsukubaThe 877 m "purple peak" rising from the Kanto plain, with twin summits reached easily by cable car and ropeway; long a mountain of worship.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHitachinaka, IbarakiNakaminato Reverberatory Furnace (Restored)A restored furnace built by Tokugawa Nariaki, lord of Mito, in the late Edo period to cast Western-style cannons against foreign ships; a prefectural historic site and a Heritage of Industrial Modernization.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOarai, IbarakiOarai Isosaki ShrineA shrine in Oarai, 5 minutes by taxi from Oarai Station on the Kashima Rinkai Railway.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: katorisi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5Inashiki, IbarakiOsugi ShrineCalled "Anba-sama", its lavish group of shrine buildings is said to be the "Nikko Toshogu of Ibaraki". The "Anba-bayashi" music, once called the "devil-dispelling music", spread across the Kanto region and is a nationally selected cultural property. The precinct shrine "Kachiuma Jinja" was long called "Barekisha" and protected horses; until the early Showa era horse races were held in the grounds every April 8, and with the JRA Miho Training Center nearby it draws many racing people and fans.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKitaibaraki, IbarakiOtsu Fishermen's Co-op Market RestaurantA harbour restaurant run by fishermen's wives near Otsu Port, serving thick-cut sashimi, seafood bowls and, in season, anglerfish hotpot.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 小石川人晃 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kitaibaraki, IbarakiRokkakudo, Izura (Okakura Tenshin)The hexagonal hall Okakura Tenshin built at Izura around 1905; in 1906 he moved the Japan Art Institute here, and painters such as Yokoyama Taikan and Hishida Shunso lived and worked nearby.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamaguchi Yoshiaki / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0Hitachiota, IbarakiRyujin Suspension BridgeA 375 m pedestrian suspension bridge, one of Japan's longest, 100 m above the Ryujin dam lake in a V-shaped gorge; in May about 1,000 carp streamers fly over the valley.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (cropped and resized)Daigo, IbarakiTsukimachi Falls Momijien (Soba)A soba restaurant near Tsukimachi Falls using Hitachi Aki soba buckwheat from Okukuji, stone-milled with a water wheel and made with natural groundwater.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Iban Lopez Luna / Pexels (resized)Ushiku, IbarakiUshiku DaibutsuA 120 m bronze Buddha, listed by Guinness World Records as the world's largest bronze standing statue, with a garden, petting zoo and flower fields around it.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Motokoka / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Ami, IbarakiYokaren Peace Memorial Museum"Yokaren", formally the Naval Preparatory Flight Training Programme, trained aircrew who formed the core of the former Imperial Japanese Navy. It selected boys of about 14 and a half to 17 by examination; in the 15 years to the end of the war about 240,000 joined, about 24,000 went to the front after flight training, and about 19,000, 80 percent, were killed. Ami, closely tied to the navy since the Taisho era, had the Tsuchiura Naval Air Group, the centre of Yokaren training, and the museum stands next to its site. Through the boys called "Yokaren" it invites visitors to reflect on war and peace.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Alpsdake / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Hakusan, IshikawaHakusan Shirakawa-go White RoadA scenic drive in Hakusan National Park linking Hakusan City with the World Heritage village of Shirakawa-go, in an area designated a special protection zone, where you can experience great nature seen only for a limited season. It is 33.3 km long, with highlights such as Fukube-no-Otaki Falls and the Sanpoiwa car park at the highest point, and there are also several walking and trekking courses.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Kakidai / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kanazawa, IshikawaHigashi Chaya DistrictA district lined with traditional teahouse buildings that keeps Kanazawa's old atmosphere, with machiya cafés serving matcha and sweets and shops selling gold-leaf goods and local crafts; volunteer guides are stationed at the rest house.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Chongkian / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Kanazawa, IshikawaIshikawa Life and Crafts MuseumThe only facility that displays all 36 traditional crafts of Ishikawa, including Kaga Yuzen, Kutani ware, Yamanaka lacquerware and Wajima lacquer, with changing exhibitions of today's crafts; craftspeople give demonstrations and workshops every Saturday and Sunday. It is right next to Kenrokuen.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: くろふね / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0Kanazawa, IshikawaIshikawa Prefectural History MuseumA museum near Kenrokuen presenting the history and culture of Ishikawa from ancient to modern times, housed in restored red-brick buildings once used as an army arsenal and by Kanazawa College of Art, designated Important Cultural Properties in 1990 (Heisei 2); exhibits include dioramas, models and video.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Saigawasakurabashi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kanazawa, IshikawaIshikawa Prefectural Museum of ArtA museum showing masterpieces of old Kutani ware, treasures handed down in the Maeda family of the Kaga domain, and Japanese painting, Western painting, sculpture and crafts centred on Ishikawa artists. The National Treasure "Pheasant-shaped Incense Burner" by Nonomura Ninsei is a must-see; the entrance hall has a cafe produced by pastry chef Tsujiguchi Hironobu.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 藤谷良秀 (Yoshihide Fujitani) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Kanazawa, IshikawaKaga Yuzen Kimono CenterA centre introducing Kaga Yuzen, one of Kanazawa's traditional crafts, with artisans' works on display, a dyeing workshop where you take home a handkerchief or tote bag you made, and Kaga Yuzen souvenirs.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Saigawasakurabashi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kanazawa, IshikawaKanazawa Ashigaru MuseumTwo valuable ashigaru (foot soldier) houses from the domain era, moved and rebuilt here, explaining the duties and daily life of the ashigaru; the roofs are weighted with stones in the old style. Admission is free.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKanazawa, IshikawaKanazawa Castle Park and Gyokusen-inmaru GardenA park on the site of the Maeda family's castle of the Kaga domain, with the Hishi Yagura turret and Gojikken Nagaya storehouse faithfully restored in 2001, and the Gyokusen-inmaru Garden of ponds and stone walls with a teahouse.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKanazawa, IshikawaKanazawa Station (Tsuzumi Gate and Motenashi Dome)The Motenashi Dome at the Kenrokuen exit of Kanazawa Station was built on the idea of "offering an umbrella to people getting off the train", as it often rains and snows in Kanazawa, and the 13.7 m Tsuzumi Gate is modelled on the drums used in Noh. The station has been chosen as one of the 14 most beautiful stations in the world, and the gate is lit up from sunset until midnight.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Daderot / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kanazawa, IshikawaKenrokuen GardenOne of Japan's three great gardens and a Special Place of Scenic Beauty, a vast strolling garden built over many years by the lords of the Kaga domain, beside Kanazawa Castle; cherry blossoms, green, autumn leaves and the winter "yukitsuri" snow ropes draw visitors all year.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKaga, IshikawaLake ShibayamagataThe symbol of Katayamazu Onsen, a lake that changes the colour of its surface several times a day. You can fish and go boating, see wintering birds such as tundra swans, and ride a cycling road about 7 km around the lake; in good weather Mt. Hakusan can be seen. The Ukimido (Ukiuki Benten) hall, which seems to float on the lake, is linked to Yunomoto Park by a floating pier you can walk across, and is lit up at dusk.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Irina Gelbukh / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)Kanazawa, IshikawaMyoryu-ji (Ninja Temple)Known as the "Ninja Temple" for its tricks, such as an offertory box that becomes a pit and hidden stairs under the floorboards; built as an outpost against attack, it looks two-storey outside but has seven levels, 23 rooms and 29 staircases.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Hirorinmasa / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Kanazawa, IshikawaNagamachi Samurai DistrictAn area designated for preserving its traditional townscape, where earthen walls still line the lanes; in winter the walls are wrapped in straw mats ("komo-gake") against snow and frost, and restaurants and cafés line the Kuratsuki canal toward Korinbo.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKomatsu, IshikawaNatadera TempleA temple awarded one star in the Michelin Green Guide Japon. The grounds include the national scenic site "Kigan Yusenkyo", a landscape of strange rocks like an ink painting, and important cultural properties such as the main hall, three-storey pagoda, goma hall, bell tower, study hall and the kuri garden. Founded by Taicho in 717, it is a temple of Hakusan worship; it fell into ruin in the late medieval Ikko-ikki uprisings and was restored in the Edo period by Maeda Toshitsune, third lord of Kaga.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKanazawa, IshikawaNational Crafts MuseumA national museum holding over 4,000 works of ceramics, glass, lacquer, woodwork, textiles, metalwork and graphic design, housed in two relocated Meiji-era army buildings (1898 and 1909), with a reconstruction of lacquer artist Matsuda Gonroku's workshop.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 金沢市 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.1 JP (cropped and resized)Kanazawa, IshikawaNishi Chaya DistrictOne of Kanazawa's three teahouse districts, with two-storey teahouses with fine latticework and old restaurants; at dusk geiko walk the streets and the sound of shamisen drifts from the houses.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Opqr / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kanazawa, IshikawaOhno Karakuri Memorial MuseumA museum at the tip of Kanazawa Port, jutting out towards the Sea of Japan, introducing the work of Ono Benkichi, a late-Edo engineer and karakuri (mechanical doll) maker from Ono, and the world of karakuri; you can touch and play with the exhibits. The building, designed by Uchii Shozo, is modelled on a Kitamae trading ship.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Daderot / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Kanazawa, IshikawaOmicho Market"The citizens' kitchen" of Kanazawa, an arcade of about 170 shops selling fresh fish, vegetables and fruit plus restaurants, busy with visitors eating seafood bowls and sushi from the Sea of Japan.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Yusuke.ogawa / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Kanazawa, IshikawaOyama ShrineA shrine to Maeda Toshiie, founder of the Kaga domain, and his wife Omatsu; its gate combines Japanese, Chinese and Western styles with stained glass at the top and Japan's oldest surviving lightning rod, an Important Cultural Property, lit up after dark until 22:00.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKanazawa, IshikawaShima TeahouseA teahouse building preserved as it was built in Bunsei 3 (1820), with the delicate, elegant construction typical of teahouses where the second floor was used for entertaining guests; a national Important Cultural Property. You can have matcha while viewing the garden in the separate "Kansonan" (paid).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 金沢市 (Kanazawa City) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.1 JP (resized)Kanazawa, IshikawaUtatsuyama ParkA park spreading over Mt. Utatsu overlooking the city of Kanazawa, with a flowering-tree garden of about 8,000 azaleas, an iris garden of about 200,000 plants and 2,900 hydrangeas, and 250 cherry trees. From the Bokodai viewpoint you can see the Sea of Japan on clear days, and the night view is popular.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNanao, IshikawaWakura OnsenA hot spring town facing Nanao Bay, the base for sightseeing in Noto, with a history of 1,200 years since it opened and known as the only sea hot spring in Hokuriku. At "Yuttari Park" you can soak in a foot bath looking at the Notojima Bridge and the calm sea, and "Wakura Onsen Soyu" is a day-use bathhouse in a Japanese-style building with an open-air bath and sauna, popular with locals as well as visitors; the "Wakura Onsen summer fireworks" are also popular.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Asturio Cantabrio / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Kaga, IshikawaYamashiro Onsen KososoyuA reconstruction of the Meiji-era soyu (public bathhouse), the symbol of the "yu-no-kuruwa" of Yamashiro Onsen. It has a shingled roof and second-floor windows, and inside, stained glass that was cutting-edge at the time casts bright light on the bath, the walls are wiped lacquer and the tiles are Kutani ware faithfully reproducing the original patterns. To keep the bathing style of the time there are no taps or showers: you pour water over yourself and get into the bath. The water flows straight from the source.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKanazawa, IshikawaYuwaku OnsenA hot-spring village with 1,300 years of history about 30 minutes by car from Kanazawa Station, long loved as "Kanazawa's inner parlour", with eight inns; the Himuro-biraki, taking out snow stored since January, is held on June 30.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHachimantai, IwateAppi Kogen FarmA highland farm with a fishing pond, a maze and baumkuchen-making with Nanbu wheat and Appi milk; the café terrace's farm pizza with house-made cheese is popular.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMorioka, IwateAzumaya Honten, wanko sobaA soba restaurant founded in 1907, known for wanko soba: servers keep tossing single mouthfuls of soba into your bowl until you stop.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Hiraizumi, IwateChusonji TempleThe head Tendai temple of Tohoku in Hiraizumi, home of the gold-covered Konjikido hall.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Tono, IwateDensho-en, TonoA heritage village preserving Tono's old way of life — an L-shaped magariya farmhouse, a water mill and folk tales — with local dishes such as hittsumi soup.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Ichinoseki, IwateGeibikei Gorge Boat RideA 2 km limestone gorge with cliffs over 100 m high, a national Place of Scenic Beauty, seen from a boat poled by a boatman; the round trip takes about 90 minutes.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Ichinoseki, IwateGenbikei GorgeA 2 km gorge of strange rocks, potholes and waterfalls carved by the Iwai River, a national Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument, famous for its "flying dumplings".Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Soica2001 / Wikimedia Commons, Public domainKitakami, IwateGeto Onsen, Motoyu GetoA remote hot spring in the Geto Gorge, surrounded by virgin beech forest at the northern tip of Kurikoma Quasi-National Park; closed for winter from mid-November to early May.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Morio / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Ofunato, IwateGoishi CoastAbout 6 km of coastline at the tip of the Massaki Peninsula, which juts out south of Ofunato Bay; it is a national Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument, and one of the Sanriku Geopark geosites. The name is said to come from the black pebbles, polished by waves, that cover Goishi Beach. Highlights include Anatoshi-iso, a rock with three sea-worn arches; Kaminari-iwa, whose thunder-like boom is one of the "100 Soundscapes of Japan"; the steep Ranboya cliffs; and the white Goishizaki Lighthouse in the pines. Walking paths link the spots.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Thyristorchopper / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Hachimantai, IwateHachimantai Aspite LineA 27 km scenic road across the Hachimantai plateau between Iwate and Akita, with views of Mt Iwate; in spring it runs between walls of snow.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHanamaki, IwateHanamaki Onsen: Rose Garden and Day BathingA hot-spring resort 5 min from Hanamaki IC, developed in 1923, with a rose garden of 6,000 bushes and a sundial flower bed designed by Kenji Miyazawa, plus day bathing at three hotels.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMorioka, IwateIshiwari-zakura (Rock-splitting Cherry Tree)In front of the Morioka District Court, an Edo higan cherry grows out of a crack in a huge granite boulder 21 m around. The tree has a root girth of 4.3 m, is 10 m tall and is said to be over 360 years old; it blooms every year from mid-April, and is lovely both by day and at night. It was designated a national Natural Monument in 1923.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Morio / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Rikuzentakata, IwateIwate Tsunami Memorial MuseumA free museum opened in 2019 in the Takata-Matsubara memorial park to pass on the facts and lessons of the Great East Japan Earthquake tsunami and show the recovery; nearby stands the "miracle pine" that survived.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: くろふね / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0Miyako, IwateJodogahama Beach / Visitor CenterA white-pebble beach framed by pale rocks in the Sanriku Fukko National Park; the visitor centre gives information on the park.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: karinckarinc / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Kamaishi, IwateKamaishi DaikannonStanding at the tip of Kamazaki as if watching over Kamaishi Bay, the Kamaishi Daikannon is 48.5 m tall and divided into 13 floors inside. Floors 1-3 hold a worship hall and a room of the Thirty-three Kannon, floors 4-10 are a walk through the Seven Lucky Gods, and floors 12-13 are the "Gyoran" observation deck on the fish held by the Kannon. From this deck, 120 m above sea level, you can enjoy a panorama of the Pacific.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Gribeco / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kitakami, IwateKitakami Tenshochi ParkOne of Tohoku's great cherry-blossom spots on the Kitakami River, with a 2 km avenue of cherry trees from Sango Bridge and about 10,000 trees of some 150 kinds.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShizukuishi, IwateKoiwai Farm Makiba-enThe visitor area of Koiwai Farm, one of Japan's largest private farms; 21 farm buildings were designated Important Cultural Properties in 2017.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: くろふね / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Kuji, IwateKosode Ama CenterOn the cliff-lined Kosode coast, the "northernmost ama divers", made famous by the drama Amachan, give free-diving demonstrations on weekends and holidays from July to September.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNinohe, IwateKunohe Castle RuinsThe site of Kunohe Castle, the last battlefield of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's campaigns. In 1591 the castle lord Kunohe Masazane rose in revolt against Nanbu Nobunao becoming head of the Nanbu clan, but as the succession had Hideyoshi's approval he was put down as a rebel and the castle fell. Stone walls and moats remain on a hill with a good view, and with many old trees it is a place for local people to relax in cherry-blossom season.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHanamaki, IwateMiyazawa Kenji Memorial MuseumHanamaki City's museum on the author and poet Miyazawa Kenji.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMorioka, IwateMorioka Castle Site ParkThe site of the Nanbu clan's castle, completed in 1633; its stone walls and ponds remain in a city-centre park.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMorioka, IwateMorioka Tezukuri-mura Craft VillageA craft village near Tsunagi Onsen where you can watch artisans make traditional crafts, local food and sweets and join their classes, plus a late-Edo L-shaped farmhouse. Free entry.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Morioka, IwateMorioka Tsunagi OnsenMorioka's backyard hot-spring resort, where inns and hotels look down on Lake Gosho; the name comes from the legend that Minamoto no Yoshiie tied up his horse here to rest.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHiraizumi, IwateMotsuji TempleA Hiraizumi temple whose Heian-period Pure Land garden around the Oizumi-ga-ike pond survives almost intact (Special Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Searobin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Morioka, IwatePairon, Morioka JajamenThe original jajamen shop, open about 60 years and always with a queue: warm noodles topped with fried meat miso, cucumber, ginger and leek; afterwards crack an egg into the bowl for chitan soup.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMorioka, IwatePyonpyonsha, Morioka ReimenA Morioka reimen and yakiniku restaurant: chewy, smooth noodles made with high-grade potato starch in a rich beef-and-chicken broth with its own sour-spicy kimchi; open until 23:00 every day.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIwaizumi, IwateRyusendo CaveOne of Japan's three great limestone caves (a Natural Monument), with clear underground lakes; the third lake is 98 m deep.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Cheng-en Cheng / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)Miyako, IwateSanriku RailwaySince March 23, 2019 the 163 km Rias Line from Kuji to Sakari has run as one line, the longest third-sector railway in Japan.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: NORITO,S / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Tanohata, IwateUnosu CliffsFive cliffs about 200 m high lined up like a folding screen above an emerald sea, seen from a barrier-free lookout about 500 m from the car park.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: さかおり / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Hachimantai, IwateYakehashiri no Yu, Mt. IwateA day-bathing hot spring at the foot of Mt. Iwate in the Yakehashiri International Exchange Village, open until 20:30-21:00.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTonosho, KagawaAngel Road (Shodoshima)A sandbar path that appears from the sea at low tide. Climbing Benten-jima before crossing, you reach the "Promise Hill Observatory" with a bell to ring against the backdrop of Angel Road.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMitoyo, KagawaAwashima IslandAn island where three islets are joined by sandbars into a screw shape. Once a port of call for Kitamae ships, it had the national Awashima Seamen's School from 1897 (Meiji 30), whose building is now the memorial hall of Awashima Ocean Memorial Park. From the Shiro-no-yama observatory you get a 360-degree view of the Seto Inland Sea, including the Seto Ohashi Bridge, and the "Awashima Momote Festival" (a prefectural intangible folk cultural property) is held on the first Sunday of March.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photos of Japan / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Mitoyo, KagawaChichibugahama BeachA calm swimming beach about 1 km long, visited by many swimmers in summer and known for its beautiful sunset over the Hiuchi-nada Sea; in August 2018 it came first in Jalan's "sunset views I want to see" survey. Its mirror-like reflections are also popular.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKanonji, KagawaHonen-ike DamA concrete reservoir dam on the upper Kunita River, whose weathered form recalls a medieval European castle. 145.5 m long and 30.4 m high, gravity-type at both ends with a multiple-arch centre of five arches and six buttresses, it was designated an Important Cultural Property on December 19, 2006 and still supplies water to about 500 ha of farmland. The "yurunuki" water release, held irregularly in summer, is a seasonal tradition.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Dokudami / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Kanonji, KagawaIbukijima IslandHome of "Ibuki iriko", the dried sardines considered the finest for the dashi essential to Sanuki udon, a registered regional brand. Every year on lunar March 21 the "Shima Shikoku" 88-temple island pilgrimage is held, with islanders' traditional hospitality; cherry trees line the approaches to Takinomiya Shrine and the Namikiri Fudo, with a cherry festival on the second Sunday of April.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakamatsu, KagawaKagawa Prefectural Government Office East BuildingAn early masterpiece by Kenzo Tange, the first Japanese winner of the Pritzker Prize, regarded as one of the most important works in architectural history for fusing Japanese tradition with modernism. Its exposed-concrete exterior recalls traditional wooden architecture, and the pilotis and glass lobby open to citizens became a model for post-war government buildings; the mural on the 1st floor is by Inokuma Genichiro. It was the only Japanese building in the New York Times T Magazine's "25 most important postwar buildings" (2021).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Kotohira, KagawaKanamaruza (Old Konpira Grand Theatre)Japan's oldest surviving kabuki theatre, built in 1835 (Tenpo 6). As faith in Konpira spread nationwide and the town in front of the shrine grew, a permanent theatre was needed; the name "Kanamaruza" dates from 1900 (Meiji 33). It became an Important Cultural Property in 1970, was moved and restored over four years from 1972, and since 1985 the "Shikoku Konpira Kabuki Grand Theatre" has heralded spring in Shikoku.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Shodoshima, KagawaKankakei GorgeCounted among Japan's three most beautiful gorges and one of the representative scenic spots of Setonaikai National Park, a gorge created over about 13 million years. The view from the ropeway, passing between strange rocks carved by wind and rain and sheer rock walls, is a highlight, with fresh green in spring, deep green in summer, autumn leaves and snow in winter. Trails of the "12 front views" and "8 back views" lead up Hoshigajo, the highest peak on Shodoshima (about 1 hour one way).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKotohira, KagawaKotohira-gu Shrine (Konpira-san)Long loved as "Konpira-san", the god of the sea, famous for the long stone steps of its approach: 785 steps to the main shrine and 1,368 to the inner shrine. Along the steps are the Omon gate, the "five farmers" and the Shoin (an Important Cultural Property); the grounds have historic buildings such as the Asahi-sha (Important Cultural Property), and the treasure hall shows art and cultural properties. Souvenir and udon shops line both sides of the approach.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACManno, KagawaMannoike ReservoirOne of the largest irrigation reservoirs in Japan, said to have been first built in the Taiho era (701-704). In Konin 12 (821) Kobo Daishi Kukai repaired it using Tang engineering, completing in a short time Japan's first arch-dam-style embankment. After further repairs and raising, it now holds 15.4 million tonnes and spreads like a sea as "the water jar of Sanuki".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: senov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Marugame, KagawaMarugame CastleThe symbol of Marugame, built over 400 years ago, and one of the twelve castles in Japan with an original wooden keep. The stone walls rising from the inner moat to the keep draw a fine curve called the "fan slope", and the white three-storey wooden keep is a national Important Cultural Property.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Odyssey / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)Marugame, KagawaMt. Iino (Sanuki Fuji)One of the "New 100 Mountains of Japan", Mt. Iino is nicknamed "Sanuki Fuji" for its gentle, beautiful slopes. At 422 m it is a small "Mt. Fuji", and in spring a carpet of peach blossom spreads at its foot. From the summit you see the rice-ball-shaped hills that seem to float on the Sanuki Plain and the calm blue Seto Inland Sea. It takes about an hour one way, so it is popular for walking and hiking. Legend says it was made by a giant called "Ojomo", and a huge rock at the summit is said to be his footprint.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMitoyo, KagawaMt. ShiudeThe Shonai Peninsula has many places linked to the Urashima legend; Mt. Shiude is known as where the white smoke from Urashima Taro's treasure box turned into purple clouds trailing over the mountain. About 1,000 cherry trees bloom in spring and hydrangeas in early summer, and from the summit observatory you can see the islands of the Seto Inland Sea.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: KimonBerlin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)Naoshima, KagawaNaoshima IslandAn island of nature, art and the environment. For art there are the Chichu Art Museum, the Benesse House Museum and the Art House Project, which fuses old houses in the village with contemporary art; public buildings such as the schools and the gym in the centre of the island are also distinctive architectural works. In spring the town flower, the mountain azalea, blooms, and there are swimming beaches and a fishing park.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: KimonBerlin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)Takamatsu, KagawaOgijima IslandAn island about 1 km from Megijima, with a rare granite Western-style lighthouse built in 1895 (Meiji 28), still working after more than 100 years. Level ground is scarce, and its dense village, sloping steps and stone paving make up the scenery; the name is said to come from the fan ("ogi") shot by Nasu no Yoichi in the Genpei War that drifted ashore here.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: ウランボルグ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Sanuki, KagawaOkubo-ji TempleTemple 88 of the Shikoku pilgrimage, where the pilgrimage is completed, on the east side of Mt. Yahazu (788 m); a stone marked "88th temple, place of completion" stands beside the steps. From the inner entrance of the Daishi hall you go underground, where the main images of all 88 temples are gathered for an "osuna-fumi" mini-pilgrimage. It has long admitted women and is called "Nyonin Koya" (Koya for women).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSanuki, KagawaOkushi Nature ParkA leisure spot where you can enjoy the sea, the hills and the wind. The park overlooks the Seto Inland Sea and around its central lawn are the "Sanuki Winery", Shikoku's first wine factory, the open-air music stage "Teatron", the "Seaside Corridor" auto camp site and cottages, and tennis courts; on holidays it is busy with families and young people.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: KimonBerlin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)Takamatsu, KagawaRitsurin GardenThe largest of the gardens designated national special places of scenic beauty, completed nearly 300 years ago as a villa of the Matsudaira lords of Takamatsu. With green Mt. Shiun as its backdrop, six ponds and thirteen artificial hills are skilfully arranged in an early-Edo stroll garden; about 1,000 of its roughly 1,400 pines are carefully trained. It opened to the public as a prefectural park in 1875 (Meiji 8), and its changing views are described as "a new scene at every step".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Higashikagawa, KagawaSanshu Izutsu Yashiki (Wasanbon Sugar Moulding)The base for strolling the historic townscape of Hiketa. In the wasanbon moulding experience you mist powdered wasanbon sugar, pack it into wooden moulds and press out pretty patterned sweets; you can taste freshly made, half-moist wasanbon.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACManno, KagawaSanuki Mannou ParkThe only national government park in Shikoku, on the shore of Mannoike reservoir. Seasonal flowers bloom all year and illuminations light up the park in winter; with lawns, large play equipment and a nature area preserving the satoyama environment, children and adults can enjoy a whole day.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: DVMG / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (cropped and resized)Sakaide, KagawaSeto Ohashi Memorial ParkA 10.2 ha seaside park with a view of the Seto Ohashi Bridge, on the site of the bridge-opening expo. It has a memorial hall on the bridge's construction history and structure, fountains shaped like suspension and cable-stayed bridges, lawns and a children's area, with many works by the sculptor Nagare Masayuki; next door are the Higashiyama Kaii Setouchi Art Museum and the rotating "Seto Ohashi Tower", 108 m high.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACUtazu, KagawaShikoku AquariumAn aquarium in Kagawa, the gateway to Shikoku, themed on "Shikoku water scenes". It shows the underwater worlds unique to Shikoku, from the Pacific and the Seto Inland Sea to the clear Shimanto and Niyodo rivers, expressing in its tanks not only the creatures but the environment together with Shikoku's culture and people's lives.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHigashikagawa, KagawaShirotori ZooA zoo where you can interact with many animals - even carnivores such as tigers and leopards while they are babies - and see performances by goats, dogs and other animals.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShodoshima, KagawaShodoshima Olive ParkA park full of the mood of Greece, a Mediterranean country, on a hill looking down on the Seto Inland Sea, with about 2,000 olive trees and more than 130 kinds of herbs. The set used for the live-action "Kiki's Delivery Service" now operates as a variety shop; there are an Olive Memorial Hall, a Greek windmill, the natural hot spring "Sun Olive Onsen" and a herb greenhouse with craft experiences (reservation required). Cherry trees bloom and are lit up at night from late March to early April.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKanonji, KagawaTakaya ShrineThe torii of the main shrine, at 404 m overlooking the Seto Inland Sea, has lately been called the "Torii in the Sky" and draws attention as a photogenic spot. Through the torii you can see the city of Kanonji and the Seto Inland Sea. The road to the main shrine at the summit is narrow and hard to pass, so on weekends and holidays a shuttle bus runs and ordinary vehicles cannot use the road during its hours.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakamatsu, KagawaTakei Kannon Cape (northernmost point of Shikoku)The northernmost point of the Shikoku mainland, in the grounds of Takei Kannonji. Along the seaside approach beyond the temple is a rock cave, the inner sanctuary, where Ikoma Chikamasa enshrined a Bato Kannon as guardian of the north-east of Takamatsu Castle, built in 1590. The cape is also called "Kannonzaki" or "Takei-misaki".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photos of Japan / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (cropped)Sanuki, KagawaTsuda no Matsubara (Kinrin Park)A scenic spot of white sand and green pines chosen as one of Japan's 100 best beaches, designated a prefectural park and then part of Setonaikai National Park. It began as a windbreak planted in the early Edo period for the Iwashimizu Hachiman shrine; old pines over 600 years old and pines with exposed roots continue for about 1 km. In summer it becomes the prefecture's largest swimming beach, visited by 60,000 people a year.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShodoshima, KagawaTwenty-Four Eyes Movie VillageA theme park of Japanese film and literature made from the location set of the film "Twenty-Four Eyes". A wooden schoolhouse and village are recreated on the coast overlooking the Seto Inland Sea, with the atmosphere of the Taisho and early Showa eras, and there are a mural "Cinema Art Wall", a book cafe and a Kaiyodo figure gallery.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Dokudami / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Kanonji, KagawaUnpenji RopewayA ropeway 2,594 m long with a height difference of 657 m, climbing at up to 36 km/h. Below spread the Seto Inland Sea and the Mitoyo Plain, and on clear days you can see as far as the Seto Ohashi Bridge and the Chugoku region; the ride takes about 7 minutes. At the top, on the Kagawa-Tokushima border, is Unpenji, temple 66 of the Shikoku pilgrimage (on the Tokushima side), with over 1,200 years of history and known for hydrangeas and autumn leaves. On the Kagawa side, Unpenji Summit Park has a lawn, a wooden swing talked about on social media as the "swing in the sky", photo frames and a drinks van.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photos of Japan / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (cropped and resized)Takamatsu, KagawaYashima PlateauA roof-shaped lava plateau known as a battlefield of the Genpei War, with a view over the Seto Inland Sea, the city of Takamatsu and the many islands. Around Dannoura below, where the battle was fought about 800 years ago, remain sites such as "Funakakushi", where the Heike hid their warships, and "Inori-iwa", where Nasu no Yoichi prayed his arrow would hit the fan. On top are Yashima-ji, temple 84 of the Shikoku pilgrimage, and the New Yashima Aquarium, rare as a mountaintop aquarium.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKan'onji, KagawaZenigata Sand ArtA huge sand drawing of the "Kan'ei Tsuho" coin on Ariake Beach, 122 m east-west, 90 m north-south and 345 m around, which looks like a neat circle from the top of Mt. Kotohiki. It is said to have been made overnight in Kan'ei 10 (1633) to welcome the lord Ikoma Takatoshi.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACZentsuji, KagawaZentsu-ji TempleThe birthplace of Kobo Daishi Kukai and temple 75 of the Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage, one of Kobo Daishi's three great sacred sites with To-ji in Kyoto and Koyasan in Wakayama. Its grounds of about 45,000 m² are divided into the eastern "Garan", with the main hall and five-storey pagoda, and the western "Tanjo-in", centred on the Miedo and on the site of the Saeki family residence where he was born.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Koda6029 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Ibusuki, KagoshimaCape NagasakibanaThe cape at the southern tip of the Satsuma Peninsula, said in legend to be where Urashima Taro set off for the Dragon Palace, and also called "Ryugu-bana"; sea turtles lay eggs here in summer. The white Satsuma Nagasakibana Lighthouse, the spray of the waves, the blue sea and sky, graceful Mt. Kaimon and the distant outlines of Yakushima and the Mishima islands make up the view, in Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Ippukucho / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Minamiosumi, KagoshimaCape Sata ParkThe southernmost cape of mainland Japan, on the 31st parallel north. On Tairin Island, 50 m off the southern cliffs, stands Satamisaki Lighthouse, one of Japan's oldest lighthouses, of British design and completed in 1871 (Meiji 4). In Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park, you may see Yakushima and Tanegashima on clear days. An 800 m nature path (about 20 minutes one way) runs through subtropical plants such as bougainvillea, cycads and banyans.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMinamikyushu, KagoshimaChiran Peace MuseumChiran (now Minamikyushu) is a place associated with the special attack (tokko) operations, unprecedented in human history, carried out at the end of World War II to reverse the losing battle of Okinawa. The museum displays belongings and materials of Army special attack corps members who crashed their bomb-laden planes into enemy ships, to pass on these historical facts correctly and contribute to lasting world peace; it teaches the misery of war and the value of peace and life so that such tragedy is never repeated.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMinamikyushu, KagoshimaChiran Samurai Residence GardensThe Fumoto district, representing Chiran, "the little Kyoto of Satsuma": streets lined with neatly clipped hedges of podocarpus and tea, and gardens that borrow the view of Mt. Hahagatake, open to visitors. With winding streets, gates standing before the gardens and gardens cherished since the Edo period, it is a representative "fumoto" (samurai settlement) of Kagoshima, selected as a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings (18.6 ha); the seven gardens open to the public are national places of scenic beauty.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIbusuki, KagoshimaChiringashima IslandAn uninhabited island about 3 km around, some 800 m offshore from Cape Tara northeast of central Ibusuki. At low tide a sandbar appears, and at spring tides, when low tide lasts long, you can walk across. It is said to be named after the old pines whose sound in the wind guided passing sailing ships at night. From March to October, a "sand road" appears at low tide during spring and middle tides.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Editor0206 at Japanese Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (cropped and resized)Aira, KagoshimaGreat Camphor Tree of KamoRising in the grounds of Kamo Hachiman Shrine, this camphor tree is about 1,600 years old, 33.5 m around the roots, 24.22 m around the trunk at eye height and about 30 m tall, the largest camphor in Japan; the Environment Agency's 1988 survey of giant trees certified it as Japan's largest. It was already a big tree when the shrine was built in 1123. There is a large hollow at the roots. The autumn festival is held on the third Sunday of November every year, with drumming echoing around.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYakushima, KagoshimaHirauchi Kaichu OnsenA rare hot spring that wells up from the sea, where you can bathe only for about 2 hours around low tide, twice a day. The water is simple sulphur. By day you look at the sea, and at night you bathe to the sound of the waves under a sky full of stars. There is no changing room, and bathing in a swimsuit or underwear is strictly forbidden.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKagoshima, KagoshimaIo World Kagoshima AquariumAn aquarium looking straight at Sakurajima, showing about 800 species and 10,000 animals, mainly from the seas around Kagoshima. In the great Kuroshio Tank swim whale sharks (the only ones in Kyushu) and skipjack tuna; there are also "Seas of the Nansei Islands" with tropical fish and live corals, "Deep Sea of Kagoshima", a jellyfish corridor and a rare sea-slug research lab. In the outdoor channel leading to the sea (free area) you can see dolphins swimming freely up close.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 鹿児島市 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0Kagoshima, KagoshimaIshin Furusato-kan (Museum of the Meiji Restoration)A history facility that shows the whole of late-Edo Satsuma and the Meiji Restoration at a glance, in Kajiyacho, the birthplace of Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi. Videos, dioramas and robots introduce Kagoshima's history and its pioneers; the highlights are two dramas in the basement hall, "The Road to the Restoration", with life-size robots and multiple screens, and "Satsuma Students, West", about students the Satsuma domain sent to Britain in defiance of the national ban.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Yakushima, KagoshimaJomon SugiOne of the largest old trees among the confirmed Yakusugi, the cedars over 1,000 years old in the forests of Yakushima; theories of its age range from just over 2,000 to 7,200 years. The deep ridges of its surface seem to record its survival through the island's harsh nature, overwhelming those who see it. To protect its roots from being damaged by hikers' feet, a viewing deck has been built close to it.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: ふゆきぃぃぃ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Ibusuki, KagoshimaJR Nishi-Oyama StationKnown as the southernmost station of JR in Japan, Nishi-Oyama Station is proud of its superb view of Mt. Kaimon straight ahead. The post box in front is the yellow of rape blossoms, Ibusuki's representative flower, and you can post a picture postcard or ring the "bell". The next-door "Kaimon Ichiba Kyutaro" sells postcards, issues "JR southernmost station arrival certificates" and rents electric-assist bicycles.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKagoshima, KagoshimaKagoshima Castle Goromon GateKagoshima (Tsurumaru) Castle, the residence of the Shimazu clan begun around 1601 by Iehisa, later the first lord of the domain, consisted of a mountain castle behind (Shiroyama) and a residence at its foot. The "Goromon" gate at the front of the residence was lost in a fire in 1873 (Meiji 6) and rebuilt in 2020 as the largest castle gate in Japan. The gate and stone walls are lit up every day from sunset to 22:00, changing with the time and season.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKirishima, KagoshimaKareigawa StationA retro wooden station building over 100 years old, opened in 1903 (Meiji 36) and a registered tangible cultural property. The station bento "Hyakunen no Tabi Monogatari Kareigawa", ranked first for three years running in JR Kyushu's Kyushu Ekiben Ranking, is also popular (sold in the station building on weekends and holidays).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Kirishima, KagoshimaKirishima Onsen Village (Maruo)The general name for the hot springs dotted southwest of the Kirishima mountains: nine hot springs, large and small, all between 600 and 850 m, with a variety of spring types. Nearby are the forest therapy road, Maruo Falls, Nunobiki Falls, Senjojiki and a rock bath said to be the oldest in Kirishima, and many inns and hotels make it a base for sightseeing in Kirishima; the autumn leaves are also beautiful.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKirishima, KagoshimaKirishima-jingu ShrineA shrine enshrining Ninigi-no-Mikoto, the hero of the myth of the descent of the heavenly grandson, said to date from around the 6th century. Beyond an approach wrapped in quiet greenery stand vermilion-lacquered buildings; the present buildings were donated in 1715 by the Satsuma lord Shimazu Yoshitaka, and the main hall, offering hall and worship hall were designated National Treasures in 2022. Nearby are autumn-leaf spots and scenery such as the Shinsuikyo gorge.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKagoshima, KagoshimaKurokami Buried ToriiThe great eruption of Sakurajima on January 12, 1914 (Taisho 3) buried the Kurokami area in ash and pumice; the 3 m torii of Haragosha Shrine (Kurokami Shrine) was buried leaving only its top beam. The mayor of Higashi-Sakurajima village decided not to dig it out, to pass on the threat of eruption to later generations, so it remains as it was. The torii and the gatepost of the Nagano family's house were designated a prefectural natural monument in 1958; beside them stands an old akou tree that miraculously survived.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Snap55 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0Ibusuki, KagoshimaLake IkedaKyushu's largest caldera lake, formed by ancient volcanic activity: 15 km around and up to 233 m deep, born about 5,700 years ago and shaped into its present form by six eruptions, counting the surrounding area. Many giant eels up to 1.8 m long and 20 kg, a natural monument of Ibusuki, live here, and the mysterious creature "Issie" is said to live in it. Flowerbeds on the shore bloom through the year, with rape blossoms in full bloom in January.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYusui, KagoshimaMaruike SpringOne of Japan's "100 Best Waters", Maruike wells up about 60,000 tonnes a day of water from the foot of the Kirishima mountains, pushing up the sand of its clear bottom, and is used for the town's water supply. There is a water-drawing place, and people come from afar to collect water. It is known for cherry blossoms in spring and fireflies in summer, and the stone path along the channel is good for walking.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Naokijp / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kirishima, KagoshimaMaruo FallsA magnificent waterfall 23 m high and 16 m wide beside Route 223 from Maruo Onsen towards Kirishima Shrine. It is a rare "hot-water waterfall" formed from the spring water of nearby Einoo and Iodani hot springs: in autumn the spray shines against the autumn leaves, and in winter steam rises from the falls. The milky-blue water has a unique atmosphere, and when lit up at night the spray reflects the lights.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: alpsdake / Wikimedia Commons, Public domainIbusuki, KagoshimaMt. KaimonAn active volcano 924 m high, a double volcano with a lava dome on a stratovolcano. Its neat summit and gentle ridges earned it the name "Satsuma Fuji", and it is counted among the "Nihon Hyakumeizan" (100 mountains of Japan). With no other mountains around, its cone can be seen from most of southern Satsuma. From the top you can see Kirishima, Sakurajima and Lake Ikeda to the north and Yakushima and the Mishima islands to the south; the climb of about 5 km one way takes about 3 hours.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKirishima, KagoshimaMt. KarakuniAt 1,700 m the highest peak of the Kirishima volcanoes, with a large crater 900 m across and 300 m deep. Its name is said to come from its fine views, high enough to see as far as neighbouring Korea. Check the latest information on climbing restrictions due to volcanic activity on the Kirishima City website and elsewhere.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Ayumu Ozaki / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)Kirishima, KagoshimaMt. Takachiho-no-mineA 1,574 m stratovolcano where the legend of the descent of the heavenly grandson is told, the second peak of Kirishima, with the "Ama-no-Sakahoko" spear on the summit and a superb view. The foot and slopes are covered with primeval forest of red pine, fir, hemlock and oak mixed with deciduous trees, giving fresh green in spring, Miyama-kirishima azaleas in early summer, autumn leaves and rime ice in winter. The trail from Takachiho-gawara to the summit is part of the Kyushu Nature Trail.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Sanjo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Minamiosumi, KagoshimaOgawa FallsA waterfall 46 m high and 60 m wide on the upper Ogawa River in the Nejime district of Minamiosumi. A walking path of about 1,200 m with a moderate slope leads from the car park to the basin, with spring water seeping from the rocks and rest spots along the way; you can take in the sheer cliffs filling your view, the silky underground water running down the rock face and the 46 m fall. It was a filming location for NHK's "Segodon" and the film "Kingdom", and in April 2023 a path usable with pushchairs and wheelchairs was completed. There are two viewpoints: the upstream viewpoint above the basin and the Ogawa Falls viewpoint along the path.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Koda6029 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kirishima, KagoshimaOnami PondA mountain 1,411 m high that is popular as relatively easy to climb, with a crater lake 1.9 km around and 11 m deep at the top, known for the legend of "Onami". The pond lies at 1,241 m; the trail runs through primeval forest of fir and hemlock and is well kept to the top, and a path goes round the pond in about 2 hours. In early spring, witch hazel blooms along the crater wall.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: くろふね / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0Kagoshima, KagoshimaSakurajimaThe symbol of Kagoshima: a compound active volcano formed by the North and South peaks, still sending up smoke and ash, and rare in the world. It is 1,117 m high, about 52 km around, and was joined to the Osumi Peninsula by the eruption of 1914 (Taisho 3). It is about 15 minutes by ferry from Kagoshima Port; the Sakurajima Visitor Center near the port explains its great eruptions and changing landforms, and the Yunohira Observatory is the highest point the public can reach.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Yakushima, KagoshimaShiratani UnsuikyoA Yakushima natural recreation forest designated as a "recreation forest", a place where people and forests meet, where even those not confident of their stamina can see Yakusugi cedars over 1,000 years old and the island's primeval forest. In spring, the view from Taiko-iwa rock of mountain cherries, fresh green and Mt. Miyanoura, the highest peak in Kyushu, is refreshing. There are three courses: Yayoi-sugi (60 minutes), Bugyo-sugi (3 hours) and Taiko-iwa return (4 hours).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKagoshima, KagoshimaShiroyama ParkA small hill 107 m high in the middle of the city, rich in nature with large camphor trees, ferns and other temperate and subtropical plants, with walking trails. The observatory looks over Sakurajima, Kinko Bay and the city, and the night view is also famous. As the site of the last battle of the Satsuma Rebellion, it has many related historic sites, and was designated a national natural monument and historic site in 1931 (Showa 6).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Sanjo / Wikimedia Commons, Public domainIsa, KagoshimaSogi Falls ParkA great waterfall where the Sendai River and its tributaries, flowing through the Okuchi Basin, pour towards the Tsuruda Dam. Rising among strange rocks, it is 210 m wide and 12 m high; in spring cherry blossoms and azaleas add colour, in summer the flow is at its most powerful, and in autumn ginkgo and maple leaves stand out vividly over the water.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Kagoshima, KagoshimaStatue of Saigo TakamoriSaigo Takamori, who made great contributions to the Meiji Restoration such as the bloodless surrender of Edo Castle and the founding of the Meiji government, suddenly resigned and returned to Kagoshima; he later fought the government army in the Satsuma Rebellion, was defeated and took his own life at Shiroyama. This statue was made over eight years by Ando Teru, a Kagoshima-born sculptor who made "Hachiko" in Shibuya, to mark the 50th anniversary of his death, and completed on May 23, 1937. It stands 8 m high (statue 5.257 m) in the uniform of Japan's first army general. A photo spot is set up across the road.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKagoshima, KagoshimaTenmonkanThe busiest downtown district in southern Kyushu, named after "Meijikan" (also called Tenmonkan), a facility for astronomical observation and calendar-making built in 1779 by Lord Shimazu Shigehide. Shops serve local food such as black-pork tonkatsu, Kagoshima ramen and "shirokuma" shaved ice, with cafes and souvenir shops; the streets have arcades, so you can eat and shop without getting wet on rainy days.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYakushima, KagoshimaYakusugi LandHiking courses set in a vast forest 15 km from Anbo village, with five courses of 30, 50, 80, 150 and 210 minutes to choose from by interest and stamina. On the 150-minute course you meet "Boshi-sugi", about 2,600 years old, 9.0 m around and 31.1 m tall, in a mature forest full of giant Yakusugi cedars.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKagoshima, KagoshimaYunohira ObservatoryAt 373 m on the fourth station of Sakurajima's North Peak, the highest of the island's observatories and the highest point the public can reach. You look up at the rugged slopes of the South Peak sending up smoke, and down on Kinko Bay and the city of Kagoshima, with the Kirishima mountains to the north and Mt. Kaimon to the south. The night view of the city across the bay is also recommended; it is a stop on the "Sakurajima Island View" loop bus.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Keeezawa / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (cropped and resized)Yokohama, KanagawaCupnoodles Museum YokohamaA hands-on museum where you learn about invention and discovery through exhibits on instant noodles. You can hand-make Chicken Ramen at the "Chicken Ramen Factory", design your own cup and choose soup and toppings at the "My Cupnoodles Factory", and taste noodles from around the world at the "NOODLE BAZAAR".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: WENCHENG JIANG / Pexels (resized)Fujisawa, KanagawaEnoshima IslandAn island about 4 km around, centred on Enoshima Shrine, where in a day you can see the Enoshima Samuel Cocking Garden, the Enoshima Sea Candle, Chigogafuchi and the Iwaya caves. The yacht harbour hosted sailing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and local seafood such as shirasu, spiny lobster, sashimi, turban shells and clams is popular.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFujisawa, KanagawaEnoshima ShrineOne of the most popular spots in Shonan and Enoshima, the collective name for three shrines, Hetsunomiya, Nakatsunomiya and Okutsunomiya, each dedicated to one of three sister goddesses; it also enshrines the Happi Benzaiten and Myoon Benzaiten, counted among Japan's three great Benzaiten. Nakatsunomiya has a vermilion hall with painted flowers and birds on its coffered ceiling, and Okutsunomiya has the "turtle that glares in all directions".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Daderot / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Hakone, KanagawaHakone Komagatake RopewayA ropeway in the national park linking the shore of Lake Ashi with the summit of Mt. Komagatake, 1,783 m long, in about 7 minutes. From the summit the whole of Hakone spreads below around Lake Ashi, with Mt. Fuji and the Southern Alps beyond, and a 360-degree panorama reaching Suruga Bay, the Izu Islands, the Shonan coast, Tokyo Skytree and the Boso Peninsula.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHakone, KanagawaHakone Open-Air MuseumAn open-air museum set against the Hakone mountains, with about 120 works by leading modern and contemporary sculptors on permanent display.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Raita Futo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Hakone, KanagawaHakone RopewayA ropeway running between Owakudani and Togendai at an altitude of about 1,000 m, from which you can also enjoy Mt. Fuji. Since April 13, 2026, the "OTOBACO" gondola with a Dolby Atmos 3D sound system runs between Sounzan and Owakudani (one way, about 10 minutes; 2,500 yen per group plus the fare).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Aimaimyi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Hakone, KanagawaHakone Shrine and Kuzuryu ShrineA shrine founded in 757 by the monk Mangan on Mt. Hakone and revered by Minamoto no Yoritomo and Tokugawa Ieyasu; its auxiliary Kuzuryu Shrine honours the nine-headed dragon guarding Lake Ashi.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHakone, KanagawaHakone Sightseeing Cruise (Pirate Ships)Three pirate ships (Queen Ashinoko, Royal II and Victory) cruising Lake Ashi, with views of Mt. Fuji and Hakone Shrine's torii in the water; the lake is calm, so the ride rocks little.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Fg2 / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (cropped)Kawasaki, KanagawaJapan Open-air Folk House Museum (Kawasaki)A museum in the vast forest of Ikuta Ryokuchi where you can see 25 structures moved from around the country, mainly traditional houses of eastern Japan, including a watermill and a kabuki stage, all designated cultural properties. No power lines or buildings are in view, volunteers light the irori hearths in two to five houses each day, and indigo dyeing can be tried at the crafts hall (booking recommended).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Anton Cherednichenko / Pexels (resized)Kamakura, KanagawaKencho-ji TempleHead temple of the Rinzai Kencho-ji school and first of the Five Great Zen Temples of Kamakura, founded by Hojo Tokiyori and known as the birthplace of kenchin-jiru soup. Past the main gate, the Sanmon gate, Buddha hall, Dharma hall and ornate Karamon gate (all Important Cultural Properties) follow one another; there is also a National Treasure bell and a garden that is a Place of Scenic Beauty.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Rs1421 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)Yokohama, KanagawaKishamichi PromenadeA promenade across the water from Sakuragicho Station to the Minato Mirai Shinko district, built on part (about 500 m) of a harbour railway opened in 1911 (Meiji 44), with bridges and rails still in place. It contrasts with the high-rises, the big Ferris wheel and the "YOKOHAMA AIR CABIN", Japan's first urban circulating ropeway, overhead.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKamakura, KanagawaKotoku-in (Great Buddha of Kamakura)The temple of the Great Buddha of Kamakura in Hase, where visitors can also go inside the statue.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYokohama, KanagawaNYK Hikawa MaruA high-speed cargo-passenger liner built in 1930 for the Seattle route, moored off Yamashita Park; the only surviving pre-war Japanese-built cargo-passenger ship, designated an Important Cultural Property in 2016. The restored interior includes the suite used by Charlie Chaplin, the main hall and the first-class dining room, and the bridge and engine room remain almost as built; the open deck is open on weekends and holidays.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOdawara, KanagawaOdawara CastleThe "impregnable" castle and symbol of Odawara, a National Historic Site; floors 1-5 of the keep tell the castle's history from the Edo period to today, and the top-floor deck at about 60 m looks over Sagami Bay.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYokohama, KanagawaOsanbashi Yokohama International Passenger TerminalOne of Japan's largest cruise terminals, where large liners from home and abroad call, with over 130 years of history as the gateway to Yokohama Port. The rooftop "Whale's Back" has natural lawn and wooden decks like a ship's deck, and there are camera marks on the ground at recommended photo spots.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: そらみみ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Hakone, KanagawaOwakudani Valley, HakoneA volcanic valley of steam vents and boiling mud, once called "Jigokudani" (hell valley), reached by the Hakone Ropeway with views of Mt. Fuji and Lake Ashi; a 700 m guided walk through the fumarole area reopened in 2022 by reservation.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIsehara, KanagawaOyama Afuri ShrineA shrine said to have been founded over 2,200 years ago, known as an object of mountain worship. It was revered by Minamoto no Yoritomo and later warrior families, and in the Edo period "Oyama pilgrimages" by ordinary people spread; this is recognised as Japan Heritage. The main shrine is on the summit and the lower shrine halfway up, reachable by cable car; the view from the shrine earned two stars in the Michelin Green Guide Japan in 2015.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Suicasmo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Yokohama, KanagawaSankeien GardenA vast Japanese garden created by silk merchant Hara Sankei, with historic buildings moved from Kyoto and Kamakura (ten Important Cultural Properties) set among plum, cherry, wisteria, lotus and autumn leaves; a Place of Scenic Beauty.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Jungle / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Hakone, KanagawaSengokuhara Pampas Grass FieldA vast field of pampas grass on the slopes of Mt. Daigatake, green in spring and golden in autumn, with a straight 700 m path through the grass; one of Kanagawa's 50 scenic spots.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Brakeet / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Yokohama, KanagawaShin-Yokohama Ramen MuseumA museum that recreates a retro townscape of 1958 inside, lined with carefully chosen ramen shops from around Japan. Besides the museum on ramen culture and history, popular activities include making your own cup ramen at "Rahaku Sugomen Lab" and a noodle-making experience with spelt wheat using the traditional "aodake-uchi" bamboo technique.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Ocdp / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Kamakura, KanagawaTsurugaoka Hachimangu ShrineThe guardian shrine of Kamakura and of the samurai in the Kamakura period, where the shogunate held its official ceremonies; its grand festival with horseback archery is held every September 14-16, and a peony garden blooms by the Genji Pond.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYokosuka, KanagawaVerny ParkA French-style park facing the site of the former Yokosuka Iron Works, which the French engineer Verny helped build; about 1,300 rose bushes of about 130 varieties grow in themed beds. Rose Festas are held in May and October, and the Verny Memorial Hall displays steam hammers actually used at the iron works.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYokohama, KanagawaYamashita ParkYokohama's representative waterfront park, where you can watch the Bay Bridge and the ships in the harbour. The luxury liner Hikawa Maru, once called "Queen of the North Pacific", is moored here, and the park is famous for roses. Built on rubble from the Great Kanto Earthquake, it has many monuments such as the "Girl with Red Shoes" statue.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYokohama, KanagawaYokohama ChinatownOne of the world's largest Chinatowns, with over 600 shops packed into lanes named after Chinese places, serving Cantonese, Beijing, Shanghai and Sichuan food, plus the Kuan Ti Miao and Ma Zhu Miao temples.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Thiago Yoshida / Pexels (resized)Yokohama, KanagawaYokohama Red Brick WarehouseRed-brick warehouses built between the late Meiji and early Taisho periods by the harbour, now filled with cafés, restaurants and shops, with events such as the Oktoberfest and a Christmas market in the outdoor plaza; lit orange at night.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Dokudami / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)Muroto, KochiCape MurotoLong known as a dangerous stretch of sea, Cape Muroto has a coast of jagged rocks with subtropical forest and coastal plants. It was designated part of the Muroto-Anan Coast Quasi-National Park in June 1964 and certified as a Global Geopark in September 2011, a place to feel the workings of the earth, with many legends left by Kukai.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKochi, KochiGodaisan Observation TerraceAn observation terrace near the top of Godaisan, about 20 minutes by car from central Kochi, a mountain known for Chikurin-ji (temple 31 of the Shikoku 88) and the Makino Botanical Garden. It looks over Kochi City, Urado Bay and Kochi Port, and is also a little-known spot for the night view of the city. It can be reached by the MY Yu Bus from JR Kochi Station.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKochi, KochiHarimaya BridgeThe bridge sung of in the "Yosakoi-bushi" folk song, famous for the story of Junshin and Uma. It is said to have begun in the early Edo period as a private temporary bridge built by two Tosa domain merchants, Harimaya Sotoku and Hitsuya Dosei, to go between their houses. The area is now Harimayabashi Park, and on its east side is a mechanical clock where Ryoma and Katsurahama appear to the melody of Yosakoi-bushi.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Maarten Heerlien / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)Kochi, KochiHirome MarketA market in central Kochi in the style of a food-stall village, with about 60 shops, where you can enjoy Kochi food such as seared bonito (katsuo no tataki) side by side with locals. Food and goods shops are gathered in one place: buy dishes from the shops and eat at any seat at the shared tables. It is not just for tourists; local people use it every day, and strangers at the next seat often start chatting.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: inunami / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Tosashimizu, KochiJohn Manjiro MuseumManjiro, born in the Edo period as the second son of a poor fisherman in Nakanohama, Tosashimizu, was cast adrift at 14 while fishing with friends, rescued by an American ship and taken to America. There he learned English, navigation and shipbuilding, and after returning he worked for the modernisation of Japan. The museum lets you experience his eventful life through materials and dioramas.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOtsuki, KochiKashiwajima IslandAn island at the tip of Otsuki, known as "the island where boats seem to float in the air" for its emerald-green, remarkably clear sea. Where the Kuroshio Current meets the Bungo Channel, a third of Japan's fish species are said to live, making it one of the world's best places for diving and snorkelling; even in the shallows you can see corals and tropical fish. In summer the beaches and campsite are busy, and the island has a nostalgic townscape.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Mugu-shisai / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kochi, KochiKatsurahama AquariumAn aquarium founded in 1931 on the beach of Katsurahama, famous for moon viewing, mainly showing fish of Tosa Bay. The shoal of "akame" (Japanese lates), a giant fish anglers dream of, is a must-see; visitors can learn while feeding many creatures, and the staff's funny display signs and fish explanations are not to be missed.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 京浜にけ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kochi, KochiKatsurahama BeachA beautiful coast facing the Pacific in Kochi City, long known as a place for viewing the moon and one of Kochi's representative scenic spots. The curved beach, blue sea and pine grove behind are selected as one of Japan's 100 best beaches, and the bronze statue of Sakamoto Ryoma, hero of the late Edo period, gazing out at the Pacific is a symbol of sightseeing in Kochi.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Биљана / Pexels (resized)Kochi, KochiKochi CastleFifteen of its buildings, including the keep, the main-enclosure palace ("Kaitokukan") and the Otemon gate, are national Important Cultural Properties. The keep, 18.5 m high with three roofs and six floors, is one of the 12 original surviving keeps, and this is the only castle among them where the main-enclosure palace also survives. Built in 1603 by Yamauchi Kazutoyo, first lord of Tosa, it was once lost in a great fire in the castle town and rebuilt in 1749.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Asturio Cantabrio / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kochi, KochiKochi Mirai Science MuseumA hands-on science facility on the 5th floor of Otepia. Its planetarium recreates the starry sky with about 8 million points of light, with live commentary by specialist staff. Three exhibition zones cover Kochi's science and manufacturing, space, the Earth and science experiences, and Kochi's nature and living things, with science shows and mini science classes every weekend.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKochi, KochiKochi Prefectural Makino Botanical GardenOpened on Godaisan in Kochi City in 1958 to honour the achievements of Dr. Tomitaro Makino, a botanist from Kochi. Across about 8 ha, over 3,000 kinds of plants through the seasons can be seen, including plants of southwestern Japan and ones associated with Dr. Makino. There is a jungle-like greenhouse with rare tropical plants and exhibits on his work, as well as a restaurant, café and shop.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKochi, KochiKochi Tabi HirobaA base to stop by first on arriving in Kochi, with the tourist information centre "Tosa Terrace" and the popular photo spot of the "three patriots" statues. Staff can speak English; the centre offers luggage delivery to hotels (paid), sells MY Yu Bus and tram tickets, and has over 400 brochures including English, Chinese and Korean ones. Bicycles can also be rented.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNakatosa, KochiKure Taishomachi MarketA fishing-town market with over 100 years of history, dating from the mid-Meiji era. After a great fire in the Taisho era, funds for rebuilding were sent by Emperor Taisho, so the street was renamed Taishomachi and the market has been called Taishomachi Market ever since. You can buy fresh local fish, dried fish, vegetables and fruit, and eateries serve mainly fresh local fish.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 京浜にけ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kitagawa, KochiMonet's Garden Marmottan (Kitagawa)A recreation, in Kochi's nature, of the Giverny garden that Claude Monet created to paint and loved. About 100,000 plants grow over about 30,000 m², including the "Water Garden" with a lily pond and green arched bridge. It is the only garden in the world allowed by the foundation that manages Monet's garden in Giverny to use the name "Monet's Garden", and experts from the original garden visit regularly to advise on its care. There is also the "Bordighera Garden", recreating the scenery of Bordighera in Italy, where Monet travelled.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Dokudami / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Ino, KochiNikobuchi PoolA mysterious blue waterfall pool on a tributary of the Niyodo River, which spread the phrase "Niyodo Blue" across Japan. Its blue changes from emerald green to deep cobalt with the sunlight, season, weather and water level. Legend says a great serpent, the incarnation of the water god, lives here, and local people have long treated it as a sacred place not to be approached; visit quietly, without entering the water or eating.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSusaki, KochiOtonashi ShrineA shrine said to date from the Kamakura period, standing with its back to the sea of Uranouchi Bay in Susaki. Its red torii stands out against the blue sea and sky, keeping the atmosphere of "the Miyajima of Tosa", which could once be reached only by boat.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShimanto, KochiSada Chinkabashi (Submersible Bridge)The lowest and longest of the many "chinkabashi" (submersible bridges) across the Shimanto River, blending into the great river and its nature. Designed to go under water in floods so that it is not washed away, it has no railings, giving a unique feeling of being one with the water. It is still used as a local road, and from the bridge you can look over the wide Shimanto and the countryside (satoyama).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Kennosuke Yamaguchi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)Kochi, KochiSakamoto Ryoma Memorial MuseumThe "Hall of Ryoma", with first-class materials on Sakamoto Ryoma. A new building opened as a full museum in the 2018 renewal, and the main building became a hands-on exhibition space; the two halls let you get to know Ryoma more deeply.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKochi, KochiSakamoto Ryoma StatueA bronze statue of Sakamoto Ryoma, the late-Edo patriot who opened the way to modern Japan, standing on Cape Ryuzu at Katsurahama. It is 5.3 m tall, 13.5 m including the pedestal, and was built in the early Showa era with funds raised by young volunteers of Kochi. By Motoyama Hakuun, it shows Ryoma in kimono with his hands tucked in and wearing boots, gazing at the Pacific.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Ippukucho / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Shimanto, KochiShimanto RiverThe longest river in Shikoku (196 km), rising on Mt. Irazu in Tsuno and flowing through Nakatosa, Shimanto Town and Shimanto City, known as "the last clear stream". Traditional fishing such as "hiburi" (fire) fishing and "shibazuke" fishing is still practised. The many "chinkabashi" submersible bridges from upstream to downstream, built without railings to sink below the water in floods, are still used as local roads and are part of the river's scenery.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKochi, KochiSunday Market (Kochi)A street market held every Sunday for 300 years since the Edo period, one of Japan's largest "aozora-ichi" (outdoor markets). About 300 stalls line about 1 km of Otesuji, the avenue leading to Kochi Castle, selling fresh local vegetables and fruit, handmade inaka-zushi (country sushi), imo-ten (sweet-potato tempura) and other Kochi specialities. Kochi City also holds street markets at other places on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Reggaeman / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Tosashimizu, KochiTatsukushi CoastA scenic coast famous for strange rock formations, an eroded platform of sandstone about 20 million years old, designated in 1970 (Showa 45) as Japan's first marine park. At the tip of Cape Chihiro is "Minokoshi", strange rocks said to be so named because even Kobo Daishi left them unseen, the place being so hard to reach. Nearby are the Ashizuri Underwater Observatory, the Ashizuri Aquarium SATOUMI, a shell museum and glass-bottom boats.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Kochi, KochiTosa Shrine (Shinane-sama)As the Tosa Ichinomiya, the first shrine of Tosa, it has long been a spiritual home for the people of Tosa. The present buildings, rebuilt by Chosokabe Motochika, are an Important Cultural Property in the rare "iri-tombo" (dragonfly) style. The grounds cover about 10,000 tsubo, with a large shrine standing quietly at the end of a 300 m approach. It was a filming location for the 2010 NHK drama "Ryomaden".Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: muneaki / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Ino, KochiUFO LineA mountain driving road of about 27 km linking the peaks of the Shikoku mountains, originally called the "Yuho Line". After a UFO appeared in a photo taken by a climber on the road and was widely reported in the local paper, it became known as the "UFO Line". Running along ridges at 1,300-1,700 m, it is especially worth seeing for akebono azaleas in spring and autumn leaves, and on clear days you can see as far as the Pacific.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Tzu-hsun, Hsu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Kami, KochiYanase Takashi Memorial Hall Anpanman MuseumOpened in July 1996, a memorial hall to the cartoonist Yanase Takashi from Kahoku, in the hometown of Anpanman's creator. It shows original picture-book art and paintings of Anpanman in the "Yanase Takashi Gallery" and recreates Anpanman's world in dioramas in "Anpanman World". Surrounded by nature, it can be enjoyed by adults as well as children. Since March 29, 2025, entry must be booked.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNiyodogawa, KochiYasui GorgeA gorge and scenic spot of Kochi Prefecture, with clear blue water called "Niyodo Blue", on a tributary of the clear Niyodo River. With transparent water and rich nature, it is good for hiking; the blue of the water stands out especially in summer, in harmony with the green of the mountains through the seasons.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAso, KumamotoAso ShrineAn ancient shrine with over 2,000 years of history, the head shrine of about 500 Aso shrines across Japan. Its buildings were rebuilt from Tenpo 6 to Kaei 3 with donations from the Kumamoto domain, and six, including the main hall and the two-storey gate, are national Important Cultural Properties; the gate is the largest in Kyushu and counted among Japan's three great romon gates. Badly damaged in the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, all restoration work, which took eight years, was completed in December 2024.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYamaga, KumamotoBansho Rice TerracesTerraced rice fields in the Bansho district of Kikuka, known for red spider lilies and chosen as one of Japan's 100 best terraced fields. Around mid-September, when the lilies bloom, the yellow ears of rice and red flowers contrast; old houses and stone walls show a nostalgic Japanese countryside.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: STA3816 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Aso, KumamotoDaikanboA peak of the northern outer rim of Aso, northeast of Uchinomaki Onsen, about 936 m high and about 400 m above the Aso Valley below. It is one of Aso's finest viewpoints, with a 360-degree panorama over the town, the five peaks of Aso and the Kuju mountains; early mornings from autumn to winter may bring a sea of clouds. There are souvenir shops and places to eat, and it is also popular for stargazing.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Naokijp / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Uki, KumamotoEinootsurugi ShrineAn old shrine said to have been founded in 713, enshrining the sea god Watatsumi and also called "Tsurugi Shrine". It is known for its ray-shaped ema plaques and its torii standing in the sea, whose look changes between high and low tide. On the 1st day of the 8th lunar month the "Hassaku Festival" is held, coinciding with viewing of the "shiranui", a line of lights that appears offshore, and the grounds are crowded with visitors.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Sanjo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)Yatsushiro, KumamotoGokanoshoA remote area of Yatsushiro surrounded by mountains of 1,300-1,700 m and deep gorges, where legend says defeated Heike warriors fled. The autumn-leaf season, when the forests and gorges turn colour, is a spectacular view, including around the suspension bridges and waterfalls; the best time is early to mid November.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Ozizo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Yamato, KumamotoGorogataki FallsOne of the largest of Yamato's many waterfalls. You can walk close to the basin to see it drop 50 m, and from the suspension bridge on the path you can see the whole fall, sometimes with a rainbow on fine days. Its name is said to come from a fall "shown" to the imperial envoy Karasumaru Dainagon.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYamato, KumamotoHeitate ShrineA shrine in the Kyushu mountains, revered as the Takamagahara of the age of the gods, keeping many legends and old forms of worship. In the grounds tower old giant trees, including the sacred cypress where the deities Kamurogi and Kamurumi are said to have descended, and the thickly growing Ioe cedar.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACUbuyama, KumamotoIkeyama SpringA spring chosen as one of the Environment Ministry's "100 Best Waters", surrounded by trees more than 200 years old. The water is 13.5 degrees all year and flows out powerfully at 30 tonnes a minute. It has long been used locally for drinking and farming and is now also a source for bottled water.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakamori, KumamotoKamishikimi Kumanoimasu ShrineA shrine whose scenery, like "an entrance to another world", became a talking point on social media. 97 stone lanterns line the approach to the shrine, and sunlight falls into the moss-green world. Beyond the shrine, up a steeper slope, is "Ugetoiwa", a huge 10 m hole in the rock that legend says was kicked through by Kihachi Hoshi, a follower of Takeiwatatsu no Mikoto.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Dương Nhân / Pexels (resized)Kumamoto, KumamotoKumamoto CastleOne of Japan's three great castles, also called Ginnan Castle, built over about seven years from 1601 (Keicho 6) by the famous general Kato Kiyomasa. A vast castle 5.3 km around and 98 ha in area, it had 3 keeps, 49 turrets, 18 turret gates and 29 castle gates, using stone walls and the natural terrain. It is also famous for cherry blossoms: in spring about 800 trees of three kinds (yamazakura, Higo-zakura and Somei-yoshino) bloom.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAmakusa, KumamotoKuratake ShrineKuratake (682 m), the highest peak of the Amakusa Islands, has been revered as a sacred mountain since ancient times, and Kuratake Shrine at its summit was built to pray for safety in fishing. Below lie the calm Shiranui Sea (Yatsushiro Sea), the islands of Goshonoura and fishing villages, and on the other side you can see across the Ariake Sea to Unzen.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMinamioguni, KumamotoKurokawa OnsenA hot spring village in the mountains at 700 m. Its 30 inns and the countryside are treated as "one inn": each inn is a "detached room" and the lanes between them are "corridors", and the whole village welcomes guests. Seven kinds of spring water rise here, and the "Nyuto Tegata" pass (1,500 yen) lets you bathe at any three baths you like; the "Yuakari" event runs from late December to around March.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Aso, KumamotoKusasenriOne of Aso's best-known sights, at about 1,100 m, with views of horses grazing at leisure and the smoking crater of Mt. Nakadake. The green is bright in summer, and in the depths of winter it can turn silver-white. The car park area has the Aso Volcano Museum, cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACArao, KumamotoManda PitA pit of the Miike coal mine that produced high-quality coal from the Meiji to the early Showa period, supporting Japan's modernisation; it was registered as a World Heritage site in July 2015 as part of the "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution". You can see the brick buildings preserved as they were, the pit mouth through which miners went between underground and the surface, and the machine room with its huge machinery.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: NY066 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)Uki, KumamotoMisumi West PortOne of the three great ports built in the Meiji era, opened in 1887 (Meiji 20) as a harbour town combining the design of the Dutch water engineer Mulder with the skill of Japanese stonemasons. Registered in 2015 as a World Cultural Heritage site among the "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution", its 756 m stone wharf, floating pier, drainage channels and relocated or rebuilt buildings are protected and show the scene of the time.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAso, KumamotoMt. KishimaA 1,321 m mountain, one of the five peaks of Aso. Most of the trail is paved with steps on the slopes, so even beginners can climb easily; it is about 40 minutes on foot from the Kusasenri car park without rests. The climb is steep, but the summit gives a 360-degree view of Kusasenri-ga-hama, Nakadake, Komezuka and the northern outer rim, and on clear days as far as Kumamoto City, the Ariake Sea and Unzen in Nagasaki.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Big Ben in Japan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)Aso, KumamotoMt. KomezukaA hill about 80 m high said to have been formed by an eruption about 3,300 years ago, shaped like an upturned bowl with a large hollow at the top. Its slopes are covered in grassland, turning all green from spring to summer.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Lawsonstu / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Aso, KumamotoMt. Nakadake Crater (Aso)The Aso caldera, 18 km east-west and 25 km north-south, is one of the largest in the world. Of the five peaks of Aso in its centre, Nakadake is still active: its crater, 600 m across, 130 m deep and 4 km around, sends up white volcanic smoke that can be seen close up.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOguni, KumamotoNabegataki Falls ParkA waterfall about 10 m high and 20 m wide, a popular spot that was used as a location for a tea commercial. Said to have been formed by the huge eruption that made the Aso caldera about 90,000 years ago, water falls widely like a curtain from a step in the lava; you can see it close up from the riverside, and sometimes from behind the fall.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Uto, KumamotoNagabeta Kaishoro (Sea Road)A spot that became famous for the pairing of a road running straight into the sea and the utility poles beside it. Facing the Ariake Sea, which has the largest tidal range in Japan, at low tide a concrete road appears leading to the seaweed farms offshore, and at high tide only the poles stick up out of the water; the scenery changes with the time you visit.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: くろふね / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0Uto, KumamotoOkoshiki CoastA scenic spot chosen as one of Japan's "100 best beaches" and "100 best sunsets". The Ariake Sea has a large tidal range, and when the tide is out, beautiful curves made by wind and waves appear in the sand; the tidal flats turn orange with the sunset, purple at dusk, silver by day and gold on full-moon nights. From January to April the flats lit by the setting sun are especially fine.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMinamioguni, KumamotoOshitoishi HillA hill near the Mazeno Gorge in Minamioguni, said to have been a place of prayer for ancient people. Stones that seem to have been placed deliberately are scattered around - a pyramid-shaped "great rock", the "mirror stone" carved with Sumerian letters and the "scissor stone" said to have served as a sundial - with a 360-degree panorama.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKumamoto, KumamotoReigando CaveThe cave where Miyamoto Musashi, who came to Higo in 1640 (Kan'ei 17) at the invitation of Hosokawa Tadatoshi, wrote "The Book of Five Rings", the culmination of his life's swordsmanship. It is on the hill behind Unganzen-ji temple; inside is the Iwato Kannon, and the temple keeps the wooden sword Musashi used in his duel with Sasaki Kojiro.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAmakusa, KumamotoSakitsu VillageOne of the components of the "Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki and Amakusa Region", a fishing village where Buddhism, Shinto and Christianity coexisted during the ban and a faith unique to fishing villages grew. Missionary work began here in 1569 with the Jesuit brother Almeida, and it is said almost all the villagers became Christian. The shrine where hidden Christians prayed daily, a Gothic church and a statue of Mary on the tip of the cape are scattered through the village.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: ノボホショコロトソ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped and resized)Kumamoto, KumamotoSAKURA MACHI KumamotoA large complex opened in 2019 as a landmark of Sakuramachi, Kumamoto, with a bus terminal, shops for fashion, cosmetics and restaurants, a cinema complex and a hotel. On the top floor, under the concept "a garden continuing from Kumamoto Castle", are the "Sakuramachi Garden" with seasonal plantings and the "Rooftop Park" with slides and water play.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: STA3816 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Minamiaso, KumamotoShirakawa SpringA spring chosen as one of the Ministry of the Environment's "100 best waters", representing Kumamoto. Water at 14°C wells up at 60 tonnes a minute all year round, the source of the Shirakawa River that flows through central Kumamoto. You may drink the spring water freely and take it home; heat-treated water and empty bottles are also sold.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKumamoto, KumamotoSuizenji Jojuen GardenA stroll garden designated a national scenic spot and historic site. It began when Hosokawa Tadatoshi, the first lord of the Kumamoto domain, built a tea house in 1632 (Kan'ei 9), and the garden was completed under the third lord, Tsunatoshi; it is named "Jojuen" after a poem by the Chinese poet Tao Yuanming. Underground water from Aso wells up quietly, and there are a Noh stage and the Kokin-Denju-no-Ma, moved from the Kyoto Imperial Palace in 1912. Cherry trees along the paths bloom from late March to early April.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakamori, KumamotoTakamori Spring Tunnel ParkWhile digging a tunnel for a former national railway line, workers cut into an underground water source and were flooded; the railway was abandoned because of the volume of water, and the site became this park. The tunnel is 2,055 m long and water flows at 32 tonnes a minute; inside you can see water pouring like waterfalls from the rock and the "Water Pearl" fountain, where drops move strangely. A Tanabata festival is held every July and a "Christmas Fantasy" from mid-November to December.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Miya.m / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5 (resized)Oguni, KumamotoTsuetate OnsenA hot spring town full of history where steam rises, loved since ancient times as a place for cures. Using the water's high temperature (about 98°C at the source) and abundant flow, steam baths and steaming spots dot the town, and June 4 is registered as "Tsuetate Onsen Steam Bath Day"; the back lanes called "sedoya" are popular for walks. In April about 3,500 carp streamers fly over the Tsuetate River.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYamato, KumamotoTsujun BridgeOne of Japan's largest stone arch aqueduct bridges, built in 1854 (Kaei 7) by Futa Yasunosuke, a village headman of Yabe, to carry water to the Shiraito plateau, which suffered from water shortages. It is the only stone arch bridge that can "discharge water", about 78 m long and 21.3 m high, and still waters the terraced rice fields of the plateau. In 2023 it became the first civil-engineering structure in Japan to be designated a National Treasure; its water discharges, about 120 a year, can be seen up close.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAso, KumamotoUchinomaki OnsenA hot spring town with over 100 years of history, said to have been visited by writers such as Natsume Soseki and Yosano Tekkan and Akiko. In an area you can walk around are more than 130 sources, 7 public baths and about 17 inns and hotels, each with its own source and fresh free-flowing water.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: STA3816 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Yamaga, KumamotoYamaga OnsenYamaga, on the border with Fukuoka, has hot springs across the area - Yamaga, Hirayama, Kamoto and Kikuka - the oldest said to have 1,300 years of history. Most are alkaline, with soft, lukewarm water; in Yamaga Onsen, with the air of the Buzen Kaido road, is "Sakura-yu", recreating Edo-period architecture.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Miyazu, KyotoAmanohashidateOne of Japan's Three Scenic Views with Matsushima and Miyajima, a sandbar about 3.6 km long with some 6,700 pine trees, said in myth to be the fallen bridge that the god Izanagi built from heaven.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Basile Morin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kyoto, KyotoBamboo Grove Path, ArashiyamaA path of about 400 m lined with tended bamboo, from Nonomiya Shrine past Tenryu-ji's north gate to Okochi Sanso; said to have been an aristocrats' villa area in the Heian period.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Martin Falbisoner / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Uji, KyotoByodo-in Temple, UjiA temple on the west bank of the Uji River: a villa acquired by Fujiwara no Michinaga was turned into a temple by his son Yorimichi. The Phoenix Hall (a National Treasure) on the Aji-ike pond is the design on the 10-yen coin, and the Hoshokan museum shows National Treasures such as the phoenixes, the Bodhisattvas on Clouds and the temple bell.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKyoto, KyotoFushimi Inari TaishaThe head shrine of some 30,000 Inari shrines in Japan, founded in 711; the Oyama-meguri pilgrimage around sacred Mt. Inari, about 4 km and 2 hours, passes through tunnels of vermilion torii, about 10,000 of which line the paths.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Moja / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Kyoto, KyotoGion Shinbashi Historic DistrictGion began as the town before the gate of the Gion shrine, and this area was developed as a teahouse district of the six blocks of Gion (Gion Uchi-rokucho), closely tied to the performing arts from the late Edo to the early Meiji period. Refined teahouse-style townhouses stand in neat rows, forming a traditional scene together with the Shirakawa stream, stone paving and rows of cherry trees.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKyoto, KyotoHeian Jingu ShrineA shrine founded in 1895 (Meiji 28) for the 1,100th anniversary of the move of the capital to Heian-kyo, enshrining Emperors Kanmu and Komei. Its vermilion Otenmon gate and Daigokuden hall are modelled on the main hall of the Heian-kyo palace. The shrine garden (Place of Scenic Beauty), about 30,000 square metres, is divided into four gardens, and the Jidai Matsuri procession is held on October 22.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Naokijp / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Ine, KyotoIne Funaya BoathousesAbout 230 boathouses lining Ine Bay as if floating on the water, with boats and fishing gear below and living space above; an Important Preservation District since 2005.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKyoto, KyotoJisho-ji (Ginkaku-ji, Silver Pavilion)A Rinzai temple of the Shokoku-ji school, converted from Higashiyama-dono, the mountain villa of Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1482). The Silver Pavilion (National Treasure) is a two-storey pavilion, and the Togudo hall (National Treasure) contains the Dojinsai, said to be the prototype of the four-and-a-half-mat tea room. The garden in front of the main hall has two sand forms, the Ginshadan and the Kogetsudai. Part of the World Heritage "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto" (1994).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKyoto, KyotoKitano Tenmangu ShrineFounded in Tenryaku 1 (947), the head shrine of about 12,000 Tenjin shrines across Japan, enshrining Sugawara no Michizane, a scholar and statesman of the Heian period. The main hall (National Treasure), built by Toyotomi Hideyori, is a Momoyama-period building in the yatsumune-zukuri style. On the 25th of every month the treasure hall opens and stalls line the grounds; it is also famous for plum blossoms and autumn leaves.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Travel with Lenses / Pexels (resized)Kyoto, KyotoKiyomizu-dera TempleHead temple of the Kita-Hosso sect on Mt. Otowa, founded in 778 and part of the World Heritage "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto"; its main hall (a National Treasure), rebuilt in 1633, is famous for the wooden stage over the cliff.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: PlusMinus / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kyoto, KyotoKoryuji TempleThe oldest temple in Yamashiro, with a quiet atmosphere. It enshrines the Crowned Maitreya Bodhisattva in Half-Lotus Position, the first object designated a National Treasure, whose figure with the right hand to the cheek and a faint smile has a mysterious beauty.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Jen Lee / Pexels (resized)Kyoto, KyotoKyoto Imperial PalaceThe residence of the emperors for about 500 years, from the Nanboku-cho period to the Meiji era; most of the existing buildings date from 1855 (Ansei 2). Besides historic buildings such as the Shishinden, Kogosho and Ogakumonsho, there are also gardens. Entry is free and no advance booking is needed.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKyoto, KyotoKyoto Railway MuseumA museum opened on April 29, 2016 (Heisei 28) that presents the history, technology and culture of railways around the theme "see, touch, experience". It has one of Japan's largest railway dioramas, driving simulators, the fan-shaped engine shed (Important Cultural Property), and the "SL Steam" ride in carriages pulled by a real steam locomotive.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNantan, KyotoMiyama Kayabuki-no-Sato (Thatched Village)A hamlet in Kita, Miyama, where thatched-roof farmhouses cluster amid farmland; an Important Preservation District since 1993.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKyoto, KyotoNanzen-ji TempleHead temple of the Rinzai Nanzen-ji school, founded in 1291 (Shoo 4) when Emperor Kameyama gave his detached palace. The Sanmon gate (Important Cultural Property) was donated by Todo Takatora; the Hojo (National Treasure) holds the famous "Tiger Drinking Water" by Kano Tan'yu, and its front garden, "Tiger Cubs Crossing", is a representative dry landscape garden of the early Edo period. The Suirokaku brick aqueduct of the Lake Biwa Canal (1888) runs through the grounds.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKyoto, KyotoNijo-jo CastleA castle built by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1603 and enlarged in 1626; the Ninomaru Palace (a National Treasure), where the return of power to the emperor was announced, has "nightingale" floors and Kano-school paintings.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Kirin7739 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Kyoto, KyotoPhilosopher's PathA walk of about 2 km between Ginkaku-ji and Nyakuoji Shrine near Nanzen-ji along a canal drawn from Lake Biwa, named after philosopher Nishida Kitaro who walked it every morning; the Kansetsu cherry trees along it were donated by painter Hashimoto Kansetsu.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Basile Morin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kyoto, KyotoRokuon-ji (Kinkaku-ji, Golden Pavilion)A Rinzai Zen temple built by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in 1397; the three-storey Golden Pavilion, burned in 1950 and rebuilt in 1955, stands by the Kyoko-chi pond in a Special Place of Scenic Beauty. Part of the World Heritage site.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKyoto, KyotoRyoan-ji TempleA Rinzai temple of the Myoshin-ji school, converted into a Zen temple in 1450 (Hotoku 2) by Hosokawa Katsumoto. Its famous rock garden (Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty) is a flat dry landscape garden enclosed on three sides by earthen walls, with 15 stones set in white sand. Part of the World Heritage "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto" (1994).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Ivanoff / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kyoto, KyotoSaihoji (Kokedera, the Moss Temple)Called "Kokedera" (moss temple) because about 120 kinds of moss cover the grounds like a green carpet. Said to have been founded by the monk Gyoki in 731 and revived by Muso Kokushi in 1339 as a Rinzai temple, it is a World Heritage site. The garden, a Special Place of Scenic Beauty, has two tiers: a dry landscape garden above and a strolling garden around the Ogon pond below; the moss is said to have begun covering it in the late Edo period.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Dick Thomas Johnson / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Kyoto, KyotoSanjusangen-do (Rengeo-in)A hall 120 m long from north to south, with 33 bays between the pillars of the inner sanctuary, rare in wooden architecture anywhere (National Treasure). Founded in 1164 (Chokan 2) at the wish of Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa and donated by Taira no Kiyomori, it houses a large seated Thousand-armed Kannon surrounded by 1,000 life-size standing Kannon and 28 attendant deities, all National Treasures. Tendai sect.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 京都新観光提言懇談会メンバー / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kyoto, KyotoSannenzaka Historic DistrictThe old pilgrim paths to Kiyomizu-dera and Yasaka Shrine, with stone steps and winding stone-paved slopes such as Sanneizaka (Sannenzaka) and Ninenzaka, lined with townhouses from the late Edo to Taisho periods and temples such as the Yasaka Pagoda and Kodai-ji.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKyoto, KyotoSanzen-in Temple, OharaA famous temple with beautiful scenery in every season, one of the five Tendai monzeki temples, said to have begun as a hall built by Saicho on Mt. Hiei. The Ojo Gokuraku-in hall enshrines the National Treasure Amida triad, and in the moss garden you will find "warabe jizo" statues by the stone sculptor Sugimura Takashi. A visit takes 40 to 60 minutes.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKyoto, KyotoShimogamo Shrine (Kamo-mioya Jinja)One of Kyoto's oldest shrines, founded before the Heian period and revered as the first shrine of Yamashiro Province, enshrining Kamo-taketsunumi-no-mikoto and Tamayorihime-no-mikoto. In the vast grounds of the Tadasu no Mori forest (National Historic Site) stand two main halls (National Treasures) and 53 Important Cultural Property buildings; part of the World Heritage "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto". The Aoi Matsuri on May 15 recreates a courtly procession.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKyoto, KyotoTenryu-ji TempleHead temple of the Tenryu-ji branch of Rinzai Zen, founded in 1339 by Ashikaga Takauji for Emperor Go-Daigo with Muso Soseki; its Sogenchi pond garden borrowing the Arashiyama scenery was Japan's first designated Special Place of Scenic Beauty. Part of the World Heritage site.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Kakidai / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kyoto, KyotoTo-ji Temple (Kyo-o-gokoku-ji)Head temple of the Toji Shingon school, founded in 796 for the protection of the nation when the capital Heian-kyo was built, and granted to Kukai (Kobo Daishi) in 823. The lecture hall holds 21 statues forming a "three-dimensional mandala", including the National Treasure Five Great Wisdom Kings; the five-storey pagoda (National Treasure), rebuilt by Tokugawa Iemitsu, is 55 m high, the tallest in Japan. Part of the World Heritage "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: PlusMinus / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kyoto, KyotoTofuku-ji TempleHead temple of the Rinzai Tofuku-ji school and one of Kyoto's Five Great Zen Temples, whose seven main buildings were completed in 1255 (Kencho 7). The Sanmon gate (National Treasure) is the oldest of its kind from the Muromachi period, and buildings such as the bathhouse, latrine and meditation hall show the life of Zen monks. The Tsutenkyo bridge is famous for autumn leaves, and the gardens of the Honbo (abbot's quarters) are four dry landscape gardens by Shigemori Mirei.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Tomomarusan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (cropped)Kyoto, KyotoTogetsukyo BridgeThe bridge over the Katsura River between Sagano and Arashiyama, first built by the priest Dosho in the Jowa era (834-848); the present bridge was completed in June 1934 (Showa 9). It was named when Retired Emperor Kameyama, watching the moon move across the sky above it, remarked that it seemed to be "crossing" the bridge. Arashiyama's signature sight, crowded with visitors mainly in spring and autumn.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Estorgik / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kyoto, KyotoYasaka Shrine"Gion-san", a shrine said to date from 656; the Gion Matsuri began here in 869 with prayers against an epidemic. Its main hall, rebuilt in 1654, is a National Treasure, and it can be visited 24 hours a day.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShima, MieAgo Bay FerryRegular boats across Ago Bay: Kashikojima-Wagu 25 minutes, Kashikojima-Mazaki 10 minutes, Mazaki-Wagu 15 minutes.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: KENPEI / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Nabari, MieAkame 48 WaterfallsA series of waterfalls on the upper Takigawa River at the border of Iga and Yamato, about 4 km long, in the centre of Muro-Akame-Aoyama Quasi-National Park. It is chosen among the Heisei 100 best waters, Japan's 100 best waterfalls, 100 best forest-bathing forests and 100 best walks. From autumn to winter the valley is lit up with bamboo lanterns, and there are relaxed, valley-hiking and trekking courses.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIse, MieFutami Okitama Shrine (Meoto Iwa)A shrine enshrining Sarutahiko-no-Okami. The "Meoto Iwa" (wedded rocks) seen in front are regarded as a torii for worshipping the sacred "Okitama Shinseki" rock, about 700 m offshore, and the sun. By old custom, pilgrims purified themselves in the sea at Futamiura before visiting the Jingu ("Hama-sangu"), and many still visit this shrine first. Many frog figures, messengers of Sarutahiko, are offered in the grounds.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIse, MieFutamiura BeachThe delta where the Isuzu River flows into Ise Bay, famous for the Meoto Iwa. The coast west of the river mouth, known since ancient times as the "seven villages of Futami", has supplied sacred salt to the Jingu. Known as a scenic spot of Ise since the Heian period and sung in many poems, it is also famous as a swimming beach.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKomono, MieGozaisho RopewayOne of the largest ropeways in the world, 2,161 m long with a height difference of 780 m, taking about 15 minutes one way. Azaleas colour the mountain in spring and red dragonflies escape the heat in summer; the autumn leaves start at the summit park in mid-October and come down to the foot by late November, and in winter there is rime ice and the only ski area in Mie.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIga, MieIga Ueno CastleA castle built by Todo Takatora, whose inner moat and stone walls remain; the three-storey keep holds weapons, armour and Todo family relics, and its ceiling has 46 paintings on square cards by notable figures including Yokoyama Taikan. The present keep was built in 1935 (Showa 10) by Kawasaki Katsu, and for its white three-tier form it is also called "Hakuho Castle"; the inner-moat stone walls, about 30 m high, are among the tallest in Japan.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 谈天才 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Iga, MieIga-ryu Ninja MuseumThe only museum in Japan themed on ninja, with the world's largest ninja collection. In the "Ninja House", a local samurai's residence from the late Edo period moved here, ninja and kunoichi show you around demonstrating its trick devices; the "Ninjutsu Experience Hall" and "Ninja Tradition Hall" show materials and real ninja tools, and there are live shows and shuriken-throwing.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Oilstreet / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Ise, MieIse Jingu Geku (Toyouke Daijingu)In the centre of Ise, with Mt. Takakura behind it, Toyouke Daijingu enshrines Toyouke-no-Omikami, the deity in charge of the meals of Amaterasu-Omikami at Naiku, also revered as a guardian of clothing, food, shelter and industry. Past the torii, a gravel approach leads through sunlight filtering through the trees.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: N yotarou / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Ise, MieIse Jingu Naiku (Kotai Jingu)Enshrined by the Isuzu River since the reign of Emperor Suinin about 2,000 years ago, Kotai Jingu honours Amaterasu-Omikami, ancestor of the imperial family and revered like a guardian deity of all the people. Crossing the Uji Bridge at the entrance and walking the long gravel approach, you enter the sacred grounds, called the "hometown of the heart".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Xjm91587 / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (cropped and resized)Ise, MieIse Sea ParadiseAn aquarium whose theme is being close to sea mammals and fish, such as walruses, spotted seals, otters and seahorses, promoted as a "zero-distance aquarium". It is about 10 minutes on foot from the Meoto-iwa (Wedded Rocks), and the shopping arcade "Ise Meoto-iwa Meoto Yokocho" is next door.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Alpsdake / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Owase, MieMagose Pass (Kumano Kodo Iseji)A popular pass on the border of Kihoku and Owase, where the finest stone paving on the Kumano Kodo Iseji runs through beautiful Owase cypress forest, with historic sites such as the "Yonaki Jizo". Trails from the pass lead up Mt. Tengukura and Mt. Binshi, and Magose Park below is a cherry-blossom spot. The course (Michi-no-Eki Miyama to JR Owase Station) is about 5 km and takes about 2.5 hours.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Nakai_Chan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Kumano, MieMaruyama Senmaida Rice TerracesMany small rice paddies in the Maruyama district of Kumano, called "senmaida" (a thousand fields) and said to be the finest terraced-field landscape in Japan. The small fields overlap so tightly that "one was thought missing but was hidden under a hat" - there are about 1,340 of them. Events such as rice-growing experiences are held all year, and local people carry out conservation.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKumano, MieMatsumoto Pass (Kumano Kodo Iseji)A pass between Odomari and Kinomoto in Kumano, on the hillside above Onigajo, with stone paving remaining on most of the way. At the pass, surrounded by bamboo, stands a jizo said to have been shot with a gun, and from the plum grove on the way you can see the Shichiri-mihama coast. The course (about 5 km, about 3 hours) includes a round trip from the pass to the Onigajo lookout.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Alpsdake / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Owase, MieMie Prefectural Kumano Kodo CenterA visitor centre for experiencing the Kumano Kodo and its surrounding area, nature, history and culture more deeply, with hands-on learning using the mountains, sea and rivers, and lectures on the route's history and culture. The building is a large wooden space built only of solid 135 mm Owase cypress.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Haretter / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Tsu, MieMie Prefectural Museum (MieMu)The prefectural museum, where you can learn in the exhibition rooms and take part in activities across the building and the "Museum Field". In the main exhibition, Mie's distinctive natural settings - Osugidani and Odaigahara, the Suzuka Mountains, Ise Bay and the Kumano Sea - are placed in the four corners, and the history of exchange of people, goods and culture that grew within them is shown in the centre, with corners looking at people and nature from four ways of life: mountains, basins, plains and the shore.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACToba, MieMikimoto Pearl IslandA green island in Toba Bay where Mikimoto Kokichi succeeded in cultivating pearls for the first time in the world in 1893 (Meiji 26); it opened to visitors in 1951. The island of about 7,000 tsubo has the Pearl Museum, the Kokichi Mikimoto Memorial Hall on the life of the "Pearl King", and a shop and restaurant, and you can watch ama divers in traditional white diving clothes demonstrate diving.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: panoramiokobax / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Kuwana, MieNabana no SatoA large flower and garden theme park, one of the best known in the Tokai region, where you can see flowers and trees in every season. Seasonal events feature plum, Kawazu cherry, weeping plum, narcissus, tulips, nemophila, roses, hydrangeas and irises, and from winter to spring a large illumination is held, with flowers lit up at night in some periods. The big greenhouse "Andes Flower Garden / Begonia Garden" has flowers in bloom all year. There is also the day-use hot spring "Sato no Yu", seven restaurants, and the "Nagashima Beer Garden" with its own brewery.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Hideyuki KAMON / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)Kuwana, MieNagashima Spa LandJapan's largest amusement park with about 60 attractions, and the most roller coasters in Japan (12), including the wood-and-steel hybrid "Hakugei" and the Guinness-certified "Steel Dragon 2000". There are about 30 attractions for small children in "Kids Town", and the neighbouring "Yuami no Shima" has 17 kinds of indoor and outdoor hot spring baths; in summer the "Jumbo Seawater Pool" of about 75,000 m² opens.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIse, MieOharai-machi"Oharai-machi", running along the Isuzu River from the Uji Bridge at Naiku, grew up as the town in front of Naiku's torii. Souvenir shops, long-established confectioners and inns in the gabled styles typical of Ise line the street, along with historic buildings.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 玄史生 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kumano, MieOnigajo RocksA huge rock wall created by uplift from earthquakes, weathering and wave erosion. It is a national place of scenic beauty and natural monument, and part of the World Heritage "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range". A walking path of about 1 km runs along the wall past countless caves and strange rocks, and from the "Oni no Miharashidai" lookout you can see the Kumano Sea; four kinds of cherry trees bloom in turn along the hiking course in spring.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMeiwa, MieSaiku Heian no MoriThree Heian-period buildings of the "Saiku-ryocho" have been reconstructed on the Saiku historic site, recreating the ancient Saiku. They are thought to have been used for ceremonies and banquets under the head of the "Saiku-ryo", the office of the Saiku, conveying the appeal of ancient architecture.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: z tanuki / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (cropped and resized)Ise, MieSarutahiko ShrineSarutahiko-no-Okami is said to be the local god who guided the heavenly grandson Ninigi-no-Mikoto to this land and then devoted himself to developing the country around Ise; his descendant Ota-no-Mikoto offered the land by the upper Isuzu River when Princess Yamatohime sought a place for the Jingu. The shrine has been kept by his direct descendants, and the Omita rice-planting festival (a prefectural intangible cultural property) is held every May 5.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKameyama, MieSeki-juku (Tokaido Post Town)The 47th of the 53 stations of the Tokaido, a post town that still keeps its old atmosphere. More than 200 townhouses built from the late Edo to the Meiji period survive, and it is a national preservation district for groups of traditional buildings (selected 1984) and one of Japan's 100 best roads (1986).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMihama, MieShichiri-mihama Fureai BeachA lawn by the coast looking over the World Heritage Shichiri-mihama coast and the Pacific Ocean, with palm trees, blue sky and blue sea.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShima, MieShima Spain Village Parque EspañaA theme park recreating the streets of Spain. Its rides range from thrilling roller coasters to ones that children under school age can ride. There are flamenco shows by Spanish dancers and musicals with the park's characters, and you can eat Spanish food made with Ise-Shima ingredients as well as local dishes. Souvenirs include Spanish tableware and sweets and character goods sold only here.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTsu, MieTakada Honzan Senju-ji TempleThe head temple of the Takada school of Shin Buddhism, founded by Shinran, affectionately called "Takada Honzan". Its Miedo, designated a National Treasure in 2017 and the fifth-largest National Treasure wooden building, and the Nyoraido, with superb carvings, were the first buildings in Mie to become National Treasures; 11 Important Cultural Properties stand in grounds the size of two Tokyo Domes, and many lotuses bloom in summer.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACToba, MieToba AquariumAn aquarium keeping the largest number of species in Japan, about 1,200 kinds of creatures of the sea and rivers. It is the only place in Japan where you can see a dugong, said to be a model for mermaid legends, and sea lion and walrus shows are held every day.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACToba, MieToba Observatory "Ama no Terrace"A cafe and shop at the Toba Observatory, reopened on December 29, 2022 as "Ama no Terrace". The cafe looks over the sea of Toba from inside and the terrace, serving sandwiches, frappes and parfaits made with Ise-Shima ingredients, and the shop sells Ise-Shima akoya pearl accessories and local sake.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSuzuka, MieTsubaki Grand ShrineA shrine enshrining Sarutahiko no Okami, visited by worshippers from all over Japan. In its solemn wooded grounds is a tea room donated by Konosuke Matsushita, founder of Matsushita Electric, which is open to the public regardless of tea-ceremony school.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Shima, MieYokoyama ObservatoryAn observatory overlooking Ago Bay, the signature view of Ise-Shima National Park: a rias coastline with evergreen broadleaf trees and more than 60 large and small islands. It has a star in the Michelin Green Guide Japon, and at the cafe "Mirador Shima" you can enjoy bagels and soft-serve ice cream made with local Ise-Shima ingredients.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Tak1701d / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Sendai, MiyagiAkiu Great FallsA large waterfall in the mountains west of Sendai, with a viewing platform and a trail down to the basin.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMatsushima, MiyagiEntsuin TempleA Rinzai Zen temple next to Zuiganji, built as the mausoleum of Date Mitsumune; known for its gardens, roses and autumn illuminations.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShibata, MiyagiFunaoka Castle Ruins ParkA hilltop park on a castle site with a 305 m slope car to the summit, a 24 m Kannon statue and views of the Zao mountains and the Pacific.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: gleam_df / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Ishinomaki, MiyagiIshinomori Manga Museum (Mangattan)Museum of the manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori (Cyborg 009, Kamen Rider) in the Nakaze area of Ishinomaki.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: renshuchu / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Kurihara, MiyagiIzunuma-Uchinuma Sanctuary Center (bird observation)Visitor center on the Izunuma and Uchinuma wetlands, with telescopes on the upper floor for watching wild geese and swans.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Tak1701d / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Sendai, MiyagiJogi Nyorai Saihoji TempleA temple in the mountains west of Sendai with a five-storey pagoda.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIshinomaki, MiyagiKadonowaki Elementary School (Earthquake Disaster Remains)A school damaged by the 2011 tsunami and fire, preserved by Ishinomaki City as disaster remains; a tablet guide is available in English, Chinese and Korean.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIshinomaki, MiyagiKoganeyama Shrine, Kinkasan IslandA shrine on Kinkasan, an island off the tip of the Oshika Peninsula, reached by boat from Ayukawa or Onagawa; deer and monkeys live on the island.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Japanexperterna.se / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Matsushima, MiyagiMatsushima Bay Cruise (Niomaru course)A 50-minute round-trip sightseeing boat among the islands of Matsushima Bay, leaving from Matsushima town.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Yasu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Minamisanriku, MiyagiMinamisanriku 311 MemorialThe town's museum on the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, inside Michi-no-Eki Sansan Minamisanriku next to the Sun Sun Shopping Village; the learning theatre shows 15- or 45-min programmes.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMinamisanriku, MiyagiMinamisanriku Sun Sun Shopping VillageA shopping street rebuilt in Minamisanriku after the 2011 tsunami, with seafood restaurants and local shops.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 石巻敎祖 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Tome, MiyagiMiyagi Meiji Village, Tome (historic town)An old town with Meiji-era buildings, merchant storehouses and samurai houses; six historic buildings are open as museums.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShiroishi, MiyagiMiyagi Zao Fox VillageA park at the foot of the Zao mountains where foxes roam freely around the visitor paths.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: lumoplank / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Osaki, MiyagiNaruko GorgeA gorge up to 100 m deep carved by the Oya River, known for autumn colours (usually mid-October to mid-November).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Akaniji / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Sendai, MiyagiOsaki Hachimangu ShrineA Shinto shrine built in 1607 by Date Masamune; its main building is a National Treasure.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Sendai, MiyagiRairaikyo GorgeA rocky gorge in the middle of Akiu Onsen town; a walk from the Akiu Sato Center to the "Tenpugan" rock takes about 20 min.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Ty19080914 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Kesennuma, MiyagiRias Ark Museum of ArtKesennuma's city art museum, with a permanent exhibition recording the Great East Japan Earthquake and the history of tsunami disasters.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSendai, MiyagiSendai Asaichi MarketA street of fresh food shops near Sendai Station, which calls itself "Sendai's kitchen".Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSendai, MiyagiSendai Castle Ruins (Aoba Castle)The hilltop site of Date Masamune's castle, with stone walls, the Date Masamune statue and a view over the city.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Sendai, MiyagiSendai City MuseumSendai's city history museum, on the site of Sendai Castle's third enclosure, below the castle ruins.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 広瀬川 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Sendai, MiyagiSendai Umino-Mori AquariumAn aquarium in Miyagino-ku, Sendai.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: nnh / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (cropped and resized)Shiogama, MiyagiShiogama ShrineA shrine on Ichimoriyama hill in Shiogama. Shiwahiko Shrine stands in the same grounds.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: soica2001 / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)Shiroishi, MiyagiShiroishi CastleA castle whose keep and gates were rebuilt in wood in 1995; it was a branch castle of Sendai held by the Katakura family.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 暇・カキコ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Ishinomaki, MiyagiTashirojima (Cat Island)A small inhabited island off Ishinomaki, known for cats and its cat shrine, reached by ferry.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Mutimaro / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Tagajo, MiyagiTohoku History MuseumMiyagi Prefecture's museum of Tohoku history from the Palaeolithic to modern times, right next to Kokufu-Tagajo Station.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Zao, MiyagiZao Okama Crater LakeA crater lake near the summit of the Zao mountains, seen from a viewpoint at about 1,600 m.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSendai, MiyagiZuihodenMausoleum of Date Masamune, founder of the Sendai domain.Official check: 24 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakachiho, MiyazakiAmano YasukawaraA great cave about 10 minutes on foot along the Iwato River from the Nishi Hongu of Amano Iwato Shrine, a setting of Japanese myth: it is said that when the sun goddess Amaterasu hid in the rock cave, the countless gods gathered here to discuss how to bring back the light. Also called "Gyobo-ga-iwaya", countless stones piled by people making prayers heighten its mysterious atmosphere.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMiyazaki, MiyazakiAoshima IslandA small island about 1.5 km around, rich in nature with many subtropical plants such as Chinese fan palms, giving it a tropical atmosphere. Aoshima Shrine stands in the middle of the island, and the famous rock formation "Oni no Sentakuita" (Devil's Washboard) surrounds it. On the beach you can enjoy sea kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 松岡明芳 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Miyazaki, MiyazakiAoshima ShrineA shrine in the middle of Aoshima, an island said to be entirely shrine grounds, reached across the Yayoi Bridge. It is a setting of the famous myth of Umisachihiko and Yamasachihiko. Beyond the "Inori no Kodo", a tunnel of votive tablets, stands the Motomiya (original shrine) surrounded by Chinese fan palms, where rituals are said to have been held since around the Yayoi period.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Kobakou / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0Aya, MiyazakiAya Teruha Suspension BridgeA pedestrian suspension bridge 142 m high and 250 m long over the Ayagawa gorge in Kyushu Chuo Sanchi Quasi-National Park, one of the largest in Japan, giving the thrill of walking in the air with one of Japan's largest evergreen broadleaf forests and a wide sky before you. Aya was registered as a UNESCO Eco Park in 2012 for its community-building in harmony with nature. The Teruha Forest Culture Hall stands before the bridge, and a nature trail of about 2 km runs along the slope on the far side.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHyuga, MiyazakiCape Hyuga (Umagase)Cape Hyuga, in Nippo Kaigan Quasi-National Park, is a ria coast about 5 km long, lined with the "columnar joints of Cape Hyuga", a national natural monument. "Umagase" is named because the whole cape looks like a horse's back from the sea; the observatory at the end of the path looks over a grand panorama of the Pacific. About 2 minutes away, the viewing space "Skeruccha!" was renewed with glass in 2022, letting you look straight down the sheer cliff beneath your feet.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKushima, MiyazakiCape ToiA cape at the southern end of Nichinan Kaigan Quasi-National Park. From the white Toimisaki Lighthouse, the only lighthouse in Kyushu whose interior can be visited, you look over green hills and the Hyuga Sea. The area is home to "Misaki-uma", a native Japanese horse breed first put out to graze by the Takanabe domain in the Edo period and designated a national natural monument; all 550 ha of the cape are their home, and many foals are born from April to May.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Ray_go / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Ebino, MiyazakiEbino Kogen PlateauA plateau at 1,200 m south of Ebino, in the north of Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park on the border of Miyazaki and Kagoshima. Surrounded by mountains such as Mt. Karakuni and Mt. Koshiki, with crater lakes such as Byakushi, Rokkannon Miike and Fudo ponds, it is a popular trekking area. Nokaido (a natural monument) and Miyama-kirishima azaleas bloom from spring to summer; in autumn there are pampas grass and autumn leaves, and in winter you may even see rime ice.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKobayashi, MiyazakiIkoma Kogen PlateauA plateau of about 90,000 m² against the Kirishima mountains, about 20 minutes by car from JR Kobayashi Station on the way to Ebino Kogen, looking down on the farmland of the Nishimoro basin. From mid-April about 150,000 California and Iceland poppies bloom, hydrangeas in June, red-tinted kochia from mid-September and about 1 million cosmos from early October; there is a café and a dog run.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACEbino, MiyazakiJin-no-ike PondA spring-fed pond at the foot of the hills in the Tashiro district of Iino, northeast Ebino, said to be named after the Ito clan pitching camp here in their battle with the Shimazu. There are two ponds, large and small, so clear you can see the bottom; the light through the trees changes with the time of day, and on sunny days the emerald-green surface makes it a photo spot. In spring cherry blossoms are reflected in the water.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKushima, MiyazakiKoshima IslandA small uninhabited island about 3.5 km around, about 200 m off the Ishinami coast in southern Miyazaki, designated a national natural monument as the "Koshima monkey habitat" and reached by ferry in 5 minutes. About 90 Japanese macaques live on the wooded island, studied by Kyoto University's Wildlife Research Center. Around 1953 a monkey began washing sweet potatoes in seawater, and the behaviour was passed on, making them world-famous as "monkeys with culture"; the island is known as the birthplace of Japanese primatology.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Yoshi Canopus / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)Takachiho, MiyazakiKunimigaokaA viewpoint about 513 m high with the best view in the Takachiho Basin: the Aso Five Peaks to the west, the Sobo mountains to the north, and the basin and the Gokase River below to the east. On early mornings from late September to early December, when conditions are right, a sea of clouds can be seen; clear, windless, cold mornings give the best chance. Its view has a star in the Michelin Green Guide Japan.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 長曽我部政幸 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Hyuga, MiyazakiKurusu no Umi (Cross-shaped Sea)A huge reef split by wave erosion over about 200 m east-west and 220 m north-south, which looks like a cross ("kurusu") from above. When the waves are calm the cross can be seen clearly, with the deep blue Pacific beyond. A bell stands at the viewpoint, and it is about 3 minutes by car from Umagase.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Sanjo at Japanese Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Nobeoka, MiyazakiMichi-no-Eki KitauraA roadside station on Route 388 in Nippo Kaigan Quasi-National Park, inside the "Shimoaso Beach Resort Hamayu-mura" with cabins, an auto campsite, an athletic course and salt fields. Shimoaso Beach in front was the only beach in Kyushu chosen as a special selection of Japan's 100 best beaches. The shop sells seafood from the fishing town of Kitaura, such as oysters, turban shells, sardines and sea bream, and "Tsuki no Shio" salt made in the salt fields; the restaurant overlooks the coast.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMiyazaki, MiyazakiMichi-no-Eki PhoenixA roadside station in the Horikiri Pass area of Nichinan Kaigan Quasi-National Park, just south of the Horikiri Pass viewpoint. From the observation deck you look down on the blue sea and the rock formations called "Oni no Sentakuita" (Devil's Washboard). About 20 phoenix palms, jacarandas and bougainvilleas give a tropical feel, and the shop's soft-serve ice cream comes in local flavours such as Miyazaki mango and premium hyuganatsu.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNichinan, MiyazakiNamikiri ShrineA torii and a small shrine sit in a cave right by the sea, with a mysterious atmosphere under the low rock ceiling. It is within the grounds of Udo-jingu: through the shrine gate and up the steps to Udo Inari Shrine, a path of about 20 minutes leads here; the footing is poor like a mountain trail, so few people come and it is quiet. Beside it Fudo Myoo is enshrined, and the sea of the Nichinan coast spreads right before you.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Ippukucho / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Miyazaki, MiyazakiNichinan CoastA coastline of about 100 km from southern Miyazaki City to Cape Toi at the southern tip of the prefecture, across Miyazaki, Nichinan and Kushima, symbolising tropical Miyazaki with blue sea and sky, phoenix palms and southern flowers. The varied coast has "hajo-iwa" rocks, Chinese fan palms and jacaranda blossoms, making it an ideal driving road, with sights such as Horikiri Pass, Aoshima and Udo-jingu. There are also rocky reef areas where corals grow and tropical fish swim, and it is one of Japan's leading surf spots.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNichinan, MiyazakiObi Castle TownObi in Nichinan prospered for about 280 years from 1588 as the castle town of the Ito clan (51,000 koku). Its townscape of stone walls and samurai houses built with Obi stone and Obi cedar, called "the little Kyoto of Kyushu", was in 1977 the first in Kyushu to be selected as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. Around the Obi Castle main gate are the Yoshokan, the former domain school Shintokudo and the Obi Castle Historical Museum; the old main-enclosure site, lined with 140-year-old Obi cedars over a carpet of moss, is called "the forest of healing".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakaharu, MiyazakiOjibaru ParkAt the foot of Mt. Takachiho, the main peak of the Kirishima range, a nature park centred on Ojibaru Shrine, standing where Emperor Jinmu is said to have been born. It has the large roofed wooden play structure "Mori", an indoor wooden-toy facility with bouldering, a roller slide, a 1.2 km go-kart course, trout fishing and small animals such as rabbits and goats, and trails past ancient tombs and dwellings. There are cottages, tent sites and day barbecues; Kawazu and Somei-Yoshino cherries bloom in spring and about 3 million red spider lilies in autumn.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHyuga, MiyazakiOmi ShrineAn old shrine to Amaterasu standing on columnar rocks overlooking the ocean, next to Isegahama at the base of Cape Hyuga, called "the Ise of Hyuga". In its grounds is one of Japan's largest groups of "sazare-ishi" stones sung of in the national anthem "Kimigayo", and in a cave at the east end sits Udo Shrine (Ryugu). The shrine's own "Amakakeri Shishi" lion dance is performed at the autumn eve festival and at New Year.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSaito, MiyazakiSaitobaru Burial MoundsOne of Japan's largest groups of burial mounds, recognised as Japan Heritage, with over 300 mounds scattered across a plateau about 2.6 km east-west and 4.2 km north-south. The area is a park, coloured by cherry blossoms and rape blossoms in spring, sunflowers in summer and cosmos in autumn. "Oni no Iwaya" is the only mound in the group with an open corridor-style stone chamber that can be entered, and the Saitobaru Archaeological Museum treats the whole site as a field museum.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Naokijp / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Miyakonojo, MiyazakiSekinoo FallsA waterfall on the Shonai River, a tributary of the Oyodo, in Kirishima Geopark and one of Japan's 100 best waterfalls. The great fall, about 40 m wide and 18 m high, roars with spray, seen close up from a suspension bridge; there are also the man-made Odaki and Medaki falls cut into the rock in the Meiji era. Upstream, a field of potholes about 600 m long and 80 m wide, all in one continuous bedrock, is a national natural monument valued for its scale and number unmatched in the world.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNichinan, MiyazakiSun Messe NichinanOn a hill overlooking the Nichinan coast stand seven Moai statues (Ahu Akivi), the world's first complete replicas made with official permission from the elders' council of Rapa Nui (Easter Island); you can stand between them and touch them. The 20 ha park looks out over the Pacific, with an insect museum showing butterflies and insects from around the world, 43 World Heritage panels approved by UNESCO headquarters and a butterfly geoglyph. Carts can be rented with an ordinary driving licence.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: にのへ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Takachiho, MiyazakiTakachiho Amaterasu RailwayA trip of about 30 minutes on an open-top "super cart" through Takachiho, using the facilities of the former Takachiho Railway, closed after typhoon damage in 2005: about 5 km there and back from Takachiho to the Takachiho iron bridge. Parts of the floor are reinforced glass so you can see the track below. The highlight is the view from the bridge, about 105 m high, over the great gorge and the mountains, and the two tunnels on the way are lit with illuminations.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMiyakonojo, MiyazakiTakachiho FarmA tourist farm at the foot of the Kirishima mountains where you can meet animals and try dairy farming: play with sheep, visit the cowshed, ride horses, try milking cows and make your own ice cream and butter. There are restaurants with grilled meat and Genghis Khan (lamb barbecue), soft-serve ice cream, and a shop for dairy products and baked goods.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakachiho, MiyazakiTakachiho GorgeA gorge where cliffs about 80-100 m high continue for about 7 km, carved by the Gokase River out of pyroclastic flows from Aso's volcanic activity. The highlight is around Manai Falls, one of Japan's 100 best waterfalls: touring the emerald-green water by boat between distinctive columnar joints, you look up at the falls dropping about 17 m. The boat landing is near Mihashi Bridge and long queues can form on holidays, so booking ahead is recommended. It is a national place of scenic beauty and natural monument.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakachiho, MiyazakiTakachiho ShrineThe head shrine of the 88 shrines of Takachiho, said to date back about 1,900 years to the reign of Emperor Suinin. The main hall, carved with scenes from local legends, is a highly valued building full of local character, and together with the shrine's pair of iron guardian dogs it is a national Important Cultural Property. In the kagura hall, "Takachiho Kagura" is performed every evening all year from 20:00 for one hour, showing four representative dances such as the dance of Tajikarao and the dance of Uzume.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTsuno, MiyazakiTsuno ShrineA shrine of high standing, ranked as the "Ichinomiya" (first shrine) of Hyuga Province, with a solemn atmosphere in its large grounds surrounded by a sacred forest. It is said to have been founded six years before Emperor Jimmu's enthronement, when he enshrined the deity here on his journey east. Once the greatest shrine in Hyuga, it was burned in the wars of the Shimazu and Otomo, restored in 1692 by Akizuki Tanemasa, lord of the Akizuki domain; the present buildings date from 2007.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Naokijp / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Nichinan, MiyazakiUdo-jingu ShrineA leading shrine of southern Kyushu facing the Hyuga Sea, affectionately called "Udo-san" by locals. Its vivid vermilion main hall sits inside a cave on a cape jutting into the sea. From the approach the Hyuga Sea spreads out before you, lined with striking rock formations, and in 2017 the whole area including the shrine was designated a national place of scenic beauty under the name "Udo". Early risers can see the sunrise over the horizon, and many visitors come for the first sunrise of the year.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACUeda, NaganoBessho OnsenA hot-spring town for leisurely strolling, with maintained walking paths, wooden benches and mini parks. You can rest at cafes, a free foot bath and three public baths that cost 300 yen, and see temples and shrines along with hidden spots such as the 350-year-old "Mifune-no-Matsu" pine at Jorakuji and the 1,200-year-old Aizen katsura tree at Kitamuki Kannon, a prefectural natural monument.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Zoo3 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)Nagano, NaganoChausuyama ZooA zoo using the natural slopes of Mt. Chausu, where 73 kinds of animals, including red pandas and the Japanese serow (a natural monument), live in 15 ha of grounds. There is a petting corner where you can touch small animals such as rabbits.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Nagano, NaganoDaizahoshi PondA pond at the entrance to the Iizuna Highland, said in legend to have formed when the giant Daidarabotchi sat on Mt. Iizuna and stepped forward, leaving a footprint that filled with water. A path goes round it in about 20 minutes, with campgrounds, boating, a field athletics course and tennis courts nearby.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMatsumoto, NaganoFormer Kaichi SchoolA school building from 1876 (Meiji 9) that keeps its original appearance, a National Treasure. Its symbol is the carving of an angel and a dragon, combining Japanese-style and Western-style design; it is asymmetrical, and plaster is used to make stone-like patterns, so it differs from pure Western architecture. Inside, the corridors are wood, the walls plaster and the ceilings paper - traditional materials finished in a Western mood.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHakuba, NaganoHakuba Happo-one (Happo Alpine Line and Happo Pond)Take the Happo gondola to Usagidaira, the centre of Happo-one at 1,400 m with restaurants and an open terrace, looking beyond Hakuba village to Yatsugatake and Mt. Asama. Higher up, Happo Pond at 2,060 m is a natural pond formed from sediment pushed down by snow and filled with rain and meltwater; in early summer you can see the snowy Hakuba Sanzan across the water.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Ashley98lee / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Yamanouchi, NaganoJigokudani Monkey ParkA facility for watching Japanese macaques in an environment close to nature, deep in the mountains. The monkeys are wild and not caged; the park gathers them by feeding, and some days they do not appear at all. Bathing in the hot spring is only one of their ways to survive the harsh winter cold - they are not in it all day, all year.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: koichi_hayakawa / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Nagano, NaganoKagami-ike PondA quiet pond at 1,200 m that reflects the Togakushi mountains like a mirror in every season - fresh green in spring, cool breezes in summer, and above all the blazing autumn leaves. Morning is recommended to see the mountains reflected, and a path goes round the pond and connects to the Togakushi Forest Botanical Garden.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMatsumoto, NaganoKamikochiA mountain scenic spot visited by 1.2 million people a year. The British missionary Weston introduced Kamikochi and the Hotaka and Yari peaks to the world in 1896, and it is a national place of scenic beauty and natural monument. Taisho Pond was formed when an eruption of Mt. Yake in June 1915 dammed the Azusa River. Kamikochi is a "car-less" resort: private cars cannot enter at any time of year.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Countryside 5392 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Karuizawa, NaganoKaruizawaA highland resort at 1,000 m, developed as an international health retreat and one of Japan's leading resorts since the first holiday home was built in 1888. Mountains led by Mt. Asama, lakes and waterfalls, quiet villa districts and peaceful mountain villages loved by writers and painters remain; the north of the town lies in Joshin'etsu Kogen National Park, and hiking and cycling are recommended in the green season.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Mti / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Nagano, NaganoKawanakajima Battlefield ParkHachimanbara, where Takeda Shingen set up his headquarters in the Battles of Kawanakajima, is now open as a historic park, with a 12,000 m² mound-shaped lawn, a stream lined with natural stones and a thatched arbour. The city museum and the Hachiman shrine of the battlefield are next to it, and about 100 cherry trees bloom in spring.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Naganojmmmm / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Nagano, NaganoKitano Museum of ArtA museum centred on works by Yokoyama Taikan, Uemura Shoen and Shimomura Kanzan, with 500 Western paintings by artists such as Renoir, Chagall, Picasso and Utrillo in its collection. Next door is the Shinano branch of Tokyo's Yushima Tenmangu shrine.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagano, NaganoM-Wave (Nagano Olympic Memorial Arena)The arena used for speed skating at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics and for the Paralympic opening and closing ceremonies. In summer it is a multi-purpose arena, and in winter an ice rink for international competitions and the public; its roof of repeated "M" shapes recalls the Shinshu mountains. The Nagano Olympic Museum inside is free.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMatsumoto, NaganoMatsumoto CastleA National Treasure and the oldest surviving five-tier, six-storey wooden castle keep. Visiting the keep means using only its narrow, steep stairs (about 140 steps, up to about 61 degrees); it has no barrier-free alterations, so wheelchairs cannot go inside. The keep is lit up from sunset to 22:00 all year, and "omotenashi-tai" in costumes such as ninja greet visitors in the Honmaru garden from 8:30 to 16:00.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Qurren / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Nagano, NaganoNagano Prefectural Art MuseumA prefectural art museum in Joyama Park next to Zenko-ji, built on the concept of a "landscape museum" in harmony with the temple town and Shinshu's nature. Its free zones make it an "open museum" like a park, and the attached Higashiyama Kaii Gallery holds over 970 works by the Japanese-style painter Higashiyama Kaii.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Shiojiri, NaganoNarai-jukuCalled "Narai of a thousand houses", the busiest of the eleven Kiso post towns, before the Torii Pass, one of the hardest stretches of the Nakasendo. The townscape is a nationally selected preservation district for groups of traditional buildings, and the street of about 1 km along the Narai River is Japan's longest post town; people still live here. It was the setting of the 2011 NHK morning drama "Ohisama".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAgematsu, NaganoNezame no Toko GorgeA gorge on the Kiso River that represents Agematsu. Over a long time the river carved the granite bedrock into a row of huge white rocks, which split like stacked boxes into sculpture-like shapes. In the Edo period it was a famous stop for travellers on the Nakasendo and one of the "Eight Views of Kiso"; Matsuo Basho left a haiku here. A legend says Urashima Taro lived here for a while after returning from the Dragon Palace, and Rinsenji temple on the hill above enshrines a Benzaiten linked to it. It was designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty in 1923 and is part of Chuo Alps Quasi-National Park.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMatsumoto, NaganoNorikura Kogen HighlandA mountain resort at 1,200-1,800 m in Chubu-Sangaku National Park, spreading over the eastern foot of Mt. Norikura in the Northern Alps. Alpine flowers bloom in spring and summer, the leaves colour in autumn and powder snow covers it in winter, with outdoor activities in every season. Birch woods, wetlands, waterfalls and ponds dot the area, and its hot spring village draws on three kinds of source. The Matsumoto City Norikura Tourist Center, with an information office and restaurant, is the base, and shuttle buses to Tatamidaira leave from there.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: 小石川人晃 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Nozawaonsen, NaganoNozawa OnsenThe hot spring town has 13 public baths (soto-yu) with natural, free-flowing hot spring water, used every day by local people. Under the "yu-nakama" system that dates back to the Edo period, residents share the costs and take turns cleaning them. Ogama, a village natural monument, is a group of five pools where water of nearly 90 degrees wells up; locals still use it to boil vegetables and eggs, and it is known as "the kitchen of Nozawa Onsen".Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Anonymous Powered / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Nagano, NaganoOkususo-bana GorgeA gorge in Myoko-Togakushi Renzan National Park running about 5 km along the Susobana River above the Okususobana Dam, counted among Japan's 100 scenic views. It is especially fine in October, when beech, oak, maple and rowan turn red and yellow at once; there are the Okususobana Bridge, Japan's longest forest-road half-through Lohse bridge, the dam lake and Monju Falls.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagano, NaganoSanada Residence (Matsushiro)A residence that well preserves the look of a daimyo family's palace of the Edo period, built in 1864 (Genji 1) by Sanada Yukinori, 9th lord of the Matsushiro domain, as a retirement home for his mother; after the Meiji Restoration it was the Sanada family's private home, and in 1966 it was given to Nagano City with the family's treasures. Its Japanese garden, viewed from the rooms, shows the colours of each season.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYamanouchi, NaganoShibu OnsenA hot spring town where rows of historic wooden buildings line the streets. You can stroll the stone-paved lanes, compare hot spring buns from old confectioners, and try a traditional shooting gallery and a free table-tennis room. The nine public baths (soto-yu) that the community has long looked after are open to hotel guests for bath-hopping, and there are two free footbaths.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Soica2001 / Wikimedia Commons, Public domainMatsumoto, NaganoShirahone OnsenA hot spring village on the eastern slopes of the Northern Alps and Mt. Norikura, said to have been flowing already in the Kamakura period and to have a history of over 600 years. Its water turns milky white on contact with the air. Milky hot springs are usually strongly acidic, but Shirahone is neutral (weakly acidic), with a sulphur scent and a high carbonic content. It lies in Chubu-Sangaku National Park and is designated a National Health Resort Hot Spring.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagano, NaganoSoba-making at the Togakushi Soba MuseumMake Shinshu soba yourself and eat it freshly made: at the Togakushi Soba Museum "Tonkururin", soba masters guide you from the technique to the spirit of soba-making, and even beginners can make good soba.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIida, NaganoTenryukyo GorgeA gorge about 2 km long from north to south in southern Iida, formed by erosion of the Tenryu River, with white granite cliffs and strange rocks along the river; cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves change its look. It was named in 1847 by the Confucian scholar Sakatani Roro, and in the Meiji era the calligrapher Kusakabe Meikaku named ten features the "Ten Sights of Tenryukyo"; the tower-like rock "Ryukakuho" symbolises the gorge. Walking paths lead to the Tsutsuji suspension bridge, the viewpoint on top of Ryukakuho and "Sorasanpo Tenryukyo", a walkway under the Tenryukyo Bridge, and river boats show the cliffs from the water.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagano, NaganoTogakushi RanchA ranch spreading over 135 ha at 1,200 m at the foot of Mt. Togakushi, where you can watch grazing dairy cows and horses and play with rabbits and goats in the petting zoo; horse riding is offered in summer.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Nankou Oronain / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Nagano, NaganoTogakushi Shrine ChushaTogakushi Shrine developed as a centre of mountain worship of Mt. Togakushi; once a temple with many pilgrim lodgings, since Meiji it has been revered as a shrine linked to the gods of the myth of opening the Heavenly Rock Cave, made up of five shrines: Okusha, Chusha, Hokosha, Kuzuryusha and Hinomikosha. Chusha enshrines Ame-no-Yagokoro-Omoikane-no-Mikoto, god of wisdom, and in its grounds are three cedars about 800 years old.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagano, NaganoTogakushi Shrine OkushaThe main shrine of Togakushi Shrine's five, standing against the wall-like Mt. Togakushi and enshrining Ame-no-Tajikarao-no-Mikoto, said to have opened the Heavenly Rock Cave with matchless strength. The approach is about 2 km; halfway is the red thatched Zuishin-mon gate, beyond which continues an avenue of cedars over about 400 years old, a natural monument.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagiso, NaganoTsumago-jukuIn the Edo period Tsumago-juku thrived as a key junction of the Nakasendo and the Ina Kaido, and inns, restaurants and souvenir shops still line about 1 km of street. Ahead of the rest of Japan, locals began a movement to preserve the townscape, and in 1976 it became the first place selected as a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. Residents keep the three principles of "not selling, not renting, not destroying" their houses and land, handing down a townscape strongly evoking the Edo period.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Houjyou-Minori / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (cropped)Nagasaki, NagasakiDejima"Dejima", an artificial island built on the orders of the Tokugawa shogunate. Completed in 1636, for about 200 years it was Japan's only window open to the West. Since Nagasaki City began restoring it in 1951, 16 buildings and scenes have been brought back to how they were, and the Dejima Omotemon Bridge completed in 2017 lets you cross in and out as in the past. There are rooms recreating Edo-period life, guided tours by history staff dressed as gatekeepers, and kimono rental.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Tomio344456 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Nagasaki, NagasakiDutch Slope (Oranda-zaka)Stone-paved slopes in the Higashi-Yamate district lined with Western-style houses. In Nagasaki, the only place in Japan where trade took place in the Edo period, non-Asian foreigners were called "Oranda-san" even after Japan opened, perhaps from the influence of the Dutch living on Dejima, and all the slopes in the foreign settlement are thought to have been called "Oranda-zaka". Beside the stone marker is the light-blue Higashi-Yamate Ko No. 13 House, a Meiji-era foreign residence open free of charge with a cafe space.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagasaki, NagasakiGlover GardenOne of Nagasaki's most popular sights, on the Minamiyamate hill overlooking a great panorama of Nagasaki Port. Centred on the former Glover, Ringer and Alt Houses, national Important Cultural Properties, six Meiji-era Western-style houses that stood around the city have been moved here and restored, with stone paving and steps from the foreign-settlement days. The houses are lit up from mid-July to early October, and moving walkways and escalators are provided on the hilly site.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Chris 73 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Minamishimabara, NagasakiHara Castle RuinsHara Castle is said to have been built in 1496 by the lord Arima Takazumi; surrounded on three sides by the Ariake Sea, about 4 km around, it was a natural fortress also called "Hikure-jo". After Matsukura Shigemasa built Shimabara Castle under the one-castle-per-province rule, it was abandoned, and in 1637 rebels in the "Shimabara-Amakusa Rebellion" held out in the ruined castle. It became a national historic site on May 30, 1938, and the main enclosure has a statue of Amakusa Shiro by sculptor Kitamura Seibo. It is a component of the World Heritage "Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region".Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Hisagi (氷鷺) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)Nagasaki, NagasakiHashima (Gunkanjima)Hashima, about 40 minutes by boat from Nagasaki Port: a small undersea-coal-mine island made by reclaiming land around a reef. Walled in by sea walls and lined with high-rise reinforced-concrete buildings, it looked like the battleship "Tosa" and came to be called "Gunkanjima" (Battleship Island). At its peak in 1960 about 5,300 people lived there, the highest population density in Japan at the time; the mine closed in 1974. Landing has been possible since 2009, and it was registered in July 2015 as part of the World Heritage "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: さかおり / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Hirado, NagasakiHirado CastleA castle built in the Yamaga style, unusual among castle-building methods. In April 2021 its outer and inner walls were repaired and its exhibits completely renewed: digital images introduce Hirado's history and people on the 2nd floor, the lords and the castle's building on the 3rd, a hands-on room with digital art on the 4th, and a lookout over the Hirado Strait on the 5th.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHirado, NagasakiHirado Dutch Trading PostThe Dutch trading post of Hirado, built before Dejima in Nagasaki. From 1609, when a Dutch ship entered port, until the move to Dejima in 1641, Hirado was Japan's only port for Dutch trade for about 33 years. The 1639 warehouse, said to be Japan's first Western-style stone building, was demolished in 1641 on the shogunate's orders; the faithful reconstruction opened in 2011 and shows historical materials and goods from the trade.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: JKT-c / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (cropped)Sasebo, NagasakiHuis Ten BoschA resort facing scenic Omura Bay, where seasonal flowers bloom across vast grounds and canals wind through streets of solid brick buildings. Inside are restaurants, shops, amusement facilities, hotels and museums, for a full resort stay.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagasaki, NagasakiKameyama Shachu Memorial MuseumA museum on the site of the "Kameyama Shachu", founded in 1865 by Sakamoto Ryoma and some twenty comrades with help from the Satsuma domain and the Nagasaki merchant Kosone family - Japan's first trading company and private navy. It is said to have played a large role in brokering the Satsuma-Choshu Alliance. The dilapidated building was restored close to its original form and opened in 2009; you can climb a ladder into what is thought to be a hidden mezzanine, and Ryoma-related items such as a replica of his boots are on display.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShimabara, NagasakiKoi Streets of ShimabaraShimabara has long been called the "city of water", and the Shinmachi area is especially rich in spring water - dig 50 cm and it wells up. The neighbourhood association released koi into the clear streams to nurture children's sensibility and pass the springs on, and red-and-white, three-coloured and golden koi swimming in the water, kept beautiful by local residents, are one of the sights of Shimabara.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Sasebo, NagasakiKujukushima IslandsThe 208 large and small islands stretching 25 km north from outside Sasebo Port to the Hirado Strait are called Kujukushima, said to be the densest group of islands in Japan. In April 2018 it was certified as a member of the international NGO "Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSasebo, NagasakiKujukushima Pearl Sea ResortA resort park at the gateway to Kujukushima in Saikai National Park, the base for experiencing the islands: sightseeing boats around the islands, and sea walks by yacht or kayak. Inside are the Kujukushima Aquarium "Umikirara", shops and restaurants.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagasaki, NagasakiMegane Bridge (Spectacles Bridge)A stone arch bridge said to have been built in 1634 (Kan'ei 11) by the Zen priest Mokusu Nyojo of Kofuku-ji, one of the oldest surviving arch stone bridges. Its name comes from its reflection in the river drawing two circles that look like "megane" (spectacles), and it is counted among Japan's three famous bridges with Nihonbashi in Tokyo and Kintaikyo in Yamaguchi. Partly destroyed in the 1982 Nagasaki flood, it was restored the next year and is a national Important Cultural Property; when the water is low you can go down steps and walk by the water.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACUnzen, NagasakiMt. Fugen (Unzen)Fugendake (1,359 m) is the main peak of Mt. Unzen; near the summit you can see up close Heisei Shinzan (1,483 m), Japan's newest mountain. The mountain changes through the seasons and is especially fine in the autumn-leaf season. Heisei Shinzan is still a restricted zone, so Fugendake is loved as the highest mountain in Nagasaki that can be climbed. Since April 2026, the Environment Ministry's "Unzen Sangakutai" digital stamp rally across ten Unzen peaks is running.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Tomio344456 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Nagasaki, NagasakiMt. InasaA landmark of Nagasaki, popular for its night view. The bowl-shaped terrain surrounded by mountains around Nagasaki Port creates a unique three-dimensional night view known as the "10-million-dollar night view". On clear days you can see not only the city but as far as Unzen, Amakusa and the Goto Islands. A ropeway with glass gondolas runs from the foot to the summit, and Inasayama Park is known for its azaleas.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagasaki, NagasakiNabekanmuriyama ParkMt. Nabekanmuri (169 m), shaped like an upturned pot and known locally as "Nabekaburi-yama". Its corridor-style observation deck, renewed in 2016, overlooks Nagasaki Port and the city; at about half the height of Mt. Inasa (333 m), the view is closer and more three-dimensional, showing Nagasaki's bowl-shaped terrain. You can see World Heritage sites of "Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution" such as the former Glover House and Gunkanjima, Mt. Inasa across the harbour, and large cruise ships passing under the Megami Bridge.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagasaki, NagasakiNagasaki Peace ParkA park on a low hill north of the Hypocenter Park, made with the vow never to repeat the misery of war and the wish for lasting world peace. The Peace Statue (9.7 m high, bronze, by Kitamura Seibo): the right hand pointing to the sky shows the threat of the atomic bomb, the left hand stretched out shows peace, and the lightly closed eyes pray for the victims. Every August 9 the peace memorial ceremony is held in front of it; the "Fountain of Peace" (18 m across) was built to offer water to the victims.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagasaki, NagasakiNagasaki Penguin AquariumAn aquarium keeping about 180 penguins of 9 of the world's 18 species, over 70% of them born here - rare in the world as a penguin-focused aquarium. In the large "Subantarctic Penguin Pool" penguins "fly" underwater, and at the "Fureai Penguin Beach" you can watch them swim in the natural sea, with feeding and touching events. Free pushchairs and wheelchairs are lent at the entrance, and the building is barrier-free.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagasaki, NagasakiNagasaki RopewayFrom its all-glass gondolas you can see Nagasaki's townscape in a 360-degree panorama; it is also famous as a viewing spot for the night view recertified in 2021 as one of the "New Three Great Night Views of the World". It links Fuchi Jinja Station at the foot of Mt. Inasa to the 333 m summit in about 5 minutes, and on clear days you can see as far as Unzen, Amakusa and the Goto Islands. The gondolas, renewed in 2011, were designed by KEN OKUYAMA DESIGN, led by industrial designer Ken Okuyama, and are nicknamed "Hoshi no Shizuku" and "Tsuki no Shizuku".Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagasaki, NagasakiNagasaki Shinchi ChinatownOne of Japan's three great Chinatowns with Yokohama and Kobe, less than 10 minutes by tram from JR Nagasaki Station. It was made by reclaiming the sea in the mid-Edo period to build warehouses for goods traded from China; about 40 shops, including Chinese restaurants, Chinese sweets and goods, line a crossroads of about 250 m. Local specialities "champon" and "sara udon" taste different at each shop, and during the Lantern Festival held every winter about 15,000 lanterns decorate the streets.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: STA3816 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Hasami, NagasakiNakaoyama Pottery Village (Hasami)Nakaoyama, the part of Hasami, a town of ceramics, where many kilns gather. There are the remains of one of the world's largest climbing kilns, which made mass production possible in the Edo period, brick chimneys and back lanes; the "Oto-sai" in April and "Shuto-meguri" in late October open the kilns to the public.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACUnzen, NagasakiNita Pass (Unzen)A popular Unzen spot in every season - azaleas in spring, green in summer, autumn leaves and rime ice in winter. A ropeway runs from Nita Pass to the summit of Mt. Myoken; the 11.3 km skyline road to the pass looks over the Ariake Sea and Tachibana Bay, and from the second Nita Pass viewpoint you can see Heisei Shinzan close up.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHirado, NagasakiObae LighthouseA white lighthouse standing on top of a cliff about 100 m high at the northern tip of Ikitsuki Island in Hirado. It gives a 360-degree panorama, and at dusk the lighthouse is dyed orange by the sun setting on the horizon.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagasaki, NagasakiOne-Legged Torii (Sanno Shrine)Sanno Shrine stands on high ground about 800 m south-east of the hypocentre and was damaged by the atomic bomb in August 1945; the buildings collapsed and were rebuilt in 1950. Of its torii gates, only this one still stands as it was, with just its right pillar left; the blown-off left half is kept by the nearby road. Visiting before the Atomic Bomb Museum deepens understanding.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagasaki, NagasakiOura ChurchBuilt in the Nagasaki foreign settlement after Japan opened at the end of the Edo period, known as the oldest surviving church in Japan: a Gothic-style church with beautiful stained glass on Glover Street in Minamiyamate. In March of the year after its completion at the end of 1864, hidden Christians from Urakami came and professed their faith, the "Discovery of the Christians". It is a National Treasure and one of the components of the World Heritage "Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region", and the neighbouring buildings are open as the Christian Museum.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 釣ちごちゅが at Japanese Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Sasebo, NagasakiSaikai Bridge and New Saikai BridgeSaikai Bridge, built in 1955 to link Sasebo and the Nishisonogi Peninsula, is an arch bridge 316 m long and 43 m above the sea. The rapid current and whirlpools of the Hario Strait, one of Japan's three great tidal currents, are also famous. Beside it, the New Saikai Bridge, part of the toll road Saikai Pearl Line, has a walkway with four glass windows in the floor at the centre, from which you can look straight down on the whirlpools. It is also known for cherry blossoms, and the "Uzushio Festival" is held when they bloom.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShimabara, NagasakiShimabara CastleA castle built over more than seven years from 1618 by Matsukura Shigemasa, also called Moritake Castle as it was built on a small hill. It was the seat of four clans for 253 years until it was sold off after 1873; the five-storey keep was rebuilt in 1964. Today the keep houses a museum of Christian history, including materials on the Shimabara Rebellion, and the turrets hold the Kitamura Seibo Memorial Museum and a folk museum. In early February nearly 300 plum trees bloom with the keep behind them.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: あじさか / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Shimabara, NagasakiShimabara Samurai HousesWest of Shimabara Castle about 700 houses of low-ranking samurai once lined the streets; as the home of the gun corps, the area was also called Teppo-machi. Only the townscape of Shimo-no-cho is preserved as it was, as the "Samurai Residence Townscape Preservation District"; it is 406.8 m long, and three houses (Yamamoto, Shinozuka and Torita) are open free of charge.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: そらみみ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Shimabara, NagasakiShimeiso Spring Water GardenA villa built in the late Meiji period, named "Shimeiso" for its fine views in all four directions. Colourful carp swim in the pond fed by about 3,000 tonnes of spring water a day, and the garden is planted with red pines, maples and more. The rooms jut out over the pond on two sides, so looking down on the garden from the raised house, rooms and garden become one.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagasaki, NagasakiSofuku-ji TempleA temple founded in 1629 by the Chinese monk Chozen at the request of Chinese from the Fuzhou area, also called "Fukushu-dera", with a gate recalling a dragon palace gate and the elaborate "Daiippomon". The statues and ritual objects in its halls are all by Chinese master craftsmen, a miniature of late Ming culture; the Daiippomon and the main hall are National Treasures. Like Nagasaki's other Chinese temples it has a Maso hall, enshrining the sea goddess to whom Chinese ship owners prayed for safe voyages.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: STA3816 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Sasebo, NagasakiTenkaiho ObservatoryAn observatory 165 m high with a 180-degree panorama of the Kujukushima Islands and Sasebo Port below, the most popular of Sasebo's observatories. By day the islands' sea sparkles, and in the evening the sun sets over them; in the park below rape blossoms bloom in spring (late March-early April) and 150,000 cosmos in autumn (mid-late October).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagasaki, NagasakiTwenty-Six Martyrs MuseumOn February 5, 1597, under Toyotomi Hideyoshi's ban on Christianity, 26 Christians were executed in Japan for the first time. This museum was built in 1962 on Nishizaka Hill, the place of their martyrdom, for the 100th anniversary of their canonisation, and is an official Catholic pilgrimage site known around the world. It introduces the history of Christianity in Japan from the arrival of St. Francis Xavier to the Meiji era, with items such as the painting "Snow Maria" linked to the hidden Christians; the monument with life-size bronzes of the 26 is by the sculptor Funakoshi Yasutake.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Unzen, NagasakiUnzen Jigoku (Unzen Hells)The "hells" of Unzen Onsen, its best-known sight, where the smell of sulphur hangs in the air and steam and heat blow out from underground. Made up of about 30 hells such as Daikyokan Jigoku, Oito Jigoku and Seishichi Jigoku, it is also known as a place of Christian martyrdom, with a memorial. Renewed in autumn 2016, it has a walking trail of about 60 minutes, with a foot-steaming rest spot and a workshop selling onsen eggs steamed in the hell's vapour.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Unzen, NagasakiUnzen OnsenA hot spring village in the heart of Unzen's rich nature, where the mountains show azaleas in spring, green in summer, autumn leaves and rime ice in winter; the view from Nita Pass from Mt. Myoken to Mt. No is especially fine. In its three zones - Koyu, Shinyu and Kojigoku - everything from hotels to public baths lines the streets.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Nagasaki, NagasakiUrakami ChurchA church in the Urakami district, one of Nagasaki's sacred places for Christians, planned by believers who gained freedom when the ban on Christianity was lifted. Dedicated in 1914 as a brick Romanesque cathedral, it was destroyed by the atomic bomb in 1945 except for a few walls. The present building was rebuilt in concrete in 1959 and refaced with brick tiles in 1980 to resemble the original; one of the Angelus bells that survived the blast still rings. The parish hall has an exhibition room of atomic-bomb relics.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHirado, NagasakiView of Temples and Church (Hirado)A representative view of Hirado, blending West and East: climbing the stone-paved slope from the seafront, you see the green spire and cross of St. Francis Xavier Memorial Church on the hill above, with the tiled roofs of the Shoshu-ji, Komyo-ji and Zuiun-ji temples below. It recalls Hirado's history of exchange with foreign countries.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAsuka, NaraAsuka-dera TempleCompleted in Suiko 4 (596) at the wish of Soga no Umako, a protector of Buddhism, as Japan's first full-scale temple. Most buildings burned in the Kamakura period and the present main hall was rebuilt in the Edo period. Its principal image, the bronze seated Shaka Nyorai (Important Cultural Property) known as the Asuka Daibutsu, dates from the Asuka period and is Japan's oldest Buddhist statue.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNara, NaraGango-ji TempleA temple whose predecessor is Asuka-dera (Hoko-ji), said to be Japan's oldest temple, built by Soga no Umako. Once one of the Seven Great Temples of Nara covering most of today's Naramachi, it now keeps only the Gokurakudo and Zenshitsu, remains of the monks' quarters, where some pillars and tiles older than the buildings are still used. The Horinkan houses the Five-storey Miniature Pagoda (National Treasure) and other works. Part of the World Heritage "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSakurai, NaraHase-dera TempleA temple said to date from 686, whose main hall on stilts (a National Treasure) was rebuilt by Tokugawa Iemitsu; the covered stairway of 399 steps to the hall, hung with oval lanterns, is lined with peonies from late April to early May.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNara, NaraHeijo Palace SiteThe site of the palace at the heart of Heijo-kyo, the capital from 710; restored buildings such as the First Imperial Audience Hall and Suzaku Gate stand across the grounds, and Suzakumon Hiroba (2018) offers guidance, food and shops.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIkaruga, NaraHokiji TempleFounded in 638; Prince Shotoku's son Yamashiro no Oe is said to have turned the Okamoto Palace, linked with the prince, into a temple following his father's last wishes. It was a great temple with a full set of halls, with the main hall and pagoda placed the opposite way round from Horyuji, a layout called the Hokiji style. The only building left from its founding is the three-storey pagoda (National Treasure, about 24 m high), completed in 706, the oldest surviving three-storey pagoda in Japan; the present main hall, bell tower and golden hall were rebuilt in the Edo period. (World Heritage)Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIkoma, NaraHozanji TempleOriginally opened as a place of mountain ascetic practice by En no Gyoja and Kukai, the temple was revived in 1678 by Hozan Tankai, who enshrined Kangiten. Against a great rock face called the Hannya Cave stand the main hall, Shoten hall, Tahoto pagoda and ema hall, and the Shishikaku (Important Cultural Property), with its coloured glass, was built in 1884 as a guest house. It is known as a temple of popular faith, affectionately called "Ikoma no Shoten-san".Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: ignis / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kashihara, NaraImaicho Historic TownscapeA temple town that grew around the Jodo Shinshu temple Shonen-ji in the Sengoku period and was granted self-government privileges like Sakai in the Edo period, prospering so much that it was said "seven-tenths of Yamato's money is in Imai". Traditional houses and merchant homes from the Edo period crowd an area 600 m by 300 m, eight of them Important Cultural Properties; a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Asuka, NaraIshibutai Kofun, AsukaA 6th-century tomb built from 30 huge stones, one of Japan's largest stone chambers, left bare after its earth mound was lost; the heaviest ceiling stone weighs about 77 tonnes, and it is widely thought to be the tomb of Soga no Umako.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTenri, NaraIsonokami Jingu ShrineOne of Yamato's oldest shrines, the tutelary shrine of the ancient Mononobe clan, recorded as having been an armoury of the Yamato court. It once had no main hall and enshrined a sacred sword and treasures buried deep in the ground; when the forbidden area behind the worship hall was excavated in the early Meiji era, the sword and many blades, mirrors and beads were found. The worship hall (National Treasure) is the oldest of its kind in shrine architecture.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Nara, NaraIsuien GardenA strolling pond garden of about 11,000 m² next to Todai-ji, in two parts: the front garden by an Edo-period merchant and the rear garden (Meiji period) that borrows Mt. Wakakusa and Todai-ji's Great South Gate as scenery; the Neiraku Museum is inside.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKashihara, NaraKashihara Jingu ShrineFounded in Meiji 23 (1890) at the south-east foot of Mt. Unebi, the place where, according to the Nihon Shoki, Emperor Jimmu built his palace and was enthroned; it enshrines the first emperor and his empress. The main hall (Important Cultural Property) was moved from the Naishidokoro of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, and the sacred grounds cover 530,000 square metres, including a forest park and Fukada Pond.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNara, NaraKasuga Taisha ShrineA shrine whose halls were built here in 768, with vermilion buildings and countless stone lanterns donated over the centuries; famous for wisteria, it has a treasure hall and a Manyo botanical garden, backed by the protected Kasugayama Primeval Forest. Part of the World Heritage site.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Vera46 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Nara, NaraKasugayama Primeval ForestA sacred forest protected as the holy ground of Kasuga Taisha since hunting and logging were banned over 1,100 years ago; a World Cultural Heritage Site and a Special Natural Monument. A walk on the Kasuga Okuyama trail from Mizuya Shrine is recommended: the north route from Kasuga Taisha to the top of Mt. Wakakusa is about 3 km (about 40 minutes), and the south route from the summit back to Kasuga Taisha is about 8 km (about 2 hours).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYoshino, NaraKinpusenji TempleRising high on the ridge of Mt. Yoshino, Kinpusenji was founded in the Asuka period by En no Gyoja, the founder of Shugendo. The present hall, rebuilt in the Azuchi-Momoyama period, is the largest old wooden building after the Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji. The principal images are three Zao Gongen, each a 7 m statue kept as a hidden image in one of the largest shrines in Japan. The Shuhoden hall screens a VR film about the temple. (World Heritage)Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Tomomarusan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Nara, NaraKofuku-ji TempleHead temple of the Hosso sect and the Fujiwara clan temple, moved here in 710; its Central Golden Hall was rebuilt in 2018 after about 300 years, and the National Treasure Museum holds many masterpieces of Buddhist sculpture. Part of the World Heritage site.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Naokijp / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Nara, NaraMt. WakakusaA gentle 342 m hill covered in lawn, also called Mt. Mikasa for its three rounded tiers, with views over the Great Buddha Hall and Nara Park; its night view was chosen as one of Japan's three new great night views, and the grass is burned every early spring.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Tawashi2006 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.1 JP (resized)Yoshino, NaraMt. YoshinoA ridge of about 8 km at the north end of the Omine range, famous for some 30,000 cherry trees that bloom in turn from Shimo-senbon up to Oku-senbon from early to late April; it was a sacred place of mountain ascetics and the seat of the Southern Court.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACUda, NaraMuro-ji TempleFounded at the end of the Nara period by Kenkyo, a priest of Kofuku-ji, and restored in the Genroku era with the support of Keishoin, mother of the fifth shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. Unlike Mt. Koya, which barred women, it allowed women to worship and became known as "Women's Koya". Its Kondo and main hall are National Treasures, and the Kondo houses five wooden Jogan-period Buddhist statues.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Nara, NaraNara National MuseumA museum in a corner of Nara Park next to Todai-ji, Kofuku-ji and Kasuga Taisha, where you can enjoy Buddhist art and the history and culture behind it. The Buddhist Sculpture Hall, completed in Meiji 27 (1894), was Nara's first full-scale Western building (Important Cultural Property).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Martin Falbisoner / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Nara, NaraNara ParkA vast park about 4 km east to west on the east side of Nara, taking in the grounds of Kasuga Taisha, Kofuku-ji and Todai-ji, where about 1,300 deer roam among lawns and old pines.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Nara, NaraNaramachiThe area around the former grounds of Gango-ji, lined with townhouses from the Edo to Meiji periods; "Naramachi" is not an official place name. It has small museums such as the Naramachi Koshi-no-Ie lattice house.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAsuka, NaraOka-dera TempleFounded in Tenji 2 (663) by the priest Gien, who received Prince Kusakabe's Oka Palace; its formal name is Ryugai-ji. On the hillside stand an Edo-period study hall and Nio gate (both Important Cultural Properties) and the main hall. The principal image, a seated Nyoirin Kannon from the Tenpyo period (Important Cultural Property), is 4.6 m tall, Japan's largest clay statue. It is the 7th temple of the Saigoku 33 Kannon pilgrimage.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSakurai, NaraOmiwa ShrineAlso called Miwa Myojin, said to be Japan's oldest shrine. It has no main hall, because Mt. Miwa behind it is the object of worship itself, preserving an ancient form of faith; the mountain is worshipped through the Mitsu-torii (Important Cultural Property) behind the worship hall (Important Cultural Property, rebuilt in 1664 by Tokugawa Ietsuna). The deity is Omononushi-no-okami.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHeguri, NaraShigisan Chogosonshiji TempleFounded by Prince Shotoku in 587, it drew the faith of warriors from the Heian period. In the Warring States period Matsunaga Hisahide built Shigisan Castle; attacked by Oda Nobunaga, Hisahide took his own life and the temple burned, and it was later restored by Toyotomi Hideyori. The mountain's origin lies in the legend that the prince saw Bishamonten appear in the year, day and hour of the tiger, so papier-mache tigers can be seen all over the grounds, where dozens of halls stand, and the main hall looks out over the Nara Basin. The National Treasure "Shigisan Engi" scrolls are shown for only about two weeks from late October.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: YOSHIFUMI OGISO / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Soni, NaraSoni PlateauA vast plateau (849 m high) at the foot of Mt. Kuroso, covered with silver grass in autumn; its pastoral scenery is popular with hikers.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAsuka, NaraTachibanadera TempleIts founding date is unknown; it first appears in records in 680. Said to be the birthplace of Prince Shotoku and one of the seven temples he founded, it was once a great temple with 66 halls. Today only a few buildings remain, such as the main hall (Taishiden) rebuilt in the Edo period. Treasures include a Muromachi-period seated statue of Prince Shotoku (Important Cultural Property) and the "Nimenseki", a stone carved with two faces of good and evil. From early September to late October about 150 cotton rose and confederate rose shrubs bloom in the grounds.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: 8-hachiro / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Asuka, NaraTakamatsuzuka TumulusA small round tumulus 18 m across and 5 m high. In March 1972 (Showa 47) colour murals (National Treasure) were found in the stone chamber and drew attention as the greatest discovery of the post-war era, showing the Blue Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, groups of figures and a star chart. The interior is sealed for conservation and cannot be visited; the neighbouring Takamatsuzuka Mural Hall shows detailed copies and a model of the chamber.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Kansai explorer / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Totsukawa, NaraTamaki ShrineAn ancient shrine near the summit of Mt. Tamaki (1,076 m). In the Edo period it was said to be the inner sanctuary of the three Kumano shrines and was a great Shugendo sacred site. Giant trees said to be 3,000 years old grow in the grounds, including the "Jindai-sugi" cedar, and the shrine office has 70 richly coloured sliding doors of single cedar boards painted with dragons, tigers and landscapes by Kano school painters such as Tachibana Yasuharu. At the Tamaishi shrines, a sacred stone is worshipped directly without a hall, an ancient form of worship.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNara, NaraTodai-ji Nigatsu-do HallThe hall known for the Shuni-e ("Omizutori"), the ceremony that heralds spring, named Nigatsu-do ("Second Month Hall") because the ceremony was held here in the second month of the old calendar. It burned during the Shuni-e in Kanbun 7 (1667), and the present hall (National Treasure) was rebuilt two years later. The Shuni-e is held March 1-14.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNara, NaraTodai-ji Temple (Great Buddha)A temple founded at the wish of Emperor Shomu in the Nara period, home of the Great Buddha (Rushana Buddha) whose eye-opening ceremony was held in 752; its many National Treasure buildings include the Great Buddha Hall and Nigatsu-do. Part of the World Heritage "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNara, NaraToshodai-ji TempleA temple founded in 759 by the Chinese monk Jianzhen (Ganjin) after years of hardship reaching Japan; unlike most great Nara temples it was a private temple, and its Golden Hall and Lecture Hall are National Treasures. Part of the World Heritage site.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Ian G Shingler / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Nara, NaraUkimido PavilionA hexagonal pavilion with a cypress-bark roof floating on Sagi Pond in Nara Park, built in Taisho 5 (1916), restored in 1966 and rebuilt in 1994. It is lit up at night, and the surrounding cherry trees and crape myrtles are beautiful.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNara, NaraYakushi-ji TempleA temple vowed by Emperor Tenmu for the recovery of his empress (later Empress Jito), completed in Fujiwara-kyo and moved to its present site in Yoro 2 (718). Fire in the 16th century left only the East Pagoda (National Treasure), the sole original structure; since the Kondo in 1976 (Showa 51), the Hakuho-style buildings have been rebuilt one after another. Registered as a World Heritage Site ("Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara") in December 1998.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: くろふね / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0Niigata, NiigataBandai BridgeThe symbol of Niigata City, a stone-faced arched bridge over the Shinano River completed in 1929; 306.9 m long, it survived the 1964 Niigata earthquake and is an Important Cultural Property.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNiigata, NiigataBefco Bakauke Observation DeckA free observation deck on the 31st floor of Toki Messe, 125 m up, with 360-degree views over Niigata, the Shinano River and the Sea of Japan, and on clear days Sado Island.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagaoka, NiigataEchigo Hillside National Government ParkA vast park with blue sky, green lawns and, in winter, white snowfields for sports and recreation. The white mountain-shaped trampoline "Fuwafuwa Dome" is the most popular attraction, and seasonal flowers such as snow-wreath, tulips, roses and cosmos bloom; in winter "Echigo Snow World" has a 150 m sledding slope and snowshoe trails.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: DAI-nk / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Niigata, NiigataFormer Saito Family VillaA modern Japanese-style residence on a site of 1,300 tsubo, built in 1918 as a guest house by Saito Kijuro, fourth head of the Saito family, one of Niigata's three great merchant houses. It is a national place of scenic beauty and a component of the Japan Heritage "Minatomachi Niigata". Its strolling garden makes clever use of the sand-dune terrain, with a different view from each room: fresh greenery, green maples, autumn leaves and snow. Inside you can learn about the Saito family and enjoy matcha and sweets while viewing the garden, and the garden is lit up in the autumn-leaf season.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Triglav / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)Itoigawa, NiigataFossa Magna MuseumA stone and geology museum in Itoigawa whose six permanent galleries cover jade, the Fossa Magna rift where the Japanese archipelago formed, and natural hazards such as earthquakes and volcanoes.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Asturio Cantabrio / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Itoigawa, NiigataHisui (Jade) CoastA pebble beach in Itoigawa, one of Japan's leading jade areas, where visitors search the colourful stones for natural jade washed down the Hime River; spring, with its snowmelt, is said to be the best season.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Nihongo1234 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Tokamachi, NiigataHoshitoge Rice TerracesAbout 200 paddies spread like fish scales over a hillside, the most popular of Tokamachi's rice terraces; in spring and autumn the flooded fields become "water mirrors". Recognised as a Tsunagu Tanada heritage site in 2022.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Koichi_Hayakawa / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped)Agano, NiigataHyoko Lake Swan ParkA Ramsar-listed wetland where about 5,000 swans gather at the late-November peak, and where the "swan man" feeds them three times a day in season.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Koichi_Hayakawa / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Tokamachi, NiigataKiyotsu Gorge TunnelOne of Japan's three great gorges, viewed from a 750 m tunnel ending in a mirror-like pool of water, part of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field; a round trip takes 40 minutes to an hour.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMyoko, NiigataKoyaike PondA pond just before the summit on the way up Mt. Hiuchi. In summer Primula cuneifolia flowers draw climbers, and in autumn the autumn leaves; the Koyaike Hutte nearby is a place for climbers to rest.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACUonuma, NiigataLake OkutadamiA huge artificial lake holding about 600 million tonnes, surrounded by 2,000 m mountains in remote country. Also called "Ginzan-ko" (silver mine lake) because silver was mined here in the Edo period. The Okutadami Dam, 157 m high and 480 m long, was completed in 1960 and still supplies power to the Tokyo area and Tohoku. Sightseeing boats, including the "Fantasia", modelled on a Mississippi paddle steamer, show scenery that cannot be seen except from the water: fresh greenery in spring, deep green in summer and, in autumn, leaves chosen among Japan's 100 best. Deepest point 150 m, area 1,150 ha, altitude 750 m.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMinamiuonuma, NiigataMt. Hakkai Ropeway and ObservatoryMt. Hakkai, long revered as a sacred mountain, is one of Japan's 200 notable mountains and one of the three Echigo mountains with Echigo-Komagatake and Nakanodake. The ropeway reaches the summit station in about 5 minutes, and about 5 minutes' walk further is an observatory with a 360-degree panorama; on clear days you can see the Joshinetsu mountains, the Sea of Japan and Sado Island. The green season starts with katakuri (dogtooth violet) flowers near the base station. The climbing season is June to November; the highest peak, Nyudodake, is 1,778 m and the climb is for advanced hikers, but the ropeway takes you to the 4th station for an easier course.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMyoko, NiigataMyoko Kogen Sky CableA gondola to the Sky Terrace & Garden at about 1,300 m, looking over Mt. Madarao, Lake Nojiri and Shiga Kogen, with a water basin that mirrors the sky; pets ride free.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYuzawa, NiigataNaeba DragondolaJapan's longest gondola at 5,481 m, rising and dipping over the mountains between Naeba and Tashiro in about 25 minutes; it runs for the autumn leaves in autumn.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Qurren / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Myoko, NiigataNaena FallsOne of Japan's "100 Best Waterfalls", Naena Falls drops 55 m on the Seki River at the Niigata-Nagano border. It is most popular in spring, when meltwater pours down, and in the autumn-leaf season, and is also pleasant and cool in summer. Its roar was once so fierce it echoed like an earthquake, giving it the nickname "Jishin-daki" (earthquake falls). A path leads from the car park to the viewing point in about 15 minutes. The rock wall is basalt with well-developed columnar joints. It is also the start or finish of the "Myoko Kogen Nature Trail", a designated forest therapy road.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagaoka, NiigataNagaoka Kojimaya Main Shop (Hegi Soba)A soba restaurant serving hegi soba, the Echigo style of buckwheat noodles bound with seaweed and served in a wooden hegi tray, plus Niigata's tare-katsudon.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Sgico / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Niigata, NiigataNorthern Culture MuseumThe mansion of a wealthy landowning family, with a 100-mat hall looking out on a strolling garden; a 150-year-old wisteria blooms in late April to early May.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Itoigawa, NiigataOyashirazu Brick TunnelA walk at Oyashirazu, once the hardest pass on the Hokuriku road, along the old national road with views of four generations of roads and through a disused Meiji-era brick tunnel; both are civil-engineering heritage sites.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNiigata, NiigataPia Bandai MarketOne of the largest fresh markets on the Sea of Japan coast, known locally as "Pia Bandai", with fish, meat and produce stalls, conveyor-belt sushi and seafood bowls; free entry.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSado, NiigataSado Gold MineA historic gold and silver mine with 400 years of history, where you walk through the Sodayu tunnel, with figures recreating Edo-era mining, and the modern Doyu tunnel.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: accelerator1868 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (cropped and resized)Murakami, NiigataSasagawa Nagare CoastAn 11 km coastline of strange rocks, reefs and caves carved by the Sea of Japan, with some of the clearest water in Japan; a Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Fumihiko Ueno / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Murakami, NiigataSasagawa Nagare Sightseeing BoatA 40-minute cruise from Kuwagawa fishing port along Sasagawa Nagare, an 11 km coast of wave-carved rocks and caves designated a Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument; you can feed the seagulls.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMurakami, NiigataSenami OnsenA seaside hot-spring town nicknamed "hot water" for its 90°C-plus springs, where you can soak while watching the sun set over the Sea of Japan; eggs can be boiled at the spring tower on the southern hillside.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMurakami, NiigataSennen Sake Kikkawa (Murakami Salmon)A Murakami salmon shop in a 130-year-old townhouse (a Registered Tangible Cultural Property), where about 1,000 salmon hang from the beams; the free tour explains the town's salmon food culture.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 皓月旗 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Niigata, NiigataShinano River Yasuragi-tei Riverside ParkA riverside park along the Shinano River where cherry blossoms and tulips bloom with Bandai Bridge in the background; paper lanterns light the trees at night.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: JH0WJF / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)Sado, NiigataShukunegi VillageA village of shipwrights crowded around a small inlet, with over 100 houses clad in boards from ships, a nationally protected townscape that grew rich from Kitamaebune trade.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Cp9asngf / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Joetsu, NiigataTakada Castle Site ParkA castle-site park famous as one of Japan's three great spots for night-time cherry blossoms, and in summer for lotus flowers filling the outer moat; free, open every day.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSado, NiigataTub Boat Ride, Rikiya Kanko KisenRide Sado's famous round wooden tub boats, rowed by women boat operators, in Ogi harbour; 700 yen for adults.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNiigata, NiigataUwasekigata ParkA park of rich nature around an 11 ha lagoon at the foot of Mt. Kakuda. Spring brings about 450 cherry trees and a carpet of rape blossom, with sunflowers in summer and cosmos in autumn against the view of Mt. Kakuda. A path of about 2 km and boardwalks circle the lagoon, where dragonflies, waterbirds and swans can be seen, and there are large play structures, a lawn and barbecue facilities. In autumn it hosts the "Wara Art Festival" with giant straw sculptures made by Musashino Art University students and local people.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYahiko, NiigataYahiko ShrineNiigata's leading shrine, "Oyahiko-sama", said to be over 2,400 years old and mentioned in the Man'yoshu; visitors bow twice, clap four times and bow once.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: STA3816 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Beppu, OitaBeppu Jigoku Meguri (Hells of Beppu)In the Kannawa and Kamegawa districts of Beppu are seven "hells" where steam and hot water from the springs burst out of the ground: Umi, Oniishi-bozu, Kamado, Oniyama, Shiraike, Chinoike and Tatsumaki Jigoku. Umi, Shiraike, Chinoike and Tatsumaki Jigoku are national places of scenic beauty, and a regular sightseeing bus goes round the hells.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACBeppu, OitaBeppu RopewayOne of the largest ropeways in Kyushu, carrying 101 people to the top of Mt. Tsurumi (1,375 m) in Aso-Kuju National Park in 10 minutes. From the summit you can see the town of Beppu, Beppu Bay and the Kuju mountains; cherry blossoms and Miyama-kirishima azaleas in spring, a cool retreat in summer, autumn leaves in autumn and rime ice in winter.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACBungotakada, OitaBungotakada Showa TownA town where the lively shopping street of the Showa 30s has been revived. Shops display a "treasure" telling their history and sell a speciality handed down through generations, and walking among the retro signs and buildings feels like slipping back to the Showa era. A bonnet bus runs a free loop mainly on Sundays and holidays, and in 2017 the town won the Asian Townscape Award.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACBungotakada, OitaFuki-ji TempleA temple founded in the Heian period as the family temple of the chief priest of Usa Jingu. Its Great Hall, a National Treasure, is one of Japan's three Amida halls with the Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in in Uji and the Konjikido of Chuson-ji in Hiraizumi, and the oldest surviving wooden building in Kyushu. The Amida Buddha inside is an Important Cultural Property, and the wall painting of the Pure Land is counted among Japan's four great wall paintings. The grounds are covered in autumn leaves from late November to early December.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKunisaki, OitaFutago-ji TempleA temple of the Rokugo Manzan in the centre of the Kunisaki Peninsula, founded in 718 (Yoro 2) by Ninmon Bosatsu; from the Edo period it oversaw the Manzan temples. The pair of Nio guardian statues at the gate are the largest in Kunisaki and said to represent the peninsula for the beauty of their carving. With a great many maples across the grounds, it is one of the prefecture's leading spots for fresh spring green and autumn leaves.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: daisymind / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Bungo-ono, OitaHarajiri FallsOne of the main sights of the Sobo, Katamuki and Okue UNESCO Eco Park, known as an unusual waterfall that "suddenly appears in farmland" and chosen as one of Japan's 100 best waterfalls. It falls 20 m across a width of 120 m, and you can see it head-on from the suspension bridge in front, or get close just above and below it. The rock the water slides over is from the pyroclastic flow of the great Aso eruption 90,000 years ago.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: そらみみ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Nakatsu, OitaHitome Hakkei (Yabakei)Said to be especially scenic even within Yabakei, a place of scenic beauty: along the Yamautsuri River, a tributary of the Yamakuni River, you can see eight views at once - Kaibo-rei, Sennin-iwa, Shoen-zan, Meoto-iwa, Gun-en-zan, Eboshi-iwa, Ojika-nagao-rei and Washinosu-yama - hence the name "Hitome Hakkei" (eight views at a glance). In the autumn-leaf season the streams and rock faces turn red and yellow.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKitsuki, OitaKitsuki CastleBuilt as Kitsuki Castle by Kitsuki Yorinao in 1394 (Oei 1). The plateau surrounded by the sea and cliffs was a natural fortress, and its shape like a lying ox gave it the name "Gagyu Castle". The present keep is a mock keep built in 1970 (Showa 45); inside is a history museum with armour used by the lords and a jar of Bungo plums presented to the shogunate. 250 cherry trees bloom along the path in spring, and the keep looks over the city and Morie Bay.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Yuji Sakamoto / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kokonoe, OitaKokonoe "Yume" Otsurihashi Suspension BridgeA suspension bridge 173 m high and 390 m long, "Japan's highest" for a pedestrian-only bridge, at 777 m above sea level. From the bridge you can see Shindo Falls, one of Japan's 100 best waterfalls, and the Kyusuikei gorge, famous for fresh green and autumn leaves; around early November, when the leaves are at their best, it is crowded with visitors.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTaketa, OitaKuju Flower ParkA flower park at 850 m in Aso-Kuju National Park, one of the largest in western Japan, where about 5 million flowers of about 500 kinds bloom from spring to autumn. There are a restaurant, a gelato shop, a variety shop and a craft workshop.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Hajime NAKANO / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Bungotakada, OitaKumano Magaibutsu (Rock-cut Buddhas)Beyond steep stone steps said to have been laid by a demon in one night are the Kumano rock-cut Buddhas, among the largest in Japan, an Important Cultural Property said to date from the late Heian period. On the cliff are carved a stern Dainichi Nyorai (about 6.7 m) on the right and a seemingly smiling Fudo Myoo (about 8 m) on the left; further up the steps is Kumano Shrine, and below is Taizo-ji.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNakatsu, OitaKumo Hachimangu ShrineLong ago, a god in the form of a child appeared amid seven-coloured clouds rising from a stone where Empress Jingu had sat, so the place was called "Kumo no Yashiro" (the shrine of clouds); in the Heian period Kumo Hachimangu was built here. The "Kappagaku" music, a prefectural cultural property with over 350 years of history, still sounds at the annual festival, humorous kappa statues are dotted around the grounds, and the chief priest's talks on myth and history are popular.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Nodoka2501 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kokonoe, OitaKyusuikei GorgeKnown as a gorge where fresh green, autumn leaves and waterfalls are especially fine within the Kusu and Naruko river basins. Sheer cliffs continue for about 2 km on both banks, with primeval forests of fir, hemlock and katsura; its run of hairpin bends gives it the nickname "Jusan-magari" (thirteen bends). Around early November, when the leaves are best, many visitors come, and it can also be seen from the Kokonoe "Yume" Otsurihashi.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: STA3816 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Beppu, OitaLake KagurameA lake about 1 km around, toward Mt. Tsurumi from Beppu Station and linked to Lake Shidaka by a path. In season (early June to early July) it is coloured by 300,000 irises (15,000 plants) of 80 kinds, drawing many visitors from inside and outside the prefecture.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYufu, OitaLake KinrinOne of Yufuin's signature sights, in rich nature. Once called "the pond below the peak" as it lies below Mt. Yufu, it is said to have been named "Kinrin-ko" (golden-scale lake) in 1884 (Meiji 17) by the Confucian scholar Mori Kuso, who saw the scales of fish shining in the setting sun. A path runs round the lake, and on early mornings from autumn to winter the lake is wrapped in morning mist.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: STA3816 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)Beppu, OitaLake ShidakaA highland lake 600 m above sea level on the southeastern slope of Mt. Tsurumi in Beppu, within Aso-Kuju National Park, famous before the war as one of Beppu's three scenic spots. Boats float on the water, with wild birds and greenery; cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves in autumn, a path linking it to Kagurame Lake (famous for irises), and a lakeside campground.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACBungotakada, OitaMaki Odo HallSaid to be one of the halls of Majikisan Denjo-ji, a "phantom great temple" that once flourished but burned down. It holds nine Buddhist statues that are Important Cultural Properties, notably the wooden Daiitoku Myoo riding a water buffalo, the largest in Japan, and a seated Amida from the Fujiwara period. Behind the hall is an "ancient park" where stone pagodas and Buddhas once scattered around the area were gathered to protect them.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: RyotaFuno / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Bungotakada, OitaMatama Coast SunsetKnown as the only place in Oita where you can see the sun set into the horizon; on clear evenings everything turns red and the orange setting sun is reflected on the water. It is chosen as one of Japan's 100 best sunsets. Even at the lowest tide some water remains on the tidal flats, and the flats and the water shining gold in the sunset draw many photographers.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTaketa, OitaNagayu OnsenA hot spring known for its carbonated water, rare in Japan: when you soak, bubbles gather on the skin. You can also drink the water, and it is used for long therapeutic stays.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACUsuki, OitaNiozaza Historic Road (Usuki)Niozaza, at the foot of Usuki Castle, is a hill of tuff formed from Aso volcanic ash, where roads were cut through the rock. Its narrow lanes keep the feel of a castle town, with high stone walls, tiled roofs, white-walled buildings and many temples along the slopes; the "kiritoshi" cutting in front of the former Shinko-ji is one of Usuki's signature views. It was chosen among Japan's 100 best urban landscapes in November 1993.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTaketa, OitaOka Castle RuinsSaid to have been built in 1185 (Bunji 1) by the local warrior Ogata Saburo Koreyoshi to welcome Minamoto no Yoshitsune, it became the castle of the Oka domain when the Nakagawa clan arrived in 1594. The remaining ruins, built by the first lord Nakagawa Hideshige, consist of the main, second, third and west enclosures; it is also called "Gagyu-jo" (lying-ox castle) for its shape. From the main enclosure you can see the Kuju mountains, and the second enclosure has a statue of Taki Rentaro by Asakura Fumio. It is one of Japan's 100 best cherry-blossom spots, and the "Oka Castle Cherry Blossom Festival" with a feudal lord's procession is held every early April.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACBungo-Ono, OitaTaizako GorgeA gorge along the Okudake River, walled by cliffs of welded tuff with well-developed columnar joints, up to 70 m high in places, seen from the Okudake Bridge. Rocks formed by volcanic activity about 15 million years ago are exposed on the valley floor, and upstream there is a cave where carbonised wood, baked in a pyroclastic flow, lies buried.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Hiroshi Ishii / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Oita, OitaTakasakiyama Monkey ParkOne of Japan's leading natural zoos at the foot of Mt. Takasaki (628 m), between Oita and Beppu, where you can watch wild Japanese macaques close up. At feeding time many monkeys gather at the feeding ground, and staff explain their ecology and habits throughout the day. The "Sarukko Rail" monorail runs to the feeding ground with a view of Beppu Bay.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACBeppu, OitaTakegawara OnsenA public bathhouse rebuilt many times since it was built in Meiji 12, completed as a wooden tile-roofed bath in Meiji 35. It was first roofed with bamboo and then re-roofed with tiles, hence the name "Takegawara" (bamboo tile). Now the symbol of Beppu Onsen, it is a grand wooden building in the karahafu style, with a regular bath and the famous sand bath, where attendants cover you with sand warmed by the hot spring as you lie on your back.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACUsa, OitaUsa Jingu ShrineKnown nationwide as the head shrine of the more than 40,000 Hachiman shrines in Japan. It is said to have begun in 725 (Jinki 2) when the first hall enshrining Hachiman Okami was built, and is closely linked to the Rokugo Manzan culture of the Kunisaki Peninsula. In the vast grounds surrounded by primeval forest stand the three main halls in the Hachiman style (National Treasures), bridges, a Noh stage and a treasure hall; about 100 cherry trees bloom in spring and lotuses in summer.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Asturio Cantabrio / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Usuki, OitaUsuki Castle Ruins (Usuki Park)A castle built in 1562 (Eiroku 5) by the Christian daimyo Otomo Sorin on Nyu Island in Usuki Bay, and in the Edo period the castle of the Usuki domain (50,000 koku) ruled by the Inaba family. Once surrounded by the sea, it is now joined to the land by reclamation; the ruins are laid out as Usuki Park, and about 300 cherry trees bloom in spring.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 大分帰省中 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Usuki, OitaUsuki Stone BuddhasRock-cut Buddhas represented by the Dainichi Nyorai of the Furuzono group, said to have been carved from the late Heian to the Kamakura period. For their scale, number and quality they are Japan's leading group of stone Buddhas, and in 1995 (Heisei 7) they became the first rock-cut Buddhas in Japan, and the first sculptures in Kyushu, to be designated National Treasures. They are in four groups: Hoki groups 1 and 2, Sannozan and Furuzono. From June to July lotuses bloom in the park.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNakatsu, OitaYabakei Bridge (Oranda-bashi)A stone bridge over the Yamakuni River about 500 m downstream of Ao-no-Domon, counted among Japan's 100 famous bridges. At 116 m it is the longest in Japan, and its eight arches are the most in Japan and the only such bridge - two "Japan's No. 1" records; it is a prefectural tangible cultural property. The nickname "Oranda-bashi" is said to come from its stone-laying method, common in Nagasaki, and it is still used as a local road.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACBeppu, OitaYukemuri Observatory (Kannawa)An observatory looking over the hot-spring steam of Kannawa, Mt. Tsurumi and Mt. Ogi, whose colours change with the seasons. Beppu's steam came second only to Mt. Fuji in NHK's 2001 "Japanese scenes to leave for the 21st century", and the night view from here was certified a "Japan Night View Heritage" in 2010. On Saturday, Sunday and holiday evenings (19:00-21:00) the steam is lit up.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Jogungagon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Takahashi, OkayamaBitchu Matsuyama CastleThe only mountain castle in Japan whose keep survives, one of the 12 original keeps from the Edo period. Huge rock walls over 10 m high surround it, keeping the look of an impregnable castle. Recently it has become popular as "the castle in the sky floating on a sea of clouds"; to photograph it, go to the sea-of-clouds observatory at dawn in the season from about September to April.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakahashi, OkayamaFukiya Furusato VillageA town in the Chugoku Mountains built by wealthy merchants who made great fortunes producing bengara (red iron oxide pigment) and its raw material, rouha. The red townscape unified by reddish-brown Sekishu roof tiles and bengara-painted lattices is striking, and the merchants' elaborately designed houses are worth seeing. Sights such as the former Fukiya Elementary School and the Sasaune mine tunnel remain, and the town is a Japan Heritage site as "the birthplace of Japan Red". Workshops making handkerchiefs and bags with bengara paint are popular.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACManiwa, OkayamaGREENable HIRUZENA hub for spreading the value of sustainability, designed and supervised by the architect Kengo Kuma: a wooden building once used in Harumi, Tokyo, and moved here. It has a visitor centre and shop with sustainable goods, the Maniwa City Hiruzen Museum, a cycling centre offering programmes, and the CLT pavilion "Kaze no Ha".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakahashi, OkayamaHirokane ResidenceThe residence of the Hirokane family, village headmen of Onoro who made a huge fortune around 1800 from the Koizumi copper mine and the production of "roha" (iron sulphate). Built at the end of the Edo period in the gate-tower style, its imposing stone walls, rivalling a castle, still show the family's wealth. It has been a location for films such as "Yatsuhakamura" (1977), "Moeyo Ken" (2021) and "Suneshuri no Mori" (2026).Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACManiwa, OkayamaHiruzen Herb Garden HerbillA 3 ha site with one of the largest lavender fields in western Japan, an herb garden, a mountain-vegetable park, a hydrangea garden with about 3,000 lacecap hydrangeas, and a "House of Fragrance" with a wreath-making workshop, shop and restaurant. The cafe serves lunches with seasonal Hiruzen vegetables and Jersey dairy products, herb tea and lavender soft-serve.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Reggaeman / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Maniwa, OkayamaHiruzen HighlandsOne of western Japan's leading highland resorts, with great nature and many sights: grazing Jersey cows, "Hiruzen Jersey Land", the "Hiruzen Winery" making wine from its own wild grapes, and the "Hiruzen Herb Garden Herbill" with lavender and herbs. It is ideal for camping and cycling, and local food includes Jersey milk sweets, "Hiruzen yakisoba" and Genghis Khan lamb barbecue.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: osami / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (cropped and resized)Maniwa, OkayamaHiruzen Jersey LandAt the foot of Kami-Hiruzen, with views of the three Hiruzen peaks and Jersey cows grazing. Through windows you can watch the factory making yogurt, cheese and other dairy products made from Jersey milk, and the restaurant and shop serve soft-serve ice cream, Jersey sausages and more than 10 dishes using Jersey beef.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACManiwa, OkayamaHiruzen WineryA winery with a shop and cafe. The shop "Coanie" sells the winery's own wines and preserves, and the cafe serves menus with local ingredients and wild grape (yamabudo) soft-serve ice cream. You can see the storage room and bottling through glass. From late September you can help harvest the wild grapes used for the wine.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKurashiki, OkayamaKataraiza Ohara Residence (Former Ohara House)Inside the house is a scene you cannot imagine from the street: rows of storehouses along stone paving and a quiet Japanese garden, "the Kurashiki within Kurashiki". Exhibits introduce eight generations of the Ohara family through their collections and art, and a book cafe surrounded by the family's books is attached.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Reggaeman / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)Okayama, OkayamaKibitsu ShrineA shrine with legends of Kibitsuhiko-no-Mikoto and Ura, said to be the origin of the Momotaro (ogre-slaying) tale; you can see the Yaoki-iwa rock where the arrows are said to have been placed and the Okamaden where the ogre's head is said to be buried. The main hall and worship hall rebuilt in 1425 are in the Kibitsu style, the only one of its kind in Japan, and are National Treasures; the beautiful 360 m corridor from the main hall is a historic structure worth seeing.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKurashiki, OkayamaKojima Jeans StreetA street drawing attention in Kojima, the home of Japanese-made jeans. Along about 400 m from the "Former Nozaki Residence" to the Nozaki memorial stone, local jeans makers line the street, and as you can buy original "Japan denim" here, many visitors come from abroad. There are other shops and cafes nearby.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Srhtj / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Bizen, OkayamaKonoshima IslandAn island of the Hinase Islands about 4 km south of Bizen-Hinase Port, where steep hills rise from the shore and holiday homes line the slopes. Burial mounds and pottery have been found, showing people have lived here since ancient times, and courtiers from the Heian capital are said to have come and gone.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKurashiki, OkayamaKurashiki Archaeological MuseumOpened in 1950 in a converted Edo-period earthen rice storehouse, showing finds from sites of the Kibi region centred on Okayama that show its fine culture, from the Paleolithic to the medieval period (including Bizen ware).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Nankou Oronain / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kurashiki, OkayamaKurashiki Bikan Historical QuarterA historic quarter with white-walled storehouses, namako-walls and willow-lined streets, where the townscape of traditional buildings and the retro-modern scenery along the Kurashiki River charm people from all over the world. Shops of Kurashiki brands such as Kurashiki canvas and denim and cafes in converted townhouses line the streets, with cultural facilities such as the Ohara Museum of Art and Ivy Square. There is also the "Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter night lighting" produced by lighting designer Motoko Ishii.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKurashiki, OkayamaKurashiki Ivy SquareThe former head factory of Kurashiki Spinning Mill (now Kurabo), converted into a complex including a hotel; a pioneering example of converting factory buildings to new uses. It has restaurants, shops and cultural facilities.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Kurashiki, OkayamaKurashiki Museum of FolkcraftOpened as Japan's second folk craft museum in a converted late-Edo-period rice storehouse. It holds 15,000 sturdy and beautiful objects used in daily life around the world.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Setouchi, OkayamaKuroshima Venus RoadA mysterious 800 m sand road made by nature. Kuroshima island is reached by the Hotel Limani shuttle boat, sea kayak or a chartered boat; check in advance on the website or by phone and book.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: エヴァンズの秘書 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Niimi, OkayamaMakido CaveA limestone cave about 450 m long, a prefectural natural monument. It got its name, Makido, after the poets Yosano Tekkan and Akiko described it in 1929 as "a cave full of wonders". The quiet cave is lit with colourful LEDs; highlights are the "Ryugu Bridge" over the lake at the far end and the "Senmaida", one of Japan's finest rimstone formations.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSoja, OkayamaMt. Kinojo (Kinojo Castle)One of Japan's 100 Fine Castles: an ancient mountain fortress said to have been built by the Yamato court for national defence. Kinojo appears in no historical record, and its history remains a mystery. Surveys and restoration continue, and you can visit the sites of a corner tower and gates; the panorama from the restored West Gate is superb. Near the summit, the Soja City Kinojo Visitor Center explains the restoration and excavations, and a 2.8 km walking course follows the walls.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTamano, OkayamaMt. OjigatakeSpanning Tamano and Kurashiki, Ojigatake is a viewpoint where you can see both the islands of the Seto Inland Sea and the whole Seto Ohashi Bridge, and on fine days as far as the Shikoku mountains. Many oddly shaped rocks with fun names such as "Ojisan-iwa", "Nikoniko-iwa" and "Hitsuji-iwa" are dotted around. With maintained walking paths it is loved as a hiking course, with cherry blossoms and azaleas in spring, and it is also known for paragliding and bouldering.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Kanchi1979 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kurashiki, OkayamaMt. Washu Observation DecksObservation decks near the summit of Mt. Washu, a representative scenic spot of Setonaikai National Park and a national Place of Scenic Beauty. There are two, near the Washuzan Rest House and the Washuzan Visitor Center, with views over the peaceful islands of the Seto Inland Sea, the great Seto-Ohashi Bridge and across to Shikoku.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (cropped and resized)Kurashiki, OkayamaOhara Museum of ArtFounded in 1930, Japan's first private art museum centred on Western painting, established by Ohara Magosaburo, a businessman who contributed to Kurashiki's cultural development. The main building shows many famous Western works, such as El Greco's "Annunciation" and Claude Monet's "Water Lilies", with Renoir and Gauguin; the collection of about 3,000 works also covers ancient Egyptian art and modern and contemporary Western and Japanese art.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOkayama, OkayamaOkayama Castle (Ujo)A castle built by Ukita Hideie, a retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and one of his five great elders. Its three-roofed, six-storey keep on an unusual irregular pentagonal base, with black clapboard walls, is also called "Ujo" (Crow Castle); from the top floor you look down on the Asahi River and over Korakuen Garden and the city. The original keep burned in air raids in 1945 and has been rebuilt; after the great Reiwa renovation it reopened on November 3, 2022 with exhibits supervised by historian Isoda Michifumi.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOkayama, OkayamaOkayama Korakuen GardenA large garden built by Ikeda Tsunamasa, the second lord of the Okayama domain, as his own place of rest; its spacious grounds coloured by seasonal flowers are another world like the Edo period. It was designated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty in 1952 and has three stars in the Michelin Green Guide Japan. Events such as tea picking and moon viewing are held through the year, and for limited periods the garden opens at night with lighting, the "Genso Teien".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (cropped and resized)Setouchi, OkayamaUshimado Olive GardenThe own farm of Nippon Olive Co., opened in 1942, growing about 2,000 trees on 10 ha. From the hilltop you can enjoy the beautiful views of Ushimado, also called "the Aegean Sea of Japan". A shop sells olive products, local goods and souvenirs, and olive and lemon trees, and on the 2nd floor there is a cafe deliberately without lighting. Pets are allowed in the garden outside the buildings.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACManiwa, OkayamaYubara Onsen SunayuA popular hot spring along the Asahi River below Yubara Dam, with plentiful, highly alkaline water. The symbol of the town is "Sunayu", a large natural open-air bath formed by hot water springing from the riverbed; thanks to local cooperation it is open free 24 hours a day. It has been ranked "yokozuna of the west" in a national open-air bath ranking, and has pools at different temperatures.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKurashiki, OkayamaYurinso (Ohara Family Villa)The former villa of the Ohara family, built by Ohara Magosaburo for his family to live in. Also known as the "Green Palace", its glossy green roof tiles use a special glaze and were specially ordered from tile makers in Sakai.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Yanbaru917 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kunigami, OkinawaAsumui Hikes (formerly Daisekirinzan)The four rocky peaks seen from Cape Hedo, the northern tip of Okinawa Island, are called "Asumui", said in the "Chuzan Seikan", Okinawa's oldest history, to be the first thing made by the creator god Amamiku. On "Asumui Hikes" you walk the forest on its slopes guided by audio, among strange rocks, giant stones and one of Japan's largest banyan trees; there are also a Stone Museum and the restaurant "Nantoya".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMinamidaito, OkinawaBaribari RockMinamidaito Island, born about 48 million years ago, is said to still move 4 to 7 cm north-east each year, and Baribari Rock is a large rock hill split by that crustal movement. Along a green path you pass through a rock tunnel to find a towering Daito fan palm.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Abasaa / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)Motobu, OkinawaBise Fukugi Tree RoadThe Bise district near Ocean Expo Park is a village laid out in a grid, and almost all of its about 250 houses are surrounded by thick groves of fukugi trees. Fukugi has long been used as a windbreak in Okinawa, planted especially around houses near the sea, and the oldest of the several thousand fukugi in Bise is estimated to be 300 years old.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOnna, OkinawaCape Maeda and the Blue CaveA cape facing the cobalt-blue west coast, known for the Blue Cave, snorkelling and scuba diving; divers are moved by the many kinds of friendly tropical fish, and the Blue Cave is a mysterious blue world. From February to April you can watch whales heading north from the observation deck.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Onna, OkinawaCape ManzamoA cape northwest of the Onna village office, a grassy plateau of raised coral reef with sheer cliffs. From the tip the cobalt-blue sea spreads out and waves break on the rocks; to the north you can see the mountains of the northern peninsula and Iejima's Tacchu, and to the east Mt. Onna. It is said to have been named when King Sho Kei visited in 1726 and praised it as "enough to seat ten thousand people". The plants growing on its limestone are a prefectural natural monument.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYomitan, OkinawaCape ZanpaA cape jutting out on the west side of central Okinawa Island, with 30 m cliffs continuing for about 2 km. At its tip stands the white Zanpa Misaki Lighthouse, and walking paths around it let you see subtropical coastal plants such as pandanus. On clear days you can see the Kerama Islands, and it is known as the last place on the main island where the sun sets; the "Zanpa Misaki Ikoi no Hiroba" marked by a giant shisa has play equipment, a mini zoo, a restaurant and a shop.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: さかおり / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Naha, OkinawaDaiichi Makishi Public MarketA public market near Kokusai-dori packed with all kinds of Okinawan food, reopened after renovation on March 19, 2023. The 1st floor is the market and the 2nd floor a food court; colourful tropical seafood, pork sold in whole blocks and simple island vegetables show Okinawan food culture at a glance.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: A-gota / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5Itoman, OkinawaHimeyuri Monument and Peace MuseumThe "Himeyuri Monument" was built in 1946, the year after the Battle of Okinawa, to console the souls of the Himeyuri students who died in it. The Himeyuri Peace Museum next to it opened in 1989, founded by the Himeyuri alumnae association to pass on the war experiences of the student corps mobilised as nurses. It shows portraits and belongings of the 227 students who died, survivors' testimony videos and memoirs, and a life-size model of the nearby cave (Ihara Third Surgical Shelter).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIe, OkinawaIe BeachA beach in the Ie Village Youth Travel Village with the beauty of island seas. There is a campsite in the casuarina woods, and the beach has a beach volleyball court, a shop and showers, so you can enjoy both swimming and camping.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Ishigaki, OkinawaIshigaki Island Limestone CaveThe largest limestone cave on Ishigaki, created by nature over 200,000 years, with glittering stalactites, a cave illumination and a "suikinkutsu" water chime.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Ishigaki, OkinawaKabira BayAn inlet on the northwest coast of Ishigaki with nine small islands at its mouth; the clear blue sea, white sand and green islets are said to be the most beautiful scenery on the island. Swimming is prohibited because of strong currents, but glass-bottom boats show the underwater scenery, and black pearls have been cultivated in the bay since the Taisho era.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMinamidaito, OkinawaKaigunbo PoolDaito Island, ringed by cliffs, has no beaches, but islanders carved a "sea pool" out of the bedrock. Along with Shioya Pool on the west side, it is one of only two places to swim on Minamidaito, and you can even see coral in the pool.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACUruma, OkinawaKatsuren Castle RuinsFamous as the castle of Amawari, a powerful lord who resisted the king to the end as the Ryukyu Kingdom stabilised. Built on a hill at the base of the Katsuren Peninsula in central Okinawa Island, from the first enclosure you can see the mountains around Kin Bay and Uruma's islands to the north, and the Chinen Peninsula, Kudaka Island and Nakagusuku Castle to the south.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNakijin, OkinawaKouri BridgeA 1,960 m bridge linking Kouri Island in Nakijin with Yagaji Island in Nago, opened on February 8, 2005, the second-longest toll-free bridge in the prefecture. Emerald-green sea spreads on both sides, making it a scenic drive; just across it on the left are Kouri Beach and a plaza selling local products.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Asacyan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Nakijin, OkinawaKouri IslandA small island of about 1 km radius northeast of the Motobu Peninsula, surrounded by emerald-green sea; since the Kouri Bridge from Yagaji Island opened in 2005 you can drive there. The "Kouri loop road" circles the 8 km island in about 10 minutes by car, and in summer many come to swim and snorkel at Kouri Beach, Tinu Beach with the Heart Rock, and Tokei Beach with its potholes. The island has a myth of human origins like Adam and Eve and is called "island of the gods".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Nakagusuku, OkinawaNakagusuku Castle RuinsA mountain castle of six enclosures on high ground facing Nakagusuku Bay, the gusuku among Okinawa's World Heritage sites that best preserves its original stonework. In 1440 Gosamaru is said to have moved here from Zakimi Castle and extended the walls; most of the walls are cut Ryukyu limestone, and enclosures built mainly in different masonry styles suggest different building periods. It was registered as a World Heritage site in December 2000.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNakijin, OkinawaNakijin Castle RuinsThe main castle of the Hokuzan king in the Sanzan period, when Ryukyu was divided into the three areas of Hokuzan, Chuzan and Nanzan; also called Hokuzan Castle. Built on a hill 90-100 m high with a 70-80 m valley to the east, its walls of Paleozoic limestone are 3-8 m high and reach 1.5 km in length; inside are ten enclosures, with a stone-paved path from the gate to the great court. It was registered as a World Heritage site in December 2000.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNaha, OkinawaNaminoue ShrineA place of prayer to "Nirai Kanai" since ancient times. Ships entering and leaving Naha Port looked up to the high cliff and shrine and prayed for safe voyages; first of the eight Ryukyu shrines, it was revered as "the foremost shrine of the land". Damaged in the war, the main hall was rebuilt in 1953, the worship hall in 1961 and all the shrine buildings in 1993; it was designated a Naha City historic site in 2006.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMotobu, OkinawaOkinawa Churaumi Aquarium (Ocean Expo Park)An aquarium where the world of Okinawa's sea unfolds. The sunlit "Coral Sea" tank shows large-scale coral, the huge "Kuroshio Sea" tank has whale sharks, the largest fish, and manta rays, which it was the first in the world to breed, and the "Deep Sea" tank recreates Okinawa's deep sea.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACItoman, OkinawaOkinawa Peace Memorial ParkA park in Mabuni, Itoman, the scene of the last ground battle of World War II and the fiercest fighting of the Battle of Okinawa. In about 40 ha of grounds overlooking the blue sea, cemeteries, memorial towers and monuments, a museum of materials on the Battle of Okinawa, a memorial hall and squares are laid out on the theme of "repose of souls, prayer and peace"; about a million people visit each year.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNanjo, OkinawaSefa-utakiThe most sacred site of the Ryukyu Kingdom, registered as a World Heritage site in December 2000. The inauguration of the kingdom's highest priestess, "Kikoe-ogimi", was held here, and it was on the "Agari-umai" pilgrimage. Inside are sacred areas called "Ibi", where the trees, the land and the space itself are treasured as sacred; going round with a guide is recommended.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTomigusuku, OkinawaSenaga IslandA small island 1.5 km around south of Naha Airport, linked to Senaga in Tomigusuku by a sea road; with the airport so close you can watch aircraft take off and land up close. It is busy with people watching the sunset in the evening and the lights of the runway at night, and has the Senaga-jima Hotel, the "Umikaji Terrace" complex, a beach park and a baseball ground.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Naha, OkinawaShikinaen GardenA villa of the Ryukyu royal family on a plateau about 2 km south of Shuri Castle, also called Nanen, built around 1799 and used to entertain the envoys of the Chinese emperor. The stroll garden is centred on a pond shaped like a loosened form of the character "kokoro" (heart), with two islands, a Chinese-style hexagonal pavilion and arched bridges; there is a spring feeding the pond and a viewing platform. It was registered as a World Heritage site in December 2000.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNaha, OkinawaShurijo Castle ParkA park made up of the paid and free areas inside the castle centred on the main hall of Shuri Castle, and cultural properties around it such as the Shurei-mon gate, the Sonohyan-utaki stone gate and the ruins of Enkaku-ji. The castle's founding date is unknown, but it became the royal castle after the unification of the three kingdoms and was expanded by King Sho Shin and others. Burned in the Battle of Okinawa, it was partly restored and opened as a park in 1992, and in December 2000 it was registered as a World Heritage site. Because of the fire of October 31, 2019, the areas open to visitors have changed.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: HKRMSK / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Okinawa, OkinawaSoutheast Botanical GardensOpened in 1968, one of Japan's largest outdoor botanical gardens, with more than 50,000 plants of about 1,300 tropical and subtropical species. Besides plants you can meet about 50 kinds of animals - interacting with capybaras and squirrel monkeys, bird shows - and from late October to late May the "Okinawa Nangoku Illumination" is held.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTaketomi, OkinawaTaketomi Island VillageSelected in 1987 as a national preservation district for groups of traditional buildings, keeping an Okinawan townscape. Taketomi, a low oval coral island about 6 km southwest of Ishigaki, has three villages near its centre (Higashi, Nishi and Nakasuji) that preserve the look of old farming villages: red-tiled houses surrounded by coral limestone walls and fukugi trees line lanes of white sand.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNaha, OkinawaTamaudun Royal MausoleumThe mausoleum of the kings of the Second Sho Dynasty, said to have been built around 1501 by the third king, Sho Shin. Surrounded by stone walls, three connected chambers are cut into a natural cliff; the exterior imitates a wooden building, and stone lions guarding the tomb stand on the towers at each side. It was registered as a World Heritage site in December 2000 and designated a National Treasure in December 2018, the first building in Okinawa to be so designated.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYomitan, OkinawaYachimun no Sato Pottery VillageA pottery village where 19 independent workshops operate. The "yachimun" - chunky vessels with generous painted designs - each show their kiln's own character when you pick them up, and simply wandering in search of a favourite is fun.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYomitan, OkinawaZakimi Castle RuinsA castle built on a 127 m hill overlooking the west coast in the early 15th century; Gosamaru, lord of Yamada Castle 4 km to the northeast, is said to have had it built with stones carried from Yamada Castle, which he demolished. With a main and second enclosure, 365 m around and 7,386 m² in area, it is medium-sized for Okinawa; its walls are mainly "aikata-zumi" masonry of Ryukyu limestone, with "nuno-zumi" around the arch gate. It was registered as a World Heritage site in December 2000.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Oilstreet / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Sakai, OsakaDaisen Park Japanese GardenA Japanese garden of 26,000 square metres. In the Middle Ages Sakai flourished as a base of overseas trade, and the garden techniques that became the source of Japanese gardens are said to have arrived at that time. The garden uses traditional techniques in the "tsukiyama rinsen kaiyu" stroll style and has three landscapes: the southern upland "Togendai", the "Ishizu-kei" stream flowing from south to north, and the northern lowland. Through the cypress gate are a rest house modelled on the "Nayashu" meeting place of Sakai merchants, the "Ryuhaitei" with a winding stream carved from stone from Huaguo Mountain in China, "Togendai" for outdoor tea and bonsai shows, and along the stream the "Kasatei" pavilion.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: 32linesky / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Osaka, OsakaDotonboriMinami's main entertainment street, lined with giant 3D signs such as the Glico runner and the Kani Doraku crab; named after Yasui Doton, who dug the canal at his own expense in 1612. The Tombori River Walk along the water is also popular.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSuita, OsakaExpo '70 Commemorative ParkA cultural park built on the site of the 1970 Japan World Exposition (Osaka Expo), where you can feel nature close to the city. Its grounds of about 260 ha have flowers in every season and host many events, with an athletic tower, a giant maze, cycle boats and hands-free barbecue facilities. Legacies of the Expo remain: the "EXPO'70 Pavilion" shows materials and exhibits from the time, and the "Tower of the Sun", designed by the artist Taro Okamoto as part of the Expo theme pavilion, was one of the few buildings left when most were demolished, and is still loved as a symbol of Osaka.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOsaka, OsakaHozenji Yokocho AlleyAn atmospheric alley in the middle of Minami, Osaka's liveliest entertainment district. At the end of the stone-paved lane stands Mizukake Fudo, always covered in green moss because so many visitors ladle water over it. After a fire in 2002, 300,000 signatures were gathered and a special exception kept the 2.7 m-wide alley as it was; along about 100 m are renowned kappo restaurants and small places serving yakitori, oden, sushi and drinks.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Hiro2006 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kawachinagano, OsakaKanshinji TempleAn old temple of the Koyasan Shingon school linked to Kusunoki Masashige, hero of Minami-Kawachi, near the border of Osaka, Nara and Wakayama. It is said to have been founded in 701 by En no Gyoja, and in 815 Kobo Daishi Kukai rebuilt it as a Shingon training hall, carving the Nyoirin Kannon that became its principal image and renaming it from "Unshinji" to "Kanshinji". The principal image, a National Treasure, is shown only on April 17 and 18 each year. In the wooded grounds are the grave of Jichie, a disciple of Kobo Daishi, the tomb of the 97th Emperor Go-Murakami and the grave of Kusunoki Masashige. It is also known for plum blossoms, cherry blossoms and autumn leaves.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOsaka, OsakaKuromon Market"Osaka's kitchen", about 150 shops under a 580 m arcade in Nipponbashi near Minami, selling mainly fresh fish plus fruit and processed food; sushi, seafood bowls and skewers can be eaten on the spot.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Minoh, OsakaMeiji no Mori Minoo Quasi-National Park (Minoo Falls)A quasi-national park spreading over the mountains of northern Minoh at about 100-600 m. From the grand Minoo Falls, 5 m wide with a 33 m drop, a valley winds through the forest, home to 980 kinds of plants and over 3,000 kinds of insects. It is a valuable natural forest for Osaka Prefecture and the western starting point of the Tokai Nature Trail. There are cherry blossoms in spring, rime and icicles in winter, and especially beautiful autumn leaves in late autumn. Mt. Minoo has long been a sacred place of mountain Buddhism, with old temples such as Ryuanji (Minoodera), said to have been founded by En no Gyoja, and the insect museum on the way to the falls is also well known.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMinoh, OsakaMinoo Park Insect MuseumAn insect museum opened in Showa 28 in Meiji-no-Mori Minoh Quasi-National Park, 15 minutes' walk up the waterfall trail from Minoo Station, with a butterfly house where southern island butterflies fly all year; Minoo Falls is about 30 minutes further up.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: KENPEI / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Chihayaakasaka, OsakaMt. KongoThe main peak (1,125 m) of the Kongo-Katsuragi range along the Osaka-Nara border. Near the summit are Katsuragi Shrine and Tenporin-ji, said to have been founded over 1,300 years ago by En no Gyoja, and near the trail are the ruins of Chihaya Castle, where Kusunoki Masashige held out against the Kamakura shogunate. The popular route climbs from the Kongozan trailhead via the Chihaya main trail.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Osaka, OsakaMuseum of Oriental Ceramics, OsakaA museum in Nakanoshima Park, opened in 1982 around the Ataka Collection, holding about 5,700 East Asian ceramics including two National Treasures such as the oil-spot tenmoku tea bowl; its galleries use natural light.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Osaka, OsakaNakanoshimaA sandbank about 3 km long between the Dojima and Tosabori rivers, where the domain warehouses that made Osaka "the nation's kitchen" stood in the Edo period; today it gathers government, business and cultural buildings amid water and greenery.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOsaka, OsakaNakanoshima Museum of Art, OsakaA museum opened on February 2, 2022 in Nakanoshima, built around a collection of modern and contemporary art and design from Osaka and the world, including masterpieces by Saeki Yuzo, Modigliani's nude and works by Yoshihara Jiro, leader of the Gutai group. Its architecture is based on the idea of a "passage" that anyone can walk through.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Osaka, OsakaOsaka Aquarium KaiyukanAn aquarium recreating the Pacific Ring of Fire, with about 30,000 creatures of some 620 species; a whale shark swims in the central Pacific Ocean tank.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOsaka, OsakaOsaka Castle Gozabune Boat TourA mini cruise around the inner moat of Osaka Castle in a golden Japanese boat modelled on Hideyoshi's "Hououmaru" as painted on a Toyotomi-period folding screen. From the boat you can look up at the castle tower and see close up the stone walls, the tallest in Japan, the "human-face stone" said to ward off evil and the daimyo marks; there is an audio guide and commentary by the captain.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Simone Urbinati / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)Osaka, OsakaOsaka Castle Main TowerThe symbol of Osaka, 55 m tall with five roofs and eight floors, rebuilt in 1931 with donations from citizens 266 years after the last tower burned; its gold ornaments shine, and the 8th-floor deck looks over the city.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOsaka, OsakaOsaka Castle Nishinomaru GardenA lawn garden of about 6.5 ha opened in 1965 (Showa 40) on the site said to be the residence of Kita-no-Mandokoro, wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, with fine views of the castle tower and the moat stone walls. About 300 cherry trees, mainly Somei-yoshino, bloom in spring, and evening cherry viewing is held during the blossom season.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOsaka, OsakaOsaka Castle ParkA vast park of 105.6 ha in the centre of Osaka, with the Osaka Castle Main Tower and other historic buildings, the Nishinomaru Garden with about 300 cherry trees, and a plum grove of 1,245 trees of 105 varieties; flowers can be enjoyed in every season, and concerts are often held at Osaka-jo Hall and the Osaka-jo Ongakudo music hall.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Naokijp / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Sakai, OsakaOtori Taisha ShrineThe first shrine of Izumi Province, enshrining Yamato Takeru-no-mikoto, and listed as a Myojin Taisha in the Engishiki register completed in 927. Legend says that about 1,900 years ago the spirit of Yamato Takeru became a great white bird and the shrine was founded where it finally landed; the sacred grove is called "Chigusa no Mori".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOsaka, OsakaShitenno-ji TempleJapan's first state Buddhist temple, founded by Prince Shotoku in 593, keeping the oldest temple layout in Japan; halls honour founders of many sects, and markets fill the grounds on the 21st and 22nd of every month.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Bergmann / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Shimamoto, OsakaSuntory Yamazaki DistilleryJapan's first malt whisky distillery, begun in 1923. On the Yamazaki Distillery Monozukuri Tour (paid, booking required) you see the production process and taste rare malt whisky from the casks, experiencing the appeal of "Single Malt Whisky Yamazaki".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (cropped and resized)Osaka, OsakaThe National Museum of Art, OsakaA rare fully underground art museum, rebuilt in Nakanoshima in 2004 after opening in 1977 in Expo '70 Commemorative Park, collecting and showing mainly contemporary art from Japan and abroad; it holds about 8,300 works. Its exterior, designed by Argentine-born Cesar Pelli, evokes the vitality of bamboo and the growth of contemporary art.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Sakai, OsakaTomb of Emperor Nintoku (Daisen Kofun)Japan's largest keyhole-shaped burial mound, about 486 m long, managed by the Imperial Household Agency as the tomb of the 16th emperor, Nintoku; a path of about 2.8 km circles it in an hour.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOsaka, OsakaTsutenkaku TowerOsaka's landmark tower and a Registered Tangible Cultural Property; the first tower (1912) was destroyed in 1943, and the current 108 m tower, designed by Naito Tachu of Tokyo Tower, was rebuilt in 1956 by local residents.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: DXR / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Osaka, OsakaUmeda Sky Building Floating Garden ObservatoryAn observatory on floors 39, 40 and the rooftop of the Umeda Sky Building, with a 360-degree open-air deck 173 m up; the see-through escalator from the 35th to 39th floor is a popular photo spot.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOsaka, OsakaUtsubo ParkA long, narrow park of about 9.7 ha (about 800 m east to west) in Osaka's office district. The east side has the city's oldest rose garden and a zelkova avenue, and the west side has the Utsubo Tennis Center, used for international tournaments; many stylish cafes and shops line Kyomachibori to the north.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: そらみみ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Arita, SagaArita Porcelain ParkA theme park showing the appeal of Arita ware, which charmed the royalty and nobility of Europe from the 17th century and influenced the world's ceramic culture. Its symbol is a reproduction of the Zwinger Palace, a masterpiece of 18th-century German Baroque architecture, with a Baroque garden beside it. There is a workshop where you can try painting and wheel-throwing Arita ware, as well as shops for souvenirs and local sake, and places to eat.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACArita, SagaArita SeraAn area of Arita-ware shops on a hill about 5 minutes by car from Arita Station. On about 20,000 tsubo, 22 shops deal in everyday tableware, gifts, restaurant ware and fine art ceramics, with galleries, a hotel and restaurants; outlet items and bargains make it feel like a small pottery fair any time. The "chawan mikoshi", a portable shrine made of colourful bowls, is its symbol, and some shops also sell Hasami ware from neighbouring Nagasaki.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKaratsu, SagaCape HadoA small cape jutting out from the Higashi-Matsuura Peninsula, a scenic spot selected as one of Japan's 100 best beaches and part of Genkai Quasi-National Park. The area is a resort for hiking, fishing, camping and swimming, and for the local speciality "sazae no tsuboyaki", freshly caught turban shells are grilled in front of you. From the sea deck of the white underwater observation tower you can look over the islands of the Genkai Sea; the view at sunset is especially recommended.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKaratsu, SagaGenkai Underwater Observation TowerOpened on December 1, 1974 (Showa 49) as the only underwater observation tower on the Sea of Japan, connected to Cape Hado by an 86 m pier. The tower is 20 m high and 10 m across; the sea deck looks over the islands of the Genkai Sea on three sides, and from the underwater room 7 m deep, through 24 windows, you can watch about 30 kinds of fish, seaweed and shellfish as they are in nature. Since a renewal on April 1, 2024, projection mapping on the 360-degree ceiling adds a 20-minute show.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKaratsu, SagaKankyo Geijutsu no Mori (Forest of Maples)A "forest of maples" on the slopes of Mt. Sarei, built up over about 40 years. Fresh green in spring, and over 10,000 maples coloured in autumn. In the "Fuyu Sanso" lodge, the surrounding scenery is reflected in lacquered tables, and in the forest there are short (15-minute) and long (30-minute) walking courses.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKaratsu, SagaKaratsu CastleThe symbol of Karatsu, completed in 1608 (Keicho 13) by Terasawa Hirotaka, the first lord, over seven years from 1602. It stood on Mitsushimayama, surrounded by sea and river on three sides. Abandoned in 1871, its main-enclosure site became Maizuru Park; the present five-storey keep was completed in 1966 as a cultural and tourist facility. Because the pine groves stretching east and west look like a crane spreading its wings, it is also called "Maizuru Castle". The 5th floor is an observation floor over the Genkai Sea.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKanzaki, SagaKunenanA national place of scenic beauty known for its autumn leaves, originally the villa of the Saga businessman Itami Yataro. Its name comes from being built over nine years from 1900 (Meiji 33) under the guidance of the Jodo Shinshu priest Hotori. The sukiya-style house and a garden borrowing the view of the Tsukushi Plain are planted with azaleas and maples, with native trees and a carpet of moss. It used to open to the public for only nine days in mid-November, and now also opens in the fresh-green season.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: そらみみ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Takeo, SagaMifuneyama RakuenA garden at the western foot of Mt. Mifune, whose shape is said to resemble a Chinese ship, laid out over about three years by Nabeshima Shigeyoshi, the 28th lord of Takeo, for his villa; it is a nationally registered monument. In spring 2,000 cherry trees and 200,000 azaleas make a scene against the cliffs reminiscent of a Chinese ink landscape, and in autumn a 170-year-old maple and the colours seen across the pond change between day and night.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKaratsu, SagaMt. KagamiA 284 m mountain looking down on the city, the special place of scenic beauty Niji no Matsubara, Karatsu Bay and, beyond, the outline of Iki Island; the winding 4 km road to the top is a popular drive. Sung of in the Man'yoshu, it is linked with the legend of Matsura Sayohime, who waved her scarf from the summit to Otomo no Sadehiko as he sailed for Korea, so it is also called "Hirefuriyama". The summit has an observatory, a rest area and lawns, with cherry blossoms and azaleas.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Yukiko Yamamoto / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Karatsu, SagaNanatsugama CavesA scenic spot and national natural monument, formed as basalt was eroded by the rough waves of the Genkai Sea: seven caves stand side by side in the deeply cut cliffs, with columnar joints in regular rows. The largest cave is 3 m wide at the mouth and 110 m deep, and when the waves allow, sightseeing boats go inside. The top is a grassland with an observatory and walking paths.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: ascesis / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Karatsu, SagaNiji no MatsubaraA pine grove along the beach of Karatsu Bay, a national special place of scenic beauty counted with Miho no Matsubara and Kehi no Matsubara among Japan's three great pine groves. About 1 million black pines grow over about 4.5 km in length and 0.5 km in width. It began in the early 17th century when Terasawa Hirotaka, the first lord of Karatsu, planted black pines on the coastal dunes against wind and tides, and it is known for its "seven wonders" legends.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACImari, SagaOkawachiyama (Village of Secret Kilns)A "village of secret kilns" where pottery culture lives on in scenery like an ink landscape painting. In the Edo period it was the official kiln of the Nabeshima family of the Saga domain, making "Nabeshima" porcelain of the highest quality, kept secret and made regardless of cost; about 30 kilns still carry on the traditional methods. The Nabeshima Domain Kiln Park recreates the checkpoint that guarded the secrets and climbing-kiln sites, and the sound of 14 Imari-ware wind chimes on the "Meotoshi Tower" is one of Japan's 100 best soundscapes.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTara, SagaOuo Shrine Sea ToriiThree torii gates stand in the Ariake Sea off Sakaemachi in Tara. Legend says that about 300 years ago (around 1693) a magistrate stranded on an island was rescued by a great fish, and in gratitude he built "Ouo Shrine", named after the fish, with a torii about 200 m out in the sea from the shore. The custom of rebuilding the torii every 30 years is still carried on, and it is a popular photo spot.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Pekachu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Saga, SagaSaga Balloon MuseumJapan's first balloon museum, representing "Saga, the city of hot-air balloons", where you can enjoy balloons all year regardless of weather: a 280-inch super hi-vision theatre, flight simulators where you can try piloting, a souvenir shop and a café.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakeo, SagaSaga Prefectural Space & Science Museum (Yumeginga)A general science museum beside the green Ikenouchi Lake, with three zones, a planetarium and an observatory, on the theme "discover the Earth and Saga from space, and the Earth and space from Saga". Programmes include daytime star watching (daily in fine weather), fish feeding, stargazing on Saturday nights and a live-narrated Saturday night planetarium.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakeo, SagaTakeo Onsen Romon GateTakeo Onsen is an old hot spring recorded in the Hizen no Kuni Fudoki, said to have begun about 1,300 years ago when Empress Jingu struck the ground with the shaft of her spear. Its symbol is the vermilion-lacquered gate reminiscent of the Dragon Palace, designed by Tatsuno Kingo of Karatsu, architect of Tokyo Station, and built in 1915 (Taisho 4). The source is about 52°C, clear alkaline simple spring water. Behind the gate are the public baths "Motoyu" and "Horaiyu" and the private "Tonosamayu" and "Karoyu".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakeo, SagaTakeo Shrine and the Great Camphor TreeThe Great Camphor of Takeo, said to be over 3,000 years old and ranked 7th in Japan's list of giant trees, is the sacred tree of Takeo Shrine. Follow the path through a bamboo grove from the main hall to meet it, rooted with overwhelming presence; the deity Tenjin is enshrined at its roots.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: sirousaghi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Karatsu, SagaTashima ShrineSaid to be the oldest shrine in Hizen, on Kabe Island, enshrining three goddesses to whom the Matsura pirates and Genkai fishermen prayed in danger at sea, known as guardians of the Genkai Sea. It has a torii donated by Minamoto no Yorimitsu, an anchor stone from the Mongol invasions, the "Taiko stone" said to have been used by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and a sword by Yoshitsugu of Bitchu (an Important Cultural Property). Sayohime Shrine, linked to the legend of Matsura Sayohime, holds the "Bofuseki" stone.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACUreshino, SagaTodoroki Falls ParkA three-tiered waterfall 11 m high on the upper Shiota River, about 1 km from Ureshino Onsen towards Nagasaki, named because the sound of falling water is like thunder; the basin covers about 2,500 m². The surrounding park is ideal for a walk after bathing, the Takimi Bridge downstream is the best viewpoint, where cherry blossoms bloom in spring. In 2023 "Ureshino Outdoor Field", with an outdoor sauna and day camping facing the falls, opened in the park.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACUreshino, SagaUreshino OnsenA hot spring with source temperatures of 85-90°C and clear, silky sodium hydrogen carbonate and chloride water. Its history is long: the Hizen no Kuni Fudoki (713) already records a hot spring here. It prospered in the Edo period as a post town on the Nagasaki Kaido, and Siebold visited in 1826 (Bunsei 9); traditional inns line the streets of this historic spa town. After bathing, the recommended local speciality is the melt-in-the-mouth "onsen yudofu".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKaratsu, SagaYobuko Morning MarketA morning market said to have been held since the Taisho era, one of Japan's three great morning markets with Wajima in Ishikawa and Takayama in Gifu. It is held every day from 7:30 to 12:00 on Asaichi-dori, east of Yobuko Port, where stalls along about 200 m sell fresh seafood, processed goods, vegetables and flowers; the lively calls of the stallholders and bargaining are part of the fun.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYoshinogari, SagaYoshinogari Historical ParkThe site of Japan's largest moated settlement of the Yayoi period, surrounded by a 2.5 km moat and designated a national special historic site. Houses, raised storehouses, over 3,000 jar burials and a mound tomb thought to be a king's were excavated. The park, opened in April 2001, has reconstructed watchtowers (12 m high), pit dwellings and storehouses, an exhibition room of finds, and daily hands-on programmes such as making magatama beads and starting fire.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: JNN360 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kashima, SagaYutoku Inari ShrineCounted with Fushimi Inari and Kasama Inari among Japan's three great Inari shrines, visited by about 3 million people a year and known locally as "Yutoku-san". Founded in 1687 (Jokyo 4), its main buildings are fully lacquered in vivid vermilion; the main hall stands on a stage 18 m high, taller than Kiyomizu-dera's, reached by about 110 steps with Mt. Sekiheki behind, and it is also called "the Nikko of Chinzei". Higashiyama Park in the outer grounds is famous for azaleas, with 50,000 in bloom in season.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Inomshog / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Fukaya, SaitamaFukaya StationThe symbol of Fukaya, known as a brick town since the early Meiji period. Its striking Western-style station building was modelled on Tokyo Station, for which Fukaya shipped about 8.83 million bricks. From the station's free passage you can look over the hometown of Shibusawa Eiichi.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 柴錬アワー / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Yorii, SaitamaHachigata Castle RuinsA representative castle of the Sengoku period, one of Japan's 100 Fine Castles. It is said to have been built in 1476 by Nagao Kageharu, and was expanded to its present size by Hojo Ujikuni, fourth son of Hojo Ujiyasu of Odawara. In Toyotomi Hideyoshi's attack on Odawara it was besieged by Maeda Toshiie and Uesugi Kagekatsu; after holding out for over a month it surrendered on condition the garrison was spared, and was abandoned. Earthworks and deep moats remain.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagatoro, SaitamaHodosan RopewayA ropeway on Mt. Hodo (497 m), linking the base and summit stations over 832 m in about 5 minutes with two gondolas that shuttle back and forth. The gondolas "Banbi-go" and "Monkey-go" are named after the popular Japanese macaques and deer of the Hodosan small animal park.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Carbonium / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Nagatoro, SaitamaHodosan ShrineA shrine said to have been founded by Yamato Takeru more than 2,000 years ago. The present buildings, a main hall, offering hall and worship hall in the gongen style, were rebuilt from the end of the Edo period to the early Meiji period. More than a million worshippers a year come from the area and all over Kanto.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKawagoe, SaitamaKawagoe Kurazukuri Townscape and Toki-no-Kane Bell TowerKawagoe still keeps its "kurazukuri" townscape of clay-walled storehouse buildings, an ingenious fireproof style developed as Edo townhouses to stop fires spreading; it preserves a look of Edo that can no longer be seen in Tokyo. It was selected as a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in December 1999. The Toki-no-Kane bell tower, said to have first been built between 1627 and 1634 by Sakai Tadakatsu, lord of Kawagoe Castle, has told the time since the early Edo period and is the symbol of "Koedo" Kawagoe; the present three-storey tower, about 16 m high, was rebuilt in the year after the great fire of 1893. It is one of the "100 Soundscapes of Japan".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: T-KIMURA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped and resized)Hidaka, SaitamaKinchakuda Manjushage ParkKinchakuda was formed by a meander of the Koma River in Hidaka, and is named for its shape like a drawstring purse (kinchaku). On this flat land about 500 m across and 22 ha, surrounded by the river, flowers such as rape blossoms and cosmos bloom by season; above all, in autumn the red spider lily (manjushage) colony turns the whole area crimson like a red carpet.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Adachi Masayuki / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)Tokorozawa, SaitamaLake Sayama (Yamaguchi Reservoir)An artificial lake on the border of Tokorozawa and Iruma, completed in 1934 as a reservoir for Tokyo; its official name is Yamaguchi Reservoir. The surroundings are Sayama Prefectural Natural Park, with 20,000 cherry trees in spring, autumn leaves, Mt. Fuji and trees reflected on the lake, and birdwatching.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Mayuno / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Chichibu, SaitamaMitsumine ShrineA shrine whose origins go back about 2,000 years to the reign of Emperor Keiko. In the Kamakura period, when faith in Mt. Mitsumine spread, it was revered by Hatakeyama Shigetada and Nitta Yoshioki, and in the Edo period by the shogun's family and the Kishu Tokugawa family, whose offerings remain shrine treasures. In autumn the "Jugoya Tsukuyomi-sai" festival heralds autumn in the Chichibu mountains.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: chinnian from Singapore / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)Hanno, SaitamaMoomin Valley ParkThere are the Moomin family's Moominhouse, the bathing hut and lighthouse from the stories, several hands-on facilities, live shows by the Moomin family and friends, and exhibitions conveying the thoughts of creator Tove Jansson. The gift shop has one of the world's largest selections, with many original goods sold only here, and restaurants serve menus blending Nordic and Moomin worlds.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 京浜にけ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)Hanno, SaitamaMt. TenranNamed after Emperor Meiji climbed it, and in 1922 the first designated Place of Scenic Beauty in Saitama. At 197 m it is low, but it looks over the city of Hanno; cherry blossoms, azaleas and autumn leaves are beautiful, and it is the starting point of the Oku-Musashi nature trail.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNamegawa, SaitamaMusashi Kyuryo National Government ParkJapan's first national government park, built as part of the Meiji Centennial commemorative projects on 304 ha of hills spanning Namegawa and Kumagaya. Centred on woodland with ponds, wetlands and grasslands, it is home to rare plants and animals. At about 65 times the size of Tokyo Dome, it has play equipment such as "Ponpoko Mountain", Japan's largest air trampoline, and an athletic course.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: WFan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Nagatoro, SaitamaNagatoro Gorge (Iwadatami) and Boat RideThe Arakawa river boat ride in Chichibu-Nagatoro passes through the Nagatoro "iwadatami" rock terraces, a national Special Natural Monument, sometimes gently and sometimes thrillingly, and is enjoyed by small children and older people alike. With the boatman's guide, you see cherry blossoms in spring, cool breezes in summer, autumn leaves in autumn, and ride kotatsu boats in winter.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Yones / Wikimedia Commons, Public domainChichibu, SaitamaNakatsu GorgeA gorge about 10 km long between the former Shiozawa and Nakatsugawa districts, carved by a clear stream winding between the mountains, and a prefectural scenic spot. Red and yellow trees peek out among the cliffs and strange rocks up to 100 m high; with azaleas in spring, green in summer and autumn leaves, it is praised as the finest scenery in Oku-Chichibu.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: MAKIKO OMOKAWA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Hanyu, SaitamaOnihei Edo-dokoro (Hanyu PA, Tohoku Expressway)A parking area that recreates Edo, the setting of Ikenami Shotaro's historical novels "Onihei Hankacho". It offers food from restaurants the novelist loved and shops that appear in the stories, and inside, a shopping zone recreates the row of stalls of Ryogoku Hirokoji, said to be the busiest spot in Edo.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACGyoda, SaitamaOshi Castle Ruins and Gyoda City Local MuseumOshi Castle, counted among the seven great castles of Kanto, was built in the Bunmei era of the Muromachi period and is known as the "floating castle" that withstood Ishida Mitsunari's flooding siege during Toyotomi Hideyoshi's conquest of Kanto; the story inspired the film "The Floating Castle". Built on low wetland between the Tone and Ara rivers using islands and natural levees, it was praised as impregnable. The present three-storey turret, rebuilt in 1988, is an exhibition room of the Gyoda City Local Museum on the site of the main enclosure.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACRanzan, SaitamaRanzan GorgeOne of Saitama's representative scenic spots, with rock terraces, the clear Tsuki River and rich woods. At Hosohara the river turns 180 degrees to form a peninsula-like landform, with beautiful red pine woods. The town's name comes from Dr. Seiroku Honda, Japan's first doctor of forestry, who remarked that the scenery looked very like Kyoto's Arashiyama. The autumn leaves are usually best from mid-November to early December.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 京浜にけ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Gyoda, SaitamaSakitama Kofun ParkA park with nine large burial mounds of the Sakitama Kofun Group, a national Special Historic Site. It includes the Inariyama Kofun, where the National Treasure gold-inlaid iron sword was found, and Marubakayama Kofun, one of Japan's largest round mounds and the park's top cherry spot, best in early April; Ishida Mitsunari set up camp on its summit. The name Sakitama is said to be the origin of the prefecture name Saitama, and a monument marks it. At the Haniwa-no-Yakata you can make your own haniwa.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 京浜にけ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Sakado, SaitamaSeitenkyu Taiwanese TempleOne of the largest Taiwanese temples in Japan, with 5,000 dragons in its decorations and carvings. You can worship in the authentic Taiwanese style and try Taiwanese fortune slips.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 御嶽木郎 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Yokoze, SaitamaTerasaka Rice TerracesOne of the largest rice terraces in Saitama, with Japanese rural scenery through the seasons; about 4 ha (about 250 fields) of the 5.2 ha site have been revived. In summer about 600 bonfires are lit for the "Kagaribi Festival", and in autumn about 2 million red spider lilies bloom, with the "Higanbana Festival" at the end of September among scarlet flowers and golden rice.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKazo, SaitamaThree-Prefecture Border PointAn administrative border point in a rice field about 500 m south-east of Roadside Station Kazo-Watarase, where Tochigi City (Tochigi), Itakura (Gunma) and Kazo (Saitama) meet. It used to lie in the Watarase River, but river works from the Meiji to Taisho periods moved the channel; a 2016 survey found a concrete post at the point where three waterways meet and confirmed it as the border.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTokorozawa, SaitamaTokorozawa Aviation Memorial ParkA large regional park of about 50 ha, with an artificial-turf field, tennis courts and baseball ground, an outdoor stage, a tea room and a Japanese garden, a hub of sport and culture in western Saitama. Barbecues are available, including plans with all equipment and food.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 麒麟檸檬 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Hanno, SaitamaTove Jansson Akebono Children's Forest ParkA park based on the world of Nordic fairy tales, with individual, imagination-stirring buildings scattered among the greenery, where everyone can play freely in nature. On Saturday, Sunday and holiday evenings it is lit up.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: CLOCKTOWER / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)Kuki, SaitamaWashinomiya ShrineSaid to be the oldest great shrine in Kanto and the head shrine of "Otori-sama", it appears often in the Kamakura-period history "Azuma Kagami" and was revered by Kanto warriors. Its "Washinomiya Saibara Kagura" is a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, said to be the source of Kanto kagura. In recent years fans from across Japan and abroad have visited it as an anime "sacred place".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYoshimi, SaitamaYoshimi HyakuanaHorizontal cave tombs made in the late to final Kofun period (late 6th to late 7th century), designated a national historic site in 1923. The representative historic site of Yoshimi, it has 219 tombs that can be seen today; each has a burial chamber and passage, and luminous moss, a natural monument, grows in some of them.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Omihachiman, ShigaAzuchi Castle Archaeological MuseumOpened in 1992 as the core facility of "Omi Fudoki no Oka", a historical park of the Special Historic Site of Azuchi Castle and other sites. The first permanent gallery, themed on archaeology, presents Omi in the Yayoi and Kofun periods; the second, themed on the medieval and Sengoku periods, explores the changes in castles including Azuchi Castle and the figure of Oda Nobunaga. Special and themed exhibitions are held in spring, summer, autumn and winter.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOtsu, ShigaBiwako Otsukan (Yanagasaki Lakeside Park)The main facility of Yanagasaki Lakeside Park, a restored and renovated former Biwako Hotel of 1934, reopened in 2002 as a cultural facility overlooking the lake. Designed by Shinichiro Okada, known for Tokyo's Kabukiza, it was the "guest house of the lake country", where Emperor Showa, Helen Keller and John Wayne stayed. It now has a restaurant cafe and rental halls, and the adjacent English garden has roses and seasonal flowers.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagahama, ShigaChikubushima IslandA small island about 2 km around, floating about 6 km offshore, with Hogonji Temple and Tsukubusuma Shrine. Hogonji's Benzaiten is counted among Japan's three great Benzaiten with Miyajima and Enoshima, and the temple is the 30th stop of the Saigoku 33 Kannon pilgrimage. Hogonji's Karamon gate, said to be the only surviving part of Hideyoshi's Osaka Castle, and the main hall of Tsukubusuma Shrine are National Treasures. It is one of the Eight Views of Lake Biwa.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOtsu, ShigaEnryakuji Temple on Mt. HieiThe head temple of the Tendai sect with vast grounds on Mt. Hiei, registered as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1994. It began in the late Nara period when the 19-year-old Saicho built a hermitage on the mountain; for about 1,200 years it held the highest place in Japanese religion, and monks who later supported Japanese Buddhism, such as Enchin, Ennin and Honen, came from here. On the mountain the grounds divide into three areas: Todo around the Konponchudo, Saito around the Shakado, and Yokawa. Burned by Oda Nobunaga, its halls were restored by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, and many are National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Otsu, ShigaFormer Chikurin-inOne of the "satobo" of Enryakuji, and a temple of high standing within Enryakuji. Its garden, a national Place of Scenic Beauty, centres on a winding stream drawing in the clear Omiya River and borrows Mt. Hachioji as scenery, with undulating hills and stone pagodas and well curbs. Two tea houses and an arbour from the Taisho era are Otsu city cultural properties, and it is lit up in the autumn leaf season.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACToyosato, ShigaFormer Toyosato Elementary School BuildingsA Western-style school building shaped like a white heron spreading its wings, donated in 1937 by Furukawa Tetsujiro, managing director of the Marubeni store. Built of reinforced concrete, rare at the time, it had a pool, auditorium and separate library, with flush toilets, central heating and internal telephones. Known as a Vories building, it was called "the best elementary school in the East".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Yuruman / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Omihachiman, ShigaHachimanyama RopewayA ropeway reaching the summit in about 4 minutes, with a panorama of Lake Biwa, Lake Nishinoko and the old castle town through the seasons. Mt. Hachiman (271.9 m) is the site of Hachiman Castle built by Toyotomi Hidetsugu, and Murakumo Zuiryuji Temple, moved from Kyoto, stands on the main enclosure. It was founded by Hidetsugu's mother, Hideyoshi's sister, to pray for Hidetsugu.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHikone, ShigaHikone CastleCounted among the great castles of Japan with Himeji, Hikone Castle was built over about 20 years by Ii Naotsugu and Naotaka and completed in 1622, using stones and timber from Sawayama, Azuchi, Nagahama and Otsu castles. It escaped the Meiji castle-abolition order and war. The three-storey keep on "gobo-zumi" stone walls is a National Treasure, with harmonious curved roofs and arched katomado windows; the Tenbin turret, Taikomon gate and others are Important Cultural Properties. The castle under the moon is one of the Eight Views of Lake Biwa.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagahama, ShigaHogonji Temple (Chikubushima Kannon)A Shingon temple on Chikubushima, the 30th temple of the Saigoku 33 Kannon pilgrimage. Its principal Daibenzaiten is one of Japan's three great Benzaiten with Enoshima and Miyajima. The Funa-roka covered corridor to Tsukubusuma Shrine, made from Toyotomi Hideyoshi's boat, is an Important Cultural Property, and the Karamon gate at its entrance, moved from Toyokuni Mausoleum in Kyoto, is a National Treasure. It is said to have begun when Gyoki placed statues of the Four Heavenly Kings in a small hall at Emperor Shomu's command.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagahama, ShigaHokoen Park (Nagahama Castle Site)A park made in 1909 on the site of Nagahama Castle, abandoned in the early Edo period, and named after Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was lord of Nagahama Castle. It has the Nagahama Castle Historical Museum, a Western-style garden, fountains and a children's park. About 600 cherry trees, mainly Somei-yoshino, surround the museum, one of Japan's 100 best cherry blossom spots, lit up at night for a few days in the season.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOtsu, ShigaIshiyamadera TempleThe 13th stop of the Saigoku 33 Kannon pilgrimage, founded by Roben in the late Nara period at the wish of Emperor Shomu. The wollastonite rock that gave the temple its name, a natural monument, rises in the wide grounds. The main hall and the Tahoto pagoda are National Treasures; the pagoda, said to have been donated by Minamoto no Yoritomo in 1194, is the oldest tahoto in Japan. The Tsukimitei, symbol of "Autumn Moon at Ishiyama" in the Eight Views of Omi, overlooks the Seta River. Each spring and autumn the "Ishiyamadera and Murasaki Shikibu" exhibition is held.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 先従隗始 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Takashima, ShigaKaizu OsakiA rocky area at the northern end of Lake Biwa, jutting out east of Kaizu Bay, one of the finest views in Lake Biwa Quasi-National Park and one of the Eight Views of Lake Biwa. In spring about 800 Somei-yoshino cherry trees, from trees over 80 years old to young ones, line about 4 km of the lakeshore; the best time is usually early to mid-April, and it is known as a late-blooming cherry spot in the Kinki region.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAisho, ShigaKongorinji Temple (Koto Sanzan)One of the three Koto Sanzan temples, a Tendai temple founded by Gyoki in the Nara period at the wish of Emperor Shomu. Stone steps lined with azaleas lead from the gate to the main hall. Thanks to the wit of a monk, the main hall Daihikaku, the three-storey pagoda and Niten-mon gate escaped burning by Oda Nobunaga; the main hall, representative of Kamakura-period Japanese-style architecture, is a National Treasure. The head priest's quarters Myojuin have three gardens from different periods, each a Place of Scenic Beauty.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Nagahama, ShigaKurokabe SquareAt the "Fuda-no-tsuji" crossroads, the centre of Nagahama since old times, the former Nagahama branch of the 130th National Bank was built in 1900 and nicknamed the "Black-wall Bank" for its black walls. It reopened in 1989 as "Kurokabe No. 1 / Kurokabe Glass House", selling glass accessories and household items, with glassware from around the world on the 2nd floor. About 30 shops surround it; at the No. 2 glass studio you can watch craftsmen at work, and hands-on classes offer glassblowing, stained glass and more.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Higa4 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Kusatsu, ShigaKusatsu-juku HonjinAbout 500 m south of JR Kusatsu Station, surrounded by high walls, a national historic site. A honjin was a lodging for lords and nobles; Kusatsu, at the junction of the Tokaido and Nakasendo, had two, and one survives, also called "Kiya Honjin". Founded in 1635, it later burned and is said to have received the "Kawaragahama Palace" of the Honda lords of Zeze. With a site of 4,727 m2 and 39 rooms, it is among the largest honjin, and the only one on the Tokaido that survives almost intact.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShiga, ShigaLake BiwaJapan's largest freshwater lake, covering one sixth of Shiga Prefecture and larger than Awaji Island: about 670.25 km2 in area, about 235 km of shoreline, a maximum depth of 103.58 m, 63.49 km long and 22.80 km at its widest.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Tomio344456 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Takashima, ShigaMetasequoia Tree-lined RoadAbout 500 metasequoia trees line the roads for 2.4 km as the approach to the Makino Highlands. The trees were first planted in 1981 by the Makino fruit growers' association as part of a children's farm project, and have been cared for by local people and extended along the prefectural road into today's grand avenue. Metasequoia, native to China, is a tall deciduous tree growing up to 35 m.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACOtsu, ShigaMiidera Temple (Onjoji)The head temple of the Tendai Jimon sect. A sacred spring said to have been used for the birth baths of Emperors Tenji, Tenmu and Jito gave it the name "Mii-no-tera", later "Miidera". Many halls stand in the grounds, including the National Treasure Kondo, the Kannon-do (14th stop of the Saigoku pilgrimage), the Shakado and Toin, and it holds more than 100 National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties. Sights include the "Evening Bell of Mii", one of the Eight Views of Omi, and Benkei's dragged bell.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKoka, ShigaMinakuchi Castle Ruins (Minakuchi Castle Museum)Castle ruins about 150 m north of Minakuchi-jonan Station (Ohmi Railway). Built as lodgings for the third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu on his way to Kyoto, it later became the seat of the Minakuchi domain, also called "Hekisui-jo" (castle of blue water) for its spring-fed moat. After the Meiji Restoration most buildings and stone walls were sold off. It became a prefectural historic site in 1972, and in November 1991 the Minakuchi Castle Museum, modelled on the turret of old, opened, with a corner turret reconstructed on the stone wall.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: ブレイズマン (Wikimedia Commons user) / Wikimedia Commons, Public domainNagahama, ShigaOdani Castle RuinsOn Mt. Odani (495.1 m), the castle of the Azai family for three generations, built around 1524 and one of the three great medieval mountain castles. It is linked with Azai Nagamasa, Oichi and the three Azai sisters (Chacha, Hatsu and Go), and the ruins look out over Lake Biwa and the Kohoku area. After the Azai fell it was given to Hideyoshi, who built his castle at Nagahama instead, so Odani was abandoned. Enclosures lie along the ridges, and foundation stones were found at the main enclosure; it became a national historic site in 1937.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 投稿者が撮影 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0Nagahama, ShigaOdani Castle Sengoku History MuseumA museum within the Odani Castle ruins, the castle of the Azai clan for three generations, one of Japan's five great mountain castles, telling the tragic story of Azai Nagamasa, Oichi and their three daughters, destroyed by her brother Oda Nobunaga. On the theme "The Azai clan and Odani Castle" it shows portraits (replicas) of Nagamasa, Oichi and Nobunaga, a map of the castle ruins and excavated finds.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Otsu, ShigaOmi Jingu ShrineA shrine to Emperor Tenji, the 38th emperor, standing on the site of his ancient capital Omi Otsu-no-Miya (Otsukyo), at the foot of the hills on the west shore of Lake Biwa. Its buildings, in the "Omi" and "Showa" styles, are registered cultural properties as a representative of modern shrine architecture. It is known for the water clock (rokoku), Hyakunin Isshu karuta and yabusame horseback archery; the grounds have the Clock Museum, a water clock and a sundial. Because the first poem of the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu is by Emperor Tenji, competitive karuta tournaments are often held here.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKoura, ShigaSaimyoji Temple (Koto Sanzan)A Tendai temple, one of the three Koto Sanzan temples, said to have been founded by the monk Sanshu at the wish of Emperor Ninmyo in the Heian period. Having escaped Oda Nobunaga's fires, its main hall, three-storey pagoda and Niten-mon gate, built by Hida craftsmen, survive. The main hall, built in the early Kamakura period without a single nail, was designated among the first National Treasures; the all-cypress three-storey pagoda to the right of the main hall is also a National Treasure with Kamakura-period paintings inside. It is famous for autumn leaves, and its "fudan-zakura" cherry lets you see leaves and blossoms together.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Si-take. at Japanese Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Hikone, ShigaSawayama Castle RuinsCastle ruins on Mt. Sawa (232.5 m) north of Hikone Station, a strategic point near Sekigahara. Built by the Sasaki family, it became the castle of Ishida Mitsunari in 1590, said to have had a five-storey keep. After Mitsunari lost at Sekigahara, Ii Naomasa became its lord, but it was abandoned in 1606 when Hikone Castle was built; many buildings were moved to Hikone Castle and nearby temples, and today only a few remaining stone walls and a stone monument are left.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKoka, ShigaShigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park (The Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art, Shiga)A green cultural park themed on ceramics in the pottery town of Shigaraki. It has the ceramics museum "Togeikan", the Shigaraki ware shop and gallery "Shigaraki Sangyo Tenjikan", and a studio where artists from Japan and abroad stay and create. Families can picnic with pets on the large lawn, and many outdoor works, including pieces over 3 m tall, let you experience "ceramics x art x nature".Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakashima, ShigaShirahige ShrineA shrine about 2 km south of JR Omi-Takashima Station, with a vermilion great torii standing in the lake and the shrine buildings across National Route 161; it is also called "the Itsukushima of Omi". Founded about 2,000 years ago, it is said to be the oldest in Omi; the present buildings were built by Toyotomi Hideyori, with Katagiri Katsumoto in charge, on the dying wish of Hideyoshi. The main hall is an Important Cultural Property. The view of fishing boats passing through the lake torii with Okishima behind is beautiful.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTaga, ShigaTaga Taisha ShrineLong known as "Otaga-san", this is the foremost grand shrine of Shiga Prefecture, enshrining Izanagi and Izanami, the deities who in the Kojiki gave birth to the land of Japan and to the many gods. From the Kamakura to the Edo period its worship spread among samurai and ordinary people, and branch shrines number 239 across the country. The weeping cherries in spring and the autumn leaves at the Okushoin are fine sights, and the shrine welcomes about 1.7 million worshippers a year.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Monado / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)Otsu, ShigaZeze Castle Ruins ParkZeze Castle, on land jutting out just south of the west end of Omi Ohashi Bridge, was the first castle Tokugawa Ieyasu had Todo Takatora, a master castle builder, construct after the Battle of Sekigahara. A classic water castle using the lake as a natural moat on its west side, its white keep and stone walls floating on the lake were praised in a local song. It was abandoned in the Meiji Restoration; its gates, Important Cultural Properties, survive at Zeze Shrine and Shinozu Shrine. The main enclosure is now a park known for cherry blossoms.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (cropped and resized)Yasugi, ShimaneAdachi Museum of ArtA museum founded in 1970 by Adachi Zenko, whose basic policy since opening has been "a fine garden and the Yokoyama Taikan collection": the harmony of Japanese gardens and Japanese painting. The idea is that visitors feel the beauty of the seasons through the Japanese garden, then meet the works of Yokoyama Taikan with that emotion. One admission covers the Japanese garden and the exhibitions in the main building, the Rosanjin building and the new building.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMatsue, ShimaneAoishidatami-dori StreetMihonoseki prospered in the Edo period as a port of call on the western route of the Kitamaebune trading ships. The stone-paved street from Miho Shrine to Butsukokuji Temple is the remains of an Edo-period pilgrimage road, and its old townscape keeps a calm atmosphere. The stones turn bluer when wet with rain, which gave the street its name.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMatsue, ShimaneGohonmatsu ParkA park on a hill about 100 to 130 m high, famous as the place of the pines that gave rise to the folk song "Seki no Gohonmatsu". About 5,000 azaleas make it one of the prefecture's best azalea spots, at their best from late April to early May. The summit observation deck looks south over Miho Bay, Yumigahama, Nakaumi and Mt. Daisen.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMatsue, ShimaneGurutto Matsue Horikawa Sightseeing BoatBoats that slowly tour the moats dug around Matsue Castle when it was built, in about 50 minutes. A full loop passes under 17 bridges; at four of them the roof is lowered to fit the bridge height. In winter the kotatsu boats, with a foot warmer heated by charcoal briquettes, are a seasonal feature, and in summer there are "wind-chime boats".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Yama 1009 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Oda, ShimaneIwami Ginzan Silver Mine: Ryugenji Mabu TunnelAt present the only mabu (mine tunnel) of Iwami Ginzan open all year, and you can walk through it. Developed in the mid-Edo period as a tunnel run directly by the magistrate's office, it is about 600 m long, of which 157 m is open (273 m with the new tunnel); chisel marks from the time remain on the walls, and you can see a vertical shaft dug 100 m for drainage. Iwami Ginzan has nearly 1,000 mabu, and seven, including Ryugenji Mabu, are national historic sites.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIzumo, ShimaneIzumo Hinomisaki LighthouseA white lighthouse that is the tallest in Japan, with a coastline of sheer cliffs and seafood bowls piled with fish nearby.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMatsue, ShimaneIzumo Kokubunji Temple RuinsThe site of the provincial temple built in the Nara period by order of Emperor Shomu. Foundation stones are laid out so the layout of the main hall, lecture hall and monks' quarters can be seen at a glance. Tiles, Sue ware and other finds are shown at the Yakumotatsu Fudoki-no-Oka museum.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMatsue, ShimaneKarakoro KoboThe former Bank of Japan Matsue branch, long loved as a symbol of Matsue, renovated into a complex for food, culture and art. It has San'in's first food hall with nine restaurants using local ingredients, the shop "Shimashima Shimane" with pottery from local kilns and regional goods, hands-on programmes of Matsue culture on the 2nd and 3rd floors, and a basement gallery for local craft artists.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Travis / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Matsue, ShimaneKounkakuA Meiji-era Western-style building in the Ninomaru of Matsue Castle, completed in 1903, one of the few Meiji buildings left in the prefecture. In 1907 it served as lodgings for Crown Prince Yoshihito (later Emperor Taisho). It has a carriage porch at the front and elegantly decorated columns. After the war it served as an exhibition hall and as the Matsue Local History Museum; it was restored to its 1912 form in conservation work from 2013 to 2015. A cafe is on the 1st floor.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMatsue, ShimaneLafcadio Hearn Memorial MuseumA museum at the west end of Shiomi Nawate, the street that keeps the most castle-town look in Matsue, next to Lafcadio Hearn's Former Residence. It was built to honour the achievements of Koizumi Yakumo (Lafcadio Hearn), and shows the manuscripts, first editions and other cherished belongings of Hearn, who introduced Matsue to the world in works such as "Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan". His desk and chair were made to order because of his poor eyesight.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMatsue, ShimaneLafcadio Hearn's Former ResidenceKoizumi Yakumo (Lafcadio Hearn) spent 14 years in Japan until he died in Tokyo in 1904, living in Matsue, Kumamoto, Kobe and Tokyo. He lived in Matsue for just under 1 year and 3 months, about 5 months of it in this house. It is the only one of his homes still preserved as it was when he lived there.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Bernard Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Matsue, ShimaneLake ShinjiThe 7th biggest lake in Japan, a brackish lake where fresh and sea water mix, and a Ramsar-listed site. Its ever-changing sunset views are the symbol of the water city Matsue; the lakeshore from Shirakata Park to Route 9 is recommended for watching the sunset. The lake is also known for the "seven delicacies of Lake Shinji", and the early-morning shijimi clam fishing from small boats is a morning feature.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (cropped and resized)Matsue, ShimaneMatsue Castle (National Treasure)One of the 12 castle keeps surviving in Japan, also called "Chidori Castle", designated a National Treasure in July 2015. From the top-floor lookout you see the city of Matsue and Lake Shinji. Inside, you climb the paulownia-wood stairs that date from the castle's construction; there are no elevators. The wooden shachihoko (about 2 m) is the largest in Japan. The castle is lit up every night.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Asturio Cantabrio / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Matsue, ShimaneMatsue History MuseumA museum built in the style of a samurai residence just east of Matsue Castle, introducing the history and culture of Matsue and how the castle town worked through materials, videos and models. It also has a Japanese garden that borrows the castle keep as its backdrop, a tea room said to be Rikyu's and a chief retainer's house, and the cafe "Kiharu" serves Japanese sweets and tea.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMatsue, ShimaneMatsue Ohashi BridgeThe bridge with the oldest history over the Ohashi River, which flows from Lake Shinji to Nakaumi. A sad legend of Gensuke, said to have been made a human pillar when the first bridge was built in 1608, has been handed down, and a memorial stands at the foot of the bridge; the story is also why people in Matsue drink tea twice. The bridge appears in Lafcadio Hearn's "Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMatsue, ShimaneMatsue Vogel ParkA "paradise of flowers and birds" on the hills by Lake Shinji, where begonias and fuchsias bloom everywhere. You can meet many birds, watch owl flight shows and the popular penguin walk, and see Lake Shinji from the observation deck. The park is all-weather and barrier-free, with three bird greenhouses, a flower greenhouse and covered walkways, so it can be enjoyed even in bad weather.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMatsue, ShimaneMeimei-an Tea HouseA tea house said to have been built to the taste of Matsudaira Harusato (Fumai), on a hill overlooking Matsue Castle. The tea room and Izumo-style garden reflect Fumai's wish that visitors truly relax, and the plaque "Meimei-an" on the thatched roof is in his own hand. In the tea room facing the garden you can have matcha with sweets linked to Fumai.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Aimaimyi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Matsue, ShimaneMiho ShrineThe head shrine of Ebisu, son of Okuninushi, the deity of Izumo Taisha. Its main hall, in the "Miho-zukuri" style that places two Taisha-style buildings side by side, is a national Important Cultural Property. Because Ebisu likes music, many musical instruments have been offered here. Every day at the morning and evening offering rites, shrine maidens dance to kagura music.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: mstk east / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Matsue, ShimaneMihonoseki LighthouseA dignified stone lighthouse built in 1898 at Jizozaki, the eastern tip of the Shimane Peninsula, chosen as one of the "100 Most Important Historic Lighthouses of the World" and Japan's 50 lighthouses. It was the first lighthouse in Japan to be a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, and became a national Important Cultural Property in 2022. The former lighthouse keepers' quarters next to it are now the "Kanko Buffet", where you can rest looking over the Sea of Japan and, in good weather, the Oki Islands.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIzumo, ShimaneMomen Kaido (Cotton Road)The Hirata area, north-east of the Izumo plain, prospered as a market town from the canals from the west shore of Lake Shinji, and in the Edo period as a collection point for cotton. The L-shaped street of Shinmachi, Kataharamachi and Miyanomachi is lined with gabled plastered houses with namako walls and Izumo lattices, and along the Funakawa canal you can see old landing places and "kakedashi" water steps.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMatsue, ShimaneShimane Art MuseumA museum on the theme of "harmony with water". Its collection galleries include the "Waterside Gallery" for paintings on the theme of water and the "Hokusai Gallery" for its Hokusai collection, one of the finest in the world; about 30 Hokusai works are always on view. The open lobby is a spot for sunsets over Lake Shinji, and closing time is set at 30 minutes after sunset.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIzumo, ShimaneShimane WineryA large theme park of local wine on National Route 431, about 2 km east of Izumo Taisha, opened in March 1986 using the high-quality grapes of Taisha, one of Japan's leading greenhouse-grape areas. The southern-European-style building offers wine as well as Shimane wagyu and local sweets, and over a million people visit each year.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMatsue, ShimaneShiomi NawateA street where samurai-style houses, starting with Lafcadio Hearn's Former Residence, line the moat, keeping the most castle-town look in Matsue. It is a Matsue traditional townscape preservation area and one of "Japan's 100 Best Roads". Old pines along the moat and the flowing water give it the feel of the Edo period.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIzumo, ShimaneSusa ShrineAn old shrine that appears in the "Izumo no Kuni Fudoki", beside the Susa River, a tributary of the Kando River. According to the Fudoki, Susanoo came here, named the land "Susa" and settled his spirit; it is the only shrine enshrining his spirit, together with his wife Inatahime and her parents. The main hall, built in 1861 in Taisha style, is a prefectural cultural property, and behind it stands a great cedar estimated at 1,300 years old, about 6 m around and over 24 m tall.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Matsue, ShimaneTanabe Art MuseumA museum showing tea ceremony art linked to Lord Matsudaira Fumai and fine Rakuzan and Fujina ware from the Izumo region. Designed by architect Kiyonori Kikutake, its bright interior takes in plenty of natural light with a calm Japanese feel. Exhibits change seven times a year with tea utensils for each season, and in the tea room you can choose a bowl by a contemporary artist to drink matcha from.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Matsue / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Matsue, ShimaneYuushien Japanese GardenOne of the largest pond-strolling Japanese gardens in the San'in region, coloured by peonies, irises, autumn leaves and winter peonies through the seasons. In spring the "30,000 pond peonies" fill the pond, and in the indoor garden "Botan no Yakata" you can see peonies all year. Restaurants in the garden serve soba made 100% from Daikonshima and local dishes, and at the gate you can try Korean ginseng tea for free.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHigashiizu, ShizuokaAtagawa Tropical & Alligator GardenA rare park in Japan that uses hot spring heat to raise animals and plants, with about 100 crocodiles and alligators and about 20 kinds of bananas. You can also see the Amazonian manatee, found only here in Japan, and the western lesser panda, kept in Japan only here.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Batholith / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (cropped)Nagaizumi, ShizuokaAyutsubo FallsOn the Kise River at the border of Nagaizumi and Numazu, at the south-western end of the Mishima lava that flowed from Mt. Fuji about 10,000 years ago. The river wore away the soft loam under the lava, leaving hard lava as a cliff about 9 m high and 65 m wide, with many streams falling between the rocks. It is a Shizuoka Prefecture natural monument and a geosite of the Izu Peninsula Geopark. The name comes from sweetfish (ayu) that gathered in the plunge pool, unable to climb the falls; it is also called "Aitsubo" for its indigo-blue pool and "Fujimi" for its view of Mt. Fuji. Lava layers and lava tree moulds can be seen.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHamamatsu, ShizuokaBentenjima Seaside ParkA park on Lake Hamana with a striking red symbol tower, 3 minutes on foot from JR Bentenjima Station, where rows of palm trees create a southern-resort feel. It is loved as the scenic "Benten Sekisho" (Benten sunset): from late November to late January the sun sets in the middle of the tower. In summer its calm beach is busy, and at low tide you can play on the natural tidal flat "Ikarise".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNishiizu, ShizuokaDogashima Tensodo Sea CaveA huge sea cave carved by waves in tuff whose ceiling has fallen in like a skylight, lighting the water emerald and cobalt; it is seen by the Dogashima cave cruise boat or from the walking path above.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFujinomiya, ShizuokaFujisan Hongu Sengen TaishaThe head shrine of over 1,300 Sengen shrines, worshipping Mt. Fuji itself; its vermilion two-storey "Sengen-zukuri" main hall was donated by Tokugawa Ieyasu, and pilgrims purified themselves in the Wakutama-ike spring before climbing.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: FoxyStranger Kawasaki / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Minamiizu, ShizuokaIrozaki Ocean ParkA base for enjoying the 100 m-high cliffs at the southern tip of the Izu Peninsula, with parking and a rest building, from which you can walk to Irozaki Lighthouse and Iruma Shrine built in a hollow of the cliff. The Minami-Izu Visitor Center explains the landforms of the UNESCO Global Geopark, and you look out where the Sagami Sea meets the Enshu Sea.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Batholith / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)Izunokuni, ShizuokaIzu Panorama ParkA resort terrace with views of Mt. Fuji and Suruga Bay, reached by a ropeway of about 1,800 m (about 7 minutes) to the summit of Mt. Katsuragi (452 m). At the "Ao Terrace" viewing area, a water basin reflects the sky, and when conditions are right it mirrors an upside-down Mt. Fuji; there is also a foot bath and a cafe.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNumazu, ShizuokaIzu-Mito Sea ParadiseKnown as "Mitoshi", this hands-on aquarium focuses on being close to the animals: a big walrus comes right up at feeding time and you can touch the paws of small-clawed otters. In the open show area there are sea lion and Steller sea lion performances and dolphin jumps, with Mt. Fuji in the background. Indoors are fish from Suruga Bay, Japan's deepest bay, and a kids' corner, and a natural inlet is used as an enclosure where animals can be seen close to their wild state.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Tomo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Ito, ShizuokaJogasaki CoastCliffs formed by lava from the eruption of Mt. Omuro about 4,000 years ago, with the Kadowaki suspension bridge (48 m long, about 23 m high) over the rocks and walking trails of about 9 km and 6 km along the coast.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Izu, ShizuokaJoren FallsOne of Izu's largest waterfalls, 25 m high and 7 m wide, among Japan's 100 best waterfalls, falling over columnar basalt into a pool said to be about 15 m deep; wasabi fields using the traditional World Agricultural Heritage method lie downstream.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKannami, ShizuokaJukkoku Pass Panorama Cable CarA cable car up to Jukkoku Pass on the border of Atami and Kannami, long loved as a place to view Mt. Fuji. At the top is a 360-degree panorama from the "PANORAMA TERRACE 1059"; on clear days you can see Mt. Fuji, Suruga Bay and even the Alps. Dogs can ride on a lead, and there is a dog run at the summit.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKakegawa, ShizuokaKakegawa CastleA castle once praised as "the finest castle of the Tokai region", taken by Tokugawa Ieyasu after Imagawa Yoshimoto fell at Okehazama in 1560. The present keep was rebuilt in 1994 as Japan's first full-scale wooden reconstruction, and on clear days you can see Mt. Fuji from the top. The palace, rebuilt at the end of the Edo period, is one of the few surviving castle palaces in Japan and an Important Cultural Property.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: gundam2345 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Kakegawa, ShizuokaKakegawa Kachoen (Flower and Bird Park)Flowers and freely flying birds in a vast greenhouse; the facility is all-weather and barrier-free inside. About 600 birds of about 100 species are kept, and you can feed penguins and other birds and have your photo taken with a bird on your arm. The shoebill, known as the bird that does not move, and the bird show are highlights.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Qurren / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Shimizu, ShizuokaKakitagawa ParkA park where snowmelt from Mt. Fuji reappears decades later as springs; the river is a Natural Monument and one of Japan's 100 best waters. From the second observation deck you look down on cobalt-blue spring water, and children can paddle in the spring plaza.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Osumi Akari / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kawazu, ShizuokaKawazu Seven WaterfallsSeven waterfalls formed by lava from volcanic activity about 25,000 years ago, near the Amagi Pass; a path of about 850 m links them, with a bronze statue from Kawabata's "The Izu Dancer" at Shokei-daru. Seeing all takes about an hour.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Alpsdake / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Fujinomiya, ShizuokaLake TanukiA calm lake 3.3 km around at 660 m on the northern edge of the Asagiri Plateau, facing Mt. Fuji; on still days it mirrors the mountain, and for about a week around April 20 and August 20 the sun rises from the summit ("Diamond Fuji").Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Shizuoka, ShizuokaMiho no Matsubara (Hagoromo Pine)A pine grove running about 5 km along the shore, where the pines, white waves and Mt. Fuji rise together; registered as World Cultural Heritage in 2013. The Hagoromo Pine is the highlight, and the Mihoshirube centre has exhibits and maps.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMishima, ShizuokaMishima SkywalkA 400 m pedestrian suspension bridge with views of Mt. Fuji, Japan's highest mountain, and Suruga Bay, Japan's deepest, at the same time, plus activities, photo spots and local food.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMishima, ShizuokaMishima Taisha ShrineThe first shrine of Izu Province, with a history of over a thousand years, where Minamoto no Yoritomo prayed for the revival of the Minamoto clan. The main hall of plain zelkova (Important Cultural Property) is among the largest in Japan, the treasures include the National Treasure lacquer box dedicated by Hojo Masako, and a fragrant olive over 1,200 years old is a natural monument; cherry trees bloom in spring.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSusono, ShizuokaMizugatsuka ParkAt 1,450 m, on the second station of Mt. Fuji on the Fuji Skyline, this spot has nothing blocking the view, so even the rugged slopes of the Hoei crater are clearly visible. The scenery changes with fresh greenery, autumn leaves and snow, and in winter it is busy with snow play in front of the snow-capped mountain. The attached "Mori no Eki Fujisan" offers meals with local ingredients and souvenirs, and there is a cross-country course laid with wood chips.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Batholith / Wikimedia Commons, Public domainIto, ShizuokaMt. OmuroA 580 m scoria cone formed by an eruption about 4,000 years ago, a Natural Monument; walking up is forbidden to protect the grass, so you ride a 6-minute lift and walk around the 300 m crater rim with views of Mt. Fuji and the Izu Islands.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: SUN / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Hamamatsu, ShizuokaNakatajima Sand DunesSand dunes stretching about 4 km east to west along the Enshu Sea, said to be one of Japan's three great dunes and used as a location for many films and dramas. The wind creates "fumon" ripple patterns in the sand, the sunsets are striking, and loggerhead turtles, an endangered species, nest here from early to high summer.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShizuoka, ShizuokaNihondaira Yume TerraceAn octagonal observation facility opened in 2018 on top of Nihondaira, designed by Kengo Kuma with Shizuoka timber; its 200 m gallery gives 360-degree views of Mt. Fuji, Suruga Bay, Miho no Matsubara and the Izu Peninsula. Free entry.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: shikabane taro / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0Izunokuni, ShizuokaNirayama Reverberatory FurnaceAn industrial heritage site registered as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 2015, completed in 1857 by the magistrate Egawa Hidetatsu to cast cannon for national defence. It is the only surviving furnace of its kind in the world that remains almost as it was, with two twin furnaces and four chimneys; the neighbouring guidance centre explains its history and workings.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 先従隗始 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Numazu, ShizuokaNumazu Deep Sea Aquarium (Coelacanth Museum)Japan's only aquarium specialising in deep-sea creatures, showing more than 100 species at any time from Suruga Bay, Japan's deepest bay, and around the world, including frozen specimens of coelacanths and rare deep-sea fish and crabs.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Batholith / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)Numazu, ShizuokaNumazu Port Observation Floodgate "View-o"A floodgate built by Shizuoka Prefecture to protect Numazu Port from tsunami; in a disaster the gate comes down to stop a tsunami entering the port. Its observation facility 30 m above the ground gives a 360-degree panorama of Suruga Bay, Cape Osezaki, Senbon Matsubara and Mt. Fuji, and you can see the bustle of the fish market, passing boats and the gate's winding machinery. At night the gate is lit up.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShimoda, ShizuokaRyugukutsu Sea CaveA sea cave at Toji in Shimoda, carved by waves, whose partly collapsed ceiling has left a skylight about 50 m across; you can see the yellow-brown layers of undersea volcanic deposits up close. From the path around it, the skylight looks like a heart. Parts of the cave and path have poor footing, so wear comfortable shoes.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShimoda, ShizuokaShimoda AquariumA rare aquarium floating on the sea that uses a natural inlet in Shimoda as it is. Inside the circular tank "Aqua Dome Perry" floating on Wakanoura, you can watch 10,000 creatures of 50 species from Izu swimming in schools. The highlight is the show where dolphins living in the natural inlet come right up close, and there are many programmes to swim with and touch dolphins. In "Umi Meguri" you can learn about Izu's rich ecosystem and rare deep-sea creatures.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Izu, ShizuokaShuzen-ji TempleA temple at the heart of Shuzenji Onsen, said to have been founded by Kukai (Kobo Daishi) in 807; the Kamakura shogun Minamoto no Yoriie was confined here, and its main image was donated by his mother Hojo Masako. Autumn leaves colour the grounds.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Mocchy at Japanese Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons, Public domainMishima, ShizuokaYamanaka Castle Ruins ParkAt the western foot of Hakone in Mishima, Yamanaka Castle was built by digging and piling earth without any stone walls, a rare castle ruin in Japan. It shows the Hojo clan's own castle-building, a precise earthen fortress, and is one of Japan's "100 Fine Castles". Its highlights are the "shoji-bori" and "une-bori" moats, with grid-like partitions in the moat bottom to stop attackers; in 1590 it fell in just half a day to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's army. Today it is a historic park overlooking Mt. Fuji and Suruga Bay, and the "100 Fine Castles" stamp is outside the information centre.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Zairon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kawanehon, ShizuokaYume no Tsuribashi Suspension BridgeA suspension bridge 90 m long and about 8 m high over the emerald-green Oma Dam lake, about 30 minutes' walk from Sumatakyo Onsen; for safety only 10 people may cross at a time, and it sways with every step. The lake colour changes with season and time of day, and the autumn leaves are usually best in November.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: SLIMHANNYA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Ashikaga, TochigiAshikaga Flower ParkA flower park famous for its great wisteria trellis over 150 years old and an 80 m white wisteria tunnel, and for illuminations from late October to early February.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAshikaga, TochigiAshikaga Gakko, Japan's Oldest SchoolKnown as Japan's oldest school and a National Historic Site, restored to its Edo-period appearance; Francis Xavier introduced it abroad.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNikko, TochigiEbiya Chozo (Nikko Yuba)A yuba (tofu skin) maker founded in 1872 that once supplied the Tamozawa Imperial Villa, making Nikko yuba by hand from Japanese soybeans and the spring water of the Nikko mountains.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSano, TochigiIzuruhara Benten Pond and Isoyama BenzaitenA spring-fed pond selected in 1985 as one of the Ministry of the Environment's 100 best waters, a Tochigi natural monument and the source of the Izuru River. The water is so clear that you can see carp swimming and the green plants swaying on the bottom. The main hall of Isoyama Benzaiten, said to have been rebuilt in the Kamakura period, is built without nails.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Jordy Meow / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Nikko, TochigiKegon FallsOne of Japan's three great waterfalls, 97 m high; a lift descends 100 m in about 1 minute to a viewing platform close to the plunge pool.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)Nikko, TochigiKinu Tateiwa Suspension BridgeA 140 m pedestrian suspension bridge linking the south of the Kinugawa Onsen spa town with the scenic "Tateiwa" rock. From about 40 m up you can see the Kinu River rushing between big rocks and green mountains. Tateiwa, about 100 m high, is named for its resemblance to a shield. An observation deck on its summit looks over the river, the spa town and the Takahara mountains (about 10 minutes one way from the bridge), and to the left a path leads to the Kogama Falls (about 5 minutes one way).Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNikko, TochigiKinugawa OnsenOne of the largest hot-spring towns in the Kanto region, lining the Kinugawa gorge; discovered in the Edo period, when only monks and lords visiting Nikko could bathe here.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNikko, TochigiKinugawa River Boat RideA shared boat that runs down the Kinugawa gorge, steered by boatmen with oars past strange rocks; about 30 minutes on the water, then a free shuttle bus back.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: くろふね / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0Nikko, TochigiKirifuri FallsOne of Nikko's three great waterfalls, 75 m high in two tiers, painted by Katsushika Hokusai; the lower tier scatters its water like mist.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Uraomote yamaneko / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Nikko, TochigiLake ChuzenjiA lake 1,269 m above sea level at the foot of Mt. Nantai, about 25 km around and 163 m deep, popular with foreign visitors as a summer retreat from the Meiji era to the early Showa era.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: FukuroWaraw / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Mashiko, TochigiMashiko Sankokan Museum, Hamada Shoji MemorialThe home of potter and Living National Treasure Hamada Shoji in Mashiko, opened in 1977 to share the objects he collected as references for his own work.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMoka, TochigiMoka RailwayKnown locally as the "Cotton Way" because the area along the line once produced cotton, the Moka Railway runs the steam locomotive "C12" all year, mainly on Saturdays and Sundays, through seasonal scenery: cherry blossoms with rape flowers in spring and sometimes snow in winter. As the line is not electrified, you can see the SL as it looked in its working days. It opened in 1912 and marked 100 years of full operation in December 2020.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNasu, TochigiNasu Animal KingdomAn animal park in the Nasu highlands with about 600 animals, where you can feed penguins and alpacas and watch birds of prey perform.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 9689tatsuya / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Nasu, TochigiNasu RopewayA ropeway that climbs to the ninth station of Mt. Chausu in about 4 minutes, with views over the Nasu plain; the summit is about 50 minutes on foot from the top station.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Fg2 / Wikimedia Commons, Public domainNikko, TochigiNikko Futarasan ShrineThe shrine at the start of the Nikko mountain faith, over 1,200 years old, enshrining Mt. Nantai; it also owns the vermilion Shinkyo Bridge at the entrance to the World Heritage site.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNikko, TochigiNikko Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial ParkAn imperial villa used by three generations of emperors and crown princes from 1899 to 1947, combining Edo, Meiji and Taisho architecture; the buildings are Important Cultural Properties.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNikko, TochigiNikko Toshogu ShrineThe shrine of Tokugawa Ieyasu, part of the World Heritage "Shrines and Temples of Nikko", with 55 buildings including 8 National Treasures, most rebuilt in 1636 by the third shogun Iemitsu.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Nikko, TochigiNikko Yumoto OnsenA quiet hot-spring village on the north shore of Lake Yunoko, beyond Senjogahara, with milky sulphur water said to have been found by the monk Shodo about 1,200 years ago and a free footbath.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNikko, TochigiNikko-san Rinnoji TempleA temple founded over 1,250 years ago by the monk Shodo, part of the World Heritage "Shrines and Temples of Nikko"; its Sanbutsudo is the largest wooden building on Mt. Nikko.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACUtsunomiya, TochigiOya History MuseumA vast underground quarry for Oya stone, 20,000 square metres and up to 60 m deep, kept at around 8 degrees; bring a jacket even in summer.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACUtsunomiya, TochigiOyaji Temple (Oya Kannon)A temple built into a cave in the stone village of Oya; its ten rock-carved Buddhas are Special Historic Sites and Important Cultural Properties, and the main Senju Kannon is said to be Japan's oldest stone Buddha.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNasukarasuyama, TochigiRyumon FallsA large waterfall about 20 m high and 65 m wide on the Egawa River, which flows into the Naka River, on the outskirts of Nasukarasuyama; its name comes from a legend of a great serpent living here. A path lets you go down close to the plunge pool. In the middle of the falls are two vertical holes, "Ogama" (about 4 m across) and "Megama" (about 2 m). The Karasuyama Line runs above the falls, so in spring train, falls and cherry blossoms fit in one photo. Salmon can be seen swimming upstream from mid to late November, and in some winters the falls freeze.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Nikko, TochigiRyuokyo GorgeA gorge of strange rocks carved by the Kinugawa River from volcanic rock erupted 22 million years ago, stretching about 3 km between Kinugawa and Kawaji hot springs.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: あばさー / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)Nikko, TochigiRyuzu FallsOne of Okunikko's three great falls, a cascade running 210 m over lava from Mt. Nantai, split in two near the basin like a dragon's head.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSano, TochigiSano Ramen Eika Gyoza Factory ShopThe factory shop of Eika, which makes Sano ramen and Sano gyoza, open 9:00-21:00 and closed on Sundays.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Guilhem Vellut / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Nikko, TochigiSenjogahara MarshlandA 400-hectare marsh in Okunikko, once a lake, home to some 350 plant species, with a nature trail that takes about 2 hours to walk.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Nasu, TochigiSessho-seki (Killing Stone)A desolate field of rocks and sulphur smell near Nasu Yumoto Onsen, linked to the legend of the nine-tailed fox; free to visit.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNasu, TochigiShika-no-Yu, Nasu YumotoThe birthplace of Nasu Onsen, a day-use bathhouse said to be 1,390 years old, with milky sulphur baths divided by temperature from 41 to 46 degrees.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (cropped and resized)Nikko, TochigiShinkyo BridgeThe vermilion wooden bridge at the entrance to Nikko's shrines and temples, one of Japan's three unusual bridges, rebuilt in 1904 after a flood.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Abasaa / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)Nasushiobara, TochigiShiobara Onsen Yuppo-no-Sato FootbathOne of Japan's largest footbaths, a 60 m "footbath corridor" opened in 2006 in Shiobara Onsen, with a drinking-spring pavilion and a strolling garden.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShioya, TochigiShojinzawa SpringChosen in 1985 by the Environment Agency as one of the "100 Best Waters" for its "exceptionally good water environment". On the side of Mt. Takahara, the town's symbol, the area is covered with primeval forest of trees hundreds of years old, and the clear water springing from more than ten places stays at about 11 degrees all year, never drying up or freezing even in winter. The renewal of the walking path has been completed.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Jiang Dong-Qin / Wikimedia Commons, Public domainNikko, TochigiTobu World SquareA theme park with over 100 of the world's famous buildings and ruins, from the Sphinx to the Sagrada Familia, reproduced at 1/25 scale.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACUtsunomiya, TochigiUtsunomiya Gyoza-kan, Banba-doriA gyoza restaurant on Banba-dori in Utsunomiya serving about 15 kinds of dumplings in 0.75 mm wrappers, with filling rested for a day and a night to bring out the flavour.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Nikko, TochigiYudaki FallsA waterfall 70 m high and 110 m long at the south end of Lake Yunoko, where the lake water flows down the lava wall of the Mitake lava flow that dammed the Yu River to form the lake. A viewing platform near the plunge pool gives a close-up view. It is on the hiking course north from Senjogahara and near the "Yudaki Iriguchi" bus stop. The area is known for azaleas and rhododendrons in spring. With Kegon and Ryuzu falls it is one of the "Three Great Falls of Oku-Nikko".Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAwa, TokushimaAwa no Dochu Earth PillarsLand built up from soil and gravel was raised and then carved by rainwater over a very long time, leaving many earth pillars and curtain-like folds. The largest, Hatogatake, was designated a national natural monument on May 1, 1934. From the front observation decks you can see strata about a million years old up close, and from the top of Hatogatake you look down on the pillars at your feet.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (cropped and resized)Tokushima, TokushimaAwa Odori KaikanA hall at the foot of Mt. Bizan in central Tokushima where you can enjoy Awa Odori all year. In the 2nd-floor hall, the resident troupe "Awa no Kaze" performs four times a day for about 40 minutes (with a chance to try dancing), and at night famous troupes perform daily for 50 minutes. The 3rd floor has the Awa Odori Museum, the 1st floor a shop for local specialities, and the Bizan Ropeway runs from the 5th floor (about 6 minutes).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: akiakane / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Anan, TokushimaCape KamodaThe easternmost point of Shikoku, with a superb view from the lighthouse; on clear days you can see as far as the Onaruto Bridge, Awaji Island and Wakayama Prefecture. The stone monument "Nami no Uta" (Song of the Waves), with motifs of waves and wind, was set up in September 2010, and through its heart-shaped opening you can see Ishima Island and the horizon.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKaiyo, TokushimaDMV (Dual Mode Vehicle)A new vehicle that is both a car and a train, able to run freely on both roads and railway tracks. It began the world's first commercial service on December 25, 2021, on the Asa Kaigan Railway.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYoshinogawa, TokushimaFujiidera Temple (Temple 11 of the Shikoku Pilgrimage)Temple 11 of the Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage, known for five-coloured wisteria said to have been planted by Kobo Daishi. It holds a seated wooden Shaka Nyorai statue designated an Important Cultural Property in 1911, and a miniature 88-temple course at the foot of the hill south of the main hall. The pilgrim path from here to Temple 12, Shosanji, is preserved as "the last remaining path of Kukai".Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Miyoshi, TokushimaHeike Yashiki Folk MuseumThe house of the Nishioka family, whose ancestor Horikawa Naiki served as physician to Emperor Antoku and, after the fall of the Heike, came into Iya with the survivors, gathering medicinal herbs and treating people. The house, a Miyoshi City Important Tangible Cultural Property, is used as the museum itself, showing the black of the attic and gassho structure produced by nearly 200 years of hearth fires; the exhibits were renewed in 2021, and two osmanthus trees about 800 years old stand in the garden.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Totti / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Minami, TokushimaHiwasa Sea Turtle Museum CarettaA museum specialising in sea turtles, rare in the world, where you can meet many turtles. You can learn about their ecology and the world's oldest history of sea turtle research, and learn about the environment through hands-on experiences such as feeding. After about two years of renovation, it held its grand reopening on July 19, 2025.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Travis Rigel Lukas Hornung / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Miyoshi, TokushimaIya Kazurabashi Vine BridgeA vine bridge in the remote Iya valley, carrying the sad legends of the Heike clan. Made of shirakuchi-kazura vines (about 6 tonnes), it is 45 m long, 2 m wide and 14 m above the water, and was once the only means of crossing in these deep mountain valleys; it is rebuilt every three years and is a national Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property (1955). About a minute's walk away, near Biwa Falls, steps lead down to the riverbank and a path runs along the Iya River.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMiyoshi, TokushimaIya Peeing Boy StatueOn the cliffs along the Iya River, many rocks left from building the Iya Kaido road jut out. The statue stands at Nanamagari, said to be the hardest part of the road, 200 m above the valley floor; it was made in 1968 by the Tokushima sculptor Yoshiyuki Kawasaki. Legend says children, road workers and travellers tested their nerve by relieving themselves from the rock here.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNaruto, TokushimaMichi-no-Eki Kurukuru NarutoA roadside station on National Route 11 between Naruto IC and Tokushima IC, the "gateway to Shikoku, Tokushima and Naruto". It is a "food theme park" using local specialities such as Naruto Kintoki sweet potatoes and lotus root, with an outdoor plaza, a children's play area and disaster-prevention functions.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMinami, TokushimaMinami-Awa SunlineA scenic 17.1 km driving course looking out over the Pacific, in a special protection zone of Muroto-Anan Kaigan Quasi-National Park.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTokushima, TokushimaMt. BizanThe symbol of Tokushima City, 277 m high, sung of in the Man'yoshu. The summit area is Bizan Park, with the Pagoda memorial tower and a viewing rest area. The view from the top takes in Tokushima City and, on clear days, Awaji Island and the Kii Peninsula; the night view is also worth seeing, and you can also enjoy cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Dokudami / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Miyoshi, TokushimaMt. Tsurugi Sightseeing ChairliftA chairlift of about 15 minutes from Minokoshi, the trailhead of Mt. Tsurugi, one of the "Nihon Hyakumeizan", to Nishijima, 830 m long, with views of the Shikoku mountains in spring, summer and autumn. At the summit, "Chojo Hutte" and "Unkaiso" offer lodging, meals and a shop.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKamikatsu, TokushimaMt. Yamainu-dakeA 997.6 m mountain, named after rocks at the old summit said to look like a wild dog with its mouth open; its giant rocks and moss make the whole mountain a natural sanctuary. A steep path through deciduous old-growth forest leads to the Daishi-do hall of Ryuozan Tokoji, surrounded by giant cedars, and stone Buddhas of a miniature Shikoku 88-temple course stand in the forest. The view to the south is excellent, with autumn leaves recommended.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Suicasmo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Naruto, TokushimaNaruto WhirlpoolsThe Naruto Strait, only 1.3 km wide between Magosaki in Naruto and Kadosaki on Awaji Island: the tides of the Seto Inland Sea and the Kii Channel create a difference in water level here, producing a fierce current and powerful whirlpools up to about 20 m across.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Naokijp / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Miyoshi, TokushimaOboke GorgeA gorge about 5 km long carved by water out of crystalline schist, whose rocks look like marble sculptures rising up. Cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves colour the clear stream, and you can enjoy a thrilling boat ride down the river.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMinami, TokushimaOhama Beach (Hiwasa)"The home of the loggerhead turtle": a beautiful sandy beach about 500 m from north to south, with little environmental change and ideal for sea turtles, which come ashore to lay eggs every year from May to August. It was selected as one of Japan's 100 best beaches in 1996 and is a national natural monument (1967).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSanagochi, TokushimaOkawara HighlandA highland with a view over the Tokushima Plain, the Kii Channel and the Asan Mountains.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Motokoka / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Miyoshi, TokushimaOku-Iya Double Vine BridgesVine bridges said to have been built about 800 years ago by the Heike clan to go to training at Mt. Tsurugi and the "Heike riding ground". Made of shirakuchi-kazura vines growing wild in the high mountains, they lead to the Oku-Iya Kazurabashi campsite; because two bridges hang side by side, they are also called "the man bridge and the woman bridge".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNaruto, TokushimaOnaruto Bridge Memorial Museum EddyA hands-on museum about the Naruto whirlpools and the Onaruto Bridge. Its three floors include a diorama explaining how the whirlpools form, a full-size model showing how the bridge works, the "4K 360-degree Theater awa", the digital art space "Play the Eddy!" that reacts to movement and sound, and a rooftop panorama deck overlooking the Naruto Strait.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: EMS-62 (edited by 663highland) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Naruto, TokushimaOtsuka Museum of ArtAbout 1,000 masterpieces of Western painting, from ancient murals to modern works, held by over 190 museums in 26 countries, reproduced at full size in ceramic panels. A route of about 4 km includes environmental displays recreating ancient ruins and chapels, works by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso arranged by art history, and themed displays. With Vermeer's "The Concert" added on March 18, 2025, 11 Vermeer works can be seen here. Volunteers give free guided tours every day.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Bakkai / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0Mugi, TokushimaTeba IslandA small island about 4 km around, about 15 minutes offshore from Mugi Port by ferry. A traditional fishing-village townscape from the early modern era to the Showa period remains, selected as a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. Not a single car runs on the island, and time passes slowly.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTokushima, TokushimaTokushima ZooA park combining a zoo, a botanical garden and an amusement park, with panoramic displays recreating the African savanna and a 40 m-wide flying cage, where families can spend a whole day.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNaruto, TokushimaUzushio Kanchosen (Naruto Whirlpool Cruise)Sightseeing boats that head out to the Naruto whirlpools. The large boat "Wonder Naruto" goes right up over the whirlpools and needs no reservation; the small high-speed boat "Aqua Eddy" has an underwater observation room 1 m below the surface, where you can watch the whirlpools from under the water.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: ＋－ (User:PlusMinus), edited by 663h / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Mima, TokushimaWakimachi Udatsu TownscapeA merchant town on Minami-machi street that thrived on indigo and silk from the mid-Edo period, prospering as a shipping port on the Yoshino River, where at one time over 100 indigo merchants flourished. The houses show "udatsu", fire walls projecting from the second floor between neighbouring houses, tiled and topped with crested ridge-end tiles, a symbol of a house's standing; together with lattice doors and white-walled storehouses they tell of past prosperity. It was selected in 1988 as Japan's 28th Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMinami, TokushimaYakuoji Temple (No. 23)Temple No. 23 of the Shikoku pilgrimage, said to have been founded by the priest Gyoki. Its principal image, a Yakushi Nyorai, is said to have been carved by Kobo Daishi; legend says that in a fire in 1188 (Bunji 4) it flew away to Mt. Tamazushi, and when a new image was installed after rebuilding, it flew back and entered the shrine facing backwards, so there came to be two images. It has been deeply revered since Emperor Heizei's time, with visitors in every season and many temple treasures. Shakyo (sutra copying) and ajikan meditation can be tried (booking required).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Madame Tatillonne / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Mitaka, TokyoGhibli Museum, MitakaA maze-like museum that feels like a film in itself, with galleries on animation and a small cinema showing original short films; there is no set route, and entry is by advance timed reservation only.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Guilhem Vellut / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Chuo, TokyoHama-rikyu GardensAn Edo-period garden loved by the shoguns, with the only surviving seawater pond among Tokyo's Edo gardens, fed from Tokyo Bay through sluice gates, and a teahouse on an island where you can drink matcha; skyscrapers rise behind it.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Wei-Te Wong / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)Musashino, TokyoInokashira ParkA green park in Kichijoji, loved by local people, with recreation facilities, a shrine and a pond. You can rent rowing boats on Inokashira Pond in the centre, and in spring the pond is ringed with cherry blossoms. In its woods, which keep the feel of old Musashino, is the Inokashira Park Zoo (main zoo and aquatic life garden), and the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka is also in the park (advance booking required).Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Fg2 / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (cropped)Chiyoda, TokyoKanda Myojin ShrineA shrine founded in 730 near today's Otemachi and moved here in the Edo period, the guardian of 108 districts including Kanda, Nihonbashi and Akihabara; it hosts the Kanda Matsuri, one of Japan's three great festivals, in May of odd-numbered years.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: KimonBerlin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)Bunkyo, TokyoKoishikawa Korakuen GardensOne of Tokyo's notable historic Japanese gardens, a "stroll-style" garden centred on a pond. Tokugawa Yorifusa, founder of the Mito Tokugawa family, began it, and his son Mitsukuni completed it in 1669 with the help of the Ming scholar Zhu Shunshui. Famous scenes of Japan and China, such as Shorozan (Mt. Lu), Daisensui (Lake Biwa) and the Kiso Road, are recreated, so the view changes as you walk. There are cherry blossoms in spring, irises and lotus in summer, autumn leaves and plum in early spring. It is next to Tokyo Dome and Korakuen Hall.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Guilhem Vellut / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Okutama, TokyoLake OkutamaA lake formed by the Ogochi Dam on the Tama River, in the national park closest to central Tokyo and reachable on a day trip, with cherry blossoms in spring, fresh green in summer and autumn leaves.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShinjuku, TokyoMeiji Jingu GaienEast of Meiji Jingu and a few minutes on foot from Gaienmae Station, the Outer Gardens have sports facilities and the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery. From spring to autumn you can watch baseball at Meiji Jingu Stadium, home of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, where fans cheer with umbrellas. There is a batting centre where you can face popular professional players on virtual screens, an indoor ice rink open all year, and tennis courts for rent. The Picture Gallery shows murals about Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShibuya, TokyoMeiji Jingu ShrineA shrine to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken set in a forest of about 100,000 donated trees between Shinjuku and Shibuya, 1 minute from Harajuku Station.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Kentaro Ohno / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Oshima, TokyoMt. Mihara, Izu OshimaThe active volcano at the centre of Izu Oshima, which last erupted in 1986; walk among black lava flows, peer into the crater, and see the Ura-sabaku desert that looks like another planet.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHachioji, TokyoMt. TakaoThe closest wild nature to central Tokyo, 50 minutes by train from Shinjuku, with many trails to the 599 m summit and, on clear days, a view of Mt. Fuji.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Kestrel / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Taito, TokyoNational Museum of Nature and ScienceOne of Japan's largest science museums, in Ueno Park, with over 25,000 exhibits from space and dinosaurs to Japan's ecosystems and the history of Japanese science, plus the 360-degree dome theatre "Theater 36○".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACBunkyo, TokyoNezu ShrineNezu Shrine, whose buildings are Important Cultural Properties, has rich greenery, a pond with carp and rows of red torii gates. It is said to have been founded about 1,900 years ago by Yamato Takeru, and moved to its present site in 1706 on the orders of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. Its architecture follows the style of Nikko Toshogu, where Tokugawa Ieyasu rests. You can walk through the torii leading to Otome Inari Shrine in the grounds, and in spring more than 100 kinds of azaleas bloom.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Minato, TokyoOdaiba Marine ParkA waterfront park across the Rainbow Bridge with a sandy beach, a 12.5 m Statue of Liberty and night views of the illuminated bridge.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Guilhem Vellut / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Bunkyo, TokyoRikugien GardenA strolling garden with hills and a large pond, built over seven years from 1695 by Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, a close aide of the shogun Tsunayoshi; a Special Place of Scenic Beauty, lit up at night in spring and autumn.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMinato, TokyoRoppongi HillsA complex of luxury shops and restaurants with the Tokyo City View observation deck on the 52nd floor, where you can see Mt. Fuji on clear days, and the Mori Art Museum on the 53rd.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTaito, TokyoSenso-ji TempleTokyo's oldest Buddhist temple, founded in 628, reached through the Kaminarimon gate and the Nakamise shopping street with about 90 shops.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKatsushika, TokyoShibamata Taishakuten (Daikyoji Temple)The heart of Shibamata, a temple founded in 1629; its main hall, completed in 1929, survived the Second World War, and its inner hall is covered with carvings of the Buddha's life made between 1915 and 1929, next to the Suikeien garden.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShinjuku, TokyoShinjuku Gyoen National GardenA former feudal estate opened to the public as a national garden in 1949, with Japanese, formal and landscape gardens and about 900 cherry trees.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: mrhayata / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)Tachikawa, TokyoShowa Kinen ParkA national government park of 180 hectares on the edge of Tachikawa, with children's play areas, flower fields, cycling paths and boats, plus outdoor fitness sessions and nature photography classes. It opened in 1983 to mark 50 years of the reign of Emperor Showa; the land was originally a military base in the imperial era and then a US military base during the occupation after the Second World War.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSumida, TokyoSumida AquariumAn aquarium in Tokyo Skytree Town themed on the Ogasawara Islands, with one of Japan's largest open tanks for penguins and fur seals and a shallow dish-shaped tank of about 500 moon jellyfish.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTaito, TokyoTokyo National MuseumJapan's oldest museum, holding over 120,000 works including 89 National Treasures, with about 3,000 on display across six buildings in Ueno Park.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Biliana Nikolova-Lefterova / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Sumida, TokyoTokyo SkytreeThe world's tallest free-standing broadcast tower at 634 m, with observation decks at 350 m and 450 m reached by lift in about 50 seconds.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Akonnchiroll / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Minato, TokyoTokyo TowerTokyo's original landmark, a 333 m tower opened in 1958, with a Main Deck at 150 m reachable by lift or about 600 outdoor steps.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACChuo, TokyoTsukiji Hongwanji TempleA Buddhist temple rebuilt in the 1930s in the style of ancient Indian and Asian architecture, an Important Cultural Property with stained glass and a pipe organ inside.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: pelican / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)Taito, TokyoUeno ZooJapan's first zoo, opened in 1882 in Ueno Park, with about 2,500 animals of 300 species, including gorillas, tigers and the famously still shoebill.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTaito, TokyoYanaka Ginza Shopping StreetA retro shopping street of small family shops selling meat, fish, vegetables, home-made side dishes, tea and Japanese sweets, about 5 minutes on foot from Nippori Station.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Syced / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Shibuya, TokyoYoyogi ParkYoyogi Park, 3 minutes on foot from JR Harajuku Station, is fifth in size among the Tokyo metropolitan parks, divided into a forest park and an area with an athletics field and an outdoor stage. It was once the army's Yoyogi parade ground, became US military housing after the war, served as the athletes' village for the Tokyo Olympics, and then became a park. Together with the trees of neighbouring Meiji Jingu it forms a dense green forest. On weekends many families and couples come for picnics, and you can ride the cycling course on a rental bike.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Daderot / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (resized)Bunkyo, TokyoYushima Tenmangu ShrineOne of Tokyo's best-known shrines to Sugawara no Michizane, god of learning, near Ueno; thousands of wooden prayer plaques hang here in exam season, and hundreds of plum trees bloom from February to early March.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMinato, TokyoZojoji TempleZojoji, a quiet landmark right by Shiba Park and Tokyo Tower, holds the tombs of six Tokugawa shoguns. Its Sangedatsumon gate, in traditional Buddhist style, is the only structure that survived the Second World War. It was a subject for artists, and Utagawa Hiroshige depicted it in "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo". The "Zojoji Treasure Gallery", opened in 2015, shows works by the painter Kano Kazunobu and a model of the Taitokuin mausoleum where a Tokugawa shogun is buried; next to it is a small garden of Jizo statues for children's health and growth.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACChizu, TottoriChizu-juku Post TownA townscape recalling the domain era, where a teahouse, a magistrate's office and a notice board once stood; historic sites and signposts remain. The highlight is the Ishitani Residence on the main street, the largest building of Chizu-juku, which prospered as the largest post town of the Tottori domain in the Edo period; it is a national Important Cultural Property. You can also stroll to the Suwa Sake Brewery, maker of the daiginjo "Otori" that appears in the manga "Natsuko no Sake".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHoki, TottoriDaisen Makiba Milk no SatoInside the Daisen Ranch, the page calls it the most popular spot in Daisen. In the wide pasture you can see grazing cows up close, with Mt. Daisen behind and the Yumigahama Peninsula clearly in view ahead. You can try milking and hands-on making of cheese and more, and enjoy dishes and desserts made with fresh milk; the special soft-serve ice cream, known as rich and tasty, is a must when visiting Daisen.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACDaisen, TottoriDaisenji TempleA historic temple halfway up Mt. Daisen, the highest peak in the Chugoku region. From the Heian period, at its height it had over 100 temples and more than 3,000 warrior monks, a great training centre rivalling Mt. Hiei, Mt. Yoshino and Mt. Koya. It declined sharply after the Meiji separation of Shinto and Buddhism, and now only 4 halls and 10 sub-temples remain. The main hall, of the Tendai sect, burned in 1928 and was rebuilt in 1951. The Reihokaku treasure hall shows Buddhist art from the Hakuho and Kamakura periods.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYurihama, TottoriEnchoen Chinese GardenOne of the largest Chinese gardens in Japan, built as a symbol of friendship between Tottori Prefecture and China's Hebei Province. By Lake Togo it recreates the imperial garden style favoured by Chinese emperors; designed by engineers from China and built with materials imported from China, its lapis-coloured tiles and painted pillars and ceilings give an exotic atmosphere. Chinese acrobatics shows are held every day.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACWakasa, TottoriFudoin IwayadoBuilt in a natural rock cave and also called the "Iwaya-do" (cave hall), this hall is said to date from the Daido era (806-810). The temple was once part of Myokenzan Jinkoji, a large temple with 150 koku of land, but it burned in the war when Toyotomi Hideyoshi attacked, and this hall is said to be all that survived. Its principal image, the Fudo Myoo revered as the "Kurokawa Fudo" of Inaba, is said to have been carved by Kobo Daishi at 33. Like the Nageiredo of Mitokusan Sanbutsuji, it is a stage-style building set in a rock cave.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Flow in edgewise / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Hokuei, TottoriGosho Aoyama Manga FactoryA museum tracing the life of manga artist Gosho Aoyama, with rare exhibits, reproductions of "Detective Conan" original drawings and a recreation of his workroom; you can also try out inventions and tricks from "Detective Conan". "Conan Street" runs about 1.4 km from Conan Station (JR Yura Station) to Michi-no-Eki Daiei, with bronze statues, manhole covers and objects of Conan along the way.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTottori, TottoriHakuto CoastThe coast said to be the setting of the myth "The White Hare of Inaba": a hare that tricked sharks to cross from Okinoshima was skinned by them, and Okuninushi told it to wash in fresh water and wrap itself in cattail ears, and it was healed. Rocks resembling the backs of sharks lie off this beautiful bow-shaped white sand beach. Along the national road stands a monument to the children's song "Daikoku-sama" by Tottori-born composer Tamura Torazo.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Aimaimyi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)Tottori, TottoriHakuto ShrineAlso called Oto Daimyojin or Usagi-no-miya Hakuto Daimyojin, this shrine is the setting of the myth "The White Hare of Inaba" and has a clear history recorded in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. Along the approach is the Mitarashi Pond, where the hare is said to have washed its wounds; its water level stays the same in every season, so it is called the pond that neither falls nor rises. As the birthplace of what is called Japan's first love story, "Hakuto" was named a "Lovers' Sanctuary" in 2010.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYurihama, TottoriHawai OnsenThe history of Hawai Onsen began in the Edo period, when local people asked the lord of the Tottori domain for permission to use a hot spring source in the lake. Near the spa is the Togoko Hawai Seaside Park, and walks along Lake Togo are recommended; the moored boats of the fishermen who fish the lake are also part of the scenery.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACChizu, TottoriIshitani ResidenceThe largest building in Chizu-juku, which prospered as the largest post town of the Tottori domain in the Edo period, facing the Chizu road. It has 40 rooms around a vast Japanese garden and 7 storehouses; rebuilt over 10 years from the Taisho period, the house, harmonising various styles, is a masterpiece of modern Japanese architecture and a national Important Cultural Property. Four of the storehouses are open as a museum and archive.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYonago, TottoriKaike OnsenA hot spring area at the eastern end of the Yumigahama Peninsula, facing Miho Bay on the Sea of Japan, with a beautiful coastline of white sand and green pines and views of Mt. Daisen, the highest peak in the Chugoku region. Fishermen long said warm water bubbled up when they dived off Kaike, and a natural spring was found in 1900 (Meiji 33). With 30 inns and public lodgings that can take 4,000 guests, it is the largest hot spring area in San'in, and a convenient base for touring Tottori and Shimane.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKurayoshi, TottoriKurayoshi White-walled StorehousesWhite-walled storehouses along the Tamagawa river, many built in the Edo and Meiji periods, keeping the look of those days. It is a nationally selected Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, with stone bridges over the river and red roof tiles on white plaster walls. Storehouses once used by sake and soy sauce makers now house a local products hall, cafes and galleries, and you can try traditional crafts.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Yurihama, TottoriLake TogoA brackish lake about 10 km around, near the centre of Tottori Prefecture, also called "Crane Lake" because from Mt. Hachibuse it looks like a crane spreading its wings. Hot water springs from its shores and bottom, and two hot spring areas, Togo Onsen and Hawai Onsen, lie by the lake. Rental bicycles that can be picked up and returned at lakeside facilities are recommended.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 三塚 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Misasa, TottoriMisasa OnsenA hot spring whose radium content is among the highest in the world for radon. Many inns have distinctive baths, and the "Kawara Rotenburo" open-air bath in the riverbed below Misasa Bridge lets you bathe to the sound of the river. Inns line the Mitoku River, with the Kajika Bridge downstream and the Koidani Bridge upstream, and in summer you hear kajika frogs. Mitokusan's National Treasure Nageiredo is nearby.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMisasa, TottoriMitokusan Sanbutsuji Temple: Nageiredo HallSanbutsuji is a mountain temple on Mt. Mitoku (900 m). Its inner hall, Nageiredo, is a building like no other, set in a hollow of a sheer cliff, and is a National Treasure. Its exact date of construction is unclear; legend says En no Ozunu, founder of Shugendo, threw the whole building in from the flat land with his powers. Seeing it up close requires a hard mountain trail, but it can be viewed from the Nageiredo Yohaijo on the road at the foot, with a telescope.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSakaiminato, TottoriMizuki Shigeru RoadAn approx. 800 m street from Sakaiminato Station to the Mizuki Shigeru Memorial Museum in the hometown of Mizuki Shigeru, creator of "GeGeGe no Kitaro". 178 bronze statues of yokai and characters (as of April 2024) line the road, with a yokai shrine and more. With the "Yokai Guidebook" you can collect 35 yokai stamps (about 1.5-2 hours) and get a present at the tourist information centre. The memorial museum reopened after renewal in 2024.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACDaisen, TottoriMukibanda Yayoi SiteThought to be the central large settlement of a Yayoi-period "kuni" at the foot of Mt. Daisen; the site covers about 170 ha, one of the largest Yayoi sites in Japan. About one tenth has been excavated, revealing more than 450 pit dwellings, over 500 post buildings and 36 tombs including the San'in-style four-cornered mounds. You can try Yayoi-life activities such as making fire, magatama beads and stone knives, and wearing ancient clothing.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Hoki, TottoriShoji Ueda Museum of PhotographyA museum of the work of photographer Shoji Ueda, renowned in Japan and worldwide. Works in the "UEDA-Cho" style, with novel composition and staging, are chosen by theme from 12,000 pieces he donated. The building, designed by architect Shin Takamatsu, won a Minister of Education Award, and from inside Mt. Daisen appears upside down reflected on the water, the "inverted Daisen".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: KASEI / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)Tottori, TottoriThe Sand MuseumAn indoor museum showing sand sculptures, where you can see sand art of the highest level in the world. The theme changes every exhibition period, so each year's sand sculptures can be seen only that year; that fleeting quality is part of their beauty. From the glass windows on the 3rd floor and the outdoor plaza you can look over the Tottori Sand Dunes, and after sunset the sculptures are lit up.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTottori, TottoriTottori Castle Ruins and Kyusho ParkA mountain castle centred on Mt. Kyusho, used from the Tenbun era in the mid-16th century until the Meiji Restoration; a national historic site. Medieval remains survive at the summit, and at the foot are the Ninomaru, Tenkyumaru and Sannomaru remains built from the Keicho era. Kyusho Park at the foot has sights such as Jinpukaku and the prefectural museum, and more than 400 cherry trees, with the standard tree used for the Tottori cherry blossom declaration at the entrance.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Tottori, TottoriTottori Folk Crafts MuseumA museum showing new folk crafts produced by Yoshida Shoya, a Tottori doctor devoted to the mingei movement advocated by Yanagi Soetsu, and old folk crafts he collected from Japan, Korea, China and the West. From the storehouse-style exterior to details such as handrails and switch covers, the spirit of mingei runs through it; it is a registered Tangible Cultural Property.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Hiroaki Kaneko / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Nanbu, TottoriTottori Hanakairo Flower ParkThe largest flower park in western Japan, where a large greenhouse and exhibition halls let you enjoy flowers whatever the weather or season. A 1 km covered observation corridor surrounds the park, so you can walk around without an umbrella even on rainy days. Lilies are the main flower all year; it is the only place in Japan that holds and shows all 15 wild lily species native to Japan. At night the "Moonlight Flower Garden" by lighting designer Motoko Ishii lights the 8,000 m2 garden with 14,000 lights.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Kurayoshi, TottoriTottori Nijisseiki Pear Museum (Nashikko-kan)Japan's only museum on the theme of pears, in Kurayoshi Park Square. Besides the history and industry of pears, it offers exhibits and programmes full of discovery; its symbol is a giant Nijisseiki pear tree with branches spreading 20 m, and it has a collection of pear varieties from around the world. The parlour serves "pear soft-serve".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTottori, TottoriTottori Sand DunesOne of the largest coastal sand dunes in Japan and a byword for Tottori; the sand, changing shape every time the wind blows, is a work of art made by nature. The dunes change their look through the seasons and from day to night, with sunsets, starry skies and snow. Activities include fat bikes, sandboarding, paragliding and camel rides.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Mti / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Iwami, TottoriUradome CoastA coast shaped by the rough waves of the Sea of Japan into grand sea-eroded landforms, part of the San'in Kaigan Geopark: sea arches, caves and white sand beaches make it a museum of landforms and geology. The coast from Mt. Shichiyama to Cape Kugami is known as scenery praised by the writer Shimazaki Toson. A promenade runs along the shore, and sightseeing boats show views you cannot see from land.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIwami, TottoriUradome Coast Island CruiseThe Uradome coast, carved by the rough waves and snowstorms of the Sea of Japan, with white islands floating in clear water, is toured by sightseeing boat. The sightseeing boat weaves between the islands so you can see the strange rocks up close, with a live guide by the captain, for about 40 minutes. The small boat "Boken Cruising Uradome-go" takes narrow routes the sightseeing boat cannot, into sea arches, caves and inlets (about 50 minutes). There is also the "AQUA" adventure boat tour.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKurayoshi, TottoriUtsubuki ParkA park at the foot of Mt. Utsubuki (204 m), symbol of Kurayoshi, opened in 1904 to commemorate the visit to San'in of the Crown Prince, later Emperor Taisho. One of Japan's "100 best cherry blossom spots" and the finest in San'in, it blooms with many kinds of cherry and azaleas in spring, with green in summer, autumn leaves and camellias in winter; it is also one of Japan's "100 best urban parks".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACWakasa, TottoriWakasa Railway Wakasa StationThe terminus of the Wakasa Railway, with its head office and depot. Several facilities for running steam locomotives remain; after the turntable was restored, the C12 167 locomotive that once ran on the line was obtained from Taka in Hyogo and is being preserved. With a platform ticket you can see the locomotive, including inside the cab. In 2008 the line's old facilities were registered together as Tangible Cultural Properties, the first such case in Japan.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Asturio Cantabrio / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Tottori, TottoriWarabe-kan (Museum of Children's Songs and Toys)A museum of children's songs and toys in a retro building recreating the exterior of the former Tottori Prefectural Library. Besides the "Toy Room" with about 2,000 tin and candy-store toys, there is the "Children's Song Room" where you listen in scenes of each era, hands-on play corners and a simple toy workshop.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Reggaeman / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Yonago, TottoriYonago Castle RuinsA national historic site. No castle buildings remain, but the stone walls and foundation stones keep the castle's layout well, making it a valuable site for understanding its structure. When Nakamura Kazutada moved to Yonago in 1601, he added a five-storey main keep to the four-storey keep built by Kikkawa Hiroie, making it the finest castle in San'in; in the early Meiji period it was sold for a small sum, and only the stone walls remain. From the summit you see Mt. Daisen, the Shimane Peninsula, Nakaumi and the city of Yonago.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Lemon-s / Wikimedia Commons, Public domainYonago, TottoriYonago Waterbird SanctuaryNakaumi, where the park lies, has recorded 42% of the wild bird species observed in Japan, making it one of the finest bird habitats in San'in. About 1,000 tundra swans winter here every year; to see them, evening is best, when they return to roost after feeding. You can watch ducks and herons and national natural monuments such as the greater white-fronted goose and white-tailed eagle, and in summer waterbirds raising their young.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSakaiminato, TottoriYumeminato Tower and ParkThe tower and park on the site of the San'in Yumeminato Expo, Sakaiminato's main park with panoramic views of the Sea of Japan and Mt. Daisen. The tower has an observation room 43 m above the ground, a shopping street of Tottori products, and an exhibition room where you can try on folk costumes of Mongolia, Korea, China and Russia for free. The seaside green park has sculptures and a wooden boardwalk.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: そらみみ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Takaoka, ToyamaAmaharashi CoastA coast where you can see mountains of about 3,000 m across the sea, a view rarely found anywhere in the world. The Manyo poet Otomo no Yakamochi loved this scenery and wrote many poems about it. The "Yoshitsune-iwa" rock, where Minamoto no Yoshitsune is said to have waited for a shower to clear, is said to be the origin of the name Amaharashi. It is one of Japan's 100 best beaches, and on cold winter mornings you may see "kearashi" sea mist rising.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACToyama, ToyamaFugan Unga Kansui ParkA waterside park around the Fugan Canal, about 9 minutes on foot from Toyama Station. From the observation towers at both ends of the Tenmon Bridge, the park's symbol, you can see the whole park and the Tateyama mountains. There are walking paths around the canal, a bird sanctuary and the "Fugan Suijo Line" cruise, plus a Starbucks said to be "the most beautiful in the world". At night seasonal illuminations light the park.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: minque / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)Nanto, ToyamaGokayama Ainokura Gassho-style VillageA World Heritage village where gassho-style houses about 100 to 350 years old stand, keeping the historic landscape of Gokayama. The thatched gassho-style houses are a very rare type found in Japan only in this area; 20 remain in Ainokura, including the "primitive gassho", the only surviving prototype in Gokayama, and a thatched temple. People still live in the village. The Ainokura Folk Museum, the Traditional Industry Hall and a washi-making workshop show village life and papermaking.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACUozu, ToyamaHigashiyama Cylindrical Water DividerA cylindrical water divider, a registered Tangible Cultural Property, that shares water fairly among three irrigation channels in the Higashiyama district, with water welling up by siphon power. It is 9.12 m across; the share of water for each channel is set by the length of the cylinder's circumference. Such a large drop of overflowing water is rare, and it is described online as "Japan's most beautiful" cylindrical water divider. A pocket park overlooking it was built by Uozu city in December 2020.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: くろふね / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped)Himi, ToyamaHimi Banya-gai (Himi Fishing Port Market)A food culture facility gathering the best of Himi: sushi from fresh fish landed at Himi Fishing Port, Himi udon and Himi beef, plus processed foods and souvenirs found only here. It has a viewing plaza with the popular view of the Tateyama mountains across Toyama Bay, and a free foot bath using natural hot spring water.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAsahi, ToyamaHisui Coast (Miyazaki-Sakai Coast)A rare pebble beach in Japan, scattered with blue, green and cobalt pebbles, including blue-green jade (hisui) stones, which gave it the name "Hisui Coast". The emerald sea is good for fishing, and the "Hisui Terrace" facility has an event hall, showers, changing rooms and rental bicycles; from its 2nd-floor terrace and rooftop you can see the whole coast, and it is popular as a sunset beach.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACToyama, ToyamaIwase Old Port TownAn area where a nostalgic old townscape remains, a port town that prospered from the early Edo period with the Kitamaebune ships sailing the Sea of Japan. Omachi-dori, lined with storehouses and shipping merchants' houses, is ideal for strolling, and many houses from the Meiji period remain. Recently galleries in renovated storehouses, food shops, a beer pub, a sake bar and restaurants have opened. Iwase is a home of white shrimp fishing, and there are shops serving white shrimp dishes.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACImizu, ToyamaKaiwomaru Park and Sailing Ship Kaiwo MaruA bay-area park centred on the Kaiwo Maru, a white sailing ship called "the lady of the sea". Setting all 29 sails, the "sohan-tenpan", is a sight to see, and the ship itself is a maritime history museum with many events.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Raki_Man / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (cropped)Tateyama, ToyamaKurobe DamOne of Japan's largest dams, built amid the great nature of Kurobe and called "the project of the century" for its scale and unimaginable difficulty. Famous as the tallest dam in Japan at 186 m, it took 7 years, 51.3 billion yen and 10 million workers in total. Its popular sightseeing discharge sends 10 to 15 tonnes of water a second from Japan's highest dam, which you can watch close up from the observation deck, stairs and the new "Rainbow Terrace".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKurobe, ToyamaKurobe Gorge Railway (Torokko Train)The Kurobe River, rising on Mt. Washiba (2,924 m) in the Northern Alps, is one of Japan's fastest rivers and has carved what is said to be Japan's deepest V-shaped gorge. The torokko train runs about 20 km from Unazuki to Keyakidaira at an average of 16 km/h, about 80 minutes one way, on 762 mm narrow-gauge track; its oldest carriages date from 1923. From open carriages or cars with windows you pass the crimson Komen Bridge over Lake Unazuki, the 60 m-high Atobiki Bridge and the autumn-leaf spot Kinshukan.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: くろふね / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Tateyama, ToyamaMikurigaike PondA volcanic lake formed about 10,000 years ago, about 630 m around and about 15 m deep, said to be the most beautiful volcanic lake in the Northern Alps. It is covered in deep snow until June in most years, but from July to October its deep blue surface reflects the great mountains. The creeping pines around the shore are the habitat of the ptarmigan, a Special Natural Monument. It is about 10 minutes on foot along a paved path from Murodo Terminal.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACImizu, ToyamaShinminato Kittokito MarketThe Shinminato fisherman's wharf, with fresh seasonal seafood such as white shrimp, called "the jewel of Toyama Bay", red snow crab, firefly squid, yellowtail and whelks, straight from Shinminato port with its rare afternoon auction. The seafood restaurant "Kittokito-tei" serves sashimi and seafood bowls with views of the Kaiwo Maru, Shinminato Ohashi Bridge and the Tateyama mountains, and the grill corner cooks seafood for you on the spot.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACImizu, ToyamaShinminato Ohashi BridgeA cable-stayed bridge over Toyama Shinko port, 3.6 km long including approaches, with 127 m towers and a 600 m main span over the sea, one of the largest on the Sea of Japan coast. On clear days you can see the Sea of Japan, the Tateyama mountains and the Noto Peninsula. It has two levels, the road above and the pedestrian walkway "Ainokaze Promenade" below, an all-weather route with wind and earthquake measures. It is lit up at night.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Tateyama, ToyamaShomyo FallsA dynamic waterfall with the greatest drop in Japan. In spring snowmelt from the Tateyama mountains adds the "Hannoki Falls" on its right, so two falls tumble side by side; from spring to summer spray rises from the basin, and in autumn the gorge turns red and yellow. The Shomyo-daira rest house near the car park explains the falls with models and videos. You walk from the car park to the falls, so comfortable shoes are recommended, and a raincoat helps because of the spray.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 柑橘類 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Takaoka, ToyamaTakaoka Daibutsu (Great Buddha)A bronze seated Amida Buddha 16 m high at Daibutsuji Temple, the symbol of Takaoka, Japan's top producer of copperware. It was completed over 26 years from 1907 using the best local bronze-casting skills, and is one of the three great Buddhas of Etchu. It is said to have begun about 800 years ago as a wooden Buddha, and was rebuilt many times. For its fine workmanship it is called "the most handsome in Japan". Inside the pedestal, a corridor holds 13 Buddhist paintings and the face said to remain from the second Buddha, burned in the great fire of 1900.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTateyama, ToyamaTateyama Kurobe Alpine RouteOne of the world's leading mountain sightseeing routes, cutting through the Northern Alps with their 3,000 m peaks: 37.2 km in total with a maximum height difference of 1,975 m, all within Chubu-Sangaku National Park. You change between vehicles from Tateyama Station in Toyama to Ogizawa Station in Nagano, passing scenic spots such as Mikurigaike, the Tateyama Ropeway (Japan's longest single-span ropeway with no supporting pillars) and Kurobe Dam. In spring the "Snow Otani" snow walls, up to about 20 m, can be seen until about late June.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Sho / Wikimedia Commons, Public domainToyama, ToyamaToyama Castle (Toyama Municipal Folkcraft Museum of Local History)A castle chosen for the "Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles", in Toyama Castle Ruins Park with its moats and stone walls. The present castle was built in 1954. Inside, the local history museum explains more than 400 years of the castle's history with models and videos, including a 140 cm helmet used by Maeda Toshinaga. The top-floor observation deck looks over the city centre and the Edo-period castle grounds.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACToyama, ToyamaToyama City Hall Observation TowerA free observation deck about 70 m above ground with a 360-degree panorama. Designated by Toyama city as a "best seat to look up at Tateyama", it offers a view of the Tateyama mountains on clear days, with the city below, Toyama Castle to the south, the Kureha hills to the west and Toyama Bay to the north. It is open from morning to night, so you can enjoy sunsets and the city lights.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Mapmoe / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Toyama, ToyamaToyama Glass Art MuseumToyama is one of the world's leading glass cities, with the Toyama Institute of Glass Art, the Toyama Glass Studio and the Toyama City Glass Art Museum. The museum is inside "TOYAMA Kirari", a complex designed by the world-famous architect Kengo Kuma. Besides the installation by modern glass master Dale Chihuly, the museum's symbol, it shows contemporary glass art from Japan and abroad in permanent and special exhibitions.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: えむかとー / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Toyama, ToyamaToyama Glass StudioThe base for glass artists in "Toyama, City of Glass". You can watch artists at work, see original works and seasonal displays in the shop gallery, and try glassblowing or paperweight making with guidance from the staff. The glass cafe "Crie" serves drinks in the artists' glasses.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACToyama, ToyamaToyama Prefectural Museum of Art and DesignA beautiful museum designed by the leading Japanese architect Hiroshi Naito, with a glass exterior built generously with Toyama timber and aluminium, in Fugan Unga Kansui Park. It shows modern and contemporary art from around the world, from early-20th-century masters such as Picasso and Chagall to surrealism and abstraction, works by leading Japanese and Toyama artists, and a design collection of posters and chairs. On the roof is the garden "Onomatopoeia Rooftop", by designer Taku Satoh.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACImizu, ToyamaUchikawa RiverThe Uchikawa River flows through the Shinminato district of Imizu and has recently drawn attention as a location for films and dramas. Along both banks of its approx. 3.5 km, fishing boats are moored in rows, giving a nostalgic port-town feel. More than 10 distinctive bridges cross the river, and a sightseeing boat passes just under them.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Asturio Cantabrio / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Uozu, ToyamaUozu Buried Forest MuseumA museum where you meet two wonders of Toyama Bay, the "buried forest", a Special Natural Monument, and mirages. Tree roots of the buried forest, about 2 m across and over 500 years old, are kept in water, and you can touch a giant root. Mirages are shown on a 300-inch screen with many documents, and from the observation deck mirages can sometimes be seen over the bay.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACUozu, ToyamaUozu Mirage Viewing PointUozu, also called "the town of mirages", has been known for mirages since before the Edo period. The best place to see them is the coast around Uozu Port overlooking the whole of Toyama Bay, which the city has designated the "Mirage Viewing Point" place of scenic beauty. From late March to early June, when mirages are easier to see, many people come to the port area and Shinkiro Road.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTakaoka, ToyamaZuiryuji Temple (National Treasure)The family temple of Maeda Toshinaga, founder of Takaoka and second head of the Kaga Maeda family, built by the third head, Maeda Toshitsune, to pray for him. Its grand layout shows the wealth of the 1.2-million-koku Kaga domain. The Sanmon gate, Butsuden and Hatto are National Treasures, and the main gate, meditation hall, kitchen, tea hall and three corridors are Important Cultural Properties; it is highly valued as early-Edo Zen temple architecture, with a lead-tiled Butsuden roof and symmetric corridors.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACArida, WakayamaArida Mikan KaidoA scenic route with sweeping views of mandarin orange groves, the Kii Channel and Yuasa Bay, close to the town centre, for driving, touring, cycling and stargazing. Giant wind turbines line the road of about 5.6 km, the sunset colours the sea in the evening, and in spring the white orange blossoms on the terraced stone walls fill the air with a faint sweet scent.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Wakayama, WakayamaBansho GardenA garden on "Bansho-no-hana", a headland jutting far into the sea, on the site of a lookout post the Kishu domain set up to guard the coast. It is one of the 50 scenic spots of Setonaikai National Park, known for the coastal beauty of Kishu blue stone (chlorite schist), and a Man'yoshu poem stone stands in the garden. The lawn has benches and parasols, and there is also a barbecue site.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKoya, WakayamaDanjo Garan (Koyasan)The first place Kobo Daishi Kukai developed when he opened Mt. Koya; built from 817 with his disciples, it took ten-odd to twenty years to complete. It is the centre of faith as "the place associated with Kobo Daishi" and symbolises the Womb Realm mandala. Visitors are advised to go round clockwise, past the Kondo (the main hall of Koyasan), the vermilion Konpon Daito pagoda and the Miedo where Kobo Daishi lived.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Shirahama, WakayamaEngetsu IslandA small island, about 130 m north-south, 35 m east-west and 25 m high, called "Engetsu-to" for the round moon-shaped hole in its middle and loved as the symbol of Shirahama. It is thought to have been shaped by waves over many years. Chosen as one of Japan's 100 best sunsets, in spring and autumn the setting sun can sometimes be seen framed in the hole.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: photonakazy / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Kushimoto, WakayamaHashigui-iwa RocksAbout 40 large and small rock towers, about 15 m high, line up straight for about 850 m; sea erosion left only the hard parts, standing like the piles of a bridge. It is chosen among the "100 best sunrise spots in Japan", and the area is a breeding ground of the internationally rare Styan's grasshopper warbler. Legend says Kobo Daishi raced a demon to build a bridge overnight and set them up in one night.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKozagawa, WakayamaIchimai-iwa MonolithA single huge rock 100 m high and 500 m wide rising from the clear Koza River, a national natural monument and part of the "Kozagawa arc-shaped dike", the only one of Japan's 100 geological sites chosen in Wakayama. At the roadside station "Ichimaiiwa monolith" opposite you can eat game dishes and wild ayu from the Koza River while looking at the rock.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShingu, WakayamaKamikura ShrineA shrine halfway up Mt. Gongen (Mt. Kamikura), said to be where the Kumano deities first descended, and part of the World Heritage "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range". Its sacred body is the huge "Gotobiki-iwa" rock, shaped like a frog, at the top of 538 steep stone steps said to have been donated by Minamoto no Yoritomo; from the top you look over the city and the Kumano Sea. It is the stage of the fire festival "Oto Matsuri" held on the night of February 6 every year.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACWakayama, WakayamaKishu Toshogu ShrineFounded in 1621, enshrining Tokugawa Ieyasu and Tokugawa Yorinobu, the first lord of the Kishu domain; a National Important Cultural Property. Its richly coloured main hall and worship hall carry on the style of the Azuchi-Momoyama period and around them are early Edo carvings and wall paintings of the Kano and Tosa schools. It is still affectionately called "Gongen-sama".Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKinokawa, WakayamaKokawa-dera TempleAn old temple known as the third of the 33 Saigoku Kannon temples, enshrining the Thousand-armed, Thousand-eyed Kannon. Buildings such as the main hall, great gate, middle gate and Senju-do (Important Cultural Properties) dot the grounds; the main hall, of mid-Edo zelkova, is the largest of the 33 temples. A dry garden using the difference in ground levels is unusual, and the camphor tree of the Oo-jinja before the vermilion gate, over 1,000 years old, is a city natural monument.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKoya, WakayamaKongobu-ji TempleThe head temple of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism, near the centre of the mountain, overseeing all its affairs. It began as a temple Toyotomi Hideyoshi built for his mother and was renamed Kongobu-ji after merging with the neighbouring temple. There are the Great Hall with sliding-door paintings of pines and cranes and the "Willow Room" with willows and herons, also called the room where Toyotomi Hidetsugu took his own life; the "Banryutei" rock garden, about 2,340 m², is one of the largest in Japan.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (cropped and resized)Shingu, WakayamaKumano Hayatama TaishaOne of the three Kumano shrines, with vivid vermilion buildings, registered as part of the UNESCO World Heritage "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range". In the grounds is a 1,000-year-old nagi tree, a natural monument, and the Kumano Shinpokan holds about 1,000 National Treasures, such as Muromachi-period maki-e boxes and fans, some of which are on display.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Nekosuki / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Tanabe, WakayamaKumano Hongu TaishaOne of the three Kumano shrines, registered as part of the UNESCO World Heritage "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range"; in the past "the god of Kumano" meant Hongu. The shrine buildings of white wood with cypress-bark roofs are national Important Cultural Properties, and the treasure hall holds treasures such as the iron kettle, an Important Cultural Property. The Zuihoden, designed around the yatagarasu crow, symbol of Kumano faith, has a tea room, cafe and shop.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNachikatsuura, WakayamaKumano Nachi TaishaTogether with Hayatama and Hongu, one of the three Kumano shrines, registered as part of the UNESCO World Heritage; the main halls are national Important Cultural Properties. The Kumano deities were once worshipped at the foot of Nachi Falls, and the shrine began when halls were built halfway up the mountain to welcome them and the god of the falls. Up 463 stone steps are six vermilion halls, and at the Miagatahiko-sha in the grounds the three-legged crow "yatagarasu" is enshrined. Weeping cherries bloom from late March to early April.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKushimoto, WakayamaKushimoto Marine ParkWhere you can watch a coral sea mixing temperate and subtropical creatures. The aquarium, recreating Kushimoto's sea, shows about 4,000 creatures of about 400 species, with a 25 m underwater tunnel, and the Sea Turtle Park has turtles from hatchlings to giants over 100 kg. The semi-submersible boat "Stella Maris" and an underwater observation tower 6.3 m deep let you see into the sea.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Pterocirrus / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Shirahama, WakayamaKyoto University Shirahama AquariumAn aquarium attached to Kyoto University's Seto Marine Biological Laboratory, with Japan's leading collection of invertebrates such as corals, shrimps, crabs and starfish; fish are also shown in a 250-tonne tank and a sunlit tank, and its academically rich content is popular.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Alpsdake / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Nachikatsuura, WakayamaNachi FallsRevered as the sacred body of Hiro Shrine, a separate shrine of Kumano Nachi Taisha. Also called "Ichi-no-taki", together with the second and third falls upstream it is known as "Nachi Otaki"; it is a national place of scenic beauty and one of Japan's three great waterfalls. It drops 133 m with about a tonne of water a second, 13 m wide, splitting into three streams, and from the "Otaki Haisho Butai" viewing stage you can see it head-on close up.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIwade, WakayamaNegoro-ji TempleThe head temple of the Shingi Shingon school, with about 900 years of history, founded by Kakuban, a scholar-monk of Mt. Koya. Its "Daito", a National Treasure, is Japan's largest wooden pagoda, and the main image in the Daidenpodo, a Dainichi Nyorai, is an Important Cultural Property. The grounds cover about 3.5 million m², with cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves, and a garden designated a national place of scenic beauty with a natural waterfall and pond.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Kimino, WakayamaOishi HighlandA prefectural natural park spanning Kimino and Aridagawa, with silver grass meadows and a great panorama from near the 870 m summit. The grass is at its best from early October to mid November - swaying silver in October and glowing gold in the morning and evening sun in November. The "Hiage-iwa" rock is a photo spot, and near the summit is the rest house "Yama no Ie Oishi" with a campground nearby.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTanabe, WakayamaOyunoharaThe former site of Kumano Hongu Taisha until the great flood of 1889 (Meiji 22), where gods are said to have descended.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: KENPEI / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kudoyama, WakayamaSanada-an TempleA temple associated with the Sanada warrior family. In the grounds are the Sanada Daigongen, where Sanada Masayuki is enshrined as a god, a stone with a Basho haiku about the Sanada, and the "lightning-sealing well" said to have been used by Yukimura; peonies, the town flower, bloom in May.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Shirahama, WakayamaSandanbeki CliffsA rock wall about 50 m high stretching about 2 km north-south on the coast south of Senjojiki, where waves crash spectacularly. Below is the "Sandanbeki Cave", reached by elevator, where you can watch the waves surge right in front of you.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNachikatsuura, WakayamaSeiganto-ji TempleA Tendai temple known as the first of the 33 temples of the Saigoku Kannon pilgrimage, Japan's oldest pilgrimage route, which flourished with Kumano Nachi Taisha as a place of combined Shinto and Buddhist worship; it became part of the World Heritage in 2004. The main hall, rebuilt by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590 (Tensho 18), has Japan's largest waniguchi gong, donated by Hideyoshi. From behind the main hall, Nachi Falls and the vermilion three-storey pagoda can be seen together.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShirahama, WakayamaSenjojikiA wide rock shelf said to be named because a thousand tatami mats could be laid on it. Sandstone deposited about 18 to 15 million years ago was eroded by waves over a long time into its unique landform, with white, soft rock spreading toward the Pacific. It is known for the sunset over the horizon.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Suicasmo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Shirahama, WakayamaShirarahama BeachA beach where fine white sand continues for about 620 m, with emerald-green sea and palm trees along the shore; it is chosen as one of Japan's 100 best swimming beaches. Besides swimming there are events such as the summer fireworks with underwater star-mines, a seaside illumination from Halloween into winter, and beach yoga, and many day-trip hot springs nearby.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYura, WakayamaShirasaki Ocean ParkA spot where blue sky, deep blue sea and pure white limestone make a beautiful landscape. Climb the steps and follow the path between white limestone to an observation deck overlooking the sea and a line of white rocks. The limestone, formed over a long time from coral and shells, is a rare natural landscape. At dusk the sun sets over the horizon, and after dark, in good weather, you may see shooting stars and the Milky Way. The park's roadside station serves shirasu rice bowls and soft-serve ice cream, sunflowers bloom in summer, and the coast road on the way is a fine drive.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Kansai explorer / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Kozagawa, WakayamaTaki no HaiA 200 m rock bed pitted with countless holes made by the flowing water - "potholes", round hollows ground out by pebbles and currents. In the middle is the Taki no Hai waterfall, with a channel-like pool continuing downstream; in summer ayu crowd the basin, and fishing them with bare hooks ("ton-ton" fishing) is a summer tradition.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Reggaeman / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Koya, WakayamaTokugawa Mausoleum (Koyasan)The mausoleum of the first shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu and the second, Hidetada, built in 1643 by the third shogun Iemitsu. Two single-storey pyramid-roofed halls stand side by side - Ieyasu's on the right and Hidetada's on the left - decorated with carvings and maki-e, the carvings showing animals, plants and gods from myth.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 藤谷良秀 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Wakayama, WakayamaTomogashima IslandsFour small islands in the Kitan Strait - Jinoshima, Torajima, Kamishima and Okinoshima - together called "Tomogashima", with rich nature and brick ruins. On Okinoshima the former gun batteries remain as they were: the first battery near the summit has a fine view, near the white Western-style lighthouse; the second was blown up after the war; and you can go inside the third. It is 20 minutes by boat from Kada Port.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShirahama, WakayamaToretore Ichiba MarketA seafood market where fish selected from Wakayama and around Japan arrive daily. Its tuna-cutting show is a highlight; restaurants and cafes serve seafood bowls and sashimi, and there is a BBQ corner where you can grill seafood, meat and vegetables sold in the market. It is inside the "Toretore Park" resort, with lodgings, hot springs and a fishing pond.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACWakayama, WakayamaWakayama CastleA castle on top of Mt. Torafusu in the centre of Wakayama, with a white three-tier main keep: the seat of the Kishu Tokugawa family, which produced the 8th shogun Yoshimune and the 14th shogun Iemochi. The present keep was rebuilt in 1958 (Showa 33) and looks over the city, the mountains and the Kii Channel. The Okaguchi gate is an Important Cultural Property, the Ohashi-roka corridor bridge slopes between two banks of different heights, and the Nishinomaru garden is fine with autumn leaves; there is also a zoo in the grounds.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACWakayama, WakayamaWakayama Marina CityA resort island on the Wakayama coast, an artificial island full of attractions. Porto Europa, a free-entry theme park modelled on a medieval Mediterranean port, has 24 rides; Kuroshio Market is a tuna theme park with daily tuna-cutting shows; "Kinokuni Fruit Village" sells Wakayama fruit and produce; and "Kishu Kuroshio Onsen" has an open-air bath looking over the sea.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Kahoku, YamagataBenibana Museum, Former Horigome ResidenceThe restored residence of a wealthy safflower merchant, opened in 1984, telling how Mogami safflower was sent to Kyoto for rouge and dye; a safflower field blooms in early July, and you can dye a silk scarf (booking required).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Pizzaman / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Yamagata, YamagataBunshokan (former Yamagata Prefectural Office)The brick former prefectural office and assembly hall built in 1916 (an Important Cultural Property), restored and open free of charge.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Tsuruoka, YamagataChido MuseumA museum in Tsuruoka where you can walk through the Shonai lords' retirement villa, Meiji-era Western-style buildings such as the old police station and district office, the Sakai family garden and folk-tool storehouses.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSakata, YamagataFormer Honma Family ResidenceA samurai-style residence built in 1768 by the Honma family as lodgings for shogunate inspectors, combining samurai and merchant architecture; a visit takes 40-50 minutes.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamagata Prefecture (yamagatakanko.com)Obanazawa, YamagataGinzan OnsenA hot-spring town of Taisho-era wooden inns along the Ginzan River; day visitors park outside and take a shuttle bus in.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: monja.rs.z / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0Okura, YamagataHijiori Onsen Morning MarketThe early-morning market of Hijiori Onsen, held every morning from late April to early December, with seasonal mountain vegetables and produce. It runs until 7:30, from 5:30 (May-August) or 6:00 (other months).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSagae, YamagataHonzan Jionji TempleAn ancient temple said to date from the Nara period, once the largest temple in Tohoku, with an Important Cultural Property main hall built in 1618 and Heian- and Kamakura-era Buddhist statues; allow 60 minutes or more.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKaminoyama, YamagataKaminoyama OnsenA hot-spring town with two districts of quite different character: Shinyu and Yumachi, which keep traces of the castle town of the Kaminoyama domain and a post town on the Ushu Kaido, and Hayama, Kawasaki and Takamatsu on high ground looking over the Zao mountains. The water is colourless and clear; you can visit day-bathing inns, public baths and foot baths, and there are Kurort health walking courses with daily guided programmes.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamagata Prefecture (yamagatakanko.com)Tsuruoka, YamagataKamo AquariumTsuruoka's city aquarium, famous for its jellyfish displays including a large round jellyfish tank.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACSakata, YamagataKen Domon Museum of PhotographyA museum devoted to one photographer, Ken Domon, opened in his home city in 1983 as Japan's first museum dedicated to photography.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACAsahi, YamagataKuki Shrine (Air Shrine)A one-of-a-kind shrine whose object of worship is "air", built in July 1990 to give thanks for the blessings of air. In a beech forest, a 5 m square stainless steel plate acts as a mirror reflecting the seasons to express the air; the main shrine is an underground space 3 m deep, surrounded by a torii of four pillars for the four seasons, where clean air is enshrined in 12 unglazed jars for the 12 months. The town made June 5, World Environment Day, its "Air Day", and the "Air Festival" held then opens the underground shrine. It stands in the grounds of Asahi Shizenkan and is not a religious corporation.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamagata Prefecture (yamagatakanko.com)Yuza, YamagataMaruike-sama Spring PondA spring-fed pond about 20 m across and 3.5 m deep with emerald-green water; it is revered as a deity, with a small shrine on its bank.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamagata Prefecture (yamagatakanko.com)Tozawa, YamagataMogami River Boat Ride (Basho Line)A boat ride down the Mogami River gorge with the boatman's songs; in winter (Dec-Mar) kotatsu (heated-table) boats run.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamagata Prefecture (yamagatakanko.com)Tsuruoka, YamagataMt Haguro (Dewa Sanzan Shrine)One of the three sacred Dewa mountains; a path of 2,446 stone steps through cedars passes the National Treasure five-storey pagoda.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: kyohei ito / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)Yuza, YamagataMt. ChokaiOne of Japan's 100 famous mountains, rising from sea level on the Sea of Japan to 2,236 m and called "Dewa Fuji"; hiking season is May to October, and in spring to autumn you can drive the Chokai Blue Line to the 5th station at 1,500 m.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: yari hotaka / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0Tsuruoka, YamagataMt. Gassan Midagahara MarshA marsh at 1,400 m on the eighth station of Mt. Gassan with more than 130 kinds of alpine flowers, including Nikko day-lilies and skunk cabbage; a boardwalk loop takes about 60 minutes, and a bus runs up from Tsuruoka.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamagata Prefecture (yamagatakanko.com)Sakata, YamagataSankyo Soko Rice WarehousesNine rice warehouses built in 1893 (a National Historic Site since 2021), backed by 35 zelkova trees over 150 years old.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTendo, YamagataShogi Village Tendo TowerA shop and workshop marked by a giant king shogi piece in Tendo, Japan's top producer of shogi pieces, where you can try writing a shogi piece, making soba, pottery or safflower dyeing, and eat imoni and soba.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Jun K / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)Sakata, YamagataTamasudare FallsYamagata's tallest straight-drop waterfall, 63 m high and 5 m wide, said to have been found and named by Kobo Daishi about 1,200 years ago; about 10 min on foot from the car park.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYamagata, YamagataTarumizu Ruins / Mine no UraBeyond Yamadera, one of Yamagata's most famous sights, lies an area called "Ura-Yamadera", formally "Mine no Ura", said to be where Jikaku Daishi Ennin, who founded Yamadera, planned the temple. It has spots such as Senjuin, Eboshi-iwa and training sites, and its best-known is the Tarumizu Ruins, about 15 minutes on foot from the trail entrance, where a huge honeycomb-like rock face and a torii suddenly appear. Mountain ascetics trained here until the Taisho era; Fudo Myoo is enshrined in a crack in the rock, and ascetic training sites and a gorinto cave remain.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYonezawa, YamagataUesugi Museum, YonezawaA museum beside Matsugasaki Park on the site of Yonezawa Castle's main enclosure, displaying treasures of the Uesugi family; the National Treasure Rakuchu-rakugai screens, said to be a gift from Oda Nobunaga to Uesugi Kenshin, are shown in the original only in spring and autumn.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamagata Prefecture (yamagatakanko.com)Yonezawa, YamagataUesugi ShrineA shrine to the warlord Uesugi Kenshin on the site of Yonezawa Castle's main enclosure; the moat is lined with about 200 cherry trees.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamagata Prefecture (yamagatakanko.com)Yamagata, YamagataYamadera (Risshakuji Temple)Mountain temple. The approach is a stairway that starts about 10 min on foot from JR Yamadera Station.Official check: 24 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Yamagata, YamagataYamagata Castle Ruins, Kajo ParkA 35.9-hectare park on the site of Yamagata Castle, a national historic site and one of Japan's 100 fine castles, 10 min on foot from JR Yamagata Station; about 1,500 cherry trees bloom along the moats in April.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTsuruoka, YamagataYudonosan ShrineThe inner sanctuary of the Three Mountains of Dewa: there is no shrine building, the object of worship is a huge reddish-brown rock with hot water welling up, and photography is forbidden; open from June 1 to around November 3.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACTsuruoka, YamagataYunohama OnsenA 1,000-year-old seaside hot-spring resort on the Sea of Japan with a white sand beach of about 1 km; open-air baths look out on sunsets chosen among Japan's 100 best.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: ZAO Ropeway / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Yamagata, YamagataZao OnsenA hot-spring town said to date back 1,900 years, with Tohoku's most acidic sulphur water (pH 1.25-1.6) and three public baths open 6:00-22:00 for 300 yen.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamagata Prefecture (yamagatakanko.com)Yamagata, YamagataZao Ropeway (snow monsters)A ropeway from Zao Onsen up Mt Jizo; in winter it is the classic way to see the rime-ice "snow monsters".Official check: 25 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShimonoseki, YamaguchiAkama Jingu ShrineA shrine dedicated to Emperor Antoku, who drowned at just 8 years old after the Battle of Dannoura. The vermilion Suitenmon gate, built to evoke the Dragon Palace, greets worshippers. The grounds hold the Amidaji mausoleum of Emperor Antoku and a treasure hall. Its predecessor, Amidaji temple, is the setting of "Mimi-nashi Hoichi" from Lafcadio Hearn's ghost stories; the Hoichi hall has a statue of Hoichi playing the biwa, next to graves of the Heike clan. On May 3 every year it is the main venue of the Sentei Festival.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: uesakakohei (Flickr) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0Mine, YamaguchiAkiyoshidai PlateauOne of the largest karst plateaus in Japan, where white limestone pokes out of grassland as far as the eye can see, like a flock of sheep; it is one of Japan's three great karsts. Under the plateau lie many huge limestone caves, including Akiyoshido. Mine Akiyoshidai Geopark has been certified as a UNESCO Global Geopark. Green in summer and silver grass shining in the autumn sunset make superb views; you can drive the Karst Road or trek Mt. Kanmuri and Choja-ga-mori.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMine, YamaguchiAkiyoshidai Safari LandA theme park where you can see animals behaving naturally, as in the wild. In the Safari Zone African elephants, tigers, lions, cheetahs and others live on a vast site, seen up close from your own car; the "feeding bus" lets you feed them from inside. In the animal contact area you can meet small animals, and events such as horse riding and feeding are held.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACMine, YamaguchiAkiyoshido CaveA limestone cave 100 m under Akiyoshidai Quasi-National Park, a Special Natural Monument. The temperature inside is a constant 17 degrees C all year, cool in summer and warm in winter. With a total length of over 10 km it is among the largest in Japan; the approx. 1 km sightseeing course shows many natural forms, including the rice-terrace-like "Hyakumaizara". An adventure course (extra fee) has you climbing ladders with a flashlight.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShimonoseki, YamaguchiChofu Castle TownA castle town with a romantic historical feel, with the earthen walls and stone walls of "Furue-shoji" lane from the Edo period and the Chofu domain samurai row houses showing the life of senior retainers. Kozanji Temple, with its National Treasure Buddha hall and gate, and the Chofu Mori residence are known for autumn leaves, and cafes dot the area.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: TT mk2 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Yamaguchi, YamaguchiChomonkyo GorgeOne of Yamaguchi's finest scenic spots, showing cherry blossoms in spring, fresh green in summer, autumn leaves and snow in winter. The Abu River flows along the promenade with unusual rocks, rapids and deep pools, and many fish, birds and butterflies live here. A walking path of about 5.1 km runs through the gorge, and guided walking tours are available. In autumn the leaves turn even the water red.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: そらみみ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Shimonoseki, YamaguchiDannoura Battlefield (Mimosusogawa Park)In 1185 the Battle of Dannoura, the last battle between the Genji and Heike, was fought here, at "Hayatomo no Seto", where the Kanmon Straits are narrowest and the current fastest. Nii-no-Ama, foreseeing the Heike defeat, entered the sea holding the 8-year-old Emperor Antoku; the place name Mimosusogawa is said to come from her farewell poem. The shore overlooking the battlefield is now Mimosusogawa Park, where you can enjoy the ships passing through the straits and the Kanmon Bridge up close.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Twilight2640 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)Shimonoseki, YamaguchiGanryujima IslandA small island about 1.6 km around in the Kanmon Straits, where Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro fought. Its official name is Funashima, but local people, thinking of the loser, came to call it Ganryujima after Kojiro's school. Statues and monuments recreating the duel stand on the island, which can be explored on foot, with a floating pier, paths and a viewing plaza. A regular boat runs daily from Karato Pier, about 10 minutes.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: masatsu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0Hagi, YamaguchiHagi Castle TownA castle town where the old streets remain vividly: solid white-walled samurai houses, earthen walls with summer oranges peeking over, and the crank-shaped "kagi-magari" lanes. The birthplaces of figures active from the end of the Edo period into the Meiji Restoration, such as Takasugi Shinsaku and Kido Takayoshi, still stand. The streets are laid out in a grid, with old-house cafes, shops and historic sites; the townscape is registered as part of the World Heritage "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACHofu, YamaguchiHofu Tenmangu ShrineOf the about 12,000 shrines in Japan dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, famous as the god of learning, Hofu Tenmangu is said to be the first. Many visit to pray for passing exams and success in study, and the ema votive plaques hung in the grounds are full of wishes. Events are held through the year, such as New Year visits and the Goshinkosai (Hadakabo) festival in November, known as a rough festival, and in the plum season, which Michizane loved, a "plum festival" is held for about two weeks. The grounds also have the Shunpuro, the history museum and the Hoshoan tea house.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIwakuni, YamaguchiIwakuni CastleA castle keep that was demolished under the Edo shogunate's "one castle per province" order and rebuilt in its present beautiful white-walled form. From the observation deck on the summit the view of Kintaikyo Bridge and the Iwakuni castle town below is superb, and on clear days you can see the islands of the Seto Inland Sea as far as Miyajima.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Yamaguchi, YamaguchiJoeiji Temple Sesshu GardenJoeiji was built about 500 years ago by Ouchi Masahiro as a villa. Its garden is said to have been made by the ink painter Sesshu at his request, and is loved as the "Sesshu Garden". Stones arranged to evoke Mt. Fuji and the mountains of China are superb; it is a representative Zen garden and a national Historic Site and Place of Scenic Beauty. Sutra copying and zazen sessions are offered.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Cheng-en Cheng / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)Shimonoseki, YamaguchiKanmon BridgeA 1,068 m suspension bridge across the Kanmon Straits linking Honshu and Kyushu, the longest in the East when it opened in 1973. You can enjoy it from many angles: looking up from the Mekari promenade on the Kyushu side, from observation decks, or passing under the lit-up bridge on a night cruise. As an expressway it cannot be crossed on foot, but the Mekari parking area on the Kyushu side can be reached on foot.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShimonoseki, YamaguchiKanmon StraitsThe name joins the "Kan" of Bakan (today's Shimonoseki) and the "Mon" of Moji; the straits are said to have formed about 6,000 years ago when Honshu and Kyushu were separated. You can cross them overland by the Kanmon Bridge (expressway, cars only), on foot through the Kanmon Tunnel, or by train. At night the lit-up Kanmon Bridge and the night views of Shimonoseki and Moji spread out.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShimonoseki, YamaguchiKarato MarketA popular market in Shimonoseki, famous for fugu, where tourists can shop too. Its highlight is the stall event "Ikiiki Bakangai", held every weekend (Friday to Sunday) and on holidays, with nigiri sushi, seafood bowls, fresh fried food and fugu soup. On fine days you can have lunch looking out over the Kanmon Straits.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACIwakuni, YamaguchiKintaikyo BridgeA beautiful wooden bridge of five arches, about 200 m long, counted among Japan's three famous bridges. First built in 1673 in the early Edo period, it is 193.3 m long and 5 m wide. About 1,500 cherry trees in spring, green in summer and autumn leaves add to the scene. Its original arch structure, built with delicate wood joinery, can be enjoyed by walking across or by looking up from a yakatabune boat. The bridge is lit up in each season, starting with the cherry blossom season.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: kagawa_ymg / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0Hofu, YamaguchiMori Garden and Mori MuseumA garden 8 minutes by car from Hofu Station, where artificial islands and bridges blend with nature, packed with the skills of Meiji and Taisho craftsmen and a national Place of Scenic Beauty. On the 25,000-tsubo grounds the former Mori family residence is open as the Mori Museum, holding cultural properties linked to the Mori clan, and from its 2nd floor you can see the islands of the Inland Sea over the garden. About 160 cherry trees bloom in late March to early April, 900 azaleas from late May, and autumn leaves from mid-November to early December.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagato, YamaguchiMotonosumi ShrineA shrine where a line of red torii gates runs against the backdrop of the Sea of Japan, a superb view that has drawn attention worldwide. Note: at present the torii gates cannot be walked through because of repair work, and worship is suspended on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from March to November 2026.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagato, YamaguchiNagato Yumoto OnsenSaid to have opened in the Muromachi period, the oldest hot spring in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Renewed in 2020 around the Otozure River, the town invites strolling: walk the stone-paved paths, sit on riverside terraces, cross stepping stones and snack on local food such as kawara soba and yakitori. There are cherry blossoms in spring, Genji fireflies in early summer, autumn leaves in autumn and light events in winter. "Ontou" is the symbol of the town.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Tzu-hsun Hsu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Nagato, YamaguchiOmijima IslandA representative scenic spot of Kita-Nagato Kaigan Quasi-National Park, also called the "Alps on the Sea". On its east, west and north sides the rough waves of the Sea of Japan have carved cliffs, sea arches, stone pillars and reefs over 16 km. You can see it from the sea on the Omijima sightseeing boat, or from land on the Omijima nature trail. The water is very clear, and it is also popular as a diving spot.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagato, YamaguchiOmijima Sightseeing BoatOmijima, on the Sea of Japan side of Yamaguchi, is called the "Alps on the sea" for its grand natural beauty, with emerald-green sea, strange rocks, sea caves and sheer cliffs. Omijima Kankokisen runs sightseeing boats that let you enjoy this nature up close, and if the waves are calm the boat can even enter the caves.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYamaguchi, YamaguchiRurikoji Temple Five-storied Pagoda (Kozan Park)The National Treasure Rurikoji Five-storied Pagoda, counted among Japan's three famous pagodas, is said to be the masterpiece of the Ouchi culture that flourished in Yamaguchi, where Ouchi Hiroyo, the 24th head of the Ouchi clan in the Muromachi period, built a city modelled on Kyoto. Kozan Park, which takes about an hour and a half to walk, is known for cherry blossoms, plums and autumn leaves. The re-roofing of the cypress-bark roof, the first in about 70 years, has finished and the whole pagoda can be seen again.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagato, YamaguchiRyugu no Shiofuki (Blowhole)A blowhole where waves rush into a hole just 1 m high and 20 cm wide near the water at the foot of a cliff, and air compressed in the cavity behind shoots seawater upward. It is on a sea cliff about 500 m northwest of Tsuki village; the rougher the sea, the higher the spray, which can reach 30 m.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: 吉田宅浪 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Nagato, YamaguchiSenjojiki HighlandA grassy plateau 333 m above sea level, with a grand panorama of islands in the Sea of Japan and the endless sea and sky below: "a great hall overlooking the Sea of Japan". Crinum lilies, azaleas, camellias and sasanqua colour the highland through the seasons, and on summer nights you can see the lights of fishing boats. It is also popular as a campsite.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShimonoseki, YamaguchiShimonoseki Aquarium KaikyokanAn aquarium with a dolphin and sea lion show and fugu exhibits unique to Shimonoseki. New areas include "Fugu-pedia" on the charms of pufferfish and "Hireashi Beach" modelled on a sea lion beach, plus a large tank recreating the currents of the Kanmon Straits and "Penguin Village", one of Japan's largest penguin exhibits. It displays a genuine full blue whale skeleton, one of only a few in the world.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: そらみみ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Hagi, YamaguchiShoka Sonjuku AcademyA World Heritage private school where Yoshida Shoin taught, producing many leaders of the late Edo period; the building of the time survives. It began as a school in the home of Shoin's uncle Tamaki Bunnoshin, and in 1857 the 28-year-old Shoin took it over. In just over a year he trained many talents of the Meiji Restoration, such as Kusaka Genzui, Takasugi Shinsaku, Ito Hirobumi and Yamagata Aritomo. The wooden building stands where it did then and can be viewed from outside.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Sanjo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Hagi, YamaguchiSusa HornfelsA cliff on the coast of Kita-Nagato Kaigan Quasi-National Park, formed about 15 million years ago under the heat of magma: layers of sand and mud were intruded by hot gabbro and metamorphosed. Its striped layers of grey-white and black, about 12 m high, are among "Japan's 100 geological sites". You can walk down the path to look up at the rock from below. From May to October the Susa Bay sightseeing boat runs.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACNagato, YamaguchiTaineiji TempleA leading Soto Zen temple said to have been founded in 1410 by the deputy governor Washizu Hirotada; its formal name is Zuiun Banzaizan Taineigokoku Zenji. Founded in the Muromachi period, it flourished so much it was called "the Koya of the west", and it is known as the place where the Ouchi clan, who rooted Kyoto-style culture in Yamaguchi, came to their end. Nagato Yumoto Onsen was found by a priest of the temple following an oracle of the Sumiyoshi deity, and the temple still owns the source. The grounds, with the Banjaku Bridge and mossy sixteen arhats, are famous for cherry blossoms and autumn leaves.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACUbe, YamaguchiTokiwa ParkA large park of 189 ha (about 40 Tokyo Domes) around Lake Tokiwa. About 3,500 cherry trees and some 20,000 irises, azaleas and hydrangeas bloom here, and it includes the "Tokiwa Zoo", where animals can be seen in natural surroundings, the "Botanical Garden to Travel the World" and the "Tokiwa Amusement Park" with a Ferris wheel. It also has outdoor sculptures from the "UBE Biennale", and since October 2023 a "Lance of Longinus" from "Neon Genesis Evangelion", over 7 m long, has been standing in the park.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShimonoseki, YamaguchiTsunoshima Lighthouse and ParkA park at the western tip of Tsunoshima with the first Western-style lighthouse on the Sea of Japan coast. The stone lighthouse was first lit in 1876 and is still in service; it is one of only 16 lighthouses in Japan you can climb, by 105 spiral steps and a ladder, for a 360-degree view.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACShimonoseki, YamaguchiTsunoshima Ohashi BridgeTsunoshima Ohashi often appears in TV commercials and as a filming location; the superb view of white beaches and cobalt-blue sea became a talking point on social media. At 1,780 m it is one of the longest toll-free public road bridges in Japan. Cycling or walking while looking at the sea is recommended; on clear summer days in particular, the contrast of the blue sea, white road and green island is beautiful.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYanai, YamaguchiYanai White-walled TownscapeEdo-period merchant houses line both sides of a stone-paved street about 200 m long, keeping the look of a commercial town that prospered as the "storehouse of the Iwakuni domain". The local craft "Yanai goldfish lanterns" sway under the eaves; there are merchant houses that are Important Cultural Properties, facilities to try traditional crafts, and cafes.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYamaguchi, YamaguchiYuda OnsenAlso called "the bath of the white fox" from the legend of an injured white fox healing its wounds here. With plentiful hot water, the town has many casual foot baths. About 40 minutes from Yamaguchi Ube Airport and about 20 minutes from JR Shin-Yamaguchi Station, it has good access in every direction, to Iwakuni in the east, Akiyoshidai and Shimonoseki in the west and Hagi and Nagato in the north, and is popular as a base for sightseeing.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
Photo: ajari / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Fujikawaguchiko, YamanashiAokigahara ForestA forest on the north-west foot of Mt. Fuji, about 3,000 hectares, formed on lava that flowed in the Jogan eruption of 864. Trees spread their roots over the uneven lava layer, a distinctive sight, and lava caves such as the Fugaku Wind Cave and Narusawa Ice Cave are scattered through it; there are maintained trails and guided tours.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiFuji Oishi Hana TerraceA lakeside shopping area of white-walled buildings and stone paths by Lake Kawaguchi, with shops for sweets, crafts and Yamanashi products; the adjoining Oishi Park has seasonal flower fields such as lavender. Entry and parking are free.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: さかおり / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Fujikawaguchiko, YamanashiGreat Cedar of ShojiA giant cedar in the grounds of Shoji Suwa Shrine, said to be about 1,200 years old, with a trunk about 12 m round; a National Natural Monument revered as a sacred tree by the local community.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKofu, YamanashiKai Zenkoji TempleA Jodo-school temple in Zenkoji, Kofu, founded by Takeda Shingen. Its main hall and gate are Important Cultural Properties. The main hall, built in shumoku style, measures about 38 m east to west, 23 m north to south and 26 m high, one of the largest wooden buildings in eastern Japan.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiKawaguchiko Momiji CorridorA famous autumn-leaf spot along the Nashi River by Lake Kawaguchi, where about 150 maples line both banks; during the Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival they are lit up at night, and on clear days you can see Mt. Fuji through the leaves.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiKawaguchiko Museum of ArtA lakeside museum collecting paintings, prints and photographs of Mt. Fuji, with four special exhibitions a year and a lounge overlooking Lake Kawaguchi.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Yamaguchi Yoshiaki / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0Fujikawaguchiko, YamanashiKawaguchiko Music Forest MuseumA museum on the north shore of Lake Kawaguchi with automatic musical instruments and music boxes from the 19th and early 20th centuries, live demonstrations, and a European-style garden from which Mt. Fuji can be seen on clear days.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiKawaguchiko Nature Living CenterA facility in Oishi Park facing Mt. Fuji across Lake Kawaguchi, visited by people from Japan and abroad to photograph the lake and mountain together on clear days. The shop sells jams and other products made from local farm produce, and the cafe serves soft-serve ice cream and light meals; entry is free.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKoshu, YamanashiKentokuzan Erinji TempleThe family temple of Takeda Shingen, where his grave is found. It holds many Takeda-related cultural properties, such as Shingen's helmet and war fan and the "Sonshi flag" famous for "Furinkazan"; the four-legged gate and two swords are Important Cultural Properties, and there are many prefectural cultural properties. Cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves are worth seeing, and at the Erinji Garden behind the main hall, laid out by Muso Kokushi and a national Place of Scenic Beauty, you can relax over matcha.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFujiyoshida, YamanashiKitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen ShrineA shrine with over 1,900 years of history and part of the Mt. Fuji World Heritage site, approached through tall cedars to the Fujisan Otorii, one of Japan's largest wooden torii; the Yoshida Fire Festival is held here on August 26-27.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Yoshio Kohara / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (resized)Minobu, YamanashiMinobusan Kuonji TempleThe head temple of the Nichiren school, founded by Nichiren in the Kamakura period, and a spiritual home for his followers, with worshippers every day. The weeping cherry in the grounds is said to be 400 years old, and the site of the hermitage where Nichiren lived for nine years and the colourful maples at his mausoleum are well known. It holds the national treasure "Kempon Chakushoku Kakei Sansui-zu" and many prefectural cultural properties.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Koda6029 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Nirasaki, YamanashiMt. AmariOne of the "100 mountains of Yamanashi", a foothill of the Southern Alps' Hoo Sanzan in western Nirasaki. The summit is about 30 minutes from the Amariyama Hirogawara car park at the trailhead, and the arbour about 5 minutes from the trailhead is a Mt. Fuji viewpoint. From early to mid June a sea of Japanese azaleas (renge-tsutsuji) is in full bloom.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Indiana jo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Fujikawaguchiko, YamanashiMt. Fuji World Heritage Centre, YamanashiA free centre near the Fuji Subaru Line entrance explaining Mt. Fuji's nature, culture and faith across a north and south building, with the large washi-paper model "Fugaku 360" lit to show the seasons and nature films in English and Chinese.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACYamanashi, YamanashiNishizawa Gorge and Nanatsugama Godan FallsA scenic gorge in Chichibu-Tama National Park, with a maintained trekking course and many waterfalls large and small, starting with "Nanatsugama Godan no Taki". Many visitors come for the rhododendrons in early summer, the fresh green and the autumn leaves. It has been selected as a Forest Therapy Base and one of the 100 forests for forest bathing. The 10 km loop takes about 4 hours, and Nanatsugama Godan Falls is a 2-hour walk from the Nishizawa Keikoku entrance.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiOishi ParkA lakeside park on the north shore of Lake Kawaguchi with views of Mt. Fuji across the lake, known as a photo spot where lake and mountain overlap. Lavender blooms in early summer and red kochia lines the park in autumn; paths include a flower avenue about 350 m long.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: lumoplank / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)Oshino, YamanashiOshino Hakkai SpringsEight spring-fed ponds formed by rain and snow on Mt. Fuji that seeps through the ground for over 20 years; a component of the Mt. Fuji World Heritage site, designated a Natural Monument in Showa 9 and one of Japan's 100 best waters in Showa 60; it was also a sacred site for Fuji-ko pilgrims.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiSaiko Bird Forest ParkA park on the west shore of Lake Sai surrounded by the Aokigahara forest, home to about 60 kinds of wild birds, where the Saiko Ice Festival displays ice sculptures, lit up at night, from late January to around February 11.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Masanori88 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Fujikawaguchiko, YamanashiSaiko Iyashi-no-Sato NenbaA village of restored thatched-roof farmhouses, rebuilt on the site of the old Nenba hamlet lost in a 1966 typhoon, with craft workshops (incense, glass), costume dressing and, on clear days, views of Mt. Fuji over the thatched roofs.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFujiyoshida, YamanashiSuwa-no-Mori Nature Park (Fuji Pines Park)A park with a green lawn facing Mt. Fuji, good for picnics, where large red pines grow in clusters, some over 30 m tall.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACKofu, YamanashiTakeda ShrineA shrine dedicated to Takeda Shingen, the warlord of Kai Province. It was founded in 1919 on the site of Tsutsujigasaki Yakata (the Takeda clan residence), where three generations of the Takeda, Nobutora, Shingen and Katsuyori, governed for more than 60 years. The moats, earthen walls, stone walls and old wells of that time remain, and the treasure hall displays armour, helmets and swords linked to the Takeda, including the sword inscribed "Ichi", an Important Cultural Property. Trees donated from all over the prefecture change with the seasons.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
Photo: Yones / Wikimedia Commons, Public domainFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiTenka Chaya TeahouseA teahouse on the old road over Misaka Pass with views of Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi, a view long counted among the "three great views of Mt. Fuji". It serves local dishes such as hoto noodle hotpot, amazake and potato dumplings, and on the second floor a reconstruction of the room where Dazai Osamu stayed and wrote is free to visit for diners.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
Photo: Photo ACFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiYagisaki ParkA lakeside park on the south shore of Lake Kawaguchi with a walking path, lawns and, on clear days, views of Mt. Fuji; cherry blossoms in spring and lavender from mid-June to mid-July.Official check: 26 Sept 2026- No photo yetNagakute, AichiGhibli ParkA park facility expressing the worlds of Studio Ghibli films, opened on November 1, 2022 inside Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park (Morikoro Park). It has five areas: Ghibli's Grand Warehouse, Hill of Youth and Dondoko Forest opened first, Valley of Mononoke in November 2023 and Valley of Witches in March 2024. You walk the existing forests and paths on your own feet to experience the films' worlds.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNagoya, AichiLEGOLAND JapanAn outdoor kids' theme park opened on April 1, 2017 at Kinjo Pier in Nagoya, aimed at families with children aged 2 to 12. Its eight themed areas use about 17 million LEGO bricks and about 10,000 LEGO models, with more than 40 attractions, shows and theatres. On the LEGO Factory Tour you see how bricks are made, and the Observation Tower looks over the park from about 60 m.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetInuyama, AichiLittle World Museum of ManAn open-air museum in Inuyama on the theme of homes and lifestyles around the world. In the outdoor area, 31 buildings from 23 countries and regions, including an Ainu house, a house from Ishigaki Island, and houses from Indonesia, Nepal, Peru and Alsace in France, have been moved or reconstructed and are open inside. The main hall shows about 6,000 items from ethnographic materials collected in over 70 countries. You can try on traditional costumes, and food from each country is also popular.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
- No photo yetInuyama, AichiMuseum Meiji-muraAn open-air museum displaying more than 60 historic buildings, mainly from the Meiji era. It was opened in 1965 by two schoolmates, the architect Yoshiro Taniguchi and Motoo Tsuchikawa, then president of Nagoya Railroad, to save Meiji buildings disappearing in the years of rapid growth, and marked its 50th anniversary in 2015. The most popular building is the central entrance of the Imperial Hotel, completed in 1923 and designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, which took about 17 years to reconstruct. It is also a location for films and NHK morning dramas. The site is very large; as a guide, seeing only the Important Cultural Properties takes about 3.5 hours.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNagoya, AichiToyotomi MuseumA complex opened to mark the 2026 taiga drama "Toyotomi Kyodai!", including the "Toyotomi Kyodai! Nagoya Nakamura Taiga Drama Hall". It shows costumes and props used in the drama, local feature panels and original videos, with a museum shop of Nagoya souvenirs and an exhibit on "Sengoku meals x Nagoya meals". It is open for a limited period, from January 24, 2026 to January 11, 2027.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAkita, AkitaAkita City Folk Performing Arts Hall "Neburi Nagashi Kan"A city museum of Akita's festivals where anyone can try balancing a real Kanto festival lantern pole, with live Kanto performances on weekends from April to October.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAkita, AkitaAkita Dog StationA place to meet Akita dogs in "Area Nakaichi", a short walk from Akita Station; the dogs are shown on Saturdays and Sundays. To avoid stressing the dogs you may not touch them, but photos are allowed. The station also serves as a training place for Akita dogs rescued after being abandoned, and part of the sales of its goods goes to protecting Akita dogs.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSemboku, AkitaKakunodate Kabazaiku DenshokanA city craft museum in Kakunodate with live demonstrations of kabazaiku cherry-bark craft, displays of bark and maple-strip crafts, and armour of the Satake-Kita family.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetYuzawa, AkitaKawatsura Lacquerware Traditional Crafts CenterA crafts center for Kawatsura lacquerware, with 800 years of history: over 800 pieces for sale on the 1st floor, a history museum on the 2nd, and chinkin and maki-e workshops (2,750 yen per person for 3 or more).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOga, AkitaOga Seafood MarketA seafood market with a wide range of seafood from Oga, with a restaurant attached. It serves hearty seafood bowls and set meals; the "Kaiho-don" piled with shrimp, sea urchin and salmon roe and the "Kaisen Teishoku", limited to 10 a day, are popular.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOdate, AkitaShibata Yoshinobu Shoten, Wappa Building Store: Odate MagewappaA shop and gallery for Odate magewappa, bent cedar boxes, 3 minutes on foot from Odate Station; you can make a round bento box (8,800 yen) or a bread plate (4,950 yen) with a craftsman's tools, by phone reservation.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetHachinohe, AomoriMutsu-Minato Station Morning MarketHachinohe's kitchen, a morning market that starts at 3 a.m. in front of Mutsu-Minato Station, Monday to Saturday; you can eat what you buy inside the city fish market.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetChiba, ChibaForest Adventure ChibaA park where you can enjoy rich natural scenery, with the concept of "building the park using the forest as it is", without large-scale development. Courses and facilities for playing actively on the rolling Hokuso plateau are divided into two levels: on the harder "Adventure Course" the popular zip slide runs up to 120 m between the trees, while the easier "Canopy Course" can be enjoyed by families of all ages.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNoda, ChibaGlicopia CHIBAAn ice-cream factory tour facility where you can see how popular Glico products such as Papico and Seventeen Ice are made. In the theatre room a 200-inch screen shows how ice cream is made, and the clean room, ageing tanks and giant freezer let you learn with all five senses. After touring the production line there is a Papico tasting, and ice-cream making is available for a fee. You can also pose with the 5 m "Goal-in mark", Glico's trademark.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKatori, ChibaKoedo Sawara Boat TourA boat tour to gently view Sawara's townscape, an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings where the Edo atmosphere remains. The "koedo" scenery seen from the Ono River differs from what you see on foot; the ride takes about 30 minutes and the boatman's guide is one of the highlights. The landing, a "dashi" loading dock, is in front of the former residence of Ino Tadataka, next to the Toyohashi bridge, whose water falls every 30 minutes. In winter the boats have kotatsu.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKisarazu, ChibaMichi-no-Eki Kisarazu Umakuta no SatoThe first roadside station to greet you after crossing the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line, the gateway to Boso. A hands-on "food theme park" with about 2,000 products including local specialities, it sells seasonal vegetables and fruit grown by local farmers all year round, and many products made with Chiba peanuts. The cafe restaurant "&TREE", produced by the popular "Noen Cafe", serves udon and one-plate dishes with plenty of local Kazusa vegetables.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMatsuyama, EhimeDogo Haikara-dori Shopping StreetA shopping street next to the Dogo Onsen Honkan, known as "Dogo Haikara-dori", lined with souvenir shops and restaurants for visitors, many open from 9:00 in the morning to 22:00. It links the Honkan and Dogo Onsen Station, and in true spa-town style you can stroll in a yukata. A stamp rally, "Dogo-mura Meguri", gives an honorary villager certificate, a Dogo Onsen bath ticket and a souvenir for collecting all 30 stamps.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetImabari, EhimeHakata Salt Omishima FactoryThe factory of "Hakata no Shio", a flavourful salt that keeps some bittern. A viewing corridor shows the process from dissolving imported sun-dried sea salt in Japanese seawater and removing impurities to drying and packing, and the entrance has the "Hakata no Shio chime" that plays the melody from the TV advertisement. The lobby has a corner to taste weak salt water and salt experiments, and a recreation of the former flow-down salt field with branch racks can be seen on the grounds.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetImabari, EhimeImabari Towel Main Store & LABA base for sharing the "safe, secure, high quality" of Imabari Towel. The official shop "Imabari Towel Honten" stocks about 20,000 items of about 400 types from about 30 companies, all certified Imabari Towel products; it was renewed in spring 2017 with space design by creative director Kashiwa Sato on the concept of an "Imabari Towel Factory". At the adjoining "Imabari Towel LAB" you can experience the towels' qualities, such as the 5-second water-absorption rule, try towel weaving and watch looms demonstrated.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMatsuyama, EhimeKashima Island (Matsuyama)A small island about 1.5 km around, called "the Enoshima of Iyo", where real deer greet you when you step off the ferry with its deer figure. The island has a beach, a campsite and Kashima Shrine associated with the Kono navy; paths run along the shore and up to the summit observatory, which looks over the Hiuchi Sea. Offshore to the west, the Tamari and Kando islets are called "the Futami of Iyo", and a sightseeing boat circles the island.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMatsuyama, EhimeMatsuyama Ropeway Shopping StreetA shopping street right at the foot of Matsuyama Castle, leading to the ropeway, with stylish shops in a calm townscape built on the concept of "nagomi" (harmony). There are many shops for Ehime food and souvenirs, such as Uwajima's "tai-meshi" (sea bream rice) and Imabari Towel, and the tap that pours out mandarin juice is well received by visitors. It is one of the few barrier-free shopping streets in Japan.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetShikokuchuo, EhimeMichi-no-Eki Kiri no MoriA roadside station across a red truss bridge over the clear Umatate River, with a confectionery workshop selling local Shingu tea and the "Kiri no Mori Daifuku", a tea café, a Shingu tea tasting corner, a restaurant with tea soba and fresh oboro tofu, a hot spring and cottages. The matcha daifuku, filled with red-bean paste and cream in rice cake kneaded with Shingu matcha, is its most popular souvenir.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNiihama, EhimeMichi-no-Eki Minetopia BesshiA roadside station on Prefectural Road 47 with a mine theme park on the site of the last mining headquarters of the Besshi Copper Mine: a mine railway recreating Japan's first mountain mining railway and a sightseeing tunnel, a gold-panning park, a hot-spring facility with open-air baths and bedrock baths, and an indoor children's play facility. It is also the starting point of the scheduled tour bus to Tonaru, "the Machu Picchu of the East".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetImabari, EhimeMichi-no-Eki Tatara Shimanami ParkA roadside station at the foot of the Tatara Bridge, one of the world's largest cable-stayed bridges, a fine viewpoint for looking up at the bridge with the Seto Inland Sea before you. The speciality centre sells island products and processed seafood, and the restaurant serves dishes made with fresh local ingredients such as Omishima flatfish. Nearby are bicycle rentals, a campsite and a hot spring, making it a base for sightseeing on Omishima.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSaijo, Ehimemont-bell Outdoor Oasis IshizuchiAt the roadside station "Komatsu Oasis", next to the Ishizuchisan service area on the Matsuyama Expressway. The mont-bell store at its centre stocks gear for climbing, kayaking, cycling and camping, with an indoor climbing wall usable in any weather and a visitor centre for mountain information; a produce market, a campsite and the "Tsubaki Onsen Komatsu" bath with a view of the Seto Inland Sea are nearby, making it a base for activities in the Ishizuchi area.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIyo, EhimeNakayama Chestnut CenterA speciality centre selling products made with Nakayama's local chestnuts, surrounded by nature; the aroma of chestnuts roasting at the shop front fills the air. Inside are manju, cakes and candied chestnuts, and the chestnut "shibukawa-ni" (simmered in their inner skins) is especially popular. The next-door produce market sells fresh vegetables and home-made dishes from local residents.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAinan, EhimeNishiumi Glass-bottom Boats "Yumekaina" and "Gaiyana"Sightseeing boats from the Senohama waiting room at the southern tip of Ehime, across a road overlooking the ria coast. The "boats where you can see the sea bottom" run all year with no booking needed, and you may see tropical fish gathering around coral and shoals of silver fish. In summer you can cross to the uninhabited island of Kashima and try "Sea Walker" undersea walking without a licence.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSaijo, EhimeTanbara General Park (Saijo)A park on Mt. Ofude overlooking the Hiuchi Sea, built on the site of Mimigane Castle, a residence of the Kono clan. It has a play area with a roller slide, net climbing, ball pool and trampolines, walking paths, a multipurpose field and tennis courts, and the play area looks out over Saijo City. Cherry blossoms bloom in spring.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTobe, EhimeTobe Tokaido Yutori ParkA park full of Tobe's greenery and pleasant breezes, with the "Wanpaku Hiroba" stocked with unusual bicycles, a roller slide and "Asunaro-yama", a hill with a view over the whole park. On holidays many families come to play and eat packed lunches.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKatsuyama, FukuiDinosaur Museum Field StationOpened in July 2014 at Kitadani in Katsuyama, Japan's largest dinosaur-fossil excavation site. It has three zones: an observation area where you can watch excavation up close with a guide explaining the strata, an exhibition hall on fossils found here and the history of the survey, and a fossil-digging area where you split rocks brought from the site. It is visited by tour on a dedicated bus from the Dinosaur Museum.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetEchizen, FukuiEchizen Soba no SatoA soba-making experience facility run directly by an old-established noodle maker in the birthplace of Echizen soba, which produces about 50,000 servings a day. Careful instruction using monitors lets first-timers and children take part, and you can eat the soba straight after making it. You can also watch the production process through glass and learn the history of Echizen soba in the archive; Takefu Seimen marked its 100th anniversary in January 2025.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTsuruga, FukuiFormer Hokuriku Line TunnelsThe Tsuruga-Fukui section of the former Hokuriku Line opened in 1896 (Meiji 29). On the Tsuruga-Imajo stretch, with its steep mountains and slopes, 12 tunnels were dug, 11 of which still remain; along with embankments, bridges and culverts, many railway heritage structures of the time pass on the best of Meiji civil engineering.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOno, FukuiFormer Tamura Samurai ResidenceThe residence of the Tamura family, chief retainers of the Ono domain, a city-designated cultural property. The main house, built in 1827, is one of the few samurai houses left in the prefecture. The artificial hill east of the garden is said to be a surviving part of the earthwork Kanamori Nagachika, builder of Echizen Ono Castle, had made along the outer moat against invaders. For a limited period a colourful pinwheel shelf is set up, a popular photo spot.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetEchizen, FukuiGotanjoji Temple (Cat Temple)A Soto Zen temple in a quiet valley in Echizen city, dedicated to monks' training. It is known as the "Cat Temple": it took in cats with nowhere to go, and about 30 cats now live here. There are beckoning-cat fortune slips, cat goshuin books and cat-covered goshuin stamps, and many cat lovers visit. Around the cats' feeding times, 8:00 and about 15:30, are recommended.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTsuruga, FukuiKani Factory KouragumiJapan's first crab "open factory" where you can tour a crab-processing plant; parking and entry are free. You can learn about crab ecology along a passage and watch crabs being processed, and there are a souvenir corner, food court and restaurant, an all-weather indoor kids' land and an outdoor air dome and lawn. Hands-on corners include making your own cut raw snow crab and shelling boiled crab.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKatsuyama, FukuiKatsuyama Dino ParkA walk-through amusement facility in the Katsuyama Dinosaur Forest: a 1.7 ha adventure attraction about 600 m long, where a total of 87 life-size dinosaur robots that move and roar welcome you.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOno, FukuiLake KuzuryuAn artificial lake created by building a rock-fill dam of piled rocks. The "Yume no Kakehashi" bridge, built as a test case for the Seto-Ohashi Bridge, blends into the mountain scenery and the wide dam lake. Rich nature shows its beauty in every season.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTsuruga, FukuiNihonkai Sakana-machi Fish MarketA market lined with souvenir shops selling popular seafood and many other goods, and restaurants serving seafood, visited every day by many people from inside and outside the prefecture.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSakai, FukuiShibamasa WorldA large leisure land of 560,000 m2 overlooking the Sea of Japan. The hands-on "Dinosaur Forest" area opened in 2024, "Kids Paradise" is an all-weather three-storey indoor amusement park, and in summer a pool with about 50 kinds of slides opens, lit up at night. There are also a campsite and ground golf.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIkeda, FukuiTree Picnic Adventure IkedaOne of Japan's largest adventure forests, in the woods of the Shizuhara area of Ikeda: the "Mega Zipline", about 1 km long, lets you fly with a bird's-eye view, and the "Adventure Park" is a walk through the treetops. In April 2023 the "Coventure Park" area opened, where you can play without reservation or height limit, with the "Snake Line" monorail and "Kinoko no Mura" play equipment; you can also stay in log houses, cabins, tree tents and tree houses.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetWakasa, FukuiUriwari Falls (Wakasa Uriwari Meisui Park)"Uriwari Falls", one of Japan's 100 best waters, named because the water is so cold it could split a melon. The surrounding forest, with light filtering through trees and moss on the rocks, is magical, and the park has 10,000 hydrangeas, cherries and maples for the seasons.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetWakasa, FukuiWakasa Mikata Jomon MuseumA museum on Jomon culture centred on finds from the Torihama shell mound in Wakasa. In a building modelled on the belly of a clay figurine, it shows a dugout canoe, Jomon pottery, stone tools, wooden objects, seeds and bones; the Jomon plaza outside has reconstructed pit dwellings. A combined ticket with the neighbouring Varve Museum is available.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFukui, FukuiYokokan GardenA Japanese stroll garden with shoin-style buildings around a large pond, 10 minutes on foot from Fukui Station. Originally a villa of the Matsudaira lords of the Fukui domain, built from the early to late Edo period and called "Osensui Yashiki", it was named Yokokan by Matsudaira Shungaku in 1884. The buildings burned in the Fukui air raid; after designation as a national Place of Scenic Beauty in 1982 it was restored from an 1823 plan and opened in 1993. It regularly ranks high in the Journal of Japanese Gardening's rankings.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFukuoka, FukuokaNakasu River CruiseCruises showing Fukuoka's streets from the water, departing from the "Fukuhaku Deai Bridge" in Tenjin Central Park. The "Nakasu Cruise" (about 30 minutes) passes the yatai stalls along the Naka River, Canal City Hakata, the Red Brick Culture Hall and Hakata Port Tower; the "Hakata Bay Cruise" (about 45 minutes, two sailings from evening) takes in the bay, the sunset and the night view.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKitakyushu, FukuokaTanga MarketA market with 100 years of history, said to have begun in the Taisho period as a landing place for fish, and loved as "Kitakyushu's kitchen". Fresh local vegetables and fruit, fish, homemade side dishes and the local traditional dish "nukadaki" are packed along its lanes.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetChikujo, FukuokaWhite Red Spider Lilies at ShokojiAbout 10,000 white spider lilies (higanbana) bloom in the grounds of Furozan Shokoji in the Denboji district of Chikujo and the adjoining park. The area is surrounded by deep woods, and the contrast of white and green is beautiful; red and yellow ones can also be seen, and they usually peak around the autumn equinox.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAizuwakamatsu, FukushimaHoshiban Picture Candle ShopA picture-candle shop on Nanukamachi founded in 1772 as craftsmen to the Aizu domain, where flowers are hand-painted on candles and you can try painting your own (booking required).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIwaki, FukushimaIwaki City Coal and Fossil Museum "Horuru"A museum of the Joban coalfield and local fossils, including the Futaba suzukiryu plesiosaur that inspired Pisuke in the Doraemon film, with a mock mine tunnel.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIwaki, FukushimaIwaki City Nakoso-no-Seki Museum of Literature and HistoryThe Nakoso Barrier was the subject of poems by famous poets such as Ki no Tsurayuki, Ono no Komachi, Izumi Shikibu and the monk Saigyo. This museum shows their works, a reconstruction of a post town, and literary and historical materials linked to the area, with a bronze statue of the Heian warrior Minamoto no Yoshiie, who wrote "Fuku kaze wo nakoso no seki to omoedomo...". The grounds form Nakoso-no-Seki Park, with walking paths and "Suifuden", a reconstruction in shinden style, which is free to visit and rest in.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIwaki, FukushimaIwaki Earthquake Disaster Memorial MuseumOpened on May 30, 2020, this facility preserves and displays materials on the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and hosts talks by storytellers, to pass on the memory and lessons of the disaster, share the progress of recovery and support rebuilding across the city. It has panels on the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident and on recovery, real items such as a blackboard from the damaged former Toyoma Junior High School, and a VR recreation of the tsunami. The "Iwaki Storytellers Association" gives regular talks.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIwaki, FukushimaIwaki La La MewA roadside station in Onahama, Iwaki's tourism and local-produce centre, with a seafood market street, seafood restaurants on two floors (the 2nd floor facing the Pacific) and a barbecue zone.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFukushima, FukushimaShiki no Sato (Fukushima City Rural Manufacture Park)A large rural park designed after medieval Europe, opened in July 1995. It has a craft hall where you can paint kokeshi dolls, a farm market, a garden cafe (weekends), a water mill, a woodland square, a herb garden, and outdoor play facilities such as a splash pond, battery cars and rope climbing. The rose garden, with old roses and more, is at its best from early June, and there is an illumination from mid-January to early February. Entry is free.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIwaki, FukushimaSpa Resort HawaiiansA hot-spring resort with indoor pools and baths kept at summer temperatures year-round.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetShirakawa, GifuGassho-zukuri Minka-en Open-air MuseumAn open-air museum preserving and showing 22 buildings, including 9 designated Gifu Prefecture Important Cultural Properties; besides farmhouses there are a shrine, a temple main hall and a watermill, and you can see the houses right up into the roof space. From April to October there are paid workshops such as soba making and straw crafts (booking required).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTakayama, GifuHie ShrineA shrine enshrining Oyamakui-no-kami and ten other deities, once protected as the guardian shrine of Takayama Castle; it is the site of the rites of the spring Takayama Festival (Sanno Festival), and the great cedar over 1,000 years old in front of the worship hall is a prefectural natural monument.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTakayama, GifuMiyagawa Morning MarketA morning market held every day on the east bank of the Miyagawa River, from Kajibashi Bridge to Yayoibashi Bridge; stalls stretching about 700 metres sell local vegetables and fruit, mountain vegetables, pickles, folk crafts and seasonal flowers.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetShirakawa, GifuMyozenji Temple Folk MuseumA Shinshu Otani-ha temple in the village whose main hall, priests' quarters and bell tower are all in gassho-zukuri style, which is unlike anywhere else; the main hall has sliding-door paintings by Hamada Taisuke, and the irori hearth is lit every day.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNakatsugawa, GifuNakatsugawa-juku (Nakasendo Post Town)The 45th post town from Edo on the Nakasendo, keeping the atmosphere of the Edo period. Behind the Nakasendo History Museum is the waki-honjin (sub-inn for dignitaries), open to visitors; the udatsu firewalls of this once-thriving merchant town seem to compete with each other. On the first Sunday of every month except January, the "Rokusai-ichi" market is held.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMotosu, GifuNeodani Usuzumi-zakura Cherry TreeA lone cherry tree more than 1,500 years old, said to have been planted by Emperor Keitai. Its pale pink buds turn white in full bloom and a pale ink colour as the petals fall, which is said to be the origin of the name "usuzumi" (pale ink). At 17.3 m tall with a trunk 9.4 m round, it is counted with the Yamataka Jindai-zakura in Yamanashi and the Miharu Takizakura in Fukushima as one of the three great cherry trees of Japan, and is a national natural monument.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
- No photo yetHigashiagatsuma, GunmaAgatsuma Gorge Rail Bike "A-Gattan!""A-Gattan" is a way to take in Agatsuma Gorge, a valley of about 2.5 km along the Agatsuma River spanning Higashiagatsuma and Naganohara. It is a pedal-powered trolley on part of the old JR Agatsuma Line, rerouted for the Yamba Dam, following the "lost line" above a nationally designated scenic gorge. The one-way gorge course of about 2.4 km from Agatsuma Gorge to Yamba Dam passes farmland and the "Tarusawa Tunnel", once said to be Japan's shortest railway tunnel.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetShibukawa, GunmaHara Museum ARCA museum 5 minutes from Ikaho Onsen showing contemporary art (Kusama, Nara, Warhol) and East Asian antiques including National Treasures, with outdoor works in the garden and a building by Pritzker Prize winner Arata Isozaki.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKanra, GunmaKonnyaku ParkA konnyaku factory where you can watch konjac, shirataki noodles and jelly being made for free, then try a konnyaku buffet and make your own konnyaku jelly.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKawaba, GunmaMichi-no-Eki Kawaba Denen PlazaA roadside station at the foot of Mt. Hotaka with a farmers' market of local vegetables and fruit, restaurants using local produce, a bakery, a brewery, cafés and a day-use hot spring.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKusatsu, GunmaNetsunoyu Yumomi ShowA daily "yumomi and dance" show in the Taisho-romantic Netsunoyu hall, presenting Kusatsu's tradition of cooling the spring water, too hot to bathe in as it is.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKusatsu, GunmaSainokawara Open-air BathOne of Japan's largest open-air baths, about 500 square metres for men and women together, set in the woods of Kusatsu with fresh greenery, autumn leaves or snow all around.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTomioka, GunmaTomioka Silk MillJapan's first full-scale machine silk-reeling mill, set up by the Meiji government in 1872 and a World Heritage Site since 2014, with timber-framed brick buildings including the East Cocoon Warehouse, a National Treasure.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFukuyama, HiroshimaFukuyama Castle MuseumThe museum in Fukuyama Castle, whose exhibits were fully renewed for the first time with the castle's major renovation, focusing on the history of the castle and the Fukuyama domain, with quiz corners and hands-on content. It is 5 minutes on foot from JR Fukuyama Station.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFukuyama, HiroshimaFukuyama Family ParkThe park's symbol is the "Adventure Wanpaku Land" play complex, with four slides, three roller slides, a spiral slider and a Tarzan rope, hugely popular with children. There are also a peacock garden and a deer park, and families can bring lunch and spend a relaxed day.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetHiroshima, HiroshimaHiroshima City Museum of Contemporary ArtOpened on May 3, 1989 as Japan's first public museum devoted fully to contemporary art, on green Hijiyama Park overlooking the city. The building by the architect Kisho Kurokawa changes material from natural stone to tile to aluminum as it rises, expressing the passage of time and the development of civilization from past to future. "Hiroshima" is one of the key themes of its collection and exhibitions.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetHiroshima, HiroshimaHiroshima Museum of ArtOpened on November 3, 1978 by Hiroshima Bank to mark its centenary, under the theme "For love and peace of mind", as a place of joy and calm for a city rebuilt after the atomic bombing; it carries prayers for the victims and wishes for peace. The round, domed main gallery is modeled on the Atomic Bomb Dome, and the surrounding corridor on the corridors of Itsukushima Shrine. Van Gogh's "Daubigny's Garden" is one of its best-known works.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetSera, HiroshimaImakoyasan (Ryugeji Temple and Tanjo Shrine)A sacred site said to have been opened by Kobo Daishi (Kukai) about 1,200 years ago. Ryugeji Temple and Tanjo Shrine preserve the fusion of Shinto and Buddhism and are a prefectural historic site; in the Heian period this was the centre of the Ota estate of Mt. Koya. Cherry blossoms line the approach in spring, and in autumn the whole mountain around the Kono-ike pond turns red, with the vermilion Kono-hashi bridge. There is a cafe in a restored Edo-period temple lodging, walks to the Kojoyama observatory and the 88 stone Buddhas, and five National Important Cultural Properties.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKure, HiroshimaKure Bay Warship CruiseA cruise of about 35 minutes from Kure Port, once called "the finest naval port in the East" and now a Maritime Self-Defense Force base, to see active submarines and escort ships up close from the sea with a live guided commentary. The ships in port differ from day to day.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetHatsukaichi, HiroshimaMiyajima Omotesando Shopping StreetA shopping street about 350 m long leading to Itsukushima Shrine, lined with folk craft and souvenir shops selling Miyajima rice paddles and Miyajima carvings, restaurants serving local specialities made with oysters and conger eel, and momiji manju shops, some of which sell them freshly baked.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetHatsukaichi, HiroshimaMiyajima Public Aquarium "Miyajimarine"An aquarium on Miyajima inside the Setonaikai National Park, about five minutes' walk from the exit of Itsukushima Shrine. Its exhibits focus on the Seto Inland Sea, with more than 15,000 animals of 380 species, and its building was designed with a Japanese feel to blend into the island's scenery. The finless porpoise is a symbol of the aquarium. Note: it is closed from December 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetHiroshima, HiroshimaOkonomimuraA building where 25 well-known okonomiyaki restaurants gather, carrying on a history that began with post-war food stalls. Most seats are at counters around the iron griddle, where you can watch the cooks at work.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOnomichi, HiroshimaOld Temples Walking Course, OnomichiA stone-paved lane about 2 km long, taking about three hours on foot, from Jiko-ji near JR Onomichi Station east to Kairyu-ji, passing the main temples and shrines of old Onomichi and scenic spots that have appeared in films and TV. Stone posts along the way point to the next stop, so you can stroll without a map.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAkiota, HiroshimaSandankyo GorgeA great gorge about 16 km long in the Nishi-Chugoku Sanchi Quasi-National Park, with sights such as Kurobuchi, Saruto, Nidan-daki and Sandan-daki falls; it is also known for autumn leaves (around late October to late November). There are two ferry boats inside the gorge, Kurobuchi and Saruto.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetEsashi, HokkaidoEsashi Oiwake Hall and Float MuseumA hall in the old Kitamae-ship port of Esashi with live performances of the folk song Esashi Oiwake from late April to October, and a museum showing two of the 13 floats from the Ubagami Daijingu festival, Hokkaido's oldest.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKushiro, HokkaidoLake Akan Ainu Theater IkorAn indoor theatre in the Ainu village (kotan) at Lake Akan, where traditional Ainu dances and a digital-art performance are staged daily without booking.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMonbetsu, HokkaidoOkhotsk Sea Ice Museum of Hokkaido (GIZA)A hands-on science museum where you can touch about 100 tonnes of real drift ice in a -20°C room year-round, see Japan's largest collection of clione, and watch a 15 m 360-degree dome theatre.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAsahikawa, HokkaidoOtokoyama Sake Brewery MuseumA free museum of Otokoyama, a sake with over 350 years of history, brewed in Asahikawa with groundwater from the Daisetsuzan range; wooden casks and Edo-period ukiyo-e are on display.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKobe, HyogoArima Onsen Taiko no YuOne of western Japan's largest hot spring theme parks at Arima Onsen, one of Japan's three famous hot springs, with baths using Arima's two types of water, "kinsen" (gold) and "ginsen" (silver). Loungewear and towels are included in the price, so you can come empty-handed.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAsago, HyogoIkuno Silver MineOne of Japan's oldest mines, said to have begun in Daido 2 (807), directly controlled by Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Part of the tunnels, 350 km in total, can be walked, with figures showing Edo-period hand digging and modern machine mining; the tunnels stay at about 13°C all year. It is part of the Japan Heritage "Silver Wagon Road and Ore Road".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetHitachinaka, IbarakiHitachinaka Onsen Kirari BetteiA day-use hot-spring facility with a natural open-air bath overlooking fields and the Mito skyline, a high-concentration carbonated bath, bedrock sauna, restaurant and spa; primary-school children and up only.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTsukuba, IbarakiJAXA Tsukuba Space CenterJapan's space development base since 1972, where satellites and rockets are developed and tested, the Kibo module of the ISS is operated and astronauts are trained; the exhibition hall is free and guided tours can be booked.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetHitachinaka, IbarakiNakaminato Fish MarketA row of fish shops and seafood processors at Nakaminato port selling the local catch at low prices, with conveyor-belt sushi and restaurants on site; queues often form.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKasama, IbarakiShunpu Banri-soThe thatched farmhouse where Kitaoji Rosanjin lived, moved from Kita-Kamakura to Kasama and open to visitors, with a large garden; about 20 minutes on foot from Kasama Station.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKasama, IbarakiSudo Honke Sake BreweryA sake brewery founded in 1141 and now run by the 55th generation, described on the page as Japan's oldest; about 600 trees grow on the grounds, where cutting trees is forbidden.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOmitama, IbarakiTakano Foods Natto MuseumA free museum next to the factory of Takano Foods, maker of Okame natto, covering how natto was born, its history and legends, and soy foods around the world.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNaka, IbarakiTHE BOTANICAL RESORT RINNEThe Ibaraki Prefectural Botanical Garden in Naka reopened on November 29, 2025 as "THE BOTANICAL RESORT RINNE", which calls itself Japan's first "botanical garden you can stay in". It has glamping and cottages (45 units) in the greenery, a tropical plant house with about 23,000 plants of about 240 species in four zones and a "Vanilla Dome Cafe" with more than 50 vanilla trees, restaurants using Ibaraki produce, a hot-spring and sauna facility, and forest activities such as a tree adventure and a 150 m zip line.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetChikusei, IbarakiThe Hirosawa City "Yumenoba"A theme park in Chikusei with vehicles of land, sea, air and space on a vast 56,000 m2 site (about 1.2 Tokyo Domes). Its museum has impressive exhibits for all ages, such as classic cars, aircraft and rockets, and as it is indoors you can enjoy it all day even when it rains. Since August 2025 the Space Hall has shown items related to "Kibo", the Japanese module of the International Space Station, transferred from JAXA, including an external pallet that actually went to the station and came back on the Space Shuttle.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTsukuba, IbarakiTsukuba Wanwan LandAt the foot of Mt. Tsukuba, a theme park where 1,000 dogs and cats of 90 breeds live. Its symbol is "Mokkun", an 11 m wooden dog. The petting areas are divided into small breeds such as toy poodles, Pomeranians and pugs and large breeds such as Great Pyrenees, Akita and borzoi, where you can mingle freely with friendly dogs; you can also rent a dog for a walk in the park (1,000 yen for 20 minutes). There are dog race and performance shows, and cat lovers can relax with the cats in the "Neko House" (cat treats 200 yen).Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetYuki, IbarakiYuki City Traditional Crafts HallA free hall where you can watch and try weaving honba Yuki-tsumugi silk on the loom, and see a video of how it is made.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKanazawa, Ishikawa21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, KanazawaA circular glass museum by SANAA, conceived as "a museum open to the town like a park", collecting and showing contemporary art; Leandro Erlich's "Swimming Pool" is the best-known work, and the free exchange zone has permanent works.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKanazawa, IshikawaAme no Tawaraya (Traditional Candy Shop)Founded about 200 years ago, the candy shop with the longest history in Kanazawa. Its candy is made only from carefully selected domestic rice and barley, using clear underground water from Mt. Haku; the main shop building is a designated preserved building of Kanazawa City, and you can try filling a jar with "jiro-ame" syrup candy scooped with bamboo chopsticks.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKanazawa, IshikawaArt Path and Green PathThe stone-stepped "Art Path" between the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art and the Nakamura Memorial Museum runs beside the Tatsumi Canal flowing from Kenrokuen; the "Green Path" to the D.T. Suzuki Museum passes Honda Park, the old Honda family gate (a registered tangible cultural property) and the Shofukaku garden.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKanazawa, IshikawaD.T. Suzuki MuseumA museum on Kanazawa-born Buddhist philosopher D.T. Suzuki, designed by Yoshio Taniguchi, linking exhibition, learning and contemplation spaces by corridors around three gardens including the Water Mirror Garden.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKanazawa, IshikawaGold Leaf Workshop, Kanazawa KataniA gold-leaf application workshop where staff help until the end, so children and adults alike can take part; booking required.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKanazawa, IshikawaHakuichi Main Store HakukokanA hands-on facility where you can see, touch, buy and even eat Kanazawa gold leaf. The basement museum introduces its history and techniques, with a "Gold Leaf Room" of 10,000 sheets and projection mapping on armour; you can try gold-leaf application, and there is a cafe with gold-leaf soft-serve and a shop.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKanazawa, IshikawaKanazawa Port Cruise TerminalThe base for cruise ships, with a roof designed after the white waves of the Sea of Japan and a glass sea side overlooking the sea; it is lit up at night. Inside are a learning room with a ship-handling simulator and a restaurant overlooking Kanazawa Port.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKanazawa, IshikawaKazuemachi Chaya DistrictOne of Kanazawa's three teahouse districts with Higashi and Nishi, a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings with narrow lanes and latticed windows. It was named after the residence of Tomita Kazue in the Edo period and often appears in the works of Izumi Kyoka. Restaurants and teahouses line the Asano River, and the shamisen that can sometimes be heard adds to the atmosphere.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKanazawa, IshikawaKinpakuya Sakuda (Gold Leaf Shop)A gold-leaf shop founded in 1919, where craftspeople explain the gold-leaf making process and you can watch the work up close. It displays gold folding screens and has a toilet decorated with gold and platinum leaf, sells original gold-leaf goods, and offers a gold-leaf application workshop.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKanazawa, IshikawaNomura Samurai HouseA samurai house open to the public in the Nagamachi district, where the dignified building harmonises with its garden; sliding-door paintings by Kaga domain painters and heirloom swords and armour are on view. Two stars in the Michelin Green Guide Japan (2009).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKanazawa, IshikawaYamato Koji Park (Yamato Soy Sauce and Miso)The head-office factory of Yamato Soy Sauce and Miso, with a direct shop, a restaurant serving seasonal fermented-food lunches, a free factory tour, and workshops such as miso making (seasonal). All the soy sauces, misos and amazake can be tasted, and soy sauce soft-serve is on offer.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOshu, IwateEsashi Fujiwara no Sato Historical ParkA historical theme park of about 20 hectares where you can follow the Oshu Fujiwara clan and experience the history and culture of the north. Based on careful historical research, it recreates ancient northern forts, Fujiwara no Kiyohira's residence Toyota-no-tachi, the Oshu Fujiwara government office, Hidehira's residence Kyara-no-gosho and the Konjikido golden hall. It is known as a location for NHK historical dramas and many films and TV programmes. Regular performances of the local "Esashi Shishi-odori" deer dance are held every Sunday from late April to mid-November (twice a day, 11:00 and 14:00, about 30 minutes each).Official check: 28 Sept 2026
- No photo yetHiraizumi, IwateHiraizumi World Heritage Guidance CenterThe prefectural centre, opened on November 20, 2021, that explains the value of Hiraizumi's World Heritage sites, with a corner on the Yanagi-no-Gosho site, thought to be the Oshu Fujiwara government office.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMorioka, IwateIwachu Nambu Ironware MuseumA Nambu ironware maker's factory where you can watch craftsmen cast and lacquer kettles up close, plus the largest ironware showroom in Iwate. Free entry.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetHanamaki, IwateMarukan Building Grand Dining HallA 550-seat department-store dining hall on the 6th floor, revived in 2017 after the store closed, famous for its 10-layer soft-serve eaten with chopsticks (380 yen).Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetHanamaki, IwateMiyazawa Kenji Dowa-muraA place to step into the world of Kenji Miyazawa's children's stories: the "Kenji's School" with five themed zones, log-house exhibits and a shop of Kenji goods and Hanamaki specialities.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetHanamaki, IwateNamari Onsen Fujisan RyokanA zelkova-wood inn with over 600 years of hot-spring history and four baths fed straight from the source, including the 1.25 m-deep "Shirozaru-no-yu" where you bathe standing.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMorioka, IwateTakamatsu Park (Takamatsu Pond)Takamatsu Pond is one of four embankments built from the 1660s for flood control in Morioka, once called "Ueda no Tsutsumi". With a full water area of 10.5 ha, it is listed among the "100 Best Cherry Blossom Spots in Japan", and is a place to relax in all seasons, with boats in summer, autumn leaves and swans in winter. The rose garden has over 40 varieties (best around mid-June) and the peony garden over 200 peonies and herbaceous peonies (mid- to late May); both are free with no time limit.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSanuki, KagawaJapan Dolphin CenterA center where children and older people, families and groups can enjoy meeting dolphins in nature, with programmes such as feeding, a trainer experience, a touch beach and swimming with dolphins.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTakamatsu, KagawaOnigashima Cave (Megijima)A cave famous for the Momotaro legend, found in 1914 by local historian Hashimoto Sentaro and opened as "Onigashima" in 1931; it is said to have been made around 100 BC.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTakamatsu, KagawaSanuki Children's LandA long east-west park with three areas: the central area has a planetarium, a children's hall and a cycle centre with unusual bikes, and the east and west areas have large play equipment and a YS-11 aircraft on display. Next to Takamatsu Airport, you can watch planes take off and land up close.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTakamatsu, KagawaTakeshi Kawashima Art FactoryThe studio and museum of Takeshi Kawashima, who returned in 2016 after 53 years working in New York. At the foot of Goshikidai with a view of the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, it is a former factory that made parts for medical equipment, where the feel of the factory meets Kawashima's works. The exhibits include his Red & Black series, part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and a corner shows his collection of African art gathered while living in SoHo.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTakamatsu, KagawaTamamo Park (Takamatsu Castle Ruins)A park laid out on the ruins of Takamatsu Castle, home of the Ikoma lords of Sanuki and the Matsudaira lords of Takamatsu, a national historic site. The castle, whose moats draw in seawater from the Seto Inland Sea, is known as one of Japan's three great water castles; the park has turrets, a gate and the Hiunkaku (Important Cultural Properties) and the Hiunkaku garden, a national place of scenic beauty. You can also feed the sea bream in the moat (100 yen).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIbusuki, KagoshimaHealthy Land Open-air Bath "Tamatebako Onsen"An open-air hot spring with a superb view, reopened after renewal on November 26, 2025. It has a Japanese-style bath overlooking the ocean and Mt. Kaimon and a Western-style bath with views of the strange rock Takeyama (also called "Snoopy Mountain") and the sea; in the bath you feel as if floating on the sea. The two baths alternate daily between men and women. There is also a cafe with local sweets, craft beer, Ibusuki hot-spring cider and "sume eggs" cooked in natural steam.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKagoshima, KagoshimaSengan-en GardenA villa of the Shimazu family built in 1658 by Mitsuhisa, the 19th head, a large garden that uses majestic Sakurajima as its artificial hill and Kinko Bay as its pond. Flowers bloom through the seasons across about 15,000 tsubo, with sights such as the "Crane Lantern" used in gas-lamp experiments and a shrine to cats. The Iso area around it was registered in 2015 as part of the World Cultural Heritage "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIbusuki, KagoshimaTosenkyo Somen NagashiThe birthplace of the rotating "somen nagashi" (flowing noodles), visited by about 200,000 people a year from all over Japan. Somen nagashi using spring water from upstream and bamboo channels began here in 1962 (Showa 37), and the rotating device was registered as a design in 1970 (Showa 45). Using cool, plentiful spring water chosen in 1996 as one of the "100 Water Villages", it serves somen nagashi all year round.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIbusuki, KagoshimaYamakawa Sand Bath "Sayuri"A sand-steam bath on the Fushime coast, where hot springs bubble up naturally everywhere and Mt. Kaimon can be seen. You lie in a hollow dug in the beach, sand is heaped over you and the heat of the spring warms your whole body, like a natural sauna; after 10-15 minutes you start to sweat. With only the sound of the waves, you take a quick bath after coming out of the sand. It reopened after renovation on December 5, 2024.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKamakura, KanagawaEngaku-ji TempleAn old Rinzai Zen temple founded by Hojo Tokimune, with many old buildings such as the National Treasure bell and relic hall. From the main gate the precinct climbs gradually past the Sanmon gate, Buddha hall and abbot's quarters; writers such as Natsume Soseki visited to write. The National Treasure "Ogane" bell stands at the top of long stairs, where Mt. Fuji can be seen on some days.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFujisawa, KanagawaEnoshima Iwaya CavesTwo sea caves on Enoshima carved by waves (152 m and 56 m deep), said to have been visited by Kukai and Minamoto no Yoritomo and regarded as the origin of Benzaiten worship; visitors explore by candlelight.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetHakone, KanagawaHakone CheckpointAn important site in the history of travel in the Edo period. The checkpoint buildings were restored using the craft techniques and tools of the time and, after some 150 years, stand again on the shore of Lake Ashi, making it a gateway to a trip around the lake. A standard visit takes about 45 minutes.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetYokohama, KanagawaHara Model Railway MuseumA museum near Yokohama Station, opened on July 10, 2012, that shows the vast collection of model trains and railway items made and collected by its founder, Hara Nobutaro. Its models use the same technology as real trains, such as gears, leaf springs and bearings, so you hear the clack of the rail joints as on a real line. It has one of the world's largest indoor public layouts on which gauge 1 models (about 1/32 scale) actually run, and holds about 1,500 vehicles.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetKamakura, KanagawaHase-dera Temple, KamakuraAn ancient Kamakura temple known as a temple of flowers, whose hydrangea path overlooks the sea and town; its eleven-headed Kannon, 9.18 m tall, is one of Japan's largest wooden Buddhist statues.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKamakura, KanagawaInamuragasaki OnsenA day-use hot spring with rare "moor" water, looking over the Kamakura sea, Mt. Fuji and Enoshima; children under 13 are not admitted.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKamakura, KanagawaJochi-ji TempleFourth of the Five Great Zen Temples of Kamakura, founded around 1281 to pray for Hojo Munemasa, third son of the fifth regent Hojo Tokiyori. With many monks then arriving from Song China, it once had a full set of seven halls and eleven sub-temples, and its surviving bell-tower gate and main hall show the "Song style" of the time. The grounds are a national historic site reaching up to Tenchuho peak on the Genjiyama hiking course; the film director Ozu Yasujiro and the painter Ogura Yuki lived in the area.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetKamakura, KanagawaKamakura Museum of National TreasuresAfter the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 destroyed many local cultural treasures, this museum was planned to protect the historic treasures of Kamakura from disaster and to let visitors see them in one place; it opened on April 3, 1928, with many works entrusted by temples and shrines in the city. Its name comes from the many "national treasures" (as defined at the time) in its care. The main building, a raised reinforced-concrete design in the style of an azekura storehouse by Okada Shinichiro, is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetKawasaki, KanagawaKawasui Kawasaki AquariumAn aquarium where you stroll along the world's waterside, themed on "beautiful waterside of the world": from the Tama River flowing through Kawasaki to Asia, Africa and the Amazon rainforest of South America, it shows creatures from many environments with the latest lighting, sound and video. Paid events include backyard tours and "Amazon Time", when you can feed the capybaras.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetYokohama, KanagawaKiyoken Yokohama FactoryThe factory of Kiyoken, maker of shumai, a Yokohama specialty, where you can see the production lines for shumai and boxed meals. The tour of about 90 minutes explains the history of Japan's popular "ekiben" station lunches and the secrets of the Shumai Bento, and you can watch the process through glass; the Petit Museum Shop sells freshly made shumai and souvenirs.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKamakura, KanagawaKomachi-dori Street, KamakuraA shopping street of about 600 m in central Kamakura running from JR Kamakura Station toward Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, lined with long-established restaurants, new cafés and souvenir shops selling dango, matcha sweets, menchi-katsu and seafood.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKamakura, KanagawaMeigetsu-in TempleKnown as the "hydrangea temple": the thousands of hydrangeas filling its grounds are called "Meigetsuin blue" and draw crowds in season. It began in 1159 as a small hermitage built by Yamanouchi Tsunetoshi for his father, killed in the Heiji Rebellion, and became Meigetsu-in in 1380 as a sub-temple of Zenko-ji, which was abandoned in the early Meiji era, leaving only Meigetsu-in. The grounds hold the "Meigetsuin yagura", said to be the largest cave tomb in Kamakura.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetHakone, KanagawaOkada Museum of ArtAn art museum in Kowakudani, Hakone, showing Japanese and East Asian paintings, ceramics and lacquerware, arranged along the flow of history and artistic schools, with highlight corners and themed rooms. The grounds also have a garden, a restaurant and a footbath café fed by free-flowing hot spring water with nothing added. Phones, cameras and tablets cannot be taken into the galleries; free lockers are provided.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetHakone, KanagawaPola Museum of ArtA museum opened in 2002 in Hakone with the concept of "the symbiosis of Hakone's nature and art", holding exhibitions built around its collection of Western paintings from Impressionism to the 20th century, and also collecting contemporary art. A forest walking trail in Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park lets you enjoy nature through the seasons.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKamakura, KanagawaSugimoto-dera TempleFounded in the sixth year of Tenpyo (734), this is the oldest temple in Kamakura. Its principal images are three statues of the Eleven-faced Kannon, and it is the first temple on both the Kamakura and the Bando 33 Kannon pilgrimages. Visitors can go up into the main hall and pray close to the images; the temple is collecting donations to keep the thatched roofs of the Nio gate and main hall, which now last only about ten years.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetYokohama, KanagawaTaya Cave (Josenji Temple)A huge man-made cave in the grounds of Josenji, said to date from the Kamakura period: about 570 m long on three levels, a hand-dug underground space unlike any other in Japan. Carrying a candle, you walk past chisel marks and about 250 reliefs carved on the walls and ceilings, including mandalas and the eighteen arhats. Its formal name is Tayasan Yugado, a training cave of esoteric Shingon Buddhism still used for practice.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKamakura, KanagawaTokei-ji TempleA Rinzai Zen temple founded in 1285. In feudal times, when women could not seek a divorce themselves, a woman who fled here could obtain one, and the temple kept this "divorce temple" rule for 600 years until the Meiji era; it was long a convent closed to men. Revived in 1905 by the Zen master Shaku Soen, whose students included D. T. Suzuki, it has been cared for as a temple of flowers since the war.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetYokohama, KanagawaYokohama Marine TowerA tower beside Yamashita Park on Yokohama's waterfront, with an observation floor on the 29th and 30th floors. Day tickets run from morning to early evening and separate night tickets from 18:00 to 22:00, and the tower marked its 65th anniversary with an official multilingual audio guide, "Yokohama 360°". The observation floor can be reached by wheelchair with help from staff.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetYokohama, KanagawaYokohama Museum of ArtAn art museum in Minato Mirai that opened on November 3, 1989. The symmetrical stone building was designed by the architect Kenzo Tange, and its Grand Gallery, an open atrium about 16 m high with stepped display space some 63 m wide, is the heart of the open "Jiyu Area" space. Fitting for an international port city, it focuses on modern and contemporary art since the opening of the port, with over 15,000 works in its collection (as of March 2025) and an art library of about 240,000 books.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetKochi, KochiHaruno no Yu Natural Hot SpringA facility for day bathing, stays and meals, about 30 minutes by car from Kochi Station. Its large open-air bath is popular, and there are also rooms with private open-air baths. Near the Haruno Sports Park, it is also used for sports training camps.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKochi, KochiJA Farmers Market Tosa no SatoA market full of good things from Kochi Prefecture: freshly picked vegetables and fruit, fresh fish, home-made side dishes and popular souvenirs. On the same site is "Tosa no Sato AGRI COLLETTO", a complex of restaurants and select shops.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNankoku, KochiKaiyodo Space Factory NankokuA spaceship-like facility opened in 2021 for developing manufacturing talent and for tourism. At the ground-floor factory you can watch Kaiyodo soft-vinyl figures being made, found only here; there are a monument over 4 m tall on the theme of life and giant dioramas of "the ancient, present and future", and you can try painting figures and making dioramas.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTsuno, KochiKarst TerraceA facility explaining the Shikoku Karst, with its unique landforms such as karren fields like flocks of white sheep and dolines in the grassland: how it formed, the Tengu Plateau and surrounding mountains, and the alpine plants and animals. It has a café with soft-serve ice cream and e-bike rental, and on clear days you can see Cape Muroto and the Ashizuri Peninsula from the terrace.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKochi, KochiKochi Manga BASEA base for "Tosa, the manga kingdom", where about 15,000 magazines and books can be read freely, and you can try drawing by hand with the art materials professional manga artists use, or digitally on LCD tablets.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKochi, KochiKochi Station Anpanman Train PlazaAn Anpanman Train plaza inside Kochi Station. Up the grand staircase inside the ticket gates, a centrepiece with a model Anpanman Train running against Shikoku scenery welcomes visitors, and there are miniature cars of the 8000-series Anpanman Train and the Anpanman Torokko for photos.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetYusuhara, KochiKumo no Ue GalleryA building designed by the architect Kengo Kuma, using plenty of Yusuhara timber, described as a "yajirobe-style cantilever bridge" blending into the forest. Inside are panels explaining the buildings Kuma designed in Yusuhara and wooden models of the gallery. The Kumo no Ue hot spring, pool and market are next door.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIno, KochiOtabi FallsAt the trailhead of Mt. Tebako (1,806 m), Otabi Falls is a clear stream cooling the air with spray in summer, and in winter the whole fall freezes into a spectacular "frozen waterfall". It is lit up for a limited period. It usually freezes from late December to late February.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKami, KochiRyugado CaveA limestone cave about 4 km long (sightseeing course about 1 km), carved over a long time by rain falling on a basin near the summit, with a history of 175 million years; it is a national natural monument and historic site. Yayoi-period pottery and stone tools, including an ancient "pot of the gods", were found near the exit. Stalagmites and pillars stand inside, with lighting and sound renewed in summer 2019; on the bookable adventure courses you wear a helmet and headlamp and explore the darkness with a guide.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMuroto, KochiSilest Muroto (Deep Sea Water Center)A facility with a warm pool of 100% deep sea water, where you can do various aqua exercises while looking at Muroto's sea, with an open-air bath, a Finnish sauna and an outdoor hot tub.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAmakusa, KumamotoAmakusa Dolphin WatchingOne of Amakusa's most popular activities: meeting about 200 wild Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins living in the waters around Futae, Itsuwa. Dolphin watching is possible all year with a sighting rate of over 90%, and you can watch the pods swimming close enough to touch; the best season is spring to summer, and small children can enjoy it too.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMisato, KumamotoJapan's Longest Stone Stairway (Shakain Misaka)Kumamoto's pride, Japan's longest stone stairway, with 3,333 steps, built on "Misaka", the main approach to Shakain temple, using famous stones from 10 places in Japan and granite from 7 countries. There are rest areas and toilets on the way, and the "Attack the Nippon-ichi" event is held every November.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKumamoto, KumamotoKumamon SquareThe base of "Kumamon", Kumamoto Prefecture's sales manager and happiness manager, which also provides tourism and local-product information. Kumamon performs on the "360-degree stage" every day, and there are photo spots, an AR game on a large screen, "FAN'S HOUSE" collecting Kumamon's treasured things, "BAZAAR" with goods sold only here, and a cafe with sweets made from Kumamoto products.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKuma, KumamotoKyusendo CaveA limestone cave about 4,800 m long, the second longest in western Japan (third in Japan), whose columns and stalagmites, formed over 300 million years, are still growing. There are two courses: a general course taking 30 minutes round the cave, and an exploration course descending a 40 m shaft by stairs; there are also a shop of local products, restaurants, a terrace overlooking Kuma village and a dog run.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKamiamakusa, KumamotoYushima Island (Dangojima)A small island about 4 km around in the middle of the Ariake Sea, between the Amakusa Islands and the Shimabara Peninsula in Nagasaki, about 25 minutes by regular boat from Ebito port in Kamiamakusa. It is also called "Dangojima" (conference island) because people of Shimabara and Amakusa gathered here to plan strategy in the early Edo-period Shimabara-Amakusa Rebellion, famous for Amakusa Shiro. With many cats, it has lately become known as a "cat island". The regular boat between Ebito and Yushima runs 5 round trips a day.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNantan, KyotoASOBIYUKU Kyoto Rurikei OnsenReopened on April 24, 2025 as "Leisure & Spa Resort ASOBIYUKU Kyoto Rurikei Onsen", a resort to "play, stay, relax and eat", with renewed bathing and lodging facilities, a kids' area, a lounge for day and night, and a food park with many kinds of food.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKyoto, KyotoChion-in TempleHead temple of the Jodo sect, standing where Honen, its founder, spread the nembutsu teaching and passed away; its vast buildings were formed with the support of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Hidetada and Iemitsu. The Sanmon gate (National Treasure, 1621) is one of Japan's largest wooden two-storey gates, and the Miedo hall (National Treasure, rebuilt 1639) finished about nine years of repairs in April 2020. The morning service starts at 6:30 every day.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKyoto, KyotoDaigo-ji TempleA vast temple whose grounds spread from the foot of Mt. Kasatori (Shimo-Daigo) to its summit (Kami-Daigo). It was founded in the early Heian period by the monk Shobo, and its five-storied pagoda, completed in 951, is the oldest wooden building in Kyoto Prefecture and a National Treasure. Toyotomi Hideyoshi held his famous "Daigo cherry-blossom viewing" here, and the temple was registered as a World Heritage Site in 1994.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetKyoto, KyotoGekkeikan Okura Sake MuseumA museum in Fushimi, one of Japan's best-known sake districts, telling the history and sake culture of the area and of Gekkeikan, which helped lead its brewing. White-walled storehouses line the Horikawa canal, the outer moat of Fushimi Castle, and next door brewers of the Tajima school still make sake by traditional methods. After the visit, those 20 and over can taste sake brewed with Fushimi's groundwater.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetKyoto, KyotoHigashi Hongan-ji TempleThe head temple of the Shinshu Otani-ha, formally called Shinshu Honbyo. It began as a mausoleum built by followers of Shinran to enshrine his image, and the present temple was founded in 1602 between Rokujo and Shichijo on Karasuma-dori. The Goeido hall holds the image of Shinran and the Amidado hall the principal Amida Buddha; it was burned and rebuilt several times from the Edo to the Meiji period.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetKyoto, KyotoKennin-ji TempleFounded in 1202, when the shogun Minamoto no Yoriie donated the land, with the Zen master Eisai as its founding priest; it was modeled on Mt. Baizhang in Song China and takes its name from the era name Kennin. It began as a place to study Tendai, esoteric Buddhism and Zen together, was rebuilt after fires from 1599 onward, and became the head temple of the Kenninji school of Rinzai Zen in the Meiji era. It sits near Gion.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetKyoto, KyotoKifune ShrineThe head shrine of some 2,000 shrines across Japan dedicated to the god of water, the source of all life. Its origins are unknown, but records of rebuilding its halls date back about 1,300 years, making it one of Japan's oldest shrines. A visit traditionally covers three sites at the foot of Mt. Kibune: the Hongu (main shrine), the Okumiya and the Yui-no-yashiro.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetKyoto, KyotoKodai-ji TempleFormally Kodai Jusho Zenji, the temple was founded in 1606 by Kita-no-Mandokoro (Nene), the wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, to pray for him after his death; Tokugawa Ieyasu gave generous financial support. Hideyoshi and Nene are enshrined in the Otamaya, whose altar and shrine are decorated with "Kodaiji maki-e" lacquer, a hallmark of Momoyama art. The Kaisando, Otamaya, the Kasatei and Shigure-tei teahouses and other buildings are Important Cultural Properties, and the pond garden is attributed to Kobori Enshu.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetKyoto, KyotoKurama-dera TempleAccording to the temple's founding legend, in 770 the monk Gantei, a senior disciple of Ganjin, built a hut on Mt. Kurama to enshrine Bishamonten, and in 796 Fujiwara no Isendo laid out the temple to enshrine Bishamonten and Kannon together. Its faith has drawn on several schools over the centuries, and since 1949 it has been the head temple of Kurama Kokyo. The temple regards the mountain itself as sacred and keeps its forest paths unpaved.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetKyoto, KyotoKyoto International Manga MuseumA manga museum and library run jointly by Kyoto City and Kyoto Seika University, housed in a former elementary school building from the early Showa period. Its collection of about 300,000 items ranges from mid-Edo caricatures and Meiji magazines to postwar rental books, current hits and overseas titles. About 50,000 manga books line the "Wall of Manga", shelves some 200 m long, and can be read freely anywhere on the grounds, even on the lawn on a fine day.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetKyoto, KyotoKyoto National MuseumOne of Japan's national museums, which collects, conserves and exhibits cultural properties. It opened on May 1, 1897 as the Imperial Kyoto Museum. Its original red-brick main building, the Meiji Kotokan, was designed by the court architect Katayama Tokuma, blends French Renaissance and Baroque styles with a Japanese sensibility, and is an Important Cultural Property (it is not currently used for exhibitions). Exhibitions are held in the Heisei Chishinkan wing, and the garden is open on its own during some periods.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetOyamazaki, KyotoMyokian (National Treasure Tai-an Tea Room)A small tea room said to have been built by Sen no Rikyu while he lived in Oyamazaki, when Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hideyoshi summoned him from Sakai during the building of Yamazaki Castle. It has a gabled shingle roof and an unusual low window, and inside is a tiny two-tatami space with a hearth in the corner and a distinctive "murodoko" alcove; it is said to be the origin of Japan's sukiya architecture.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKyoto, KyotoNinna-ji TempleNinna-ji was begun at the wish of Emperor Koko and completed in 888 by Emperor Uda, who later became its first head priest; for centuries members of the imperial family served as its abbots. Most of the temple burned in the Onin War, and it was rebuilt by 1646 with buildings given from the Imperial Palace, including the hall that is now the Kondo. It is the head temple of the Omuro school of Shingon Buddhism and a World Heritage Site, known for its late-blooming Omuro cherry trees.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetKyoto, KyotoNishi Hongan-ji TempleThe head temple of the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, which grew out of the mausoleum built for Shinran, founder of Jodo Shinshu, after his death. Following several moves, it settled at its present site at Rokujo-Horikawa in 1591 under Toyotomi Hideyoshi's plan for the city. Its National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties, such as the Hiunkaku pavilion and the Shoin, recall the splendor of Momoyama culture, and it was registered as a World Heritage Site in 1994.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetKyoto, KyotoNishiki Market"Kyoto's kitchen", a street said to date from about 400 years ago, with over 130 shops along some 400 m of Nishikikoji between Teramachi and Takakura selling fresh fish, produce and Kyoto cooking ingredients.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetUji, KyotoUji Tea Dojo "Takumi-no-Yakata"A facility set up by the Kyoto Tea Industry Chamber for learning about Uji tea, where you can drink tea overlooking the Uji River, learn to brew it or try matcha art.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKyoto, Kyoto禅林寺・Eikan-do Zenrin-ji TempleFormally Zenrin-ji, founded in 853 by the monk Shinsho, a disciple of Kobo Daishi, on the villa of Fujiwara no Sekio, and long celebrated as "Eikando of the maple leaves" for more than 1,100 years. It began as a temple of esoteric Buddhism and later became a Pure Land temple; the monk Eikan (1033-1111), from whom it takes its popular name, ran a clinic for the poor here. Its principal image is the "Mikaeri Amida", a Buddha looking back over its shoulder.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetKyoto, Kyoto賀茂別雷神社・Kamigamo ShrineFormally Kamo-wakeikazuchi Jinja. Its deity is said to have descended in the age of the gods onto Mt. Koyama, the peak behind the main hall, and in 677 the Kamo shrine buildings were built, laying a foundation that has changed little since. The main hall and the gonden are National Treasures, and in 1994 the entire precinct of about 230,000 tsubo was registered as a World Heritage Site. The shrine's crest is the futaba-aoi (twin-leaf hollyhock), which grows in its north-east grove.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetToba, MieAma Hut Osatsu KamadoIn an ama hut where the women divers rest, you can eat fresh seafood and snacks while listening to working ama tell stories of their diving and the sea in the local Osatsu dialect. It is near "Ishigami-san" (Shinmei Shrine).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIga, MieFurusato Basho no Mori ParkA park with views over Iga Ueno Castle and the old town of Ueno, where paths lead past seasonal trees and flowers to a stone monument with a haiku by Matsuo Basho.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIse, MieRikyuin Ruins ParkThe site of the detached palace of the Saio (imperial priestess), where she stopped and stayed on her way to the Ise Jingu three times a year. For a time, because the Saiku was far from the Jingu, the Rikyuin itself served as the Saiku; it shared its fate when the Saiku was abolished. It is now Rikyuin Park, with lawns.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMatsusaka, MieSite of Motoori Norinaga's HouseThe site of the townhouse called "Suzunoya" where the scholar of national learning and the classics Motoori Norinaga lived. He moved here from his birthplace at the age of 12 and devoted himself to study all his life; it is a national special historic site. The house itself was moved to Matsusaka Castle Ruins Park in Meiji 42 and is preserved there.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSuzuka, MieSuzuka CircuitAn amusement complex built around the racing circuit that hosts big races such as the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix and the Suzuka 8 Hours, with an amusement park, hotel and restaurants. At "Suzuka Circuit Park" there are many rides where small children can drive bikes and cars by themselves.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIga, MieUeno Park (Iga)A park with a strong historic atmosphere, home to many famous sights such as Ueno Castle, the Haiseiden hall and the Iga-ryu Ninja Museum; it is the centre of sightseeing in Iga-Ueno and a place for locals to relax. It is also famous for cherry blossoms.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSendai, MiyagiAkiu Craft VillageWorkshops of traditional crafts - Sendai chests, kokeshi dolls, fossil-wood carving, dyeing, wood carving - where you can watch artisans and buy or order pieces.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSendai, MiyagiArahama Elementary School (earthquake disaster remains)The school building hit by the 2011 tsunami, preserved by Sendai City to pass on the lessons of the disaster.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOsaki, MiyagiFormer Yubikan School and GardenAn Edo-period school building of the Iwadeyama Date family with its garden (a National Historic Site and Place of Scenic Beauty), a 1-min walk from Yubikan Station.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetZao, MiyagiKami-no-yu public bath, Togatta OnsenA public bath in Togatta Onsen town at the foot of Mt Zao, built with Aomori hiba wood; flowing hot-spring water, with a hot bath and a cooler bath.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKesennuma, MiyagiKesennuma Umi-no-Ichi (seafood market and Shark Museum)A seafood market building next to Kesennuma fish market, with restaurants, shops and a museum about sharks.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetZao, MiyagiMiyagi Zao Kokeshi MuseumA museum of about 5,500 traditional kokeshi dolls and wooden toys in Togatta Onsen, where you can paint your own kokeshi and watch a craftsman turn one on the lathe.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSendai, MiyagiNikka Whisky Miyagikyo DistilleryA whisky distillery in Aoba-ku, Sendai, with free guided tours by reservation and a visitor center.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMarumori, MiyagiSairi Yashiki (merchant house museum)The storehouses and residence of a merchant family, open as a local history museum in Marumori.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIwanuma, MiyagiTakekoma ShrineA large Inari shrine in Iwanuma, about 15 min on foot from Iwanuma Station.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOsaki, MiyagiTakinoyu public bath, Naruko OnsenA small wooden public bath in Naruko Onsen with sulphur hot spring water, the sacred bath of Onsen Shrine.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSendai, MiyagiYagiyama Zoological Park Fujisaki-no-MoriSendai's city zoo, right by Yagiyama Zoological Park subway station, with feeding and animal-contact sessions.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNatori, MiyagiYuriage Port Morning MarketA Sunday and holiday morning market at Yuriage port with 50+ stalls, a seafood auction anyone can join, and grills for cooking what you buy.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMatsushima, MiyagiZuiganji TempleNational Treasure temple in Matsushima; family temple of the Date clan.Official check: 24 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNichinan, MiyazakiGion Shrine (Nichinan)Heading south from Miyazaki on Route 220 you reach Umegahama, known as a surf point; nearby is this unusual shrine with its main hall inside a cave. The deities on each side of the entrance are the dragon god (Yamata no Orochi) and the water god (Mizuhanome), and inside there is a dragon-shaped rock. From the cool cave you look up at the red torii gate standing out against the sky above the road. Near Umegahama, do not miss the viewpoint called "Lion Rock".Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMiyazaki, MiyazakiKodomo no Kuni (AOSHIMA PICNIC CLUB)A large park near Aoshima with an athletic area, park golf course and botanical garden. Opened in 1939 and once an amusement park, it began the "Kodomo no Kuni Build-up Project" in 2023, adding the complex "AOSHIMA PICNIC CLUB" with shops, restaurants and activities to the park golf course and the "Rose Garden". A forest camping area among beech trees (from late April 2024) offers camping without gear, and a beachside camping area opened in summer 2024.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNichinan, MiyazakiMarine Viewer Nichinan (Underwater Sightseeing Boat)An underwater sightseeing boat from Tonoura Port. The cruise passes scenery of rocky shores and islets such as Ude-jima, Kuroshima and the Misagobae reef; off Eimatsu the engine stops and you go down to the viewing room in the hull, where red coral and colourful fish such as pennant coralfish and blue damselfish can be seen through the glass. Kites swooping down for food are another highlight, and on the 2nd floor is "Gyokyo Shokudo Tonoura", run directly by the Tonoura fishing co-op.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMiyazaki, MiyazakiMiyazaki-jingu ShrineA shrine enshrining Emperor Jimmu, the first emperor of Japan, said to have been founded by his grandson Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto; his parents are enshrined here as well. The approach lit by lanterns has a mysterious atmosphere. The present buildings, built in 1907 (Meiji 40), use Sano cedar, a fine timber of Hyuga, which is rare in Japan. The shrine festival known as "Jimmu-sama" is known for its sacred procession, and events such as horseback archery are held through the year.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNishimera, MiyazakiOgawa Sakugoya-muraA tourist facility in Nishimera, a village where Japan's beautiful old countryside remains. Thatched "sakugoya" huts house a restaurant and shop; the most popular dish is the "Ogawa Shiki Gozen", 16 small dishes of local food made with rice, shiitake, venison, persimmons, chestnuts and mountain vegetables. The grounds also have the Nishimera Kagura hall, introducing the "Mera no Kagura" (National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property), and lodgings. Cherry blossoms and magnolias cover Ogawa Hanamiyama opposite in spring, with autumn leaves in autumn, and "Tsuki no Kagura" is held around late September.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMiyazaki, MiyazakiPhoenix Zoo (Miyazaki City)A zoo opened in March 1971 (city-run since September 2001) on a pine-covered hill by the Hitotsuba coast facing the Pacific, next to the Phoenix Seagaia Resort. About 1,200 animals of about 100 species are kept on about 140,000 m² of hillside, with an Asian elephant enclosure, an African area, a chimpanzee forest and a children's animal village. Events include the flamingo show with about 70 birds and the elephants' walk, and there is also an amusement park and a lazy-river pool (in summer).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKushima, MiyazakiShibushi Bay Daikoku Dolphin LandA leisure spot where you can swim with and touch dolphins. There are dynamic dolphin performances and feeding rabbits and sea turtles, and a penguin walk every day from 14:00. The attached seafood market sells fresh fish and shellfish landed in Shibushi Bay, local vegetables and processed specialities.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNagano, NaganoAlps View Plaza Yume no EkiA field of rape blossoms like a yellow carpet, with the snow-capped Northern Alps behind.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNagano, NaganoApple Line (Route 18)A major apple-growing area even within Nagano, famous for apples, where orchards spread all around. Apple orchards line both sides of National Route 18, with apple stands and farms offering apple picking, hence the nickname "Apple Line"; in the harvest season you can buy fresh apples and pick them yourself.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNagano, NaganoChausuyama Dinosaur ParkA park displaying about 25 life-size dinosaurs from four eras including the Jurassic and Cretaceous; the largest, a Diplodocus, is 25 m long. The dinosaurs are play equipment such as slides you can touch, and about 80 cherry trees on the bank at the entrance form a tunnel of blossom when in full bloom.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNagano, NaganoChikumaen Apple PickingA long-established apple stand that has operated since the "Apple Line" road opened, growing about 9 varieties with reduced pesticides. Apple picking is offered, and the stand also sells its own apple juice and jam; all ages (0 to 100) and pets are OK.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNagano, NaganoForest Adventure NaganoA forest adventure course on the Iizuna Highland, 25 minutes by car from central Nagano and Zenko-ji. Four zip slides of over 150 m glide above Daizahoshi Pond; besides campground guests, it takes company training groups and schools.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNagano, NaganoJoyama ZooA free zoo in Joyama Park next to Zenko-ji, where you can meet sea lions, monkeys, penguins and other animals; there are also rides such as a monorail and a merry-go-round, and the surroundings are a cherry-blossom spot in spring.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNagano, NaganoKagai Onsen IchiyokanA day-bathing hot spring with an indoor bath and a large mixed-gender open-air bath. The spring is iron-bearing sodium-calcium chloride.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNagano, NaganoOkaidan-meguri (Zenko-ji)The entrance to the Okaidan is inside Zenko-ji's main hall, to the right of the statues of the three founders. Going down the stairs, after four or five steps you are in a pitch-dark corridor; with your right hand at waist height on the wooden wall, you shuffle forward step by step. Beneath the Ruri-dan is a key called the "key to paradise". It takes less than five minutes.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNagano, NaganoTogakushi Chibikko Ninja VillageAn amusement park themed on ninja in Togakushi, home of the Togakure-ryu ninja active in the Warring States period, with various facilities for children and adults alike.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNagano, NaganoTogakushi Folk Museum and Ninja MuseumA restored Edo-period granary showing about 2,000 folk tools that supported life in Togakushi, with a waterwheel hut in the garden. Alongside is the Togakure-ryu Ninpo Museum, in a relocated all-zelkova farmhouse, displaying 500 ninja tools and about 200 photo panels; in the ninja trick house you find your way through a maze to the back room like a game, and there is a shuriken range.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNagano, NaganoTogakushi Tenboen (Buckwheat Fields)Buckwheat flowers here are small, about 5-6 mm across, and white. Togakushi buckwheat is called "kirishita soba" (buckwheat under the mist), with a distinctive fragrant flavour.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNagano, NaganoZenko-ji TempleA temple said to have been founded about 1,400 years ago. The present main hall, rebuilt in 1707 in the mid-Edo period, is a wooden building about 24 m wide and 54 m deep in the "shumoku-zukuri" style unique to Zenko-ji, keeping alive the custom of many pilgrims spending the night in prayer; it was designated a National Treasure in 1953. Since the Heian period people have come from all over Japan to this temple, which saves people regardless of sect.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNagasaki, NagasakiNagasaki Atomic Bomb MuseumAt 11:02 a.m. on August 9, 1945, three days after Hiroshima, an atomic bomb exploded over the Urakami area of Nagasaki, and about 150,000 people were killed or injured. The museum shows the devastation, how the bomb came to be dropped and the history of nuclear weapons development, and Nagasaki's recovery to the present, sending out a message of peace for a world without nuclear weapons. It also has a library with books on the bomb and peace and a video corner, and a cafe.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTenkawa, NaraDorogawa Onsen Visitor CenterA day-use hot spring opened on April 25, Reiwa 6, in place of the former Dorogawa Onsen Center, with indoor and open-air baths heated by a wood boiler using local thinned timber, plus local products and tourist information.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNara, NaraHiraso Nara Shop (Kakinoha-zushi)The Nara shop of Hiraso, a maker of kakinoha-zushi (sushi wrapped in persimmon leaves) founded in the Bunkyu era, near Sarusawa Pond in Naramachi; serves the sushi, tea gruel and Miwa somen, and offers a hands-on kakinoha-zushi class.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIkaruga, NaraHoryu-ji TempleSaid to have been founded in 607 by Prince Shotoku and Empress Suiko, the world's oldest surviving group of wooden buildings; the Five-storey Pagoda, Golden Hall and Yumedono are National Treasures. A World Heritage site since 1993.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNara, NaraShin-Yakushi-ji TempleFounded in 747 by Empress Komyo to pray for the recovery of the ailing Emperor Shomu, the temple once had a huge golden hall with seven Healing Buddhas, which collapsed in a storm in 962. The present main hall, a Tenpyo-period (Nara period) building with a gently curving roof and large white walls, enshrines a seated Yakushi Nyorai surrounded by standing statues of the Twelve Heavenly Generals from the Nara period.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetKatsuragi, NaraTaima-dera TempleAn ancient temple in the "west" of old Yamato with a large Hakuho- and Tenpyo-style precinct, and the only temple in Japan where a pair of ancient three-storied pagodas, east and west, still stand. Its principal image is the Taima Mandala, said to depict the Pure Land as seen by Princess Chujo in the Nara period, kept in a National Treasure shrine in the Mandala Hall (main hall). The Naka-no-bo sub-temple has the Kogu-en garden, a designated Place of Scenic Beauty, famous for spring peonies.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetSakurai, NaraTanzan ShrinePrince Naka-no-Oe (later Emperor Tenji) and Nakatomi no Kamatari (later Fujiwara no Kamatari) are said to have held a secret meeting in the hills behind the shrine, under wisteria in bloom, which led in 645 to the overthrow of Soga no Iruka and the Taika Reform; the shrine's name comes from this "talk" (dan). In 678 Kamatari's eldest son brought part of his father's remains to the summit of Tonomine and built a thirteen-storied pagoda, and in 701 a shrine with his statue was built, the origin of Tanzan Shrine.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetMyoko, NiigataAkakura Onsen Open-air Bath Taki-no-YuA large open-air bath at Akakura Onsen built from about 3,000 boulders weighing 2,500 tonnes, with sulphate and bicarbonate water at 56°C; open April to November.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTokamachi, NiigataEchigo-Tsumari Satoyama Museum of Contemporary Art MonETOne of the hubs of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, showing works that engage with the climate and culture of the region and let visitors feel changes in space and time; the museum shop is the largest in the area.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetYuzawa, NiigataEchigo-Yuzawa OnsenThe hot-spring town made famous as the setting of Kawabata Yasunari's "Snow Country", with 6 public bathhouses and a free footbath near the west exit of Echigo-Yuzawa Station.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMurakami, NiigataIwafune Port Fresh Fish CenterA fish market selling the local catch landed at Iwafune port, homemade dried fish and Murakami salmon products, with a seafood restaurant, Banya, upstairs.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetYuzawa, NiigataPonshukan Echigo-Yuzawa StationA Niigata food shop inside Echigo-Yuzawa Station where you can taste sake from every brewery in the prefecture, eat giant rice balls of Minamiuonuma Koshihikari and even bathe in sake-infused water.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetUonuma, NiigataSaifukuji Temple (Kaisando Hall)An old Soto Zen temple in Uonuma founded in 1534, where you can see many works by the master craftsman Ishikawa Uncho, called "Japan's Michelangelo". The Kaisando hall, built by the 23rd head priest Bankoku Dairyu, enshrines Dogen, the founder of Soto Zen, and the temple's founder; its carvings, paintings and plasterwork are said to be the culmination of Uncho's art, and the great ceiling carving "Dogen Zenji Subduing a Fierce Tiger" is overwhelming. Transom carvings, sliding-door paintings and inlaid wood by Uncho also remain in the grounds and main hall and are Niigata Prefecture cultural properties. Guides are available through the Uonuma Tourism Association.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSanjo, NiigataTsubame-Sanjo Jibasan CenterThe showcase of Tsubame-Sanjo's metalworking, with knives, cutlery and scissors made by local craftspeople, and hands-on spoon polishing and knife-sharpening classes; 5 minutes on foot from Tsubame-Sanjo Station.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetShibata, NiigataTsukioka Onsen "Bijin no Izumi" Public BathA day-use public bath in the centre of Tsukioka Onsen, known for its emerald-green, sulphur-rich water said to leave your skin smooth.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetBungo-ono, OitaInazumi Underwater CaveOn the upper reaches of the clear Hakusan River, one of Japan's 100 best waters, the largest underwater limestone cave in Japan, where stalactites can be seen under water - rare even worldwide. It formed over 200 million years ago and is said to have been submerged by the great Aso eruption 83,000 years ago. There are also a museum and a "Showa shopping street", with a campground next door; fireflies can be seen on the Hakusan River from late May to mid June.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKokonoe, OitaKokonoe "Yume" Onsen VillagesA name chosen by public contest in October 2007 so that more people would come to know the hot springs of Kokonoe. It includes Sujiyu, Hosenji, Kabeyu, Kawazoko, Yutsubo, Chojabaru, Kan-no-Jigoku, Uenokuchi, Ryumon, Magusa, Kyusuikei and Mikumari onsens, each with its own spring, scattered across the town.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetBeppu, OitaMyoban Yunohana HutsThe Myoban hot spring area is a strong geothermal zone where steam of hot-spring gas spurts from the ground. In about 50 thatched huts here, "yunohana" (hot-spring flowers) have been made since the Edo period by a hut method that is the only one in the world: gas rising through stone paving into blue clay crystallises, grows about 1 mm a day, and is collected after 40-60 days. The huts, which look like Jomon-period dwellings, last three years at most because of the steam and are re-thatched each time.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOita, OitaOita Marine Palace Aquarium "Umitamago"An aquarium between Oita and Beppu, near Tanoura Beach, in a modern building that blends with Beppu Bay. In the indoor Ocean Zone, about 1,500 fish of some 90 species from the Bungo Channel swim round a large tank recreating the rias coast of southern Oita; outdoors there is a touch pool with rays, starfish and sea cucumbers and the "Umitama Performance" of marine mammals, where the exchange between a walrus and its trainer is a speciality.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetYufu, OitaYunotsubo StreetA street at the foot of Mt. Yufu lined with souvenir shops selling Oita specialities such as yuzu-kosho and restaurants serving local dishes such as toriten. One street away, along the Oita River, is a walking route with seasonal scenery and a rural landscape.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKurashiki, OkayamaAchi ShrineA shrine on the summit of Mt. Tsurugata, a fine viewpoint looking down on the Kurashiki Bikan district, with a Noh stage and an ancient garden based on Horai thought. The "Achi no Fuji" wisteria, estimated at 300 to 500 years old and a prefectural natural monument, is also worth seeing.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetManiwa, OkayamaHiruzen Highlands Cycling RoadA 29 km route with pastoral scenery and views of the three Hiruzen peaks and Mt. Daisen. The highland climate from spring to early summer is especially good for cycling.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNiimi, OkayamaIkurado CaveA huge limestone cave on the upper Takahashi River, 1,200 m long with a height difference of 90 m. Inside are many viewing spots with names such as "Silver Curtain", "Mizugoromo" and "Jellyfish Rock", natural art formed over a long time, and the lit-up rocks look like "stone curtains". Near the exit is the "Arisa no Miya" shrine.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKurashiki, OkayamaJapan Rural Toy MuseumKnown as "gangukan", a museum of folk toys opened in 1967 in the Bikan district. It holds about 10,000 regional toys made across Japan from the Edo to the Showa period. The grounds also have a toy and goods shop, the "Plus One Gallery" for craft and art exhibitions mainly by Okayama artists, and "Side Terrace" offering everyday tableware including Kurashiki glass.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKurashiki, OkayamaKibi MuseumA cultural facility in "Kurashiki Yoimachi GARDEN" with the concept "meet Kibi, fall in love with Kibi". The white-walled townhouse-style museum shows works linked to the region, such as Bizen ware, swords, Edo-period calligraphy and modern paintings. There is a bamboo-grove strolling garden and a tea room facing it, where seasonal tea gatherings and tea sessions open to anyone are held.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKurashiki, OkayamaKojima Torajiro Memorial HallAn annex of the Ohara Museum of Art, reopened in April 2025 with a new exterior and interior, showing works by the Western-style painter Kojima Torajiro, who helped build the Ohara collection, and art from ancient Egypt and West Asia. The building, completed in 1922 as the Kurashiki branch of the former Daiichi Godo Bank and designed by Yakushiji Kazue, was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property in 1998.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKurashiki, OkayamaKurashiki River CruiseSightseeing boats on the Kurashiki River, once busy with river boats carrying goods. Sitting in the slowly moving boat, the white-walled townscape you look at shows a face seen only from the river cruise. The ride takes about 20 minutes.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSetouchi, OkayamaMaejima IslandA green island 5 minutes by ferry from Ushimado, also called "Midori-jima", with pine forests and cabbage fields; the whole island is designated a national park, and walking paths and cycling courses are maintained.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKurashiki, OkayamaMomotaro Karakuri MuseumA museum exploring the folk tale "Momotaro", its history and links with our lives. It has woodblock prints and historical materials, a mini theatre showing old Momotaro animated films, a "cave exploration" where ogres jump out, and optical-illusion tricks everyone can enjoy.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAkaiwa, OkayamaOkayama Forest Park Doitsu no MoriA theme park in green surroundings modelled on a German farming village. Rape blossoms, tulips and nemophila in spring, sunflowers in summer and cosmos in autumn bloom against European-style buildings. There are grass sledding, go-karts, pedal boats and a 10 m swing, milking Jersey cows and petting alpacas, goats, ponies, mini pigs and rabbits, and German food such as homemade sausages, stone-oven bread and local beer. There is also a dog run of about 5,000 m2 (free) and a winery.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOkayama, OkayamaOkayama University of Science Dinosaur MuseumA university museum that shows not only specimens but the whole process from excavation in Mongolia's Gobi Desert to research. The exhibition hall has a Gobihadros skeleton seen nowhere else in Japan and one of the world's largest dinosaur footprint fossils, and the main hall centres on Tarbosaurus and Protoceratops from juveniles to adults.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMinamidaito, OkinawaHoshino CaveMinamidaito, a raised coral island made almost entirely of limestone, once had about 200 limestone caves. Hoshino Cave, one of the largest, is 375 m long with about 1,000 tsubo of space; with walkways and lighting you can see beautiful milky-white stalactites shaped like curtains and icicles.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNaha, OkinawaKokusai-dori StreetA street in Naha near the Okinawa Prefectural Office, lined for about 1.6 km with souvenir shops, variety stores, izakaya, cafes and restaurants. It was called the "Miracle Mile" for recovering quickly in a city left in ruins by the Pacific War. Every Sunday (not in rain) from 12:00 to 18:00, about 1.3 km is closed to ordinary cars for the "Transit Mile", with open cafes, street performances and events.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetChatan, OkinawaMihama American VillageA "town resort" popular with local young people, full of amusement spots and distinctive shops: a cinema, a large supermarket, import markets and casual shops, restaurants, cafes and resort hotels, with Chatan Park and Sunset Beach nearby.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMotobu, OkinawaMinna BeachOn Minna Island, pure white sand stretches from the east to the north of the island, with coral reefs around it; the emerald-green, very clear water is good for swimming and marine sports.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNago, OkinawaNago Pineapple ParkA park themed on the pineapple, grown here in about 120 kinds (edible and ornamental), where a self-driving "Pineapple Train" tours the subtropical garden. You can learn about the pineapple's history and growth, eat at the "Ananas Kitchen" and "Sweets de Pineapple", and the adjoining Nago Pineapple Winery makes wines from Okinawan pineapples; the "LA PIÑA DISTILLERY" makes spirits including a pineapple brandy.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNanjo, OkinawaOkinawa World (Gyokusendo Cave)One of Okinawa's leading sights, bringing together its attractions: Gyokusendo, a limestone cave about 5 km long formed over about 300,000 years (890 m open to visitors); the Habu Museum Park, the only one in the world, revealing the secrets of the habu snake; a "Ryukyu Kingdom castle town" of relocated old houses over 100 years old with craft experiences; a tropical fruit garden; and the Nanto brewery. The "Super Eisa" traditional dance show is performed every day.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIkeda, OsakaCUPNOODLES MUSEUM OSAKA IKEDAIn a shed behind his home in Ikeda, Momofuku Ando worked alone for a full year, without a single day off and sleeping about four hours a night, to create Chicken Ramen, an instant ramen that could be eaten at home with just hot water. Seeing American supermarket staff break the noodles into cups and eat them with forks inspired Cup Noodles, which turned the Japanese invention into a food for the world. The museum tells this story of invention, and at its workshops you can make Chicken Ramen or design your own Cup Noodles.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetSuita, OsakaEXPOCITYA large complex on about 172,000 square metres in front of Banpaku-kinen-koen Station, combining large entertainment facilities, including a museum of living things and Japan's tallest Ferris wheel, with the roughly 300-shop LaLaport EXPOCITY.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOsaka, OsakaImamiya Ebisu ShrineSaid to have been founded in 600, when Prince Shotoku built Shitennoji Temple and enshrined a guardian deity to its west, the shrine was revered as the protector of the market. Ebisu, usually shown holding a sea bream and a fishing rod, stood for the bounty of the sea; the shrine once stood near the coast and from the Heian period offered fresh fish to the imperial court. Its Toka Ebisu festival, held each year on January 9, 10 and 11, draws large crowds.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetOsaka, OsakaJanjan Yokocho AlleyThe nickname of the Nanyo-dori shopping arcade, running about 180 m from Dobutsuen-mae Station to Tsutenkaku in Shinsekai; it is said to come from the jangling of shamisen and drums once used to call in customers. Kushikatsu restaurants ("no double-dipping in the sauce"), yakiniku, diners, sushi, udon and standing bars line the arcade.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSuita, OsakaNIFREL (Living Museum)A "living museum" built around the concept of "touching your senses", where you can enjoy animals and nature up close as if viewing art, across eight zones with installations combining lighting, music and video; "curators" help visitors meet the animals.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOsaka, OsakaOsaka Botejyu Main Shop (Okonomiyaki)An okonomiyaki restaurant founded in Showa 28 in Namba, named for the "bote" of flipping and the "jyu" of sizzling; it welcomes solo diners and groups.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOsaka, OsakaOsaka City Central Public HallA symbol of Nakanoshima and of Osaka, built with a donation of 1 million yen from the stockbroker Iwamoto Einosuke, who refused to take any of it back saying that asking for a gift to be returned would shame an Osaka merchant. He died before it was finished, and the hall was completed in November 1918, two years after his death. Now an Important Cultural Property, it is still used by citizens for culture and the arts.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetOsaka, OsakaOsaka City Museum of Fine ArtsConceived in 1920, when Osaka was Japan's second-largest city but had no national museum, it was planned as both a museum protecting cultural properties and an art gallery for citizens; the writer Mori Ogai was on the planning committee. It opened on May 1, 1936 without a single work of its own, relying on loans from temples, shrines and collectors. Grown largely through citizens' donations, the collection now numbers 8,900 items, including 3 National Treasures and 58 Important Cultural Properties, and is renowned for Chinese calligraphy, painting and sculpture. After a renovation, its central hall is now a free zone.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetOsaka, OsakaOsaka Kizu Wholesale Market"The kitchen of Naniwa", one of Japan's largest private wholesale markets with over 300 years of history, supplying top restaurants; on the second and last Saturday of each month the Kizu morning market holds auctions for the public.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOsaka, OsakaOsaka Science MuseumA leading science museum in Japan, set among the office buildings of Nakanoshima, Osaka. Its planetarium guides you through the starry sky and space with live narration, and its programs change every three months, while the exhibition halls cover science you can try for yourself.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetOsaka, OsakaOsaka Tenmangu ShrineAround 650, when Emperor Kotoku built his palace at Naniwa, a shrine to Daishogun was set up here to guard the northwest of the capital. Sugawara no Michizane prayed here for a safe journey in 901 on his way to Dazaifu; in 949, after seven pine trees are said to have sprung up overnight and glowed at night, Emperor Murakami ordered a shrine built to enshrine Michizane's spirit. For over a thousand years it has been revered by the people of Osaka and beyond, and it is the home of the Tenjin Festival.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetSakai, OsakaSakai Traditional Crafts MuseumA facility bringing together Sakai's traditional industries for display, sale and hands-on experience. The first-floor shop sells knives for home and professional use along with local products, sweets and tea; the second floor introduces crafts such as dyeing, incense, kelp processing and carp streamers, and the Sakai knife museum "CUT" shows the history and making of knives.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOsaka, OsakaSanta Maria Sightseeing Cruise, Osaka PortThe largest sailing-ship-style sightseeing cruise boat in the Osaka Bay Area, built at about twice the size of Columbus's flagship Santa Maria. It departs from the pier next to Kaiyukan, and the day cruise of about 45 minutes shows the Tempozan Bridge, the Minato Bridge and the Tempozan Ferris wheel from the sea; a twilight cruise of about 60 minutes runs for limited periods.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOsaka, OsakaSennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping StreetA 150 m shopping street 3 minutes from Namba Station, packed with specialist shops for food samples, lanterns, illuminated signs, tableware and kitchen tools, always busy with visitors from Japan and abroad. It began in Meiji 15 (1882) as a pilgrimage route lined with second-hand and sundry shops; its range of tools for takoyaki, okonomiyaki and other flour dishes is said to be the best in Japan.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOsaka, OsakaSumiyoshi TaishaThe head shrine of some 2,300 Sumiyoshi shrines across Japan, long known as the Ichinomiya (first shrine) of Settsu Province. It enshrines the three Sumiyoshi deities born from the sea and Empress Jingu, and has been revered since ancient times as a guardian of voyages, including Japan's missions to Sui and Tang China. Its main halls, in the distinctive Sumiyoshi-zukuri style, are National Treasures, and records show the shrine was being rebuilt every 20 years by 749.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetOsaka, OsakaTennoji ZooOpened on January 1, 1915, this zoo has more than 110 years of history and keeps about 1,000 animals of some 170 species on about 11 hectares, an oasis in the middle of the city. Its popular "ecological displays" recreate the animals' habitats as closely as possible, as in the Penguin Park and Sea Lion Wharf, the reptile house "Ifa" and the African Savanna zone with hippos, giraffes and lions. Feeding times and keeper talks are held through the day.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetOsaka, OsakaTombori River CruiseA 20-minute mini cruise along the Dotonbori canal with an Osaka guide pointing out the sights and stories; boats leave on the hour and half-hour.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSuita, OsakaTower of the SunDesigned by the artist Taro Okamoto as the theme pavilion in the symbol zone of the 1970 Japan World Exposition. It has three faces: the golden "Face of the Golden Sun" at the top symbolizing the future, the "Face of the Sun" on the front for the present, and the "Black Sun" on the back for the past. Its hollow interior, once part of an exhibition on the evolution of life, was closed for nearly 50 years after the Expo and can now be visited by advance reservation, climbing past the "Tree of Life".Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetOsaka, OsakaUniversal Studios JapanA theme park with a Mario area and the Mario Kart ride, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Minions; one-day ticket prices vary by date.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOgi, SagaEriyama Rice Terraces (Red Spider Lilies)About 600 terraced paddies spread at 250 m on the slopes of the Tenzan range, selected as one of Japan's 100 best rice terraces and 100 best rural landscapes. Around late September bright red spider lilies line the ridges, and from mid-September many photographers and visitors come to enjoy the scenery of ripening rice and lilies.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSaga, SagaFuruyu and Kumanokawa OnsenTwo hot-spring villages along the Kase River in Fuji, Saga City, known for lukewarm water you can soak in at leisure. Furuyu Onsen is said to have been discovered about 2,100 years ago by Xu Fu, sent by the First Emperor of Qin in search of the herb of immortality, and rediscovered in 1791 when villagers saw a crane healing its leg; its quiet, rustic streets attracted artists such as Aoki Shigeru and Saito Mokichi, who stayed three weeks in 1920 and left 38 poems. Kumanokawa Onsen, a little downstream, is said to have been found by Kukai in 821 and has 16 inns.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKaratsu, SagaHikiyama Exhibition HallA hall displaying all year the 14 hikiyama floats that star in the Karatsu Kunchi festival (November 2-4 every year). The first float, the Red Lion, was dedicated to Karatsu Shrine in 1819 (Bunsei 2); of the 15 made, 14 survive and are a prefectural Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property, and the festival is part of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage "Yama, Hoko, Yatai float festivals". The floats are made of hundreds of layers of washi over clay or wooden moulds, lacquered and gilded, and weigh 2-3 tonnes. The hall has moved temporarily to the Alpino site while it is rebuilt.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetUreshino, SagaHizen Yume Kaido Ninja VillageThe only ninja-experience theme park in Kyushu, at Ureshino Onsen. Walking through a recreated Edo townscape, you can change into ninja costume and try shuriken throwing and target shooting; ninja shows are held daily, and on weekends and holidays children train to become ninja at the "Kids Ninja Academy".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKaratsu, SagaMarine Pal YobukoThe whale-shaped underwater viewing boat "Zeela" slowly circles the sea off Yobuko, letting you see fish swimming naturally from windows 1.2 m below the surface; there are two types, the blue Zeela and the pink Zeela. The "Ikamaru" sightseeing boat to Nanatsugama also departs from Marine Pal Yobuko.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSaga, SagaMitsuse Reber Farm Donguri-muraA large nature park in Mitsuse, Saga City, for getting close to nature and animals, where you can relax or play to your heart's content on wide grassland. Horse riding is available in good weather, and the "Small Animal House", where you can touch small animals, is popular. A bakery workshop on site serves freshly baked bread.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKaratsu, SagaNagoya Castle Museum and RuinsThe national special historic site "Nagoya Castle Ruins and Camp Sites" was the base for Toyotomi Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea (1592-1598); within 3 km of the castle over 150 camp sites of daimyo from all over Japan remain. The castle, 170,000 m² and completed in just five months, was then second in size only to Osaka Castle, and a castle town of over 200,000 people grew around it. The adjoining museum presents the history of exchange between the Japanese archipelago and the Korean Peninsula, with reconstructions of Hideyoshi's "golden tea room" and a bamboo tea hut.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetChichibu, SaitamaBanba-dori StreetThe main approach to Chichibu Shrine, lined with restaurants, cafes and sweet shops; some shops still operate in buildings registered as national tangible cultural properties, giving a feeling of slipping back into old Japan.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetGyoda, SaitamaGyoda Haniwa WorkshopA workshop in the Sakitama Kofun Group where anyone, from children to older people, can make their own haniwa with help from instructors. After 90-120 minutes of shaping, the pieces dry for about a month and are fired in the kiln at 800 degrees for about 7 hours; you collect them later or have them delivered. Terracotta clay that needs no firing can be taken home the same day. Haniwa are also on display.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKawagoe, SaitamaKashiya Yokocho (Candy Alley)An alley lined with nostalgic sweet shops. In the early Showa period more than 70 shops stood here, making and wholesaling sweets; today about 20 make and sell peppermint candy, kintaro-ame and inventive old-fashioned sweets, and adults and children alike can enjoy the nostalgic atmosphere. It is one of the Ministry of the Environment's "100 Fragrant Landscapes".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKasukabe, SaitamaMetropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge ChannelA regional flood-control facility that offers tours so visitors can learn its role. Besides the very popular "underground temple" pressure-control tank, courses include the "Adventure Experience" with the No. 3 shaft, a "Minecraft disaster-prevention" course and a light-up course; seven courses are offered, and all of them go to the underground tank.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetHanno, SaitamaMetsa VillageA facility with a market of Nordic-brand goods and crafts, restaurants serving Nordic-style food, craft and art workshops, rental boats on the lake and seasonal events. In March 2025 the contemporary art museum "HYPER MUSEUM HANNO" opened, combining "nature and digital" with character art. Entry is free.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSaitama, SaitamaMusashi Ichinomiya Hikawa ShrineThe head shrine of more than 280 Hikawa shrines in Saitama, Tokyo and Kanagawa, said to have a history of over 2,000 years; as the "great shrine" (Omiya) it gave the city its name. As Musashi Ichinomiya it draws worshippers from all over the Kanto region, and many come at New Year. The grounds cover about 30,000 tsubo, and the approach runs about 2 km from the first torii on the Nakasendo. The 13 m wooden second torii was donated and moved from Meiji Jingu.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNagatoro, SaitamaSaitama Museum of Natural HistoryA museum showing fossils found in Saitama, such as the giant shark Carcharodon megalodon and the mysterious marine mammal Paleoparadoxia, and explaining the features and highlights of Saitama's nature, typified by Nagatoro. There is a hands-on zone and a free audio guide.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSaitama, SaitamaThe Railway MuseumOpened in Omiya, Saitama city, on October 14, 2007 as the main project marking the 20th anniversary of JR East. In July 2018 the South Wing opened and the main building's permanent exhibits were fully renewed; the museum is now divided into five "stations" (vehicles, history, work, science and the future), telling the stories of people and railways from many angles.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTokorozawa, SaitamaTokorozawa Sakura TownA joint project of KADOKAWA and Tokorozawa city, the hub of the "COOL JAPAN FOREST" plan to create cutting-edge culture and industry in a green setting and share them with the world. It combines a cultural complex of a museum, art gallery, library and anime museum with a multipurpose hall for Japanese pop culture, book production, a logistics plant, offices, shops, restaurants, a hands-on bookstore and a shrine.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKonan, ShigaChojuji Temple (Konan Sanzan)Just to the right after the approach stands a stone "Tahoto" pagoda, built in the Kamakura period to pray for Emperor Shomu. Because its finial is missing it was not designated an Important Cultural Property, but it is said to be valuable; made entirely of stone, its top-heavy, rugged form has a charm of its own.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKonan, ShigaJorakuji Temple (Konan Sanzan)A Tendai temple about 3.2 km southeast of JR Ishibe Station, the centre of the "Aboshiyama 5,000 lodges" opened by Roben in the mid-Nara period. At the end of the tree-lined approach stands the National Treasure main hall, rebuilt in the Nanboku-cho period, with the hidden Buddha Senju Kannon; up the steps beside it is a three-storey pagoda.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOmihachiman, ShigaLake Nishinoko Boat TourLake Nishinoko is a Ramsar-listed wetland. You can take a boat tour said to be a pastime Nobunaga enjoyed in imitation of court amusements. The departure point, "Nishinoko Station", serves light meals, and the Yoshibue Road cycling path is nearby.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOmihachiman, ShigaOmihachiman Suigo Boat TourThe waterways of Omihachiman, counted among the Eight Views of Lake Biwa, change with the seasons: reeds sprout in spring, grow nearly 4 m in summer, turn gold in autumn and are cut in winter. The boat tour lets you feel this atmosphere directly; it is said to have begun when Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hidetsugu copied the elegant pastimes of the court. The Omihachiman waterways were selected on January 26, 2005 as Japan's first Important Cultural Landscape.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOtsu, ShigaSeta River and Lake Biwa River CruiseA cruise on the scenic Seta River aboard the nostalgic "Ichibanmaru", viewing the settings of "Evening Glow at Seta" and "Autumn Moon at Ishiyama" from Hiroshige's "Eight Views of Omi".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetOtsu, ShigaShiga Prefectural Center for Archaeological OperationsSince opening on April 1, 1980, the centre has surveyed and studied sites and artefacts across Shiga, where people have lived around Lake Biwa since early times, and sorts and stores excavated objects and records. Its permanent exhibition in the lobby focuses on learning Shiga's history from buried cultural properties found in the prefecture.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTakashima, ShigaShozu Cherry TreeAn old Azuma-higan cherry tree standing alone in the Kaizu cemetery about 1 km north of the Osaki avenue entrance, said to be over 300 years old and praised in Mizukami Tsutomu's novel "Sakuramori". It is also called "Mikaeri no Sakura" (the look-back cherry) because the Maeda lord of Kaga admired it many times on his way to Kyoto, and it reaches full bloom a little before the Somei-Yoshino of Kaizu Osaki.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetRyuo, ShigaYukinoyama Historic Park "Imose-no-Sato"A recreation area of about 5 ha at the foot of Mt. Yukino, surrounded by quiet nature and many historic and cultural sites. It lies in Gamono, famous for the exchange of poems between Princess Nukata and Prince Oama in the days of the Otsu capital, and all its buildings are in a shrine style reflecting that history; there is a lawn for outdoor activities and a floating stage, with camping and barbecues.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMatsue, ShimaneBetabumi-zaka (Eshima Ohashi Bridge)The Eshima Ohashi Bridge, 1,446 m long over Nakaumi, links Eshima in Matsue with Sakaiminato in Tottori; completed in 2004 with "wind" as its design theme. The 250 m span between its two central piers is the longest in the East for a PC rigid-frame bridge and third in the world, and it stands 44.7 m above the water. It became famous as "Betabumi-zaka" (floor-it slope) after appearing in a car TV commercial in December 2013; the steep grade can be seen from the Matsue side.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMatsue, ShimaneGogin Karakoro Art MuseumOpened in September 2012 east of Karakoro Kobo, in the former San'in Godo Bank north branch of 1926, renovated to keep its original look while blending in modern architecture. The 1st floor shows Western-style paintings by Japanese artists, centred on "Twin Dragons Soaring with Sun and Moon" painted for the museum by Koji Kinutani; the 2nd floor shows works such as prints by Matsue-born Unichi Hiratsuka.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIzumo, ShimaneIzumo Taisha (Izumo Oyashiro)An ancient shrine whose founding is recorded in the Kojiki, said to be Japan's oldest history book; until the early Meiji period it was called Kizuki Taisha. Its main deity is Okuninushi-no-Okami, familiar as "Daikoku-sama". The present main hall (National Treasure), built in 1744, is about 24 m high and is in the Taisha-zukuri style, the oldest style of shrine architecture in Japan; according to shrine tradition it was once about 96 m high. At Izumo Taisha, worshippers bow twice, clap four times and bow once more.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMatsue, ShimaneKanden-an Tea HouseA representative tea house and garden of Japan, built in 1792 at the direction of Matsudaira Harusato (Fumai), 7th lord of the Matsue domain, together with Kogetsu-tei and a bath house. Protected by the Arisawa family of chief retainers after the Meiji Restoration, it keeps almost its original form and is the most symbolic remaining example of Fumai's tea philosophy. Fundamental restoration, the first in about 70 years, was carried out from 2015.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMatsue, ShimaneLake Shinji Sightseeing Boat HakuchoA sightseeing boat that leaves the No. 1 pier, calls at the No. 2 pier and tours Lake Shinji, Yomegashima island and the area near Matsue Onsen. The sunset cruise lets you enjoy the lake glowing in the setting sun from the boat. The ride takes about 1 hour.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMatsue, ShimaneMatsue Horan Enya DenshokanHoran Enya is the common name of the Matsue Shiroyama Inari Shrine's Shikinen Shinkosai, with a history of 375 years, held once every 10 years and one of Japan's three great boat rituals; the name is said to come from the call-and-response chant. Here you can experience it through films and graphics in the theatre room, and by boarding a half-size kaidenma boat in costume. The most recent festival was held in May 2019, and the next is planned for 2029.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMatsue, ShimaneSamurai Residence (Buke Yashiki)A residence where upper-ranking samurai lived in turn, including Shiomi Kohei, from whom Shiomi Nawate is said to take its name. With its main house, nagaya gate and walls, it conveys the look of the mid-Edo period. The formal guest side and the private side differ in construction and materials, showing the strict line between public and private in samurai life. It was restored from Meiji-era plans found during three years of conservation work from 2016.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMatsue, ShimaneYakumotatsu Fudoki-no-Oka MuseumA museum for learning about Ou, the centre of ancient Izumo's nation-building, in the heart of the district linked to the "Kunibiki" myth of the Nara-period Izumo-no-Kuni Fudoki. It shows haniwa, mirrors and swords that are national Important Cultural Properties and finds from the area; nearby are the Fudoki botanical garden and reconstructed ancient dwellings.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFujinomiya, ShizuokaFujinomiya Yakisoba Antenna ShopA popular local-food stand at the entrance to Omiya Yokocho in front of Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha, cooking each order of Fujinomiya yakisoba with chewy steamed noodles, "nikukasu" pork crisps and fish powder.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIto, ShizuokaIzu Shaboten ZooA park at the foot of Mt. Omuro with about 1,500 kinds of cacti and succulents and about 140 kinds of animals. You can see capybaras, kangaroos and squirrel monkeys up close, tour the islands in the pond on the guided "Animal Boat Tours", and see the original "capybara open-air bath".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetShimoda, ShizuokaKannon Onsen, ShimodaA hot spring deep in the woods of inner Shimoda with strongly alkaline (pH 9.5) simple water that feels silky, one of the few in Shizuoka approved for drinking; it has open-air baths and serves food made with the spring water.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFujinomiya, ShizuokaMakaino Farm, Asagiri PlateauA hands-on farm on the Asagiri Plateau facing Mt. Fuji, with goat walks, cow milking and pony rides, butter and sausage making, a barbecue terrace, a farm restaurant and a shop selling homemade milk and bread.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAtami, ShizuokaMOA Museum of ArtA museum on the heights behind Atami Station, known as "the museum with a sea view" for the panorama of Sagami Bay from its main lobby. The long escalator hall to the entrance is a kaleidoscopic light art space, and outside is a large Japanese garden, the "Tea Garden", with plum blossoms, fresh maples and autumn leaves.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetHamamatsu, ShizuokaRyugashido CaveOne of the largest limestone caves in the Tokai region, about 1,000 m long in total (about 400 m open to the public), kept at an average of 18°C all year. The highlight is the "Golden Waterfall", falling 30 m from the cave ceiling (the flow is small on some days).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNikko, TochigiAshio Copper Mine TourA tour of the inside of the Ashio Copper Mine, with 400 years of history, once called "Japan's greatest mining town". After the mine closed part of it was opened, and a trolley train takes you into a dim 460 m tunnel where life-like figures recreate the hard work of mining in each era. The attached copper museum shows how ore becomes copper. In the Edo period, Ashio copper was used for roof tiles at Nikko Toshogu and Edo Castle and exported to the Netherlands and China, and the Kan'ei Tsuho coins made here, marked "Ashi" on the back, were called "Ashiji-sen".Official check: 28 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNikko, TochigiEdo Wonderland Nikko EdomuraA cultural theme park recreating an Edo-period town, with ninja shows and courtesan processions in four theatres and costume rental so you can dress as an Edo resident.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTochigi, TochigiKura Warehouse Streets of Tochigi CityTochigi prospered from the Edo period as a post town on the Nikko Reiheishi Kaido and as a wholesale town trading with Edo by river boat, and was called the commercial capital of northern Kanto. Along the Uzuma River and the Kura-no-Machi Odori avenue, heavy black-lacquered shop warehouses and white-walled storehouses remain.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMashiko, TochigiYokoyama Pottery Workshop, MashikoA pottery workshop in Mashiko where staff help first-timers make pieces on the wheel; a wheel session with 1-2 pieces fired is 4,400 yen.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAizumi, TokushimaAi no Yakata (Indigo Museum)Aizumi Town's history museum, opened in 1989 when 13 buildings of the former Okumura residence, a great indigo merchant, and 130,000 Okumura family documents were donated to the town, and renewed in 2022. It preserves the national Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property "Awa indigo cultivation and processing tools" and the Okumura residence, and explains the history and trade of indigo and the process from growing it to making sukumo and dyeing, with paper figures and tools actually used. You can try indigo dyeing with naturally fermented dye.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTokushima, TokushimaAwa Jurobei Yashiki (Puppet Theatre House)The site of the house of Bando Jurobei, an Edo-period village headman who was the model for the puppet play "Keisei Awa no Naruto", where you can enjoy "Awa Ningyo Joruri", a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. Puppet plays are performed every day on an open stage modelled on the outdoor "rural stages" found at many Tokushima shrines, and exhibits and videos of puppet heads, costumes and the chanters' and shamisen players' tools tell its history. The "Crane and Tortoise Garden" from the Genroku era remains.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTokushima, TokushimaAwagin Bizan RopewayA ropeway of about 6 minutes up Mt. Bizan, the symbol of Tokushima City sung of in the Man'yoshu. From the 290 m summit you can see the city and, on clear days, Awaji Island and the Kii Peninsula. The gondolas were renewed in spring 2025 for the first time in 25 years.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKaiyo, TokushimaIsland Little Aquarium (Marine Jam)The former Kumanomi-kan, reopened as "Shima no Chiisana Suizokukan" (the island's little aquarium). It has a 2 m tank, a cylindrical tank, a tidal-flat tank, a terrarium and a touch pool; all the tanks are hand-made by the staff and set at a child's eye level (60 cm from the floor).Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTokushima, TokushimaIsuienA long-established ryotei in Tokushima living with the seasons in its garden, reopened in February 2026 as a restaurant open to more guests while carrying on its history and tradition. The graceful building, built as a private residence, and the garden that changes through the seasons form a calm, dignified "Japanese stage".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMiyoshi, TokushimaKonaki-jiji StatueA stone statue of Konaki-jiji at Oboke in Yamashiro, where many yokai legends are handed down. The stone tablet beside it with an explanation is written in the hand of the novelist Natsuhiko Kyogoku, making it popular with yokai fans.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNaka, TokushimaManpukuji Temple (Naka)A temple whose main hall, built at the end of the Edo period, has a long history. The grounds have a Japanese archery range and a calligraphy class that hold trial sessions, and seasonal flowers can be seen in the spacious grounds.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetItano, TokushimaNemophila at Asutamu Land TokushimaAt Asutamu Land Tokushima, a large hands-on park where children grow a scientific mind through play and experience, pretty nemophila flowers bloom on the windmill hill from late April to mid May.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMiyoshi, TokushimaPeonies of Mitsugonji TempleMitsugonji, known as temple No. 5 of the Shikoku 36 Fudo pilgrimage, has about 700 peony plants of about 100 varieties, loved by local people and pilgrims. Special goshuin and peony incense and potted peonies (limited quantities) are offered.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAnan, TokushimaSunny's Farm (Strawberry Picking)A strawberry farm started through a farm succession, with the wish of spreading the name of Anan. It is the only place where you can eat the "Royal Queen" variety; it is all-you-can-eat for 60 minutes, and junior high age and older also get a pack of strawberries. Booking is required.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMugi, TokushimaTaiseimaru (Teba Island Ferry)The only ferry linking Mugi and Teba Island, to use when visiting Teba Island; the crossing takes 15 minutes, with six return trips a day.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKaiyo, TokushimaUndersea Sightseeing Boat Blue MarineA cruise of about 40 minutes in Muroto-Anan Kaigan Quasi-National Park on a boat with windows in its hull, letting you watch oddly shaped coral and colourful tropical fish up close while seated; the sea of southern Tokushima is like a southern island.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNaruto, TokushimaUzu no Michi (Onaruto Bridge Walkway)A 450 m walkway built inside the Onaruto Bridge, 45 m above the sea. Through glass floor panels you can look down on the whirlpools and the rushing tidal current, and the view takes in the Pacific Ocean and the Seto Inland Sea.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
- No photo yetChiyoda, TokyoAkihabara Electric TownOnce 1,000 electrical shops packed into 1 km square, now "Akiba", a hub of pop culture full of PC, anime and manga shops; the main street goes car-free on Sunday afternoons.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTaito, TokyoAmeyoko Shopping StreetA lively street of about 500 shops running some 500 m from Ueno to Okachimachi, selling international food, fresh seafood, sweets, fashion and more to the calls of shopkeepers.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTaito, TokyoAsakusa HanayashikiJapan's oldest amusement park, born as a peony and chrysanthemum garden at the end of the Edo period, with 19 attractions including a vintage roller coaster and a haunted house.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetChiyoda, TokyoEast Gardens of the Imperial PalacePart of the honmaru, ninomaru and sannomaru of the former Edo Castle, laid out as gardens attached to the Imperial Palace when the palace was rebuilt, and open to the public since 1968. Historic structures such as the Hyakunin-bansho guardhouse, the Fujimi-yagura turret and the base of the castle keep sit alongside landscaped gardens, including the Ninomaru Garden. The grounds also hold the Museum of the Imperial Collections (Sannomaru Shozokan).Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetChofu, TokyoJindai-ji TempleA temple in Chofu, western Tokyo, that holds a bronze seated Shaka Nyorai (about 84 cm), a masterpiece of the late Asuka (Hakuho) period. Long forgotten under an altar after the temple's halls burned in 1865, it was rediscovered in 1909 and is now a National Treasure, the oldest in eastern Japan and the only Buddhist statue designated a National Treasure among Tokyo's temples. It can be seen in the Shaka-do hall.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetMinato, TokyoNezu MuseumA museum founded to preserve and show the collection of Japanese and East Asian antiques gathered by the businessman Nezu Kaichiro (1860-1940), opened in 1941 on the site of the Nezu family residence. Largely destroyed in 1945 air raids, it reopened its exhibitions in a shack in the autumn of 1946; today's main building was designed by Kengo Kuma. The collection numbers 7,630 items (as of March 2025), including 7 National Treasures and 93 Important Cultural Properties, and a garden with tea houses and stone lanterns, often called an oasis in the city, now has easy-to-walk stone paths.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetShibuya, TokyoShibuya Scramble CrossingThe famous crossing outside Shibuya Station where more than 1,000 people cross at once, an iconic image of Tokyo.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetBunkyo, TokyoSpa LaQua (Tokyo Dome Natural Hot Spring)A spa next to Tokyo Dome drawing natural hot-spring water from 1,700 m underground, with indoor and open-air baths, saunas and bedrock-bath rooms; you pay with a wristband and wear loaned loungewear.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSumida, TokyoSumida Hokusai MuseumA museum opened in 2016 in Sumida, where Katsushika Hokusai was born and lived, showing works by him and his pupils; a room of life-size replicas introduces his life in several languages, and the building is by Kazuyo Sejima.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMinato, TokyoThe National Art Center, TokyoOpened in 2007 as the fifth facility of the Independent Administrative Institution National Museum of Art, with the mission of creating a new culture through mutual understanding via art. Instead of holding a permanent collection, it works as an art center where people can experience and learn about many kinds of artistic expression, hosting a changing program of exhibitions. It connects directly to Nogizaka Station.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetChiyoda, TokyoThe National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo / MOMATJapan's first national art museum, in central Tokyo and surrounded by greenery: the Imperial Palace, Kitanomaru Park and Chidorigafuchi. It collects mainly Japanese modern and contemporary art from the late 19th century to the present. Its collection exhibition, "MOMAT Collection", shows about 200 of more than 14,000 works, including Nihonga, Western-style painting, prints, sculpture, photography and film, changing works each session to trace the flow of Japanese art.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetTaito, TokyoThe National Museum of Western ArtIts main building was designed by the French architect Le Corbusier as a symbol of restored relations between Japan and France after the war, and completed in March 1959. In 2016 the main building and its front garden were registered as part of the World Heritage Site "The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier", 17 sites in 7 countries on three continents. The front garden was restored toward Le Corbusier's original design during renovation works from 2020 to 2022, with Rodin's sculptures returned to their original positions.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetMinato, TokyoTokyo Metropolitan Teien Art MuseumThe museum is housed in the former residence of Prince and Princess Asaka. During a long stay in France from 1922 to 1925, at the height of Art Deco, they were captivated by the style and asked the French decorative artist Henri Rapin to design the main rooms of their new home. Built by architects of the Imperial Household Ministry with traditional Japanese craftsmanship, the residence was designated an Important Cultural Property in 2015 as one of the high points of the ministry's residential architecture. It is surrounded by a Japanese garden.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetEdogawa, TokyoTokyo Sea Life ParkAn aquarium in Kasai Rinkai Park, planned to mark the centenary of Ueno Zoo and opened in 1989 as "a place where people and the sea meet". Behind its eye-catching glass-dome entrance you can meet more than 500 species from the world's oceans and nearby waters. Its 2,200 m³ tank was the first in the world to show a school of Pacific bluefin tuna, which in 1999 also spawned in the tank for the first time anywhere, and it has one of the largest penguin exhibits in Japan with more than 100 birds.Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetChuo, TokyoTsukiji Outer MarketTokyo's great food market within walking distance of Ginza, about 460 shops selling fresh sushi, seafood, seasonings and kitchen tools; many shops take cash only.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetChuo, TokyoTsukishima Monja StreetThe home of monjayaki, Tsukishima's soul food, with more than 80 specialist restaurants along the street where you cook it yourself on a hotplate at the table; many also serve okonomiyaki.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTaito, TokyoUeno Toshogu ShrineA Toshogu shrine in Ueno Park, founded in 1627, enshrining Tokugawa Ieyasu as the deity Tosho Daigongen. Its lavish buildings, including the golden hall (Konjikiden), survived wars and earthquakes and are designated Important Cultural Properties as rare early-Edo architecture. Paying a separate fee lets you see the halls up close from inside the openwork fence (the interiors are not open).Official check: 20 Oct 2026
- No photo yetChizu, TottoriAshizu GorgeA gorge of primeval forest in Chizu, a town on the border with Okayama, where you can camp and fish for yamame trout. Full of nature and good for hiking, the whole gorge turns colour in autumn. Chizu was certified as a Forest Therapy Base, the fourth in the Chugoku region, and you can walk among varied scenery such as the huge rock "Eboshi-iwa", many waterfalls including the "Mitaki" falls, and the rapids called "Azuki-korogashi".Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetYonago, TottoriGoto Family ResidenceThe house of the Goto family, Edo-period shipping merchants, at the foot of the Kyobashi bridge over the Kamo River. Its gabled roof with round tiles, fine lattices and white walls with the family crest show the wealth of the time. The interior is not open to the public; the exterior can be viewed freely.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetChizu, TottoriItaibara VillageOne of the few villages in Japan that keeps the form of a mountain village of the 1950s and 60s. It prospered with farming and charcoal making in the Edo period and sericulture in the Meiji period, and was selected as a Tottori Prefecture Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 2004. An old-house cafe serving Chizu ingredients opened in 2020, and it is also popular for autumn leaves.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTottori, TottoriSaji Astro ParkOne of Japan's leading public observatories, with a 103 cm reflecting telescope, a planetarium and accommodation. By day there are planetarium shows and, in clear weather, daytime star and sun observation; at night there are stargazing sessions in clear weather and planetarium shows when cloudy or rainy. There are four lodging cottages equipped with telescopes.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetToyama, ToyamaFugan Suijo Line Canal CruiseA canal cruise from Fugan Unga Kansui Park through the Nakajima Lock to the port town of Iwase, about an hour. The Nakajima Lock, a Panama-canal-style lock that adjusts the water level with two pairs of gates, is a national Important Cultural Property; you can experience its 2.5 m "water elevator". In spring the canal, one of Toyama's 70 best cherry blossom spots, lets you see the blossoms from the water.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetAsahi, ToyamaFunakawa Riverbank Red Spider LiliesIn late September a red carpet of spider lilies spreads over about 600 m of the embankment under the Funakawa cherry tree avenue. A farmer behind the spring "Asahi Funakawa Spring Quartet" proposed making it a flower spot in autumn too, and with about 60 local residents about 30,000 bulbs were planted over three years from 2016; residents also maintain the slope, including mowing that takes two full days.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetToyama, ToyamaIkedaya Yasubei ShotenA shop that makes and sells "Hangontan", the representative Toyama stomach medicine born in the Edo period. In the oldest wooden building in the city centre, it sells its own Japanese-Chinese herbal medicines and herbal teas, and specialist pharmacists give counselling. At the front of the shop an old pill-making machine is demonstrated, and anyone who wishes can try it for free.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTakaoka, ToyamaMichi-no-Eki AmaharashiOn the Amaharashi Coast, chosen as one of Japan's 100 best beaches, where on clear days you can see the Tateyama range across the sea, stands this pure-white modern building said to be modelled on a ship. The 1st floor has an information corner, the 2nd a cafe, shop and observation deck, and the 3rd a multi-purpose room and observation deck. From the deck and cafe you can also watch Himi Line trains running with the sea behind, and the information corner and decks are open 24 hours.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetToyama, ToyamaMichi-no-Eki HosoiriA roadside station on Route 41 on the way from Toyama to Gifu, where the "Hietsu Fureai Bussan Center Rinrin" shares road, sightseeing and event information on Etchu and Hida. It sells local specialities such as pickled rakkyo shallots and horse-chestnut honey and Hida products made with Hida beef, and serves local food such as masu-zushi, gohei-mochi and grilled ayu. Behind the building are athletic play equipment and the "Astro Slope", where you can sledge even without snow, free of charge.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetUozu, ToyamaMirage LandThe only amusement park in Toyama Prefecture, popular with families and children. From the 66 m Ferris wheel, a local landmark, there is a grand panorama of Toyama Bay and the Tateyama range of the Northern Alps. Attractions include a five-storey wooden maze and a Viking ship ride, and the park also has a barbecue area, a petting farm with pony rides and a seawater pool in summer; the Uozu Aquarium is next door.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTateyama, ToyamaRaichozawa CampsiteA campsite at 2,277 m surrounded by the beautiful Tateyama mountains, loved for its views of the Tateyama range and the Dainichi mountains and its alpine flowers. Popular as a base camp for climbers heading along the Tateyama ridges or to Mt. Okudainichi and for family camping, it fills with colourful tents in the August season. Tents pitch well on the flat ground, with toilets and cooking areas, and you can bathe in hot springs at nearby mountain huts.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetImizu, ToyamaShinminato Fishing Port Afternoon Auction TourShinminato Fishing Port in Imizu is one of the prefecture's leading ports, where the day's fresh catch is auctioned. Besides the usual early-morning auction, an afternoon auction starts at 12:30, and with advance booking you can watch it from a visitors' gallery on the 2nd floor, seeing the lively exchanges between auctioneers and buyers up close. The red snow crab ("Koshi no Beni-gani") afternoon auction tours start from September 10, 2026.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetTakaoka, ToyamaTakaoka Otogi no Mori ParkA park of about 11 ha for all ages, with the Senbo River flowing through, lawns, flower gardens, a rose garden with over 70 varieties and play facilities. Wild Genji fireflies fly around the wooden bridge in June. Most popular with visitors is the "Doraemon vacant lot", recreating the characters of Takaoka-born Fujiko F. Fujio's "Doraemon".Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKamiichi, ToyamaThe Model House for "Wolf Children"The old house that was the model for the home of the heroine Hana's family in Mamoru Hosoda's 2012 animated film "Wolf Children". Built in 1887, a three-storey wooden house, it looks just as in the film and daily life still goes on here. More than 10 years after the film, many people still visit this "sacred place" of the film; the main house and storehouse became registered Tangible Cultural Properties in 2024.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetUozu, ToyamaUmi-no-Eki ShinkiroA facility at the mirage-viewing spot where you can enjoy the tastes of Uozu. The "Jantokoi-ichi" sells fish just landed at Uozu port, seasonal produce, Toyama sweets and folk crafts, and there are places to eat such as "Kikenjo", serving fish dishes and the popular "Baimeshi". A morning market is held on the 4th Sunday of every month, and seafood is grilled over charcoal every weekend. It is also a station of the Uozu rental bicycles.Official check: 27 Sept 2026
- No photo yetShirahama, WakayamaAdventure WorldA theme park where you can meet many animals, with areas such as "Safari World" for land animals and "Marine World" for sea animals, and a "Play Zone" with a Ferris wheel, go-karts and a roller coaster. There are shows with dolphins and trainers and performances by sea lions, mini pigs and dogs, restaurants serving Wakayama ramen, and shops with panda-design sweets and Wakayama products.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetWakayama, WakayamaKuroshio MarketA "tuna amusement market" in Wakayama Marina City, where a tuna-cutting show is held every day (twice a day on weekends) and you can eat freshly cut tuna. There are a shop of seafood landed in Wakayama, a hands-free BBQ with pre-cut ingredients, a food court with seafood bowls and sushi, and a Showa-retro interior.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKoya, WakayamaOkunoin (Koyasan)The site of the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi Kukai, one of Koyasan's two great sacred places with Danjo Garan and the centre of its faith. Kobo Daishi entered eternal meditation in 835 at the age of 62 and is believed to have continued it here for 1,200 years. The approach, lined with cedars over 700 years old, runs about 2 km from Ichi-no-hashi to the mausoleum past more than 200,000 memorial towers and gravestones of emperors' families, daimyo, writers and commoners; beyond the Gobyo-bashi bridge is the Toro-do lantern hall.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetYamagata, YamagataNanokamachi GotenzekiShops and cafes along the Gotenzeki, one of the five irrigation channels built about 400 years ago, restored as a stone-lined waterway in central Yamagata.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSakata, YamagataSakata Seafood MarketA seafood market by Sakata port: a fish shop with an eat-in corner on the 1st floor and a seafood restaurant overlooking the port on the 2nd.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetSakata, YamagataTobishima IslandAn island 39 km north-west of Sakata Port, reached in 75 minutes by the regular boat "Tobishima". As a stopover for migrating birds it draws many birdwatchers in spring and autumn, along with anglers and trekkers who come for the flowers; the area around the Hanatozaki observatory looks out over the Sea of Japan and Mt. Chokai.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetYonezawa, YamagataToko Sake Brewery MuseumThe museum of Kojima Sohonten, brewer of Toko sake since 1597 and purveyor to the Uesugi lords of Yonezawa, where the brewery shop offers free tastings as well as paid tastings of premium sake.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetYonezawa, YamagataWakuwakukan Weaving and Dyeing WorkshopA dyeing and weaving workshop in Yonezawa where you can try hand-weaving Yonezawa-ori or safflower dyeing and take your work home the same day; with a shop, café and kimono gallery.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetYamagata, YamagataZao Onsen Dai-rotenburo Open-air BathLarge rock pools beside a mountain stream at Zao Onsen, fed by one of Japan's most acidic sulphur springs (pH 1.9); open from late April until winter.Official check: 25 Sept 2026
- No photo yetShimonoseki, YamaguchiKanmon Tunnel (Pedestrian Tunnel)A 780 m undersea tunnel linking Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi and Kitakyushu in Fukuoka. It has two levels: the road on top and the pedestrian walkway below, which takes about 15 minutes to walk through. Midway lies the boundary between Yamaguchi and Fukuoka prefectures, where you can take a "straddling prefectures" photo. Collect the stamps at the elevator halls on both sides and answer a questionnaire at a tourist information centre or similar, and you receive the "Kanmon TOPPA!" certificate for crossing the straits on foot.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetIwakuni, YamaguchiUno Chiyo BirthplaceThe birthplace of Uno Chiyo, a woman writer born in Iwakuni in 1897. The house dates from the Meiji period and was restored by Uno Chiyo herself in 1974. It has been open to the public since May 2002 and displays various items related to her.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFujiyoshida, YamanashiAsumiko Pond (Lotus Pond)A pond surrounded by nostalgic satoyama countryside, loved by Fujiyoshida residents and nicknamed "Hasu-ike" (Lotus Pond) for the lotus growing on its surface. It is said to have been one of the "Eight Lakes of Fuji", a place of ritual purification on the pilgrims' road to Mt. Fuji; it is a popular viewpoint for photographers.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetNarusawa, YamanashiFuji Chobo no Yu YurariA day-use hot spring facility where you can bathe while looking at Mt. Fuji close up, with 16 kinds of baths including two open-air baths facing the mountain, a carbonated bath and a cave bath. At the restaurant "Okariba", where a miniature steam train carries the food, you can try hoto hotpot, a Yamanashi local dish.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiFuji Subaru LandA theme park of about 100,000 square metres in the forest at the foot of Mt. Fuji, built around the concept of "a playground for the whole family", with a nature adventure course, a "roll glider" through red pines and a buggy course, plus four dog runs; a campground is next door.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiFujisan Deck Observation HillAn observation deck on a rise inside the Herb Garden Tabinikki with an unobstructed view of Mt. Fuji, photo spots such as a swing and "stairs to the sky" added in 2026, and a café.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiHoutou Kura Funari, Kawaguchiko (Hoto Noodles)A restaurant specialising in hoto, Yamanashi's local dish of flat noodles simmered in miso soup with pumpkin and seasonal vegetables, in an old-house-style building with tatami and table seating.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiItchiku Kubota Art MuseumA museum by Lake Kawaguchi showing kimono by dyer Itchiku Kubota, who revived the lost Muromachi-period "tsujigahana" technique; it has three stars in the Michelin Green Guide Japan, and a Japanese garden with the Itchiku-an teahouse.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiKawaguchi Asama ShrineBuilt in the year after the great eruption of Mt. Fuji in 864 to calm it, the shrine enshrines Asama no Okami, the deity of Mt. Fuji. The grounds have the "seven cedars", more than 1,200 years old. "Chigo no Mai", a traditional dance performed to calm eruptions of Mt. Fuji, is an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and is still danced by girls at the annual festival on April 25 and the Daidai Mikagura festival on July 28.Official check: 28 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiKawaguchiko Herb HallA shop specialising in herb products on the shore of Lake Kawaguchi, selling original lavender goods, aroma goods and herb sundries, with lavender soft-serve ice cream; workshops such as herbarium making are sometimes held.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiKawaguchiko Toy MuseumA museum showing a collection of about 4,000 toys, including tin toys, pre-war advertising, foreign-made toys and Showa-era retro toys, as well as pedal cars and classic motorcycles; there is a cafe inside, and a visit takes about 60 to 120 minutes.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiMt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway, Lake KawaguchiA sightseeing ropeway from the shore of Lake Kawaguchi to Mt. Tenjo (about 1,075 m). From the summit observatory you face Lake Kawaguchi and Mt. Fuji, and the "Kachi-Kachi-yama Scenic Swing", about 3.5 m high, lets you swing out towards Mt. Fuji. A round trip takes about an hour.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiOishi Tsumugi Traditional Craft MuseumA museum on the north shore of Lake Kawaguchi introducing Oishi tsumugi, a Gunnai textile woven from plant-dyed thread, with looms and materials on the process; trainees work on pieces here, and textiles and kimono accessories are sold.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiRoadside Station KatsuyamaA roadside station on the shore of Lake Kawaguchi with rest areas and tourist information, local produce and processed foods, and a restaurant. Koumi Park in front of it offers lake views from an observation area and round deck; parking and toilets are open 24 hours, and there are fast chargers for electric vehicles.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetMinobu, YamanashiRoadside Station Nishijima Washi-no-Sato Kamisuki ParkA roadside station in Minobu that conveys the charm of Nishijima washi paper, a local speciality. At "Kamisuki-kan" you can try hand-making washi and calligraphy and see hands-on exhibits about paper; "Tabemono-kan" has a restaurant using local ingredients, and "Fureai-kan" has a farm shop, a kids' space and a nursing room.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetKai, YamanashiRyuo Radon Onsen Yu-topiaA hot spring in Kai that has kept its source, welling up from about 1,000 m underground, for 50 years since 1976: 100% free-flowing, with no added water, no recirculation and no chlorine, certified "Jun-Onsen A" by the Pure Onsen Association. The water is about 39 degrees. It is about 8 minutes on foot from JR Ryuo Station, for a day visit or an overnight stay.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiSaiko Nature CenterA nature centre by Lake Sai on the landforms and ecosystems of the Fuji foothills, with an exhibit on the kunimasu trout once thought extinct; certified nature guides lead tours of the Aokigahara forest, and the Koumori-ana lava cave is nearby.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFujikawaguchiko, YamanashiYamanashi Gem MuseumA museum specialising in gems and minerals. Yamanashi is known as a crystal-producing area with a history of jewellery craft; the museum displays huge crystal specimens and gems and minerals from around the world, arranged by colour and shape, and has a shop with accessories and natural stone goods.Official check: 26 Sept 2026
- No photo yetFujiyoshida, YamanashiYoshida Trail 5th StationThe 5th station of the Yoshida Trail, on the way to the summit from its starting point at Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine, at about 2,300 m near the tree line, where you can enjoy the view below as you climb. The first mountain hut on the trail, Sato-goya, is here, where you can eat, buy drinks and stay overnight (reservation required); you can also see the sunrise from this station.Official check: 26 Sept 2026