Japan

Tokyo

• Tokyo Skytree

  Tokyo Skytree (Tōkyō Sukaitsurī) is a broadcasting, restaurant,and observation tower in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It became the tallest structure in Japan in 2010 and reached its full height of 634.0 metres (2,080 ft) in March 2011, making it the tallest tower in the world, displacing the Canton Tower, and the second tallest structure in the world after the Burj Khalifa (829.8 m/2,722 ft).

• Senso-ji

  Sensō-ji (Kinryū-zan Sensō-ji) is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. It is Tokyo's oldest temple, and one of its most significant. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect of Buddhism, it became independent after World War II. Adjacent to the temple is a five-story pagoda, Shinto shrine, the Asakusa Shrine, as well as many shops with traditional goods in the Nakamise-dōri.

• Shinjuku Gyoen national garden

  Shinjuku Gyo-en is a large park and garden in Shinjuku and Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. 11 min walk from Shinjuku Station.

• Samurai Museum

  Their belief that honor was more important than their own lives shows that the samurai were not simple soldiers, but honor-bound warriors. The beauty of the samurai spirit can be seen in Japanese swords and armor. The goal of this museum is to connect visitors with examples of this samurai spirit from past and show how it permeates into the lives of modern Japanese people as well. About 700 years of samurai age (from Kamakura to Edo perio …

• Akihabara

  Akihabara gained the nickname Akihabara Electric Town (Akihabara Denki Gai) shortly after World War II for being a major shopping center for household electronic goods and the post-war black market. Nowadays, Akihabara is considered by many to be an otaku cultural center and a shopping district for video games, anime, manga, and computer goods. Icons from popular anime and manga are displayed prominently on the shops in the area, and numerous mai …

• Don Quijote

  Don Quijote is a discount chain store that has over 160 locations throughout Japan. It carries a wide range of products, from basic groceries to electronics to clothing. The store is well known in Japan and is often referred to by its shortened name Donki. Distinctly, Don Quijote tends to keep very late hours for Japanese retailing (to 3 or 5am, or even 24 hours) and it packs its goods from ceiling to floor in a distinct merchandising strategy.

• Tokyo Tower

  Tokyo Tower (officially called Nippon denpatō "Japan Radio Tower") is a communications and observation tower in the Shiba-koen district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan. At 332.9 metres (1,092 ft), it is the second-tallest structure in Japan. The structure is an Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower that is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations. The two-story Main Deck (formerly known as the Main Observatory) is at …

• Shibuya Crossing

  Views from : Starbucks Shibuya or Shibuya Crossing View - Mag's Park Shibuya is famous for its scramble crossing. It is located in front of the Shibuya Station Hachikō exit and stops vehicles in all directions to allow pedestrians to inundate the entire intersection. The statue of Hachikō, a dog, between the station and the intersection, is a common meeting place and almost always crowded. If you want to compare it to something then it woul …

• Meiji Shrine

  Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingū), located in Shibuya, Tokyo, is the Shinto shrine that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken.The shrine does not contain the emperor's grave, which is located at Fushimi-momoyama, south of Kyoto.

• Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

  The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, also referred to as Tochō for short, houses the headquarters of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which governs the 23 wards of Tokyo, as well as the cities, towns and villages that constitutes the whole Tokyo Metropolis. The two panoramic observation decks, one in each tower on floor 45 (202 meters [663 ft] high), are free of charge to the public and contain gift shops and cafes. The observation d …

Matsumoto

• Daio wasabi farm

  The Daio Wasabi Farm (Daiō Wasabi Nōjō) in rural Azumino City near Matsumoto is one of Japan's largest wasabi farms and a popular tourist destination. The farm has multiple large fields with a meticulously maintained network of small streams that constantly provides each wasabi plant with clear, flowing water from the Northern Alps. Only under such pristine conditions is wasabi cultivation possible. From May to October, the fields are protecte …

Takayama

• Takayama Jinya

  Because of its valuable timber resources, the Hida Region around Takayama was put under direct control of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1692. The Takayama Jinya served as the local government office headed by the officials dispatched from Edo (present day Tokyo). The building complex was in official use until 1969, and is now open to the public as a museum. It includes various nicely maintained tatami mat rooms that once served as offices, confere …

• Hifo Takayama Traditional Private Houses

  Takayama's old town has been beautifully preserved with many buildings and whole streets of houses dating from the Edo Period (1600-1868), when the city thrived as a wealthy town of merchants. The southern half of the old town, especially the Sannomachi Street, survives in a particularly pretty state with many old homes, shops, coffee houses and sake breweries, some of which have been in business for centuries. The shops in the area are typica …

• Miyagawa morning market

• Hida Minzoku Mura folk village

  Hida Folk Village (Hida Minzoku Mura) is an open-air museum of close to 30 old farmhouses illustrating the traditional architectural styles of the mountainous regions of Japan. Of particular interest are the thatched and shingled roofs, such as the gasshō-zukuri-styled buildings. Many of the buildings were brought from their original sites to preserve them. The village is picturesque, as it is built on a hillside overlooking the Takayama Valley …

Kyoto

• Higashi Hongan-ji

  Higashi Hongan-ji, or, the Eastern Temple of the Original Vow, is one of two dominant sub-sects of Shin Buddhism in Japan and abroad, the other being Nishi Honganji (or, 'The Western Temple of the Original Vow'). It is also the name of the head temple in Kyoto, a collection of buildings built in 1895 after a fire burned down the previous temple. As with many sites in Kyoto, these two complexes have more casual names and are known affectionately i …

• Fushimi Inari Taisha

  Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head shrine of the god Inari, located in Fushimi Ward in Kyoto, Japan. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain also named Inari which is 233 metres (764 ft) above sea level, and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines which span 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) and take approximately 2 hours to walk up. First and foremost, Inari is the god of rice, but merchants and manufacturers have traditionally worshiped In …

• Nishiki market

  Nishiki Market (Nishiki Ichiba) (literally "brocade market") is a marketplace in downtown Kyoto, located on a road one block north and parallel to Shijō Street (Shijō-dōri) and west of Teramachi Street (Teramachi-dōri). Rich with history and tradition, the market is renowned as the place to obtain many of Kyoto's famous foods and goods.

• Philosopher’s path

  The Philosopher's Path (Tetsugaku no michi) is a pleasant stone path through the northern part of Kyoto's Higashiyama district. The path follows a canal which is lined by hundreds of cherry trees. Usually in early April these trees explode with color, making this one of the city's most popular hanami (cherry blossom viewing) spots. Approximately two kilometers long, the path begins around Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) and ends in the neighborhoo …

• Bamboo groves

  Location : Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Sagatenryuji Susukinobabacho, Ukyō-ku, Kyoto 14 min walk from Saga-Arashiyama Station or next to Arashiyama Torokko Station (Sagano Scenic-Seeing Tram, see Sagano Scenic Railway) The walking paths that cut through the bamboo groves make for a nice walk or bicycle ride. The groves are particularly attractive when there is a light wind and the tall bamboo stalks sway gently back and forth. The bamboo has bee …

Nara

• Todai-ji

  Tōdai-ji (Eastern Great Temple) is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Japan. Its Great Buddha Hall (Daibutsuden) houses the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese as Daibutsu. The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism. The temple is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the "Historic Monum …

Koyasan

• Temple lodgings

  Some temples in Japan, especially in popular pilgrimage destinations, offer temple lodgings (shukubō) to visiting pilgrims and tourists. Temple lodgings offer an excellent chance to get a taste of the simple, traditional lifestyle of Buddhist monks. Koyasan is one of the best places in Japan to experience a night at a temple, with more than 50 temples in town serving as shukubo. Unlike in other parts of Japan, the temples on Koyasan are accus …

Osaka

• Hep Five

  HEP is a major shopping mall and entertainment center in the Umeda commercial district of Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan. It is a shopping mall consisting of a HEP Five and HEP Navio. HEP stands for "Hankyu Entertainment Park". The HEP Five building is easily located as it has a large red Ferris wheel with a diameter of 75 metres protruding from its roof (the highest point of the wheel is 106m above the ground, including the height of the building), wh …

• Dotonbori

  Dōtonbori or Dōtombori (pronounced [doːtomboɾi]) is one of the principal tourist destinations in Osaka, Japan, running along the Dōtonbori canal from Dōtonboribashi Bridge to Nipponbashi Bridge in the Namba district of the city's Chuo ward. Historically a theater district, it is now a popular nightlife and entertainment area characterized by its eccentric atmosphere and large illuminated signboards. One of the area's most prominent featu …

Himeji

• Himeji Castle

  Himeji Castle is a hilltop Japanese castle complex situated in Himeji, a city in the Hyōgo Prefecture of Japan. The castle is regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture, comprising a network of 83 rooms with advanced defensive systems from the feudal period. The castle is frequently known as Hakuro-jō or Shirasagi-jō ("White Egret Castle" or "White Heron Castle") because of its brilliant white exterio …

Hiroshima

• Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

  The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is a museum located in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, in central Hiroshima, Japan, dedicated to documenting the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in World War II.

• Atomic Bomb Dome

  The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Hiroshima Heiwa Kinenhi), originally the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, and now commonly called the Genbaku Dome, Atomic Bomb Dome or A-Bomb Dome (Genbaku Dōmu), is part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, Japan and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The ruin of the hall serves as a memorial to the people who were killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on 6 Augus …

• Hiroshima Orizuru Tower

  Situated right next to the world famous Peace Park, Mazda Towers recently opened up Orizuru Tower, the newest attraction to Hiroshima. While the majority of the building’s twelve floors are office spaces, the first and top two floors are geared for tourists. A new way to view Hiroshima, the Peace Park, and A-Bomb Dome, Orizuru Tower is a must-see destination.

• Peace Memorial Park

  Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park (広島平和記念公園 Hiroshima Heiwa Kinen Kōen) is a memorial park in the center of Hiroshima, Japan. It is dedicated to the legacy of Hiroshima as the first city in the world to suffer a nuclear attack, and to the memories of the bomb's direct and indirect victims (of whom there may have been as many as 140,000). The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is visited by more than one million people each year. The park …

Miyajima

• Itsukushima Shrine

  Itsukushima better known as Miyajima, is an island in Inland Sea of Japan, located in the northwest of Hiroshima Bay. It is popularly known as Miyajima, which in Japanese means "Shrine Island". The island is one of Hayashi Gahō's Three Views of Japan specified in 1643. Itsukushima is part of the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture. The island was part of the former town of Miyajima before the 2005 merger with Hatsukaichi. Itsukushima …

Kumamoto

• Kumamoto Castle

  Kumamoto Castle suffered serious damage in the earthquakes of April 2016. Many roof tiles fell, foundations were damaged, walls crumbled and entire structures collapsed. The inner grounds are currently closed to the public; however, it is possible to look at the massive fortress from the outside.

• Suizenji Jojuen Garden

  Suizen-ji Jōju-en is a tsukiyama Japanese garden located within Suizen-ji Park (Suizen-ji Kōen) in the eastern part of the city of Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. It was built during the Edo period by the Hosokawa clan, the daimyō of Kumamoto Domain. It is commonly known as "Suizenji Park". Its area is approximately 73,000 square meters. The garden features an artificial hill which is said to be modeled after Mount Fuji. The gardens were …

Nagasaki

• The Nagasaki Peace Park

  The Nagasaki Peace Park (平和公園, Heiwa Kōen) is a tranquil space that commemorates the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, which destroyed a significant portion of the city and killed ten thousands of inhabitants. The complex is comprised of two parks and a memorial museum. In the center of the complex is the Hypocenter Park with a simple, black monolith that marks the explosion's epicenter. Not far from it stands a damaged pill …

Fukuoka

• Yatai (Food Stalls)

  Fukuoka's open air food stands (Yatai) are possibly the city's best known symbol. Yatai can generally seat about seven or eight people and provide an atmospheric outdoor environment to enjoy various foods that are generally simple and filling. There are dozens of yatai scattered across Fukuoka, but the best place to find them is on the southern end of Nakasu Island. Located in the middle of the city, Nakasu Island has a long row of around 20 yata …