There is more to see and do in Japan than can be accomplished in just one trip (perhaps not even a hundred trips), but to get you started in narrowing down your target list of places to visit please explore the links below.  From the oldest wooden structure in the world in the ancient capital of Nara (Horyu-ji), to the area in the current capital Tokyo which is home to the busiest train station in the world (Shinjuku, as famously featured in the movie “Lost in Translation”), the breadth of possibilities is only limited by your time and energy. 

Note: Editors favorites are denoted with an asterisk *

Tokyo

Akihabara

Asakusa*

Edo-Tokyo Museum

Ginza

Harajuku

Imperial Palace

Kanda Shrine*

Meiji Shrine*

Ryogoku

Kyoto

Fushimi-Inari Shrine*

Fushimi-Momoyama Castle

Ginkaku-ji

Gion District

Heian Shrine

Katsura Imperial Villa

Kinkaku-ji*

Kiyomizu*

Kyoto Imperial Palace*

Kyoto Tower

Nijo Castle*

Philosopher’s Walk

Ryoan-ji

Sanjusangendo*

Tenryu-ji


Nagoya

Atsuta Shrine

Nagoya Castle

Nagoya Station/JR Central Towers

Nagoya TV Tower

Kobe

Kobe Harbor Tower*

Harborland

Kobe Chinatown

Motomachi

Mount Rokko



Sendai

Osaki Hachiman Shrine

Sendai Castle Ruins



Fukuoka

Canal City Hakata

Fukuoka Castle

Fukuoka Tower

Sky Dream Fukuoka



Niigata

Niigata Prefectural Botanical Garden

Niigata Toki Messe



Nagasaki

Confucius Shrine

Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall

Nagasaki Peace Park

Suwa Shrine

Urakami Cathedral



Hiroshima 

Hiroshima Castle 

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

Shukkei-en Garden



Okayama

Korakuen Garden

Okayama Castle



Sapporo

Former Prefectural Office Building*

Former Sapporo Beer Factory

Sapporo Clock Tower

Sapporo JR Tower

Sapporo TV Tower



Nara

Horyu-ji

Kofuku-ji* 

Nara Deer Park

Todai-ji*

Yakushi-ji



Nagano

Kamiminochi Area