33 Places to Explore in Japan

Hello, fellow travelers! One of my favorite countries in the world is definitely Japan. Not only do they have a similar culture to the one I grew up in, the country and culture is simply beautiful. Here are some places that you should definitely visit if you’re going to Japan.

About Japan

Capital: Tokyo

Currency: Yen

Languages: English (tourist areas), Japanese

Government: Constitutional Monarchy (Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako). Japan’s Prime Minister as of October 1 is Shigeru Ishiba.

Tips: When visiting a shrine, if you pull a fortune and you don’t like it or if it brings you bad luck, you can always discard it by tying it onto a special rack and try again at another shrine.

Places to Visit

Tokyo

Tokyo is the capital of Japan. Before Tokyo was the capital, Kyoto was the capital for more than one thousand years. The oldest capital of Japan is Nara. Tokyo is definitely the most well-known city in all of Japan, as well as one of the most populous cities in the world, with over 14 million residents living there as of 2023. Tokyo has 23 special wards. Notable special wards in Tokyo include Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Chiyoda.

Tokyo is also home to Japan’s busiest airports: Narita Airport (where we arrived) and Haneda Airport (where we departed).

Kaminarimon and the Senso-Ji

The Kaminarimon is one of two entrance that leads to the Senso-ji, an ancient Buddhist temple in the Asakusa district of Tokyo. Senso-ji is the oldest temple in Tokyo, and is dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva (person on their journey to Buddhahood) of compassion. The temple was destroyed during World War 2 during a firebombing directed at Tokyo, but was rebuilt in the 1950s.

The famous lantern

Engraved board

A smaller shrine in front of the temple

Statue of pigeons in front of the temple

The five-story pagoda located on the temple grounds.

Meiji Shrine

Meiji Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the Shibuya district of Tokyo. The shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken. Like many buildings in Tokyo, the shrine was destroyed in an air-bombing raid during World War 2, but was restored in 1958.

The torii leading to the shrine. It is common practice to bow when crossing a torii.

A haiku written by Empress Shoken

The main temple

Votive tablets for personal prayers. Each votive tablet is 500 yen (roughly 5 USD).

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (Tocho for short) is where the seat of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is located. The building is located in the Shinjuku district, and on the 45th floor, there is an observatory which offers stunning views of Tokyo’s skyline.

The beautiful Tokyo skyline

Ueno Park

Ueno Park is a spacious park in the Ueno district of Tokyo. Ueno Park is particularly beautiful during sakura season, and is a popular spot for hanami– flower watching while enjoying drinks and food. Unfortunately, when we went, the weather was still a tad bit too cold, so there were not many sakura blossoms around.

The Tokyo National Museum

Cute panda bench at Ueno

Tokyo Imperial Palace East Garden

The Tokyo Imperial Palace East Garden is a historical garden in the Tokyo Imperial Palace. There are some ruins of Edo Castle still on the grounds of the gardens.

Some of the beautiful plants and flowers on the garden grounds. The sakura blossoms were starting to peek out at this point, which was a very nice surprise for me.

Kamakura

Kamakura is a city located in Kanazawa Prefecture, about an hour by train from Tokyo. Kamakura is a beautiful seaside resort town which is famous for the Daibotsu- a giant Buddha statue. There are numerous shrines and temples located in Kamakura as well. Kamakura was once Japan’s de facto capital in the 12th century.

Hasedera

Hasedera (Hase-kannon) is a Buddhist temple located in Kamakura. It is located on a mountain, so a lot of walking is required, but the views and experience is well worth it. Hasedera is home to one of the largest wooden statues in Japan.

A small water basin. These are common outside temples and shrines, and you use them to rinse your hands, face, and mouth.

These statues represent marriage, with the husband on the left, the child in the middle, and the wife on the right.

These statues represent miscarried children, and how they are always protected.

The torii gate of Hasedera

A small shrine at Hasedera next to the oyster shell motifs

Oyster shell motifs. They were 200 yen each.

Golden Buddha outside the Kannon Museum at the temple

Another golden Buddha for prayers

A Chinese-style Buddha. This is the Buddha I am most familiar with, as my grandmother was a devout worshipper.

An outline of Buddha’s feet

At Hasedera, there is a cave-like tunnel filled with miniature Buddha statues, alongside memorials for deceased loved ones.

Beautiful view of the town of Kamakura and the Pacific Ocean

A gatekeeper deity. These are not as revered as the Buddha Kannon gods, but they are still important.

Kotoku-In Temple

Kotoku-In is home of the Great Buddha of Kamakura (The Daibutsu of Kamakura). The Great Buddha is a statue of Amitabha, a principal Buddha used for many purposes.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangū

Tsurugaoka Hachimangū is the most important Shinto shrine in Kamakura. It is named after the kami (god) Hachiman, god of archery and war in the Shinto religion. The shrine itself is quite beautiful, although it is a bit of a climb.

Komachi-dori

I don’t have any photos of Komachi-dori, but it is Kamakura’s primary shopping street, mainly full of food.

Fujisan World Heritage Center

The Fujisan World Heritage Center is a museum all about the history and geographical features of Japan’s most well-known mountain, Mount Fuji (often referred to as Fujisan by Japanese people). Mount Fuji is considered a sacred site for some. Contrary to what one may think, the mountain is not a mountain, but rather an active stratovolcano. It is the tallest mountain in Japan, the second-highest volcano located on an island (after Mount Kerinci in Indonesia), and the seventh-highest peak in the world. The Fujisan World Heritage Center is located in Yamanashi Prefecture in the Chubu region of Japan.

The front of the Fujisan World Heritage Center

The Fujisan World Heritage Center offers examples of ash, rocks, and other geographical features of the famous mountain. It was very cool to learn all about the different eruptions from Mount Fuji, and what kinds of ash and rocks formed as a result.

You are supposed to see Fuji from the observatory, but unfortunately, it was too cloudy on that day.

Hakone

Hakone is a town located in Kanagawa Prefecture. It is a notable hot springs town due to its proximity with Mount Fuji. It is also named after Mount Hakone, a complex stratovolcano.

Hakone Geo Museum

The Hakone Geo Museum is a museum located on top of Owakudani, a volcanic valley full of active sulfur vents and hot springs. There is a free section, and there is a paid section. The paid section only costs 100 yen (about a dollar), which is really cheap! Originally, our tour guide in Japan had planned for us to go on a boat ride along Lake Ashi, but the weather was terrible- rainy and windy. Believe me when I say it was very windy on top of Owakudani, and we had to walk all the way back to the bus, which was quite a challenge but also made the trip quite memorable. Now I can say I’ve almost been blown off a mountain.

Some of the exhibits at the paid section of the Geo Museum. There were some sections about recent volcanic activity dating back to 2015, alongside new changes.

Hakone Checkpoint

The Hakone Checkpoint was a security checkpoint located in the Hakone Mountain pass. At one point, it was used to control traffic to and from Eco (the former name of Tokyo) into Kyoto. The Hakone Checkpoint is now a museum.

The museum had a lot of cool historical facts, and includes statues and examples.

Hakone Open Air Museum

The Hakone Open Air Museum is Japan’s first open-air museum. It contains many sculptures done by Japanese sculptors, but also has some art from other international artists.

Some of the artwork on display at the Open-Air Museum

Kyoto

Kyoto is the former capital of Japan and its ninth most populous city. It is located in the Kansai region of Japan. Kyoto is one of the oldest municipalities in Japan. Kyoto is noted for its geisha- women who work as entertainers in teahouses. However, due to tourists harassing the geisha, Gion (the geisha street) is now closed to the public. Despite that, Kyoto is still one of the most beautiful cities in Japan, as well as being one of the most culturally rich.

To get to Kyoto from Hakone, we had to take the Shinkansen– the Japanese bullet train. On the train, the clouds cleared up, and we finally got a chance to see Mt Fuji!

The Kyoto Tower

Practicing Zen Buddhism

Zen Buddhism is a form of Buddhism in which one must not think about anything and just meditate along to the sounds of nature. It was extremely difficult for me to practice because of my neurodiversity, and I actually did get a little bit upset that my mind likes to race. However, Zen Buddhism, like any other skill, takes practice, and one that I definitely need to practice more.

Some of the statues and other monuments located outside the temple

Kyoto Gyoen National Garden

Kyoto Gyoen National Garden is a garden located in Kyoto’s Imperial Palace. It is home to beautiful sakura trees, and it looked spectacular. I was so happy to see the beautiful sakura in bloom.

Some of the beautiful sakura blossoms

I stopped and watched this elderly man paint the sakura blossoms, and had to snap a photo.

Kinkaku-Ji

The Kinkaku-Ji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion) is a Zen Buddhist temple. The temple is unique in the way that it is completely covered in gold leaf, hence its name. It was burned down in 1950 by a mentally ill monk who attempted suicide, and rebuilt in 1955. The pavilion is 3 stories high. The Kinkaku-ji was not fully restored until 2003, when its roof was restored. The temple is gold as to mitigate and purify any negative thoughts towards death.

Nijo Castle

Nijo Castle is a flatland castle. Unfortunately, I have no photos of the inside because they are not allowed in the castle grounds.

The beautiful ornate gate of Nijo Castle

Arashiyama

Arashiyama is Kyoto’s 2nd most important sightseeing attraction. It is a district located on the western outskirts of Kyoto. There are many attractions in Arashiyama, including:

• Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
• Iwatayama Monkey Park, a park full of Japanese macaque monkeys
• Tenryu-ji, the main temple for the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism
• Matsumoto Taisha, a Shinto shrine
• Okochi Sanso, the home of the Japanese actor Denjiro Okochi

From The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

From the Okochi Sanso. There is a viewpoint where you can get a magnificent view of the Kyoto skyline.

From the Tenryu-ji

A beautiful view of yamazakura- sakura trees which grow on the sides of mountains

Beautiful florals from the gardens of Tenryu-ji

A cute little frog fountain

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head shrine for the kami Inari (the god of foxes). Inari is the kami of farming, agriculture, and industry. Fushimi Inari Taisha is also home to the Senbontorii (1000 gates).

Photo of the senbontorii

A small shrine

The main shrine dedicated to Inari

A beautiful view of the area at sundown

Teramachi-dori

Teramachi-dori is a historical shopping street in Kyoto which runs through Kuramaguchi street to Goji street. Teramachi-dori is 4.6 kilometers (2.9 miles) long.

Teramachi-dori

Teramachi-dori lantern

I like this banner because daijobu means everything is going to be okay in Japanese. It’s a bit of motivation and encouragement.

A giant bao bun

Gion

Gion is a district of Higashiyama, one of the 11 districts of Kyoto. It is one of the most famous geisha districts in all of Japan. Due to harassment from tourists, certain streets in Gion are closed off to the public, only allowing entrance to residents. Tourists are also not allowed to take photos of the geisha which can result in a $1000 USD fine (about 100,000 yen). I saw three geiko (a local term to refer to geisha and maiko) when I was there and they were all very beautiful.

A beautiful nighttime view of the sakura trees

Lanterns on the way to Gion

The gate that leads to Gion

A lantern in the Gion district

We also came across a shrine meant to wish bad luck on anyone you don’t like. I called that the “evil temple”.

The Five Story Pagoda of To-ji

Pokemon Center

In almost every major Japanese city, there is a Pokemon Center. I was lucky to have found out the Pokemon Center in Kyoto was on the way back to our hotel when walking home from Teramachi, so I stopped in and got a couple of Pokemon (a Spheal, Umbreon, and Alohan Vulpix)

This Pikachu is female. Male Pikachus have normal lightning bolt shaped tails, and the females have heart shaped tails.

Matchmaking Shrine

We stopped at a matchmaking shrine on the way to lunch one day, and I managed to pull a near perfect fortune about my love life. This shrine is dedicated to matchmaking, with young girls coming to the shrine to pray for love.

Tea Ceremony

We went to a tea ceremony inside one of Kyoto’s oldest teahouses. We were not allowed to take any video, so photos will suffice.

A lemongrass wagashi- traditional Japanese sweet

Matcha. I surprised myself when I learned I like plain matcha.

Matcha powder and scoop

Whisk and bowl used to make matcha

Nara

Nara is the capital of Nara Prefecture and is located in the Kansai region of Japan. Nara is famous for its Deer Park- a park full of sika deer. The deer love rice bran cookies, which you can get from several vendors around the park for 200 yen ($2) for 8 cookies.

A tip for anyone visiting Nara- do not wear any white articles of clothing or accessories, as the deer may try to eat your things. You must also show that you have no more cookies by showing your hands palm up to the deer. However, they can smell cookies if you hide them in your bag or pockets, so beware.

Todai-ji

The Todai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the Seven Great Temples in Nara. The temple is known for its Daibutsu- its giant Buddha statue- as well as six other statues of various Buddhas.

The outside of Todai-ji

Nara Deer Park

The Deer Park in Nara was my favorite part of the trip. I got to feed the deer, which made my day as I’m an animal lover. The deer did get a little bit aggressive for the cookies, but left me alone once I showed them I didn’t have anymore. The deer also ate leaves out of my hand, which was also really cool.

When the male deer are old enough, their antlers are cut off (possibly to use the antlers for medicinal purposes, or just to make sure they don’t harm visitors accidentally).

Buddha hands in front of the Deer Park museum

A statue of a deer- the symbol of Nara

Mochidono Shopping Arcade

Mochidono is Nara’s oldest shopping street and contains over 70 small shops and restaurants.

The small pond outside of Mochidono

We ended up stumbling upon another shrine in Nara.

Osaka

The original trip was only 8 days long and covered Tokyo, Hakone, and Kyoto. For those who extended (myself included), we went onto Osaka, Hiroshima, and Himeji. Our first stop was in Osaka, which is an hour’s drive from Kyoto. Osaka is one of the three major cities in Japan (with the other two being Tokyo and Nagoya). It is the third most populous city in Japan, falling behind Tokyo and Yokohama. Osaka lies in the Kansai region of Japan. It is also home to two airports: Itami (for domestic flights) and Kansai International (for international flights).

Osaka Castle

Our first stop in Osaka was Osaka Castle. Osaka Castle is considered to be one of Japan’s most famous landmarks. The castle is especially beautiful during sakura season, which was when we went. There are also various food vendors located around the castle. I managed to get some takoyaki (octopus balls) and a dorayaki (a pancake filled with red bean paste).

We also witnessed a couple taking wedding photos on the castle grounds. The bride looked very beautiful in her furisode– a kimono with long sleeves that traditionally showed that a woman is married.

Dotonbori

Dotonbori is a district in Osaka which is famous for its underground shopping mall and night life. There are many flashing billboards and restaurant signs in Dotonbori, making it very unique and almost reminds me of New York.

The crab of Kani Doraku, a Japanese chain restaurant that specializes in seafood and shellfish.

The sign for Kushikatsu Daruma, a Japanese chain restaurant which specializes in tempura. However, this one appears to be selling sushi.

This dragon looks a little goofy, but he is the symbol for Kinryu Ramen.

A lucky cat

A golden baby promoting a tempura restaurant

Street photo of Osaka

View from the Ebisu Bridge. You can see the Ebisu Tower and its ferris wheel in the distance.

A bull-shaped bench outside a steak place

A sculpture of a sumo wrestler

A memorial dedicated to someone important.

The Studio Ghibli store at Dotonbori. I also saw the Cinnamoroll Cafe.

Ohatsu Tenjin

Ohatsu Tenjin (Tsuyuno Tenjinsya) is a small Shinto shrine in Osaka dedicated to the legend of Ohatsu and Tokubei. According to legend, Ohatsu was a geisha and Tokubei was a merchant. Tokubei fell in love with Ohatsu, but could not be with her because she was a geisha. Tokubei worked with his uncle, and Tokubei’s uncle ends up recommending he marry his friend’s daughter so Tokubei can run his own shop. Tokubei, aware of his feelings for Ohatsu, turns down the offer. This makes Tokubei’s uncle angry, and Tokubei gets thrown out of his uncle’s shop. Tokubei unfortunately owes money to his uncle and has one week to pay it off. Tokubei manages to convince his stepmother to allow him to borrow money, and he later gives the money to his friend Kuheiji. Kuheiji later appears when Tokubei is with Ohatsu, causing Ohatsu to run away, not wanting a quarrel with her customer. When Tokubei asks Kuheiji for the money back, Kuheiji lies and loudly accuses Tokubei of lying about the money and punches him in the face. Tokubei is humiliated and loses face, with the only way he can prove his innocence being to take his own life. After this fact, Tokubei visits Ohatsu in secret. Kuheiji tries to get Ohatsu to take him as a customer, but she bluntly ignores him. Kuheiji later leaves out of frustration, saying bad things about Tokubei in the process. Tokubei eventually tells Ohatsu about his intention to take his own life, and they both end up taking their lives under a tree.

The story is what makes the shrine special. Many people come to Ohatsu Tenjin to pray for everlasting love, and it was one of my favorite places to visit. In a way, the story of Ohatsu and Tokubei is the Japanese equivalent of Romeo and Juliet.

Hiroshima

Hiroshima is the last city in Japan that I visited. Hiroshima is the largest city in the Chugoku region of Japan. It is infamous for being the first city to be the target of a nuclear attack (the second being Nagasaki, also in Japan). Despite its dark and sorrowful history, Hiroshima is a beautiful city that has rebuilt very well.

Hiroshima Peace Park

Hiroshima Peace Park is a memorial park located in the center of the city. It is dedicated to Hiroshima’s history as being the first city to be attacked by nuclear weapons. The Peace Park encompasses the A-Bomb Dome (previously the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall), the Children’s Peace Monument, dedicated to the children who died as a result of the bombing, the Rest House, which was a former kimono shop, three Peace Bells, the Peace Museum, the Atomic Mound, and the Cenotaph.

The Aioi Bridge in Hiroshima is a T-shaped bridge. It was the original target for the atomic bomb, but missed the bridge by 80 meters.

The A-Bomb Dome. I find it impressive that this was kept as a stark reminder of the consequences of nuclear war.

A memorial dedicated to those lost in the A-Bomb Dome when the bomb hit.

The Memorial Tower to the Mobilized Students. During the war, schoolchildren and their teachers would aid the government by tearing down old buildings. That led to thousands of children being killed immediately or dying from radiation sickness when the bomb dropped.

The Children’s Peace Memorial is a monument dedicated to the thousands of children who died as a result of radiation poisoning from the bomb. It was used to commemorate Sadako Sasaki. Sadako was a Japanese schoolgirl who survived the Hiroshima bombing (she was 2 at the time, with her home only being 1.6 km from the hypocenter), but as a result of the severe irradiation she suffered, she was diagnosed with leukemia (at the time known as atomic bomb disease) when she was 11 and given no more than a year to live. She began making origami cranes after being moved to a room with a peer named Kiyo. Sadako’s friend had once told her of a tale where if someone folds 1000 paper cranes, their wishes would come true. Sadako spent her free time folding cranes, using things such as paper from her medicine, and even asked other patients for gift wrappings after they had opened their presents. Unfortunately, Sadako was unable to complete her goal, and she passed away in 1955 at the age of 12. Her friends pushed efforts to build a memorial in Sadako’s name dedicated not only to her, but all children who died as a result of the atomic bomb.

Every year during Obon, a Japanese holiday dedicated to honoring relatives, thousands of paper cranes are left at the Children’s Peace Memorial. At the memorial, there is a statue of Sadako holding a golden paper crane.

The Cenotaph

A photo of the A-Bomb Dome from the other side of the Ōta River

The Rest House, which was originally a kimono shop at the time of the bombing. The basement is preserved exactly the way it was at the time of the bombing.

One of the Bells of Peace located in the park

The Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound

The “Eternal Flame” which will only go out when all nuclear weapons on Earth are destroyed or disposed of.

The Peace Museum

The Peace Museum is a museum within Hiroshima Peace Park. It is dedicated to documenting artifacts, stories, and other exhibitions about the atomic bomb. There aren’t many photos because many of the exhibits in the museum are simply too graphic and sad, but there are some artifacts that I took photos of.

This section had panoramas of what Hiroshima looked like before and after the bombing.

This was the exhibit I wanted to see the most. It is called “Human Shadow Etched in Stone”, and it is allegedly the outline of a person who was sitting on the steps of Sumitomo Bank (now Nikken Seitei) in Hiroshima when the bomb dropped. Contrary to what people believe, the person did not “evaporate”, but rather, their shadow got flash burned into the stone steps as they were blown away by the sheer force of the bomb. The shadow is sadly very weathered due to age, and is now encased in glass to preserve it.

Some of the artifacts donated by family members of the victims. The saddest of them all are a lunch box full of food that turned into charcoal when the bomb hit for a schoolboy, and a tricycle ridden by a 3 year old child who died during the bombing.

View of the entire Peace Park from the museum. There is an “eternal” flame located outside the museum, but it is not really eternal. The flame will burn until all nuclear weapons on earth are destroyed. The reasoning for this is “No more Hiroshimas”, after the tragedy that resulted after the atomic bomb dropped.

Visiting the Peace Museum and Park was very sobering and sad due to its tragic background, but Hiroshima was able to rebuild in a short amount of time, which signifies the resilience of the Japanese people.

Miyajima

Miyajima is an island located 10 minutes by ferry from Hiroshima. It is home to Itsukushima Shrine, which is famous for its floating torii. Miyajima is also home to several deer. Much like Nara, the deer on Miyajima are considered sacred, as they are seen as messengers of the kami.

Some of the deer on Miyajima

The floating torii

Torii at the entrance to Itsukushima Shrine 

The Five-Story Pagoda

Momiji manju

Some of the florals on Miyajima

Himeji

Himeji is a city located in Hyogo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. Himeji is famous for Himeji Castle, a beautiful castle situated on a hilltop. The castle itself is 14 stories tall, and I managed to climb all 14 stories, although it was very tiring.

Himeji Castle

Himeji Castle is perhaps the most famous castle in Japan. It is most famous for its beautiful white exterior (hence why its nickname is Hakuro-jo, meaning “white egret castle”).

The castle looks so beautiful surrounded by sakura trees in bloom.

Cute dogs I snapped a photo of at Himeji

Have you ever been to Japan?

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