Country guide
Around three quarters of Japan is mountain and forest, which pushes almost everyone onto the eastern coastal plains and makes the country far narrower in practi...
Photograph · Midori · CC BY 3.0
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
Around three quarters of Japan is mountain and forest, which pushes almost everyone onto the eastern coastal plains and makes the country far narrower in practice than 377,975 km2 suggests. Forty-seven prefectures, eight traditional regions and more than 14,000 smaller islands, and yet a first visit usually runs along a single rail corridor with Tokyo at one end and Kyoto and Osaka at the other. Tokyo is the capital and largest city of a country of almost 123 million people. Hokkaido in the north and Okinawa in the south are different climates rather than day trips, and both need their own week.
Checked 2026-08-25
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · Morio · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photograph · Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
47 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
Gion District is a historic entertainment quarter in eastern Kyoto, Japan. It developed as a pleasure district during the Edo period and remains one of the most famous geisha districts in the country.
清水寺
Kiyomizu-dera stands on the wooded slope of Mount Otowa at the eastern edge of Kyoto, above the Higashiyama district and roughly a kilometre uphill from the nearest bus stop.
東京タワー
Tokyo Tower is a communications and observation tower located in the Minato ward of Tokyo. The structure serves as a broadcasting antenna for television and radio signals.
金閣寺
The temple everyone calls Kinkaku-ji is officially Rokuon-ji, a Rinzai Zen temple of the Shokoku-ji branch in the north-western corner of Kyoto.
銀閣寺
Ginkaku-ji is the popular name for Jisho-ji, a Zen temple on the eastern hills of Kyoto and, in its own words, one of the affiliate temples of Shokoku-ji, the head temple of the Rinzai Shokoku-ji branch that still runs it.
龍安寺
Ryōanji is a Rinzai Zen temple in the north-west of Kyoto, in Ukyo ward, and its full name is Daiunzan Ryōanji.
東寺
To-ji is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. It was founded in the eighth century and stands as one of the city's most historically significant religious sites.
二条城
Nijo-jo Castle is the Kyoto seat of the Tokugawa shoguns, completed in 1603 on the orders of Tokugawa Ieyasu in the year he was appointed Shogun, and it bracketed the whole of the regime it was built for.
上賀茂神社
Kamigamo Shrine is one of Kyoto's most significant Shinto shrines, formally known as Kamo-wakeikazuchi-jinja.
東京スカイツリー
Tokyo Skytree is a broadcasting and observation tower in Sumida, Tokyo. It serves as the primary structure for digital terrestrial television broadcasting in the Kantō region.
仁和寺
Ninna-ji is a Shingon Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. It serves as the head temple of the Omuro school of the Shingon sect. The temple was founded in 888 CE by Emperor Uda.
下鴨神社
Shimogamo Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Kyoto, Japan, situated at the confluence of the Kamo and Takano rivers.
西本願寺
Nishi Hongan-ji is a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist temple in central Kyoto and the headquarters of one branch of the Hongan-ji tradition. The large complex represents an important religious and architectural landmark close to Kyoto Station.
西芳寺
Saiho-ji, widely known as Kokedera or the Moss Temple, is a Rinzai Zen temple in western Kyoto. Its principal attraction is a garden covered by thick moss in many shades of green.
京都御所
The Kyoto Imperial Palace served as the residence of Japan's Imperial Family until 1869, when the capital moved to Tokyo.
六義園
Rikugien Gardens is a historic Japanese strolling garden in Tokyo’s Bunkyo ward. Known locally as 六義園, it follows the kaiyushiki teien tradition: a walking route organized around a central pond and a sequence of changing viewpoints.
桂離宮
Katsura Imperial Villa is a historic imperial residence in western Kyoto, celebrated for the relationship between restrained architecture and a carefully composed landscape.
お台場
Odaiba is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, originally developed for defensive purposes in the 1850s and later transformed into a major commercial and leisure district during the late 20th century.
嵐山竹林
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is a renowned natural attraction in the Arashiyama district of western Kyoto. The site features a dense stand of tall bamboo stalks forming a distinctive pathway that draws visitors from across the world.
三年坂
Sannenzaka is a historic stone-paved pedestrian slope in the Higashiyama district of eastern Kyoto, Japan. The name translates to Three-Year Slope, derived from a folk belief that falling here brings three years of bad luck.
哲学の道
Philosopher's Path is a pedestrian walkway in Kyoto, Japan, following a canal lined with cherry trees. The route connects Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion) with Nanzen-ji temple precincts.
新世界
Shinsekai is a small neighbourhood in Naniwa ward, pressed between Tennoji Park on its east side and Nishinari on its south, and it is one of the few parts of Osaka people travel to for the street itself rather than…
修学院離宮
Shugakuin Imperial Villa is an imperial property in northeastern Kyoto, Japan. It was established in the seventeenth century as a retreat for retired emperors. The site comprises multiple garden areas set against the foothills of Mount Hiei.
芝川ビルディング
Shibakawa Building is an Osaka urban structure known locally as 芝川ビルディング. The building is a useful stop for travellers interested in the city’s streetscape, architecture, and the way notable structures sit within a modern metropolitan environment.
新宿ゴールデン街
Golden Gai is a historic nightlife district in Shinjuku, Tokyo, comprising approximately six narrow alleys and over 200 tiny bars. The area developed from a black market district in post-war Japan and retains its Showa-era architectural character.
Ten to fourteen days supports four or five days in Tokyo, three or four in Kyoto, and two or three in Osaka. Add Nara or Himeji only after those bases have enough time, and avoid turning every rail stop into a hotel change.
Japan's visa exemption or visa requirement depends on passport and travel purpose. Confirm the current rule through Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the embassy responsible for the traveller's residence.
The Tokaido Shinkansen links Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, while local rail and buses cover city travel. An IC card simplifies many local journeys but does not replace every reserved long-distance ticket, and luggage forwarding can reduce friction between bases.
March to May and October to November are broad options for the main-island route, with blossom and autumn periods creating concentrated demand. Confirm regional weather and reservations for the exact cities rather than assuming one national season behaves uniformly.
Japan uses the yen (JPY). Electronic payment is common but not universal, so carry some yen for smaller businesses, ticket machines, or rural transport without assuming that one stored-value card works for every purchase.
Japan's emergency numbers are 110 for police and 119 for fire or ambulance. Type A sockets operate at 100 V, which is lower than in the other wave-A countries, and mains tap water is recorded as safe.
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