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.
20 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
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.
上賀茂神社
Kamigamo Shrine is one of Kyoto's most significant Shinto shrines, formally known as Kamo-wakeikazuchi-jinja.
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.
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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