Roavina

Country guide

Japan

A photograph of Japan
Photograph · Midori · CC BY 3.0

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.

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information
Language spoken
Japanese
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+81
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Japanese yen (JPY)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
110 police · 119 fire and ambulance
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type A · 100 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Safe from the mains
JNTO states that tap water is safe to drink

Planning a visit

  1. January: seasonal closure recorded
  2. February: seasonal closure recorded
  3. March: seasonal closure recorded
  4. April: seasonal closure recorded
  5. May: seasonal closure recorded
  6. June: seasonal closure recorded
  7. July: seasonal closure recorded
  8. August: seasonal closure recorded
  9. September: seasonal closure recorded — this month
  10. October: seasonal closure recorded
  11. November: seasonal closure recorded
  12. December: seasonal closure recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

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Category

Historic monuments 47 Museums 36 Places of worship 118 Nature sites 30 Viewpoints 6 Food and drink 4 Markets and shopping 8 Entertainment 3 Nightlife 0 Family attractions 8 Art and culture 8 Activities 20

Typical visit duration

Up to 1 hour 28 Half a day or more 2

Interests

History 0 Art 0 Museums 0 Nature 7 Sea and beach 7 Viewpoints 0
  1. Expo ’70 Commemorative Park Expo ’70 Commemorative Park
    01 3 hours

    Expo ’70 Commemorative Park

    Expo '70 Commemorative Park is a large public park in Osaka that preserves the site of the 1970 World Exposition.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Osaka
  2. Minoh Park Minoh Park
    02 3 hours

    Minoh Park

    Minoh Park is a forested recreational area in northern Osaka Prefecture, centered on the Minoh Waterfall. The site forms part of Meiji no Mori Minoh Quasi-National Park, one of Japan's earliest quasi-national park designations.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Osaka
  3. Ueno Imperial Grant Park Ueno Imperial Grant Park
    03 1 hour

    Ueno Imperial Grant Park

    上野公園

    Ueno Park, known locally as Ueno Onshi Koen, is a major public park in Tokyo. It occupies a significant area in the Taito ward and serves as one of the city's most prominent green spaces.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Tokyo
  4. Hamarikyu Gardens Hamarikyu Gardens
    04 1 hour

    Hamarikyu Gardens

    浜離宮恩賜庭園

    Hamarikyu Gardens is a public garden in central Tokyo, located at the mouth of the Sumida River where it meets Tokyo Bay.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Tokyo
  5. Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden
    05 1 hour

    Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden

    旧芝離宮恩賜庭園

    Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden is a historic landscape garden in central Tokyo, originally developed as a feudal lord's residence garden during the Edo period.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Tokyo
  6. Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden
    06 1 hour

    Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden

    小石川後楽園

    Koishikawa Kōrakuen is a historic Japanese garden in Bunkyō Ward, Tokyo. Its local name is 小石川後楽園. The garden is recognized as a Special Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty by the national government.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Tokyo
  7. Kyu-Furukawa Gardens Kyu-Furukawa Gardens
    07 1 hour

    Kyu-Furukawa Gardens

    旧古河庭園

    Kyu-Furukawa Gardens is a historic garden in Tokyo, known locally as 旧古河庭園. The site represents an important example of Japanese landscape design combined with Western architectural influence.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Tokyo
  8. Kiyosumi Garden Kiyosumi Garden
    08 1 hour

    Kiyosumi Garden

    清澄庭園

    Kiyosumi Gardens is a traditional Japanese stroll garden in Tokyo’s Fukagawa district. Its design leads visitors around a central pond, where islands, bridges, hills, and carefully positioned stones create changing views at walking level.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Tokyo
  9. Maruyama Park Maruyama Park
    09 1 hour

    Maruyama Park

    円山公園

    Maruyama Park is a public park located in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto, Japan. It sits at the base of the Eastern Mountains and serves as one of the city's most popular cherry blossom viewing locations.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Kyoto
  10. Shōsei Garden Shōsei Garden
    10 1 hour

    Shōsei Garden

    渉成園

    Shosei-en Garden is the detached garden of Higashi Hongan-ji and a compact example of Kyoto’s cultivated landscape tradition. Its ponds, bridges, teahouses, trees, and carefully arranged views create a quiet contrast with the city around it.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Kyoto
  11. Yoyogi Park Yoyogi Park
    11 1 hour

    Yoyogi Park

    代々木公園

    Yoyogi Park is a large public park in Tokyo’s Shibuya ward, close to Harajuku and Meiji Shrine. Known locally as 代々木公園, it combines broad lawns, wooded areas, walking routes, cycling paths, and water features in a major urban green space.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Tokyo
  12. Shinjuku Gyoen Shinjuku Gyoen
    12 1 hour

    Shinjuku Gyoen

    新宿御苑

    Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is a large park and garden in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The local name is 新宿御苑. It occupies a significant area in one of Tokyo's busiest districts.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Tokyo
  13. Mukōjima-Hyakkaen Garden Mukōjima-Hyakkaen Garden
    13 1 hour

    Mukōjima-Hyakkaen Garden

    向島百花園

    Mukojima-Hyakkaen Gardens is a historic garden located in the Mukojima area of Tokyo's Sumida Ward.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Tokyo
  14. Kyoto Botanical Garden Kyoto Botanical Garden
    14 1 hour

    Kyoto Botanical Garden

    京都府立植物園

    Kyoto Botanical Gardens is a major botanical garden located in Kyoto, Japan. It is operated by the city of Kyoto and serves as a significant center for plant conservation, research, and public education.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Kyoto
  15. Kasai Rinkai Park Kasai Rinkai Park
    15 1 hour

    Kasai Rinkai Park

    葛西臨海公園

    Kasai Rinkai Park is a coastal park located in the Edogawa ward of Tokyo, facing Tokyo Bay. The park was developed on reclaimed land and serves as one of Tokyo's largest public parks dedicated to marine environment appreciation and recreation.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Tokyo
  16. Asukayama Park Asukayama Park
    16 1 hour

    Asukayama Park

    飛鳥山公園

    Asukayama Park is a public park in Kita ward, northern Tokyo, known locally as 飛鳥山公園. It is one of Japan’s oldest parks and was established as a recreational area during the Edo period.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Tokyo
  17. Hibiya Park Hibiya Park
    17 1 hour

    Hibiya Park

    日比谷公園

    Hibiya Park is a major public green space in central Tokyo, near the Imperial Palace and Ginza. Established on former imperial army grounds, it became Japan’s first Western-style modern park.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Tokyo
  18. Tennōji Park Tennōji Park
    18 1 hour

    Tennōji Park

    天王寺公園

    Tennōji Park is a public park in Osaka, Japan, bearing the local name 天王寺公園. It occupies a position within the urban fabric of the city, situated in proximity to Tennōji Station and the broader Tennōji area.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Osaka
  19. Sumida Park Sumida Park
    19 1 hour

    Sumida Park

    隅田公園

    Sumida Park is a riverside public park along the Sumida River in Tokyo. The park stretches along both banks of the river, with sections in Taito Ward and Sumida Ward.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Tokyo
  20. Imperial Palace East Gardens Imperial Palace East Gardens
    20 1 hour

    Imperial Palace East Gardens

    皇居東御苑

    The Imperial Palace East Gardens form part of the grounds surrounding the Tokyo Imperial Palace, the primary residence of Japan's Imperial Family.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Tokyo
  21. Umekōji Park Umekōji Park
    21 1 hour

    Umekōji Park

    梅小路公園

    Umekoji Park is a public park in Kyoto, Japan. The park occupies a significant riverside plot near the confluence of the Kamo and Katsura rivers in the western part of the city.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Kyoto
  22. Ōjima Komatsugawa Park Ōjima Komatsugawa Park
    22 1 hour

    Ōjima Komatsugawa Park

    大島小松川公園

    Ojima Komatsugawa Park is a public green space in Tokyo’s Koto Ward, known locally as 大島小松川公園. The park extends through the Ojima and Komatsugawa neighborhoods beside the Kyu-Yodo River water system.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Tokyo
  23. Amagasakikō Station Amagasakikō Station
    23 1 hour

    Amagasakikō Station

    南城内緑地

    Amagasakikō Station is a railway station in Amagasaki, Hyōgo Prefecture, within the wider Osaka metropolitan area. Its principal role is transport: passengers use it to move through a dense corridor linking residential, industrial, and urban districts.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Osaka
  24. Izuo Park Izuo Park
    24 1 hour

    Izuo Park

    泉尾公園

    Izuo Park, also known locally as 泉尾公園, is a public park in Osaka.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Osaka
  25. Buson Park Buson Park
    25 1 hour

    Buson Park

    蕪村公園

    Buson Park, known locally as 蕪村公園, is a public park in Osaka named after Yosa Buson, the celebrated Edo-period poet and painter. The park belongs to Osaka’s network of urban green spaces and offers a quieter setting within the city.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Osaka
  26. Daimotsu Park Daimotsu Park
    26 1 hour

    Daimotsu Park

    大物公園

    Omono Park, written 大物公園 in Japanese, is a public green space in Osaka. It offers a simple outdoor pause within the city, giving residents and visitors room to walk, rest, and experience a neighborhood park atmosphere.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Osaka
  27. Osaka Fureai no Mizube
    27 1 hour

    Osaka Fureai no Mizube

    大阪ふれあいの水辺（砂浜ゾーン）

    Osaka Fureai no Mizube is an urban waterside recreation area whose local name identifies a sandy beach zone: 大阪ふれあいの水辺（砂浜ゾーン）. It brings a beach-like setting into Osaka’s city environment and gives visitors a place to pause beside the water.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Osaka
  28. Meguro River Meguro River
    28 1 hour

    Meguro River

    目黒川

    Meguro River is a canal-like urban waterway running through central Tokyo, stretching approximately eight kilometers from Setagaya Ward through Meguro and Shinagawa wards before reaching Tokyo Bay.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Tokyo
  29. Sumida River Sumida River
    29 1 hour

    Sumida River

    隅田川

    The Sumida River is a major waterway flowing through eastern Tokyo, connecting the Arakawa River to Tokyo Bay. It has historically defined the city's eastern geography and development.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Tokyo

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Japan be?

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.

What entry documents are needed for Japan?

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.

What is the best way to travel around Japan?

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.

When is a practical time to visit Japan?

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.

What money and payment basics apply in Japan?

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.

What practical safety details should I save for Japan?

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.