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07
2 hours
Harajuku
原宿
Harajuku is a district in Shibuya, Tokyo, internationally recognised for its youth culture, street fashion, and distinctive subcultural expressions.
- Must see
- Activity
- Tokyo
Country guide
1 to 2 hours in Japan — page 2
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
47,395
Places
3Cities
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
Cities
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
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Tokyo
Photograph · Morio · CC BY-SA 3.0
Tokyo 22,518 places -
Kyoto
Photograph · Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kyoto 13,290 places -
Osaka
Photograph · Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 4.0
Osaka 11,587 places
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
Top things to see
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
Filter the list
73 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
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08 2 hoursRyōgoku Kokugikan
両国国技館
Ryōgoku Kokugikan is the principal indoor arena for professional sumo wrestling in Tokyo, located in the Ryōgoku district. The facility serves as headquarters for the Japan Sumo Association and hosts three of the six annual honbasho tournaments.
- Must see
- Activity
- Tokyo
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09 1 hr 30 minCup Noodles Museum Osaka Ikeda
Cup Noodles Museum Osaka Ikeda is an interactive museum dedicated to the history of instant noodles and the legacy of Momofuku Ando, inventor of Chicken Ramen and Cup Noodles.
- Must see
- Museum
- Osaka
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10 2 hoursTokyo Station
東京駅
Tokyo Station is a major railway station in the Marunouchi business district near the Imperial Palace. It serves as the primary terminal for multiple Shinkansen lines and regional rail services.
- Must see
- Activity
- Tokyo
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11 2 hoursPontocho Alley
Pontocho Alley is a narrow pedestrian street in central Kyoto, running parallel to the Kamo River between Sanjo and Shijo streets. It is one of Kyoto's most atmospheric dining and entertainment districts, characterized by its tightly packed traditional wooden buildings.
- Must see
- Activity
- Kyoto
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12 1 hr 30 minKiyomizu-dera Temple
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.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Kyoto
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13 2 hoursKyoto Station Building
Kyoto Station Building is the main railway station and a prominent landmark in Kyoto, Japan. It serves as a major transportation hub for the city and wider region, handling both local and long-distance services including Shinkansen bullet trains.
- Must see
- Activity
- Kyoto
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14 1 hr 30 minTokyo National Museum
東京国立博物館
Tokyo National Museum stands as Japan's oldest and largest museum. Established in 1872, it occupies grounds within Ueno Park in the Taito ward.
- Must see
- Museum
- Tokyo
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15 2 hoursNijō Castle
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.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Kyoto
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16 2 hoursOmotesandō
表参道
Omotesandō is a tree-lined avenue in Tokyo, stretching from Harajuku to Aoyama. The local name is 表参道.
- Must see
- Activity
- Tokyo
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17 1 hr 30 minNational Museum of Nature and Science
国立科学博物館
The National Museum of Nature and Science is a major museum in Tokyo dedicated to natural history and scientific research. Its local name is 国立科学博物館.
- Must see
- Museum
- Tokyo
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18 1 hr 30 minNational Museum of Western Art
国立西洋美術館
The National Museum of Western Art, known in Japanese as 国立西洋美術館, is an art museum in Tokyo dedicated to Western art. It is located in Ueno Park, a cultural district in the northern part of central Tokyo.
- Must see
- Museum
- Tokyo
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19 2 hoursKagurazaka
神楽坂
Kagurazaka is a historic hillside district in Tokyo, once known as a prominent geisha quarter during the Edo period. The area retains much of its old Tokyo atmosphere with narrow cobblestone alleyways, traditional wooden buildings, and hidden restaurants.
- Must see
- Activity
- Tokyo
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20 2 hoursRainbow Bridge
レインボーブリッジ
Rainbow Bridge is the suspension bridge linking Shibaura on the Tokyo mainland with Odaiba across Tokyo Bay. The structure carries road traffic, the Yurikamome automated transit line and pedestrian walkways, making it both working infrastructure and a major waterfront landmark.
- Must see
- Activity
- Tokyo
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21 1 hr 30 minKyoto International Manga Museum
京都国際マンガミュージアム
Kyoto International Manga Museum is a cultural institution devoted to manga, Japan’s influential form of comics and graphic storytelling. It occupies a former elementary school building, giving the visit an architectural layer alongside the collection.
- Must see
- Museum
- Kyoto
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22 1 hr 30 minKyoto National Museum
京都国立博物館
The Kyoto National Museum is one of Japan's major national museums, established to preserve and exhibit cultural properties connected to Kyoto's long history as the former imperial capital.
- Must see
- Museum
- Kyoto
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23 1 hr 30 minEdo-Tokyo Museum
江戸東京博物館
The Edo-Tokyo Museum is a history museum in Tokyo dedicated to the history and culture of the city from the Edo period through to modern times.
- Must see
- Museum
- Tokyo
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24 1 hr 30 minTokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
東京都美術館
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum is a public exhibition museum in Ueno Park, Tokyo’s established cultural district. Rather than presenting one fixed permanent collection, it provides gallery space for travelling exhibitions, special shows, and related events.
- Must see
- Museum
- Tokyo
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25 1 hr 30 minMiraikan
日本科学未来館
The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, known locally as Miraikan, is a science museum located in Tokyo's Odaiba district.
- Must see
- Museum
- Tokyo
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26 1 hr 30 minKyoto Municipal Museum of Art
京都市美術館
The Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art is a municipal art museum located in Kyoto, Japan. It was established to preserve and exhibit artworks relevant to the city's cultural heritage.
- Must see
- Museum
- Kyoto
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27 1 hr 30 minNational Art Center
国立新美術館
The National Art Center, Tokyo is a major museum in Roppongi, Minato ward. Its local name is 国立新美術館. The building was designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa and opened in 2007.
- Must see
- Museum
- Tokyo
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28 1 hr 30 minCurrency Museum of the Bank of Japan
日本銀行金融研究所貨幣博物館
The Currency Museum of the Bank of Japan is a focused museum about money, collecting Japanese and international coins, banknotes, and related historical material.
- Must see
- Museum
- Tokyo
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29 1 hr 30 minMuseum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
東京都現代美術館
The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo is a major public art museum in Tokyo’s Koto ward. Its collection and exhibitions focus on contemporary art from the postwar period to the present, with Japanese and international artists represented.
- High
- Museum
- Tokyo
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30 1 hr 30 minMori Art Museum
森美術館
The Mori Art Museum is a contemporary art museum located in Tokyo, Japan. Its local name is 森美術館. The museum is situated within the Roppongi Hills complex, a major urban development in the Minato ward.
- High
- Museum
- Tokyo
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31 1 hr 30 minNezu Museum
根津美術館
Nezu Museum is a private museum in Tokyo’s Minato ward devoted to pre-modern East Asian art. It grew from the collection of Nezu Kaichiro, a businessman and politician who gathered important Japanese, Chinese, and Korean works.
- High
- Museum
- Tokyo
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.