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07
45 min
Kyoto Imperial Palace
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.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Kyoto
Country guide
Theme: History, Up to 1 hour 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
72 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
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08 45 minKatsura Imperial Villa
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.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Kyoto
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09 45 minBamboo Forest
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.
- Must see
- Historic monument
- Kyoto
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10 30 minFushimi Inari-taisha
伏見稲荷大社
Fushimi Inari Taisha is a Shinto shrine located in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto. It serves as the head shrine of approximately 30,000 Inari shrines across Japan.
- Must see
- Place of worship
- Kyoto
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11 30 minTōfuku-ji Temple
東福寺
Tofuku-ji is a Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple in southeastern Kyoto. Founded in 1236 by the statesman Kujo Michiie, it took its name from combining characters from Todai-ji and Kofuku-ji in Nara.
- Must see
- Place of worship
- Kyoto
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12 30 minYasaka Shrine
八坂神社
Yasaka Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Kyoto, Japan. It is also known as Gion Shrine. The shrine stands at the eastern end of Shijo-dori, a major thoroughfare in the city.
- Must see
- Place of worship
- Kyoto
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13 30 minChion-in Temple
知恩院
Chion-in is a Jodo-shu Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. It serves as the headquarters of the Jodo-shu sect founded by Honen. The temple complex occupies a significant site on the slopes of Higashiyama.
- Must see
- Place of worship
- Kyoto
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14 30 minKitano Tenmangū
北野天満宮
Kitano Tenmangu is a Shinto shrine in Kyoto, Japan, dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, a scholar and politician of the Heian period who was later deified as Tenjin, the god of learning.
- Must see
- Place of worship
- Kyoto
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15 30 minKōdai-ji Temple
高台寺
Kodaiji Temple is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto's Higashiyama district. It was established in 1606 by Kita-no-Mandokoro, also known as Nene, in memory of her husband Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the prominent unifier of Japan.
- High
- Place of worship
- Kyoto
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16 45 minThree-year Slope
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.
- High
- Historic monument
- Kyoto
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17 30 minHigashi Hongan-ji Temple
東本願寺
Higashi Hongan-ji is a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist temple in Kyoto, serving as the headquarters of the Otani-ha branch. Founded in 1602 by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, it was established to reduce the political influence of the original Hongan-ji faction.
- High
- Place of worship
- Kyoto
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18 30 minNezu Shrine
根津神社
Nezu Shrine is a historic Shinto shrine in Tokyo’s Bunkyo ward and one of the city’s oldest surviving places of worship. The shrine is especially known for its azalea plantings, traditional architecture, ponds, stone lanterns and vermilion torii gates.
- High
- Place of worship
- Tokyo
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19 30 minNanzen-ji Temple
南禅寺
Nanzen-ji is a Zen Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto, Japan. It stands as one of the most significant temples in the city's extensive religious landscape.
- High
- Place of worship
- Kyoto
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20 30 minKennin-ji Temple
建仁寺
Kennin-ji is a historic Zen Buddhist temple located in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto, Japan. It stands as the oldest Zen temple in the city, having been founded in the early Kamakura period.
- High
- Place of worship
- Kyoto
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21 30 minDaitoku-ji Temple
大徳寺
Daitoku-ji is a major Zen Buddhist temple complex in northern Kyoto, Japan. Founded in the fourteenth century, it belongs to the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen Buddhism.
- High
- Place of worship
- Kyoto
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22 45 minPhilosopher's Walk
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.
- High
- Historic monument
- Kyoto
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23 30 minHonnō-ji Temple
本能寺
Honno-ji is a temple of the Nichiren Buddhist sect located in central Kyoto.
- High
- Place of worship
- Kyoto
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24 30 minSensō-ji Temple
金龍山 浅草寺
Sensō-ji is a historic Buddhist temple located in the Asakusa district of Tokyo. It is widely recognized as the city's oldest temple, with origins traditionally traced to the seventh century.
- High
- Place of worship
- Tokyo
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25 30 minDaikaku-ji Temple
大覚寺
Daikaku-ji is a Shingon Buddhist temple located in the Ukyo ward of Kyoto, Japan. The temple was originally constructed in the early ninth century as a detached palace for Emperor Saga before being converted into a religious institution.
- High
- Place of worship
- Kyoto
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26 30 minMyōshin-ji Temple
妙心寺
Myoshin-ji is a major Zen Buddhist temple complex in western Kyoto. It serves as the head temple of the associated branch of Rinzai Zen Buddhism.
- High
- Place of worship
- Kyoto
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27 30 minRokuharamitsu-ji Temple
六波羅蜜寺
Rokuharamitsu-ji is a historic Shingon Buddhist temple in Kyoto’s Higashiyama district. Its identity is rooted in religious practice and the long history of this eastern part of the city, where temples and traditional neighbourhoods stand close together.
- High
- Place of worship
- Kyoto
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28 45 minShugaku-in Imperial Villa
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.
- High
- Historic monument
- Kyoto
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29 30 minHirano Shrine
平野神社
Hirano Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Kyoto, Japan. It holds historical significance as an ancient religious site with traditional architectural elements characteristic of Japanese shrine design.
- High
- Place of worship
- Kyoto
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30 30 minMatsunoo Taisha
松尾大社
Matsunoo Taisha is an ancient Shinto shrine in western Kyoto, near the Arashiyama area. Its origins predate the establishment of Heian-kyo, and its history is closely connected with the Hata clan, an important force in the early development of Kyoto.
- High
- Place of worship
- Kyoto
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31 30 minShōren-in Temple
青蓮院
Shoren-in is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto’s Higashiyama district and belongs to the Tendai sect.
- High
- Place of worship
- Kyoto
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.