Language · 11 published
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 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
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.
212 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
愛宕神社
Atago Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the Minato ward of Tokyo, Japan. The shrine sits atop Atago Hill, which rises approximately 26 meters above sea level, making it one of the highest natural points in central Tokyo.
貴船神社
Kifune Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the mountainous northern outskirts of Kyoto, Japan.
富岡八幡宮
Tomioka Hachimangu is a Shinto shrine located in the Fukagawa district of Koto Ward, Tokyo. Founded in 1627, it is one of the most significant Hachiman shrines in the city.
藤森神社
Fujinomori Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Kyoto and a place where religious practice, traditional architecture and local cultural life meet. Visitors encounter an active sacred setting rather than a purely historical monument.
道頓堀橋
Dōtonbori Bridge is a pedestrian crossing spanning the Dōtonbori Canal in Osaka's Namba district. The bridge sits at the heart of one of Japan's most famous entertainment and dining areas.
蹴上インクライン
Keage Incline is a preserved railway incline in Kyoto’s Higashiyama area. It formed part of the Lake Biwa Canal system, where a funicular railway moved boats between different water levels.
思い出横丁
Omoide Yokocho, whose local name is 思い出横丁, is a narrow alleyway district in Tokyo known for its dense cluster of small eateries and drinking establishments.
逆艪の松
Sakaro no Matsu, known locally as 逆艪の松, is a visitor place in Osaka with a name connected to a pine and nautical imagery.
The Okuda Family Residence, 奥田家住宅, is a historic Japanese home in Osaka. Its value lies in domestic architecture and the chance to encounter a preserved residential setting within a city better known for commerce, food, and modern movement.
晴明神社
Seimei Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Kyoto dedicated to Abe no Seimei, the Heian-period onmyoji associated with traditional Japanese esoteric cosmology.
二尊院
Nison-in is a Buddhist temple situated in the Arashiyama district of western Kyoto, Japan. The temple belongs to the Obaku school of Zen Buddhism and holds historical significance dating back centuries.
清凉寺
Seiryo-ji is a Buddhist temple in Arashiyama, western Kyoto, and a useful stop for travellers exploring the district beyond its best-known paths.
梅宮大社
Umenomiya Taisha is a Shinto shrine in Kyoto and part of the city’s extensive religious heritage. It is a place of worship as well as a destination for visitors interested in Japanese shrine architecture and customs.
寂光院
Jakko-in is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan, and a quiet religious destination within the city’s wider landscape of historic temples.
泉尾公園
Izuo Park, also known locally as 泉尾公園, is a public park in Osaka.
尼崎市総合文化センター
Amagasaki Cultural Center, known locally as 尼崎市総合文化センター, is a municipal cultural facility serving Amagasaki in Hyogo Prefecture, within the greater Osaka metropolitan area. The center brings public performance, arts activity, and community gathering into one civic venue.
化野念仏寺
Adashino Nenbutsu-ji is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto’s western Saga-Arashiyama area, known for its memorial field of stone figures.
法楽寺
Hōraku-ji Temple, written 法楽寺 in Japanese, is a Buddhist temple in Osaka. It provides a place for contemplation within the city and belongs to Osaka’s wider religious and cultural landscape.
難波神社
Namba Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Osaka's Namba district, where traditional religious architecture stands among shopping, dining and entertainment streets. Known locally as 難波神社, it offers a quieter cultural pause within one of the city's most active urban areas.
圓徳院
Entoku-in is a Rinzai Zen sub-temple within the wider Kodai-ji complex in Kyoto’s Higashiyama district.
本興寺
Honkō-ji Temple, written 本興寺 in Japanese, is a Buddhist temple in Osaka. It is an active religious place as well as a point of interest for travelers interested in the city’s temples, architecture, and spiritual landscape.
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.
宝泉院
Hosen-in is a Buddhist temple in Ohara, a rural valley northeast of central Kyoto. The temple belongs to the Rinzai tradition of Zen Buddhism and is known for a garden centred on a prominent pine tree.
法善寺
Hozenji Temple is a compact Buddhist temple located in Osaka's Namba district, immediately adjacent to the famous Dotonbori entertainment area. The temple is best known for its moss-covered statue of Fudō Myōō, a wrathful deity in Japanese Buddhism.
赤山禅院
Sekizan Zen-in is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto and a place to include when your itinerary calls for religious heritage away from the city’s most familiar landmark circuit.
Suita City Cultural Hall Meishiya Theater is a municipal performing-arts venue in Suita City, Osaka Prefecture. It supports the area’s cultural life through theater, music, dance, and community events.
今熊野観音寺
Imakumano Kannon-ji is an active Shingon Buddhist temple in Kyoto, dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva associated with compassion.
鶴満寺
Kakuman-ji Temple, known in Japanese as 鶴満寺, is a named Buddhist temple in Osaka. The mapped way identifies a specific local place of worship, not a generic category label.
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.
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.
アメヤ横丁
Ameya-Yokochō, known locally as アメヤ横丁, is an open-air market district situated near Ueno Station in Tokyo. The area occupies space beneath the elevated Yamanote Line tracks and extends across multiple streets and alleys.
祇王寺
Gio-ji is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto’s Arashiyama district, associated with the Shingon school of Buddhism. Its character comes from scale and setting: the grounds sit within a quiet wooded landscape, away from the busiest paths of western Kyoto.
鈴虫寺
Suzumushi-dera is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. Its name translates to Bell Cricket Temple, derived from the insects kept on the grounds. The temple belongs to the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism.
錦市場
Nishiki Market is a covered shopping street, not a building and not an attraction with a gate.
安倍晴明神社
Abe Ōji Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Osaka associated with Abe no Seimei, the celebrated Heian-period onmyōji. The shrine offers a place to encounter living Japanese religious practice rather than a secular monument.
廣済寺
Ama Kosaiji Temple Sanmon, associated with 廣済寺, is a sanmon, or mountain gate, in Osaka’s Buddhist architectural landscape.
福島天満宮
Fukushima Tenmangū is a Shinto shrine in Osaka’s Fukushima Ward, dedicated to Tenjin, the deified scholar Sugawara no Michizane.
願得寺
Gantoku-ji Temple, known locally as 願得寺, is a Buddhist religious site in Osaka. It forms part of the city's quieter spiritual landscape, where neighborhood temples continue to serve local communities amid dense metropolitan surroundings.
源聖寺
Gensyō-ji Temple is a Buddhist temple in Osaka, known locally as 源聖寺. The temple forms part of Osaka’s religious and cultural landscape and gives visitors a chance to encounter Buddhist practice within a major Japanese city.
大阪府立汎愛高等学校
Hanaai High School, also known locally as Osaka Prefectural Hanaai Senior High School, is an active public educational institution in Osaka. It is best understood as a neighborhood school rather than a conventional sightseeing attraction.
大阪市立東三国小学校
Higashimikuni Elementary School, known locally as 大阪市立東三国小学校, is a municipal elementary school in Osaka’s Yodogawa Ward. It is a working neighbourhood school serving local children, teachers and families.
比売許曽神社
Himekoso Shrine, also known as 比売許曽神社, is a Shinto shrine in Osaka. The shrine is a place of worship and community life, giving travellers a chance to encounter a quieter religious setting within the city.
堀越神社
Horikoshi Shrine, written 堀越神社 in Japanese, is a Shinto place of worship in Osaka’s dense urban landscape.
伊居太神社
Ikota Shrine, known locally as 伊居太神社, is a Shinto place of worship within Osaka’s urban fabric. Its character comes from being a functioning neighbourhood shrine, where the approach, sacred threshold, trees, worship area and surrounding residential setting shape the visit.
城南宮
Jonangu Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in southern Kyoto, Japan. It is dedicated to the deified Emperor Nintoku and holds historical significance as a site associated with the protection of the capital.
清水寺
Kiyomizu-dera Temple is a Buddhist temple in Osaka, known locally as 清水寺. This Osaka temple is distinct from the better-known Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto, despite sharing the same name.
琴浦神社
Kotoura Shrine, known locally as 琴浦神社, is a Shinto shrine in Osaka. The shrine is a place of worship and provides a direct encounter with the religious traditions that remain part of everyday Japanese urban life.
教恩寺
Kyōon-ji Temple, known locally as 教恩寺, is a Buddhist temple in Osaka. The temple belongs to the city’s living religious landscape, where places of worship continue to sit among ordinary streets and neighborhoods.
京善寺
Kyōzen-ji Temple, written locally as 京善寺, is a Buddhist temple in Osaka. It forms part of the city’s religious and cultural landscape, where places of worship stand alongside dense modern development.
長洲天満宮
Nagasu Tenmangu, written 長洲天満宮, is a Shinto shrine in Osaka devoted to Tenjin. Tenjin is the deified scholar Sugawara no Michizane, widely associated with learning and academic success.
中島惣社
Nakajima-so Shrine, known locally as 中島惣社, is a Shinto place of worship in Osaka. The shrine is identified on OpenStreetMap as way/273392714, giving visitors a precise identity for distinguishing it from other religious sites in the city.
岡太神社
Okata Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Osaka, known locally as 岡太神社. The shrine is a place of worship embedded in the city, offering travelers a direct encounter with traditional Japanese religious space amid ordinary urban streets.
大宮
Oomiya is a residential and commercial neighborhood in Higashiyodogawa-ku, Osaka. It offers a view of everyday city life rather than a concentrated landmark district.
栗東寺
Ritō-ji Temple, written 栗東寺 in Japanese, is a Buddhist temple in Osaka. It belongs to the city’s religious and cultural landscape and gives travelers a chance to encounter a sacred place beyond Osaka’s busiest commercial attractions.
佐太天神宮
Sata-tenjingu, written as 佐太天神宮, is a Shinto shrine in Osaka. The name identifies it as a Tenjin shrine, a tradition connected with the worship of Sugawara no Michizane, the scholar who became a revered kami.
眞観寺
Shinkan-ji Temple, also identified locally as 眞観寺, is a named Buddhist temple in Osaka. Its precise identity matters because Osaka contains many religious sites with similar names, while this place is tied to one specific OpenStreetMap location.
荘厳浄土寺
Shōgonjōdo-ji Temple, known locally as 荘厳浄土寺, is a Buddhist temple in Osaka. The temple belongs to the Jodo sect of Pure Land Buddhism. It serves as a place of worship and spiritual practice for devotees.
素盞嗚尊神社
Known locally as 素盞嗚尊神社, Susanoo-no-Mikoto Shrine is a Shinto place of worship in Osaka dedicated to Susanoo-no-Mikoto, a major figure in Japanese mythology associated with storms and the sea.
諏訪神社
Suwa Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Osaka, also known locally as 諏訪神社. It belongs to the wider tradition of shrines devoted to Suwa Myojin, associated with wind, water, and martial protection.
高浜神社
Takahama Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Suita City, Osaka Prefecture, known locally as 高浜神社. It serves as a place of worship and community gathering in the northern Osaka metropolitan area.
富島神社
Tomishima Shrine, known locally as 富島神社, is a Shinto shrine in Osaka. It offers a small sacred setting within the city, where visitors can encounter a form of Japanese religious practice alongside ordinary urban streets.
土佐稲荷神社
Tosa Inari Shrine is a Shinto place of worship in Osaka, known locally as 土佐稲荷神社. The shrine belongs to the Inari tradition, whose central figure is associated with rice, fertility, prosperity, and worldly success.
大阪市立佃中学校 is a municipal junior high school serving the Tsukuda neighborhood of Osaka. It is an active educational institution, not a public museum or sightseeing attraction.
大阪市立大国小学校, known in English as Osaka City Daikoku Elementary School, is a municipal school in Osaka’s Daikoku area.
大阪市立成南中学校 is an Osaka municipal junior high school serving local students. It belongs to the city’s everyday educational infrastructure and should not be treated as a conventional tourist attraction.
Osaka Municipal Kuwazu Elementary School, known as 大阪市立桑津小学校, is a public elementary school serving its local Osaka community. It is part of the city’s everyday educational landscape, surrounded by neighbourhood streets rather than visitor facilities.
大阪市立玉出小学校 is Osaka Municipal Tamade Elementary School, a working public school in Nishinari Ward. It belongs to Tamade’s everyday civic landscape, serving local children rather than operating as a museum, landmark, or visitor attraction.
大阪市立茨田中学校 is a municipal junior high school in Osaka’s Ibarita area, a working part of the city’s residential fabric rather than a sightseeing attraction.
Osaka Municipal Tsurumi Minami Elementary School, or 大阪市立鶴見南小学校, is a public elementary school in Osaka’s Tsurumi Ward. It serves local children and contributes to the daily rhythm of its neighbourhood.
Osaka Nishi Church, written locally as 大阪西教会, is a Christian place of worship within Osaka’s dense city environment.
市立高井田中学校 is a municipal junior high school in Osaka’s Takaida area. Unlike a museum, shrine, or civic attraction, the school exists for education and serves students, teachers, and authorized visitors.
東大阪市立森河内小学校 is a municipal elementary school in Higashiosaka, Osaka Prefecture. It is a working educational institution serving local children, not a conventional visitor attraction.
豊洲 千客万来
Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai is a commercial facility in the Toyosu district of Tokyo, developed in connection with the relocation of the historic Tsukiji Market. The name evokes traditional hospitality, suggesting a place welcoming many visitors.
八幡神社
Hachiman Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Osaka, known locally as 八幡神社. It is dedicated to Hachiman, a deity traditionally associated with warriors and protection.
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.
多米神社
Tameno Shrine, known locally as 多米神社, is a Shinto shrine in Osaka. It represents the kind of neighborhood religious site that sits alongside ordinary homes, roads, and local businesses rather than inside a purpose-built tourist complex.
産土神社
Ubusuna Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Osaka, known locally as 産土神社. The shrine represents a living part of Osaka’s religious and cultural landscape, giving visitors an opportunity to encounter Shinto practice within the city.
善覚寺
Zenkaku-ji Temple, 善覚寺, is a named Buddhist temple in Osaka. It is a local religious place within the city, without a documented collection, famous object, major visitor designation, or signature sight to define it as a conventional tourist landmark.
Kōmyō-ji is a Buddhist temple in Osaka, identified locally by the name 光明寺. It is an active religious place within the city, offering travelers a chance to encounter a quieter side of Osaka beyond its commercial districts.
Endonji is a neighborhood commercial area in Osaka, known by the Japanese name 円頓寺. Its character comes from everyday urban life: local shops, food businesses, residents, and streets designed for regular community use.
Keizen-ji, written 慶善寺, is a Buddhist temple in Osaka. It belongs to the city’s broad landscape of religious sites, where places of worship remain woven into ordinary urban neighborhoods.
正徳禅寺, rendered here as Shōtokuzen-ji, is a Buddhist temple in Osaka.
浄教寺, presented in English as Jokoji, is a Buddhist temple in Osaka. It belongs to the city’s network of religious places and offers travellers a chance to encounter a quieter, more local side of urban Japan.
西法寺, presented here as Saifukuji, is a Buddhist temple in Osaka. The temple is part of the city’s network of religious places, where worship, community life, and traditional architecture remain woven into ordinary urban neighborhoods.
Ryūen-ji, written 龍渕寺, is a Buddhist temple in Osaka. It is a functioning place of worship rather than a museum or commercial attraction.
極み鶏そば 鶏と麦ときどき豚 is an Osaka ramen restaurant with a name that sharply identifies its culinary focus. “Kiwami Tori Soba” foregrounds chicken soba, while “Tori to Mugi Tokidoki Buta” points to chicken, wheat, and occasional pork.
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.
阪急西宮ガーデンズ
Hankyu Nishinomiya Gardens is a large commercial complex in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, within the wider Osaka metropolitan area. The development brings shopping, dining, entertainment and landscaped outdoor areas together in one destination.
淀屋橋 odona
淀屋橋 odona is a commercial complex in Osaka’s Yodoyabashi district. It combines retail and dining within one of central Osaka’s established business areas.
下醍醐
Daigo-ji is a Shingon Buddhist temple in southeastern Kyoto, Japan. Founded in 874 CE by the monk Shōbō, it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.
永觀堂
Eikan-do, formally called Zenrin-ji, is a historic Buddhist temple in Kyoto’s eastern Sakyo ward. It belongs to the Jodo sect and was founded in the ninth century.
銀のさら
Gin no Sara, written 銀のさら, is a delivery sushi service in Osaka. It prepares sushi for delivery rather than presenting itself as a conventional restaurant destination.
御願塚
Gogazuka Kofun, also known locally as 御願塚, is an ancient burial mound in Osaka. The site belongs to Japan’s kofun tradition, a form of monumental tomb construction associated with the Kofun period from roughly the third to seventh centuries.
神田古書店街
Jimbocho Book Town, known locally as 神保町古書店街, is a historic district in central Tokyo renowned for its dense concentration of antiquarian bookstores. The area has served as Japan's preeminent center for used and rare books since the early twentieth century.
歌舞伎町
Kabukichō is Shinjuku’s dense entertainment district, occupying the area northeast of Shinjuku Station. The neighborhood combines restaurants, bars, karaoke, cinemas, pachinko halls, hotels and adult-oriented businesses in a compact grid of bright signs and narrow streets.
合羽橋
Kappabashi Kitchen Street, known locally as かっぱ橋道具街, is a specialized commercial district in Tokyo dedicated to restaurant supply and kitchenware. The street stretches approximately 800 meters and hosts numerous shops selling professional-grade cooking equipment, tableware, food replicas, and culinary tools.
京都タワー
Kyoto Tower is a modern observation landmark beside Kyoto Station in Shimogyo Ward.
明治神宮
Meiji Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Tokyo dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shōken. The shrine occupies a large forested area in Shibuya, near Harajuku Station.
大阪城
Osaka Castle is a historic fortress in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The present structure is a concrete reconstruction dating from 1931, with extensive modern renovations.
Sagano Romantic Train
The Sagano Scenic Railway is a tourist railway in Kyoto's Arashiyama district. It operates along a former freight line that runs parallel to the Hozu River gorge.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·
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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