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.
288 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
円光寺
Enko-ji is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. The temple belongs to the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism and holds historical significance in the city's religious landscape.
難波八坂神社
Namba Yasaka Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the Namba district of Osaka, Japan. It is notable for its distinctive lion-head stage, which serves as the shrine's most recognizable feature.
浅草花やしき
Asakusa Hanayashiki is a historic amusement park located in the Asakusa district of Tokyo. Established in the mid-19th century, it claims distinction as one of Japan's oldest surviving amusement parks.
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.
大阪市下水道科学館
Osaka City Sewerage Science Museum is a public educational museum devoted to urban wastewater management. Its subject connects engineering, public health, environmental responsibility, and the practical systems that allow a dense city to function.
Tokyo Toy Museum, known locally as 東京おもちゃ美術館, is a specialist cultural venue centred on toys, play, craftsmanship and design.
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.
京都水族館
Kyoto Aquarium is a public aquarium in Kyoto, offering a modern marine-life experience alongside the city’s temples, shrines, gardens, and historic neighborhoods.
天王寺動物園
Tennoji Zoo is a zoological garden located in Osaka, Japan. Established in 1915, it is one of the oldest zoos in the country. The zoo occupies a position within Tennoji Park in the southern part of Osaka 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.
日本工芸館
Japan Folk Art Museum, known locally as 日本工芸館, is an Osaka museum devoted to traditional Japanese crafts and folk art.
西宮市貝類館
Nishinomiya Shell Museum, known locally as 西宮市貝類館, is a specialist museum devoted to shells and mollusks. It is located in Nishinomiya, within the wider Osaka metropolitan region rather than Osaka city proper.
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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