Japan Sightseeing Guide

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Japan Sightseeing Guide

Hokkaido
Sapporo
Otaru
Hakodate
Furano
Abashiri
Noboribetsu
Niseko
Lake Toya
Daisetsuzan
Shiretoko
Rishiri Rebun
Akan

Tohoku
Matsushima
Hiraizumi
Kakunodate
Hirosaki
Oirase

Kanto
Tokyo
Yokohama
Kamakura
Nikko
Hakone
Kawagoe
Kusatsu
Ikaho
Narita

Chubu
Nagoya
Izu Peninsula
Kanazawa
Nagano
Matsumoto
Kamikochi
Kiso Valley
Hakuba
Yudanaka
Takayama
Shirakawa-go
Gero Onsen
Inuyama
Fujigoko
Mt.Fuji

Kansai
Kyoto
Osaka
Nara
Kobe
Himeji
Kinosaki
Mount Koya
Yoshino
Amanohashidate
Hikone
Iga Ueno
Ise Shima

Chugoku
Hiroshima
Miyajima
Okayama
Kurashiki
Matsue
Iwami Ginzan
Yamaguchi
Hagi

Shikoku
Takamatsu
Kotohira
Matsuyama
Kochi

Kyushu
Fukuoka
Dazaifu
Nagasaki
Kumamoto
Mount Aso
Minamata
Kagoshima
Beppu

Okinawa
Honto
Yaeyama

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Home - Travel

Sightseeing Guide

By Region

best of the best

best of Japan

outstanding (1) - (99) ranking of most visited destinations

Hokkaido
Daisetsuzan (56)	Hokkaido's largest and wildest national park.
Shiretoko (54)	National park on an unspoiled peninsula.
Rishiri and Rebun (75)	Small islands near Hokkaido's northern tip.
Niseko (59)	Leading snow resort with lots of powder snow.
Furano (35)	Town with beautiful lavender and flower fields.
Sapporo (14)	The largest city on the island of Hokkaido.
Noboribetsu (37)	Hokkaido's most famous hot spring resort.
Akan National Park (40)	National park with beautiful lakes.
Onuma Park (79)	National park 20 kilometers north of Hakodate.
Lake Toya (49)	Site of Mount Usu, an active volcano.
Hakodate (28)	Southernmost city on Hokkaido.
Otaru (27)	Harbor city near Sapporo with a canal.
Abashiri (45)	Known for its prison and drift ice in winter.

Tohoku
Matsushima (38)	Scenic bay dotted by pine clad islets.
Hirosaki (54)	Former castle town in Northern Tohoku.
Hiraizumi (71)	Tohoku's former cultural and political capital.
Oirase Stream (79)	Mountain stream famous for autumn colors.
Kakunodate (59)	City with nicely preserved samurai district.

Kanto
Tokyo (1)	Japan's capital and largest city.
Nikko (11)	Site of Nikko Toshogu, Ieyasu's mausoleum.
Kamakura (7)	Small city full of historic treasures.
Hakone (9)	National park with views of Mount Fuji.
Kusatsu Onsen (59)	One of Japan's best hot spring resorts.
Yokohama (5)	Japan's second largest city.
Kawagoe (32)	Former castle town known as the Little Edo.
Kairakuen Garden (75)	Spacious garden famous for plum trees.
Narita (17)	Site of Tokyo's international airport.
Ikaho Onsen (81)	Hot spring resort famous for its stone stairs.

Chubu
Takayama (20)	Preserves one of Japan's nicest old towns.
Kanazawa (20)	City rich in culture and history.
Kiso Valley (56)	Valley with nicely preserved post towns.
Shirakawago (42)	Mountainous region, known for its farmhouses.
Izu Peninsula (33)	Hot springs and natural scenery.
Matsumoto (26)	City famous for its beautiful original castle.
Fuji Five Lakes (15)	Resort at the foot of Mount Fuji.
Nagano (23)	Former olympic city famous for its temple.
Inuyama (52)	Former castle town north of Nagoya.
Kamikochi (63)	Popular mountain resort in the Japanese Alps.
Yuzawa (70)	One of Japan's leading ski resort towns.
Echigo Tsumari (81)	Idyllic countryside staging modern art.
Alpine Route (66)	Spectacular route through the Northern Alps.
Yudanaka Onsen (75)	Hot spring resort famous for bathing monkeys.
Furukawa (71)	Small town 15 minutes north of Takayama.
Hakuba (63)	One of Japan's best ski resorts.
Eiheiji Temple (73)	A center of Japanese Zen Buddhism.
Nagoya (12)	Japan's third largest economic center.
Karuizawa (53)	Upmarket mountain resort town.
Gero Onsen (67)	Famous hot spring resort south of Takayama.
Shosenkyo Gorge (81)	Nice gorge famous for autumn colors.

Kansai
Kyoto (2)	For over 1000 years the capital of Japan.
Mount Koya (31)	Atmospheric temple mountain.
Nara (4)	Japan's first permanent capital.
Himeji (8)	Site of Japan's most beautiful feudal castle.
Osaka (3)	Largest city of the Kinki Region.
Ise Shima (30)	Site of Japan's most sacred Shinto shrines.
Yoshino (65)	Japan's most famous cherry blossom spot.
Iga Ueno (38)	Former castle town famous for ninja.
Kobe (10)	Harbor city, recovered from 1995 earthquake.
Amanohashidate (56)	One of Japan's three most scenic views.
Kinosaki (67)	Pleasantly old-fashioned hot spring resort.
Miho Museum (81)	Unique art museum in the mountains.
Hikone (45)	Castle town at the shores of Lake Biwa.

Chugoku
Miyajima (13)	Island known for its shrine and large torii gate.
Hiroshima (6)	Regional capital with a tragic history.
Yamaguchi (43)	Pleasant city at the western end of Honshu.
Hagi (49)	Castle town with preserved samurai district.
Matsue (43)	Former castle town near Izumo Taisha.
Kurashiki (35)	City with a picturesque, historic canal area.
Iwami Ginzan (78)	Former silver mine with world heritage status.
Okayama (25)	Famous for one of Japan's three best gardens.

Shikoku
Kochi (49)	Nice city with a southern flair.
Matsuyama (40)	Largest city of Shikoku with a beautiful castle.
Kotohira (67)	Site of Shikoku's most popular shrine.
Takamatsu (45)	Capital of Kagawa Prefecture.

Kyushu
Nagasaki (19)	Attractive port city with a moved history.
Mount Aso (33)	Active volcano with a huge ancient caldera.
Kagoshima (28)	Southernmost of Kyushu's major cities.
Fukuoka (16)	Kyushu's largest and most vibrant city.
Beppu (22)	Japan's capital city of hot springs.
Kumamoto (24)	Modern city most famous for its castle.
Dazaifu (45)	Historic town south of Fukuoka.
Minamata (73)	From pollution site to environmental model city.

Okinawa
Yaeyama Islands (59)	Okinawa's southernmost island group.
Okinawa Island (18)	Okinawa's main island.

best of the best

best of Japan

outstanding (1) - (99) ranking of most visited destinations

By Attraction

Temples	A list of Japan's most famous temples.
Shrines	A list of Japan's most famous shrines.
Gardens	A list of Japan's most famous gardens.
Castles	A list of Japan's most famous castles.
Historic districts	Japan's best historic districts and towns.
Open Air Museums	Exhibiting Japan's architectural heritage.
Hot Springs	Hot springs can be found all over Japan.
Cherry Blossoms	During March, April or May in most of Japan.
Autumn Leaves	During October or November in most of Japan.
Winter Sports	Skiing and snowboarding in Japan.
Where to find snow	A list of places with snow during winter.
Festivals	Every municipality has at least one.
Christmas Illuminations	Popular in cities across Japan.

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