Explore Japan's Destinations

Mount Kōya (高野山, Kōya-san) is a large temple settlement in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan to the south of Osaka. In the strictest sense, Mount Kōya is the mountain name (sangō) of Kongōbu-ji Temple, the ecclesiastical headquarters of the Kōyasan sect of Shingon Buddhism.

富士山

Mount Fuji[a] (富士山・富士の山, Fujisan, Fuji no Yama) is an active stratovolcano located on the Japanese island of Honshu, with a summit elevation of 3,776.24 m (12,389 ft 3 in). It is the highest mountain in Japan, the second-highest volcano on any Asian island (after Mount Kerinci on the Indonesian island of Sumatra), and the seventh-highest peak of an island on Earth. Mount Fuji last erupted from 1707 to 1708.

皇居

The Imperial Palace (皇居, Kōkyo; lit. 'Imperial Residence') is the main residence of the emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda district of the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains several buildings, including the Fukiage Palace (吹上御所, Fukiage gosho), where the emperor has his living quarters; the main palace (宮殿, Kyūden), where various ceremonies and receptions take place; some residences of the Imperial Family; an archive; and museums and administrative offices.

東京タワー

Tokyo Tower (東京タワー, Tōkyō Tawā; pronounced [toːkʲoː taꜜɰᵝaː] ), also known by its official name Japan Radio Tower (日本電波塔, Nippon denpatō) is a communications and observation tower in the district of Shiba-koen in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, completed in 1958. At 332.9 metres (1,092 feet), it was the tallest tower in Japan until the construction of Tokyo Skytree in 2012. It is a lattice tower inspired by the Eiffel Tower, and is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations. The tower's main sources of income are antenna leasing and tourism, and its five-story base building FootTown houses a number of restaurants, gift shops, and other attractions. Departing from it, guests can visit two observation decks: the two-story Main Deck at 150 m (490 ft), and the smaller Top Deck at 249.6 m (819 ft).

Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社, Itsukushima-jinja) is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima (popularly known as Miyajima), best known for its "floating" torii. It is in the city of Hatsukaichi, in Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan, accessible from the mainland by ferry at Miyajimaguchi Station. The shrine complex is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Japanese government has designated several buildings and possessions as National Treasures.

法隆寺

Hōryū-ji (Japanese: 法隆寺; lit. 'Temple of the Flourishing Dharma') is a Buddhist temple that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, located in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Built shortly after Buddhism was introduced to Japan, it is also one of the oldest Buddhist sites in the country. Its full name is Hōryū Gakumonji (法隆学問寺), or Learning Temple of the Flourishing Law, with the complex serving as both a seminary and monastery. The temple was founded by Prince Shōtoku in 607. According to the Nihon Shoki, in 670 all buildings were burned down by lightning.

青木ヶ原

Aokigahara (青木ヶ原, 'Aucuba Tree Meadow'), also known as the Sea of Trees (樹海, Jukai), is a forest on the northwestern flank of the Mount Fuji on the island of Honshu in Japan, thriving on 30 square kilometres (12 sq mi) of hardened lava laid down by the last major eruption of Mount Fuji in 864 CE. The western edge of Aokigahara, where there are several caves that fill with ice in winter, is a popular destination for tourists and school trips. Parts of Aokigahara are very dense, and the porous lava rock absorbs sound, contributing to a sense of solitude that some visitors attribute to the forest. The forest has a historical reputation as a home to yūrei: ghosts of the dead in Japanese mythology. At least since the 1960s, Aokigahara has become associated with suicide, eventually becoming known in English by the nickname "Suicide Forest" and gaining a reputation as one of the world's most-used suicide sites. Because of this, signs at the head of some trails urge suicidal visitors to think of their families and contact a suicide prevention association.

Nikkō Tōshō-gū (日光東照宮) is a Tōshō-gū Shinto shrine located in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.

淡路島

Awaji Island (淡路島, Awaji-shima) is an island in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, in the eastern part of the Seto Inland Sea between the islands of Honshū and Shikoku. The island has an area of 592.17 square kilometres (228.64 square miles). It is the largest island of the Seto Inland Sea. Some scholars, such as Motoori Norinaga, have claimed that the name means "the road to Awa (阿波)", the historic province bordering the Shikoku side of the Naruto Strait (now part of Tokushima Prefecture), although this etymology is disputed. Others, including Tsugita Uruu, have interpreted the historical meaning of awa as 粟 "millet", due to a story where the kami Sukunabikona climbs a millet stalk on the island, as told in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki; in these books, the island is referred to as Awaji no Honosawake no Shima (淡道之穂之狭別嶋（あはぢのほのさわけのしま）) – referencing the Japanese creation myth, where it was the first island created in Japan – and Awaji-shima (淡路洲), respectively.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (広島平和記念碑, Hiroshima Heiwa Kinenhi), originally the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, and now commonly called the Genbaku Dome, Atomic Bomb Dome or A-Bomb Dome (原爆ドーム, Genbaku Dōmu), is part of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, Japan, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

東大寺

Tōdai-ji (東大寺, 'Eastern Great Temple') is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Japan. The construction of the temple was an attempt to imitate Chinese temples from the much-admired Tang dynasty. Though it was originally founded in the year 738 CE, Tōdai-ji was not opened until the year 752 CE. The temple has undergone several reconstructions, including one initiated by Minamoto Yoritomo in 1181 (entrusted to Chogen, a monk of the Jodo sect) which included the standardization of existing buildings and the strengthening of visible pillars. Since then, one of the most significant reconstruction (that of the Great Buddha Hall) took place in 1709. However, it was on the verge of collapse in the late 19th century due to the weight of its huge roof.

Shirakawa-go (Japanese: 白川郷) is located in northwestern Gifu Prefecture, Japan, at the eastern foot of Mount Haku and near the Shō River.

足立美術館

The Adachi Museum of Art (足立美術館, Adachi Bijutsukan) opened in Yasugi, Shimane Prefecture, Japan in 1970. It houses a collection of nihonga (modern Japanese paintings), including paintings by Yokoyama Taikan, and has a celebrated garden. Its six gardens and around 1,500 exhibits of Japanese paintings, pottery, and other works of art occupy the 165,000 square-meter area. Adachi Museum of Art earned the top rating of three stars in Michelin Green Guide Japan because of its elegance. In April 2020, the museum opened a separate hall dedicated to the works of Kitaoji Rosanjin.

間ノ岳

Mount Aino (間ノ岳, Aino-dake), or Ainodake, is a peak of the Akaishi Mountains−Southern Alps, in Minami Alps National Park, Japan. At 3,190 m (10,466 ft), it is the third tallest peak in Japan and the second highest in the Akaishi Mountains. Its summit lies on the border of Aoi-ku and Shizuoka in Shizuoka Prefecture, and of Minami-Alps in Yamanashi Prefecture. Mount Aino is one of the landmark 100 Famous Japanese Mountains.

相島

Ainoshima (相島) (Aino-Island) is an island in Shingū, Fukuoka, Japan. Many feral cats and strays live on this island. Hence, it is known as "Cat Heaven Island".

秋葉原ラジオ会館

The Akihabara Radio Kaikan (秋葉原ラジオ会館, Akihabara Rajio Kaikan), Akihabara Radio Hall is a commercial building in Tokyo, Japan, and is one of the most well-known landmarks in Akihabara. The recent building was built in 2014 after the old building was demolished in 2011. The building is 46.5 m high, is ten levels from the ground floor and has two basement levels. The current building primarily hosts stores selling otaku goods.

秋田駒ヶ岳

Akita-Komagatake (秋田駒ヶ岳) is an active stratovolcano located 10 km east of Tazawa Lake, near the border between Akita and Iwate prefectures on Honshu Island. The volcano last erupted from 18 September 1970 to 25 January 1971. It is the highest mountain in Akita Prefecture and the second highest in Towada-Hachimantai National Park.

青木ヶ原

Aokigahara (青木ヶ原, 'Aucuba Tree Meadow'), also known as the Sea of Trees (樹海, Jukai), is a forest on the northwestern flank of the Mount Fuji on the island of Honshu in Japan, thriving on 30 square kilometres (12 sq mi) of hardened lava laid down by the last major eruption of Mount Fuji in 864 CE. The western edge of Aokigahara, where there are several caves that fill with ice in winter, is a popular destination for tourists and school trips. Parts of Aokigahara are very dense, and the porous lava rock absorbs sound, contributing to a sense of solitude that some visitors attribute to the forest. The forest has a historical reputation as a home to yūrei: ghosts of the dead in Japanese mythology. At least since the 1960s, Aokigahara has become associated with suicide, eventually becoming known in English by the nickname "Suicide Forest" and gaining a reputation as one of the world's most-used suicide sites. Because of this, signs at the head of some trails urge suicidal visitors to think of their families and contact a suicide prevention association.

青森県立美術館

The Aomori Museum of Art (青森県立美術館, Aomori Kenritsu Bijutsukan) is a museum in Aomori, Japan, opened in July 2006. It is located near Sannai-Maruyama Site, which the museum's design takes inspiration from in its partially-buried structure. The museum houses more than 120 works from drawings to three-dimensional works by Yoshitomo Nara, a young artist from Aomori Prefecture. The museum is also active in having concerts, plays, and workshops. Since opening in 2006, the Aomori Museum of Art with its goal of introducing the arts of Aomori to the world has collected and exhibited works from Aomori native artists such as Shiko Munakata, Shuji Terayama, Yoshitomo Nara, and Tohl Narita.

新倉山浅間公園

park in Fujiyoshida, Japan