The Sumida Hokusai Museum’s reflective aluminium-clad building casts a striking figure among the wooden homes of Tokyo’s Sumida ward, but it’s what’s inside that truly dazzles. The museum is dedicated to one of Japan’s most beloved artists: Hokusai Katsushika. The ukiyo-e woodblock master is responsible for the instantly recognizable The Great Wave Off Kanagawa artwork, which was part of his collection Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, is one of the country’s biggest and most important art museums. Centrally located, the museum’s superlative collection of modern and contemporary Japanese art provides a journey through the development of modern Japan, from the late 19th century to today.
Consider a visit to the Small Worlds Miniature Museum when Tokyo’s sheer size and scale start to feel overwhelming. Perhaps ironically, it’s touted as one of the largest miniature museums in Asia. The numerous themed areas reproduce historical, realistic, and fantastical miniature worlds at 1:80 scale, which are sure to delight both adults and kids.
Ginza Six is a high-end retail complex in Ginza, boasting over 240 shops, making it one of the largest shopping malls in the area. You can easily spend a whole day here exploring the stores, restaurants, bars, and incredible basement food hall, where small-batch makers create exquisite sweets and desserts. The esteemed Kanze Noh Theater is on-site too.
With over 85 million annual passengers, Haneda Airport—also known as Tokyo International Airport—is Japan’s busiest airport and handles all of Tokyo’s domestic flights plus a smaller number of international flights. The airport is also home to Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, as well as several low-cost carriers.
This open-air museum near Lake Saiko stands on the site of a once-thriving farming village that was destroyed in a landslide in the 1960s. The thatched-roofed buildings, modeled on the original farmhouses, are now home to craft workshops, restaurants, museums, galleries, and shops. Visitors can wander around and learn about traditional life and handicrafts.
LEGOLAND® Discovery Center is an indoor amusement park in Tokyo’s waterfront Odaiba district. The center houses more than three million LEGO® bricks, as well as attractions including a Miniland Tokyo—a dioramic cityscape filled with mini reconstructions of some of Tokyo’s most famous landmarks—a 4D movie theater, and themed rides. It’s an ideal family-friendly attraction that’s usually restricted to families with kids, though it sometimes hosts adults-only nights.
Fans of Japanese pop culture will love Nijigen no Mori (Awaji Island Anime Park). Located within Hyogo Prefectural Awajishima Park, it's a must-visit for anime enthusiasts of any age, and its entertaining attractions will even appeal to those unfamiliar with anime.
Designed by architect Ando Tadao and fashion designer Issey Miyake, this bold glass and concrete building is an architectural attraction in itself, with much of the exhibition space set underground. The museum focuses on the theme of everyday life, offering exhibitions and workshops that highlight fashion, technology, and reimagined ordinary objects. The displays encourage visitors to look at familiar items in new ways and to appreciate the creativity behind items often overlooked.
Located within Shikotsu-Toya National Park on Hokkaido, Lake Toya (Toyako) is a circular caldera lake with remarkably clear waters. It’s a great place for kayaking and boating when weather permits and the area around the lake is known for its abundance of hiking trails, hot springs, and the active volcano, Mt. Usu.
Japan’s elegant tiered castles with solid stone walls rising from a moat are an iconic sight, but there are few remaining today that weren’t rebuilt in the 20th century: Hirosaki Castle is one of them. It’s especially renowned for its spring cherry blossoms, and people come from all over the Tohoku region to witness the annual delight.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (MOT) opened with the mission to research, collect, preserve, and display contemporary art from Japan and around the world. It’s one of the largest modern and contemporary art museums in Japan, with three floors of temporary exhibitions, and two floors housing the MOT Collection exhibitions, with artwork that spans from 1945 to the present day.
Oishi Park is a small landscaped park on the northern shore of Lake Kawaguchi that offers great views of Mt. Fuji—when the weather’s clear. This inviting space is also known for its flowers, including lavender, tulips, and pink moss phlox, depending on the season. The on-site shop sells local berry products and ice cream, there’s a café, and you can pick berries in the summer.
Explore the creative and colorful world of LEGO® at LEGOLAND® Japan Resort, located in Nagoya. With seven different themed areas, over 10,000 LEGO models, and more than 40 attractions, including rides, shows, and interactive experiences, this 23-acre (9-hectare) theme park offers a fun and educational day out for the whole family.
The Mt. Takao Cable Car is actually a funicular railway that transports visitors halfway up the 1,965-foot (599-meter) mountain. Many visitors like to hike up—which takes about 1.5 hours—but the cable car is a quicker, less strenuous alternative. On the way up, you’ll see beautiful forest, and Mt. Takao’s summit affords sweeping views of the mountains of the Meiji no Mori Takao Quasi-National Park.
Experience the ultimate indoor LEGO®adventure at LEGOLAND®Discovery Center Osaka. Located inside Tempozan Marketplace, this interactive LEGO-themed entertainment park lets kids and adults build, explore, learn, and play in a 3,400-square-foot (316-square-meter) space full of games, displays, workshops, rides, and a 4D cinema.
Surrounded by Iriomote’s dense jungle are the Pinaisara Falls, a torrent of water said to resemble an old man’s beard as it gushes down from a height similar to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. For many visitors, though, the real highlight is the trip there, kayaking through mangroves and trekking through jungle to reach the falls.
There are more than 1,300 Sengen shrines in Japan—Shinto shrines dedicated to volcanoes, often Mt. Fuji—but the Fujisan Sengen Shrine (Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha) in Fujinomiya is the most important. In the past it was the traditional starting point for climbing the mountain. Now, the ancient shrine is a beautiful place to wander—whether or not you plan to climb Mt. Fuji.
Tucked away in the forest near the New Furano Prince Hotel, Ningle Terrace features a series of 15 small log cabins where local artisans make and sell their crafts, along with offering hands-on workshops. Connected by a wooden plank trail, this small but charming village is ideal for strolling, shopping, and taking photos.
Itchiku Kubota was a renowned 20th-century textile artist who revived lost kimono-dyeing techniques. This museum in the Mt. Fuji area displays some of his wonderful textile work, and the setting itself is an attraction, with buildings made of wood, limestone, and Okinawan coral, surrounded by beautiful gardens and red pine forest.
Kobe Port Tower—nicknamed “Steel Tower Beauty—is a crimson tower built in an hourglass shape resembling a Japanese hand drum, called a tsuzumi. Situated in the Central District, the tower rises 354 feet (108 meters) above the city, and is known as the symbol of Kobe. Visitors come here for the panoramic sightseeing decks and rotating bar.
Contrary to its ominous name, the Hells of Beppu is one of Japan’s most attractive spots—in fact, it’s a designated Place of Scenic Beauty. The most popular attraction in the onsen town of Beppu, the "hells" (jigoku) are seven bubbling hot springs that reach temperatures of more than 212°F (100°C). For obvious reasons, the only thing visitors soak in here are the views.
Although cat fanatics might be misled by its name, Cat Street Tokyo is all about fashion, not felines. This mostly pedestrianized street runs between Harajuku and Shibuya in central Tokyo, and attracts the “cool cats” of fashion with its trendy boutiques and designer shops. It offers an unpretentious, relaxed, and eclectic shopping experience, without the crowds you expect in Harajuku.
Facing Fukuoka’s port from its location on a narrow peninsula, the Uminonakamichi Seaside Park is a sprawling area that will appeal to families, picnickers, flower enthusiasts, cyclists, and anyone seeking respite from the city. As the park spans 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) from end to end, many visitors like to rent bikes at the entrance and follow the cycle trails.
DiverCity Tokyo Plaza is a shopping and entertainment complex on the artificial island of Odaiba in Tokyo Bay. The mall features a wide range of Japanese and international clothing stores, a large food court, Japanese souvenir shops, and family-friendly attractions. Known for its full-size Gundam statue outside, it’s a great spot to shop, dine, or take a break while exploring Odaiba’s futuristic sights.
Japan’s largest botanical garden, Southeast Botanical Gardens are located on Okinawa Island, the largest in the Okinawan archipelago. Come here to see a wide variety of native and non-native plant life. There are also multiple petting zoos, live bird shows on the weekends, and a tasty on-site restaurant with a wellness-oriented menu called Peace.
On Shizuoka Prefecture’s Izu Peninsula, south of Mt. Fuji, stands the 1,902-foot (580-meter) Mt. Omuro, an extinct volcano. A chairlift leads to the top, where you can walk along a path around its crater for great views of Mt. Fuji, the Japan Alps, and the Izu coastline when the weather’s clear. Archery and paragliding are also offered from the top.
One of Hokkaido’s best-known sightseeing spots, historic Otaru Canal provides a nostalgic glimpse into the days when the region was a hub of trade with Russia and China. Lined with turn-of-the-century brick storehouses that now house shops, cafés, and museums, Otaru Canal is a lovely spot for a stroll.
Pineapples are the protagonists of this quirky Okinawa park near Nago, which celebrates the islands’ beloved tropical fruit and gives visitors the chance to discover it in lots of different ways. Driverless vehicles on tracks, a dinosaur model park, and wacky photo points are among the kid-friendly highlights, while pineapple wine is up for grabs for the grown-ups.
A short trip from central Tokyo, the Railway Museum is a must-do for train enthusiasts and families with kids. The 3-story museum includes everything from 19th-century carriages to contemporary Shinkansen bullet trains. Explore the hands-on exhibits, and try out the steam locomotive simulator.
