Japan attractions

Along with Mt. Rokko in Kobe and Mt. Inasa in Nagasaki City, Mt. Hakodate is known for offering one of the three best night views in Japan. Ride the ropeway to the top of the mountain, take in Hakodate’s twinkling city lights and the ocean on either side, and you’ll quickly understand why.

Nothing says tropical paradise quite like this tiny, secluded island in Okinawa, located just north of Iriomote. It’s just over a ½ mile (1 kilometer) wide, meaning the area can be explored in about an hour. Gentle, turquoise waves lap white-sand beaches, famous for their abundant coral life and shore snorkeling. The island is only home to about 60 residents and simple guesthouses for anyone seeking a few days of peace and quiet.

Part of the Akan-Mashu National Park, Lake Akan is a caldera lake and home to four islands. Surrounded by two active volcanoes and hot springs, the lake is known for its beautiful scenery, unique marimo algae ecosystem, various outdoor recreation opportunities, and a large settlement of indigenous Ainu people.

Situated in Maiko Park, on the mainland side of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the Maiko Marine Promenade allows you to get a closer view of one of the world’s longest suspension bridges. Head to the observation lounge for great views of the bridge and the Akashi Straight below.

Located in northeast Hokkaido, Abashiri Prison Museum is the only prison museum in Japan. Visitors can get a glimpse of the life of prisoners and learn about their contribution to the development of Hokkaido at this open-air museum, which has more than a dozen structures, including original buildings from the Meiji era built by the inmates.

Komezuka is a volcanic cone within the border caldera of Mt. Aso, in central Kyushu’s Kumamoto Prefecture. Bright green with grass in the summer and sprinkled with snow in the winter, Komezuka is often called a kawaii, or cute, volcano for its symmetrical cone that rises from surrounding grasslands. You can’t climb it, but it’s a popular subject of photography.

Dating back to the 18th century, Kinshi Masamune Horino Memorial Museum is a historic sake-brewing house located within a well-preserved machiya, a traditional wooden townhouse that exemplifies the architecture of Old Kyoto. Visitors get a glimpse of how sake was fermented and bottled centuries ago, as well as the minimalist elegance of the machiya’s latticed interior.

Japan is famous for both its warrior history and its finely made crafts, and the two things can be seen side by side at the Japanese Sword Museum (Token Hakubutsukan), in Tokyo’s Ryogoku area. Displaying swords, mountings, armor, samurai costumes, and other metalwork, and focusing on these as art objects, this specialist museum is fascinating for visitors who are interested in Japanese culture and history.

Covering most of the Shiretoko peninsula at the northeastern tip of Hokkaido, Shiretoko National Park is a remote and pristine UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its rugged volcanic landscape comprises mountains, ocean, rivers, and forest, and teems with wildlife including Japan’s largest brown bear population.

Marked by its modern steel and concrete gate and imposing guardian statues, the temple of Isshin-ji dates back to 1185 when it was founded by Honen, the founder of the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism. The temple is best known for its “Bone Buddha” statue, made from the cremated remains of some 200,000 Osaka residents.

Spreading out along the western foothills of Mt. Fuji, the Asagiri Plateau is known for its green dairy pastures, with the volcano looming near in the background. It’s a great place to enjoy Fuji views when the weather’s clear, and you can also try paragliding or stop to sample local goods at Asagiri Food Park.

Hakone’s Little Prince Museum is a fun destination for kids and all fans of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic storybook from the 1940s. The museum includes a reproduction of a French village, gardens, and displays relating to the French author’s life and work, as well as a good French restaurant and a gift shop.

Naval vessels of all shapes and sizes are moored up at the Kitasui Pier in Maizuru on the Sea of Japan coast. An important base for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, the area is a great place to see and photograph the different warships and supply ships, and observe all the work that goes into maintaining them.

Most visitors to Japan have likely tried some coffee from the Ueshima Coffee Company (UCC), renowned for having introduced the world’s first canned coffee. At the UCC Coffee Museum, you can immerse yourself in coffee culture, learn about how coffee is made, and experience it with all five senses.

An amusement park in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture, Laguna Ten Bosch (also called Lagunasia) has plenty of attractions to keep kids and adults happy. Come for the day or stay overnight at the on-site hotel and enjoy the park’s indoor and outdoor rides, water rides, shows, nighttime illumination, fireworks displays, and even a spa.

Hello Kitty fans should make a beeline for Harmony Land, a colorful theme park focused on the Sanrio character. Visitors can meet Hello Kitty, My Melody, Cinnamoroll, and all their favorite characters, watch live performances, go on fairground rides, and see the inside of Hello Kitty’s house at this small-scale park that’s great for young kids.

Considered one of the most stunning beaches in the Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa (and that’s saying something—competition here is stiff), Kondoi Beach is famed for its sugar-white sands and shallow, crystal-clear turquoise waters. It’s located on the western coast of Taketomi Island, which is easily reachable by a 15-minute ferry from Ishigaki. It’s an excellent spot for swimming and snorkeling, although there’s no reef here, only soft sands.

Take in some of the best views over the Shimanami Kado expressway from Kirosan Observatory Park on Oshima Island. Located on Mt. Kirosan, the observatory was designed by Japanese starchitect Kengo Kuma to blend into its surroundings. It looks across the islands of the Seto Inland Sea and the bridges that connect them.

Founded in 1924, Toyo Bunko is one of the five largest Asian studies research libraries in the world, and it's the oldest and the largest institution in Japan. The museum was opened to spark interest in the region's history and culture and has contributed to Asian studies through the acquisition of books and other materials.

Transport yourself back to prehistoric Okinawa on a walk through this subtropical forest with limestone caves. Due to ongoing excavations at the Valley of Gangala, the only way to visit is via an official guided tour. These cover a stop at the valley’s century-old banyan tree, and teach about the traces of Okinawa’s prehistoric Minatogawa people that have been found at the site.

Spanning the Jogakura Stream in Aomori Prefecture’s Towada-Hachimantai National Park, the 1,181-foot (360-meter) Jogakura Bridge is Japan’s longest arch bridge. As well as the impressive engineering, visitors come to admire the spectacular views across the Hakkoda Mountains and Mt. Iwaki. The views are especially impressive in fall, when the foliage turns red and orange.

Visitors to Tokyo are spoiled for choice when it comes to fine art museums, but the Japanese Folk Crafts Museum is the place to come to learn about the ordinary crafts that have been interwoven with Japanese daily life for centuries. The museum holds around 17,000 craft artifacts from all around Japan, as well as the Korean Peninsula, China, and Taiwan.

The Prefecture Government Sakishima Building (aka the Cosmo Tower) rises 840 feet (256 meters) above the streets of Osaka, home to trade offices linking cities around the globe. Glass elevators take visitors to an observatory on the 55th floor, where the 360-degree views extend as far as Awaji Island and the Rokko Mountains.

Established in 1960 to house the art collection of Japanese businessman Keita Gotoh, the Gotoh Museum is known for its traditional Japanese and East Asian art. Gotoh was especially interested in the culture and history of ancient Nara, and some of the museum’s treasures include ancient sutras, Zen calligraphy, and scrolls of the Japanese literary classic The Tale of Genji.

Yebisu Beer is a popular Japanese lager that’s been brewed since the late 19th century, and you can take a behind-the-scenes tour at this museum, which includes a brewery area, a taproom, and a gift shop. While the more extensive tours are only conducted in Japanese, there are short options for English speakers.

Namjatown is an indoor theme park on the second floor of the Sunshine City shopping complex in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. The park is operated by Namco, the creator of Pac-Man and many other arcade games. Stop by to experience themed dining, carnival-style games, a haunted house, and a line of character mascots exclusive to the park.

The finest ceramics from Japan, China, and Korea are gathered under one roof at Osaka’s Museum of Oriental Ceramics, which houses one of the best collections in the world. Of the 6,000 pieces, about 300 sit on display at any given time; highlights include two registered National Treasures from Japan.

It’s fitting that Tokyo’s Ushijima Shrine (Ushijima Jinja) is named after the proverbially strong ox (ushi in Japanese), as it has survived major earthquakes and war. Established in the ninth century, it’s one of Tokyo’s oldest surviving shrines and is said to protect residents on the Sumida River’s east bank, just as the more famous—and older—Senso-ji Temple protects those on the west.

The Chitose River (Chitose Gawa) in Hokkaido—Japan's second largest island—flows from Lake Shikotsu through the center of the city of Chitose and past Ebetsu before eventually joining the Ishikari River northeast of Sapporo. For travelers visiting Sapporo, the river and its surroundings offer the opportunity to get out of town and go biking, fishing, hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, or canoeing in the summer, and skiing or snowshoeing in the winter.

Around 30 miles (50 kilometers) outside of central Tokyo, the Natural History Museum and Institute, Chiba is dedicated to the natural and human history of Chiba province. The museum has a large collection of geological finds from the region as well as dioramas showing the flora and fauna of the area.