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.
Just east of Tokyo you’ll find Mother Farm, an animal- and flower-focused amusement park. Get to know the animals in the petting zoo, or spend the day sheepshearing and horseback riding while enjoying the slower pace and fresh air of the countryside.
Asagiri Food Park, at the foot of Mt. Fuji, highlights the produce and other specialties grown and produced in the Fuji area. The park has a buffet restaurant, a milk factory, a sake (nihonshu) brewery, and a sweet potato shop, among other spots to complete the foodie experience with a view.
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.
Lazona Kawasaki Plaza is a large, modern shopping center connected to the JR Kawasaki train station. It houses more than 300 retail outlets selling Japanese and international brands, plus food options, indoor and outdoor seating, a cinema, a gym, and a grassy outdoor performance plaza.
Give your kids a taste of the tropics in Okinawa, at this small theme park where fruit trees, birds, and butterflies await. Ideal for families with younger children, the mostly covered site offers a route themed around an adventure story, with stamp rewards for correct answers to riddles and mysteries along the way.
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.
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.
On Iriomote Island in Okinawa Prefecture, the 3-tier Maryudo Falls drop 52 feet (16 meters) into the upper Urauchi River. While many of Iriomote’s waterfalls are difficult to reach, Maryudo Falls are easily accessible by boat and on foot. Set in the Iriomote Ishigaki National Park, visiting the falls is a must-do for nature lovers.
Nicolas G. Hayek Center is the 14-storey headquarters and flagship store of the Swatch Group Japan, where you can browse and buy its stylish watches. The building is an architectural wonder in itself, but also has plenty to explore inside, including boutiques dedicated to the group’s luxury watch brands—Omega, Longines, and Swatch. There’s also an exhibition hall and magnificent views from the top floor.
Bird lovers don’t need to leave bird-spotting to chance around Mt. Fuji. The Fuji Kachoen Garden Park is a flower garden and aviary that’s home to a number of owl species and other inhabitants. Stroll through greenhouses bursting with begonias and fuchsia, attend a bird show or feeding, and catch views of Mt. Fuji in clear weather.
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.
The Hakodate Jomon Culture Center offers a fascinating window into Japan’s prehistoric Jomon period, which lasted from 14,000 to 300 BC. The center houses a rich collection of ancient artifacts unearthed during archaeological excavations around Hokkaido, which bring Japan’s ancient history to life. Here, you can learn about the daily lives of some of Japan's earliest inhabitants and their legacy.
The Norn Minakami Ski Resort is a ski field in the mountains of northern Gunma Prefecture. It’s suitable for skiers and snowboarders of all levels, and there’s a separate play area for families. It’s the closest ski resort to Tokyo, so it is a convenient place to experience snow sports close to the capital in the winter.
Once one of the largest silk producers on the planet, Tomioka Silk Mill is a 19th-century Meiji-era government factory and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The mill comprises four sites to watch demonstrations, see live silkworms, and delve deeper into the silk-making process.
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.
The annual Tachineputa Matsuri Festival in Goshogawara City is one of Tohoku’s largest summer festivals, held in early August. If you’re traveling to the region at any other time of year, check out the Tachineputa no Yakata (Tachineputa Museum) instead. The enormous paper tachineputa floats are an impressive sight and an off-the-beaten-path highlight of travel to the Aomori Prefecture.
Also known as the Kakazu Takadai Park or Peace Park, this park in Ginowan marks the site of Kakazu Ridge, in memory of one of the bloodiest sieges of the Battle of Okinawa during World War II. Visitors today will find a peaceful park and picnic spot, with views of the nearby airbase from an observatory on the hill.
Kitami once accounted for 70% of the worldwide mint production. Housed on the grounds of a former mint factory, the Kitami Mint Memorial Museum showcases the history of the mint industry in Hokkaido through videos and old equipment and includes a mint distillery hall where demonstrations and workshops are held.
Located on Mt. Hokusei in Nakafurano, this small flower farm offers a hillside of lavender, marigold, sunflower, and salvia in the summer. The farm also features a chairlift—since it serves as a ski slope in the winter—that visitors can take to the top of the hill for views of the flower fields and the nearby mountains.
Four uninhabited islands in the Seto Inland Sea, collectively known as the Tomogashima Islands, boast a colorful past and an atmospheric setting for exploring off the beaten path. Visitors can wander back in time along hiking trails that lead past old military fortifications backdropped by lush nature.
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.
In Aomori Prefecture’s chilly climate, the steaming waters of volcanic Jigokunuma Pond are quite a contrast, especially when surrounded by fiery red and orange fall leaves. “Jigoku” means hell in Japanese, and travelers with a sensitive nose might agree the sulfur fumes make this an unappealing place. However, it’s naturally beautiful, and you can take a dip in the warm waters.
Across the bay from Kansai Airport, Rinku Park is a lovely waterfront park in the city of Izumisano. It’s a popular place to watch the sunset and see planes taking off and landing, and also offers a marble beach, seaside gardens, flower paths, a traditional arched wooden bridge, an inner sea area, and several sculptures.
Tokyo’s Unko Museum has pulled off the near-impossible: it’s made poop cute. Kawaii culture is a big deal in Japan, and the Unko Museum is a whole space dedicated to the more delightful aspects of poop. Less an educational museum and more an Instagrammable delight, you’ll find photogenic spaces, interactive and arcade games, and more, all in inoffensive pastel hues.
Many rivers near Sapporo on Hokkaido Island are popular for day trips in the summer. While the Barato, a relatively short river on the northern outskirts of Sapporo, offers canoeing, kayaking, and cycling paths along the banks, the best action happens in winter when the river freezes and becomes an ideal spot for a popular local pastime, ice fishing.
Lovers of quirky contemporary art shouldn’t miss the Towada Art Center, devised in the 2000s to revitalize the small, often-overlooked city of Towada in northern Honshu’s Aomori Prefecture. Now, alongside Towada’s mountains, lake, and autumn leaves, the Art Center is one of the provincial city’s star attractions and worth a detour while traveling through Aomori.
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.
Located in Japan’s Tohoku region, Bandai-Asahi National Park is a vast expanse of natural beauty and cultural significance. Known for the Three Sacred Mountains of Dewa (Dewa Sanzan) and volcanic landscapes shaped by Mount Bandai's eruption in 1888, it offers hiking, kayaking, and seasonal snow sports, such as skiing and sledding. You can also explore the area’s rich cultural heritage via hot springs, shrines, and temples.
Odaiba’s Immersive Fort Tokyo is a theme park with a difference: the 10 attractions in one put visitors in the center of the action. Rather than theme park staples like roller coasters and bumper boats, Immersive Fort Tokyo offers visitors the chance to be at the center of a mafia versus spy agent showdown, dodge enemies in an escape room scenario, and more.
