10 Best Places to Visit in Japan

10. Koya-san

cc by Marek Bereza

Mount Koya or Koya-san is the name of mountains in Wakayama Prefecture to the south of Osaka. First settled in 819 by the monk Kūkai, Mt. Kōya is primarily known as the world headquarters of the Kōyasan Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. Located in an 800 m high valley amid the eight peaks of the mountain, the original monastery has grown into the town of Kōya, featuring a university dedicated to religious studies and 120 temples, many of which offer lodging to pilgrims. In 2004, UNESCO designated Mt. Koya as part of a wider World Heritage Site.[wiki]

9. Ishigaki

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Ishigaki is a city in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It includes Ishigaki island and the disputed Senkaku Islands territory. The city is the political, cultural, and economic center of the Yaeyama Islands. Ishigakia's tropical beaches are known for snorkeling, scuba-diving and surfing. Within Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park lies the Shiraho Reef's rare blue coral. In the island's interior are mountains such as 526m-high Mt. Omoto, popular for hiking.

8. Kanazawa

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Kanazawa is the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture, on Japan’s central Honshu. The city boasts many historical attractions such as restored residences and districts, as well as modern museums. But Kanazawa's unchallenged main attraction is Kenrokuen garden, one of Japan's "three best landscape gardens" and by many considered the most beautiful of them all. Adjacent Kanazawa Castle was built in the 1580s, following the defeat of Japan's only Buddhist fiefdom, known as the Peasant’s Kingdom.

7. Hiroshima

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Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. Although many only know it for the horrific split second on August 6, 1945, when it became the site of the world's first atomic bomb attack. To this day, the city’s attractions center around peace: Peace Park, Peace Memorial and Peace Memorial Museum. The city also has attractions that invoke more pleasant thoughts, such as Hiroshima Castle and the sunken garden of Shukkein-en.

6. Kamakura

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Kamakura is a seaside Japanese city just south of Tokyo. The political center of medieval Japan, modern-day Kamakura is a prominent resort town with dozens of Buddhist Zen temples and Shinto shrines. Its most recognizable landmark is the Daibutsu, a huge bronze Buddha statue surrounded by trees, but the town’s ancient Zen temples are equally compelling. Yuigahama Beach on Sagami Bay is a popular surfing spot.

5. Nikko

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Nikko is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. It is a popular destination for Japanese and international tourists. Attractions include the mausoleum of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu and that of his grandson Iemitsu, and the Futarasan Shrine, which dates to the year 767. There are also many famous hot springs (onsen) in the area. The Japanese saying "Never say 'kekkou' until you've seen Nikko"—kekko meaning beautiful, magnificent or "I am satisfied"—is a reflection of the beauty and sites in Nikko.[wiki]

4. Nara

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Nara is the capital city of Nara Prefecture located in the Kansai region of Japan. Overshadowed by its more famous neighbor Kyoto, Nara is omitted from many a time-pressed tourist's itinerary. However, Nara is home to many important scenic and historical sites, and today preserves its main sights much more attractively than Kyoto within Nara Park and neighborhoods like Naramachi. Visitors especially like Todaiji Temple with its cantilevered buildings, manicured lawns and deer strolling the grounds.

3. Takayama

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Takayama, sometimes called Hida-Takayama, is a city near the northern Japan Alps of Gifu prefecture, in the Chubu region of Japan. Takayama is well known for having one of the best-preserved old towns in Japan. The prettiest section of the old city is called Sanmachi. It consists of three narrow lanes packed with wooden buildings housing sake breweries and little boutiques. The city is famed for its biannual Takayama Festival, going back to at least the mid-1600s, celebrating spring and fall with parades featuring ornate.

2. Kyoto

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Kyoto is a city located in the central part of the island of Honshu, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million, formerly the Imperial capital of Japan for more than 1000 years. The city is known with thousands of classical Buddhist temples, imperial palaces, Shinto shrines and traditional wooden houses. It’s also known for its lovely gardens and the Gion Matsuri festival, a July celebration that is considered one of the best in Japan.

1. Tokyo

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Tokyo is the capital of Japan, mixes the ultramodern and the traditional, from neon-lit skyscrapers and anime shops to cherry trees and temples. The opulent Meiji Shinto Shrine is known for its towering gate and surrounding forests. The Imperial Palace sits amid sprawling public gardens. Just walking the streets of this hyperactive city can be an energizing experience. When Tokyo’s pace gets too frenetic, visitors recommend unwinding at the beautiful Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.