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Plan language: EnglishMost popular attractions in Japan
Things to do in Japan range from wandering through the thousands of vermilion torii gates at Fushimi Inari Taisha to marveling at the shimmering gold leaf of Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto. In Tokyo, Senso-ji offers a rich glimpse into historic Asakusa, while the Tokyo Skytree provides sweeping city views from 634 meters above the ground.
1. Fushimi Inari Taisha
Kyoto
Iconic vermilion torii gate rises from the sea at high tide, combining Shinto style with the changing tides. Walk shrine boardwalks, watch the tide shift, and meet gentle island deer.
Quick facts: Morning fog softens the vermilion glow as a tunnel of thousands of torii gates guides you up winding steps, while dozens of stone foxes watch from mossy niches. Generous donations from businesses and families have created over 10,000 inscribed gates, turning the climb into a patchwork of names, prayers, and surprisingly personal messages.
Highlights: Walk through a narrow, tunnel-like corridor of over 5,000 vermilion torii gates, their lacquered wood shining in the sun while the air carries a faint scent of incense and old cedar. Notice that each gate bears a donor's name and year etched into it along the roughly 4-kilometer trail. Between the gates, you'll find hundreds of stone fox statues wearing red bibs, some holding tiny keys in their mouths. Locals quietly leave rice and sake at the smallest altars, a tradition believed to keep the mountain's good fortune flowing.
2. Kinkaku-ji / Golden Pavilion
Kyoto
See a golden pavilion shining over a calm, reflective pond. Enjoy picture-perfect reflections and peaceful garden strolls.
Quick facts: A copper phoenix perches on the roof, catching sunlight and casting tiny golden flashes across the pond. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu commissioned the original retirement villa, and the current structure dates from a 1955 reconstruction after a 1950 arson.
Highlights: The top two floors are covered in gold leaf and topped by a gilded phoenix, the gleam shifting with every ripple on the pond. A notorious 1950 arson by a novice monk led to a dramatic 1955 rebuild, a story visitors still hear while wandering the gardens.
3. Senso-ji (Asakusa, Tokyo)
Tokyo
Famous lanterns and lively market stalls attract visitors. Expect striking photos, tasty snacks, and the scent of incense.
Quick facts: A giant crimson lantern hangs beneath the main gate, creating a photogenic focal point that draws locals and visitors alike. Waves of sweet, woody incense smoke drift over the courtyard as people fan it toward aching limbs, while a lively market street offers piping-hot rice crackers and souvenirs.
Highlights: A 3.9-meter red paper lantern weighing about 700 kilograms hangs above the entrance, making for dramatic photos that dwarf people standing beneath it. Crowds gather around a steaming incense cauldron, fanning the smoke toward themselves because many believe it brings health and good fortune, filling the air with a cinnamon-like aroma.
Have you heard of free walking tours?
After traveling to 30+ countries, there's one thing I wish someone had told me from day one, and it completely changed how I experience new cities.
Free walking tours. Yes, actually free. No credit card needed. No catch.
Local guide, 2-3 hours
Major sights, hidden gems, local stories
100% tip-based
Guides earn only tips, so they give their absolute best
You tip what feels right
At the end, just tip whatever you feel is right
I've done these in dozens of cities and they've been the highlight of almost every trip. If you're visiting Japan, do this on your first day. You'll thank me later.
4. Tokyo Skytree (Sumida, Tokyo)
Tokyo
Unmatched skyline views from towering heights. Glass floors, broad vistas, and captivating LED displays.
Quick facts: Rising to 634 meters, the structure is among the tallest freestanding towers on Earth and offers views across the city for miles. Glass-floor sections, two observation decks, and a museum-like base make visiting a layered experience rather than just a simple elevator ride.
Highlights: A playful numeric secret is hidden in the height: 6-3-4 spells 'mu-sa-shi' in Japanese, a deliberate nod to the historic Musashi province. At night, a lighting system with more than 1,000 LEDs cycles through themed palettes, turning the silhouette into color stories you can both see and feel from nearby river promenades.
5. Mount Fuji (Fujinomiya/Hakone)
Fujinomiya
Spectacular sunrise and vast views. Hike or take the viewpoint to see golden light spill across a sea of clouds.
Quick facts: A near-perfect volcanic cone rises to 3,776 meters, often visible from cities on clear days. Five mirror-like foothill lakes and dozens of mountain shrines sit around its base, attracting photographers and pilgrims alike.
Highlights: At 3,776 meters, the summit’s broad crater rim frames sunrise panoramas that flood the slopes with gold and shadow. Pilgrims still pause at fifth-station shrines to leave small wooden plaques and ring bells, a tactile ritual that fills the pre-dawn darkness with low metallic notes.
6. Itsukushima Shrine (Miyajima, Hatsukaichi)
Hatsukaichi
See a torii gate rising from the sea at high tide. At low tide, walk out for reflections and live Heian court music.
Quick facts: Tides turn the approach into a watery stage twice daily, making the torii seem to float at high tide and walkable at low tide. A UNESCO World Heritage site with vermilion-lacquered halls perched on cedar stilts, the complex still echoes with ritual boat processions and shrine music.
Highlights: At high tide, the main torii standing about 16 meters tall seems to hover like a framed painting over the bay, glowing orange at sunset. Locals continue to celebrate Kangen-sai, a Heian-period boat music festival where lacquered boats carry gagaku musicians under lantern light.
7. Himeji Castle
Himeji
A tall white fortress with rooftop views that make the climb worthwhile. Explore narrow wooden halls and ascend to scenic lookout spots.
Quick facts: White plaster walls and layered roofs catch the light, giving the complex a paper-crane silhouette that sailors used as a coastal landmark. Visitors often comment on the labyrinthine defensive layout, where steep wooden stairs and narrow corridors were designed to slow and confuse intruders.
Highlights: Climb to the main keep and you reach roughly 46 meters above ground, where narrow arrow slits frame a surprising 360-degree panorama of fields and distant mountains. Local guides enjoy pointing out acoustic tricks, small trap doors, and angled corridors that make footsteps echo unexpectedly, a deliberate defensive theatre from the past.
8. Nara Park & Todai-ji
Nara
Sacred temple and tame deer create a magical walk. Meet bowing deer, see a giant seated Buddha, and stroll tranquil courtyards.
Quick facts: You can walk among friendly, freely roaming deer that bow for treats, creating unexpectedly playful photo moments. A massive bronze Buddha statue fills the main hall, its calm gaze dwarfing visitors and echoing footsteps.
Highlights: More than 1,200 tame deer roam the grounds, vendors sell deer crackers for around 150 yen, and some deer bow before accepting a snack. Inside the main hall, a seated bronze Buddha stands about 15 meters tall. The cavernous wooden hall amplifies footsteps and the deep tolls of the bell during ceremonies.
9. Osaka Castle
Osaka
Stunning skyline views and rich gold details make it unforgettable. Explore museum floors then spot cherry blossoms from above.
Quick facts: A dramatic white-and-gold keep towers above a massive stone moat, blending showy samurai-era decoration with a modern museum inside. Visitors can take an elevator to multiple exhibit floors, then climb to an observation deck for sweeping city views.
Highlights: Head to the 8th-floor observation deck for a 360-degree view that combines historic castle grounds, glass towers, and wide rivers, a skyline photographers cherish. Spot two golden shachihoko roof ornaments gleaming in the sun, a quirky emblem locals highlight on guided tours.
10. Shirakawa-go (Ogimachi, Gifu)
Gifu
Distinctive group of steep thatched roofs, like from a postcard. Wander narrow streets, climb the hill viewpoint, and sample hearty mountain food.
Quick facts: A mountain village where steep thatched roofs rise like hands in prayer, creating an unforgettable silhouette. Seasonal rice-drying poles and smoking chimneys keep everyday life visible between tourist paths.
Highlights: Gassho-style roofs tilt at about 60 degrees so heavy snow slides off, producing dramatic triangular profiles against the sky. From the main hillside observatory, you can count around 100 thatched roofs clustered in the valley, often dusted with snow for a storybook scene.
11. teamLab Borderless
A dazzling space of light and sound that makes you part of the art. Explore glowing rooms where motion, color, and sound react to your every move.
Quick facts: Step into rooms where projections flow across walls, floors, and visitors, so art never feels static. Over fifty installations react to touch and motion, turning you from spectator into participant.
Highlights: Lights cluster into a 'Forest of Resonating Lamps' where hundreds of suspended LED orbs glow and respond to nearby movement, creating wave-like color trails underfoot. A mirrored 'Crystal Universe' surrounds you with tens of thousands of tiny lights, where sound and vibration rearrange patterns so each visit feels unique.
12. Kappabashi Street
Discover a unique market for restaurant tools. See lifelike food models, pro chef knives, and vintage tableware.
Quick facts: A narrow shopping street specializes in restaurant tools and tableware, where chefs and cafe owners buy everything from ladles to professional knives. Rows of shops sell hyper-realistic plastic food displays and gleaming copper pots, blending craft, commerce, and color in a surreal way.
Highlights: About 170 specialized shops line the street, including ateliers that hand-paint life-size plastic noodle bowls and stores selling chef knives that can cost thousands of yen. Warm shop lights reflect off glossy faux-food samples, creating miniature scenes that look edible from afar, an oddly tactile display many visitors do not expect.
Where to Stay in Japan
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Traditional Sweet Dishes
Mochi
Mochi is made by pounding glutinous rice until it becomes a smooth, elastic mass, and the communal mochitsuki ceremony at New Year brings neighbors together to pound and shape it.
Wagashi
Wagashi are delicate confections crafted to reflect the season, their designs often mimic flowers, leaves and landscapes to complement tea ceremonies and moments of mindfulness.
Dorayaki
Dorayaki pairs two fluffy pancakes with sweet red bean paste, and its name 'dora' means gong after a legend that batter was once cooked on a discarded gong.
Traditional Savory Dishes
Sushi
Sushi began as a method to preserve fish in fermented rice, and the hand-pressed nigiri style was invented in Edo in the early 19th century as fast street food.
Ramen
Ramen arrived from China and evolved into dozens of regional broths and noodle styles, and slurping loudly is both polite and helps bring the aroma to your nose.
Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki literally means 'grill what you like', it is a customizable savory pancake that people often cook together on communal griddles in Osaka and Hiroshima.
Traditional Beverages
Green tea
Green tea, especially powdered matcha used in tea ceremonies, contains L-theanine and caffeine that together promote calm alertness, and it became central to Zen practices.
Sake
Sake is brewed with koji mold that converts rice starch into sugar, and it has been used in Shinto rituals for centuries as a sacred offering and celebratory drink.
Shochu
Shochu is a distilled spirit often around 25 percent alcohol by volume, and it can be made from ingredients like sweet potato, barley or rice giving each region a distinctive flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions about Japan
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Most popular day trips
Hakone
Hot springs, views of Mt. Fuji and lake cruises.
Kamakura
Historic temples, Great Buddha and coastal walks.
Yokohama
Large port city, Chinatown, Minato Mirai area.
Getting there
Airports
Train stations
Tokaido Shinkansen, JR lines, local metro connections
Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen, JR lines
JR lines, Odakyu, Keio, multiple metro lines
Use Narita Express/Keisei Skyliner from Narita, Tokyo Monorail/Keikyu from Haneda; get a Suica/PASMO IC card.
Click to get eSim for Japan
The easiest and most affordable way to get mobile internet wherever you travel.
Visa & entry
EU/Schengen countries, USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico
Many African countries, some South Asian countries (e.g., India, Pakistan), and some Middle Eastern countries typically require visas
Check the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs or local embassy for your nationality; rules change and some stays vary.
Comments (13)
Weather flips fast, one day bright and warm, next day raining. Layers and quick-dry clothes made a huge difference for me.
Grab a Suica or Pasmo at the airport, tap on trains and buses, it even works at konbini. Saves time and stops you fumbling for coins.
Tokyo exceeded expectations, trains are spotless and punctual, street food is unreal, but expect crowds and tiny hotel rooms.
I loved the food, sushi every day felt worth it. Trains get packed on weekends though, plan mornings for markets and quieter strolls.
Grab a Suica or Pasmo at the airport, top it up. It saves time, works on buses, trains and at konbini, and avoids endless ticket machines.