Attractions of Japan

Tokyo is one of the most modern, energetic and exciting cities in the world and yet still retains certain aspects of traditional Japanese culture. A huge metropolis, it's estimated that one-quarter of Japan's population live within 50km of the city centre. The Imperial Palace, home of the Emperor, is in the centre of town but is closed to visitors. However you can glimpse the Nijubashi (double bridge), moat and some of the palace buildings through the trees. Senso-ji Temple, in Asakusa, and the Meiji Shrine are examples of Japanese religious buildings that attract many pilgrims. Shopping is one of the major pastimes in Tokyo - Ueno Ameyoko Street is a traditional Tokyo street market while the department stores of Ginza sell all the latest fashions and electronic goods. At night, you can catch some traditional Kabuki theatre or check out the clubbing region of Shinjuku.

Located north-west of Tokyo, the giant cedar and cypress forests of Nikko have long been a scared site for both Buddhism and Shintoism. The main attraction here are the 17th century shrines and tombs of the Tokugawa shoguns. The Toshogu Shrine is the most opulent temple, housing the mausoleum of the great shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa, as well as the famous ‘three monkeys’ carving that expresses the Zen maxim to 'see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil'. The surrounding countryside is beautiful and perfect for exploring on foot, including the Chuzenji Lake, Kegon-no-taki waterfalls and the Senjogahara plateau.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Shrines and Temples of Nikko

Hakone National Park has a number of interesting features on the so-called Hakone Circuit which can be reached by funicular railway, cable car, lake steamer and train. The hot, bubbling sulphur springs at Owakudani are supposedly beneficial to your health and offer superb views of Mount Fuji. There are also hiking trails along the old shogun Tokaido highway, used to travel between the feudal court in Tokyo and regional centres. Other attractions include an open-air museum of modern sculpture and a cruise on the magnificent Lake Ashi.

Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776 metres and its almost perfect volcanic cone makes it one of the most recognised and photographed peaks in the world. The mountain is divided into ten stations and a climb to the top usually begins at Station 5 at approximately 2,400 metres. The trek to the summit takes about 6 hours but can be broken up to ensure you reach there for a spectacular sunrise. The summit is actually a circular crater rim and has a shrine, weather station, post office, and 24hr noodle bar! Mount Fuji is only open for climbing in July and August.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration

Mount Yarigatake is Japan's fifth highest mountain at 3,180 metres and was dubbed the Japanese Matterhorn by English climber Walter Weston who first summited the peak in 1891. From a base at Kamikochi (1500m) in the Chubu Sangaku National Park, the climb is initially through alpine meadows and forests before a steeper climb over boulders and rocks to the summit. On a clear day, there are spectacular views of the nearby mountains.

Matsumoto Castle was built in the early 16th century and is one of the best preserved medieval castles in Japan (many were destroyed following the Meiji Restoration). Known as Crow Castle due to its black colour, it has an imposing six story donjon.

The spa town of Yudanaka is famous for the Jigokudani Onsen or ‘Snow Monkey Park’, where Japanese macaque monkeys descend from the hills to soak and play in the hot baths. There are also spots for human bathing as well as good hikes in the surrounding countryside.

The Nakasendo Way was a trading route between Kyoto and Edo (now Tokyo) used during the Edo period between 1603 and 1868. Some of the sections and staging posts have been preserved today, in particular the section in the Kiso Valley between the villages of Magome and Tsumago which retain a medieval quality and traditional atmosphere.

The historic villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama are examples of a traditional way of life that adapted to the environment and economic circumstances. The villages are characterised by the Gassho-style houses which have steeply pitched thatched roofs to withstand heavy snowfalls and were built to accommodate mulberry leaves and silkworm beds that formed the basis of the villages' economy.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama

Nestled in the Japanese Alps, Takayama is a charming and atmospheric old town that is home to many old wooden houses and temples designed to withstand the harsh climate and terrain. Known as 'Little Kyoto', the town is ideal for exploring on foot, including the medieval-like streets of Sannomachi with its many wooden built shops, restaurants and sake breweries and the daily market along the banks of the Miyagawa River. Outside the town lies the Hida Folk Village, an outdoor museum of traditional Japanese architecture set in landscaped gardens.

Kyoto was the capital of Japan from its founding in AD 794 until the mid-19th century. As the centre of Japanese culture for more than 1,000 years and the only major city to escape bombing in the Second World War, Kyoto is Japan's cultural and historical gem, home to over 2,000 temples, shrines and gardens. There are countless attractions in the city which could take weeks to explore. Among those is the imposing Nijo castle, built in 1603 as a palace for the Tokugawa shoguns. Kinkaku-ji Temple, known as the Golden Pavilion, is one of the most recognisable landmarks in Kyoto, much of it covered in gold foil. The temple at Ryoan-ji is noted for its beautiful Zen gardens. The 'Path of Philosophy' along the eastern hills incorporates Ginkaku-ji (the Temple of the Silver Pavilion), Nanzen-ji Temple and Kiyamizu-dera (Temple of Clear Water), the latter with a superb location atop a hill. Elsewhere the Gion Geisha district, made famous in the novel 'Memoirs of a Geisha', has numerous teahouses and restaurants.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)

Nara was once a great city and the 8th century capital of China. The city included a huge palace complex as well as numerous Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, many of which have survived intact today. The Todai-ji Great Buddha temple was built in 752 and houses a huge bronze Buddha in the largest wooden structure in the world. Other notable buildings are the Kofuku-ji temple and the Kasuga-Taisha shrine.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara

Himeji Castle, known as the White Egret's Castle, is one of the most attractive and spectacular medieval castles in Japan, one of the few that has survived from the early Shogun period. Constructed between the 14th and 17th centuries, the complex comprises 83 buildings set on a low hill which makes it visible throughout the city. It is noted for its white plastered walls and ingenious defence and protection systems. The castle featured in the James Bond movie, ‘You Only Live Twice’.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Himeji-jo

The Buddhist monuments of Horyu-Ji date back to the 7th and 8th centuries, shortly after Buddhism's introduction to Japan in the mid-6th century. The 48 monuments are some of the oldest surviving wooden buildings in the world and the earliest Buddhist structures in Japan. These masterpieces of wooden architecture illustrate the adaptation of Chinese Buddhist architecture and layout to Japanese culture and had a big influence on future Japanese religious buildings.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area

Set in stunning scenery of mountains and dense forests, the scared sites of the Kii mountains - Koya San, Yoshino and Omine and Kumano Sanzan, are ancient sites home to numerous shrines reflecting the fusion of Shinto and Buddhism. The main monastery at Koya San is the centre of the Shingon school of Esoteric Buddhism which was founded in AD 816 by Kobo Daishi, Japan's most revered religious figure. His mausoleum is the most famous tomb of the Okunoin cemetery on Mount Koya, where it is believed he is in a state of catatonic meditation within the mausoleum lying in wait for the future Buddha Maitreya. The ancient Saiganto-ji Shrine of the Kumano sect is located along the cedar-lined Daimonzaka trail and overlooks the thundering wonder of Nachi Waterfall. It has attracted pilgrims here since the 10th century.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range

On August 6th, 1945, the city of Hiroshima became the site of the first atom bomb to be used in wartime, almost completely destroying the city. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome), located only 150 metres from the hypocentre of the explosion, was one of the few buildings not completely flattened. The skeletal remains of concrete and steel have been preserved in the Peace Memorial Park, as a reminder of the destruction and a hope for the elimination of nuclear weapons. The park contains a memorial with the names of all the victims of the bombing and a flame that will only be extinguished when the last nuclear weapon on earth is destroyed.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome)

Itsukushima or Miyajima Island is one of the most scenic places in Japan and has been a holy place of Shintoism for centuries. Itsukushima is famous for its huge scarlet gate or torii that rises out of the waters of the bay. The present shrine on the island dates back to the 12th century and illustrates the Japanese concept of scenic beauty, which combines nature and human creativity. The island is dominated by Mount Misen, which can be climbed on foot or by cable car. The summit has magnificent views over western Honshu and the island-studded Inland Sea as well as a colony of wild monkeys.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Itsukushima Shinto Shrine

The Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine is located in the south-west of Honshu Island and includes the archaeological remains of large scale mining, smelting and refining sites and associated settlements between the 16th and 20th centuries. Japan accounted for one-third of the world's production of silver in the 17th century which contributed to the economic development of Japan and south-east Asia.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape

The port city of Nagasaki was the main trade point between Japan and Portugal in the 16th century but after Japan entered its period of self-imposed isolation, the small Dutch trading mission in the city's harbour became Japan's only contact with the outside world for almost 200 years. Nagasaki retains many features of the Dutch port, in addition to reconstructions of 18th century buildings. Other attractions in the city include the Glover Gardens and Mount Inasa which provide great views of the city and harbour and Nagasaki's Chinatown, the largest in Japan. Nagasaki also has a memorial Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum commemorating the destruction of August 9th, 1945.

The mountain and forests of Yakushima are located on Yaku island at the northern end of the Ryukyu archipelago in southern Japan. The area has a rich fauna with almost recognised 2,000 species, the most notable of which are Japanese cedar trees which can live for thousands of years - these are known as Yakusugi and are regarded as sacred trees.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Yakushima

Shirakami-Sanchi is located in northern Honshu and covers one-third of the Shirakami Mountains. The area includes the last virgin remains of the cool-temperate forest of Siebold's beech trees that once covered the hills and mountain slopes of northern Japan. The area is home to some 87 bird species including the golden eagle, Hodgson's hawk eagle and black woodpecker, as well as the Japanese black bear. The forest has no trails or man-made facilities so is almost completely undisturbed.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Shirakami-Sanchi

Shiretoko Peninsula is located in the northeast of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, and is an important marine and terrestrial ecosystem for a number of endemic and endangered species.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Shiretoko

The Ryukyu Islands were a centre of economic and cultural exchange between Japan and Korea, China and southeast Asia between the 12th and 17th centuries. The islands contain the ruins of castles known as gusuku and sacred sites that are testament to this culture.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu

Japan's Bullet Trains have been connecting its major cities since 1964 with an ultra high speed service that ranks as one of the world's best rail journeys. Known in Japan as the Shinkansen, the most famous route is the Tokaido line which connects the capital of Tokyo with the ancient city of Kyoto, the spiritual heart of Japan, via the cities of Yokohama and Nagoya. Travelling at speeds up to 274km per hour, the whole journey of 515km is made in as little as two and a quarter hours on the fastest service. Contrasting with the futuristic rail technology is the spectacular natural scenery that can be viewed on route, including the snow-capped peak of Mount Fuji and the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, the paddy fields and woodlands of the Nobi Plain and the coastline of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest freshwater lake. The natural landscapes are enhanced in March and April during the cherry blossom bloom. There are three types of trains on this line - the Nozomi stops only at the major stations, the Hikari stops at some intermediate stations whilst the Kodama is the all-stop service, and you can choose between the ordinary and premium (green) classes.

The temples and gardens of Hiraizumi were built in the 11th and 12th centuries when it was the administrative centre of the northern realm of Japan. The five sites, which include the sacred Mount Kinkeisan are based on the cosmology of Pure Land Buddhism, which spread to Japan in the 8th century. This philosophy, unique to Japan, combined Buddhist beliefs and concepts with indigenous Japanese nature worship and Shintoism.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land

The Ogasawara Islands of Japan comprise more than 30 islands which are home to a range of endemic and endangered species. These include the Bonin Flying Fox, a critically endangered bat, and 195 endangered bird species. In addition there are over 400 endemic plant species on the islands while the surrounding waters support numerous species of fish, cetaceans and corals.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Ogasawara Islands