Japan
Top Sights
1. Kyoto
Kyoto is the essence of Japan and the cultural and historical heart of the country. It’s the best place in all Japan to experience traditional temples, shrines, gardens, geisha, shops, restaurants and festivals. In 794, Kyoto was chosen as the seat of Japan's imperial court. The Emperors of Japan ruled from Kyoto in the following eleven centuries until 1869, when the court relocated to Tokyo.
2. Mount Fuji
Japan’s tallest peak at 3,776 m, the iconic Mount Fuji is a dormant volcano 100 kilometers from Tokyo. Commonly called “Fuji-san,” it is has been a pilgrimage site for centuries
3. Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan’s busy capital, mixes the ultramodern and the traditional, from neon-lit skyscrapers to historic temples. The opulent Meiji Shinto Shrine is known for its towering gate and surrounding woods. The Imperial Palace sits amid large public gardens. The city's many museums offer exhibits ranging from classical art (in the Tokyo National Museum) to a reconstructed kabuki theater (in the Edo-Tokyo Museum).
4. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is a memorial park in the center of Hiroshima, Japan. It is dedicated to the legacy of Hiroshima as the first city in the world to suffer a nuclear attack, and to the memories of the bomb's direct and indirect victims.
5. Itsukushima Shrine
Itsukushima Shrine is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima, best known for its "floating" torii gate. It is in the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan.
6. Nara
The city of Nara has significant temples and artwork dating to the 8th century, when it was Japan’s capital. Deer roam in Nara Park, site of Tōdai-ji temple. Daibutsu, Tōdai-ji's 15m-high bronze Buddha, is displayed in a large wooden hall. On the park's east side is the Shinto shrine Kasuga Taisha, which dates to 768 A.D. and more than 3,000 lanterns.
7. Osaka Castle
Osaka Castle is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and it played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.
8. Northern Japan Alps
A volcanic mountain range that includes several 3000 meter high peaks and breathtaking hiking, similar to the european alps. They bisect the main island of Honshu
9. Nagoya, Atsuta Shrine
Atsuta Shrine is a Shinto shrine traditionally believed to have been established during the reign of Emperor Keikō located in Atsuta-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture in Japan. The shrine is familiarly known as Atsuta-Sama or simply as Miya. It's the most visited Shinto shrine in Japan
10. Fukuoka Castle
The ruins of Fukuoka Castle are located in Maizuru Park at city of Fukuoka. The park along with neighboring Ohori Park hosts a boating lake, traditional Japanese gardens, the excavated Korokan, the guesthouse for visiting foreign dignitaries in the Heian Period, and numerous sports facilities and an art museum.
11. Nikko Tosho-gu Shrine
Nikkō Tōshō-gū is a Tōshō-gū Shinto shrine located in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture. Together with Futarasan Shrine and Rinnō-ji, it forms the Shrines and Temples of Nikkō UNESCO World Heritage Site, with 42 structures of the shrine included in the nomination
12. Himeji Castle
Samurai fortress built in the beginning of the 17th century when Japan's unique castle architectural techniques had reached their peak, Himeji Castle was the first in Japan to be registered as a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage in 1993 as well as designated as a National Treasure in 1951. It is called "Hakuro-jo" (White Heron Castle) because of its brilliant white exterior and supposed resemblance to a white heron taking flight.
13. Kenroku-en
Kenroku-en, located in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan, is an old private garden. Along with Kairaku-en and Kōraku-en, Kenroku-en is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. Its name refers to the six attributes considered most important in the concept of the ideal garden: space, serenity, venerability, panorama, subtlety and freshness.
14. Ogimachi
Ogimachi Village is the largest village and main attraction in Shirakawa-Go. A UNESCO world heritage site, the village is home to several dozen well preserved gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old. If you walk up to the observatory, you can see the entire village.
15. Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Japan, located in Osaka, is one of six Universal Studios theme parks owned by NBCUniversal. The park is similar to the Universal Orlando Resort since it also contains selected attractions from Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood.
