Top favorites of Japan

Tokyo

Tokyo shook our hand, kissed us, then slapped us in the face. She was a lady of many moods, and they'd shift as quickly as a summer downpour. She was a mixtape that mashes tradition and tech, where each district carries a unique sound.

ATTRACTION

Rippongi Hills Sky deck

Inside a mall (Rippongi hills). Take elevator to sky deck level for expansive views.

NEIGHBORHOOD

Shinjuku

Shinjuku is the old “red light district”. It now has a ton of amazing neon lights and night life. Must see at night.

Must visit:

  • Golden Gai - alleys of bars/restaurants (best at night)
    Rain and Ramen in Golden Gai

  • Yakitori Alley - A narrow alley filled with small yakitori stalls in Shinjuku.

NEIGHBORHOOD

Akihabara

A fun area if you’re into anime, action figures, tech, and video games.

TEMPLE

Senso-Ji

In Asakusa district, this temple draws big growds with it’s massive red gates. If you go before sunset, there are usually stalls full of shops and delicious food infront of the temple and behind.

SHINTO SHRINE

Meji-Jingu

This is the park leading up to Meji-jingu, a serene Shinto shrine in the yeart of Harajuku district.

ATTRACTION

Teamlab borderless

Teamlab is a collective of interactive artists. Borderless is one of their art installations. Very cool if you’re into that sort of thing. We loved it!

Read: Inside teamlab borderless

Kyoto

While Tokyo dazzled us with her lights, technology, and boundless nightlife energy, Kyoto soothed us with a calm smile and a perfectly poured cup of matcha tea. She welcomes all who flock to her with warmth and stoicism.

To most, she's a lady of mystery and secrets — an attraction worth getting to know. She poses for pictures but never speaks a word. Some try to be her. They copy her clothing, wear her makeup, and don her geta sandals, but none can move with poise and grace like her. None can imitate the history and culture that runs through her veins. She's a one-of-a-kind, a jewel that will forever attract adoration and awe.

TEMPLE

Kennin-Ji

Famous for it’s dragon ceiling, Kennin-ji dazzled us with their stunning rock gardens and mossy atrium. Bring good socks! They make you take your shoes off to visit.

ATTRACTION

Arashiyama bamboo forest

This is a major attraction, but honestly, don’t believe the hype. The bamboo is not as green as i have it in the photos, and the “forest” is quite short.

TEMPLE

Otagi ninbutsu-ji

Not far from Arashiyama forest, is a hidden gem! This buddhist shrine has hundreds of individual buddha statues, all carved by patrons in different styles and covered in moss. It’s a serene exerpeince.

Read: A moment of Zen at Otagi-Nenbutsu Ji temple

NEIGHBORHOOD

Pontcho alley

A really fun area for nightlife. Lots of great bars and restaurants.

Read: Making friends in Pontocho Alley

ATTRACTION

Fushimi-inari shrine

Very touristy and busy, but a great hike up the mountain under these red torii gates.

ATTRACTION

Nishiki market

Fantastic covered market with all sorts of vendors.

Osaka

Osaka, the kid sister to Tokyo, welcomed us with a boisterous hug and a sparkle in her eye. What she lacks in size and tradition, she makes up for in pageantry. She tugged on our sleeves and dragged us off to her favorite places. Whether it's getting a panoramic view of the city, shopping for red octopus plushies, or playing pinball at the local mall arcade, she was determined to show us a good time.

At night, she came alive in a maze of streets and canals packed with restaurants, all touting unique flavors as big as their storefront mascots.

She flaunted her culinary alchemy, feeding us traditional Osakan street food like takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and fluffy cheesecake. Her energy is intoxicating, and her charms are endearing.

DISTRICT

Dotonbori

This district feels like disneyland meets food markets. There are tons of neon signs, and massive “characters” that sit above food stalls. The street food is amazing.

Castles

Traditional Japanese castle with white walls and gray tiled roofs, surrounded by trees and set against a blue sky.

Kanazawa Castle

Stunning castle + has one of the best gardens in Japan: Kenroku-en

Traditional Japanese wooden house on stilts by a lake, surrounded by trees, some supported by ropes, with cloudy sky overhead.
Traditional Japanese castle with dark walls and multiple tiers, surrounded by trees and bushes, under a blue sky.

Okayama Castle

Another really amazing one with a beautiful garden, Korakuen.

A traditional Japanese garden with manicured trees, rocks, small bushes, and a pond under a clear blue sky.
Traditional Japanese castle on a hill surrounded by trees, with a garden and pond in the foreground reflecting the structures.

Hikone Castle

Really nice area for a day trip from Kyoto. Beautiful wooden interior. You can explore multiple levels and look out from the higher floors. The gardens are lovely too.

Close-up of the top section of a traditional Japanese castle with ornate gold decorations, green tiled roofs, and white walls. Several people are seen on the balcony, and there are gold tiger and lion carvings on the structure.

Osaka Castle

Osaka castle has been modernized for tourism. The inside is a multi-floor museum complete with an elevator. We were unimpressed.

Traditional Japanese room with sliding shoji doors decorated with painted landscape scenes including trees, animals, and a lake, and tatami mat flooring.

Nagoya Castle

Beautiful interior of this one. Lots of intricate details with ornate Shoji screens and golden inlay work. The moat was massive.

A stone-lined dry moat with green moss and plants growing along the sides, surrounded by trees and greenery.

More rural places

Stone steps leading up through a traditional Japanese torii gate in a forest, with tall trees and lush greenery around.

Kashimikimi Kumano Shrine

Very famous shrine in the woods near Kumamoto. You walk up these magical steps in the forest. Apparently the trail continues on behind the shrine to a cave, but we missed that part!

Stone stairs leading up to a shrine built into a rocky hillside, with small statues, a bush, and moss-covered surfaces surrounding the area.

Reigando cave

A short jaunt through the forest, peppered by peaceful buddha statues terminating at a cave that was once a shrine.

Stone statues of Buddhist monks or disciples seated on moss-covered ground in a forested area.
A narrow gorge with tall, rugged rock walls on either side, a small waterfall cascading into a calm water pool, and lush green trees at the top, illuminated by sunlight.

Takahicho gorge

Touristy, but you can get on a row boat and row down this channel of water. It’s very short, maybe 30 minutes there and back, but Takahicho in general is beautiful if you’re in that area. We had some amazing soba in this small village.

People boating in a narrow, rocky canyon with a small waterfall on the left, surrounded by lush green trees.
Marina with several boats docked on calm water, boats vary in size and style, with some on the left side and others on the right, a village with houses on hills can be seen in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Tomonoura

A charming fisherman village that inspired backgrounds in the beloved Ghibli film, Ponyo. We did a day trip here from Okayama. Took a 30 minute bus that was quite pleasant. Just check the bus times so you don’t get stranded!

Traditional Japanese wooden building with moss-covered roof, surrounded by greenery and trees.

Kakunodate

A samurai village in the north of Japan. If you can’t make this one work, there are other Samurai villages you can look for in the south.

Read: Getting lost in Kakunodate’s Samurai village

A narrow, rocky trail surrounded by dense green foliage and trees in a forest.

Tokaido road

When we visited Hakone, we did a short hike on a portion of the Tokaido road which is an hold historic rout used in the Edo period. Be sure to wear good shoes! It was slippery.