Great places in Japan,
hand-picked.
Read in Japanese, written up in English — so you can decide before you walk in.
21,217 places across Japan — and counting.
Matsunoo TaishaKyoto
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NIIGATA · SHRINE
Shirayamahime Shrine
白山媛神社
This shrine offers unique cultural properties and a spring festival, dedicated to maritime safety and prosperity.
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KYOTO · SHRINE
Ōbara Shrine (Fukuchiyama, Kyoto)
大原神社
This Shinto shrine, established in 852, is worth visiting for its rare childbirth hut and votive tablets.
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YAMAGATA · SHRINE
Kasuga Shrine
春日神社
This shrine, founded in 807, hosts festivals throughout the year to pray for peace and harvest.
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MIYAZAKI · SHRINE
Takachiho Shrine
高千穂神社
Takachiho Shrine is an ancient, high-ranked Shinto shrine with cultural properties and ties to Japan's creation myth.
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YAMANASHI · SHRINE
Kawaguchi Asama Shrine
河口浅間神社
This shrine, founded after an eruption, has sacred cedars and a unique children's dance.
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KYOTO · SHRINE
Hikō Shrine
飛行神社
This shrine, founded by an aviation pioneer, is a place to pray for safe air travel.
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SHIMANE · SHRINE
Susa Shrine
須佐神社
This shrine is where the god Susanoo chose to spend eternity, making it his true shrine.
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WAKAYAMA · SHRINE
Niutsuhime Shrine
丹生都比売神社
This ancient shrine, a UNESCO site, is where four gods protected Japan from Mongol invasions.
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NARA · SHRINE
Niukawakami Shrine
丹生川上神社
This ancient shrine, dedicated to a water deity, offers unique water fortunes and bronze horse statues.
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FUKUOKA · SHRINE
Munakata Taisha
宗像大社
Nakatsu-miya, a Munakata Taisha shrine on Oshima Island, offers views and a sacred spring.
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SHIGA · SHRINE
Ōmi Jingū
近江神宮
This shrine honors Emperor Tenji, offering a clock museum and a replica water clock.
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KYOTO · SHRINE
Rikyū Hachimangū
離宮八幡宮
This shrine is the origin of Japan's perilla seed oil production and has a sacred well.
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WAKAYAMA · SHRINE
Ichinono Ōji Shrine
市野々王子
This historic shrine, possibly a former marketplace, features unique stone walls and may be the original site of an ancient pilgrimage stop.
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TOKYO · SHRINE
Musashi Mitake Shrine
武蔵御嶽神社
This two-thousand-year-old shrine on Mt. Mitake is a pilgrimage site for mountain training and wolf veneration.
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NARA · TEMPLE
Lecture Hall, Toshodai-ji
唐招提寺講堂
This lecture hall, a National Treasure, is the only surviving structure with parts of the Heijo Palace.
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KYOTO · TEMPLE
Shōryū-ji Temple
勝龍寺
This temple, founded by Kukai, offers unique kirie art and a monthly market with local goods.
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MIYAGI · TEMPLE
Dainen-ji Temple
大年寺
This park offers walking paths, historic graves, and scenic views of mountains, plains, and Sendai.
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KYOTO · TEMPLE
Hōjū-ji Temple
法住寺
This temple, once a large complex, is worth visiting for its Fudō Myō-ō statue and fire ritual.
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SHIMANE · TEMPLE
Gessho-ji Temple
月照寺
Gessho-ji Temple is an ancestral temple with unique graves, including a giant stone tortoise and a tea whisk monument.
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KAGAWA · TEMPLE
Shiromine-ji Temple
白峯寺
This temple on Mt. Shiramine offers unique zodiac halls and rare architecture, plus scenic views nearby.
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MIYAGI · TEMPLE
Zuigan-ji Temple
瑞巌寺
This temple, rebuilt by Date Masamune, offers a look into samurai power and wealth.
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KYOTO · TEMPLE
Jizō-in Temple
地蔵院
Jizoin Temple, known as "temple of bamboo," offers a moss garden and bright autumn foliage.
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KYOTO · TEMPLE
Shōji-ji Temple
勝持寺
This temple offers natural scenery, seasonal colors, and Buddhist statues, including a famous cherry tree.
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ŌITA · TEMPLE
Ō-dō, Fuki-ji Temple
富貴寺大堂
Fuki-ji Temple's Ō-dō is Kyushu's oldest wooden structure, important for its Buddhist heritage.
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ŌITA · TEMPLE
Maki Ō-dō Temple
真木大堂
This temple displays some of Japan's finest wooden Buddhist statues, including rare and large deities.
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SHIGA · TEMPLE
Saikyō-ji Temple
西教寺
This temple, rebuilt after 1571, offers continuous chanting, a unique main hall, and a garden overlooking Lake Biwa.
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SHIGA · TEMPLE
Keisoku-ji Temple
鶏足寺 (長浜市)
Keisokuji Temple is a temple known for its autumn scenery and Buddhist statues.
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HIROSHIMA · TEMPLE
Assumption of Mary Cathedral, Hiroshima
世界平和記念聖堂
This modern cathedral commemorates war victims and promotes peace, featuring a unique blend of Japanese and Western design.
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AICHI · MUSEUM
Donden Museum
どんでん館
The Donden Museum showcases Inuyama's 1635 festival with floats, music, and film, offering a year-round experience.
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AICHI · MUSEUM
Toyota Municipal Museum of Art
豊田市美術館
This art museum on a hill offers diverse art, architecture, and a teahouse, making it worth visiting.
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NAGASAKI · MUSEUM
Tsushima Museum
対馬博物館
This museum offers an overview of Tsushima's history and its interactions with mainland Asia.
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SHIMANE · MUSEUM
Wakō Museum
和鋼博物館
This museum explains the traditional Japanese steelmaking process that produces steel for fine swords.
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NAGASAKI · MUSEUM
Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum and Monument
日本二十六聖人記念館
This complex commemorates 26 Catholic martyrs executed in 1597, offering historical insight and unique architecture.
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KUMAMOTO · MUSEUM
Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art
熊本県立美術館
This museum, designed by Maekawa Kunio, offers ancient and modern art, including a unique kofun display.
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TOTTORI · MUSEUM
Tottori Prefectural Mukibanda Historical Park
鳥取県立むきばんだ史跡公園
This park preserves Japan's largest Yayoi-period settlement, offering insights into prehistoric life and technology.
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HIROSHIMA · MUSEUM
JMSDF Kure Museum
海上自衛隊呉史料館
Explore a real submarine and learn about Japan's maritime defense history and minesweeping efforts.
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KUMAMOTO · MUSEUM
Kumamoto Prefectural Ancient Burial Mound Museum
熊本県立装飾古墳館
This museum in Yamaga showcases 200 decorated burial mounds from the Kofun period, with detailed reconstructions.
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OSAKA · MUSEUM
Sakai City Museum
堺市博物館
This museum in Daisen Park explores kofun burial mounds and Sakai's history of craftsmanship and commerce.
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FUKUSHIMA · MUSEUM
Aizu Bukeyashiki
会津武家屋敷
This open-air museum shows the daily life of a high-ranking samurai family from the late 19th century.
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SHIGA · MUSEUM
Nagahama Railway Square
長浜鉄道スクエア
Nagahama Railway Square showcases Japan's oldest station building and climbable locomotives, detailing early Japanese train travel.
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AICHI · MUSEUM
Toyota Kaikan Museum
トヨタ会館
This museum showcases Toyota's innovations and future, with interactive exhibits and a children's area.
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ŌITA · MUSEUM
Taki Rentarō Memorial Museum
瀧廉太郎記念館
This museum recreates the environment that inspired composer Taki Rentaro, offering a glimpse into Meiji-era life.
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ISHIKAWA · GARDEN
Kenroku-en
兼六園
Kenrokuen is a Japanese strolling garden next to Kanazawa Castle, famous for combining six ideal garden qualities.
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HOKKAIDō · PARK
Akan Mashu National Park
阿寒摩周国立公園
Akan Mashu National Park offers unique volcanic landscapes, rare Marimo algae, and Ainu culture.
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HIROSHIMA · PARK
Miyajima Public Aquarium
宮島水族館
Miyajima Public Aquarium showcases Seto Inland Sea marine life, including finless porpoises, in a traditional setting.
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OSAKA · PARK
Nakanoshima Park
中之島公園
Nakanoshima Park is Osaka's oldest public park, an island oasis worth visiting for its green spaces and history.
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MIE · PARK
Ugura Park
鵜倉園地
Ugura Park offers scenic coastal views, a heart-shaped inlet, and rare migratory birds.
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MIYAGI · PARK
Nishi Park
西公園
This large park offers cherry blossoms in spring, river views, and hosts popular city festivals.
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KAGAWA · GARDEN
Ritsurin Garden
栗林公園
Ritsurin Garden is a well-preserved Edo-period stroll garden, worth visiting for its composed views and seasonal beauty.
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KAGOSHIMA · PARK
Yakushima Botanical Research Park
屋久島有用植物リサーチパーク
This park cultivates diverse plants and fruits, offering rare species and scenic views.
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NIIGATA · PARK
Yūkyūzan Park
悠久山公園
Yūkyūzan Park offers cherry blossoms, autumn leaves, and historical monuments, making it a worthwhile trip.
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SHIZUOKA · PARK
Hamanako Garden Park
浜名湖ガーデンパーク
Hamanako Garden Park offers diverse gardens and lake views, with flowers blooming from spring to autumn.
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TOCHIGI · GARDEN
Shōyō-en
逍遥園
This historic garden, designed to resemble Lake Biwa, is renowned for its beauty, especially in autumn.
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KYOTO · GARDEN
Shōsei Garden
渉成園
This garden, designed by Ishikawa Jozan, offers carefully composed views and diverse plant and animal life.
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HIROSHIMA · PARK
Alley Karasukojima
アレイからすこじま
This park offers a glimpse into naval history and active submarines, with century-old structures and British architectural influences.
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KUMAMOTO · PARK
Aso Kujū National Park
阿蘇くじゅう国立公園
This park in Central Kyushu offers unique volcanic landscapes, traditional culture, and diverse natural habitats worth exploring.
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FUKUOKA · HISTORIC SITE
Fubabaru Kofun
船原古墳
Fubabaru Kofun is a rare keyhole-shaped tomb with unique artifacts, offering a glimpse into ancient Japan.
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SHIMANE · CASTLE
Yamabuki Castle
山吹城
Yamabuki Castle, a mountaintop fortress, offers historical ruins and coastal views after a challenging climb.
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WAKAYAMA · CASTLE
Shingū Castle
新宮城
Shingu Castle ruins offer a picnic spot with stone walls, overlooking the city and Kumano River.
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GUNMA · CASTLE
Maebashi Castle
前橋城
A historic flatland castle site featuring surviving stone walls and moats, now home to the Gunma Prefectural Government Office.
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HIROSHIMA · HISTORIC SITE
Hiroshima Peace Memorial
原爆ドーム
This memorial is a surviving structure from the 1945 atomic bombing, worth visiting to process the tragedy.
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OSAKA · HISTORIC SITE
Hakayama Kofun
墓山古墳
Hakayama Kofun is a large, keyhole-shaped burial mound with subsidiary tombs, indicating a powerful occupant.
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SHIGA · CASTLE
Odani Castle
小谷城
Visit Odani Castle ruins for historical significance and mountain-top views of Nagahama and Lake Biwa.
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HYōGO · CASTLE
Izushi Castle
出石城
Izushi Castle town offers a walkable Edo-period experience with traditional streets and local specialties.
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OKINAWA · CASTLE
Nakijin Castle
今帰仁城
Nakijin Castle is a historic site with castle walls, offering views of the East China Sea.
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KōCHI · HISTORIC SITE
Tōjin Daba
唐人駄場
Tōjin Daba is a mountain site with unique, large granite boulders from the prehistoric Jomon period.
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OSAKA · HISTORIC SITE
Minegazuka Kofun
峯ヶ塚古墳
This keyhole-shaped burial mound offers insights into prehistoric Japan through extensive archaeological finds.
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FUKUOKA · CASTLE
Ōno Castle
大野城
Ōnojō is Japan's oldest mountain fortress, built in 665 to defend against foreign invasion.
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GIFU · CASTLE
Naegi Castle
苗木城
Naegi Castle is worth visiting for its unique integration of natural granite boulders with diverse stone wall techniques.
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SHIZUOKA · CASTLE
Futamata Castle
二俣城
A historic mountain castle ruin in Hamamatsu where the Tokugawa and Takeda clans fought for strategic control.
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