Must see places in Japan | Things in Japan you should not miss

updated 10/10/2019

#01 Kyoto Dropdown content

The capital of Japan for a thousand years, endowed with an almost overwhelming legacy of temples, palaces and gardens, and also home to the country’s richest traditional culture and most refined cuisine.

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#02 Skiing

Hit the slopes and enjoy the perfect powder snow at Niseko Dropdown content in Hokkaido Dropdown content or the great runs and charming atmosphere of Nagano’s Nozawa Onsen Dropdown content.

#03 Tsukiji Dropdown content

This hyperactive Tokyo fish and produce market is the place to go for an early breakfast and the freshest sashimi and sushi in the country.

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#04 Yuki Matsuri Dropdown content

Gawp at mammoth snow and ice sculptures in Sapporo Dropdown content, Hokkaido Dropdown content, every February.

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#05 Nara Dropdown content

The ancient former capital is home to the monumental bronze Buddha of Todai-ji Dropdown content and fine collections of religious art.

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#06 Naoshima Dropdown content

One of the best places to experience the beauty of the Inland Sea is this tranquil island, with its amazing contemporary art museums, public sculptures and installations.

#07 Hiroshima Dropdown content

Pay your respects to the A-bomb’s victims at the Peace Memorial Park and Museum in the city of Hiroshima, impressively reborn from the ashes of World War II.

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#08 Koya-san Dropdown content

Mingle with monks and pilgrims on one of Japan’s holiest mountains, home to over a hundred monasteries.

Wakayama Jison-In Temple © Mathias Berlin/Shutterstock

#09 Kabuki

Tokyo’s National Theatre or Shimbashi Embujo are among the places where you can enjoy this most dramatic of traditional Japanese performing arts.

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#10 The Kiso Valley

The three-hour hike from Tsumago Dropdown content to Magome Dropdown content in Nagano Dropdown content takes you through gorgeous countryside between two lovingly preserved Edo-era “post towns”.

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#11 Kaiseki-ryori Dropdown content

Indulge yourself with a meal of kaiseki-ryori, Japan’s haute cuisine, comprising a selection of beautifully prepared morsels made from the finest seasonal ingredients.

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#12 Yakushima Dropdown content

Commune with thousand-year-old cedar trees in Kirishima-Yaku National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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#13 Climb Mount Fuji Dropdown content

Make the tough but rewarding hike up Japan’s tallest peak, a long-dormant volcano of classic symmetrical beauty.

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#14 Stay at a ryokan

Treat yourself to a night of luxury in a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn, where you enter a world of understated elegance and meticulous service.

Ryokan traditional Japanese accommodation © Shutterstock

#15 Awa Odori

Dance the night away at the country’s biggest Obon bash, held in Tokushima Dropdown content, Shikoku Dropdown content.

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#16 Sumo

Visit a major sumo tournament and see the titanic, ritualized clashes of Japan’s sporting giants.

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#17 Nikko Dropdown content

Set amid splendid mountains north of Tokyo Dropdown content, this pilgrim town is home to the fabulously over-the-top Tosho-gu Dropdown content shrine, one of Japan’s most sumptuous buildings.

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#18 Kumano Kodo Dropdown content

Wander the ancient pilgrimage route of the “Land of the Gods”, discover sacred mountain sites, and soak in the healing waters of isolated hot springs.

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#19 Onsen

Take a dip at a top onsen resort town, such as Dogo Dropdown content, with its magnificent bathhouse, or experience the exquisite warmth of a rotemburo (outdoor bath) as the snow falls.

#20 Sake breweries Dropdown content

Drop by venerable sake breweries in Obuse Dropdown content or Takayama Dropdown content to discover the amazing varieties of this ancient Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice.

#21 Himeji Dropdown content

Relive the days of the samurai at Himeji-jo, the premier example of a feudal-era fortress.

#22 Golden Gai

Stroll through Tokyo’s Kabukicho, the neon-soaked district of love hotels, host clubs and fuzoku (sex industry) businesses, to this atmospheric warren of tiny, atmospheric bars.