Area guides
For each destination: the classic sights, lesser-known spots, suggested routes and the main ways to get around.
Sapporo
Odori Park, the Clock Tower and the red-brick former government office are all within walking distance on a grid of streets. Hokkaido's main city, also known for ramen, beer and the night view from Mt. Moiwa.
Otaru
A port town of canal-side stone warehouses, glass shops and music boxes. About 35 minutes by train from Sapporo, and the main sights are walkable from the station. Also known for sushi.
Hakodate
Hillside churches and Western-style houses, a star-shaped fort, a famous night view and a seafood market. A port city that is easy to get around by tram.
Sendai
A castle town founded by the warlord Date Masamune. Zelkova-lined avenues, the castle site and his mausoleum are in the city; Matsushima Bay and Yamadera are easy train trips. Known for grilled beef tongue.
Nikko
World Heritage shrines and temples, led by Toshogu, stand among tall cedars. A bus ride up the winding Irohazaka road brings you to Kegon Falls, Lake Chuzenji and the Senjogahara marshland.
Tokyo
From old downtown streets of temples and shopping lanes to districts of skyscrapers and neon, each area feels different. Trains and subways go everywhere; most main sights are about 30 minutes from Tokyo Station.
Yokohama
A port city opened to the world in 1859. Minato Mirai, the Red Brick Warehouse, Yamashita Park and Chinatown line the waterfront and can be linked on foot. About 30 minutes by train from Tokyo.
Kamakura
A town between hills and sea that became the samurai capital in the late 12th century. The Great Buddha, Zen temples, the Enoden coast and Enoshima fit into one day. About 1 hour by train from Tokyo.
Hakone
A mountain hot-spring resort close to Tokyo. You can make a full loop by mountain railway, cable car, ropeway and a boat across Lake Ashi. Mt. Fuji appears on clear days.
Kawaguchiko and the Fuji Five Lakes
The region of five lakes at the northern foot of Mt. Fuji. From Lake Kawaguchi, sightseeing buses and trains reach lake views of Fuji, the Chureito Pagoda and Oshino Hakkai. Fuji is usually clearer in the morning.
Kanazawa
A castle town of the Maeda lords. Kenrokuen Garden, the castle, teahouse districts and samurai lanes are all a short bus ride or walk apart, with a seafood market and modern art too.
Hida-Takayama
Streets of Edo-period merchant houses, morning markets and an old government office, all walkable from the station. Buses run to Shirakawa-go and the hot springs of Okuhida.
Matsumoto
A castle town facing the Northern Alps. The National Treasure castle, streets of old storehouses, spring-water wells and museums are all walkable. Also the gateway to Kamikochi and Azumino.
Nagoya
Nagoya Castle and Atsuta Shrine, the lively Osu and Sakae districts, and museums of industry. A big city that is easy to cover by subway, with its own dishes such as miso cutlet and grilled eel on rice.
Kyoto
Japan's capital for over a thousand years, full of temples, shrines, gardens and old streets. The sights are spread widely, so combine trains and the subway with buses to get around.
Nara
Japan's capital 1,300 years ago. Todai-ji with its Great Buddha, Kasuga Taisha and Kofuku-ji all stand around Nara Park, where deer roam freely. An easy day trip from Kyoto or Osaka.
Osaka
Dotonbori with its street food and neon, Osaka Castle, Tsutenkaku, the aquarium and Universal Studios Japan. The Midosuji subway line links Umeda in the north with Namba in the south.
Kobe
A port city squeezed between the sea and the mountains. Hillside Western houses, Chinatown and the harbor lights are all walkable from Sannomiya, and Arima Onsen lies just over the hills.
Himeji
The city of the white Himeji Castle, visible straight down the main street as you leave the station. The castle and garden are walkable; a mountain temple and old towns lie a short trip away.
Hiroshima and Miyajima
See the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park, then cross to Miyajima and its shrine gate standing in the sea. Trams and boats cover this city of rivers. Okonomiyaki is the local dish.
Okayama and Kurashiki
Korakuen, one of Japan's three great gardens, the black Okayama Castle, and the white-walled storehouses of Kurashiki's canal quarter. The two towns are about 15 minutes apart by train.
Matsue and Izumo
Matsue Castle with its original keep, a castle town of moats and samurai houses, and sunsets over Lake Shinji. Izumo Taisha, the shrine of good matches, is a train ride away.
Takamatsu
Ritsurin Garden, the Yashima plateau above an old battlefield, and a port right by the station with boats to the art island of Naoshima and to Shodoshima. This is the home of Sanuki udon.
Matsuyama and Dogo Onsen
Matsuyama Castle, with its original keep on a hilltop, and Dogo Onsen with its historic bathhouse, linked by tram. A city of haiku and the setting of the novel "Botchan".
Fukuoka and Hakata
Kyushu's largest city, a few minutes by subway from its airport. Hakata's temples and shrines, food stalls by the river, shopping in Tenjin, and Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine a short train ride away.
Nagasaki
Western houses and churches on the hills, Chinese temples and the site of Dejima: a port long open to the world. Learn about the atomic bombing at the Peace Park, and see the harbor lights from Mt. Inasa.
Kumamoto and Aso
Kumamoto Castle, under repair since the 2016 earthquakes, and the spring-fed Suizenji Jojuen Garden, in a castle town you can cover by tram. To the east lie the volcano and grasslands of Aso.
Beppu and Yufuin
A hot-spring city with steam rising all over town. See the colorful "hells", then soak in public baths or a sand bath. Over the mountain lies Yufuin, a quiet resort below Mt. Yufu.
Kagoshima
A city facing the smoking volcano Sakurajima across the bay, about 15 minutes away by ferry. Come for the Shimadzu family's garden, the history of the Meiji Restoration, and black pork and shochu.
Naha
The old capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom: Shurijo Castle and stone-paved lanes on the hill, lively Kokusai-dori and its market, and a street of potteries. The monorail runs straight from the airport.