Shrines, museums, parks, and the spots in between, with the access details worked out.
Mountain shrine at 1,925 meters dedicated to the Shinto deity of mountains, regarded as sacred since the Jōmon period and steeped in tengu folklore.
Chino · NaganoZoo featuring drive-through routes, guided tours and walking trails for viewing bears, lions, tigers, herbivores and friendly animal zones.
Susono · ShizuokaA Buddhist temple founded in 736 by imperial decree, featuring a seven-hall complex and housing a sacred relic of the Buddha enshrined since the Heian period.
Tainai · NiigataAn archaeological site containing Jomon period remains including pit dwellings, settlement traces, and shell middens dating to approximately 2000-1000 BCE.
Hamamatsu · ShizuokaA Shinto shrine in Takayama dedicated to Sanno Gongen and serving as the focal point of the Takayama Spring Festival, one of Japan's most beautiful festivals.
Takayama · GifuA hirayama-style castle where Tokugawa Ieyasu established his headquarters and lived for 17 years, now featuring a concrete donjon with museum and Edo model.
Hamamatsu · ShizuokaA shrine near Toyama Port dedicated to Takeminakata no Mikoto, with additional enshrinements of Amaterasu Omikami, Oyamakui no Kami, and Daikoku.
ToyamaA museum concentrating on regional history and traditional handicrafts, featuring a replica market established by Oda Nobunaga and interactive exhibits.
GifuA park featuring a lily garden with approximately 150,000 blooms across 20 varieties, alongside a small lake, picnic areas, and traditional tea house.
Sakai · FukuiAn ancient hot spring resort with over 1,200 years of history, it features a town square with an egret statue and the unique experience of boiling eggs in natural spring water.
Nanao · IshikawaThis botanical garden features native and exotic plants, including rare and endangered species, tropical greenhouses, and exhibits on medicinal plants and ecology.
Echizen · FukuiThe most prominent geisha district in Kanazawa, known for traditional architecture featuring lattice work and a 200-year-old geisha house now open to visitors.
Kanazawa · IshikawaA highly revered Nagoya shrine established during Emperor Keikō's reign, it houses the Kusanagi no Tsurugi, one of the three symbols of the Imperial throne.
Nagoya · AichiThis Niigata ski resort connects to nearby Kagura via the Dragondola, Japan's longest gondola at 5.5 kilometers, and hosted the 2016 Alpine World Cup.
Yuzawa · NiigataBuddhist temple tracing roots to 1221, founded on land donated to honor Bishamonten, a protective deity originally enshrined by a military general.
Minamiuonuma · NiigataShrine honoring Fujiwara Ason Nijo Tamefuyuki, a court noble who died in 1335 during the Battle of Hakone, and son of the waka poet Nijō Tameyo.
Susono · ShizuokaShopping destination reopening September 2026 with one of Japan's largest entertainment zones, featuring 40 character and franchise shops.
Nagoya · AichiAquarium featuring 350 marine species emphasizing Sea of Japan wildlife, offering touch pools, penguin walks, and dolphin performances.
Sakai · Fukui
