Shrines, museums, parks, and the spots in between, with the access details worked out.
Sumiyoshi Taisha has served maritime travelers for two millennia, enshrining three sea deities and Empress Jingū, who founded the shrine and is revered as a protective deity.
OsakaEigen-ji is a Rinzai Zen temple founded in 1361 that serves as head temple of the Eigen-ji branch, overseeing over 120 temples and housing the revered Yotsugi Kannon statue.
Higashiomi · ShigaLarge public park in Nara home to over 1,200 free-ranging sacred Sika deer, with historical temples and shrines for visitors to explore.
NaraAnime and video game theme park on Awaji Island with permanent attractions based on Naruto, Godzilla, and other franchises plus rotating exhibits.
Awaji · HyogoFounded in 2003, this museum houses 300,000 manga items from Edo-period prints to contemporary series, with permanent exhibitions and workshops on manga's cultural evolution.
KyotoA farm-themed Osaka park with seasonal flowers, animal encounters with goats and alpacas, hands-on workshops and a Sylvanian Families-themed area, plus local farm cuisine.
Sakai · OsakaFounded as a guardian shrine in 650 AD and rededicated in 949, Osaka Tenmangū honors the deified scholar Sugawara no Michizane, revered as a deity of academics and learning.
OsakaWithin Osaka's Nagai Botanical Garden, this teamLab art space becomes a luminous digital environment at night, with installations responding to wind, rain and visitor movement.
OsakaDating to the 6th century, this Kyoto shrine dedicated to Tamayori-hime and her father was worshipped as protection against misfortune and a guardian of the capital.
KyotoA mineral-rich hot spring resort in Tsu City, Mie, Sakakibara Onsen offers traditional ryokan and modern hotels alongside nearby temples, gardens and outdoor activities.
Tsu · MieAn adventure zone themed to the Crayon Shin-chan anime within Hyogo's Awajishima Park, offering obstacle courses, ziplines and interactive challenges inspired by the series.
Awaji · HyogoFounded in 788 by Saichō, this Tendai Buddhist headquarters on Mount Hiei hosts the famous kaihōgyō practice and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Otsu · ShigaA hot spring resort with documented origins dating to 720, Kinosaki Onsen draws visitors for its mineral-rich thermal waters and mountainside views.
Toyoka · HyogoMiho Museum houses 3,000 Asian and Western antiques in a design by I. M. Pei, with 75 percent of the space underground and featuring a glass roof with French limestone walls.
Koka · ShigaLocated in Nishinomiya within Nadagogo, Japan's largest sake brewing region, the museum opened in 1982 to preserve traditional sake-making heritage dating to the Edo period.
Nishinomiya · HyogoNankin-machi was established in 1868 as Kobe's Chinese community, rebuilt after World War II bombing and the 1995 Hanshin earthquake, and currently hosts 10,000 residents.
Kobe · HyogoOne of Japan's oldest Shinto shrines, dedicated to the thunder deity and honored since 794 when Kyoto became the imperial capital.
KyotoAizendo Shomanin is a Tendai Buddhist temple and the first stop on a seventeen-temple pilgrimage honoring Aizen Myo-o, housing Osaka's oldest wooden pagoda structure.
Osaka
