Shrines, museums, parks, and the spots in between, with the access details worked out.
A reconstructed fortress in Aomori Prefecture built in 1334 that controlled regional trade routes and served as a base for the Southern Court.
Hachinohe · AomoriA Japanese castle built in 1611 that remains the only surviving Edo-period castle keep in the entire Tohoku region, originally featuring a five-story tower.
Hirosaki · AomoriJapan's northernmost and final traditional Japanese castle, constructed 1850-1854 in Hokkaido as a strategic defense against foreign pressure during the late Tokugawa period.
Matsumae · HokkaidoAinu fortifications on Nemuro Peninsula's windswept cliffs, built between the 16th and 18th centuries and ranked number one among Japan's 100 castles.
Nemuro · HokkaidoNaritasan Shinshoji in Narita, Chiba, is a head temple of Shingon Buddhism, centred on a Fudo Myoo image attributed to Kukai and a goma fire ritual unbroken for 1,080 years.
Narita · ChibaLake Tazawa, Semboku, Akita, is Japan's deepest lake at 423 meters, a caldera lake known for its clear blue waters and the golden statue of Tatsuko.
Semboku · AkitaYoshida Shrine in Toyohashi, Aichi, dates to 1124, stood within Yoshida Castle under its lords, and is known as the birthplace of tezutsu hand-held fireworks.
Toyohashi · AichiTsukiji Hongwanji is a striking Shin Buddhist temple in central Tokyo, blending Indian-inspired architecture, Silk Road motifs, and animal carvings by Ito Chuta.
TokyoTowering bronze statue of Amitabha Buddha standing 120 meters tall, built to honour Shinran, founder of the True Pure Land School, with interior exhibitions on Buddhism history.
Ushiku · IbarakiOne of Japan's Three Great Gardens spanning 300 hectares, built in 1842 and renowned for its plum trees and cherry blossoms that bloom seasonally.
Mito · IbarakiThe largest han school during the Bakumatsu period, established in 1841 by Tokugawa Nariaki with a wide-ranging curriculum, now designated as a Historic Site.
Mito · IbarakiOwakudani Kurotamagokan, Owakudani, Hakone, Kanagawa, is a shop and viewpoint selling kuro-tamago, eggs boiled black in the valley's sulphurous hot springs, said to extend life by seven years.
Hakone · KanagawaHakone Sightseeing Cruise crosses Lake Ashi, Hakone, Kanagawa, aboard pirate ship-styled vessels calling at Togendai, Moto-Hakone, and Hakone-machi, with views of Mount Fuji.
Hakone · KanagawaThe Hakone Open-Air Museum, Hakone, Kanagawa, opened in 1969 as Japan's first open-air museum, with around 120 sculptures set across 70,000 square metres and a Picasso Pavilion.
Hakone · KanagawaHakone-en Aquarium, Motohakone, Hakone, Kanagawa, sits on the shore of Lake Ashi at 723 metres above sea level, Japan's highest-altitude aquarium, with a Seal Plaza and penguins.
Hakone · KanagawaMishima Skywalk, Mishima, Shizuoka, is Japan's longest pedestrian suspension bridge at 400 meters, spanning a valley with views of Mount Fuji and Suruga Bay.
Mishima · ShizuokaJapan's first museum dedicated to Venetian glass, the Hakone Venetian Glass Museum, Sengokuhara, Kanagawa, holds works spanning the 15th to 19th centuries.
Hakone · KanagawaA 17th-century Soto-school Buddhist temple in Takaoka houses several buildings designated as national treasures and important cultural properties.
Takaoka · Toyama
