Shrines, museums, parks, and the spots in between, with the access details worked out.
A historical institution preserving documents, photographs, and artifacts from the Ryukyu Kingdom and American Occupation periods with online database access.
Haebaru · OkinawaTodai-ji's oldest building, constructed between 740-747 and originally dedicated to a Kannon statue, later renamed for the annual Lotus Sutra ceremony.
NaraAn open-air museum in Aichi preserving over 60 buildings from Japan's Meiji, Taishō, and early Shōwa periods, including Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel.
Inuyama · AichiA Pure Land Buddhist temple founded in 1475 by Matsudaira Chikayoshi, built to honor fallen war dead and serving as the ancestral temple of the Tokugawa shoguns.
Okazaki · AichiA shrine devoted to the protection of sailors and sea transport, requiring a climb of 785 steps to the main shrine on Mount Zōzu.
Kotohira · KagawaThe head Tendai temple founded in 850, significantly expanded in the 12th century and designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.
Hiraizumi · IwateA Shinto shrine in Fukuoka dating to the 8th century, renowned for hosting the annual Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival in July with decorated floats.
FukuokaA garden built in 1634 within Kanazawa Castle, notable as the first to use creatively patterned stone walls, reconstructed beginning in 2013.
Kanazawa · IshikawaA natural park in Nagano where wild Japanese macaques bathe in hot springs, accessible via a 1.6-kilometer forest trail, most popular in winter.
Yamanochi · NaganoA 250-meter shopping street leading to Sensō-ji temple with 89 shops, rebuilt multiple times after 1885 closure, 1923 earthquake, and bombing.
TokyoA preserved thatched-roof village in Kyoto with 39 original houses built during the Edo and Meiji periods, designated an Important Preservation District.
Nantan · KyotoA Shinto shrine in Matsuyama with roots in a visit by Emperor Chuai and Empress Jingu to Dogo Onsen, enshrining multiple emperors as cultural treasures.
Matsuyama · EhimeAn entertainment attraction on Awaji Island centered on a life-size Godzilla, offering zip-line missions, interactive games, and a museum.
Awaji · HyogoOne of Japan's three most famous Inari shrines, dedicated to the god of agriculture and prosperity, known for vermilion torii gates and statues.
Kashima · SagaJapan's first permanent museum dedicated to the Kinnikuman manga series, opened in 2024 in Numazu, featuring original art and life-size replicas.
Numazu · ShizuokaA Tokyo arena built in 1957 with 1,800 seats, hosting professional wrestling, martial arts, and concerts, featuring a wrestling history museum.
TokyoA Tendai sect Buddhist temple founded in the early Heian period, housing a National Treasure main hall with Heian-period statues and garden.
Aisho · ShigaAn art museum established in 1986 that houses a Rodin Wing featuring works by French sculptor Auguste Rodin, including The Gates of Hell.
Shizuoka
