Places worth the detour
Shrines, museums, parks, and the spots in between, with the access details worked out.
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Shrines, museums, parks, and the spots in between, with the access details worked out.
Owakudani 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 · KanagawaHistoric post town restored to its Edo-period appearance with traditional thatched-roof houses lining its streets.
Shimogo · FukushimaJapan's busiest railway station and architectural landmark, this 1914 red brick complex serves as the eastern terminus of the Tokaido Shinkansen and connects to major cities.
TokyoOtayamachi is a bustling shopping district in Takaoka that serves as a popular venue for the city's festivals and events.
Takaoka · ToyamaKobe Harborland combines shopping, dining, and entertainment with iconic illuminated landmarks including a historic brick warehouse and Ferris wheel.
Kobe · HyogoThis Himi shopping arcade brings manga characters to life through sensor-triggered statues that respond to visitors with humorous remarks.
Himi · ToyamaGeisha district in Kanazawa preserving traditional chaya houses and restaurants along the riverside, designated a cultural asset in 2008.
Kanazawa · IshikawaYamamachi preserves traditional merchant buildings and streetscapes from its history, designated a National Important Traditional Building Group in 2000.
Takaoka · ToyamaLocated on an island in central Fukuoka, Nakasu is celebrated for its vibrant nightlife, entertainment venues, and traditional yatai street food stalls.
FukuokaA picturesque 19th-century canal in Hokkaido lined with historic warehouses and known for its atmospheric winter and spring illuminations.
Otaru · HokkaidoFestival route in Fukuoka that transforms into Japan's largest Golden Week celebration, drawing two million visitors for the Hakata Dontaku parade.
FukuokaRelief carvings depicting the Three Wise Monkeys and seven other scenes that symbolize different life stages, based on the traditional proverb.
Nikko · TochigiStanding 18 meters tall in Odaiba, the Unicorn Gundam statue is a fully articulated replica with LED lights enabling color transformations and daily transformation shows.
TokyoNankin-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 · HyogoA preserved thatched-roof village in Kyoto with 39 original houses built during the Edo and Meiji periods, designated an Important Preservation District.
Nantan · KyotoA sacred highland at 970 meters on Mount Kirishima's slopes, legendary in Japanese mythology as where the heavenly grandchild descended to rule.
Kirishima · KagoshimaTree-lined street in Sendai hosting seasonal celebrations, from Tanabata parade in summer to jazz festival in fall and winter lights.
Sendai · Miyagi
