Kagawa Prefecture
Built in 1837, this large hall is dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu, and is noted for its ornate wood-carving.
Must-see attractions in Japan
Kii Peninsula
This simple stone bridge marks the entrance to the sacred Oku-no-in complex.
Yaeyama Islands
A trek upriver through the damp Iriomote forest leads to the lovely Mariyudō-no-taki, a series of low waterfalls.
Western Honshū
A shrine with a colourful dragon mural on its ceiling – to hear the dragon 'roar', stand underneath it and clap.
Hiroshima Region
Adjoining the temple Fukuzenji, near the waterfront in Tomo-no-ura, this reception hall was built in the 1690s.
Kagawa Prefecture
At 27m, this is the highest wooden lantern in Japan, originally built to guide ships sailing on the Inland Sea.
Nara
This traditional-style house is now a community arts centre, with exhibitions and occasional live performances.
Kanazawa & the Hokuriku Coast
You can amble through the village of Noroshi (狼煙) up to this lighthouse, built in 1883, for lovely views.
Kagawa Prefecture
Ema-dō is filled with maritime offerings ranging from pictures of ships and models to modern ship engines.
Kagawa Prefecture
The short final ascent at Konpira-san, which is the most beautiful leg of the walk, brings you to Gohonsha.
Southern Higashiyama
This is one of the largest Buddhist graveyards in Kyoto. It's an atmospheric (if spooky) place for a walk.
Kagawa Prefecture
The North Gate to Ritsurin-kōen is nearest to the Ritsurinkōen-kitaguchi Station on the JR Kotoku line.
Kyūshū
On the mainland across from Aoshima island, this manicured garden is home to 64 species of fruit tree.
Ginza & Tsukiji
Built in 1940, this is the only drawbridge over the Sumida-gawa, but it hasn't been raised since 1970.
Yokohama
This small museum opposite Yamashita-kōen pays tribute to Yokohama's history as a silk trading port.
Yaeyama Islands
This is the workshop where the island's woven minsā belts and other textiles are produced.
Yaeyama Islands
At the west of the village, this private museum houses a diverse collection of local folk artefacts.
Northern Higashiyama
A tiny shrine atop Yoshida-yama, Takenaka Inari-sha in Northern Higashiyama is popular with walkers.
Niigata Prefecture
Sado-ga-shima's oldest temple (dating from AD 741); although sadly neglected, it's still beautiful.
Kagawa Prefecture
The East Gate to Ritsurin-kōen is a beautiful place to start a walking course through the garden.
Amami Islands
This is a remote-feeling slice of beach on the southeast coast, hemmed in by concrete breakwaters.
Western Honshū
Buddhist temple on the edge of Tsurugata-yama-kōen park, with fine views across town.
Western Honshū
The Shizuki shrine houses the remains of some lords of the Mōri clan.
Western Honshū
The former house of Meiji Restoration movement leader Yoshida Shōin.
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
This pavilion was presented to the Date family by the daimyō (domain lord) Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the late 16th century. It served as a genteel venue for…
Osaka
This classic shopping arcade wends along the path of an old moat (from an earlier, larger incarnation of Osaka-jō), long since filled in. The arcade…
Kii Peninsula
Sandan-beki is a 50m cliff face that drops away vertiginously into the sea – a particularly awesome sight when the big rollers are pounding in from the…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Founded in 1950 by the former Lord Shōnai in order to preserve local culture, this museum features Sakai-family artefacts, two Meiji-era buildings, a…
Kansai
Kyōga-misaki is a cape at the northernmost point of the Tango Peninsula. The name means 'cape of sutras' for the shape of the stone formations. A car park…
Kōbe Maritime Museum & Kawasaki Good Times World
Kōbe
This attraction in Meriken Park has two parts: a collection of high-quality model ships from around the world, including some of feudal-era Japanese ships…
Hiroshima Region
This quirky homemade museum houses hundreds of the ornamental beckoning cats that wave you into shop entrances all over Japan, dating from the Meiji era …
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Dōgenzaka, named for a 13th-century highway robber, is a maze of narrow streets. Home to one of Tokyo's largest clusters of love hotels (hotels for…
Fukuoka
Inside this unique building are a tourist-information centre (1st floor), cultural-information centre (2nd floor) and craft gallery. The building itself…
Historical Obata ('NK Agent') Building
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
This building featured in the 2009 Academy Award–winning Best Foreign Language film, Okuribito (おくりびと; Departures). You can't go in, but you'll see stills…
Ebisu, Meguro & Around
Tokyo's most over-the-top wedding venue is resplendent with indoor waterfalls and gilded friezes (which speaks to the fashion in Tokyo during the height…
