Japan Sightseeing Guide

Hokkaido
Sapporo Japan's fifth largest city.
Hakodate Hokkaido's third largest city.
Noboribetsu Hokkaido's most famous hot spring resort.
Furano Rural city with beautiful lavender and flower fields.
Otaru Harbor city near Sapporo.
Abashiri Known for its prison and drift ice in winter.
Daisetsuzan Hokkaido's largest and wildest national park.
Shiretoko National park on an unspoiled peninsula.
Rishiri and Rebun Small islands near Hokkaido's northern tip.
Lake Toya Home of Mount Usu, an active volcano.
Akan National park with beautiful lakes.

Tohoku
Matsushima Scenic bay dotted by pine clad islets.
Hiraizumi Tohoku's former cultural and political capital.
Kakunodate City with beautifully preserved samurai district.
Hirosaki Former castle town in the Northern Tohoku.
Oirase Stream Picturesque mountain stream.

Kanto
Tokyo Japan's capital and largest city.
Yokohama Japan's second largest city.
Kamakura Small city full of temples and historic treasures.
Nikko Site of Nikko Toshogu, Ieyasu's mausoleum.
Hakone National park with hot springs and views of Mt. Fuji.
Kawagoe Former castle town known as the Little Edo.
Kusatsu Onsen One of Japan's best hot spring resorts.
Narita Site of Tokyo's international airport.

Chubu
Nagoya Japan's fourth largest city.
Izu Peninsula Peninsula with hot springs and beautiful scenery.
Kanazawa One of the best of Japan's lesser known cities.
Eiheiji Head temple of the Soto Zen sect.
Echigo-Tsumari Idyllic countryside staging a modern art festival.
Alpine Route Spectacular route through the Northern Alps.
Nagano Former olympic city famous for Zenkoji Temple.
Matsumoto City famous for its beautiful original castle.
Kamikochi Popular mountain resort in the Japanese Alps.
Kiso Valley Beautifully preserved post towns.
Karuizawa Upmarket mountain resort.
Yudanaka Onsen Hot spring resort famous for bathing monkeys.
Takayama Retains a traditional touch like few other cities.
Shirakawa-go Mountainous region, famous for its farmhouses.
Furukawa Small town 15 minutes north of Takayama.
Gero Onsen Famous hot spring resort south of Takayama.
Inuyama City with Japan's oldest castle.
Mt.Fuji Japan's highest and most famous peak.
Fuji Five Lakes Resort at the foot of Mount Fuji.

Kinki
Kyoto For over 1000 years the capital of Japan.
Osaka Largest city of the Kinki Region.
Nara Japan's first permanent capital.
Kobe Harbor city, recovered from a 1995 earthquake.
Himeji Site of Japan's most beautiful feudal castle.
Kinosaki Onsen Pleasantly old-fashioned hot spring resort.
Mount Koya Atmospheric headquarters of Shingon Buddhism.
Yoshino Japan's most famous cherry blossom spot.
Amanohashidate A pine tree covered sandbar, spanning across a bay.
Hikone Former castle town at the shores of Lake Biwa.
Ise Shima Site of Japan's most sacred Shinto shrines.
Iga Ueno Former castle town famous for ninja.

Chugoku
Hiroshima Largest city of the region with a tragic history.
Miyajima Scenic shrine island with the famous floating torii.
Okayama Famous for one of Japan's three best gardens.
Kurashiki City with a picturesque, historic canal area.
Matsue Former castle town near Izumo Taisha.
Iwami Ginzan Former silver mine with world heritage status.
Yamaguchi Pleasant city known as the "Kyoto of the West".
Hagi Former castle town with preserved samurai district.

Shikoku
Takamatsu Capital of Kagawa Prefecture, famous for its garden.
Kotohira Site of Shikoku's most popular shrine.
Matsuyama Largest city of Shikoku with a beautiful castle.
Kochi Nice city with a southern flair.

Kyushu
Fukuoka Kyushu's largest and most vibrant city.
Dazaifu Kyushu's former administrative center.
Nagasaki Attractive port city with a moved history.
Kumamoto Modern city most famous for its castle.
Mount Aso Active volcano with a huge ancient caldera.
Minamata From pollution site to environmental model city.
Kagoshima Southernmost of Kyushu's major cities.
Beppu One of Japan's most famous hot spring resorts.
Okinawa
Okinawa Honto Okinawa's main island.
Naha Okinawa's prefectural capital.
Yaeyama Islands Okinawa's southernmost island group.

The places which should be obligatory visited are detailed with bold.