The 50 most popular tourist attractions in Japan

Do you know the 50 most popular tourist spots in Japan? Few people know that Japan is a rich country, full of unimaginable tourist places, and the 50 we will mention in this article are still few. Japan is truly one of the richest places in tourism for people to travel.

See in this article 50 popular tourist spots in Japan. Since there are 50 places, we will try to summarize as briefly as possible; otherwise, this article will become gigantic. We will divide this article into subcategories to make it easier to find something of your interest.

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Before we talk about each tourist spot, let’s leave a brief image with all of them:

Tourist Islands of Japan

Ōkunoshima – It is a small island located in the Inland Sea of Japan in the city of Takehara in Hiroshima. This small island is famous for the gigantic number of rabbits that inhabit the region, also called Wabbit Island.

Izu Peninsula – The Izu Peninsula is a peninsula located west of Tokyo on the Japanese island of Honshu. Here you will find several prominent places, onsen, and beaches.

Hashima Island – Hashima Island is also known by the names Gunkanjima or Gunkanshima; it is one of the 505 uninhabited islands in Nagasaki Prefecture, approximately 15 kilometers from the city of Nagasaki.

Itsukushima – Itsukushima is an island located in the Inland Sea, in the municipality of Hatsukaichi, in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. It is also known by the name Miyajima, and there is a small town with the same name.

Aogashima – It is a Japanese volcanic island in the Philippine Sea. The island is located approximately 358 kilometers south of Tokyo and 64 km south of Hachijo-Jima.

Mountains and Lakes of Japan

Kawaguchi Lake – Kawaguchi Lake is a lake located near Mount Fuji in Fujikawaguchiko in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.

Ashi Lake – Ashi Lake, or Hakone Lake, is a lake located in the Hakone area of Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, famous for its hot springs and its view of Mount Fuji.

Mount Fuji – Mount Fuji is the highest mountain on the island of Honshu and in the entire Japanese archipelago.

Rokkō Mountain – It is a group of mountains located in Kobe, Hyogo. The Rokko mountain area is a centerpiece of a popular hiking and walking area for people in the metropolitan area of the Kansai region.

Fushimi Inari-taisha – A temple in central Inari Ōkami, located in Fushimi (Kyoto), Japan. The temple is situated at the base of the mountain also called Inari and is 233 meters above sea level, and includes mountain trails leading to many smaller temples that spread over 4 kilometers and take about 2 hours to traverse the route.

Yamanaka Lake – A lake near Mount Fuji located in the village of Yamanakako in Yamanashi. It is the largest of the five lakes of Mount Fuji in terms of surface area, and it is the highest in terms of elevation. It is also the third largest lake in Japan.

Kita Mountain – Kita Mountain is a mountain on the island of Honshu and one of the 100 famous mountains of Japan, with an altitude of 3193 m and a topographic prominence of 2239 m.

Ontake Mountain – Ontake Mountain, also known as Kiso Ontake-San, is an active stratovolcano with an altitude of 3067 meters, located 100 km northwest of Nagoya between the cities of Gifu and Nagano, on the island of Honshū, Japan. It is the second highest volcano in Japan.

Tourist Districts of Japan

Harajuku – Harajuku is the popular name for the area around Harajuku Station, on the Yamanote Line in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Where you can find thousands of designer shops and people dressed in the Harajuku style.

Roppongi – Roppongi is a district in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, famous for housing the Roppongi Hills complex and many nightclubs. Several foreign embassies are located in Roppongi, and the nightlife is popular among both Japanese and foreigners.

Arashiyama – It is a neighborhood on the western outskirts of Kyoto and also refers to the mountain between the Oi River, famous for the: Bamboo Forest in Sagano and the Iwatayama Monkey Park.

Natural Parks and Gardens of Japan

Hamarikyu Gardens – It is a public park in Chūō, Tokyo, Japan. Located at the mouth of the Sumida River, it was opened on April 1, 1946. The park has 250,165 m² of landscaped gardens, with the park itself surrounded by a saltwater moat. Visitors can also enjoy refreshments in a tea house on Nakashima located in the middle of the lake in the garden that offers matcha and Japanese sweets in a tea ceremony. There is also a grove of plum trees and cosmos fields with flowers for each season.

Rikugi-en – A metropolitan park in Tokyo, in Bunkyo-ku. The name Rikugi-en means Garden of the six principles of poetry. The park consists of a small lake, trees, and a hill. The traditional Japanese garden within the park is a tourist attraction.

Yoyogi Park – Yoyogi Park is one of the largest parks in Tokyo, Japan, located near Harajuku Station and Meiji Shrine, in Shibuya.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden – It is a large park with a prominent garden in Shinjuku and Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally a residence of the Naitō family during the Edo period. Later, it became a garden under the management of the Imperial Household Agency of Japan. It is now a park under the jurisdiction of the national Ministry of the Environment.

Towers and Buildings of Japan

Tokyo Skytree – The Tokyo Sky Tree is a broadcasting tower in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. Initially, the tower was supposed to be 610 meters tall, but the design was changed, and it ended up being 634 meters tall.

Tokyo Tower – The Tokyo Tower is a communication tower and an observation deck located in the Shiba-koen district in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. At 333 meters tall, it is the second tallest artificial structure in Japan.

Tokyo City Hall – Tokyo City Hall or Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world, at 243 meters.

Landmark Tower – Minato Mirai is a very popular neighborhood in Yokohama, where you can find a 70-story building with one of the fastest elevators in the world, at a total height of 295 meters.

Amusement Spots in Japan

Universal Studios Japan – Universal Studios Japan, located in Osaka, is one of the four theme parks of Universal Studios, owned and operated by USJ Co., Ltd. with a license from NBCUniversal.

Tokyo Disneyland – Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo Disney Resort is a 465,000 m² theme park in the Tokyo Disney Resort, located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. Its main gate is directly adjacent to the Maihama and Disneyland Tokyo train stations.

Tokyo DisneySea – Tokyo DisneySea is a 71.22 ha theme park in the Tokyo Disney Resort, located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. It opened on September 4, 2001.

Tokyo Disney Resort – Tokyo Disney Resort is a theme park complex founded on April 15, 1983, in Urayasu-shi, Chiba-ken, near the border with Tokyo, owned by the Walt Disney Company. It is a replica of the first park built in California.

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan – An indoor aquarium in the city of Osaka, of the metropolitan style, and considered the largest in the world, with a total capacity of 11,000 tons of water.

Toshimaen – It is an amusement park in Nerima, Tokyo, Japan, owned by the Seibu Group. It has a variety of rides, including three roller coasters, and a water park with 25 slides and six swimming pools.

Hanayashiki – It is an amusement park in Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo that has been operating since 1853. It is operated by Hanayashiki Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings. It is claimed to be the oldest amusement park in Japan.

Museums and Historical Sites of Japan

Ghibli Museum – The Ghibli Museum is a museum in Tokyo, Japan dedicated to Studio Ghibli. A studio famous for making the best animated films in Japan.

Edo-Tokyo Museum – It is a museum located in Ryōgoku Kokugikan that tells the history of Tokyo during the Edo period. It was established in 1993. The main features of the permanent exhibitions are the life-size replica of Nihonbashi, which was the bridge leading to Edo, the Nakamuraza theater, and the models of cities and buildings from the Edo, Meiji, and Shōwa periods.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park – The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is a memorial park located in the center of Hiroshima, Japan, dedicated to the legacy of Hiroshima as the first city in the world to suffer a nuclear attack.

Tokyo National Museum – The Tokyo National Museum, the largest and oldest museum in Japan, was founded in 1872. It is located in Ueno Park, in Taito-ku, Tokyo.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial – The Hiroshima Peace Memorial, called Genbaku Dome or Atomic Bomb Dome by the Japanese, is located in Hiroshima, Japan. The building was originally designed by Czech architect Jan Letzel.

Castles of Japan

Himeji Castle – Himeji Castle, also known as Hakurojō or Shirasagijō due to its brilliant white exterior, is a palace complex with 82 wooden buildings, located in the city of Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.

Hikone Castle – Hikone Castle is the most well-known historical heritage of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.

Osaka Castle – Ōsaka-jō is a castle located in Chūō-ku, the most central district of Osaka, Japan. Originally named Ozakajo, it is one of the most famous castles in the country.

Nijō Castle – Nijō-jō or Nijō Castle is located in Kyoto, Japan. It was Tokugawa Ieyasu who ordered its construction in 1603.

Kōkyo – The Imperial Palace of Japan, also called the Tokyo Imperial Palace, is the official residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is located in the Chiyoda district in central Tokyo, near Tokyo Station.

Buddhist Temples of Japan

Sensō-ji – is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the oldest temple in Tokyo and one of the most significant.

Kiyomizu-dera – Kiyomizu-dera, officially Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera, is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto. The temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Tōdai-ji – Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist complex in the city of Nara, Japan. The temple received this name because it is located east of Heijō Palace.

Ginkaku-ji – Ginkaku-ji is located in the eastern region of Kyoto at the foot of Mount Tsukimachi; its construction began in the late 15th century by the grandson of shogun Yoshimitsu. Yoshimasa Ashikaga, who died just before the work was completed.

Kinkaku-ji – Kinkaku-ji is the name given to the Rokuon-ji temple, located in the city of Kyoto, Japan, and surrounded by the Kyōko-chi. The entire pavilion, except for the ground floor, is covered in pure gold leaf, and on the roof of the pavilion is a golden fenghuang.

Horyu-ji – A complex of Buddhist temples located in the city of Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Its full name is Hōryū Gakumonji, or Temple of the Flourishing Law.

Ryōan-ji – Ryōan-ji is a Zen temple located in northwest Kyoto, Japan. It belongs to the Myōshin-ji school of the Rinzai branch of Zen Buddhism.

Yakushi-ji – Yakushi-ji is one of the most famous and oldest Buddhist temples in Japan, which was one of the Seven Great Temples, located in Nara. The temple is the headquarters of the Hossō school of Japanese Buddhism.

Zenkō-ji – A Buddhist temple located in Nagano, the temple was built in the 7th century.

Shinto Shrines of Japan

Yasukuni Shrine – The Yasukuni Shrine is a controversial Shinto shrine located in Tokyo, Japan. The original name of the shrine is written as 靖國神社, but according to the current joyo kanji character codes, the name is written as 靖国神社.

Meiji Shrine – The Meiji Shrine, located in Shibuya, Tokyo, is the Shinto temple dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken.