Destinations

Check our extensive guides to destinations and places to visit all over Japan to help you travel and get around, and find what to do and see in each location.

Find the best points of interest you can visit by train, how to get there, main attractions and off the beaten tracks suggestions in Japan’s four islands.

Tokyo Imperial Palace: How and when to visit

Also known as Kōkyo, this palace in Tokyo is the residence of Japan’s Imperial Family. The Imperial Place is defined by distinctive whitewashed buildings with sloping roofs in a historic Japanese style, and is surrounded by a vast, formidable moat.

Visitors to Tokyo are encouraged to take a guided tour of the extensive, elegant palace grounds. These include the Imperial Palace East Gardens, which houses the large collection of the Museum of the Imperial Collection, and Kitanomaru Park, home to the National Museum of Modern Art.

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Nishiki Market Travel Guide: Kyoto’s Shopping District

Nishiki Market, known in Japanese as Nishiki Ichiba, is a narrow shopping street in Kyoto. Often referred to as “Kyoto’s Kitchen” or “Kyoto’s Pantry,” this fresh food market is five blocks long and lined with over one hundred restaurants and shops. Some shops are tiny stalls, while others are enormous two-story buildings.

The market has a pleasant, busy atmosphere that will allow you to taste Japan’s culinary culture at its finest.

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Toji Temple in Kyoto: Access and attractions

Kyoto is a city steeped in history. It is home to 17 of the 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites declared in Japan. Entering certain areas of this modern city is like stepping back in time.

Toji Temple is one of those sites. It is home to a the tallest wooden pagoda in Japan. Its name means “East Temple” in Japanese, and it was founded in 796. At one time there was also a “West Temple,” called Saiji, but today only its sister, Toji, remains.

In spring, the temple grounds are a favored spot for viewing cherry blossoms, including a huge, photo-worthy weeping cherry. Check out this travel guide to see all that Toji Temple has to offer.

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Tennoji Station: Osaka travel guide

Tennoji Station, called Tennoji-eki in Japanese, is located in the Tennoji-ku region of southern Osaka. It is an important transportation hub.

In the past, the area around Tennoji Station has had a “seedy” reputation. It’s the setting of many crime mangas and a historic “pleasure district.” However, renovations and tourism have elevated Tennoji, and there’s something there for everyone – from zoos and museums to ancient temples and food stands.

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Visiting Osaka Castle and Nishinomaru Garden

One of the most famous historical sites in all of Japan, Osaka castle is situated right in the heart of the city of the same name and distinctive for its unique roof shape and stately white walls with gold leaf accents.

Surrounded by thick rock walls, moats and the stunning Nishinomaru Garden, the castle is particularly popular among tourists during the Sakura cherry blossom in the spring.

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