The 10 best spots in Tokyo for Instagram photos

Do you relish filling your Instagram feed with dazzling travel photos? Where can you find the best places to capture historic or modern culture, or to make your photos pop? Consider our picks for the coolest places to brush up on your photography in Tokyo.

The following list encompasses ten of the best Instagrammable spots in Tokyo. Don’t forget to use your Japan Rail Pass for fast and easy travel.

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Tokyo Skytree: Visiting Tokyo’s Tallest Tower

Rising above the Tokyo skyline is a structure that looks like a conglomeration of the Eiffel Tower and the Seattle Space Needle. It is one of the tallest structures in the world, and it combines Tokyo’s futuristic character with traditional Japanese values. How?

The Tokyo Skytree was built using the same principles as the Japanese pagoda, a type of tower with many roofs stacked atop one another. Its stability springs from its central pole, called a shinbashira. In the case of the Skytree, this central pole is in the form of a massive concrete tube, fastened to the rest of the tower using fuel dampers invented by NASA. Even in an earthquake, the tower is designed to sway against this pole without sustaining harmful structural damage.

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The Sanyo Shinkansen with the JR Pass

What thrills you most about western Japan? Is it the succulent taste and fine marbled texture of the famous Kobe beef? It is the surreal reminders of historic events to be found in Hiroshima? Is it the rich history of the area’s countless shrines, gardens, and temples? Or, do you wish to indulge in the modern shopping experience of Osaka Station city?

Whatever draws you, western Japan holds something for every traveler. Now, with the help of your Japan Rail Pass, getting there and getting around are faster and easier than ever. Find out how you can use the Sanyo Shinkansen Line to enhance your next Japanese vacation.

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Kanazawa travel guide: Access and things to do

Kanazawa is known as ‘Little Kyoto’, though it is a unique destination in its own right. The capital of Ishikawa Prefecture, it offers a huge number of historical attractions, Buddhist temples, and interesting museums, as well as fascinating samurai and geisha districts.

Kanazawa’s best-known attraction is the 17th-century Kenrokuen Castle. This impressive piece of historic architecture boasts one of the country’s very best landscape gardens and it draws visitors from both across Japan and abroad.

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Best Day Trips from Osaka by train

Osaka might not exude beauty the way Kyoto might, but the city definitely has charm, color, and great food. Set in the Kansai region, Japan’s third largest city is extremely well connected and has plenty of surprises in store.

If you’re a foodie, Osaka is the place to be. Its unofficial slogan is kruidaore which means ‘eat until you drop’.  A highly photogenic spot in the city is Dōtombori, here you will find several pedestrian streets and numerous illuminated billboards. One of the most famous signs is the Glico Running Man.

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