There are not many countries in the world that offer as much diversity as Japan. The mere mention of the name conjures up images of ancient temples, pulsating and futuristic cities, kimono-clad geishas, and robot waiters.
The unique synthesis of modernity meets tradition makes the Land of the Rising Sun one of the most fascinating destinations for any traveller — and you can be sure you’ll never run out of things to do in Japan. It can be overwhelming sifting between all of the exciting attractions and places to visit but it’s time to bite the bullet train and check these off your list first.
1. Cross Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo
One of the most unmissable things to do in Tokyo is to walk across the Shibuya Crossing, the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. During peak times, anywhere from 1,000 to 2,500 people scramble across the intersection every two minutes — giving the crossing its beloved nickname “Shibuya Scramble Crossing.”
If you want to capture your “I went to Japan” photo, this is the place to get it. Just remember this is an actual crossing, and when the green man turns red, the traffic flow begins. For an added bonus, head to the second floor of the Starbucks at Shibuya Cross Tower to see it from above.
See the highlights of Tokyo on: Back Roads of Japan
2. Admire digital art at teamLab Planets
Japan is a country that truly embraces art in all forms. They birthed manga, invented woodblock printing (known as ukiyo-e), and founded paper art called origami.
Though these practices are thousands of years old, Japan is still a pioneer in the art space, and this is best seen at teamLab Planets, a digital art installation that showcases how far ahead cutting-edge technology in Japan really is.
teamLab Planets is an immersive art museum in Tokyo where you can take off your shoes and walk through a digital garden. As you walk you can touch, lift, and become one with the installation, which has been designed to move and interact with visitors.
3. Witness Kyoto's cherry blossom season
Kyoto is the most beautiful city in Asia. No really, ask the thousands of travellers across the world who voted with Ranker and picked Kyoto as their number one destination. Arguably Kyoto becomes even more beautiful in the Spring, also known as sakura (cherry blossom) season. This is when the entire city is awash in the fragrant aromas and serene sight of soft pink cherry blossoms which bloom for just two weeks of the year.
Nature is unpredictable, and so the exact dates of the cherry blossom blooming are not set in stone, but you can expect the cherry blossoms to bloom between the last week of March and for the first two weeks of April.
Immerse yourself in the serenity of Kyoto on: Japan: Castles & Cuisine
4. Celebrate Golden Week in Japan
Another good reason to jet off to Japan in April, is Golden Week — the time of the year when there are more festivities than any other time of the year! Golden Week usually runs from the last week of April and into early May, where there are four public holidays set back to back.
This is the time of year when most people in Japan take their annual holidays for much-needed rest. Though rest is an understatement, as there are four festivals to be celebrated, so you can expect festivities, called matsuris, happening all over the country on those four important dates.
If you’re visiting during Golden Week and are stuck wondering what to do in Japan, just head to the cities where you don’t have to work hard to find a matsuri. They are usually celebrated with a colourful parade, traditional music and dance performances, and temple offerings.
Unwind in a peaceful onsen on: Japan: Kyoto, Tokyo & the Michinoku Coastal Trail
5. Admire the Kinkaka-ji (Golden Pavilion)
Kyoto is the city of temples; it has more than 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines, to be exact, but none are more captivating than the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kikaka-ji, also known as the Golden Pavilion or Golden Temple.
It was originally built in 1397 as a retirement villa for Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the shogun (military dictator) who ruled Japan during the Sengoku period. His son converted it into a temple shortly after he passed.
Unfortunately, it was burned to the ground in 1950 by a young monk who ‘hated its beauty’, but it was soon rebuilt exactly as it was before, with a bit more gold leaf added to the lower floors — because who doesn’t want more gold?
See more Kyoto temples on: Japan: Tokyo Nights & Kyoto Temples
6. Explore the Geisha District of Gion
With its narrow, cobblestone streets and traditional wooden machiya houses, the tranquil neighbourhood of Gion is the most visited district of Kyoto. But it’s not the meticulously manicured gardens or the storied teahouses that bring travellers to Gion — it’s rather for a chance to glimpse one of Japan’s most famous and elusive entertainers, the geisha.
Geishas have been entertaining Japan’s wealthy and elite since as far back as the 17th century, and are known for their skills in conversation, music, dance, and traditional tea ceremonies. There are estimated to be only 300 geisha left in Kyoto, the birthplace of geisha, and they don’t wander up and down streets for the prying eyes of the public, but you can often find them dipping between tea houses or getting out of cars.
If you don’t see a geisha, no worries. You can have your own geisha experience by renting a kimono and dressing up in traditional dress for the day. Don’t worry about looking out of place, everyone does it!
7. Ride the bullet train aka Shinkansen
You wouldn’t think riding a train would be so exciting, but not here in Japan! The Shinkansen, more commonly known as the Bullet Train, is a revolutionary mode of transport that connects major cities across Japan. It originally opened in 1964 ahead of the Tokyo Olympics as a way to connect Tokyo with Osaka, a distance of 514km (320 mi), which would normally take several hours in a car down to just 2.5 hours via high-speed rail.
Today the Shinkansen has expanded to cover 3218 km (2,000 mi), and travels at speeds of up to 320km (200 mi) per hour! Although you might be expecting lightning G-Force to secure you to your seat for the whole ride, riding on the Shinkansen is a smooth and pleasant experience. What’s more, is that in the 60+ years it has been in operation, it has had no passenger fatalities and has an impeccable safety record.
Ride the Shinkansen on: National Geographic Journeys: Iconic Japan
8. Pay your respects at Hiroshima
Surrounded by verdant green hills and set under a clear, blue sky, you’d have a hard time believing Hiroshima’s dark history as you walk amongst its urban streets. Hiroshima is notoriously famous for being the city that was devastated by a nuclear explosion in August 1945, at the end of the Second World War. The atomic bomb, detonated by the United States, killed between 150,000 and 246,000 people, many of whom were civilians.
The effects of the bombing didn’t just cause loss of life, but also caused residual radioactivity, causing whoever was left to flee the city and start a new life elsewhere. In 1955, Hiroshima’s radiation was back to a safe level, and the city was completely rebuilt. Today it’s a thriving city with more than 1.1 million residents, and a testament to recovery, resilience, and peace.
You can learn more about this nuclear story at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, and pay respects at the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park.
9. Marvel at the Itsukushima Shrine
An easy day trip from Hiroshima is Miyajima Island, or Itsuku-shima, where you can marvel at the famous “floating” torii, the Itsukushima shrine. This Shinto shrine gate is famous because it seemingly floats on the water during high tide.
The Itsukushima shrine is Japan’s most photographed ancient site and is dedicated to the three female deities — the goddesses of seas and storms. Aside from the shrine, the island has a number of beautiful temples (Itsukushima translates to island dedicated to the Gods in English), a few tranquil walks, and a population of friendly wild deer.
Explore Hiroshima and Miyajima on: Japan Express - Osaka to Tokyo
10. Step back in time in Kanazawa
Kanazawa is a small traditional city known for its Edo-period architecture, idyllic gardens, attractive shrines, and a few small museums. It was once one of the wealthiest cities in Japan, thanks to its fruitful rice production, and was also left unscathed during the Second World War, meaning much of its historic buildings have remained largely intact.
Some of the top attractions in Kanazawa are the 17th-century old Kenroku-en gardens, the manicured grounds of Kanazawa Castle, and the more modern 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. It’s well worth walking around the Higashi Chaya District, also known as the Geisha District, which is where you’ll find a number of tea houses and shops selling local handicrafts (pottery and gold-leaf crafts are the most sought-after here), as well as the Nagamachi district, known for its samurai houses.
11. Go to Fuji Five Lakes to hike Mt. Fuji
Mount Fuji is Japan’s most familiar icon and is the highest mountain in the country at 3776 metres high. Fuji-san, as it’s known locally, is still an active volcano, though the snow-capped mountain hasn’t blown its top off since 1707, so it’s very safe to hike.
The place to go for hiking Fuji and to get impressive close up views is Fuji Five Lakes, known locally as Fuji-Go-Ko, which lie on the northern side of Fuji-san. The area within Fuji-Go-Ko for hiking is Kawaguchi-ko, which is reachable by train from Tokyo. Here you will find the viewing platform over Lake Kawaguchiko where you’ll capture that famous postcard view of Mount Fuji reflecting in the lake.
Fuji-san is a notoriously shy mountain and is usually covered in clouds. On a clear day, it can be seen from 100km away in Tokyo, but clear days only happen for roughly 80 days a year. The best chance of seeing Fuji-san without its curtain of clouds is in late Autumn or winter.
Although you see children and grandparents hiking Mount Fuji, it’s no easy effort. Altitude sickness and volatile weather conditions make it a challenging hike, but the effort is rewarded when you reach the summit and can traverse the crater’s edge. It takes roughly four hours to hike up Mount Fuji, and three hours to descend, making it possible in a day.
12. Head to Niseko for first-rate skiing
Nestled between Niseko Annupuri on one side and Yotei-zan mountain on the other, lies Japan's number one snow resort, Niseko. As one of Hokkaido’s premier ski resorts, Niseko is the place to be for world-class skiing and snowboarding and is said to have some of the best powder in the world — perfect for snowboarders wanting to create waves with the pow.
13. Feel the thrill of Okinawa diving
There are many reasons to visit Okinawa; for the white sand beaches, tropical climate, laid-back living, and to quiz the local residents on their secrets to long life (68% of them live over the age of 100). But the biggest reason to visit Okinawa is for its diving. Okinawa’s tropical climate means you can dive in warm waters all year round, and the beauty that lies beneath the Kuroshio current waters is worth making the 2.5-hour direct flight from Tokyo.
There are many amazing dive sites around the Okinawa archipelago. You can explore sea caves around Miyako Island, swim with manta rays by Ishigaki Island, or dive with hammerhead sharks by Yonaguni Island — Okinawa is an underwater adventure waiting to be explored.
14. Sleep in a temple in Kōyasan
Spending a night in a traditional Buddhist monastery is the perfect fall experience in Japan. The complex becomes surrounded by a verdant forest awash in colours of reds, oranges, and yellows.
Kōyasan, or Koya-san, is a forested monastery surrounded by eight mountain peaks, and is the headquarters of the Shingon School of Esoteric Buddhism. Although you can visit on a day trip, staying the night in one of Koya-san’s shukubo (temple lodgings) is one of the most rewarding travel experiences you can have. Not just for its serene setting, but because of the immersive glimpse into Japanese religious life.
Wake up early for a 6:00am service, or wander around the quiet and peaceful natural landscapes for spiritual introspection and meditation. Be sure to bring warm clothing. At an altitude of 800m above sea level, temperatures can get cold here, even in the summer.
15. Eat the very best sushi in Ginza, Tokyo
It’s not hard to find great sushi in Japan, but if you want to try the best of the best, head to Ginza in Tokyo. The city has the highest number of Michelin-star restaurants in the world, with more than 200 of them spread out across town. If you’re a foodie, you’re in the right city. Japan’s culinary mastery is what makes Japan unique.
Ginza is a high-end district with prestigious shopping facilities and upscale restaurants, and also happens to be widely regarded as the best place in Tokyo to eat sushi because of its close proximity to Tsukiji Outer Market. Kyūbey is one of the most famous places to eat sushi in Ginza. It has 5 floors of seating, and has been operated by the same family since 1935, making it a pioneer restaurant in innovative sushi dishes.
Eat your way around Japan on: Epic Japan: Speed Trains & Street Food
16. Relax in a Takayama onsen
If you’re ever feeling like you’re running out of stuff to do in Japan, look for an onsen. It’s the most peaceful and therapeutic way to pass the time. One of the premier towns for onsen culture is the historic city of Takayama. Known for its centuries-old inns, sake breweries, and hillside shrines, Takayama looks like a place where time has stood still.
It was established in the 16th century as a castle town, and its present-day layout is the same as that of the Kanamori period (1588–1608). Stay in an authentic Ryokan (guesthouse) where you can indulge in the local customs and sleep on tatami mats, and experience a soothing onsen bath. You will find several inns and guesthouses with onsite onsens and spas in Takayama.
Visit Kanazawa and Takayama on: Discover Japan
17. Watch soaking snow monkeys at Jigokudani Monkey Park
Although hard to believe after seeing the futuristic metropolis of Tokyo, 67% of Japan is untamed wilderness. One of the most incredible things to see and do in Japan is to see this wilderness reclaimed by the resourceful Japanese macaques (snow monkeys) in their natural habitat.
Nestled in Joshinetsu Kogen National Park is the only place in the world where you can witness snow monkeys bathing in the thermal waters of a natural hot spring. Within the forests of the Jigokudani Valley, the Jigokudani Monkey Park created a man-made pool which was specifically made for the monkeys to enjoy.
Although these monkeys are wild, they love visiting the park to warm up in the hot waters, especially during the winter months. They are also well accustomed to humans, and their playful and charismatic nature is highly entertaining to see.
