architecture
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Umeda Sky Building, Osaka | Fusion of architectural beauty and cutting-edge technology
The Umeda Sky Building in Osaka is located near Osaka station and well-worth a short visit. The view from the observation deck is amazing, and the building itself is an architectural masterpiece.
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Shurijo Castle, Okinawa | Beautiful castles with unique materials and decorations
Okinawa was an independent kingdom named the Ryukyu Islands from 1429 to 1879, and Shurijo Castle was the seat of this Kingdom for hundreds of years.
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Kumamoto Castle, one of the three most beautiful castles in Japan
Kumamoto Castle is a Japanese castle located in Kumamoto City, the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture. It is regarded as one of the three best castles in Japan together with Himeji and Nagoya castles.
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Great Seto Bridge (Seto Ohashi)
The Great Seto Bridge links the islands of Honshu and Shikoku. It is one of the largest bridges in the world, and even visible from space! There are some points of interest near the bridge.
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Osaka Castle | One of the three most beautiful castles in Japan
Read about the history of the iconic Osaka Castle, and what you can see there today!
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Five of the Best Shrines in Japan
It can be difficult to choose which shrine to visit in Japan because there are so many interesting ones to choose from. To help you, we present a list of 5 of the most impressive Shinto shrines to visit during your stay in Japan.
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Machiya, Kyoto | Beautiful old-fashioned architecture with natural materials
A ‘machiya’ is a traditional wooden house that is especially typical of Kyoto city. It was the artisans and merchants of the cities who lived in machiya.
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Horyuji Temple, Nara | The oldest wooden building in the world
The Horyuji temple in Nara was founded in 607 by Prince Shotoku and has the oldest wooden buildings in the world.
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Kofukuji Temple, Nara | The largest number of national treasure statues in Japan
The Kofukuji Temple was moved to its current location in Nara from Kyoto in 710, the year when the capital was moved to Nara. The pagodas and the museum are worth a visit.
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Kasuga Taisha, Nara | Shiny shrine pavilion and beautiful wisteria flowers
Kasuga Taisha Shrine was founded in the 8th century by the Fujiwara family and used to be completely rebuilt every 20 years, according to Shinto tradition, until the end of the 14th century.
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Heian Jingu, Kyoto | Travel back in time to the Heian Period
The Heian Jingu shrine was instituted in 1895 to commemorate the 1,100-year anniversary of the return of the capital to Heian, which is today’s Kyoto. Its architecture is impressive.
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Sanjusangendo, Kyoto | Thousand golden-colored statues of the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
The Sanjusangendo temple in Kyoto was established by the powerful warrior-politician Taira-no-Kiyomori in 1164, and it is especially famous for its 1001 statues.
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Chionin Temple, Kyoto | The largest wooden gate in Japan
The Chion-in temple in Kyoto is a Buddhist temple and is the home of Jo-do Buddhism. It was founded in the 12th century, and besides its historical significance, there are a few other reasons why this is an interesting temple to visit!
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Ginkakuji Temple, Kyoto | Beautiful gardens and rustic beauty
Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) was constructed by a shogun from the 15th century. You can still see his quest for beauty in the Ginkakuji, even after 500 years.
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Nomura Samurai Home, Kanazawa | Would you like to take a peek into the life of the Samurai?
In Kanazawa, you can find the old home of the samurai Nomura clan. The building is almost intact and is a good example of how the samurai warriors who protected the city lived at that time.
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Hirosaki Castle, Aomori | One of the few castles where you can see beautiful scenery with snow
Hirosaki Castle stands in Aomori prefecture. It is a very important castle because it has one of the only 12 original main keeps which exist in Japan. It is one of the best places to view cherry blossoms in Japan.
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Ouchijuku, Fukushima | Time travel to the Edo period!
If you are interested in Japan’s history and want to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Edo Period, you should consider adding old post town Ouchijuku in Fukushima to your itinerary.
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Aizuwakamatsu Castle (Tsuruga-jo Castle) | Beautiful scenery from season to season
Aizuwakamatsu Castle, also known as Tsuruga Castle, is a traditional fortress located in Fukushima Prefecture. It now houses a museum and, at the top, a lookout point with views of the entire city.
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Historical Village of Hokkaido, Hokkaido | Travel back in time 100 years
The Historical Village of Hokkaido is an open-air museum in Sapporo with buildings from the Meiji and Taisho periods, during which Hokkaido developed rapidly.