About Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia where the very old and the very new sit side by side. Within a single day you can pray at a thousand-year-old shrine, ride a bullet train at 320 km/h, and eat sushi prepared by a chef who has spent decades perfecting a single dish. The country stretches across four main islands, giving it everything from the snowfields of Hokkaido to the coral reefs of Okinawa.
- Capital: Tokyo
- Official Languages: Japanese
- Currency: Japanese Yen (JPY)
- Best Time to Visit: March to May for cherry blossoms, and October to November for autumn foliage
Top Places to Visit in Japan
Tokyo
The capital is really a collection of distinct cities. Shibuya and Shinjuku deliver neon and crowds, Asakusa holds the historic Senso-ji temple beneath the Tokyo Skytree, and Ginza is all quiet luxury. Spend an evening in a tiny Golden Gai bar and a morning at the Tsukiji Outer Market for the full range.
Kyoto
The former imperial capital and the heart of traditional Japan, with more than 1,600 temples. Walk the vermilion torii gates of Fushimi Inari at dawn before the crowds arrive, visit the golden Kinkaku-ji, and wander the lantern-lit lanes of Higashiyama beneath the Yasaka Pagoda.
Osaka
Japan’s kitchen. Come hungry for takoyaki, okonomiyaki and kushikatsu along the neon-lit Dotonbori canal. Osaka Castle and its stone moat anchor the city’s history, and Nara’s deer park is a short train ride away.
Mount Fuji and Hakone
The country’s most recognisable landmark, best viewed from the Fuji Five Lakes or from a Hakone hot spring resort. The area combines volcanic scenery, open-air art museums and traditional onsen bathing, all within easy reach of Tokyo.
Hiroshima and Miyajima
The Peace Memorial Park and its preserved Atomic Bomb Dome make for a moving and essential visit. A short ferry ride away, the floating torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima island is one of Japan’s most photographed sights, especially at sunrise.
Why Visit Japan
Japan rewards travellers who pay attention. The quality of small things (a bowl of ramen, a train that arrives to the second, a garden raked into perfect lines) reveals a culture built around care and precision. It is safe, immaculately clean, easy to navigate even without the language, and offers four genuinely distinct seasons. Few destinations manage to feel this foreign and this comfortable at the same time.