As far as international travel destinations go, Japan is about as good as it gets. When planning a trip there, however, the sheer amount of incredible opportunities can make putting together an itinerary overwhelming.
To fix that, here are 12 places and activities to get you started on your next trip to Japan. They are located in three popular Japanese cities (Tokyo, Yokohama, and Kyoto) and they range from beautiful to interesting to strange. Read on.
Tokyo
Haneda Airport
When you first land in Tokyo, you might be tempted to bolt straight to the nearest taxi or subway station to get started on your exploring. Resist the urge! Tokyo’s Haneda Airport is itself an extremely attractive tourism spot, packed with stores and restaurants to give you a great first taste of Japan. If your flight home leaves from Haneda, get to the airport early and spend some time exploring. You won’t regret it.
Sensō-ji and Nakamise-dōri
Sensō-ji is Tokyo’s oldest temple, a magnificent sight surrounded by two Shinto shrines and a five-story Buddhist pagoda. The temple and its adjacent structures offer great photo opportunities.
Leading up to the temple is Nakamise-dōri, a pretty street lined with around 90 small shops that sell Japanese food and souvenirs of all kinds. Nakamise-dōri is a great place to do some casual shopping, and the moving from shop to shop down the street is a lively and interesting experience.
Shibuya Station and Crossing
Shibuya Station is one of the busiest railway stations in the world, and the crossing in the street outside is one of Japan’s most famous tourist spots. Both the station and the city outside have endless places to see, shop at, and eat at.
Two of the best places to shop at are LOFT and Tokyu Hands. Both are huge department stores that sell high-quality, interesting products Japanese-style. Visit either and you’re sure to come out with something you didn’t even know existed.
teamLab Borderless Digital Art Museum
The teamLab Digital Art Museum is a fascinating place. Featuring a series of dark rooms that are interconnected and flow into each other seamlessly, and with artwork of all kinds projected on the walls, floor, and ceiling, it is a beautiful visual experience. Your eyes feel like they are drinking from the amazing sights around you.
Yokohama
Unko Museum
The Unko Museum in Yokohama is a perfect example of the quirkier side of Japanese tourism. While it translates to “poop museum,” the Unko Museum doesn’t actually go into the details of feces - it is a colorful and playful space to take pictures among the poop-themed rooms, play poop-themed games, and have a good laugh.
Cup Noodle Museum
As if one novelty museum wasn’t enough, the Cup Noodle Museum is also located in Yokohama. The Cup Noodle Museum is more of a proper museum, exhibiting the history of cup noodles and featuring exhibits all about cup noodles. There is a Cup Noodle Bazaar and a custom cup noodle factory, where you can pay to create your own cup noodles and take them home.
Red Brick Warehouse
Yokohama’s Red Brick Warehouse is a large brick building filled with shops and eateries offering goods of all kinds, with perennial Japanese charm.
Kyoto
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Taisha is one of Kyoto’s many famous sights. The shrine is famous for its 1,000+ torii gates lining the path up the mountain it lies on. The gates provide great photo opportunities, and at the base of the mountain by the main buildings there are food vendors who sell delicious meat and refreshing shaved ice.
Ginkaku-Ji and Kinkaku-Ji
Ginkaku-Ji and Kinkaku-Ji are two beautiful Japanese temples respectively meaning Silver and Gold Pavilion. Ginkaku-Ji is surrounded by a beautiful zen garden and a stone path that winds around the Pavilion for a high view. Near Ginkaku-Ji is also the Philosopher’s Path, a long stone path along a small stream bordered by trees. A picture is worth a thousand words.
Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama
Arashiyama Monkey Park is a park on the Arashiyama mountain, and home to around 170 Japanese macaques (also known as snow monkeys). While you should be prepared for a long climb up the mountain, seeing the monkeys (who roam free in the park) is definitely worth it. If you want, you can pay to feed the monkeys through a mesh wall from the inside of a building.
Nishiki Market
Nishiki Market is a marketplace in downtown Kyoto located along a long street, and full of Japanese food vendors. There is food of all kinds, from shaved ice to mochi to skewers of wagyu steak.
Ninenzaka
Ninenzaka is a long winding road lined by souvenir, food, and tea shops - including a wonderfully anachronistic Starbucks in a traditional-style Japanese building. The traditional architecture and environment make for a pleasant walk, even if you don’t buy anything.
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