Top 10 Must-Visit Destinations in Japan

Japan's ancient imperial capital from 794 to 1869, Kyoto is home to 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, over 1,600 Buddhist temples, and 400 Shinto shrines. The Gion district preserves the geisha tradition, while Fushimi Inari's 10,000 torii gates draw over 50 million visitors annually.

Japan's highest peak at 3,776 metres and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013, Mount Fuji is an active stratovolcano that draws approximately 200,000 climbers each summer season. Its perfectly symmetrical cone has inspired Japanese art and poetry for centuries, making it Japan's most recognisable natural landmark.

Japan's third-largest city and culinary capital, Osaka is famous for its vibrant Dotonbori entertainment district, where neon signs and street food stalls line the canal. Osaka Castle, founded in 1583 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, remains a defining landmark, and the city holds more Michelin stars per capita than almost anywhere else.

Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park and Museum stand as a global symbol of nuclear history and the events of 6 August 1945, when the city became the first to experience an atomic bombing. The A-Bomb Dome, preserved in its near-destroyed state, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site drawing over 1.5 million visitors annually.

Japan's first permanent capital (710-794 CE), Nara is home to Todai-ji Temple, which houses the world's largest bronze Buddha statue inside the largest wooden structure on Earth. Over 1,200 free-roaming sika deer wander Nara Park, considered sacred messengers of the gods, alongside 8 UNESCO World Heritage properties.

Situated within the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Hakone offers stunning views of Mount Fuji across Lake Ashi and is renowned for its traditional onsen hot spring ryokan inns. The open-air Hakone Sculpture Museum displays over 120 works by Rodin, Picasso, and Henry Moore against a backdrop of forested mountains.

Nikko's Tosho-gu Shrine, built in 1617 as the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Edo shogunate, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrated for its extraordinarily ornate carvings and gilded architecture. Surrounded by ancient cedar forests, Nikko also encompasses the 97-metre Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji.

The capital of Hokkaido, Sapporo hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics and is home to the world-famous Snow Festival, attracting over 2 million visitors each February to marvel at massive ice sculptures. The city is the birthplace of Japan's iconic Sapporo Beer (est. 1876) and serves as a gateway to Niseko's world-class ski resorts.

Japan's subtropical island chain stretching across 160 islands, Okinawa is home to 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites from the Ryukyu Kingdom era, including Shuri Castle first built in the 14th century. Its coral reefs rival the Great Barrier Reef in biodiversity, and the islands are globally recognised as a Blue Zone with one of the world's highest concentrations of centenarians.

Japan's ancient imperial capital from 794 to 1869, Kyoto is home to 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, over 1,600 Buddhist temples, and 400 Shinto shrines. The Gion district preserves the geisha tradition, while Fushimi Inari's 10,000 torii gates draw over 50 million visitors annually.

Japan's highest peak at 3,776 metres and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013, Mount Fuji is an active stratovolcano that draws approximately 200,000 climbers each summer season. Its perfectly symmetrical cone has inspired Japanese art and poetry for centuries, making it Japan's most recognisable natural landmark.

Japan's third-largest city and culinary capital, Osaka is famous for its vibrant Dotonbori entertainment district, where neon signs and street food stalls line the canal. Osaka Castle, founded in 1583 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, remains a defining landmark, and the city holds more Michelin stars per capita than almost anywhere else.

Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park and Museum stand as a global symbol of nuclear history and the events of 6 August 1945, when the city became the first to experience an atomic bombing. The A-Bomb Dome, preserved in its near-destroyed state, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site drawing over 1.5 million visitors annually.

Japan's first permanent capital (710-794 CE), Nara is home to Todai-ji Temple, which houses the world's largest bronze Buddha statue inside the largest wooden structure on Earth. Over 1,200 free-roaming sika deer wander Nara Park, considered sacred messengers of the gods, alongside 8 UNESCO World Heritage properties.

Situated within the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Hakone offers stunning views of Mount Fuji across Lake Ashi and is renowned for its traditional onsen hot spring ryokan inns. The open-air Hakone Sculpture Museum displays over 120 works by Rodin, Picasso, and Henry Moore against a backdrop of forested mountains.

Nikko's Tosho-gu Shrine, built in 1617 as the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Edo shogunate, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrated for its extraordinarily ornate carvings and gilded architecture. Surrounded by ancient cedar forests, Nikko also encompasses the 97-metre Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji.

The capital of Hokkaido, Sapporo hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics and is home to the world-famous Snow Festival, attracting over 2 million visitors each February to marvel at massive ice sculptures. The city is the birthplace of Japan's iconic Sapporo Beer (est. 1876) and serves as a gateway to Niseko's world-class ski resorts.

Japan's subtropical island chain stretching across 160 islands, Okinawa is home to 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites from the Ryukyu Kingdom era, including Shuri Castle first built in the 14th century. Its coral reefs rival the Great Barrier Reef in biodiversity, and the islands are globally recognised as a Blue Zone with one of the world's highest concentrations of centenarians.