Tourism in Japan

Popular sightseeing spots in Japan include:

• Hiroshima:
  • Hiroshima Peace Memorial - The remains of the Hiroshima Prefectural Promotion Hall after the atomic bombing.

• Hyogo prefecture:
  • Himeji castle - One of the finest surviving 17th century Japanese castles.

• Kyoto:
  • 1600 Buddhist temples, 400 Shinto shrines, palaces, gardens

• Nara:
  • Todaiji temple - The world's largest wooden building hosting the world's largest gilded bronze Buddha

• Traditional towns:
  • Nakasendo - one of the roads from Old Tokyo (Edo) and Kyoto passes through the Nagano prefecture. Some of the post towns (juku) along this road have been preserved and show the lifestyles of both the commoners and the high ranking officials.
  • Gassho zukkuri are traditional style houses from the mountain region of Gifu prefecture. A visit to Shirakawago and Takayama are well worth the effort. In Takayama be sure to visit Hida No Sato, an outdoor museum that allows you to walk around the inside of the houses, visit the tea house for free tea and senbei, and enjoy walk around the village.

• Tokyo:
  • Asakusa - Tokyo's oldest temple town dating back to the Edo period.
  • Kokyo - The residence of the Japanese Imperial family.
  • Tokyo Tower - The world's highest self supporting tower.

• Mount Fuji