Every Place in the Catalogue
1,610 spots
Hashino Iron Mining Site
Well knownIn 1858 Oshima Takato, working from a Dutch textbook, built a Western-style blast furnace here and produced Japan's firs…
Goshono Jomon Site
Well knownGoshono was a large village of the middle Jomon period, occupied from roughly 5,000 to 4,200 years ago, and in July 2021…
Yunotsu Onsen
Well knownYunotsu was the port that shipped silver out of Iwami Ginzan, and when the mine was inscribed by UNESCO the town went in…
Ogawa Washi
Well knownHosokawa paper has been made in Ogawa and the neighbouring village of Higashi-Chichibu for around 1,300 years, from kozo…
Onigajo
Well knownOnigajo is a kilometre and a half of sea cliff on the Kumano coast where volcanic rock laid down about fourteen million…
Kumano Hayatama Taisha
Well knownThe third of the Kumano grand shrines, at the mouth of the Kumano river in Shingu, and the most compact — vermilion hall…
Illustration — not a photographKamikura Shrine
Well knownKamikura is where, in the Kumano tradition, the gods first came down to earth — before Hayatama, before Hongu, before an…
Tsuboyu
Well knownTsuboyu is a hut about the size of a garden shed over a rock pool in the streambed at Yunomine, and it is the only World…
Sefa-utaki
Well knownSefa-utaki was the most important sacred site in the Ryukyu kingdom. The kingdom's religion was administered by women —…
Zakimi Castle Ruins
Well knownZakimi is the smallest of the World Heritage gusuku and the one built by the man generally regarded as the best military…
Katsuren Castle Ruins
Well knownKatsuren stands on a limestone ridge on the Katsuren peninsula and was the seat of Amawari, a lord who rose from nothing…
Illustration — not a photographNakagusuku Castle Ruins
Well knownNakagusuku is the best-preserved gusuku in Okinawa and the one that shows what the masonry could do. It was built up thr…
Misumi West Port
Well knownMisumi West Port was one of three ports the Meiji government built to modernise Japanese shipping, designed in 1887 by t…
Sakitsu Village
Well knownSakitsu is a fishing village on a narrow inlet in southern Amakusa, and for over two hundred years of prohibition its pe…
Spa Resort Hawaiians
Well knownSpa Resort Hawaiians (スパリゾートハワイアンズ) is Japan's largest indoor water park, a surreal tropical complex featuring constant…
Dewa Sanzan
Well knownDewa Sanzan (出羽三山, 'Three Mountains of Dewa') comprises Mt. Haguro, Mt. Gassan, and Mt. Yudono — three sacred peaks that…
Illustration — not a photographYamadera (Risshakuji Temple)
Well knownYamadera hangs on a volcanic cliff north of Yamagata City, its halls and pagodas built directly into the rock face 417 m…
Nyuto Onsen
Well knownNyuto Onsen (乳頭温泉郷) is a cluster of seven secluded hot spring inns deep in the Towada-Hachimantai National Park, 50 kilo…
Illustration — not a photographKiritanpo
Well knownKiritanpo (きりたんぽ) is Akita's signature comfort food, originating from the mountainous Kazuno region where woodcutters an…
Lake Tazawa
Well knownLake Tazawa (田沢湖) is Japan's deepest lake at 423 meters, located in Akita's mountainous interior. The depth creates an o…
Namahage
Well knownNamahage are demon-gods from Oga Peninsula folklore, part of Akita's New Year traditions since the Edo period. They wear…
Kakunodate Samurai District
Well knownKakunodate preserves 2 kilometers of samurai district from the Edo period, with wide unpaved streets lined by black wood…
Zuiganji Temple
Well knownZuiganji Temple stands as one of the Tohoku region's most important Zen Buddhist temples, a National Treasure that has s…
Zao Fox Village (Miyagi Zao Kitsune Mura)
Well knownThe first fox you see at Zao Fox Village is sleeping in a dirt hollow three meters from the entrance gate, curled nose-t…
Estimated from distance to the nearest airport or shinkansen station. Confirm actual journey times before you travel.