Things to do in Japan

The 18 best things to do in Japan

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1. 1Kyoto

   Walk the torii gate tunnels at Fushimi Inari

   Fushimi Inari Taisha, founded in 711, is the head shrine of about 30,000 Inari shrines across Japan, where people have long prayed for good harvests and business success. Behind the main hall, paths lined with around 10,000 vermilion torii gates, each one an offering, climb Inariyama, a 233 m sacred mountain. The first stretch is the busiest, and the paths get quieter as you climb past stone fox statues, the messengers of Inari, and small shrines tucked into the cedar woods. It suits anyone happy to climb steps in comfortable shoes, and it is easy to reach: JR Inari Station sits right by the entrance, two stops from Kyoto Station.

   Tip: Go early in the morning, or in the late afternoon when the upper paths turn quiet and a little eerie, and save snacks for the marked rest areas, since eating while walking is not allowed.

   Free to visit
   Search tours on KlookSources: Fushimi Inari Taisha (official); Fushimi Inari Taisha (official); Fushimi Inari Taisha (official); Fushimi Inari Taisha (official); Kyoto City Tourism Association (Kyoto Travel)
2. 2Tokyo

   Pass through the Kaminarimon to Sensō-ji

   Sensō-ji in Asakusa is Tokyo's oldest temple, built around a statue of Kannon that, as the story goes, two fishermen pulled from the Sumida River in 628. You enter through the Kaminarimon, the Thunder Gate, where statues of the wind and thunder gods stand guard, then walk Nakamise, one of Japan's oldest shopping streets, lined with about 90 shops of rice crackers, sweets and souvenirs. At the main hall, visitors waft incense smoke over themselves for good health before praying. It is the easiest place in Tokyo to see temple life up close, and a good first stop on day one.

   Tip: Visit early in the morning for a calmer look at the main hall, and if you are in Tokyo from December 17 to 19, the year's last festival fills the grounds with a market of decorated hagoita paddles.

   Free to visit
   Search tours on KlookSources: Sensō-ji (official); GO TOKYO (Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau)
3. 3TokyoBook ahead

   Cross Shibuya Crossing, then watch it from above

   Walking across the Shibuya Scramble Crossing with the crowd, under the giant screens outside Shibuya Station, is the big-city Tokyo moment many first-timers come for. Do it once at street level, then watch it from above. Qfront, the building facing the crossing, has a standing area on its 3rd and 4th floors where you can look down on the crowds. For the full picture, Shibuya Sky is an open-air roof deck 229 m up on Shibuya Scramble Square, directly above the station, with 360-degree views to Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo Tower and, on clear days, Mount Fuji. Most people spend about 90 minutes up top, and the deck is lovely after dark too.

   Tip: Book a Shibuya Sky time online for about 30 minutes before sunset and allow extra time for the queue, since the roof deck can close in bad weather and online sellouts mean no counter tickets either.

   Shibuya Sky, before 3 PM: ¥2,700 (about $17) · Shibuya Sky, from 3 PM: ¥3,400 (about $21) · Crossing free; Sky tickets cost more at the counterFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 3, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: GO TOKYO (Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau); GO TOKYO (Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau); Shibuya Scramble Square (official)
4. 4Kyoto

   See Kyoto from the Kiyomizu-dera stage

   Kiyomizu-dera was founded in 778 halfway up Mount Otowa in Kyoto's eastern hills. Its main hall, rebuilt in 1633, juts out over the slope on a wooden stage about 13 m high, held up by a lattice of interlocking pillars, and from it you look over the treetops to the city. Below, visitors catch water from the three streams of Otowa Waterfall with long ladles, a purification ritual at the spring that gave the temple its name. About 1,500 cherry trees and 1,000 maples make it a strong pick in spring and autumn. The climb up through Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka adds old lanes of shops.

   Tip: The temple opens at 6:00 AM, so go early, when few people are around, and remember that eating while walking the grounds is not allowed.

   Entry: ¥[fee]Know the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Kiyomizu-dera (official); Kiyomizu-dera (official); Kiyomizu-dera (official); Kyoto City Tourism Association (Kyoto Travel)
5. 5Tokyo

   Ride the Shinkansen between Tokyo and Kyoto

   The Tokaido Shinkansen links Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, the route JR Central calls Japan's Golden Route. Kyoto is about 2 hours from Tokyo, and the fastest Nozomi trains reach Shin-Osaka in 2 hours 21 minutes, leaving every few minutes at peak times. Stations sit in city centers, so there is no airport transfer, and seats have far more legroom than a plane. Make the ride part of the trip: buy an ekiben, a boxed meal made for train journeys, before you board, since Standard Class has no food sales, then watch for Mount Fuji out of the window. It suits every traveler, and on board there is free Wi-Fi.

   Tip: For Mount Fuji views book seat E in Standard Class, reserve seats early for holiday peaks when Nozomi trains are reserved-only, and book a seat with an oversized baggage area if your suitcase measures over 160 cm in total.

   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: JR Central (official); JR Central (official); JR Central (official); JR Central (official)
6. 6Osaka

   Eat your way along Dotonbori after dark

   Dotonbori is the food and entertainment street of Osaka's Minami area, running along a canal dug in 1612 with money from a man named Doton Yasui. Theaters and teahouses made it a nightlife district centuries ago, and today both sides are packed with restaurants under giant three-dimensional signs: a huge crab, a takoyaki octopus, the Glico runner. Come hungry and graze on Osaka favorites like takoyaki and okonomiyaki, then walk the Tombori River Walk along the water for a calmer view. It suits food lovers and anyone who wants Osaka at full volume, and it sits right outside Namba Station.

   Tip: Come in the evening, when the signs light up and many places stay open late; hours vary by shop.

   Pay as you go
   Sources: Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau (OSAKA-INFO)
7. 7Nara

   Meet the Great Buddha and the deer of Nara

   Nara was Japan's capital in the 8th century, and Tōdai-ji is its centerpiece. Its bronze Great Buddha, 14.98 m tall and completed in 752, sits inside the Daibutsu-den, rebuilt in 1709 and still counted among the largest wooden buildings in the world. On the way in, the Nandaimon Gate holds two 8 m guardian figures. The temple stands in Nara Park, 660 hectares of lawns and woods where deer roam freely; they are protected, used to people and quick to nudge you for the crackers sold around the park. It makes an easy day trip, about 50 minutes by train from Kyoto or 40 minutes from Osaka.

   Tip: The Great Buddha Hall opens at 8:00 AM from November to March and at 7:30 AM from April to October, and keep food and paper maps out of sight, since the deer treat them as snacks.

   Great Buddha Hall: ¥800 (about $5) · Grounds freeFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 3, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO); Nara Prefecture (Visit Nara, official); Tōdai-ji
8. 8Kyoto

   Walk the Arashiyama bamboo grove early

   In Arashiyama, the Bamboo Grove Road runs between tall stands of bamboo that filter the light into a soft green glow. It is one of Kyoto's most popular sights, so combine it with the rest of the district: Tenryū-ji, a Zen temple listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and Togetsukyo Bridge over the river, both a short walk away. The area draws big crowds in cherry blossom and autumn leaf season. It suits photographers and anyone who likes to pair a temple garden with a riverside lunch, and the Randen tram stops 5 minutes from Tenryū-ji.

   Tip: Arrive early in the morning and approach through Kameyama Park, the quieter route Kyoto's tourism office suggests, then visit Tenryū-ji when it opens at 8:30 AM.

   Free to visit
   Search tours on KlookSources: Kyoto City Tourism Association (Kyoto Travel); Tenryū-ji
9. 9Tokyo

   Graze a late breakfast at Tsukiji Outer Market

   Tokyo's wholesale fish market moved to Toyosu in 2018, but the Tsukiji Outer Market next door carries on as the city's food town: around 460 shops selling seafood, dried bonito, seaweed, tea, knives and tableware, plus small counters serving sushi and seafood rice bowls. Try tamagoyaki, the sweet rolled omelet, cooked to order on a stick, and ask stallholders for advice, since many shops were set up to serve professional cooks. It suits food lovers and anyone hunting for a good Japanese kitchen knife, and it is within walking distance of Ginza.

   Tip: Go between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM, skip Sundays and Wednesdays when many shops close, bring cash and closed shoes for the wet floors, and eat at the stall instead of while walking.

   Pay as you go
   Sources: GO TOKYO (Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau); Tsukiji Outer Market (official); Tsukiji Outer Market (official)
10. 10Tokyo

    Walk through the forest to Meiji Jingu

    Meiji Jingu, near Harajuku Station, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, completed in 1920. Its 70-hectare forest looks ancient but was planted by hand: about 100,000 trees donated from all over Japan, 234 varieties chosen for how they would look a century or two later. Walk the wide gravel paths under the trees to the main shrine, where on Sunday mornings you may see a traditional wedding with the bride in white kimono. It is a calm counterpoint to Takeshita Street and Harajuku, and pairs well with a stroll in neighboring Yoyogi Park.

    Tip: The shrine opens at sunrise and closes at sunset, as early as 4:00 PM in December, so plan an afternoon visit around the season, or go first thing for the quietest walk.

    Free to visit
    Search tours on KlookSources: Meiji Jingu (official); Meiji Jingu (official); Meiji Jingu (official); GO TOKYO (Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau)
11. 11Kyoto

    See the Golden Pavilion at Kinkaku-ji

    Kinkaku-ji, officially Rokuon-ji, began as the Kitayama villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and became a Zen temple after his death in 1408. Its Golden Pavilion, a hall for sacred relics, has two upper stories covered in pure gold leaf and a phoenix on the roof, and it stands at the edge of Kyoko-chi pond, so on a still day it doubles in the water. The garden path continues past a small waterfall, springs Yoshimitsu used for tea and an Edo-period teahouse. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and suits anyone who wants one classic Kyoto image, ideally on a sunny day.

    Tip: Go at opening time, and check the temple's live camera on its website, updated every three minutes, to see the light and weather before you set out.

    Entry: ¥500 (about $3)Fee changed?

    Last verified Nov 3, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Shokoku-ji (official, Kinkaku-ji); Shokoku-ji (official, Kinkaku-ji); Shokoku-ji (official, Kinkaku-ji)
12. 12Fujikawaguchiko

    See Mount Fuji reflected in the Five Lakes

    The Fuji Five Lakes sit at the northern base of Mount Fuji, and on a clear day the mountain is mirrored in their water. Lake Kawaguchi is the easiest base, with hot springs, museums and a ropeway up Mt. Tenjo for a wide view. At Oshino Hakkai, spring-fed ponds and old thatched houses frame Fuji like a woodblock print. Stay a night or two if you can: around Lake Saiko there are lava caves and forest trails, and Fuji-Q Highland has some of the world's fastest roller coasters. It suits nature lovers and photographers, and spring and autumn are especially good for photos.

    Tip: Plan your viewing for the morning, since haze and cloud tend to hide the mountain later in the day; express buses from Shinjuku take about 1 hour 45 minutes, and trains via Otsuki about 2 hours 5 minutes.

    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
13. 13Kyoto

    Stroll Gion's lantern-lit lanes at dusk

    Gion grew up as the gate town of Yasaka Shrine, with rest houses and tea shops for pilgrims, and it is still where Kyoto's geiko and maiko live and work. Walk Hanamikoji Street in the evening, when lantern light falls on the stone paving outside the old teahouses, then wander the side lanes and finish at Yasaka Shrine, about a 5-minute walk from Gion-Shijo Station. In July the shrine's Gion Festival brings processions of portable shrines on the nights of the 17th and the 24th. It suits couples and anyone who wants old Kyoto at its most atmospheric, with no ticket needed.

    Tip: Keep to the side stones on Hanamikoji rather than the middle of the road, and never stop or photograph maiko and geiko without permission, which is prohibited.

    Free; the shrine grounds stay open at night
    Sources: Kyoto City Tourism Association (Kyoto Travel); Kyoto City Tourism Association (Kyoto Travel); Kyoto City Tourism Association (Kyoto Travel); Yasaka Shrine (official); Yasaka Shrine (official)
14. 14Hakone

    Stay a night in a Hakone onsen ryokan

    For centuries Hakone was a resting point for travelers on the road between Tokyo and Kyoto, and its hot springs are still the reason to stop. Book a night in a ryokan, a traditional inn, soak in its baths, and settle in for a kaiseki dinner of many small courses. Next day, loop through the area: the Hakone Tozan train climbs steep river valleys, a cable car and ropeway cross the steaming Owakudani valley, where eggs cooked in the volcanic pools turn black, and a pirate-style boat crosses Lake Ashi with views of Mount Fuji. The Hakone Open-Air Museum adds sculpture and a Picasso collection.

    Tip: Take the Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Odawara in about 35 minutes, then the Odakyu Romance Car or a local train to Hakone-Yumoto, and skip Owakudani if you have breathing problems, as the sulfur gas can irritate.

    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO); Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
15. 15Hiroshima

    Visit Hiroshima's Peace Museum and Miyajima

    Hiroshima pairs two very different days out. In the city, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum tells the story of the atomic bomb through victims' belongings, damaged objects and survivors' testimony; it is sobering and important. About an hour away by train and ferry, Miyajima island holds Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site whose vermilion halls and great Otorii gate stand in the sea. At high tide they appear to float, and at low tide you can walk out to the gate across the flats. If you have time, hike Mount Misen for views over the islands of the Seto Inland Sea.

    Tip: Buy a museum web ticket in advance, since early morning and evening entry needs an online reservation, and check the tide times before you head to Miyajima.

    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (official); Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO); Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
16. 16Osaka

    Climb Osaka Castle's main tower

    Toyotomi Hideyoshi began Osaka Castle in 1583 as he set out to unify Japan. His tower burned in 1615, its replacement was struck by lightning in 1665, and the tower you see today went up in 1931, paid for by donations from the people of Osaka. Inside its five outer tiers and eight floors is a museum of the castle's history, and the 8th-floor deck looks out across the city. Gold details, from the fish-shaped ornaments on the roof to the tigers under the railings, catch the light. Leave time for the park outside, where the stone walls and moats are worth a walk on their own.

    Tip: The tower is open 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM with last entry 30 minutes before closing, tickets can be bought online in advance, and the walk from Morinomiya or Osakajokoen Station takes 15 to 20 minutes.

    Main tower: ¥1,200 (about $8) · Park grounds freeFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 3, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau (OSAKA-INFO); Osaka Castle Museum
17. 17Kyoto

    Walk the Philosopher's Path in cherry season

    The Philosopher's Path follows a canal for about 2 km at the foot of Kyoto's eastern hills, between Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion, and the Nanzen-ji area. It is named for a philosopher who walked it every morning, Nishida Kitaro among its well-known fans. In spring about 400 cherry trees arch over the water to form a tunnel of blossoms, and in other seasons it is simply a quiet walk with two smaller temples, Hōnen-in and Anraku-ji, close to the path. It suits slow walkers and anyone who likes a temple at each end of a stroll.

    Tip: Kyoto's cherry trees are usually at their best in early April, but dates shift every year, so check the blossom forecast and start from the Ginkaku-ji end early in the morning.

    Free to visit
    Search tours on KlookSources: Kyoto City Tourism Association; Kyoto City Tourism Association (Kyoto Travel); Kyoto City Tourism Association (Kyoto Travel)
18. 18TokyoBook ahead

    Wade barefoot through teamLab Planets

    teamLab Planets in Toyosu is a digital art museum by the art collective teamLab, made to be experienced with your whole body. You walk barefoot through rooms of water, including one where projected koi swim around your legs and burst into flowers when they touch you, then wander a garden of living orchids that hang in midair. It is playful, very photogenic and good for families, and it works well on a rainy day. Pair it with a seafood lunch at Toyosu Market, about 5 minutes away on foot, or the food stalls and foot baths at Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai next door.

    Tip: Buy a dated, timed ticket online before you go, since none are sold on site; you can change the time up to 3 times until 2 hours before entry, but refunds are not possible.

    Entry: ¥3,800 (about $24) · Timed tickets, sold online only; prices varyFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 3, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: teamLab; teamLab (official)

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