10 Places to Visit in Japan Beyond Tokyo and Kyoto

Kamakura makes a straightforward day trip from Tokyo when you want temples and a walk near the sea. Start at Kotoku-in, home to the outdoor bronze Great Buddha, then continue to nearby Hasedera. Allow a full day for both temples and time in the town; add the beach only if the weather suits. From Kamakura Station, the Enoden railway takes you to Hase, where the two temples are within walking distance. Choose a few sights rather than rushing between every temple.

Hasedera pairs naturally with the Great Buddha: both are in the Hase neighbourhood, a short walk apart. The temple’s main draw is its eleven-faced Kannon statue, with gardens and a terrace overlooking the town and sea. Give yourself about an hour rather than rushing straight to the viewpoint. The upper grounds involve steps. In hydrangea season, check the temple’s visiting arrangements before you go.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu sits at the heart of Kamakura, reached along the approach from the station. The shrine’s connection with the city’s samurai history makes it a useful counterpart to the Buddhist temples in Hase. Allow 30–60 minutes for the grounds and the climb to the main shrine. Visit before or after the Hase area, using the Enoden back to Kamakura Station; leave time for lunch and the shops around Komachi Street.

Choose Nikko for elaborate shrine architecture among wooded hills. Toshogu is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu; its carved gates and decorated buildings reward a slower visit. Allow a full day from Tokyo for the shrine area, with time for nearby Rinnoji and Futarasan Shrine. Stay overnight if you also want Lake Chuzenji or the waterfalls: they are a separate outing beyond the town. Expect steps within the shrine complex and check your return train before extending the day.

Rinnoji adds a Buddhist stop to Nikko’s shrine circuit. Visit its temple halls before continuing to nearby Toshogu and Futarasan, so you can explore this compact area on foot. Allow extra time if you want to enter the garden or see additional exhibitions, and check which spaces your ticket covers. Three neighbouring religious sites are enough for a full day trip once travel from Tokyo is included.

Nikko’s main Futarasan Shrine is a short walk from Toshogu, making it an easy addition without another bus journey. Its setting and mountain worship traditions offer a different perspective from Toshogu’s decorated buildings. Follow signs for the shrine in the World Heritage area: Futarasan also has a separate shrine beside Lake Chuzenji, much farther away. Keep the lakeside outing for another day unless you are staying overnight.

Matsumoto is a good choice if you want a historic castle and a walkable town near the Japan Alps. The black castle keep has an original wooden interior with steep stairs; take that into account before deciding to climb it. Allow a day for the castle, riverside Nawate Street and the old storehouses along Nakamachi Street. An overnight stay gives you more breathing room. Treat any mountain excursion as an extra day, with transport and seasonal access planned separately.

Yohashira Shrine stands beside Nawate Street, on the walk between Matsumoto Castle and Nakamachi. Make a short visit to the shrine, then browse Nawate’s pedestrian shops along the Metoba River; the street’s frog figures are a local landmark. Allow 30–45 minutes for the combined stop, longer if you pause for food. It fits into the same town-centre walk as the castle, with no separate excursion needed.

Sanmachi Suji is the old merchant quarter of Takayama, with wooden buildings, craft shops and sake breweries along a compact network of streets. Spend a day on foot rather than treating it as a quick photo stop. An overnight stay lets you visit the Miyagawa morning market before continuing through the old town and Takayama Jinya. Check opening times for any shop or museum you particularly want to visit. Allow travel time when combining Takayama with Kanazawa or Matsumoto.

Go to the Miyagawa riverside market in the morning, before exploring Takayama’s old streets. Stalls sell produce, pickles, crafts and small souvenirs; the mix changes with the season and weather. Allow time to browse, then walk into Sanmachi Suji rather than treating the market as a separate excursion. Trading winds down around midday, so it is easiest to include after an overnight stay. Expect fewer stalls in poor weather.

Takayama Jinya was the government office used to administer Hida under the Tokugawa shogunate. Its rooms and storehouses give context to the merchant streets outside: this is where the region was governed, rather than a private town house. Set aside about an hour and check the current opening calendar. It is close to Sanmachi Suji, so visit after the morning market without building in another transfer.

Kanazawa suits travellers who enjoy gardens, traditional architecture and time to wander. Start at Kenrokuen, then choose between nearby Kanazawa Castle Park, the streets of Higashi Chaya and the former samurai neighbourhood of Nagamachi. One or two nights gives you time to see more than the garden. These areas are spread across the city, so group your stops and use local buses when helpful. Leave room for a meal around Omicho Market rather than scheduling every hour.

Walk through Higashi Chaya for wooden teahouse fronts, narrow streets and shops selling local crafts. A few historic interiors are open to visitors, while other buildings remain working premises or private spaces. Allow roughly an hour for the streets, longer if you enter a teahouse museum or stop for tea. This area lies across the city from Nagamachi; group it with a walk beside the Asano River rather than repeatedly crossing Kanazawa.

Kongobuji is the head temple of Koyasan’s Shingon Buddhist community. Visit for the painted sliding doors and Banryutei rock garden, then continue to nearby Danjo Garan. Allow about an hour for the interior and follow the temple’s rules on shoes and photography. It sits in the town centre, so this is a convenient daytime stop before heading farther east to Okunoin or checking in at a temple lodging.

Himeji offers a close look at an original Japanese castle, from its white exterior to the defensive passages leading towards the keep. Allow at least half a day, with extra time for Koko-en’s gardens beside the castle. The wooden interior has steep stairs, so a full climb will not suit everyone. Himeji works as an outing from Osaka or a stop on a westbound rail journey towards Hiroshima. Check admission arrangements and avoid planning a tight onward connection.

Koko-en is next to Himeji Castle, making it the easiest addition after a castle visit. Its nine enclosed gardens offer ponds, planted paths and different views as you move between them. Allow 45–60 minutes and leave time to sit rather than simply pass through. Check current admission options if you plan to visit both the castle and garden. With the art museum as well, give Himeji most of a day.

The red-brick city art museum stands beside the castle’s eastern side, within walking distance of the main sights. Its Japanese and Western art offers a change of pace after the castle and Koko-en. Check the current exhibition programme and opening calendar before deciding how long to stay; the display you want may have a separate ticket. Treat this as an optional hour for art lovers, with your onward train planned accordingly.

Choose Naoshima if art and architecture are a main interest. Chichu Art Museum brings together work by Claude Monet, James Turrell and Walter De Maria in a largely underground building designed by Tadao Ando. Reserve a timed ticket in advance and check the museum calendar before choosing your travel day. Allow a full day on the island, or stay overnight to visit more sites. Plan around the ferry from Uno or Takamatsu, including your return sailing.

Benesse House combines Tadao Ando’s architecture with contemporary art displayed inside the museum and around its coastal setting. You can visit the museum without staying at the hotel; follow signs for public areas and ticket requirements. Give it enough time to look beyond the main galleries rather than squeeze it between ferries. Combine it with Chichu and Lee Ufan in the southern part of Naoshima, allowing for walks or island transport between sites.

Lee Ufan’s restrained paintings and stone-and-steel works are shown in a partly underground building designed by Tadao Ando. This smaller museum sits between the Benesse and Chichu sites, so it fits naturally into an art-focused day on southern Naoshima. Allow roughly 45 minutes and check current ticket arrangements. Follow the museum’s rules on indoor photography and removing shoes where requested; leave time between museum visits rather than booking everything back to back.

The Peace Memorial Museum documents the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and its effects on people’s lives. Give the exhibits unhurried attention, then walk through Peace Memorial Park and to the Atomic Bomb Dome. Allow at least half a day for this part of the city; an overnight stay leaves space for other neighbourhoods and a separate visit to Miyajima. The displays can be distressing, especially for children. Check the museum’s current admission arrangements before visiting.

Leave time after the museum to walk through Peace Memorial Park and read the memorials, rather than using it only as a route to the Dome. The Cenotaph and Children’s Peace Monument provide places to pause and reflect. The park and museum belong together as one visit; allow at least half a day for the whole area, with more time if you prefer a slower pace. Keep the atmosphere respectful around people paying their respects.

The Atomic Bomb Dome is the preserved shell of the former Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, which stood near the bomb’s hypocentre. View it from the surrounding paths; visitors do not enter the ruin. Read the explanation panels and connect the site with what you have seen in the Peace Memorial Museum. It is a short walk from the park, so there is no need to schedule a separate excursion across the city.

Miyajima suits a full-day outing from Hiroshima, with Itsukushima Shrine as a starting point rather than the only stop. The shrine and offshore torii look different as the tide rises and falls, so consult tide times if a particular view matters to you. Continue to Daishoin Temple if you have time; Mount Misen needs a longer allowance and suitable walking plans. Reach the island by ferry from Miyajimaguchi, and check the return sailing before extending your visit.

Daishoin is a Buddhist temple uphill from Itsukushima Shrine, with halls and many small figures along its paths. Allow about an hour to explore rather than stopping only at the entrance. There are steps, so adjust your visit to your mobility and energy after walking around the waterfront. Combine it with the shrine and Momijidani Park for a full island day; this temple visit is separate from the much longer ascent of Mount Misen.

Momijidani is a wooded park behind the shrine area, known for its maple trees and paths beside the stream. It gives you a quieter walk between Miyajima’s waterfront sights and the foot of Mount Misen. Allow 30–45 minutes for a stroll; autumn colour depends on the season and weather. Reaching the ropeway area does not mean you have reached the summit. Any mountain outing needs extra time, suitable footwear and a check of return transport.