Japan’s civilization, known as the Land of the Rising Sun, dates back 30,000 years. Today, the archipelago combines its rich history with its ultramodern present. Do you know any better place where religion, ancient customs, and craftsmanship blends with fashion-forward style and cutting-edge technology?

Whether you're visiting Japan for the first time or an nth number of times, choosing your ideal destination can be overwhelming. Japan is known for its rich culture and tradition. Japan is a fascinating place to visit, with everything from ancient temples to modern skyscrapers. There is a lot to see and do in this fascinating country, so let's go over some of the highlights.

The good news is that there are so many incredible urban and rural destinations in Japan that you can't go wrong. While its capital, Tokyo, is a must-see for first-time visitors, Japan has much more to offer all types of travelers. The LuxuryHotels Guide ranked the best places to visit in Japan based on cultural attractions, culinary options, and accessibility (among other factors).

Best Time to Visit Japan

The best time to visit Japan really depends on where you're going and what you want to include in your itinerary. However, if you want to avoid a monsoon drenching, spring and autumn are the best times to visit. A trip in the spring is also the best time to see the magnificent cherry blossoms that bloom throughout the country. Winter brings world-class ski slopes to Japan, while summer brings beach hopping, watersports, and great mountain hiking.

Fushimi Inari Taisha

The Hata clan dedicated this intriguing shrine to the god of rice and sake in the 8th century. As agriculture's role waned, deities were enlisted to ensure the success of business ventures.

Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine is one of Japan's most popular shrines due to the magical, seemingly endless path of over 5000 vibrant orange torii gates that wind through the hills behind it. A pleasant day hike is a walk around the upper precincts. It also makes for a delightfully eerie stroll in the late afternoon and early evening, when the path's various graveyards and miniature shrines take on a mysterious air.

In the 8th century, this shrine was dedicated to the god of rice and sake and contains dozens of fox statues. The fox is regarded as the messenger of the god of grain foods, Inari, and stone foxes are frequently referred to as such. Keys to granaries are frequently depicted in fox mouths. This shrine serves as the focal point for over 40,000 Inari shrines throughout Japan.

Kinkakuji

Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto with a gold leaf covering the top two floors. After his death in 1408, the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's retirement villa, Rokuonji, became a Rinzai Zen temple. Kinkakuji inspired the named Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion), which was built on the other side of the city a few decades later by Yoshimitsu's grandson, Ashikaga Yoshimasa.

Yoshimitsu's retirement complex's only building, Kinkakuji, overlooks a large pond. It burned down twice during the Onin War, a civil war that destroyed much of Kyoto, and again in 1950 by a fanatic monk. In 1955, this current structure was constructed.

The image of the gold-leafed temple reflects in the water of Kyokochi, the mirror pond.

Kinkakuji was inspired by Kyoto's wealthy aristocratic Kitayama culture during Yoshimitsu's reign. Each floor represents a different architectural style. Visitors pass by the head priest's former Hojo, known for its painted sliding doors (fusuma), after viewing Kinkakuji from across the pond. After passing Kinkakuji from behind, the path enters the temple's gardens, which Yoshimitsu designed.

Osaka Castle

The construction of Osaka Castle began in 1583 on the former site of the Ishiyama Honganji Temple, which had been destroyed thirteen years earlier by Oda Nobunaga. Toyotomi Hideyoshi envisioned the castle as the focal point of a new, unified Japan under Toyotomi's rule. It is considered to be the latest castle in the world of its time.

Tokugawa troops attacked and destroyed the castle a few years after Hideyoshi's death, effectively ending the Toyotomi lineage in 1615. Tokugawa Hidetada rebuilt Osaka Castle in the 1620s, but its main castle tower was struck by lightning and burned down in 1665. Secondary citadels, gates, turrets, impressive stone walls, and moats surround the castle tower. Nishinomaru Garden covers a lawn garden with 600 cherry trees, a tea house, and a former Osaka Guest House. This place also encompasses the former "western citadel" and nice views of the castle tower from below. The garden, unlike the rest of the castle grounds, charges an admission fee.

The castle houses a museum with eight floors of exhibits about the castle's history. There are historical artifacts, colorful screen paintings, samurai costumes for rent, and a scale model of the 16th-century castle town.

Cape Manzamo

Cape Manzamo, also known as Cape Manza, is a distinctive rock formation on Okinawa Island near Onna Village. It is a popular destination for tourists visiting Okinawa.

It is said that Cape Manzamo got its name after Sh Kei, the Ryukyu Kingdom's king, visited the area in the 1700s. Sh Kei is said to have seen the cliff and commented that it was large enough to seat 10,000 people. The name's kanjis can be translated as "field for 10,000 people to sit."

The view from Cape Manzamo over the East China Sea is spectacular, and the ocean exhibits some of its best blue tones right here. The rock formation itself is appealing, as part of it (slightly) resembles an elephant with its trunk in the sea.

When the tide is low, a number of tidal pools appear at the cliff's base. Despite its unflattering nickname "the toilet bowl," the area in front of those pools is very popular for scuba diving. Getting down to the toilet bowl and tidal pools is not easy, but it is doable. Near the parking area, there is a path through the vegetation.

Kouri Beach

After crossing the Kouri Bridge, Kouri Beach has white sands, shallow waters, and a starry night sky. The beach has a beautiful view of the ocean and the Kouri Bridge, which extends to Yagaji Island, making it a popular place to swim. It's a classic beach with stores, restaurants, showers, and restrooms.

The sea around Kouri Island in Northern Okinawa is one of the clearest and most beautiful seas without having to take a boat to neighboring islands. Kouri Beach, located in the southern part of Kouri Island, is a very convenient and easy-to-access beach where you can enjoy the amazing sea.

The beach is right next to the Kouri Bridge, which connects Kouri Island to Yagaji Island. The bridge is well-known for being nearly 2 kilometers long and the longest toll-free bridge in Japan. It provides an amazing view of the shallow emerald waters that surround Kouri Island. There is a parking area near Kouri Beach with amenities such as showers, toilets, bars, and a restaurant. The Northern Okinawa Bus Tour includes a stop at Kouri Beach! It's not a long stop, and you won't have time to swim, but it's a great opportunity to take some nice seaside photos!

Fuji-Q Highland

Fuji-Q Highland is a popular amusement park in Japan, located in the Fuji Five Lake region at the foot of Mount Fuji. The park opens new rides and attractions, including Guinness World Record-breaking roller coasters, to stay ahead. The park currently has four major roller coasters.

When it first opened in 1996, Fujiyama was the world's tallest and fastest roller coaster, and it still ranks among the best coasters in the world. Dodonpa (2001) is the park's fastest coaster and holds the world record for the fastest acceleration. The most inversions are found on Eejanaika (2006), a "fourth dimension" roller coaster with seats that rotate within the car. Finally, Takabisha, which opened in 2011, is the world's steepest roller coaster, with a drop of 121 degrees.

The Fujiyama Museum is an art museum that displays paintings and other illustrations of Mount Fuji. The museum is located on the grounds of Fuji-Q Highland Park.

Ueno Park

Ueno Park is one of the five oldest public parks in Japan. It is best known for Ueno Zoo, numerous museums, and the spectacular cherry blossoms that bloom in the spring. The park first opened to the public in 1873 under the name Ueno Onshi-Koen, which translates as "the Ueno Imperial Gift Park."

Ueno Park is a large public park in central Tokyo located next to Ueno Station. Kaneiji Temple, one of the city's largest and wealthiest temples and a Tokugawa family temple during the Edo Period, was the park grounds. Kaneiji, like Kyoto's Enryakuji Temple, stood to the northeast of the capital to protect the city from evil.

After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Kaneiji was destroyed in the Boshin Civil War between Meiji forces and shogunate loyalists. The temple grounds were converted into one of Japan's first Western-style parks after the battle and opened to the public in 1873. A statue of Saigo Takamori, one of the battle's generals, stands near the park's southern entrance.

Wrap up!

Every location in Japan is distinct from the others. Its distinct culture, neon-lit cities, and incredible natural landscapes work perfectly as a wow factor among tourists. This makes it a spectacular destination for vacation and exploration. The places we've mentioned, in particular, should not be missed by any tourist while visiting Japan. We hope this guide to Japan's best off-the-beaten-path destinations may assist you in planning your trip to Japan!