Where to Go in Japan - Japan Travel Sights
Sixteen guides to the places we cover, each one gathering every article we have written about that region or theme — with the opening hours, booking rules and seasonal closures that decide whether a plan actually works.
Start with the region you already have in mind, or with a theme if you are building a trip around snow, hot springs or somewhere to sleep. Every guide lists the practical details we have checked against official sources, and links to each of our articles on that area.
Regions
Ordered roughly west to east along the route most visitors travel.
Tokyo
東京
What needs booking before you arrive, what you can just turn up for, and five day trips from the city.
Mount Fuji
富士山
Climbing it and seeing it are two different trips. The season, the fee and where the clear views are.
Hakone
箱根
A loop you travel around rather than a place you travel to. The Freepass, the ropeway caveat and the order to do it in.
Nagano
長野
Kamikochi closes for winter and bans cars year-round. The dates, the shuttle fares and the snow monkeys.
Gifu
岐阜
Takayama, Shirakawa-go and Gero Onsen — how to reach them, what the buses cost, and when the festivals fall.
Nagoya
名古屋
Ghibli Park sells no tickets at the gate and the castle keep is closed. What to book and how long Aichi needs.
Kanazawa
金沢
Kenrokuen opens free every morning before its paid hours. The times, the gates, and the city in one day.
Kyoto
京都
Plan by area, not by list. The hours worth arriving for, and what the rules really are in Gion.
Nara
奈良
Admission and hours for Todai-ji and Kasuga Taisha, Kintetsu versus JR, and how to handle the deer.
Osaka
大阪
USJ now prices by date, so book that day first. Plus the districts that cost nothing to enjoy.
Hiroshima
広島
Miyajima charges every boat visitor 100 yen, and the Peace Memorial Museum keeps an online-only early hour.
Kyushu
九州
Fukuoka’s yatai run on city rules — 17:00 to 04:00, no takeaway. Plus Beppu, Yufuin and how to choose.
Okinawa
沖縄
Main island or outer islands, Yui Rail fares, aquarium prices, and whether you need a rental car.
Hokkaido
北海道
The Blue Pond is not blue in winter. Illumination dates, parking fees and how far apart the island really is.
Themes
For trips built around an activity rather than a place.
Ski & Snow in Japan
スキー・雪
Niseko, Hakuba, Yuzawa and Tohoku compared — how to get there and what to book before you fly.
Where to Stay in Japan
宿選び
Ryokan, guesthouse or villa? What each involves, how prices are quoted, and what to confirm before booking.
How these guides are written
Every price, opening time and seasonal closure on this site is checked against the operator’s or the venue’s own pages, and each guide records the date it was last confirmed. Where we could not verify something, we leave it out rather than guess — because the details that decide a trip are the ones that change most often.
New to the site? Tokyo is where most trips start, and Where to Stay in Japan answers the question that comes next.