Skip to content

Mount Fuji with a five-storey pagoda and cherry blossom

WELCOME TO JAPAN

All 47 prefectures. Where to go, what to eat, how to get there, and who to call if something happens. Free to use, no sign-up, no account.

Before anything elseHow many nights have you got?

Most trips here go wrong the same way: too many places, not enough nights. Trains are quick, but airports and check-in are not. Pick the row that matches your leave, then choose from it.

Three days2泊3日

One city, nothing else. Tokyo or Kyoto — not both. Three unhurried days in one place beat three seen from a train window. Here is one Tokyo day, in order.

Five days4泊5日

Two cities. Tokyo and Kyoto sit two hours and fifteen minutes apart. Three nights in one, two in the other. Here is the Kyoto day to build the second half around.

A week6泊7日

Three cities, plus one day out. Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, with a day in Hiroshima or Nara. Here is that Hiroshima day, from the 08:00 ferry.

Ten days or more9泊10日以上

Add one prefecture nobody on your flight is going to. Ten days is enough to stop somewhere with no queue at all. All 47 are below.

One night somewhere small is worth two in a capital. If you can only add one thing, add a night outside the city you flew into.

Start hereWhere do you want to go?

Every prefecture page has the same six sections — places, food, where to stay, getting around, with children, and help.

Hokkaido & Tohoku Kanto Chubu Kansai Chugoku & Shikoku Kyushu & Okinawa

Hokkaido & Tohoku — 7 prefectures

Sapporo

Hokkaido北海道

Snow, seafood and space. Lavender fields in July, powder snow in January.

Hirosaki Castle

Aomori青森県

Apple country, a giant lantern festival, and a gorge you walk beside.

Chusonji Konjikido

Iwate岩手県

A gold-leafed temple hall from 1124, and a gorge you cross by flat boat.

Matsushima

Miyagi宮城県

Islands scattered across a bay, grilled beef tongue, and a fox village.

Kakunodate

Akita秋田県

A samurai street lined with weeping cherry trees, and a lake that never freezes.

Cherry blossomLake

Yamadera

Yamagata山形県

1,015 stone steps to a temple on a cliff, and a silver-mine hot spring town.

TempleHot spring

Ouchi-juku

Fukushima福島県

A thatched post town from the Edo road, five coloured volcanic ponds.

Kanto — 7 prefectures

Hitachi Seaside Park

Ibaraki茨城県

A hill that turns solid blue with four million nemophila flowers in May.

Nikko Toshogu

Tochigi栃木県

Japan's most decorated shrine, a 97-metre waterfall, and gyoza.

ShrineWaterfall

Kusatsu Onsen

Gunma群馬県

A hot-spring town in the mountains, with the hottest water of any of them.

Hot springMountains

Kawagoe

Saitama埼玉県

An Edo-period merchant street 30 minutes from Tokyo, and sweet-potato sweets.

Old townDay trip

Naritasan Shinshoji

Chiba千葉県

Where you land. Narita's 940-year-old temple is 10 minutes from the airport.

Sensoji, Asakusa

Tokyo東京都

A 1,400-year-old temple, the world's tallest tower, and every kind of food.

Kamakura Daibutsu

Kanagawa神奈川県

A great bronze Buddha, a hot-spring valley, and Mt. Fuji across a lake.

BuddhaHot spring

Chubu — 9 prefectures

Kiyotsu Gorge

Niigata新潟県

Rice, sake and deep snow. A gorge tunnel that frames the valley.

Alpine Route

Toyama富山県

A road walled by 20 metres of snow in spring, and the freshest sushi.

Kenrokuen

Ishikawa石川県

A garden at its best under snow, and a district of tea houses and gold leaf.

Dinosaur Museum

Fukui福井県

Sea cliffs, a Zen monastery you can stay in, and the best dinosaur museum in Asia.

Lake Kawaguchi and Mount Fuji

Yamanashi山梨県

The clearest view of Mt. Fuji, five lakes at its foot, and Japanese wine.

Jigokudani monkeys

Nagano長野県

Wild monkeys in a hot spring, a black castle from 1594, and the Alps.

Shirakawa-go

Gifu岐阜県

A village of thatched farmhouses under snow, and a wooden old town in the mountains.

VillageOld town

Miho no Matsubara

Shizuoka静岡県

Mt. Fuji from the sea side, green tea fields, and hot springs on a peninsula.

Okazaki Castle

Aichi愛知県

A castle with golden fish on the roof, and grilled eel over rice.

Kansai — 7 prefectures

Ise Jingu

Mie三重県

Japan's most important shrine, rebuilt every 20 years. Pearls and marbled beef.

Enryakuji

Shiga滋賀県

Japan's largest lake, a shrine gate standing in the water, and a 1622 castle.

the red torii of Fushimi Inari

Kyoto京都府

A thousand shrine gates up a mountain, wooden streets, bamboo, and tea.

ShrinesOld town

Dotonbori

Osaka大阪府

Street food until 2am, a castle in a park, and the friendliest people in Japan.

Street foodCity

Himeji Castle

Hyogo兵庫県

The white castle that has never burned or fallen, and the beef named after Kobe.

Todaiji

Nara奈良県

The world's largest bronze Buddha, and 1,200 deer that bow for a biscuit.

Koyasan

Wakayama和歌山県

A mountain temple town where you sleep in a monastery, and a 133-metre waterfall.

TempleWaterfall

Chugoku & Shikoku — 9 prefectures

the Tottori Sand Dunes

Tottori鳥取県

Sand dunes on the sea, 50 metres high. You can ride a camel over them.

Izumo Taisha

Shimane島根県

The shrine where all the gods of Japan gather each November.

Kurashiki Bikan

Okayama岡山県

A canal district of white warehouses, a garden with wide lawns, and white peaches.

Itsukushima Shrine

Hiroshima広島県

A shrine gate standing in the sea, a park that asks for peace, and okonomiyaki.

World heritageFood

Motonosumi Inari

Yamaguchi山口県

123 red gates up a cliff over the sea, a five-arched wooden bridge, and blowfish.

the Naruto whirlpools

Tokushima徳島県

Whirlpools under a bridge, a valley crossed by a vine bridge, and a dance festival.

Naoshima

Kagawa香川県

An island covered in modern art, 1,368 steps to a shrine, and udon everywhere.

Dogo Onsen bath house and wet paving

Ehime愛媛県

The oldest hot spring in Japan, still working. A cycling route over six islands.

Hot springCycling

Shimanto River

Kochi高知県

The last clear river in Japan, a castle that kept its original keep, and seared bonito.

Kyushu & Okinawa — 8 prefectures

Nakasu yatai

Fukuoka福岡県

Food stalls along the river at night, and the ramen the world copied.

Street foodRamen

Yutoku Inari

Saga佐賀県

Porcelain made here for 400 years, and a shrine of stacked vermilion halls.

Glover Garden

Nagasaki長崎県

The only port open to the world for 200 years. An abandoned island city.

Mount Aso

Kumamoto熊本県

A live volcano you can walk up to, and the best horse-meat sashimi in Japan.

Beppu Onsen

Oita大分県

More hot springs than anywhere else in Japan. Steam rises from the streets.

Hot springNature

Takachiho Gorge

Miyazaki宮崎県

A gorge you row into, a shrine in a sea cave, and mangoes.

Sakurajima

Kagoshima鹿児島県

A volcano smoking across the bay, sand baths, and 1,000-year-old cedars.

Shuri Castle

Okinawa沖縄県

Coral seas, its own kingdom's history, and the longest-living people in Japan.

Special areasFamous places that cross prefectures

Some places are better known than the prefecture they sit in. These have their own pages, and they link to every prefecture they touch.

Mount Fuji

Mt. Fuji富士山

Stands in two prefectures — Yamanashi and Shizuoka. Both sides are covered here, with the honest answer to “can I see it today?”

Asakusa, the Skytree and Ueno

Tokyo in a day: Asakusa and Ueno浅草

Sensoji before eight, the tallest tower in the world, then four national museums in one park. One day, in the order that works.

the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Station and Ginza

Tokyo in a day: the palace and Ginza皇居

The palace gardens at opening, the 1914 brick station, lunch under the tracks, and a garden on the bay. Almost no travelling in it.

Tokyo in a day: Shibuya and Shinjuku渋谷・明治神宮・新宿

The crossing, a forest of a hundred thousand planted trees, 58 hectares of garden, and a free window 202 metres up.

Hakata food walk博多食べ歩き

Around a hundred stalls open at dusk on the river. Ramen, motsunabe and mentaiko, in the order to eat them.

Kiyomizu-dera

Kyoto in a day: Kiyomizu and Fushimi清水寺

The lanes below Kiyomizu at seven, Gion and its canal, then thousands of gates lit after dark with almost nobody on the path.

Kinkakuji, Ryoanji and Arashiyama

Kyoto in a day: Kinkakuji and Arashiyama金閣寺

Gold leaf on a pond, a garden of fifteen stones, and a bamboo path that closes over your head. The day finishes at the river.

Osaka Castle

Osaka in a day大阪城

Stone walls and a keep in the morning, a 1912 quarter in the afternoon, and takoyaki by the canal when the signs come on.

Miyajima and the Peace Memorial Park

Hiroshima in a day宮島

Two World Heritage sites, forty minutes apart. A gate standing in the sea at high tide, and a park of trees and water in the afternoon.

Shuri Castle

Okinawa in a day首里城

Its own kingdom for four and a half centuries. A vermilion palace, a sacred grove, a coast road, and a cuisine of its own.

Hakodate

Hakodate函館

A night view from the mountain, a morning fish market, and the port town below.

Campervan Japanキャンピングカーの旅

The trains reach the cities; the grassland and the coast roads are an hour beyond the last station. Three routes through open country, with a certified site or a hotel every night.

Tokyo Disney Resort

Tokyo Disney Resort東京ディズニーリゾート

Two full-size parks at Maihama, in Chiba. The coach from Haneda runs into the resort. Know which kind of hotel you are booking — it decides whether you get in early.

Or start from what you wantFind it your way

Name the thing — a castle keep, a hot spring that welcomes tattoos, cherry blossom in the third week of April — and we will tell you which prefecture it is in.

cherry blossom

Cherry blossom桜

Where and when, prefecture by prefecture. It moves north through the spring.

autumn colours

Autumn leaves紅葉

Six weeks, moving south. The best week for each place.

a hot spring town

Hot springs温泉

How to use one without worrying, and which ones welcome tattoos.

Castles城

Twelve still have their original keep. Here is where they are.

FoodWhat do you want to eat?

Every prefecture has its own dish, and the version you get there is not the version you get anywhere else. Prices and opening hours are on every restaurant we list.

sushi

Sushi寿司

Counters that welcome visitors, with the price shown before you sit down.

a bowl of ramen

Ramenラーメン

Six regional kinds, and how to order from a ticket machine.

No pork, no alcohol豚肉・酒を摂らない方へ

What you can eat in every prefecture, and the words to say. Printable cards.

Not raw, please生が苦手な方へ

Japan is not only raw fish. A full route through cooked food.

Plan your tripEverything you need on the way

You have just landed› Trains, IC cards and passes› Manners, and why› Travelling with children› Travelling with older parents› The last train home› Weather, month by month› Words that work› Sending your suitcase ahead› Staying connected›

Find it fastEverything on this site

Where to go

All 47 prefectures Map of Japan World Heritage Islands Old towns Castles Shrines & temples Gardens Scenery Mountains Waterfalls Rivers Volcanoes Coast & beaches Bridges Night views

One-day routes

Asakusa and Ueno The palace and Ginza Shibuya and Shinjuku Kyoto — east Kyoto — west Osaka in a day Miyajima and Hiroshima Okinawa in a day Hakata food walk Mt. Fuji Hakodate Tokyo Disney Resort

By campervan

How it works Hokkaido Kanto and Mt. Fuji Kyushu

When to come

Cherry blossom Autumn leaves Snow Festivals Fireworks Weather, month by month

What to eat

Sushi Ramen Street food Sake Tea No pork, no alcohol Nothing raw Vegetarian Printable food cards

Things to do

Hot springs Stay at a temple Crafts you can try Art museums Cycling Walking routes

Getting around

You have just landed Trains and IC cards When the trains stop eSIM and wifi Send your suitcase ahead Words that work Manners

Travelling with others

With children With older parents Ask someone to call for you Embassies

Photo credits are listed on every page that uses photographs. Photographs come mostly from Wikimedia Commons, under Creative Commons licences (CC BY, CC BY-SA, CC0) or in the public domain; the photographer is named beside each one. A small number were taken for Let's! ourselves. Maps on this site are drawn for Let's! and are not survey maps — use them to get your bearings, not to navigate.

Photo: Sapporo by redlegsfan21 (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Hirosaki Castle by mko294 (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Chusonji Konjikido by skyseeker (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Matsushima by Fumihiko Ueno (CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by 掬茶 (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Chi King (CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Ouchi-juku by Σ64 (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Miyuki Meinaka (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Nikko Toshogu by Jpatokal (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Kusatsu Onsen by YedidyaPopper (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Kawagoe by Zairon (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Naokijp (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Sensoji, Asakusa by くろふね (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Kamakura Daibutsu by Suicasmo (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Kropsoq (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by elminium (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by くろふね (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by GIGA146587 (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Lake-Kawaguchi by lumoplank (CC0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Jigokudani monkeys by Bryan Ledgard (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Jordy Meow (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Σ64 (CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Okazaki Castle by Akonnchiroll (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by そらみみ (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Enryakuji by PlusMinus (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Fushimi-Inari by Luka Peternel (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Zest (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Himeji Castle by Gorgo (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Todaiji by Roman SUZUKI (CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Koyasan by phil henin (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Tottori-Sand-Dunes by Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Izumo Taisha by Saigen Jiro (CC0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Kurashiki Bikan by Suicasmo (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Itsukushima Shrine by JordyMeow (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Zairon (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Hellbuny (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Naoshima by ブルーノ・プラス (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Arnaud Malon (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by 京浜にけ at Japanese Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Nesnad (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Underbar dk (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Benford Choi (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Beppu Onsen by the.Firebottle (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Takachiho Gorge by TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋) (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: NAKAGAMA
Photo: Shuri Castle by そらみみ (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Romain Guy from San Francisco, USA (CC0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Joli Rumi (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Jakub Hałun (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Tokyo Disney Resort by Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Midori (CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by くろふね (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by 雷太 (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Nesnad (CC BY 2.5), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Tail furry (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Kiyomizu-dera by lumoplank (CC0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Keith Pomakis (CC BY-SA 2.5), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Osaka Castle by Mc681 (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Shuri Castle by 663highland (CC BY 2.5), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Hakodate by Perry Li (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits and licences

⚲Map ✉Phrases ⚠Emergency