Bask in the sun, or snorkel and scuba dive.Along with all the amusing interactions, there are beautiful moments to witness too. This is where you'll find Japan's best beaches, like those on the Yaeyama Islands and the Kerama Islands, with sugar-white sand fringed with palms and turquoise waters. Until annexed by Japan in the 19th century, they formed their own kingdom – the Ryūkyū Empire – and the cultural differences are apparent in everything down to the architecture and food. This semi-tropical archipelago forms an arch between Kyūshū and Taiwan. Okinawa and the Southwest Islands offer a totally different experience from the rest of Japan. Planning tip: Though Japanese temples and shrines do not have established dress codes, visitors are expected to stay relatively quiet in these sacred spaces. Other temples offer a different experience: the chance to spend the night, dine on traditional vegetarian Buddhist cuisine and wake up early for morning meditation with the resident monks.
There are over a hundred temples here, the highlight of which is Oku-no-in, where paths weave their way among towering cryptomeria trees and time-worn stone stupas covered in moss and lichen.
Riding the funicular up to the sacred Buddhist monastic complex of Kōya-san feels, appropriately, like ascending to another world.
Naoshima hosts various art, drama, music and dance events that make this festival so special. Planning tip: Try to plan your visit during one of the three exhibitions of the Setouchi Triennale festival, which happens during the spring, summer and fall every three years – the most recent occurring in 2022. It has also inspired some Japanese to pursue a slower life outside the big cities, relocating to Naoshima to open cafes and inns. The resulting blend of avant-garde and rural Japan is captivating. Many of Japan's most lauded architects have contributed structures, including museums, a boutique hotel and even a bathhouse – all designed to enhance the island's natural beauty and complement its existing settlements. Naoshima is one of Japan's great success stories: a rural island on the verge of becoming a ghost town, now a world-class center for contemporary art. Get local insight on destinations all over the world with our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox. The Imperial Palace and Ghibli Museum are other popular attractions that require prior planning. Planning tip: Tickets for sumo, kabuki and Giants baseball games usually go on sale one to two months in advance. Constantly changing and with a diverse collection of neighborhoods, no two experiences of Tokyo are ever the same. It's a sprawling, organic thing, stretching as far as the eye can see. But more than any other sight, it's the city itself that enchants visitors. It's Japan's top spot for contemporary art and architecture, pop culture, shopping, drinking and entertainment (and a tie with Kyoto for dining). Tokyo is a city forever reaching into the future, pushing the boundaries of what's possible on densely populated, earthquake-prone land, adding ever taller, sleeker structures. Here’s our pick of the 10 best places to visit in Japan. You could arguably spend a lifetime sampling the country’s delights, but some towns and sights are staples – core ingredients to any great Japan trip. Japan offers up a real feast for travelers, with mountainside onsen (hot spring) villages, sleepy beach-lined islands and buzzing megacities all on the menu.
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