A country · 787 places · 48 regions

Japan, all of it.

787 curated places across 48 regions — photographed, mapped, and noted with the season each is best in.

Fushimi Inari-taisha · via Wikimedia Commons

The 4 biggest regions — Tokyo, Kyoto Prefecture, Hokkaidō and Kansai region — read below as chapters, with 44 more waiting past them.

Chapter I · Tokyo · 145 places

Tokyo

Tokyo's oldest surviving shitamachi district, anchored by Senso-ji, a Buddhist temple first established in the seventh century and approached through the double-gated Nakamise shopping street lined with souvenir stalls. The Kaminarimon thunder gate with its massive paper lantern is among the most photographed subjects in the Japanese capital. The district's backstreets hold craft workshops, traditional ryokan, and rickshaw operators that collectively maintain a pre-war Tokyo atmosphere.

Asakusa

Tokyo, Japan

✦ March–April and October–November; early morning to avoid peak crowds · $

Shibuya Crossing

Tokyo, Japan

✦ Year-round; evening peak hours for density; October–November for neon and holiday lighting · $

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Tokyo, Japan

✦ Late March–April for cherry blossoms; November for autumn color · $

All 145 places in Tokyo →

via Wikimedia Commons

Chapter II · Kyoto Prefecture · 57 places

Kyoto Prefecture

A Shinto shrine complex at the base of Mount Inari famous for its seemingly endless corridor of vermilion torii gates winding up through forested hills. The trail to the summit passes through thousands of gates donated by businesses and individuals, creating dramatic tunnel-like passages. Dawn and dusk offer the best photographic light when crowds are thinnest.

✦ March–May and October–November · $

Meet Fushimi Inari-taisha All 57 places in Kyoto Prefecture →

Chapter III · Hokkaidō · 56 places

Hokkaidō

Hokkaido's capital city, planned in the Meiji era on a grid modeled in part on American frontier city plans, with wide avenues centered on Odori Park and the landmark Sapporo TV Tower. The city's Snow Festival held in February is among the largest winter festivals in the world, transforming Odori Park with enormous snow sculptures. The surrounding Sapporo hills offer ski resorts within 40 minutes of the city center.

Sapporo

Hokkaidō, Japan

✦ February for Snow Festival; July for summer greenery · $$

Niseko

Hokkaidō, Japan

✦ December–March for skiing; July–August for summer activities · $$$

Daisetsuzan National Park

Hokkaidō, Japan

✦ Late August–September for alpine foliage; January–March for snow camping · $$

All 56 places in Hokkaidō →

via Wikimedia Commons

Chapter IV · Kansai region · 26 places

Kansai region

A large public park in central Nara where approximately 1,200 freely roaming sika deer have lived alongside the city's residents and visitors for centuries. The deer, considered sacred messengers of the Shinto deity Takemikazuchi, wander through the park and its adjacent temple precincts unrestricted. Tōdai-ji and several other major historical monuments are set within or adjacent to the park grounds.

✦ March–April and October–November · $

Meet Nara Park All 26 places in Kansai region →