10 Best Places to Visit in Japan
15 Jul 2025
10 Best Places to visit in Japan 2025/2026
Japan offers an enticing, but often complex tapestry of cultural experiences, from rocky Zen gardens to glittering contemporary art installations. This expert guide reveals 10 top places to visit in Japan for culturally curious travellers seeking authentic encounters with the country's rich artistic, architectural and spiritual heritage.
Visiting Japan in 2025/2026
From the aesthetic delights of Kyoto’s temple gardens to the intriguing art islands of the Seto Inland Sea, these carefully chosen destinations showcase Japan at its most bold and vibrant. These sites are visited by our cultural tours to Japan in 2025–2026.
Table of Contents
1. Ryoan-ji
Location: Kyoto, Kansai region
Founded: Late 15th century (c. 1480)
Famous for: dry landscape garden, UNESCO World Heritage status, Zen philosophy
Amongst the most famous gardens in the world, Ryoan-ji presents a portal through which Japanese minimalist aesthetics and Zen principles can be examined. Fifteen carefully-positioned stones sit atop raked white gravel, revealing endless perspectives. Dating from the late 15th-century, this UNESCO World Heritage Site embodies the principles of simplicity and restraint which characterise Zen.
The garden’s genius is revealed from sitting on the veranda – no matter where the viewer sits, one stone always remains obscured, a reminder of the incompleteness and ignorance of human perception.
Visited on all Martin Randall Travel cultural tours to Japan.
2. Kinkaku-ji
Location: Kyoto, Kansai region
Founded: 1397 (as villa), became temple in 1408
Famous for: Gold leaf exterior, three-storey architecture, reflecting pond garden
Emblazoned completely in gold leaf, Kinkaku–ji (Golden Pavillion), this enormous three-storey temple, originally the retirement villa for a Shogun. Each floor showcases distinct architectural principles, forming a fascinating synthesis of styles.
Equally as impressive are the temple surroundings: a pond directly in front creates dramatic effect, whilst the golden surface reflects the day’s changing light. The gardens are carefully curated, epitomising the Japanese concept of shakkei (borrowed scenery), where distant mountains are woven into the garden’s design.
Visited by Martin Randall Travel tour of Japanese Gardens
3. Kenroku-en
Location: Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture
Founded: 1620s-1840s (developed over centuries)
Famous for: 'Six attributes' of perfect garden design, yukitsuri snow supports, seasonal beauty
Originally the outer garden of Kanazawa Castle, Kenroku-en, literally ‘Garden of six sublimites’ was constructed over several centuries by the Maeda family. Its name refers to the Chinese garden tradition’s six qualities of the perfect garden: spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, water features, and panoramic views.
Each season transforms Kenroku-en. In spring, plum and cherry blossoms bloom, while Autumn colours the garden with intense orange and bronze hues, courtesy of cherry and maple trees.
Winter sees several trees sporting peculiar wooden snow guards (yukitsuri).
Visited on Martin Randall Travel's cultural tour examining Japanese traditions – the April departure takes place during cherry blossom season.
4. Todai-ji
Location: Nara, Kansai region
Founded: 752 AD
Famous for: Giant bronze Buddha statue, world's largest wooden building, UNESCO World Heritage site
Housing one of Japan's largest bronze Buddha statues, Todai-ji represents the apex of 8th-century Buddhist art and architecture. The Daibutsuden (Great Buddha Hall) was until 1998, the world’s largest wooden building, though the current structure is diminutive when compared to the original, destroyed by fire.
The 15-metre-tall Buddha, cast in 746 AD, weighs approximately 500 tonnes and resulted in the depletion of nearly all of Japan's available bronze. Visitors often attempt to crawl through a hole in one of the hall's pillars – legend claims this brings good luck.
Visited on Martin Randall Travel art tour of Japan and to Japanese gardens
5. Naoshima Island & Benesse Museums
Location: Naoshima Island, Seto Inland Sea, Kagawa Prefecture
Founded: 1992 (Benesse House Museum opened)
Famous for: Tadao Ando architecture, contemporary art installations, rural art regeneration
This small island in the Seto Inland Sea was all but anonymous to the outside world until Yayoi Kusama’s famed yellow pumpkin landed in 1994. Today, it houses an extraordinary concentration of contemporary art and architecture. The Benesse Art Museums on the island were designed by famed architect Tadao Ando.
Other key sites include the formidable Chichu Art Museum, housing precious works by Monet, Walter De Maria and James Turrell. Naoshima presents a fascinating story of revitalisation of rural communities via art forms. From the yellow pumpkin through to Turell’s light sculptures, the island is a must-visit destination for art lovers in Japan.
Visited on our escorted art tour of Japan
6. Nezu Museum & Garden
Location: Omotesando, Tokyo
Founded: 1941 (museum), garden dates to Edo period
Famous for: Pre-modern Asian art collection, traditional Japanese garden, Kengo Kuma architecture
In the heart of vibrant Omotesando, the Nezu Museum houses one of Japan's finest collections of pre-modern Asian art. Surrounding the striking building by Kengo Kuma, the traditional garden provides respite from the urban intensity of Tokyo, the world’s largest metropolis.
Bamboo groves, ancient stone lanterns and tea houses scatter the site, underpinned by core principles of asymmetry, enclosure and borrowed scenery.
Visited on all Martin Randall Travel cultural tours to Japan.
7. Miho Museum
Location: Shigaraki, Shiga Prefecture
Founded: 1997
Famous for: I.M. Pei architecture, ancient Asian art collection
Nestled in the mountains of Shiga Prefecture, the Miho Museum represents a remarkable insertion on the landscape by architect I.M. Pei. A majority of the building is underground, its luminous galleries connected by tunnels and a suspension bridge.
Focussing on ancient Asian and Middle-Eastern art, the collection is displayed in spaces where natural light and mountain scenery enhance the viewing experience.
Visit Miho Museum on an optional visit during our Japanese Gardens tour.
8. Shirakawa-go
Location: Gifu Prefecture, Japanese Alps
Founded: 12th century (village), traditional houses date from 17th-19th centuries
Famous for: Gassho-zukuri farmhouses, UNESCO World Heritage status
This UNESCO World Heritage village contains a clutch of architecturally important traditional farmhouses. Their steep thatched roofs are formed via a method called gassho-zukuri, “constructed like hands in prayer”. This refers to the resemblance between the steeply pitched roofs and the clasped hands of a Buddhist monk in prayer.
Designed to protect against heavy snowfall which characterises the region’s winters, these silhouettes against the Japanese Alps preserve a tradition unchanged for centuries. Most farmhouses still function as family homes, adhering to strict planning and operational laws in one of Japan’s harshest climates.
Visit Shirakawa-go on Martin Randall Travel ‘Traditions of Japan’ tour.
9. Kanazawa Geisha District
Location: Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture
Established: 1820
Famous for: Preserved geisha quarters, traditional tea houses, gold leaf crafts
Higashi Chaya District is one of Japan's most famous geisha districts, alongside Kyoto's Gion and Kanazawa's own Nishi Chaya. The area contains around 40 traditional ochaya (tea houses), many still operating as entertainment venues.
The district's wooden buildings feature distinctive kimusuko lattice work designed to allow light in while maintaining privacy. Several tea houses offer public access, including Kaikaro, which has operated continuously since 1820 and displays artifacts from the geisha tradition. Kanazawa produces 99% of Japan's gold leaf, and visitors can observe artisans applying this craft to lacquerware and Buddhist altar fittings in workshops throughout the district.
Examine Kanazawa's crafts scene on Martin Randall Travel's tour examining Japanese culture and traditions.
10. Izumo Taisha
Location: Izumo, Shimane Prefecture
Founded: Ancient origins (legend dates to 659 BC), current buildings 1744
Famous for: Oldest Shinto shrine, marriage blessings, deity worship
Nestled in the mountains of Shiga Prefecture, the Miho Museum represents a remarkable insertion on the landscape by architect I.M. Pei. A majority of the building is underground, its luminous galleries connected by tunnels and a suspension bridge.
Focussing on ancient Asian and Middle-Eastern art, the collection is displayed in spaces where natural light and mountain scenery enhance the viewing experience.
Amongst the extraordinary shrines and temples visited on Martin Randall Travel's 'Traditions of Japan' tour.
Why visit Japan with Martin Randall Travel?
Since 1988, Martin Randall Travel has been one of the most influential and pioneering organisations in cultural travel. Our small groups - made up of between 10 and 20 participants ensures like-minded and congenial company, whilst full financial protection offers peace of mind.
Our tours to Japan are amongst our most popular itineraries. We cover the major cultural highlights on specially honed and focussed itineraries, on themes from Japanese gardens, to the arts and crafts of Japan. Our first-rate speakers are selected for their knowledge and communication and are passionate experts.
Browse Japan tours
Visiting Japan: frequently asked questions
The best times of year to visit Japan are during Spring (March–May) and Autumn (September–November). Martin Randall Travel's cultural tours to Japan take place at optimum times of year
Sign up to our e-newsletter
e-newsletter recipients are the first to hear about our future plans and our tours as they come on sale. By signing up you agree to our Privacy policy.
Or join our mailing list for a printed brochure
