Japan – TOP 17 attractions in Japan (not TOP 10 ;-))

A-Bomb Dome - Hiroshima, Peace Memorial Park

We have been in Japan for some time now. The country is so wonderful and magnificent, completely different from the rest of the world, that we often return with memories of our visit to Japan. We also go back there, thanks to numerous questions from you about what we recommend seeing, especially outside of Tokyo.

And that’s how the idea for the post came about, to include it all in one place. This time, however, it will not be a TOP 10 list, but a TOP 17 list. And so the list is very truncated. That’s how great Japan is! :)

TOP 17 attractions in Japan

Traditionally, we will start at the bottom of the list, i.e….
(You will find all points marked on the map at the bottom of this post).

17. Osaka – Japan’s third largest city. It is worth a visit for at least this very reason. The main attractions to see here are Osaka Castle, the Shinsekai district, Minami (Namba), and of course Universal Studios Japan (i.e., a studio/happy town with “neighborhoods” like Spiderman, Back to the Future and Jurassic Park).

16. Japanese toilets – oh yes! This is what we couldn’t miss in this list ;) Although it’s not one specific place, it’s definitely one of the more interesting experiences of the day, which we’ve written about, among other things, here.

The 15th Government Building – which is one of the best free places to admire Tokyo from above. It is said that sometimes even Mount Fuji can be seen from the top. We, however, did not succeed ;)

14. Shibuya – is not only the famous intersection in Tokyo, among others. from films such as Tokyo Drift, but also a colorful, lively district of stores, venues and hotels…. love ;)

13th Harajuku – one of the districts of Tokyo, along with Takeshita Dori Street, where we can meet typical Japanese youth. In addition, you will find here, among other things. delicious/interesting pancakes and many stores where you can buy original souvenirs (including a sizable Daiso chain store). We wrote about it, among other things, here.

12th Asakusa Temple – the most popular temple in Tokyo. Impressive. In front of the temple there are quite a few interesting stalls selling souvenirs, ice cream, etc. ;) There are also a lot of local restaurants in the area, so you can eat well and locally….

11. sushi bar – that is, pubs with floating sushi ;) Because since it’s about food, it’s worth mentioning the typically Japanese of course. Although it is difficult being in Japan to eat something not local ;) We came across the coolest place just near the Asakusa temple in Tokyo.

The 10th Tsukiji – the largest fish market in the world…. is located in Tokyo, of course. You absolutely must go there first thing in the morning, although tourists are not allowed in until later hours. The variety of food that the Japanese fish out of the seas and oceans can set one’s head spinning. There is much to admire!

9. Odaiba and the Rainbow Bridge – a small island, and you will find quite a few attractions on it, such as. Guandam robot statue, the Statue of Liberty, the Toyota Show Room or at least a nice promenade overlooking Tokyo.

8. Bamboo Grove – or the famous bamboo alley in Kyoto’s Arashiyama district. In the area you will also find interesting temples and, for example, a more than 1,000-year-old bridge ;)

7. Fushimi Inari Sh rine – a shrine built for the gods of rice and sake. More famous for its path with red Torii gates. The place is not far from Kyoto and you can easily drive there on your way to Nara…. about what else will be ;)

6. Nikko – is a small and inconspicuous town north of Tokyo. You can get there quickly by Shinkansen with a change to the JR commuter line (using the JR PASS, of course). There you will find a huge complex of temples that you absolutely must see. You can read more about Nikko here.

5. shinkansen – or super-fast Japanese trains. We have written about them more than once and not twice :) There is no option, being in Japan, not to ride them at least once. All the logistics, the marking of platforms, cleanliness, punctuality and traveler culture…. these things could be written about for years. A miracle of honey and nuts, there is nothing even to compare to our PKP ;)

4. Miyajima Island – with a complex of temples and, above all, the Great Tori Gate. This beautiful place is not far from Hiroshima, it is worth driving up here for at least half a day. It is also worth waiting for the tide to go out and see how the place changes.

3rd Nara – The podium opens with Nara, a town near Kyoto. This is Japan’s first capital city, where you will find one of the country’s most popular temples, Todaiji. Nara is also famous for its current deer (fallow deer), which you can feed or they will feed themselves with your clothes ;)

2. palaces and temples of Kyoto – we can compare this place to our Cracow, but one multiplied at least 10 times ;) It is an iconic and traditional place, with countless temples and palaces, a geisha district, etc. We were there for 3 days and even for us it was too little time. Kyoto definitely wins over Tokyo (which is also a must-see) which is evident even from our ranking.

1. Hiroshima – yes! On our podium, in first place, is not Tokyo, not Kyoto or other “certainties,” but Hiroshima. City destroyed by atomic bomb attack. All the more in retrospect, we know that the visit to this particular place was the most memorable. Beautifully paid tribute to the victims, thoroughly explained history. And it’s hard to believe that people were capable of this…. May this history never repeat itself again!