Japan is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world. It is a unique blend of traditional and modern, with many temples and buildings from the past co-existing with modern achievements in architecture and technology.
An overview of the top tourist attractions in Japan:
1. Rokuonji (Kinkaku-ji Temple)
It is one of the most popular buildings in Japan, attracting a large number of visitors annually.
It is designated as a National Special Historic Site and a National Special Landscape, and it is one of 17 locations making up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which are World Heritage Sites.
2. Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776 m (12,388 ft). The volcano’s exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and photographs, as well as a popular tourist attraction for sightseers and climbers. An estimated 200,000 people climb Mount Fuji every year, 30% of whom are foreigners.
Mount Fuji is one of Japan’s “Three Holy Mountains”. It is also a special place of scenic beauty and one of Japan’s Historic Sites. It was added to the World Heritage List as a Cultural Site on June 22, 2013.
Per UNESCO, Mount Fuji has “inspired artists and poets and been the object of pilgrimage for centuries”.
3. Tokyo Imperial Palace
The Tokyo Imperial Palace is the primary residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains buildings including the main palace, the private residences of the Imperial Family, an archive, museums and administrative offices.
The palace is set on the ruins of older castles that were destroyed by fire or war, and architects have honored the past by incorporating design elements of the different eras into the modern palace. The new palace is surrounded by traditional Japanese gardens and has many reception and function rooms to receive guests and welcome the public.
4. Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Tower (東京タワー) built in 1958, the tower’s main sources of revenue are tourism and antenna leasing. It is a communications and observation tower in the Shiba-koen district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan. At 332.9 m (1,092 ft), it is the second-tallest structure in Japan.
The structure is an Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower that is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations. Every 5 years Tokyo Tower is repainted. It takes 1 year to repaint it.
Visitors can climb the tower for unparalleled views of Tokyo and the surrounding areas as well as visit shops and restaurants.
5. Todaiji Temple
The origins of Todai-ji lie in a temple called Kinsho-ji which was founded in 728 for the repose of the spirit of Crown Prince Motoi, son of Emperor Shomu (r. 724-749). In 741 when the Emperor issued his edict ordering the construction of a national system of monasteries (Kinkomyo-ji) known as the Kokubun-ji, Kinsho-ji was elevated in status. In 743 Emperor Shōmu issued his proclamation for the erection of a Great Buddha Image and when the capital was returned to Heijō (Nara) construction of the colossal image of Vairocana was begun on the grounds of the Kinkomyo-ji and was completed in 749. Construction of the Great Buddha Hall took place concurrently and the image was dedicated in 752 with a lavish consecration ceremony.
6. Great Buddha of Kamakura
The Great Buddha of Kamakura is a monumental outdoor bronze statue of Amitabha Buddha located at the Kotoku-in Temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
The Great Buddha, designated a National Treasure by the Japanese government. According to the Azumakagami, a chronicle describing the achievements of the Kamakura Shogunate from the late 12th century through the mid-13th century, construction of the Great Buddha began in 1252, it destroyed in typhoons hitting in 1334 and 1369, and subsequently in a severe earthquake in 1498. Since then, because it sits out in the open, the statue itself has been ravaged by the elements.
During the mid Edo period (1603-1867), Jodo Sect priests Yuten and Yokoku endeavored to repair the Great Buddha with funds provided by Nojima Shinzaemon, a merchant of the Asakusa district. Along with the repairs made to the Great Buddha, the two priests also restored a temple dedicated to the practice of the nenbutsu, calling it Shojosen-ji Kotoku-in.
7. Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle is the largest and most visited castle in Japan, and it was registered in 1993 as one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country. The area within the middle moat of the castle complex is a designated Special Historic Site and five structures of the castle are also designated National Treasures. Along with Matsumoto Castle and Kumamoto Castle, Himeji Castle is considered one of Japan’s three premier castles.
8. Kiyomizu-dera Temple
Kiyomizu-dera Temple is perhaps the most popular of the temples in Kyoto and is a fixture in the minds of the Japanese people. The temple’s veranda juts out of the side of a mountain supported by 13-meter-high wooden columns. The main hall with its distinctive hip-shaped roof of cypress bark rests to the rear of the veranda and houses within it a priceless statue of Kannon Bodhisattva, the goddess of mercy. From the veranda, one can appreciate fine views facing west over the city of Kyoto. This is an auspicious place to watch the sunset, which may also explain the romantic associations accorded to the temple.
9. Jigokudani Monkey Park
Jigokudani Monkey Park (地獄谷野猿公苑 Jigokudani Yaen Kōen) is in Yamanouchi, Shimotakai District, Nagano Prefecture. The name Jigokudani, meaning “Hell’s Valley”, is due to the steam and boiling water that bubbles out of small crevices in the frozen ground, surrounded by steep cliffs and formidably cold forests.
It is famous for its large population of wild Snow Monkeys that go to the valley during the winter when snow covers the park. The monkeys descend from the steep cliffs and forest to sit in the warm hot springs, and return to the security of the forests in the evenings.
10. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) was the only structure left standing in the area where the first atomic bomb exploded on 6 August 1945. Through the efforts of many people, including those of the city of Hiroshima, it has been preserved in the same state as immediately after the bombing. Not only is it a stark and powerful symbol of the most destructive force ever created by humankind; it also expresses the hope for world peace and the ultimate elimination of all nuclear weapons.