A popular retreat for over a thousand years, this thermal resort to the west of Tokyo serves as a springboard for the popular Hakone National Park, whose natural wonders include Mount Fuji and shimmering Lake Ashi. In clear weather, spectac…

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Lying halfway between Kyoto and Hiroshima, Himeji boasts arguably the most impressive structure in the whole of Japan. Framed by tufts of cherry blossom from the surrounding orchards, the distinctive profile of White Heron Castle epitomises…

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Every year at 8:15 am on August 6th, a minute of silent prayer attended by thousands of people in the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial, marks the moment when, in 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on the city. An estimated 80,000 people lost…

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Towering cedar trees and fluttering white pennants bearing Shinto inscriptions flank the long, stepped approach to the beautiful Hongu shrine, one of the three principal shrines on the Kii pilgrimage circuit. Its wooden construction and cla…

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The Horyu-ji temple is one of the most important Buddhist sites in Japan, as it was founded by Prince Shotoku, who is said to have brought the religion to the country. It dates back to the year 607 and parts of the Horyu-ji temple are reput…

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All but one of the country’s 30 highest peaks fall within the Japanese Alps of Central Honshu. The name was coined by an English engineer and archaeologist named William Gowland in the 19th century. Gowland was the first foreigner to explor…

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An hour’s train ride from Tokyo, Kamakura is a peaceful seaside town that makes a memorable day trip. In addition to the pounding surf of Sagami Bay, its main attractions are the dozens of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines scattered acros…

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Dramatic vistas of snow-capped mountains and pristine pine forests await walkers in the remote Kamikochi Valley, part of the Chubu-Sangaku National Park – a sanctuary often dubbed ‘Japan’s Yosemite’ because of its awesome landscapes. Wander…

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Buffered by the ocean and Alps of central Honshu, Kanazawa has over the centuries enjoyed longer periods of peace and prosperity than most Japanese cities. This has enabled it to develop its own, unique cultural life and earn the affectiona…

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Emperors, pilgrims and pleasure seekers have since the 6th-century AD travelled to the Kii Peninsula for a restorative dip in the onshen hot springs at Shirahama, one of which sits behind the town’s spectacular white-sand beach. Thus forti…

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The network of trails connecting the three principal shrines of the Kii Peninsula is known as the ‘Kumano Kodo’. Wearing traditional white robes, Japanese pilgrims have for many centuries trodden its lichencovered pathways, crossing forests…

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The graceful canal area of this old merchants’ town near Okayama is a rare survivor from the prosperous Edo period, boasting an exceptional assemblage of 18th century buildings distinguished by trademark white-washed walls and black tilewor…

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