Tokyo in Japanese means the Eastern Capital. This name was given to the samurai city of Edo after the capital was moved here from Kyoto in the second half of the 19th century. The largest city in Japan never ceases to amaze travelers with its cleanliness, convenient transportation, and friendliness of the locals who are ready to overcome language barriers and help their foreign guests. Tokyo attracts everybody interested in modern Japan: fans of contemporary architecture and street fashion, video games, and unusual cafes.

Ginza is Tokyo’s most luxurious shopping district, home to prestigious department stores, world-famous designer boutiques, coffee shops, and traditional Japanese restaurants. People come here to learn about the latest high fashion trends and enjoy the creations of the best architects worldwide.

At the same time, Ginza is an art lover’s paradise. There are about 200 art galleries and Kabukiza Theater, which still regularly hosts Kabuki theater performances.

Shibuya scramble crossing is one of the busiest crossings in Tokyo. The green light comes on from four directions at once, and several hundred people (during peak hours, the number can reach 1,000) rush simultaneously in all directions, managing to dodge each other with ease built up over the years.

For its picturesque yet orderly crowds, the crossing is beloved by filmmakers, and people worldwide are familiar with it from TV series, movies, and commercial videos. The best spot to watch the hypnotic flow of people is the Starbucks coffee shop on the 2nd floor of the building on the north side of the crossing.

There is also a statue of the faithful dog Hachiko near Shibuya Station, where he used to meet his master, a professor at Tokyo University, every day. After the professor’s sudden death, the dog came to the station every day for nine years, waiting for his master to return. Hachiko became the symbol of loyalty.

The Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology was opened in Nagoya in 1994.

The museum is housed in an early 20th-century brick building that used to be a spinning mill.

The museum’s extensive collection traces the development of Japan’s weaving and automobile industries. The museum exhibit is dedicated to the history of Toyota’s success, from when the company produced looms to the latest car models. Nearly 4,000 objects are on display in an area of 14,000 square meters.

Itsukushima Shrine is one of Japan’s most famous Shinto shrines located on the island of Itsukushima (also known as Miyajima Island). The sight of the main torii gate set in the sea is one of Japan’s three most famous views. The shrine was founded in the 6th century and took its present form in the 12th century when it was extensively expanded and rebuilt by Taira no Kiyomori. The buildings we see today were built in the mid-16th century, although they are similar in design to those of the Taira clan era. The “floating” shrine is a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site and a National Treasure of Japan.

This five-arch wooden bridge on the banks of the Brocade River in Iwakuni is one of Japan’s most beautiful bridges. The ancient construction of the bridge is familiar to many from Japanese engravings, and it’s a popular place for photoshoots.

The name of the city of Kurashiki translates as “the place with rice barns.” This name accurately describes the city, which emerged at the beginning of the 17th century as a port for transporting rice from Western Japan to Central Japan. Many wealthy merchants of Western Japan built warehouses (“kura” in Japanese) in the port of Kurashiki to store rice before it was shipped to the port of Edo. During the Edo era, the city’s rulers dug a canal to quickly deliver rice from storage to the port.

With the modernization of Japan that began in the late 19th century and the construction of railroads, the river port of Kurashiki gradually lost its importance. Later, modern (early 20th century) businesses emerged there. The unique area around the canal, built up with traditional, white-walled buildings, was decided to be preserved. Now the Bikan area is a cultural treasure of Okayama Prefecture and Japan.

The old rice storage units have been modernized and converted into small museums, hotels, restaurants, and stores. You can take a ride on the canal in a traditional boat that was used to deliver goods two hundred years ago.

Himeji Castle is one of Japan’s 12 historically preserved castles and is considered the most beautiful. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The castle was built in the early 17th century and was second in size and beauty only to the lost Edo Castle, the residence of the Tokugawa shoguns. Unscathed by wars, fires, and natural disasters for 400 years, the castle is often featured in movies about the samurai era. Fans of classic Japanese cinema remember it for Akira Kurosawa’s “Ran.” The impregnable castle holds secrets of Japanese military strategy and keeps stories of gods and ghosts. The name “White Heron Castle” reflects the beauty of its walls.

Kokoen Garden was created near Himeji Castle relatively recently, in 1992, for the city’s 100th anniversary. There are nine landscaped gardens of different styles in a small area of the complex, where you can enjoy the seasonal flowers and learn a lot about Japanese landscape art.

Asago, where Takeda Castle was located, is a small town in the mountain valley of Hyogo Prefecture. Asago has witnessed important historical events in the past. Though abandoned more than four hundred years ago, the ruins of Takeda Castle are one of the most popular places for photographers and history fans. The ruins of Takeda Castle are among “Japan’s Top 100 Castles” and are often referred to as “Japan’s Machu Picchu.” Built on the top of a mountain, the castle is especially beautiful in the small hours of the morning and at sunrise, when it floats like an airship in a sea of lilac mist over the Asago Valley.

The historical area of Izushi, the so-called “little Kyoto,” is a beautiful provincial center of medieval Japan, which the local feudal lords carefully arranged in the manner of the imperial capital. There are a few sightseeing attractions here: the walls and towers of the castle, the oldest street clock in Japan (1881), the colorful Inari Shrine, and the old Kabuki theater. In Japan, the town is famous for its buckwheat noodles izushi-soba served on small plates. The tradition of such serving dates to the Edo period when Izushi street vendors began to serve noodles in convenient portions on small plates. Local potters immediately mastered the production of such dishes, which was the beginning of Izushi pottery.

Overgrown with pine trees, a centuries-old narrow sandbar in Miyazu Bay is one of Japan’s three most beautiful scenic views. “Heaven’s Bridge,” as its name’s translated, looks equally beautiful from both sides of the bay. We will admire the beauty of Heaven’s Bridge from the observation deck and walk across the white sand among the pine trees. Blue sky, turquoise sea water, white sand, and dark green pines will not leave anyone indifferent.

Sagano-Arasiyama Bamboo Grove is one of Kyoto’s most popular and most photographed places. Everything here breathes with admiration for nature and love for detail. The path through the bamboo grove is carefully fenced off and cleared of dry leaves and branches. It’s an alley where you want to stroll, listening to the sounds of bamboo and the endless song of the wind. Bamboo doesn’t sleep; bamboo rustles and ceaselessly strives upwards. It’s a very hardy, fantastic plant!

Kinkaku-ji Temple, often called the Golden Temple, is one of Japan’s most famous temples and Kyoto’s main attractions. Built at the end of the 14th century, this complex, with its three-story pavilion covered with gold leaf, captivated the minds of its contemporaries. The famous Japanese writer Yukio Mishima captured its fate and glory in the novel “The Golden Temple.” Today Kinkaku-ji Temple is a must-see on any traveler’s itinerary in Japan. In addition to the famous pavilion, the UNESCO World Heritage Site also features a traditional walking garden, small waterfalls, and a tea house, representing the culture of the samurai era.

Zen Rock Garden, or dry garden, with its hidden meanings and allegories, is a beautiful place for contemplation and meditation. Each garden element has meaning, and no randomly placed pieces exist. A dry garden is an orderly system subject to well-established aesthetic rules. Sea waves spread before the viewers, the mountain peaks rise above the clouds, and animals freeze in different poses. This microcosm of Zen Buddhist aesthetics is created using stones of various shapes. The distinctive symbolism of rock gardens is a unique manifestation of the multifaceted Japanese culture.

Geisha district Gion is Kyoto’s largest and most vivid geisha district. Its history dated to the Middle Ages when restaurants and tea houses for pilgrims began to open around Yasaka Shrine. The picturesque streets of the district are filled with traditional houses with wooden facades, running rickshaws, geisha, and their apprentices (maiko), who still live in Gion and entertain guests every night with their dancing, talking, and table games.

Fushimi Inari Shrine is one of the most important shrines of the Old Capital and the head shrine for a network of over 32,000 subordinate shrines across the country.

The god Inari, to whom the shrine is dedicated, is considered the patron saint of rice farming and artisans, merchants, and business people in general. According to tradition, a generous offering can earn the god’s favor. In Fushimi Inari Shrine, the best gift is considered to be a temple gate-torii. The popularity of the god Inari can be judged by the fact that the entire shrine area is densely packed with thousands of red gates of various sizes, forming red corridors leading from the main altar to the top of the mountain.

Jidai Matsuri, or the “Festival of the Ages,” is one of the three largest festivals in Kyoto. The festival’s main event is a costume parade from the Imperial Palace to the Shinto shrine of Heian-Jingu. The history of Jidai Matsuri began in the late 19th century with the celebration of the founding of the new capital of Heian-Kyo 1200 years ago and is now considered the birthday of Kyoto, which is celebrated annually on October 22. The most exciting event of this festival is the Parade of the Ages: more than two thousand people dressed in historically accurate costumes of the different times in Japanese history walk through Kyoto. In three or four hours, you’ll see the entire history of Kyoto and the Japanese costume from the 8th to the 19th century.

Nijo Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Kyoto, built in the early 17th century for the powerful shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. During his visits to the imperial capital, the shogun stayed in the castle with several ornate palaces and a beautiful garden. One of the complex’s palaces, Ninomaru, has survived to this day. The palace’s interior is painted by famous artists of the Kano school and is richly decorated with wood carvings and gold. Tokugawa Ieyasu himself admired the garden created by Kobori Enshu, the great master of the tea ceremony and landscape design.

The Kurama Fire Festival is held in northern Kyoto at Yuki-jinja Shrine. The fire festival is said to protect the city from disasters and misfortune. In the evening, giant torches are lit along the road leading to the shrine to light the way for visitors.

Todai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex whose main building is one of the largest wooden structures in the world. Built in the mid-8th century by order of the emperor with donations from all over the country, the temple features the biggest bronze statue of Buddha in Japan. Almost all the bronze produced in Japan at the time was used to cast the colossal sculpture. The complex also has several unique wooden structures, including the giant Nandaimon Gate with the famous Nio guard figures, the Bell Tower, and Nigatsu-do Hall. The entire complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kasuga Taisha is one of Japan’s most ancient Shinto shrines, founded in the mid-8th century to protect the capital, Nara. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is famous for its kasuga-zukuri architectural style, the thousands of stone and bronze lanterns decorating its grounds, and the pristine ancient forest where sacred deer, considered messengers of the deities, roam free.

The Koya Mountain Monastery Complex is one of the most important centers of Buddhism in Japan, founded 1,200 years ago by the monk Kukai. In addition to its religious and historical value, it is also an important cultural monument. The majestic architecture of the complex, paintings by famous artists, unique artifacts accumulated over hundreds of years, the largest rock garden, and one of the oldest cemeteries in Japan – all of it provide a rare opportunity to have an insight into the Japanese philosophy of life and death.

Designed by architect Hara Hiroshi in 1993, this 173-meter building is the 19th tallest in Osaka and one of the most notable parts of the cityscape. Two forty-story towers are connected at the top by Floating Garden Observatory, whose glass verandas offer beautiful city views. The basement floor, with stores and restaurants, resembles a Japanese city street of the early 20th century. Various companies’ offices occupy the building. There is a lovely park with fountains at the base of the towers.

Dotonbori is a neighborhood that stretches along the Dotonbori canal between Dotonboribashi Bridge and Nipponbashi Bridge. The history of Dotonbori goes back four hundred years. In the early 17th century, this area was designated for entertainment venues by a government decree. By the end of the Edo era, there were six Kabuki theaters, five Bunraku theaters, and other smaller establishments. A restaurant area eventually grew around the theaters, and the district became one of the most popular places for evening entertainment for citizens and visitors. By now, there’s little left of the traditional theaters, but the area is still famous for its active nightlife, entertainment, and delicious food.

One of Japan’s three most beautiful traditional gardens, the Garden of the Six Sublimities, was laid out in the second half of the 17th century near the walls of Kanazawa Castle for the enjoyment of the rulers of the Maeda clan.

The owners of Kanazawa Castle and the vassals of the Maeda clan who had access to the garden loved it for its beauty and harmony.

The name Kenrokuen, “The Garden of Six Sublimities,” was taken from the Song Dynasty Chinese poet Li Gefei’s “Chronicles of the Famous Gardens of Luoyang.” The book listed six virtues an ideal garden should have: spaciousness, seclusion, artificiality, antiquity, abundant water, and broad views.

The Omicho Fish Market is the largest local produce market in Kanazawa. It was developed in the mid-18th century. More than 200 stores and stalls open here in the early morning, offering fresh fish, seafood, and vegetables produced in the prefecture. And at dinnertime, locals and tourists gather at the market’s restaurants.

After the Maeda clan settled in Kanazawa in the 16th century and built a castle for permanent residence in the city, a lively shopping district was formed at the foot of the castle. Tea houses appeared to entertain merchants and visitors of trading houses, whose guests enjoyed singing, dancing, and graceful conversations of geisha. Kanazawa geisha borrowed most of the traditions from the professional beauties of Kyoto. Over time, three geisha quarters were formed in Kanazawa: Higashi Chayagai (Eastern Chaya District), Nishi Chayagai (Western Chaya District), and Kazuemachi, of which Higashi Tyayagai is the largest and liveliest in modern times. Several tea houses have been preserved in the quarter since the Edo period, where geisha still work, and two of these houses are open to the public. The atmosphere of the quarter transports visitors to Japan of the Tokugawa shogunate era.

Shirakawa-go (Shirakawa Village) in Gifu Prefecture and Gokayama Village in neighboring Toyama Prefecture are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and “an example of traditional life adapted to the environment.” The Shirakawa-go lies in the heart of the Japanese Alps and is surrounded by mountains. Its geographic location and climate make it one of the snowiest places in Japan. This has led to a unique local architectural style, gassho-zukuri, meaning “palms folded in prayer,” which is what the pointed, reed-covered roofs of the houses resemble.

The city of Takayama, located in the Hida mountain region, has been known since the Middle Ages for its artisans, who were even invited to build the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. The old city area has the atmosphere of medieval Japan: traditional houses with numerous stores and small museums (including the museum of the famous Takayama Matsuri festival), restaurants, and cafes. A market of local products opens every morning on the old city square.

Nakasendo is one of the five main roads of the Edo period and one of the two that connected the two capitals, Edo (from Nihon-bashi Bridge) and Kyoto (to Sanjo-hashi Bridge). By the end of the Edo period, the total length was 534 kilometers, with 69 stations along the way. Unlike coastal Tokaido, traveling along the mountainous Nakasendo did not require crossing major rivers and using boats.

The prototype of the road was built in the 7th century, connecting the inland provinces with the central regions. During the 15th-17th centuries, individual roads became connected, and in the early Edo period Nakasendo became a road of national importance with official post stations. Sections of the old road with the post stations have survived to this day. In Nagano Prefecture, a section of the road that ran through the Kiso Valley has been carefully preserved as a historical site. There were 11 stations along the valley, and some of them were turned into open-air museums.

Tsumago is a small town in the Kiso Valley in the Central Japanese Alps, Nagano Prefecture. In the Middle Ages, it was the 42nd of the 69 post stations on the Nakasendo Road between Kyoto and Edo and the 10th of the 11 stations on the Kisoji Road in the Kiso Valley. Thanks to its favorable location, the town prospered. However, at the end of the 19th century, the Chuo railway line was built, and Tsumago gradually declined. In 1968, citizens began a campaign to attract tourists to the city. They reconstructed the remaining buildings from the Edo period and made the town look like a medieval post station. Most houses belong to private individuals and are available for viewing only from the outside. But some have been converted into stores, restaurants, ryokan hotels, and historical museums, including the honjin, the town’s main inn for Edo-era officials.

Magome Station is the 43rd station of the old Nakasendo Road that connected Kyoto and Edo and ran through the mountains of Honshu Island. It is also the last of 11 stations of the Kisoji Road (the part of the Nakasendo that runs through the Kiso Valley). The post station town prospered during the Edo period, primarily because of the money-lending business. However, in the late 19th century, the new Chuo railway line was built, and Magome gradually declined. In recent decades buildings of the late Edo period and early Meiji period have been restored, and the town has become a popular tourist destination for everybody who wants to enjoy the atmosphere of old Japan.

One of Japan’s largest wasabi farms, delivering 12 tons of the freshest wasabi roots to the tables of Japanese gourmets every day. The unique location of the farm and climatic conditions make the wasabi grow year-round at this farm. From May to October, the wasabi plantations in the river are covered with a special cloth to protect them from direct sunlight. You can walk a trail along the plantations, see wasabi in different stages of development, and try all kinds of wasabi dishes at the restaurant at the farm. In addition, the Dayo farm is famous for its old water mill, where Akira Kurosawa filmed one of the episodes of the movie “Dreams.”

Matsumoto Castle is one of Japan’s three most famous and beautiful castles (together with the Himeji and Kumamoto castles). The main tower of the castle is a National Treasure of Japan. The castle has the unofficial name “Black Crow Castle” for the black color of its walls.

Fuji is an active stratovolcano on the Japanese island of Honshu, 100 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, on the border of Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures. The height of the volcano is 3,776 m. The circumference of the volcano’s base is 125 kilometers, and the diameter is 40-50 kilometers. The crater’s rim is about 500 meters, and the depth is about 250 meters. There are eight peaks around the crater, each with its name. The highest point of Fujisan is Kengamine Peak. The volcano is active; the last eruption was back in 1707-1708.

The mountain and its surroundings are part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013.

There are a Shinto temple, a post office, and a weather station on the top of Mount Fuji.

The mountain has a perfect conical shape and is considered sacred, serving as a religious pilgrimage and a tourism site. For centuries the beautiful outline of Fuji has been a popular theme in Japanese art.

On the northern slope of Mount Fuji, lava from volcanic eruptions 50-60 thousand years ago blocked the flow of rivers and formed a chain of lakes. Beautiful lakes are filled with the purest water from the mountain rivers and are surrounded by untouched forests. Each of the lakes has a unique view of the sacred mountain. The perfectly shaped Fujisan in the background makes the sight truly unforgettable.

Nikko is a city near the border of Nikko National Park, best known for Toshogu Shrine, the ornate mausoleum of the first Tokugawa Shogun, Ieyasu.

The name Nikko means “sunlight. “Never say ‘magnificent’ until you have seen Nikko” is a well-known Japanese saying about Nikko’s beauty.

The complex of 103 structures is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nikko is especially famous for its beautiful nature and magnificent autumn views.

Toshogu Shrine is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the last of the three “Great Unifiers” of Japan and the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. The Tokugawa clan ruled Japan for more than two and a half centuries. The shrine was built in 1617 by Ieyasu’s vassal, Todo Takatora, as a mausoleum for Ieyasu. Shogun was posthumously deified with the name Tosho Daigongen (“The Great Deity of the Eastern Light”), and the shrine is dedicated to him. The shrine buildings are richly decorated with wood carvings, colorful paintings, and gilding. Toshogu is one of the most luxuriously decorated shrines in Japan. Fifteen thousand of the best artisans from all over the country gathered to build the shrine. Two million four hundred eighty-nine thousand pieces of gold leaf (enough to cover two and a half hectares) were used to decorate it.

The complex of 42 buildings is UNESCO World Heritage Site. Eight buildings are considered National Treasures of Japan, and the rest are Cultural Treasures of the country.

The Rinnoji Temple is the main Buddhist temple in Nikko, founded in 766. Rinnoji quickly gained popularity among ascetic monks seeking solitude in the mountains for diligent prayer.

The complex’s largest building is the Sanbutsudo Hall of the Three Buddhas. It contains statues of Buddha Amida, the Thousand-Armed Kannon, and the Horse-headed Kannon.

In front of the main hall is the treasure hall and a small Japanese garden, especially popular in the fall when the maple trees change color.

Rinnoji Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kegon Falls is one of Japan’s three most beautiful waterfalls, falling from Lake Chuzenji. It was formed when the Dayagawa River’s flow was blocked by lava after the Nantai volcano’s eruption. The river falls from the 97-meter-high lava barrier in one large and 12 small streams.

The views of Kegon Falls are most famous in the fall, but it’s beautiful at any time of the year: the cliffs are covered with snow in winter, adorned with fresh greenery in spring, and in summer, the sound and mist of the water provide a pleasant coolness.