Where would you like to travel in Japan?
Choose a prefecture for its sights, scenery and food. Each guide helps you decide where to stay, what to visit and how to arrange your days.
Places to start planning
Hokkaido
北海道
Explore Sapporo and Otaru, then add Biei’s scenery if you have more time. Local dishes include soup curry and jingisukan grilled lamb.
View guideTokyo
東京都
Give Asakusa and Ueno’s older streets, and Shibuya and Shinjuku’s city scenery, separate days. Try Edomae sushi or tempura along the way.
View guideOsaka
大阪府
Choose Dotonbori for food, or Umeda and Tennoji for city views. Try takoyaki or okonomiyaki during your trip.
View guideKyoto
京都府
Explore the lanes of Gion and Higashiyama, then give Arashiyama’s bamboo grove a separate walk. Try yudofu tofu dishes or obanzai, a selection of small Kyoto dishes.
View guideHyogo
兵庫県
Choose Kobe’s harbour views after dark, Himeji Castle or Arima’s hot springs. Kobe beef and Akashi’s akashiyaki dumplings are also local specialities.
View guideFukuoka
福岡県
Walk through Hakata and Tenjin, then add Momochi Beach or a trip beyond the city. Try Hakata ramen for a meal or share a motsunabe hotpot with your group.
View guideOkinawa
沖縄県
Explore Naha, then visit the sea in the north of the main island. Try Okinawa soba or goya champuru, a stir-fry made with bitter melon.
View guideHokkaido1
Hokkaido
北海道
Explore Sapporo and Otaru, then add Biei’s scenery if you have more time. Local dishes include soup curry and jingisukan grilled lamb.
View guideTohoku6 prefectures
Aomori
青森県
Hirosaki Park’s cherry blossoms and Oirase’s stream scenery offer different seasonal views. Apple snacks and seafood dishes are also part of an Aomori trip.
View guideIwate
岩手県
From Morioka, head to Jodogahama’s coast or the Appi Highlands. Wanko soba and Morioka jajamen offer different ways to enjoy a noodle meal.
View guideMiyagi
宮城県
Walk through Sendai, then visit Matsushima Bay for sea views. Sendai gyutan beef tongue and seasonal seri nabe hotpot are also local specialities.
View guideAkita
秋田県
Explore Kakunodate’s samurai district and Lake Tazawa’s shore. Choose kiritanpo hotpot or Inaniwa udon for different local meals.
View guideYamagata
山形県
Choose Ginzan Onsen’s evening streets or Zao’s mountain scenery for your trip. Warm imoni stew and niku soba are also dishes to try in Yamagata.
View guideFukushima
福島県
Choose a day in Ouchi-juku’s old streets or among Urabandai’s lakes. Look for Kitakata ramen or Aizu sauce katsudon, a rice bowl topped with sauce-coated pork cutlet.
View guideKanto7 prefectures
Ibaraki
茨城県
Choose Hitachi Seaside Park’s flower fields, Fukuroda Falls or Oarai’s sea views. Anglerfish hotpot and Hitachi beef are also local specialities.
View guideTochigi
栃木県
Visit Nikko Toshogu, then continue to Oku-Nikko’s lakes. Try Nikko yuba and Utsunomiya gyoza in their respective areas.
View guideGunma
群馬県
Choose a hot-spring stay around Kusatsu’s Yubatake or Ikaho’s stone steps. Mizusawa udon and okkirikomi, wheat noodles simmered with vegetables, are also local dishes to try.
View guideSaitama
埼玉県
Walk through Kawagoe’s old streets or explore river and mountain scenery in Nagatoro and Chichibu. Try sweet potato snacks or waraji katsudon, a rice bowl topped with pork cutlets.
View guideChiba
千葉県
Visit Naritasan Shinshoji, then head to the Boso Peninsula’s coast if time allows. Namero, a dish made with finely chopped fish, and Chiba peanuts are local specialities.
View guideTokyo
東京都
Give Asakusa and Ueno’s older streets, and Shibuya and Shinjuku’s city scenery, separate days. Try Edomae sushi or tempura along the way.
View guideKanagawa
神奈川県
Choose Yokohama’s harbour, Kamakura’s temples and coast, or Hakone’s hot springs for different kinds of trips. Try Yokohama shumai or iekei ramen for a local meal.
View guideChubu9 prefectures
Niigata
新潟県
Walk by Bandai Bridge in Niigata City, or extend your trip to Sado Island and the Myoko Highlands. Hegi soba noodles and tare katsudon, a rice bowl with sauce-dipped pork cutlets, are local dishes to try.
View guideToyama
富山県
See the mountain scenery of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route and the sea at Amaharashi Coast. Masuzushi, pressed trout sushi, and Toyama Bay white shrimp are local dishes to try.
View guideIshikawa
石川県
Explore Kenrokuen and Omicho Market in Kanazawa, or consider the Noto Peninsula for a longer trip. Seafood and Jibuni stew are local meal options.
View guideFukui
福井県
Choose Echizen Ono Castle or views over the Mikata Five Lakes for your trip. Echizen soba with grated radish and sauce katsudon, a rice bowl with sauce-dipped pork cutlets, are local dishes to try.
View guideYamanashi
山梨県
Look towards Mount Fuji across Kawaguchiko, or visit the viewpoint at Arakurayama Sengen Park. Hoto noodles and Yoshida udon are local meal options.
View guideNagano
長野県
Explore Matsumoto Castle, or walk in Kamikochi if heading into the mountains. Shinshu soba and oyaki snacks are local dishes to try.
View guideGifu
岐阜県
Walk Takayama’s old streets and explore the gassho houses of Shirakawago. Choose Hida beef or Takayama ramen according to your meal preferences.
View guideShizuoka
静岡県
Look towards Mount Fuji from Nihondaira, or visit the coast in Atami and Izu. Hamamatsu eel dishes and Shizuoka oden are local specialities.
View guideAichi
愛知県
Explore Nagoya Castle and Osu’s shopping streets, or head to Gamagori for the coast. Hitsumabushi eel rice and miso katsu are Nagoya specialities.
View guideKansai7 prefectures
Mie
三重県
Spend time at Ise Jingu, or look across Ago Bay from Yokoyama Observatory. Ise udon and tekone-zushi are local meal options.
View guideShiga
滋賀県
Walk beside Lake Biwa, or look across it from Biwako Terrace. Omi beef and fermented funazushi are local food options.
View guideKyoto
京都府
Explore the lanes of Gion and Higashiyama, then give Arashiyama’s bamboo grove a separate walk. Try yudofu tofu dishes or obanzai, a selection of small Kyoto dishes.
View guideOsaka
大阪府
Choose Dotonbori for food, or Umeda and Tennoji for city views. Try takoyaki or okonomiyaki during your trip.
View guideHyogo
兵庫県
Choose Kobe’s harbour views after dark, Himeji Castle or Arima’s hot springs. Kobe beef and Akashi’s akashiyaki dumplings are also local specialities.
View guideNara
奈良県
Walk through Nara Park and visit Todaiji, or consider Mount Yoshino for seasonal scenery. Kakinoha-zushi wrapped in persimmon leaves and chagayu tea porridge are local food options.
View guideWakayama
和歌山県
Shirahama’s coast, Koyasan’s temples and the Kumano Kodo mountain trails offer different trips. Wakayama ramen and mehari-zushi are local food options.
View guideChugoku5 prefectures
Tottori
鳥取県
Choose the sand hills of Tottori Sand Dunes or Mount Daisen’s mountain scenery. Winter Matsuba crab and gyukotsu beef-bone ramen are local specialities.
View guideShimane
島根県
Walk the approach to Izumo Taisha, or plan a sunset visit beside Lake Shinji in Matsue. Izumo soba and soups made with Lake Shinji clams are local food options.
View guideOkayama
岡山県
Walk Korakuen’s gardens or Kurashiki’s lanes, then consider Washuzan’s views. Local food options include Okayama barazushi and Tsuyama horumon udon made with offal.
View guideHiroshima
広島県
Explore history at Peace Memorial Park and the museum, then see Miyajima’s coastal scenery. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is a local speciality.
View guideYamaguchi
山口県
Choose between Kintaikyo Bridge in Iwakuni and the Kanmon Strait in Shimonoseki. Local food options include pufferfish dishes and kawara soba served on a hot roof tile.
View guideShikoku4 prefectures
Tokushima
徳島県
See the Naruto Strait’s whirlpools or head to Iya Valley’s vine bridge. Tokushima ramen is a local food option known for its rich broth.
View guideKagawa
香川県
Walk through Ritsurin Garden or take a boat to Shodoshima for island and sea views. Sanuki udon is a local speciality to look for in Kagawa.
View guideEhime
愛媛県
Visit Matsuyama Castle and Dogo Onsen, or head towards Imabari’s Shimanami Kaido. Look for two styles of sea bream rice: one with cooked fish, the other with sashimi.
View guideKochi
高知県
Explore Kochi city, then see the water colours at Nikobuchi or Nakatsu Gorge. Bonito tataki, seared on the outside, is a well-known local dish.
View guideKyushu7 prefectures
Fukuoka
福岡県
Walk through Hakata and Tenjin, then add Momochi Beach or a trip beyond the city. Try Hakata ramen for a meal or share a motsunabe hotpot with your group.
View guideSaga
佐賀県
See the sea from Hamanoura’s terraced rice fields or explore Okawachiyama’s pottery village. Saga beef is another local option during your trip.
View guideNagasaki
長崎県
Explore Nagasaki Harbour views and Peace Park. With a longer stay, consider Sasebo or Unzen too. Champon and sara udon are local dishes to try.
View guideKumamoto
熊本県
Explore Kumamoto Castle, then extend your trip to Kusasenri’s grasslands in Aso. Basashi and spicy karashi renkon are local foods to consider.
View guideOita
大分県
Enjoy hot springs in Beppu and walk through Yufuin’s streets. Local dishes include battered fried chicken called toriten and jigoku-mushi, food cooked with hot-spring steam.
View guideMiyazaki
宮崎県
See the Pacific coast at Cape Toi and the mountain scenery of Ebino Plateau. For local food, try chicken nanban or Miyazaki beef.
View guideKagoshima
鹿児島県
Take the ferry to Sakurajima or travel farther to Yakushima. Look for local kurobuta pork dishes and shirokuma shaved ice in Kagoshima.
View guideOkinawa1
Okinawa
沖縄県
Explore Naha, then visit the sea in the north of the main island. Try Okinawa soba or goya champuru, a stir-fry made with bitter melon.
View guide