Traveling to Japan, is like meditating that’ll make you forget your worries.
First Time in Japan?
Here are the MOST recommended places to visit
#1 Chureito Pagoda at Mount Fuji
One of the most beautiful places in Japan is definitely Mount Fuji. Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan and one of the country’s iconic landmarks. One of the most beautiful spots to admire Mount Fuji is definitely at the Chureito Pagoda. There is a big chance that you’ve seen this exact location pop up on Instagram multiple times before. But it’s definitely well worth your time, as it’s even more breathtaking in real life… This pagoda overlooks Fujiyoshida City and has Mount Fuji as the perfect backdrop.
Especially in the cherry blossom season in mid April it’s an incredible sight to see.
#2 Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto
Another beautiful and very popular place that you should definitely include in your itinerary for Japan is Fushimi Inari. It’s really an impressive and important place in Kyoto. The Fushimi Inari Shrine is a very important Shinto, which is the indigenous faith of the Japanese people. When you visit Fushimi Inari, follow the trail all the way up the mountain, where you can have a beautiful view over Kyoto. Take photos of the iconic orange torii gates – which there are thousands of by the way. Fushimi Inari Shrine is open 24/7 and is completely free, so you can also decide to go really early and catch the sunrise. We went there between 7 and 8 am and it didn’t get busy until 9 am, which gave us enough freedom to take some great photos and the peace gave us the opportunity to really take the place in.
#3 Oirase Gorge in Aomori
We’ve travelled extensively around Japan and found many unique and stunning locations but the Oirase Gorge in the northern Honshu prefecture of Aomori stands out to me for its natural beauty. The best way to experience the area is the 14 km walking trail that runs through the gorge with 14 waterfalls and rapids along it. When we were there in late September it was still very green, just a few leaves showing the first touches of gold but a few weeks later the colour hits and this becomes one of the best places to experience the autumn leaves.
#4 Okunoshima Island
Okunoshima is a tiny island in the Inland Sea of Japan also known as Rabbit Island, because of the thousands of cute and furry residents that call it home. In fact, Okunoshima is not just a super kawaii place, it also has a dark past that makes this island even more interesting.
Okunoshima was the site of a poison gas factory, where mustard gas was produced from 1929 until the end of the war. There’s still a small museum where you can learn about the island’s past and see some of the horrific effects caused by the gas. When the factory was open, rabbits were used to test the gas effects. Nowadays, the rabbits living on the island are not the offspring of those ‘test rabbits’, instead they were introduced in the seventies in an attempt to exorcise the island’s dark past.
Tip: There’s only one hotel in Okunoshima, but the place is easy to visit as a day trip from Hiroshima!
#5 Kanazawa: Marsh of Gold
Kanazawa, meaning ‘Marsh of Gold’, is a hidden jewel in Japan. As one of the best preserved Edo period city in Japan it has many historical sites to offer its visitors. For instance, start your day by exploring the Kanazawa castle and the nearby Kenrokuen garden. After you can take a walk along side the Asano River and pass by the Geisha teahouse district Higashi Chaya Gai.
Kanazawa also offers typical Japanese wooden houses where you can try out one of their specialties: soft ice cream topped with golden leaves. Definitely don’t skip the Nagamachi samurai district with many samurai houses. Kanazawa even has a special ninja temple: The Ninjadera Myoryuji looks plain and normal from the outside… but the inside is full of hidden passages, rooms, doors, floors and booby-traps. Just book a free tour at the tourist office in Kanazawa station, as entrance is limited.
End your day with a walk at the riverbank under the pink bridge Sakurabashi, especially gorgeous during the cherry blossom period.
Tip: Kanazawa is perfect for a one-day visit. There is a great hop on hop off system loop bus that stops at or near every touristic attraction listed above and costs 500 yen.
Adventures in Japan 
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