EXPLORE JAPAN

Japan is a country of remarkable contrasts. Travel a relatively short distance and the landscape, food, architecture and pace of life can change considerably.

Tokyo and Kyoto are understandably at the heart of many first journeys, but they are only part of the story. Beyond them are mountain communities, historic towns, volcanic landscapes, subtropical islands, coastal villages, pilgrimage routes and regions with their own distinctive traditions and food cultures.

The difficulty isn't finding interesting places to visit. It's deciding which ones deserve a place in your journey.

Discover Japan by region

Japan is made up of very different regions, each offering its own reasons to visit.

Some work naturally together within a journey. Others require more travelling than a map might suggest. A place that makes perfect sense on a three-week itinerary may be an unnecessary diversion on a shorter holiday.

That's why we don't believe there is a definitive list of places everyone should see.

Use the regions below to discover different sides of Japan, including places you may not previously have considered. You don't need to decide which ones to include before speaking to us.

Finding the right Japan for you

When we plan a journey, we look beyond individual destinations.

We consider what interests you, how much time you have, the pace at which you like to travel and how the different parts of the journey connect. Sometimes that leads to somewhere well known. Sometimes a smaller city or less obvious region turns out to be a much better fit.

And sometimes the best advice is simply to leave somewhere out.

Japan rewards having enough time to experience where you are. A well-planned journey isn't measured by how many places you visit, but by how well those places work together.

Explore the regions for ideas. We'll help you decide which ones belong in your journey.