Travel to Japan without any tourist traps! Here you will find a list of the top 10 sights of Japan! Which highlights and attractions should you not miss on your holiday in Japan?
Japan is a unique country with unique people and a unique culture. The island nation in the far east has something to offer for everyone, whether magical national parks with fantastic nature, historic buildings as witnesses of past centuries or bustling cities with millions of inhabitants all under the sign of the latest technology.
Table of contents
Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji is not only famous as Japan's sacred and highest mountain, but is also one of the most beautiful mountains in the world. Rising up to 3,776m, the summit of the dormant volcano is almost completely symmetrical and is relatively easy to climb. Japan's landmark is particularly photogenic during the cherry blossom season with its snow-covered summit.
Article: Mount Fuji
Photo gallery: Mount Fuji
Nikko National Park
An attractive mix of beautiful scenery and historic buildings, Nikko National Park is considered Japan's most beautiful national park. Hidden among the lush vegetation in one of the oldest national parks in the country are bridges, temples and shrines that are even UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Particularly famous is the Nikko Tōshō-gū, considered the most beautiful Shinto shrine in Japan.
Article: Nikko National Park
Photo gallery: Nikko National Park
Tokyo Skytree
If you ' re out and about in Japan's capital, you can't miss the Skytree. Since 2012, the world's tallest TV tower has been Tokyo's new landmark. It is a gigantic 634 metres high and offers a spectacular view of the city from two viewing platforms. On a clear day, you can even see Mount Fuji rising into the sky a good 100 kilometres away.
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
On the Japanese island of Okinawa, the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is the largest saltwater aquarium in the world. Even whale sharks make their circles in the enormous 10-metre-high tank! Other highlights are the manta rays, dolphin shows, around 70 different coral species and the deep-sea pool, whose bizarre inhabitants hardly anyone has ever seen before.
Article: Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
Daibatsu ("Great Buddha") in Kamakura
The fascinating temple town of Kamakura is home to Japan's second tallest Buddha statue at 13 metres. The monumental bronze Buddha Daibatsu dates from the 13th century and is one of the world's most important images of Buddha Amitabha. The 100-ton statue can even be visited from the inside.
Article: Daibatsu (Great Buddha) in Kamakura
Shinto Shrine in Itsukushima
An impressive example of Japanese architecture, the Shinto shrine in Itsukushima is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The bright red buildings seem to float on the water and were not allowed to be entered by ordinary citizens for a long time. The fiery red wooden gate of the shrine is one of the most famous postcard motifs of Japan.
Article: Shinto Shrine in Itsukushima
Himeji Castle
The 32m-high Himeji Castle is one of the oldest well-preserved buildings in Japan. Not even the bombs of the Second World War could harm it. With its typical Japanese roofs and winding alleys, the snow-white castle on the mountain top is considered Japan's most beautiful and also most visited castle.
Kyōto Tower in Kyōto
Amidst the time-honoured shrines and temples of Kyōto, the 130m-high Kyōto Tower rises into the Japanese sky as the city's tallest building. At a height of 100 metres, a viewing platform offers a magnificent panoramic view. Initially controversial as to whether such a steel and glass colossus would fit into the image of the traditional old town, the candle-shaped tower has since become an integral part of the Kyōto skyline.
Peace Monument in Hiroshima
As the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, the bare skeleton of a building commemorates the atomic bomb of August 1945 and its approximately 140,000 victims. It is located almost exactly at ground zero, where the atomic bomb would have hit had it not exploded in the air. The so-called "Atomic Bomb Dome" is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered a memorial to the first wartime use of the atomic bomb in human history.
Article: Peace Monument in Hiroshima
Bandai Asahi National Park
Japan's third-largest national park covers an area of 186,400 hectares and is home to a wildly romantic mountain landscape with lush green forests, crystal-clear lakes and flowering alpine meadows. Similar to the Nikko National Park, hidden temples and shrines keep popping up in the varied landscape of Bandai Asahi National Park.
