The Japan Guides

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Cities & Regions

Seven regions, 24 cities. Pick a region to find city guides, where to stay, what to eat, and how to get around Japan.

Tokyo skyline with Mount Fuji in the distance

Kanto

Tokyo and its surrounds — the capital megacity, ancient temples at Nikko, the samurai town of Kamakura, and the volcanic landscapes of Hakone.

Cities

Tokyo Kamakura Nikko Hakone
Fushimi Inari torii gate path in Kyoto

Kansai

Japan's cultural heartland — Kyoto's temples and geisha districts, Osaka's street food, Nara's roaming deer, and Kobe's cosmopolitan waterfront.

Cities

Kyoto Osaka Nara Kobe
The floating torii gate of Miyajima island at dusk

Chugoku & Shikoku

Western Honshu and the fourth island — Hiroshima's Peace Memorial, the floating torii gate at Miyajima, and Matsuyama's hilltop castle.

Cities

Hiroshima Miyajima Matsuyama
Scenic pine islands of Matsushima bay in Tohoku Japan

Tohoku

Northern Honshu's wild interior — Sendai as the gateway city, the pine-covered islands of Matsushima, and Aomori's Nebuta Festival and Shirakami mountains.

Cities

Sendai Matsushima Aomori
Lavender fields in Furano, Hokkaido with mountains behind

Hokkaido

Japan's northern island — Sapporo's Snow Festival and ramen culture, and Hakodate's iconic night view and morning fish market.

Cities

Sapporo Hakodate
Sakurajima volcano rising above Kagoshima bay at sunset

Kyushu

Japan's southernmost main island — Fukuoka's food stalls, Nagasaki's layered history, Beppu's volcanic hot springs, and Kagoshima beneath an active volcano.

Cities

Fukuoka Nagasaki Beppu Kagoshima
Traditional wooden townhouses in Takayama old town Japan

Central Japan & Beyond

Kanazawa's preserved geisha districts, Nagano's snow monkeys and Winter Olympics legacy, Takayama's Edo-era merchant town, and tropical Okinawa.

Cities

Kanazawa Nagano Takayama Okinawa