Tour Inspires: Top 5 Places to See in Japan
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Hello everyone!
My name is Maxim. I am one of the co-founders behind Tour, a mobile trip planning app for iOS (and Android soon). This is the first post in a new series called Tour Inpsires, where we cover the best places to see in the countries we highlight on our Instagram account. If you’re not following us there, please head to @OfficialTourApp and check out the awesome content we’ve been posting. I am incredibly passionate about travel, and I also love to learn as much as I can about the places I’m visiting. I am very excited to combine these two passions together in this blog post.
This week, we’ve covered Japan, a country I’m personally very excited about. Japan is incredibly multifaceted and has a lot to offer, from tranquil scenery to jaw-dropping sci-fi cityscapes.
If you like any of the places below, just click the image to open the Destination in Tour and add it to your itinerary.
So, here are the top 5 places to visit on your next trip to Japan:
1. Meguro River
One of Japan’s most important rivers, the Meguro River flows through Tokyo and its neighboring wards for almost 5 miles. The riverbanks are very heavily landscaped and act as urban green spaces for the surrounding communities. Many avenues and streets have been developed next to it, with a wide arrangement of small shops and outdoor seating areas overlooking the canal.
The most amazing part of the river is the sakura trees, pictured above. Japan is very famous for the sakura tree, which blooms in a bright, vibrant pink in the spring. The sakura trees are definitely worth seeing anywhere in Japan, and especially in the town of Meguro City on the Meguro riverbank. The Meguro City Cherry Blossom Promenade is located within the Shibuya City ward of Tokyo, and is easily accessible via both public transportation and city strees.
2. Nachi-san Sanctuary
Located on the UNESCO World Heritage Kumano Kodo trail, the Nachi-san sanctuary complex is made up of the Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine and the Seigantoji Temple. Together, the two overlook the tallest waterfall in Japan, called Nachi Falls. The Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine is a bright-orange shrine dedicated to the deity of marriage, known as Musubinokami. The shrine is one of the three spiritual stops for Shinto pilgrims completing the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Route. Interestingly enough, the Seigantoji Temple, a Buddhist temple, stands right next to a Shinto shrine. This is because the two used to be part of the same complex, but were forced to separate during the Meiji period as part of the separation between Buddhism and Shintoism.
Pictured above, the Seigantoji Temple features a bold-red pagoda overlooking the Nachi falls, along with a beautiful Buddhist temple structure. The building is also the oldest in the Kumano region.
The Nachi-san sanctuary is located around 4 hours south of Osaka, and is accessible by road and foot, as-well as public transportation which will take around 5.5 hours.
3. Tokyo
Tokyo is the capital of Japan and is home to more than 14 million people, which makes it the most populous city in the world. The city is also home to the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese government, as-well as hundreds of multi-national corporations. The city was ranked first in the Global Economic Power Index, and is classified as an Alpha+ world city.
Despite its incredibly large population, Tokyo has been ranked the most livable and safest city in the world in 2019. Tokyo also hosts the highest number of Michelin Star chefs in the world, which is undoubtedly good news for food-oriented travelers. Overall, the city is a must-see for anyone visiting Japan; the city has so much to offer that I would go as far as recommending going on an entire trip dedicated just to going around Tokyo.
4. Osaka
Osaka is the second largest city and the second largest metropolitan area in Japan, one of the largest in the world with over 20 million inhabitants. Osaka is primarily known for its financial sector and sci-fi cityscapes, earning it the title of Financial Capital of Japan. The city hosts a lot of historic landmarks, like the Osaka Castle, and many high-end shopping districts dotted around the main city center.
I highly recommend visiting the Dotonburi riverbank (pictured above), located in the middle of Osaka in the Chuo ward and readily accessible via local public transit.
5. Mt. Fuji
To escape from the city, I highly recommend going on a hike to Mount Fuji. Located only 60 miles away from Tokyo, Mount Fuji would make for an excellent nature-focused trip to escape the urban hellscape. Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan at over 12,000 feet tall, the 2nd-highest volcano in Asia, and 7th-highest mountain peak of an island in the world. Mount Fuji is famous for having a very symmetrical cone, which is often used in Japan-related art and photographs like this one:
Aside from being an exceptionally dominant physical feature, as you can probably tell from the picture above, Mount Fuji is also one of Japan’s Three Holy Mountains, and a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Site. Throughout centuries, Mount Fuji has inspired artists, poets, writers, and leaders. There are dozens of well-kept parks located all around Mount Fuji, which makes a trip to the area exceptionally pleasant and fulfilling. I also highly recommend visiting some of the many Buddhist and Shinto shrines nearby; I guarantee that you will learn an insane amount about Japanese culture, religion, and spirituality.
Mount Fuji is most readily accessible from the town of Gotemba from Tokyo and Fujinomiya from Osaka. The drive from Tokyo will only take around 2 hours, and close to 5 hours from Osaka.
And that concludes our top 5 list! I really hope you enjoyed learning about the various amazing places you could visit in Japan. If you’re excited to visit Japan, make sure to download Tour on the iOS App Store, for free, and start planning your next trip today.
Stay tuned for next week’s blog post on the top 5 places to visit in Peru!
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Feel free to let me know if you think I missed something and share your own experiences in the comments.
Don’t forget to follow the Tour team on Medium for more awesome posts!
Best wishes, Maxim Kraft.
