Straddling the border of Aikita and Aomori prefectures in Japan’s northern Tohoku region, the Shirakami Sanchi is the largest stand of old-growth beech forest in East Asia.
About 1,300 square kilometers of beech forest remain here. A near perfectly preserved core portion of the forest, amounting to...
Tucked deep in the Northern Alps of Gifu Prefecture, the Oku Hida Onsen Villages are actually five separate alpine hot springs, and an absolute delight to anyone who takes pleasure in hot water, mountain scenery and the sound of high rivers rushing over stone.
The five villages are Hirayu, Fukuc...
Straddling the border of Aikita and Aomori prefectures in Japan’s northern Tohoku region, the Shirakami Sanchi is the largest stand of old-growth beech forest in East Asia.
About 1,300 square kilometers of beech forest remain here. A near perfectly preserved core portion of the forest, amounting to...
Geibikei Gorge (not to be confused with the nearby Gembikei Gorge!) offers a wonderful contrast between the soaring cliffs on either side and the calm, clear water that passes between them. About 20 kilometers east of Hiraizumi, the gorge is a big tourist draw, but don’t let that keep you away. On...
In the Shokawa River Valley northwest of Takayama lies one of Japan’s most iconic sights, the massive thatched farmhouses of Shirakawa-go. The valley regularly experiences some of the heaviest snows in Japan’s main island of Honshu. Largely isolated until after the Second World War, there are thoug...
The 65 kilometer long Shiretoko peninsula, in the northeast of Hokkaido, is one of Japan’s most pristine wildernesses. Much of the peninsula, a narrow strip of land with a string of volcanoes forming its spine, is inaccessible except by foot, creating a haven for an abundance of wildlife including a...
Hakone is both a town and its surrounding area, south of Mt. Fuji in Kanagawa Prefecture, at the edge of Fuji-Hakone National Park. It’s a pleasant destination, and you can easily spend two or three days exploring the areas offerings at a leisurely pace.
Several of these attractions have their...
Mt. Aso
Visitors to the southern island of Kyushu won’t want to miss Mt. Aso, one of Japan’s most spectacular sights. Mt. Aso is by some accounts the largest active volcanic caldera in the world, with a circumference of about 75 miles (120 kilometers) and a diameter of nearly 17 miles (27 kilometer...
At over 1,400 square miles (2,267 square kilometers) Daisetsuzan is Japan’s largest national park, encompassing 3 volcano groups that offer some of the best opportunities for hiking in the country. The highest mountain in the Hokkaido, Asahi-dake, also looms above the park at 7,500 feet (2,290 meter...
On July 2nd, 2007, UNESCO formally granted World Heritage Site status to the Iwami-Ginzan Silver Mine near Ooda city in central Shimane prefecture.
From its opening in 1526, Iwami Ginzan was one of the world’s most productive silver mines for 400 years. It's believed that at the mine’s peak Japane...
If you’ve decided to make the trek to the wonderful Oku Hida Onsen Villages, you may also want to take advantage of the Shin-Hotaka Ropeway.
From its lower terminal in Shin-Hotaka Onsen the ropeway climbs 1,033 meters, the greatest altitude change of any ropeway in Asia, in two stages to its uppe...
On July 2nd, 2007, UNESCO formally granted World Heritage Site status to the Iwami-Ginzan Silver Mine near Ooda city in central Shimane prefecture.
From its opening in 1526, Iwami Ginzan was one of the world’s most productive silver mines for 400 years. It's believed that at the mine’s peak Japane...
The beautiful town of Uchiko, its nostalgic lanes set in a stunning landscape of green hills and valleys, is located in the southwest of Shikoku, Ehime Prefecture. From the picturesque rice terraces and waterways to the excellent local cuisine and carefully preserved historic houses, Uchiko showca...
Rising from the Japan Sea coast, Daisen is both the Chugoku region's highest mountain and, from ancient times, a vital part of the area's spiritual culture. The Izumo Kokudo Fudoki, an early 8th century document chronicling features of the Izumo area, referred to the volcano as Ōkami-take, the Moun...
Near Tottori's famous dune fields lies the Uradome coastline, part of the Sanin Coast National Park. The area is celebrated for the fantastic shapes created by wind and water, including cliffs, beckoning caves, and strange, twisted islets bristling with windswept pine trees. The blue-green water i...
