The Best Cultural Activities in Japan

A World Heritage Site, Himeji Castle represents the largest structure of its kind in Japan. Constructed in the 14th century, the grandiose ca

For centuries a source of respite and escape, Arashiyama offers a glimpse of natural beauty outside of Kyoto. The district has a variety of o

Pay a visit to Sanjusangendo Temple, a Buddhist temple known for its 100 sculptures of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. The current shrine dates

Completed in 645 CE, Sensō-ji holds the status of being the oldest temple in Tokyo. The temple grounds contain an independent Buddhist temple

For a sobering reminder of the horrors of nuclear warfare, visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. One of the museum's two wings details the h

Built and rebuilt numerous times since 1653, Osaka Castle looms over its surrounding gardens, moats, imposing stone walls, gates, and turrets

Roam the streets and malls of Odaiba, a popular Tokyo entertainment and shopping district situated on an artificial island. Created in 1850,

A World Heritage-listed Shinto temple, Itsukushima Shrine remains best known for its red torii gate, "floating" on the surface of the Inland

Among the country's, and the world's, largest institutions of its kind, Tokyo National Museum exhibits Buddhist and Japanese artwork, woodblo

A visit to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park allows tourists to pay respects to the victims of the 1945 atomic bombing. A bustling commercial and