Destinations
From Hokkaido’s powder snow to Okinawa’s beaches โ find the region that fits your trip, with honest notes on where to stay in each.
Start with the classics
๐ผ Tokyo
The capital: endless neighborhoods and return trips.
View guide โ
๐ Kyoto
Temples, tea houses, and quiet lantern-lit lanes.
View guide โ
๐ป Yamanashi
Mount Fuji views, lakes, and onsen towns.
View guide โ
๐ Osaka
Japan's kitchen โ street food and neon nights.
View guide โPick a region, find your prefecture
Map based on “Eight regions of Japan” by Bigmorr, CC BY-SA 4.0
Japan's wild northern island, known for powder snow, vast national parks and outstanding seafood. Come for winter sports and cool, open-road summers.
The quiet, rural north of the main island, with samurai towns, remote hot springs and famous autumn colours. Traditional and unhurried, with warm local hospitality.
The plains around Tokyo and the busy heart of modern Japan. Endless city neighbourhoods, plus easy day trips to Nikko, Kamakura and Mount Fuji's foothills.
The mountainous centre, home to Mount Fuji, the Japan Alps and historic post towns. Great for hiking, onsen and snow, with Nagoya as its city hub.
Japan's cultural heartland, with Kyoto's temples, Osaka's street food and Nara's deer. The best first-timer region for history and food in one trip.
The western end of the main island, home to Hiroshima and Miyajima's floating torii. A relaxed, less-touristed coastline along the Inland Sea.
The smallest main island, famous for its 88-temple pilgrimage and dramatic river gorges. Rural and welcoming, ideal for slow travel away from the crowds.
The subtropical southwest, packed with volcanoes, hot springs and hearty food. Highlights include Fukuoka's ramen, Beppu's steaming baths and historic Nagasaki.
A chain of subtropical islands with white-sand beaches, coral reefs and their own Ryukyu culture. Japan's tropical getaway, far south of the mainland.
Found your destination?
See our honest, station-by-station hotel picks for that area.
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