10 of the most beautiful places in Japan

Times

09-07-2025

Even if you've never been to Japan, you probably know of its enchanting sights: the elegant cone of Mount Fuji, perhaps, or the intricate, Unesco-listed temples of Nikko. Unsurprisingly, in a country almost 2,000 miles from end to end and made up of thousands of islands, there are plenty of other incredible places to discover. Here are the must-see destinations to add to your itinerary — from startlingly blue crater lakes to hot spring towns surrounded by rice paddies.
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After a devastating 1925 earthquake, the residents of Kinosaki Onsen worked together to rebuild the town as it was, with wooden buildings lining the willow-draped canals. The community takes just as much pride in maintaining the picture-perfect townscape now. Each evening guests staying in the traditional ryokan inns stroll along the streets in their yukata cotton kimonos, going 'hot spring-hopping' between the many public baths. It's a cosy scene, with steam wafting from the baths, herons perching in the canals and the click-clack of geta clogs through the quiet streets.
Nishimuraya Honkan is one of the best ryokan in Kinosaki, with hot springs, multi-course kaiseki cuisine and traditional hospitality. Public bath passes are included.
Inside Japan's 11-night Hot Springs Honeymoon self-guided tour includes a night in Kinosaki.
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In a far-flung part of the already far-flung Okinawan archipelago, subtropical Taketomi feels like its own little world. The tiny island — less than two miles wide — is home to just 300 people who live in a village of small houses with sloping, terracotta-tiled roofs and surrounded by rustic stone walls garlanded with flowers. Spend the day cycling to beaches with star-shaped sand, riding suigyusha carts pulled by water buffalo or diving down to an undersea hot spring, then watch the stars come out as the balmy evening turns to a bright, clear night.
You can stay in a classic Taketomi-style villa with red-tiled roof at the small Guesthouse Cago, conveniently located in the village at the heart of the island.
G Adventures' Absolute Active Japan trip includes a day exploring Taketomi by bike.
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In the mountains north of Tokyo, Nikko combines a striking natural setting with elegant and historic shrines and temples. Chief among them is the ornate Toshogu, where each building is adorned with complex, brightly painted wood carvings by the best 17th-century artisans. One of the most popular carvings is a sweet depiction of a dozing cat above a doorway; pass through it and you'll find steps to a simple stone monument with pine trees leaning protectively over it — the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun and one of the country's Three Great Unifiers.
Historic Nikko Kanaya Hotel has an ideal location near Shinkyo Bridge and retains much of its early 20th-century grandeur.
There's an overnight stay in Nikko on the Highlights of Japan tour from Exodus Adventure Travels.
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In the wild, wide-open spaces of eastern Hokkaido — the northernmost of the four main Japanese islands — are three breathtakingly lovely lakes. The largest is Kussharo, where each winter whooper swans cluster in the few ice-free spots near the shore created by hot springs. Next is Mashu, a startlingly blue crater lake with some of the clearest water in the world. The delicate ecological balance of the smallest lake, Akan, produces marimo — bright green balls of algae that are celebrated in the torchlit Marimo Festival held by the indigenous Ainu people each October.
Luxurious Akan Tsuruga Bessou Hinanoza has views over the lake, natural hot springs and some beautiful Ainu wood carvings.
G Adventures' Active Japan: Hokkaido Adventure trip includes stops at viewpoints over lakes Kussharo and Mashu and an overnight stay by Lake Akan.
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With its cloud-shrouded mountains, vertiginous ravines and deep forests, the Iya Valley in Shikoku has a mysterious air. Its remoteness made it the perfect hideaway for the remains of the Taira samurai clan who fled here after their defeat in the Genpei War (1180–85), developing a unique culture in this secluded valley. Traces of the old ways of life are still present, from centuries-old thatched farmhouses to the vine bridges allegedly created by the Taira — they could be easily cut down, sending pursuing Minamoto warriors crashing into the turquoise waters of the Yoshino River below.
A stay at Hotel Iyaonsen combines a spectacular mountain location, sweeping views of the valley, soothing natural hot springs and delicious traditional food.
You can call a farmhouse in the Iya Valley home for two nights on Inside Japan's Secrets of Shikoku trip.
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In a serene rural location, surrounded by rice paddies and mountains in eastern Kyushu, Yufuin Onsen is one of the prettiest hot-spring towns in Japan. Unusually its ryokan are dotted around, away from the centre, which is instead full of cute cafés and interesting museums, giving them a sense of calm and privacy. Each season has distinctive charms in Yufuin. On winter mornings, mist rises from the river that snakes through town and Mount Yufu is delicately dusted with snow. By summer, town and mountain are lush with greenery and the drone of cicadas drifts lazily on the air.
In a quiet spot amid rice fields, Hoshino Resorts KAI Yufuin is a chic and comfortable retreat with spa treatments and shared and in-room hot-spring baths.
Intrepid's 24-day Ultimate Japan trip includes two nights in neighbouring Beppu, with plenty of time to linger in Yufuin.
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Though it's now a sleepy historic town, in the 12th century Hiraizumi was the northern headquarters of the powerful Fujiwara samurai clan, and some treasures from that time still exist. For example, there's Chusonji, a temple where you can walk along avenues lined with centuries-old trees and admire the Konjikido, a hall covered in gold leaf. At Motsuji, people in Fujiwara-style court dress compose poetry at the Kyokusui no En festival in May and some 30,000 irises bloom each June. And west of town you can marvel at Takkoku-no-iwaya, a 9th-century temple built into a cliff face.
Also to the west of town, Soba'an Shizukatei is a quiet and welcoming hot-spring hotel serving up handmade soba noodles and vegetables grown in the kitchen garden.
Wendy Wu's 14-day Journey Through Japan tour includes a stop in Hiraizumi.
Mount Fuji has inspired Japanese artists and writers for as long as they have been there to see it, and it remains a powerful symbol of the country. The serene symmetry of the volcano is interrupted by a small second crater, which gives it a charming wabi-sabi quality — the Japanese concept of beauty in imperfection — and the surrounding Fuji Five Lakes area gives you plenty of good vantage points. One of the most famous of these lakes is Kawaguchi, which is easily accessible. When the leaves change colour each autumn, the Momiji Tunnel — a spot on the north shore — perfectly frames the snow-capped peak in reds and golds.
In a wooded area near Lake Kawaguchi, Glamping Villa Hanz has private villas and geometric dome tents called Pao — and, of course, Fuji views.
The 16-day Japan Unveiled tour from Newmarket Holidays includes a visit to Lake Kawaguchi in the Fuji Five Lakes area, and views of the mountain from Lake Ashi in Hakone.
In a country prone to earthquakes, Hagi is a remarkably unspoiled historic town in western Japan. Its castle may have been destroyed in the 19th century — leaving behind a lovely coastal park ideal for walking and cycling — but the surrounding district offers a glimpse into everyday life when it was still standing. Stroll its streets and you'll see the stern black-and-white walls of samurai mansions, wooden buildings that served as shops and inns and the distinctively latticed plasterwork of former storehouses that are now museums, shops and restaurants.
Hagi no Yado Tomoe puts an elegant modern twist on traditional Japanese aesthetics — the raked gravel garden is particularly lovely.
You can experience a homestay and cycling in Hagi on G Adventures' 11-day Back Roads of Japan trip.
It may look tiny on a map — just a drop of ink below Kyushu — but Yakushima feels huge. The eight highest mountains in Kyushu are all on this island, their rocky slopes descending into a thick tangle of rainforest, which finally thins out into fruit orchards, fishing towns and white-sand beaches where sea turtles nest. The misty forests are the real draw, with several towering cedar trees that have been growing for thousands of years hidden in their depths. It's a place where you can step back through time, connecting with deep history and truly wild nature.
Sankara Hotel & Spa is a tranquil escape in southeastern Yakushima, with relaxing wellness treatments and sea views from every room.
YellowWood Adventures' 11-day Lost Islands of Japan tour includes two nights on Yakushima.
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