Iriomote Island is the largest island of the Yaeyama Islands (Yaeyama-shoto), the group of 19 sub-tropical islands in the deep south western waters of Okinawa Prefecture (Ryukyu Is
Mount Mitake, located in Ome, in western Tokyo and part of the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, is one of Tokyo's favorite day trip destinations, rivaling the popularity of Mount Takao.
In the Chûbu region, between Kansai and Kanto, stand the Japanese Alps: a large and majestic mountain range whose various mountains exceed 3000 meters in altitude.
Salt production is very developed in the Noto peninsula. One of the rare places in the country where the salt workers maintain the traditional method of harvesting called agehamashiki seien.
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park enhances the surroundings of Mount Fuji, as well as the Hakone region and Izu Peninsula. This park has one with the most varied landscapes in Japan!
If you are looking for atypical and inexpensive accommodation, here is a very good plan, the Tsutsuji-so. There, you also have to love art, peace, and nature.
Passing skiers will be delighted to discover the small resort of Gala Yuzawa, easily accessible by train from the Japanese capital. Young and old can simply discover the joys of winter sports!
Located 70 km from Sapporo, Rusutsu is the largest ski resort on the island of Hokkaido: winter sports and winter sports enthusiasts will easily find what they are looking for in winter.
In the center of the island of Hokkaido, in the heart of winter, for two months, Lake Shikaribetsu is transformed into a village of ice: Shikaribetsu Kotan.
Northeast of Shikoku, in the heart of the Seto Inland Sea, is Shodoshima. Coastal roads and mountainous landscapes make the island ideal for a two-wheeled excursion!
The Furano ski resort on the island of Hokkaido is one of Japan's finest ski areas. The slopes, very snowy every winter, are a delight for skiers and snowboarders of all ages.
The Shin-Hotaka spa resort with many hot springs is particularly famous for its cable car, the longest in Asia. Open all year round, it offers breathtaking views of the Japanese Alps.
Kawasaki is an industrial city in Kanagawa Prefecture. Its industrial site takes on an otherworldly appearance at night, attracting casual visitors and photo enthusiasts.
In Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, Shosenkyo Gorge is the meeting place for lovers of beautiful nature; especially when its vegetation blazes with red and ocher once autumn comes.
Mount Fuji is the symbolic mountain, almost tutelary of Japan. Its snow-capped summit, the white crown of a lonely mountain, gives it the air of a guard planted at the entrance to Tokyo Bay.
The island of Kozushima is only 18km 2 but it has everything to delight visitors: magnificent landscapes, pretty sandy and rocky beaches, clear waters where emerald green and cobalt blue alternate.
A region often overlooked by tourists, the prefecture of Shimane is surrounded by mountains and the sea. It is therefore full of riches, including its magnificent beaches.
To the west of Shikoku Island, Seiyo Geopark is one of Japan's 34 recognized geoparks. It conceals well-hidden treasures, small villages and splendid landscapes, between sea and mountains...
Fireworks, or hanabi, are absolutely unmissable when spending a summer in Japan. They are very popular: some Japanese are even starting to reserve places in the morning for the evening itself!
Sasagawa Nagare: Sasagawa Nagare in Niigata is an area of remote coastline replete with jagged rocks, craggy cliffs, screeching seagulls, and minuscule islands just peaking above an aquamarine wate
Fukuroda Falls in Ibaraki Prefecture are known as one of the three most beautiful falls in Japan. The other two are Nachi Falls in Wakayama and Kegon Falls in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture.
The Three Waterfalls of Kuroyama (Kuroyama Santaki): The Three Waterfalls consist of the Odaki (11 meters) and the Medaki (5 meters) located right next to each other, as well as the Tengu Taki (14
Want some fresh air while exploring the prefectures around Tokyo? Discover Tochigi, Gunma and Saitama to enjoy spring less than two hours from the capital, for half-day trips among the flowers.
The Japanese Alps are located in central Japan and consist of three mountain ranges spread over six prefectures with twenty mountains more than 3,000 meters high with many walking routes.
Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, is known for its wide open spaces and the beauty of its landscapes. Onuma Park, in the southeast of the island, is a good example.
In the heart of the island of Hokkaido, more than 220,000 hectares of untamed nature promise visitors a timeless outing, out of the world. This promise is called Daisetsuzan.
Mount Oyama, in Kanayama Prefecture, is a popular hike within reach of Tokyo, 60km to the east. Mount Oyama is known for its numerous shrines and temples and spectacular autumn leaves.
Takanabe Daishi: Takanabe Town, on the coast in northern Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu, is a very unusual collection of monumental sculptures, both Shinto and Buddhist.
Mount Mitake, less than two hours from Tokyo, is an excellent place to try shinrin-yoku (forest-bathing) and takigyo (a waterfall ritual) to refresh body and soul.
Located on the northern coast of the Seto Inland Sea and surrounded by islands, travelers can combine cultural visits and water pursuits when visiting the city of Hiroshima.
The Oniga-jo Rocks in Kumano-shi, Mie Prefecture are a 1.2km-long rock wall formed from volcanic rock over thousands of years by the power of waves and wind.
Candle Rock (Rosokujima) off the coast of Dogo in the Oki Islands is one of the island's most iconic sights as at sunset the rock seems to be burning like a candle.
Kurobe Gorge, in Toyama, is accessed on the Kurobe Gorge Railway and is one of the deepest, most beautiful gorges in Japan, famed for its autumn leaves.
Kurobe Dam in Toyama Prefecture is the highest (elevation: 1,454 meters) and tallest (454 meters) dam in Japan and a popular tourist attraction for its autumn leaves.
The Shimanami Kaido is a 60 kilometer cycle-friendly expressway that links the main island of Honshu with Shikoku via a series of bridges connecting half a dozen islands.
Mt. Takao (Takao-san) is a small, easily accessible mountain west of Tokyo that was once a retreat for ascetics and is now a one-day escape into nature for Tokyoites.
Nagoya, the third largest city in Japan, has the image of an industrial town without charm. Still, only a few kilometers away are the magnificent gorges of Korankei.
Sakurajima is more than just postcard picture. It is an active volcano with a turbulent history: a walk close to the ancient lava flows will quickly make you realize this.
With the Japanese Alps in the background, and the Sea of Japan bordering it, the city of Kanazawa and its surroundings have indisputable qualities for travelers.
Goshikinuma is five main ponds, and many smaller ones, in pristine Bandai-Asahi National Park, Fukushima, famous for their intense, beautiful and changing colors.
Do you want to take a Tokyoite walk in a different way? Want to explore Tokyo hair in the wind? Tokyo Discovery Bike Tours has been offering a package since 2006 that should please you.
Kawaguchi-ko is the fifth of the ten "stations" of Mount Fuji. Buses transport floods of tourists here, climbing with difficulty to 2,300 meters above sea level, and eventually arrive...
Mount Misen is the perfect place to admire the Bay of Miyajima, peaking at five hundred and thirty five meters above the sea level. A must on the island!
Read a travel guide to Hiwadayama & the Kinchakuda higanbana fields in Saitama Prefecture an area which is a flood of red in September with fine views of Tokyo.
Lake Ikeda: Lake Ikeda (Ikeda-ko) has a perimeter of 15km and reaches a maximum depth of 233m. It is Kyushu's largest lake and is location in Kagoshima Prefecture.
Dai Sekirinzan Park: read a guide to Dai Sekirinzan Park in the north of Okinawa main island - part geological wonder, part nature reserve, part a great hiking and walking destination.
Lake Chuzenji & Kegon Falls guide: read a travel guide to the spectacular Lake Chuzenji (Chuzenji-ko) and the Kegon Falls near Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture.
Mount Ontake on the borders of Gifu and Nagano prefectures is Japan's second highest volcano after Mt. Fuji at 3,067m and Japan's 14th highest mountain.
Fifty minutes out of Ginkakuji, an easy walk up the hill, atop Mount Dimonji is a panoramic site of Kyoto valley and on a clear day, as far as Osaka...
Read a guide to Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park. Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park is a vast national park west of Tokyo full of awesome natural beauty, and a hiking and sightseeing paradise.
Dangyo Gorge is located off Route 261 south of Imbara Station on the JR Sanko Line. The area and the limestone gorge is part of the Dangyo Gorge Kannondaki Prefectural Nature Park.
Akiyoshido Cave - Japan's Largest Limestone Cave 秋吉洞: To date, more than 400 caves have been discovered beneath Akiyoshidai, the largest karst in Japan.
