I love traveling to Japan and the combination of food, nature, culture and history make it one of the most desirable travel destinations on the entire planet. Once you have everything organised with your Japan travel company it is time to start planning and I have written this article to give you a taste of just some of the wonderful sights that you can see in Japan. I hope you enjoy reading about it.
Visit Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji is actually an active volcano and is located about 100 kilometres from Tokyo. At 3776 metres it is the highest peak in all of Japan and probably for this reason it has been a pilgrimage site for many centuries in Japan. Hiking to the summit is something that around 300,000 people do each year and it is an absolutely incredible experience for anyone that gets the opportunity. Whether you go to the top or see Mount Fuji from the ground, it is truly is one of the most beautiful sights in all of Japan.
Visit Kinkaku-ji
This is perhaps the most famous temple in all of Japan and once you see it you will know why. The golden exterior of this Zen Buddhist temple along with its location on water and surrounding forest makes it one of the most picturesque combinations of man and nature. This is one of the most popular places to visit in Japan based on the huge number of visitors annually and people come from far and wide to see one of Japan and Kyoto’s incredible sights. Kyoto is also home to hundreds of other temples, 13 of which make up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.
Tokyo Imperial Palace
This palace is the home of the Emperor of Japan and lies in a park like area in Tokyo. It includes many different buildings, such as the residences of the royal family, the main palace and museums. The palace is actually built on the site of the former Edo Castle and you can visit if you book in advance. I would highly recommend doing this and if you are a keen jogger, the palace grounds are a great place to run and enjoy the sights.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial
This World Heritage Listed memorial has an incredible history as the place where one of the two atomic bombs were dropped in Japan that effectively ended the Second World War. The building was the one left standing at the centre of the bomb blast, which is quite incredible and seems very fitting that it is the symbol of peace in Hiroshima. It is an incredibly moving experience to visit the memorial and think of the 70,000 people that instantly lost their lives and the other 70,000 that were injured and affected by the radiation of the blast. This is one of my absolute favourite sites in all of Japan and a must see. If you could do only one thing in Japan, it would be this.
