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Tokyo Hotels: 4455 Reviews - 8297 Photos
Osaka Hotels: 1012 Reviews - 2131 Photos
Okinawa Hotels: 76 Reviews - 36 Photos
Narita Hotels: 147 Reviews - 237 Photos
Shinjuku Hotels: 47 Reviews - 97 Photos
Nagoya Hotels: 409 Reviews - 829 Photos
Fukuoka Hotels: 218 Reviews - 396 Photos
Sapporo Hotels: 230 Reviews - 406 Photos
Nikko Hotels: 290 Reviews - 586 Photos
Hakone Hotels: 144 Reviews - 361 Photos
Yokohama Hotels: 241 Reviews - 543 Photos
Yokosuka Hotels: 35 Reviews - 39 Photos
Takayama Hotels: 172 Reviews - 392 Photos
Hiroshima Hotels: 465 Reviews - 864 Photos
Kobe Hotels: 235 Reviews - 520 Photos

Japan Off The Beaten Path

An small island at the Port of Nagasaki

by KevinMichael

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An small island at the Port of Nagasaki
by KevinMichael
Shrine and Temple District East of...
by robertbaum
You'll pass this on the way to Kumamoto...
by sanukseeker
A cafe for you to catch a breather and...
by sanukseeker
Sushi-making party
by sanukseeker

Most Viewed Off The Beaten Path in Japan

151.

Day Trip out of Tokyo Tokyo

44 Reviews ....Every year in late April/Early May, the 1300-year-old Shiofune Kannon Temple's grounds come afire with brilliant azaleas blooming on a stadium-like landscape that is focused on a huge standing...

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152.

Ohara Area Kyoto

6 Reviews Ohara is a major stomping ground for Japanese 'aki-front' followers; when the nation gets bored of pining for cherry blossoms and instead glues its eyes to NHK for the first news reports of Kyoto's...

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153.

temples & shrines Osaka

16 Reviews We came accidentally to this small garden with a shrine and a cemetery inside and had a look around: Shinko-in Temple A ceremony had started shortly after we came and we were invited to participate....

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154.

Shrines and Temples Tokyo

23 Reviews Gotokuji temple, a Soto-sect zen temple in Setagaya-ku, is best known by the legend of Manekineko better known as "lucky cats" or "beckoning cats". It was originally built in 1480 in a part of...

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155.

Otsu City Kyoto

4 Reviews Lake Biwa is the largest lake in Japan and among the top largest lakes in the world. It is actually surrounded by a few prefectures, one of which is Shiga. All the usual lake activities can be found...

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156.

Sightseeing outside Osaka Osaka

8 Reviews Just three hours from Osaka by Shinkansen, Imabari is a beautiful city on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea. It is the home to beautiful Imabari Castle, one of the most outstanding examples of medieval...

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157.

Experience Tokyo

17 Reviews It is common to see the beautiful Mt Fuji from the window of the Bullet train (direction: Kyoto, Osaka). It is particularly a superb experience to see the snow-covered Mt. Fuji in early Spring...

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158.

Fushimi Inari Shrine Kyoto

5 Reviews Two train stops south out of Kyoto, a brilliant walk right from Fushimi station takes you to the temple of Fushimi-Inari, and continuing up the hill through 10,000 red torii dedicated by companies to...

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159.

shopping Osaka

5 Reviews This almost went in as a "warning" tip, but I think seeing things like this are essential if you want to get a good sense of a foreign country. On Sundays there is a flea market west of the pedestrian...

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160.

Shinjuku Tokyo

10 Reviews Shinjuku Nichome (literally Shinjuku 2nd District) is a name known to most straight Japanese but visited by very few- it is the "notorious" epicentre of gay life in Japan. In a four block radius,this...

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161.

Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple Kyoto

2 Reviews Otagi Nenbutsu-ji, beautiful buddhist stone sculptures. In Arashiyama, go to Adashino Nenbutsu-ji, where one can walk the bamboo grove. pass this temple, follow the walking path north,till one reaches...

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162.

culture & history Osaka

3 Reviews This little gem hides in a sub-urban area of Osaka. Located in the heart of Hattori-Ryoukuchi Park. It contains a collection of 11 old Japanese Farmhouses from all over Japan. Most of them are...

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163.

Local People and Lives Tokyo

16 Reviews Don't speak much or any Japanese and looking to meet some friendly Japanese people who do? Com Inn is a cozy, little English conversation cafe in Ebisu, near the Doutor building. Most of the time it...

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164.

Arashiyama Kyoto

2 Reviews If you fancy something different to do in Kyoto or simply suffering from temple fatigue and like animals, how about a trip to the Monkey Park at Arashiyama. You enter the park strolling up a steep...

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165.

Parks, Yards, Gardens and Squares Tokyo

14 Reviews The Ueno Zoo is just like most every other metropolitan zoo. The calling card for this one though is its Panda Bears. The panda's are pretty cool to look at, and there are a few other animals which I...

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166.

General Kyoto

6 Reviews Kyoto is not really a very large city, although there are many places to visit! The bus, train, and subway system really makes most of the city very easy to access. What many people consider to be...

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167.

Tsukiji Market Tokyo

7 Reviews Though not a fishing trip in the usual sense of the word, you will see more fish here than you ever have before. I struggled to find a way to describe it. I have come across the following passage...

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168.

Hozu River Kyoto

3 Reviews Old Cliffie is a bit too old for white-knuckle pastimes such as bungee jumping or whitewater rafting. But he did enjoy the 'Hozugawa Kudari' - trip down the river Hozu - near Kyoto. Take the train (20...

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169.

Theatres and Museums Tokyo

8 Reviews The Yebisu Beer Museum is one of those places you can only find in Tokyo. The admission is free, although the beer isn't. It is in the Yebisu Garden Palace, and is a place that commemorates the...

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170.

Nanzenji Temple Kyoto

4 Reviews This is a huge temple complex situated in the eastern part of Kyoto at the foot of the hills, and can be considered off the beaten track as it doesn't seem to get as much visitors as the other more...

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171.

Odaiba & Ariake Tokyo

4 Reviews What greeted me next was quite a surprise (even for a liberal thinker such as myself!) & even though I had mentally prepared for it. A sea of women of all ages and a few girls, were changing out of...

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172.

Otani Mausoleum Kyoto

1 Review A little unusual, but we found this by accident. Rather than following the main route up to the Kiyomizu Temple with all the usual stalls selling souvenirs we found a path at the bottom of the hill...

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173.

Ikebukuro Tokyo

6 Reviews The world's biggest car showroom is just under the railway bridge in front of sunshine city. On five floors you can see all Toyotas cars, including some that only seem to be made for the Japanese...

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174.

Hyogo Prefecture Kyoto

3 Reviews Many say that one will not need to visit any other castle after seeing the most beautiful castle of Japan, the Himeji Castle. Although a bit far from Kyoto than other nearby places, this castle is...

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175.

Ginza Tokyo

5 Reviews I stumbled across this small shop on my way back to Ginza from the fish market. I was drawn in and I couldn't help it - it's so beautiful. It's only like 5 mins walk from all the Ginza glitz and it's...

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Miyajima - the torii in the water

by Maline

You'll know it when you see it. The bright red torii (shinto gate) in the water. It is the entrance to Itsukushima shrine at Miyajima island in the Seto nai kai (Seto inland sea) just outside Hiroshima. It is on my intro page on Japan.Miyajima and Itsukushima shrine are also of the "Top three beautiful sights of Japan". The place really is beautiful.From Hiroshima take the train to Matsushima Kaigan, and from there a ferryboat that takes about 10 minutes to the island itself. We rented bikes on the island which proved a great way of getting around (even though some roads are pretty steep).The Istukushima shrine set halfway out into the sea is a must see as well as other temple and shrine buildings. There is also a local history museum which I can really recommend - if you can find it, it took forever.

Matsushima - the pine islands of the north

by Maline

Matsushima (litt. Pine Island) is the name of a smaller community on the coast north of Sendai in northern Honshu island. It is designated as one of the "three most beautiful sights of Japan". Start from Sendai and take the train to station Hon-Shiogama. From here you can board a sightseeing boat to Matsushima town, passing on your way all the famous pine-clad little islands of Matsushima bay. Going back to SEndai again, you can board the train directly in Matsushima at the Matsushima kaigan station.Apart from the bay cruise and walks on some of the islands closest to the mainland, the town of Matsushima also boasts a really preyy temple called Zuigan-ji. There is a recently added museum on the temple premises, however, there isnt much info in English as to what is actually shown in the museum.

Tanabata festivals

by Maline

The Tanabata matsuri is celebrated on 7th of July or August. The origin of the festival is supposed to be Chinese, and it is connected to a tale about two stars in heaven who could only meet once a year - the day of the festival.One of the most famous Tanabata festivals is held in Sendai town (see pic)around 7 of August. Huge paper decorations hang from bamboo sticks in patrs of town and there are lots of celebrations going on. The festival lasts a couple of days and attracts millions of spectators, so count on difficulties finding a place to stay.

Shiroyama Park in Takayama

by Paul2001

Shiroyama Park is a lovely park on the Southeast corner of the city of Takayama. The park is located on a hill where the castle of Takayama once stood. The castle was destroyed in the late 17th century but the remains, which you can see in this photo, can still be seen. The park itself is wilder than most Japanese urban parks and is a pleasant place to hike. From the summit of the hill there are good views of the Japan Alps, as also seen in this photo. The park is free to enter and is open all year round.

Geibi Gorge

by naruto

Geibi Gorge is situated near Ichinoseki City in Iwate Prefecture. It is a gorge where the erosion of limestone by the waters of the Satetsu River created it. The gorge is roughly 2 kilometers and 100m deep. It is definitely off the beaten track for any tourists who is not from within Japan. We just picked it out from LP and it was in the middle of winter (February) when we went. We were the only ones there, and the whole area was quiet and deserted. When we went to the ticket office to purchase seats on a boat to travel the gorge, the boatmen were warming themselves around the fire and had all the time in the world teasing us. :)Throughout the four seasons of Japan, the river boatmen will ferry tourists on boats while they burst into songs "Oiwake" or river songs. Our boatman Mr T (I forgot, but it was Tatsuya, or Tetsu or something...^^;; ) gamely sang us an oiwake, which was quite...

Take the right seat on Shinkasen

by ngcsc

When you taking Shinkansen (Bullet Train) during your trip to Japan. Make sure that you will never miss to view of Mount Fuji. Should you heading south, make sure you sit on the right side of the coach. If you are lucky (means that you got the right seat and the sky is clear), you will able to get a good photo like this.l

The Hikone Castle

by Paul2001

Hikone Castle, in the town of Hikone, is one of the few castles in Japan that's original buildings have not been lost to war or fire. The castle was built in 1622 by Ii Naotsugu. Hikone is surrounded by impressive moated walls which are also quite thick. A highlight for anyone's tour of the castle is the keep or tenshu. Small when compared to such castles as Himeji, the tenshu is quite beautiful just the same. Only three stories high, the view from the tenshu windows of the surrounding countryside and Lake Biwa. Also noteworthy of the tenshu is the brightness is the interior rooms, the result of well placed windows along the walls of the upper section of the building. Japanese castles were no where near as grim as those in Europe. Within the castle walls is also a museum where you can see exhibits of Japanese armoury and weapons. Hikone Castle is open daily from 8:30am to 5pm and cost...

The Niagra Falls of Japan

by His_Beloved

If you head to the Southwest region of Oita Prefecture (Kyushu Island) you can view the beautiful Harajiri Falls in Ogata Town. If you make it there in March, then you can see whole rice fields filled with tulips as the town celebrates their annual Tulip Festival.Note: This picture was taken during a dry spell.

The Usuki Stone Buddhas

by His_Beloved

Most tourists never quite make it to Oita Prefecture. I must admit, even after living in Japan for two years as a student, when I found out I got a job in Oita I had to say "where on earth is Oita?!" If you do make it here though, I highly recommend you go see the Usuki Stone Buddhas, a collection of about 60 carvings that were made between the 12th and 14th centuries, and they really are quite a sight to see. At the end of August Usuki City sponsors a Fire Festival at the location and after sundown there is a performance done by demon masked Japanese men beating on drums. As they beat the drums, several people come to light torches from the bonfires near the performers and proceeded to light thousands of small torches throughout the grounds. In the end, it looks as if a thousand stars has come and settled on the earth and illuminate the stone statues.

Rural life in Japan has much to offer!

by His_Beloved

Did you know that just about every town and village in Japan has some thing to boast about? After living in a village of 3000 people in southern Oita Prefecture, I have discovered that I can see the world's longest handmade rope, the largest water wheel in Japan, the Niagra Falls of Japan, boiling springs of water (and mud!), and many other fascinating wonders of Japan - all off the beaten path. Because the cost of traveling within Japan is so high, many travelers never quite make it out of the "big" cities of Tokyo, Osaka, or Fukuoka, but if you have the chance, make way for the travel agent and find out what is available right outside the city limits.....and you might just find the refreshment for your soul that you were looking for (that is, escape from taking in all your daily minerals by breathing smog).

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11,790 Hotels in Japan

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Reviews and photos of Japan attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Japan sightseeing.

Experience Japan

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Q: Toyoko Inn Club Card - I read that the price for this membership card is 1500yen. When is the expiration for this card for...

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