Destinations

Popular bases for a Japan trip, with the services that matter most in each.

Hokkaido

Japan's northern island — snow festivals, hot springs, and open nature.

Hakodate

Hokkaido's historic port city — panoramic night views from Mount Hakodate and some of Japan's freshest seafood.

Sapporo

Hokkaido's largest city — a winter snow festival, fresh seafood, and easy access to hot springs and ski resorts.

Tohoku

Snowy winters, historic festivals, and a quieter pace than the big cities.

Aomori

Tohoku's northern gateway — the lantern floats of Nebuta Matsuri and some of the freshest fish markets in Japan.

Sendai

Tohoku's largest city — Date Masamune's castle legacy, grilled beef tongue, and a gateway to Matsushima Bay.

Kanto

Tokyo and the surrounding prefectures, including Yokohama and Kamakura.

Kamakura

A coastal temple town near Tokyo, sometimes called "the Kyoto of eastern Japan."

Tokyo

Japan's capital — a vast, walkable mix of neon districts, quiet shrines, and some of the best rail connections in the country.

Yokohama

Japan's second-largest city — the modern Minato Mirai waterfront and the country's largest Chinatown.

Chubu

The Japanese Alps, castle towns, and Japan's central mountains.

Kanazawa

A well-preserved castle town with Kenroku-en, one of Japan's three great gardens, and a historic geisha district.

Nagoya

Japan's fourth-largest city and a central Japan hub — Nagoya Castle and one of the country's most important shrines.

Takayama

A beautifully preserved mountain town in the Hida region, known for its old town and twice-yearly festival.

Kansai

Kyoto's temples, Osaka's street food, and Nara's ancient sights.

Kyoto

Japan's former capital — temples, gardens, and historic streets, best explored slowly and often on foot.

Nara

Japan's ancient capital — the Great Buddha of Todai-ji and the freely roaming deer of Nara Park.

Osaka

Japan's food capital — Dotonbori's neon canal-side streets, Osaka Castle, and a livelier pace than Kyoto or Tokyo.

Chugoku

Hiroshima, the Inland Sea, and the floating torii gate of Miyajima.

Hiroshima

The Peace Memorial Park, and a short ferry ride from Miyajima's floating torii gate.

Okayama

Home to Korakuen, one of Japan's three best gardens, and a short ride from the historic canals of Kurashiki.

Shikoku

A smaller island known for pilgrimage temples and quiet countryside.

Matsuyama

Shikoku's largest city — an original castle, one of Japan's oldest hot springs, and the setting of a beloved novel.

Takamatsu

Shikoku's gateway city — one of Japan's most celebrated gardens and easy access to the art islands of the Seto Inland Sea.

Kyushu

Volcanic landscapes, hot springs, and Fukuoka as a gateway city.

Fukuoka

Kyushu's largest city and gateway — Hakata ramen, riverside food stalls, and easy onward travel across the island.

Kumamoto

A castle city on Kyushu's west coast, home to one of Japan's largest and most complete castles.

Nagasaki

A historic port city shaped by centuries of foreign trade, with panoramic night views and a rebuilt legacy of peace.

Okinawa

A subtropical island chain with its own distinct culture and beaches.

Ishigaki

A subtropical outer island in Okinawa, with some of the region's best beaches, snorkeling, and manta ray diving.

Okinawa

A subtropical island chain with its own distinct culture, beaches, and cuisine, a flight away from mainland Japan.