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Kanman
Escape the crowds along this wooded path lined with a collection of jizō statues (the small stone effigies of the Buddhist protector of travellers and children). After passing the Shin-kyō bridge, follow the Daiya River west for about 1km, crossing another bridge near Jyoko-ji temp
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Daikanyama
Daikanyama is the anti-Shibuya: a shopping district that favours small boutiques, quiet streets and a wealthy, impeccably dressed clientele (occasionally walking impeccably dressed dogs). Not everything here is outrageously priced, and it can be an excellent place to discover Japan
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Nyoirin
Take the left fork on the road just above Yoshimizu-jinja and the dilapidated Katte-jinja (勝手神社) shrine to reach Nyoirin-ji (about 30 minutes, through the Naka-sen-bon forest of 1000 cherry trees). This temple preserves both the relics of Emperor Go-Daigos unlucky court and his tom
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Sengūkan
On the Gekū premises, this stunning new museum illustrates Shikinen-Sengū, the ceremonial reconstruction of the buildings of the Ise Shrines and the transfer of the deities. There are pristine displays of techniques and tools and a one-twentieth scale model of Gekūs buildings. The
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Hachikō Statue
Come meet Tokyos most famous pooch, Hachikō. This Akita dog came to Shibuya Station everyday to meet his master, a professor, returning from work. The professor died in 1925, but Hachikō kept coming to the station until his own death 10 years later. The story became legend and a sm
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Floating Torii
This 16m-tall vermilion torii (shrine gate) is a symbol of Miyajima, standing out in the bay and serving as the watery entrance to World Heritage shrine Itsukushima-jinja. At high tide, the torii appears to float on the water, attracting camera-wielding crowds along the waterfront.
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Chinzan
This woodsy strolling garden was once the estate of a Meiji-era statesman. The pathways are lined with a number of antiquities transported from all over Japan. Most notable is a 16.7m three-storey pagoda, estimated at nearly a millennium old, which was transported from the Hiroshim
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St Francis Xavier Memorial Church
Yamaguchi was a major centre of Christian missionary activity before the religion was outlawed in 1589. This church resembles a large tent, and sits above the town in Kameyama-kōen. Built in 1952 in honour of St Francis Xavier, it burned down in 1991 and was rebuilt in 1998. The gr
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Ueno
Sprawling Ueno-kōen has wooded pathways that wind past centuries-old temples and shrines – even a zoo. At the southern tip is a large pond, Shinobazu-ike, choked with lily pads. Stroll down the causeway to Benten-dō , a temple dedicated to Benzaiten (the water goddess). From here y
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Sōfuku
In Teramachi, this Ōbaku temple (Ōbaku is the third-largest Zen sect after Rinzai and Sōtō) was built in 1629 by Chinese monk Chaonian. Its red entrance gate (Daiippo-mon) exemplifies Ming dynasty architecture. Inside the temple you can admire a huge cauldron that was used to prepa
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Obi
Only the walls of the original Obi-jō are intact, but the grounds have six important buildings, including the impressive, painstakingly reconstructed Ōte-mon gate and Matsuo-no-maru , the lords private residence. The museum has a collection relating to the Itō clans long rule over
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Naka
Also known as ‘Nakame’, Naka-Meguro doesn’t look like much when you get out of the station. Cross the street with the tracks overhead, however, and in one block you’ll hit the Meguro-gawa, a tree-lined canal flanked by stylish cafes, restaurants and boutiques. You’ll find more hip
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Asuka
Considered the first true Buddhist temple in Japan (founded 596), Asuka-dera houses the Asuka Daibutsu, Japans oldest remaining Buddha image (609). Fifteen tonnes and originally covered in gold, its said that the statue has never been moved from this spot, meaning that the many of
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Mibu
Mibu-dera was founded in 991 and belongs to the Risshū school. Mibu-dera houses tombs of pro-shōgunate Shinsen-gumi members, who fought bloody street battles resisting the forces that succeeded in restoring the emperor in 1868. Except for an unusual stupa covered in Jizō statues, t
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Kibido
Kibido is a kiln and gallery-shop run by the Kimura family, one of the six original families granted official permission in the early 1600s to produce pottery in the Bizen region. Here its possible to take a free tour of the traditional step-style nobirigama kiln and see the curren
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Zenpō
Seven kilometres west of Tsuruoka is this Zen-Buddhist temple, complete with five-tier pagoda and large gateway. It dates from the 10th century, when it was dedicated to the Dragon King, guardian of the seas. Near the temple is a more contemporary attraction, the famous jinmen-gyo
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Meguro Parasitological Museum
Here’s one for fans of the grotesque: this small museum was established in 1953 by a local doctor concerned by the increasing number of parasites he was encountering due to unsanitary postwar conditions. The grisly centrepiece is an 8.8m-long tapeworm found in the body of a 40-year
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Noritake Garden
Pottery fans will enjoy a stroll around Noritake Garden, the 1904 factory grounds of one of Japans best-known porcelain makers, featuring remnants of early kilns and the pleasant Noritake Gallery , exhibiting paintings, sculptures and ceramic works. You can also glaze your own dish
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Inokashira
One of Tokyos best parks, Inokashira-kōen has a big pond in the middle with rowboats and swan-shaped pedal boats for rent. There’s also an island with an ancient shrine to the sea goddess Benzaiten. Walk straight from the Kōen exit of Kichijōji Station, cross at the light and veer
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Railway Museum
This fascinating museum in Omiya, 25km north of central Tokyo, charts the evolution from steam to modern-day technology of Japans railways. Its packed with lovingly preserved rolling stock and is a must for rail enthusiasts who can climb aboard classic carriages and even get behind
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