There are many beautiful places to visit in Japan all year round. The difficulty is choosing which place you want to go to the most. Some have a seasonal specialty like the cherry blossoms at Ueno Park or the Wisteria Tunnel at Kawachi Fuji Garden. These places are best to visit when they are in season, but there are other sights to see that are great no matter the time of the year. The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove in Kyoto is a great photo spot and the stroll through the walking paths as a gentle wind sways the stalks is an experience that is indescribable. Even Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), which is also in Kyoto, is gorgeous to look at with its upper levels covered in gold leaf while the structure is being reflected in the pond. View more...
Mifuneyama Rakuen is a park in Saga Prefecture and covers 150,000 squares meters. It is best to visit this place in the spring time when the cherry blossoms and azaleas are in full bloom. It is a colorful sight to behold that will leave anyone in awe.
The Wisteria Tunnel at Kawachi Fuji Gardens is covered with the trellises of the flower. Different colored wisteria hang from the tunnel giving it a rainbow look as you continue through the area. At the end you will be greeted with 100 year old wisteria trees.
The Great Wisteria in Ashikaga Flower Park is over 150 years old. It is so large that it covers over 1000 square meters, which is over 600 tatami mats. The branches are supported by many beams in order compensate for the weight of the vines when the flower is in season.
Fuji Shibazakura Festival is located three kilometers from Lake Motosuko. It is a festival that lasts for more than one month and features over 800,000 moss phlox flowers.
Visit the famous and long demanded Alpine Route in Japanese Alps. Requiring varying modes of transportation, this route takes you through mountains and valleys for some of the most scenic views in all of Japan.
The lavender season in Hokkaido is a great way to escape the humid summer weather that encompasses many parts of Japan.
Snow Monkeys in Japan are also known as Japanese Macaque. These types of primates live in areas where for months on end are covered in snow.
Otaru Snow Light Path is a festival that lasts for 10 days with lanterns made of snow adorning different areas of the city.
The Blue Pond also known as Aoiike in Japanese is located outside the onsen (hot spring) town of Shirogane. Blue Pond has a deep blue color because of minerals that naturally dissolve in the water.
The Oirase Mountain Stream is the only outflow of water for Lake Towada and is one of the best places to see autumn colors.
There are over 4.5 million baby blue eyes flowers at the Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki Prefecture. The flower blooms from mid-April to mid-May.
Matsushima is famous for having one of the most scenic views in Japan and is located half an hour away from Sendai.
Shirakawago is a village located in the mountainous regions that borders Gifu and Toyama prefectures. It is where you can see the famed Gassho zukuri (prayer hand farmhouses) that were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is one of the most popular photo spots in Kyoto along with Kinkakuji and Fushimi Inari Shrine. It is located north from the entrance to the Tenryuji Temple.
Takeda Castle is located in Asago city in the northern part of Hyogo Prefecture. The castle was left in ruins, but is known as the Machu Picchu of Japan or Castle in the Sky.
Himeji Castle is one of the twelve original castles in Japan and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the best examples of a preserved castle ground.
The Tottori Sand Dunes are located in the city of Tottori and spans over 16 kilometers along the coast of the Sea of Japan. It is part of the Sanin Kaigan National Park and is the largest sand dunes in Japan.
Kurashiki Canal Area was an important part of distributing rice in large quantities and is also known as the Bikan Historical Quarter. Along the canal you can see large storehouses that have been converted into various facilities, but still maintain the Edo feel.
Miyajima Island is located one hour away from Hiroshima by ferry. It is mostly known for the torii gate that gives the illusion of floating on the water during high tide. The view of the gate is ranked as one of the top three views in Japan.
Motonosumi Inari Shrine has been listed by CNN as one of the top 31 beautiful places in Japan. There are 123 red torii gates going down a mountain side towards the Sea of Japan with beautiful greenery surrounding them.
Adachi Museum of Art is located in the city of Yasugi in Shimane Prefecture. The Zen gardens in the museum have won annually for being one of the best Japanese gardens in the country.
Shimanami Kaido is a toll road that passes through 6 small islands. It starts from the main island of Honshu and connects to the Shikoku region.
Takachiho Gorge is a beautiful narrow chasm that was formed by the Gokase River. You can find the gorge in the northern part of Miyazaki Prefecture within the center of the Kyushu Mountains.