Japan

東京 Tokyo

Tokyo

11 places

From the fishing village of Edo to a world city: old temples, neon and working-class shitamachi in one city

京都 Kyoto

Kyoto

9 places

An imperial capital for over a thousand years: temples, machiya and festivals are the best textbook on Japan

大阪 Osaka

Osaka

7 places

City of merchants and 'Japan's kitchen': eating, shopping and laughing are louder here than anywhere

奈良 Nara

Nara

2 places

Japan's first permanent capital: the Great Buddha, sacred deer and the end of the Silk Road

鎌倉 Kamakura

Kamakura

4 places

The first samurai capital: the Great Buddha, old temples and the Shōnan coast

広島 Hiroshima

Hiroshima

4 places

A city of peace reborn from ruins, and Miyajima out at sea

福岡 Fukuoka

Fukuoka

4 places

A thousand-year-old port facing Asia: yatai, tonkotsu ramen and the god of learning

長崎 Nagasaki

Nagasaki

3 places

Japan's only window on the West during national seclusion: Dejima, churches and prayers for peace

金沢 Kanazawa

Kanazawa

2 places

Castle town of the million-koku Kaga domain: a famous garden, teahouse districts and gold leaf

札幌 Sapporo

Sapporo

2 places

A northern new town laid out on Kyoto's grid: the Snow Festival, beer and miso ramen

仙台 Sendai

Sendai

2 places

The 'City of Trees' built by the One-Eyed Dragon, Date Masamune

函館 Hakodate

Hakodate

1 places

One of Japan's first open ports: Western-style slopes, a star fort and a million-dollar night view