•• Shiretoko National park on an unspoiled peninsula. •• Rishiri and Rebun Small islands near Hokkaido's northern tip. •• Daisetsuzan Hokkaido's largest and wildest national park. • Niseko Leading snow resort with lots of powder snow. • Furano Town with beautiful lavender and flower fields. • Sapporo The largest city on the island of Hokkaido. • Hakodate Southernmost city on Hokkaido. • Noboribetsu Hokkaido's most famous hot spring resort. • Otaru Harbor city near Sapporo with a canal. • Onuma Park National park 20 kilometers north of Hakodate. • Lake Toya Site of Mount Usu, an active volcano. • Akan National Park National park with beautiful lakes. • Lake Shikotsu Picturesque caldera lake near Sapporo. Asahikawa City in central Hokkaido famous for its zoo. Rusutsu Attractive ski resort near Niseko.

•• Yamadera Scenic temple on a steep mountainside. •• Dewa Sanzan Three sacred mountains with shrines. • Ginzan Onsen One of Japan's nicest, old-fashioned onsen towns. • Ouchijuku Former post town along a trade route. • Shimokita Hanto Remote peninsula famed for Fear Mountain. • Lake Towada Caldera lake famous for autumn colors. • Sanriku Coast Pacific coastline that was hit by the 2011 tsunami. • Oze National Park Popular hiking destination with a marshland. • Matsushima Scenic bay dotted by pine clad islets. • Zao Volcano with hot spring and ski resort. • Hiraizumi Tohoku's former cultural and political capital. • Kakunodate City with nicely preserved samurai district. • Hachimantai Mountainous region with rustic hot springs. • Hirosaki Former castle town in Northern Tohoku. • Appi Kogen Leading ski resort in the Tohoku Region.

••• Ogasawara Islands Remote islands 1000 kilometers south of Tokyo. ••• Tokyo Japan's capital and largest city. ••• Nikko Site of Nikko Toshogu, Ieyasu's mausoleum. •• Kamakura Small city full of historic treasures. • Hakone National park with views of Mount Fuji. • Yokohama Japan's second largest city. • Kusatsu Onsen One of Japan's best hot spring resorts. • Oze National Park Popular hiking destination with a marshland. • Manza Onsen Hot spring resort with Japan's most sulfuric waters. Izu Oshima The largest island among the Izu Islands. Shima Onsen Calm hot spring town in a mountain valley. Boso Peninsula Large peninsula southeast of Tokyo. Minakami Popular hot spring and outdoor resort. Kairakuen Garden Spacious garden famous for plum trees. Kawagoe Former castle town known as the Little Edo.

••• Mount Fuji The country's most iconic landmark. •• Alpine Route Spectacular route through the Northern Alps. •• Shirakawa-go Mountainous region, known for its farmhouses. •• Kamikochi Popular mountain resort in the Japanese Alps. •• Kiso Valley Valley with nicely preserved post towns. •• Yamanouchi Home of hot spring bathing monkeys. •• Takayama Preserves one of Japan's nicest old towns. •• Kanazawa City rich in culture and history. • Fuji Five Lakes Lake resort at the foot of Mount Fuji. • Kurobe Gorge Scenic gorge with a small sightseeing train. • Sado Island Large island off the coast of Niigata. • Okuhida Hot springs in the mountains above Takayama. • Izu Peninsula Hot springs and natural scenery. • Matsumoto City famous for its beautiful original castle. • Hakuba One of Japan's best ski resorts.

••• Kyoto For over 1000 years the capital of Japan. ••• Mount Koya Atmospheric temple mountain. ••• Nara Japan's first permanent capital. •• Osaka Largest city of the Kinki Region. •• Kinosaki Pleasant, old-fashioned hot spring resort. •• Himeji Site of Japan's most beautiful feudal castle. •• Ise Shima Site of Japan's most sacred Shinto shrines. • Takeda Castle Ruins Hilltop castle ruins sometimes floating on a sea of clouds. • Yoshino Japan's most famous cherry blossom spot. • Kumano Pilgrimage destination on the Kii Peninsula. • Uji City south of Kyoto known for its temple and tea. • Amanohashidate One of Japan's three most scenic views. • Kobe Harbor city, recovered from 1995 earthquake. • Iga Ueno Former castle town famous for ninja. Miyama Rural town with lots of thatched roof houses.

••• Miyajima Island known for its shrine and large torii gate. •• Hiroshima Regional capital with a tragic history. • Inujima Island Small island turned into a modern art site. • Bitchu-Takahashi Pretty town with original mountaintop castle. • Matsue Former castle town near Izumo Taisha. • Izumo Site of Izumo Taisha, Japan's oldest shrine. • Kurashiki City with a picturesque, historic canal area. • Akiyoshidai Karst plateau with large limestone cave. • Onomichi Port town with many slopes and temples. • Iwakuni Site of the picturesque Kintai-kyo Bridge. • Hagi Castle town with preserved samurai district. • Tomonoura Picturesque, old-fashioned fishing town. Tsuwano Rural town with nice samurai district. Iwami Ginzan Former silver mine with world heritage status. Okayama Famous for one of Japan's three best gardens.

•• Naoshima Small island with a lot of modern art. • Iya Valley Remote valley in the center of Shikoku. • Matsuyama Largest city of Shikoku with a beautiful castle. • Kotohira Site of Shikoku's most popular shrine. • Kochi Nice city with a southern flair. • Uchiko Countryside town formerly known for its wax. • Takamatsu Capital of Kagawa Prefecture. • Ozu Small city with nice castle, old town and villa. Shodoshima Island in the Seto Inland Sea know for olives. Marugame Port city in Kagawa, known for its castle. Naruto City well known for its whirlpools. Tokushima A city best known for its dance festival. Uwajima Secluded port town with original castle.

••• Yakushima Subtropical island with ancient cedar forest. •• Kurokawa Onsen Hot spring town with attractive town and baths. •• Nagasaki Attractive port city with a moving history. •• Amami Oshima Subtropical island between Kagoshima and Okinawa. • Takachiho Mountain town steeped in mythology. • Yufuin Rural yet trendy hot spring town near Beppu. • Aso Active volcano with a huge ancient caldera. • Kirishima National Park with volcanic mountain range. • Kagoshima Southernmost of Kyushu's major cities. • Beppu Japan's capital city of hot springs. • Fukuoka Kyushu's largest and most vibrant city. • Kumamoto Modern city most famous for its castle. • Satsuma Peninsula Rural peninsula with hot springs in southern Kyushu. • Dazaifu Historic town south of Fukuoka. • Udo Shrine Shrine constructed in a cliff side cave.

••• Yaeyama Islands Okinawa's southernmost island group. •• Okinawa Island Okinawa Prefecture's main island. •• Miyako Island Subtropical island with excellent beaches. •• Kerama Islands Small island group with beautiful beaches. • Kume Island Small island west of Okinawa Honto.