200 sightseeing spots loved by locals

1 555.40 Tokyo Disneyland
2 427.35 Tokyo DisneySea
3 257.08 Furano / Farm Tomita
4 198.09 Miyajima / Itsukushima Shrine
5 192.46 Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
6 174.58 Nanki Shirahama / Wakayama Adventure World
7 137.80 Yokohama Minato Mirai 21
8 136.05 Mt Hakodate
9 121.46 Asahikawa Asahiyama Zoo
10 118.87 Asakusa / Sensoji
11 112.73 Biei / Shikisai no Oka
12 111.71 Mie / Ise Jungu (Naiku)
13 107.74 Kyoto / Kiyomizudera Temple
14 96.91 Okinawa / Kourijima
15 95.84 Gunma / Kusatsu Onsen
16 94.39 Kobe / Arima Onsen
17 93.46 Matsumoto / Kamikochi
18 93.10 Shizuoka / Izu Kawazu-zakura
19 89.39 Kyoto / Fushimi Inari Taisha
20 86.00 Osaka / Universal Studios Japan
21 85.86 MAZDA Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima
22 83.65 Shiretoko Goko Lakes
23 81.36 Kumamoto Castle
24 80.89 Hiroshima / Atomic Bomb Dome
25 79.91 Hokkaido / Lake Mashu
26 79.87 Fukuoka / Hakata Station
27 79.51 Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium
28 77.17 Himeji Castle
29 76.93 Tokyo / Showa Kinen Park
30 75.81 Hokkaido / Cape Kamui
31 75.73 Mie / Nabana no Sato
32 74.39 Sapporo / Moerenuma Park
33 73.92 Tochigi / Ashikaga Flower Park
34 73.70 Chiba / Kamogawa Sea World
35 73.59 Yokohama Chinatown
36 72.97 Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
37 70.03 Shimane / Izumo Oyashiro
38 68.40 Yokohama / The Landmark Tower
39 67.72 Haneda Airport
40 65.02 Fukuoka / Dazaifu Tenmangu
41 63.56 Nagoya / Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens
42 61.99 Ueno Zoo
43 61.83 Yamaguchi / Tsunoshima Bridge
44 60.65 Kobe / Mt Rokko
45 60.40 Okayama / Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter
46 59.89 Yokohama / Yamashita Park
47 59.53 Kobe Oji Zoo
48 59.08 Nagasaki / Mt Inasa
49 58.40 Nara / Todaiji
50 58.38 Tokyo Disney Resort / Ikspiari
51 57.95 Kanagawa / Enoshima
52 57.28 Biei / Blue Pond
53 56.93 Nagasaki / Huis Ten Busch
54 56.90 Tokyo / Yebisu Garden Place
55 56.88 Tokyo Tower Main Observatory
56 56.15 Matsumoto Castle
57 56.09 Okinawa / Taketomi Island
58 55.40 Kyoto / Kodaiji Zen Temple
59 55.05 Mie / Toba Aquarium
60 54.43 Kinosaki Onsen
61 54.16 Tokyo Station
62 52.16 Tokyo Solamachi
63 52.15 Nagoya / Ebi Senbei no Sato
64 50.87 Tokyo / Meiji Shrine
65 50.61 Osanbashi Yokohama
66 50.20 Kanazawa / Kenrokuen
67 49.78 Okinawa / Ishigaki Island
68 49.67 Nagano / Togakushi Shrine Okusha
69 49.25 Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise
70 49.16 Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
71 49.11 Hokkaido Obihiro / Rokkatei Confectionery
72 49.11 Wakayama Nanki Shirahama / Shirarahama Beach
73 48.90 Osaka Castle Park
74 48.70 Okinawa / Kabira Bay
75 48.58 Mie / Ise Jungu (Geku)
76 48.58 Takayama Sanmachi
77 48.28 Yokohama Nogeyama Zoo
78 47.29 Fukuoka / Marine World Uminonakamichi
79 46.97 Nagano / Zenkoji Temple
80 46.53 Osaka / The Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum
81 46.12 Osaka / Expo �e70 Commemorative Park
82 46.10 Kumamoto / Kurokawa Onsen
83 45.57 Kamakura / Tsurugaoka Hachimangu
84 45.48 Aomori Towada / Oirase Gorge
85 45.38 Mie / Nagashima Spaland
86 45.18 Nikko Toshogu
87 45.17 Yamanashi / Mt Fuji
88 44.97 Kobe / Meriken Park
89 44.95 Kyoto / Kinkakuji
90 44.47 Nagoya City Science Museum
91 44.27 Yamagata / Yamadera
92 44.17 Isetan Shinjuku
93 43.93 Otaru Aquarium
94 43.69 Osaka / Hankyu Umeda
95 43.65 Miyazaki / Udo Jingu
96 43.59 Gotemba Kogen Resort / Toki no Sumika
97 43.43 Ehime / Matsuyama Castle
98 42.78 Toyama / Kurobe Dam
99 42.70 Hakodate / Goryokaku Park
100 42.51 Odaiba Marine Park
101 42.51 Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse
102 42.36 Kagawa / Kotohira-gu
103 42.26 Stellar Place / Sapporo
104 42.18 Hyogo / Awaji Hanasajiki
105 42.17 Sapporo Maruyama Zoo
106 41.83 Ibaragi / Hitachi Seaside Park
107 41.71 Hakone Shrine
108 41.66 Hakodate / Hachimanzaka / Motoizaka
109 41.63 Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum (FPDM)
110 41.24 The Hakone Open-Air Museum
111 41.17 Sapporo / Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium
112 41.01 Shizuoka / Fuji Safari Park
113 40.20 Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatories
114 39.97 Sapporo Odori Park
115 39.80 Oita / Aquarium Umitamago
116 39.38 Fukuoka / Canal City Hakata
117 39.22 Kyoto / Kitano Tenmangu Shrine
118 39.05 Nagoya / Atsuta Jingu
119 39.03 Kagoshima / Chiran Peace Museum
120 39.01 Yamagata Zao / Okama
121 38.99 Kyoto / Nanzenji Zen Temple
122 38.91 Okinawa Naha / Kokusai-dori
123 38.19 Miyazaki / Takachiho Gorge
124 38.17 Hokkaido / Toyako
125 37.76 Fukuoka / Uminonakamichi Seaside Park
126 37.74 Arashiyama / Togetsukyo Bridge
127 37.71 Kinosaki Marine World
128 37.47 Yamaguchi / Tsunoshima
129 37.40 Kanagawa / Enoshima Aquarium
130 37.00 Osaka Tennoji Zoo
131 36.77 Shizuoka Izu / Omuroyama
132 36.63 Shimane / Adachi Museum of Art Gardens
133 36.31 Yokohama Cosmoworld
134 36.30 Aichi / Inuyama Castle
135 36.01 Otaru Canal
136 35.88 Wakayama / Nachi Waterfall
137 35.65 Tochigi / Nasu Animal Kingdom
138 35.15 Hakodate / Goryokaku Tower
139 35.03 Chiba / LaLaport / Tokyo-Bay
140 34.94 Yamaguchi / Akiyoshido
141 34.52 Tokyo Dome
142 33.91 Arashiyama / Sagano Romantic Train
143 33.87 Kinosaki Onsen / The Seven Hot Springs
144 33.76 Kurobe Gorge
145 33.65 Kagoshima / Kirishima Shrine
146 33.25 Karuizawa / Tsuruya Supermarket
147 33.05 Suma Aqualife Park / Kobe
148 33.03 Fukushima / Goshikinuma
149 32.85 Tsukiji Market
150 32.76 Kyoto / Toji
151 32.62 Hokkaido Obihiro / Cranberry Confectionery
152 32.49 Kanazawa / Chirihama Beach Driveway
153 32.31 Fukuoka / JR Hakata City
154 32.21 Okinawa / Iriomote Island
155 31.89 Tochigi / Kinugawa River Boat Tour
156 31.74 Yamaguchi Iwakuni / Kintaikyo Bridge
157 31.56 Shirakawa-go
158 31.31 Hiroshima / Nishikido Confectionery
159 31.26 Kumamoto Aso / Nabegataki
160 30.98 Kobe-Sanda Premium Outlets
161 30.95 Sapporo / Hokkaido Shrine
162 30.90 Osaka / Umeda Sky Building
163 30.81 Hokkaido / Noboribetsu Onsen
164 30.50 Tokushima Naruto / Otsuka Museum of Art
165 30.44 Kyoto / Shimogamo Jinja
166 30.37 Kyoto / Nijo Castle
167 30.36 Sapporo / Mt Moiwa
168 30.33 Okinawa / Ocean Expo Park
169 30.21 Hokkaido / Noboribetsu Hell Valley
170 30.11 Gunma / Haruna Shrine
171 30.06 Kyoto / Amanohashidate
172 29.88 Fukuoka City Zoo
173 29.81 Nagasaki / Hashima Island
174 29.75 Yamanashi / Fuji-Q Highland
175 29.63 Chiba / ZOZO Marine Stadium
176 29.55 Kyoto / Kifune Shrine
177 29.51 Fukuoka / Ohori Park
178 29.17 Kyoto / Ginkakuji
179 28.85 Hiroshima Kure / Yamato Museum
180 28.80 Mie / Suzuka Circuit
181 28.73 Himeji Central Park
182 28.65 Shizuoka / Kakegawa Kachoen
183 28.62 Ibaragi Oarai / Aqua World
184 28.59 Iwate / Ryusendo
185 28.45 Gunma / Fukiware Falls
186 28.41 Kagoshima / Sakurajima
187 28.33 Kagoshima / Sand Bath
188 28.33 Kanazawa / Higashi Chaya District
189 28.25 Nagano / Venusline
190 28.23 Hiroshima / Setouchi Shimanami Kaido
191 28.22 Chiba / Mother Farm
192 28.21 Yamagata / Zao Onsen
193 28.16 Okinawa / Shisa
194 28.13 Kobe Animal Kingdom
195 28.10 Shimane / Matsue Castle
196 27.96 Kobe / Meriken Park / Harborland
197 27.70 Shizuoka Fujinomiya / Shiraito Falls
198 27.62 Kagawa Takamatsu / Ritsurin Garden
199 27.57 Shizuoka Atami / Big Camphor Tree of Kinomiya Jinja Shrine
200 27.54 Okinawa Uruma / Mid-Sea Road

I dived into the Jalan database. The above are top sightseeing sites selected by a single indicator. The indicator is a multiple of the numbers of stars and comments. The stars are subtracted by 4.0 to boost high star spots. In order to evaluate seasonal sites appropriately, the comments are distributed proportionally to each months using the recommendation rankings by Jalan. The cutoff is set to be the best 30th. The indicators are selected from the monthly maximum. The rankings are stopped at the 200th. The indicators show a faster decline between the 150th and the 200th, compared with higher ranks.

The spots are chosen by Jalan and almost all comments are by Japanese local residents. The indicator uses the number of comments, which makes the list biased to large cities. Especially, the effects of the families with kids appear rather high, with many zoos and aquariums ranked in the top 200.

Even with such caveats, many sites remain outside a familiar line between Tokyo and Kyoto, or Nikko and Miyajima. Here is a type-divided list extracted from the above.

Flowers: Farm Tomita, Shikisai no Oka, Kawazu-zakura, Showa Kinen Park, Nabana no Sato, Ashikaga Flower Park, Awaji Hanasajiki, Hitachi Seaside Park
Shrines: Itsukushima Shrine, Ise Shrines, Fushimi Inari, Izumo Shrine, Dazaifu Tenmangu, Meiji Shrine, Togakushi Shrine, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, Nikko Toshogu, Udo Shrine, Kotohiragu, Hakone Shrine, Kitano Tenmangu, Atsuta Shrine, Kirishima Shrine, Hokkaido Shrine, Shimogamo Shrine, Haruna Shrine, Kifune Shrine, Kinomiya Shrine
Observatories: Mt Hakodate, Landmark Tower, Mt Rokko, Mt Inasa, Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Tocho, Umeda Sky Building, Mt Moiwa
Temples: Sensoji, Kiyomizudera, Todaiji, Kodaiji, Zenkoji, Kinkakuji, Yamadera, Nanzenji, Toji, Ginkakuji
Sea: Kourijima Island, Cape Kamui, Tsunoshima Island Bridge, Enoshima, Taketomi Island, Ishigaki Island, Shirarahama Beach, Kabira Bay, Chirihama Beach Driveway, Iriomote Island, Amanohashidate, Hashima Island, Shimanami Kaido Driveway, Uruma Mid-Sea Road
Montains: Kamikochi, Shiretoko Goko Lakes, Lake Mashu, Blue Pond, Oirase Gorge, Mt Fuji, Kurobe Dam, Zao Okama Lake, Takachiho Gorge, Lake Toya, Togetsukyo Bridge, Mt Omuro, Nachi Waterfall, Akiyoshido Cave, Sagano Romantic Train, Kurobe Gorge, Goshikinuma Lakes, Kinugawa River Boat Tour, Kintaikyo Bridge, Nabegataki Falls, Ryusendo Cave, Fukiware Falls, Mt Sakurajima, Nagano Venusline Driveway, Fujinomiya Shiraito Falls
Onsens: Kusatsu Onsen, Arima Onsen, Kinosaki Onsen, Kurokawa Onsen, Noboribetsu Onsen, Zao Onsen
Castles: Kumamoto Castle, Himeji Castle, Matsumoto Castle, Osaka Castle, Matsuyama Castle, Inuyama Castle, Nijo Castle, Matsue Castle
Gardens: Kenrokuen, Adachi Gardens, Ritsurin Garden

This fetishisation of "locals" is silly. When the average Japanese travels within Japan, he or she does not do it much differently than the average foreigner.

I always thought Hokkaido is more popular with japanese. Not that i have any facts on it.

Interesting! I would love to see more of this kind of data in the future

Pretty much like the ratings on this website. Mostly Kansai and Kanto centric. Not a great way to actually judge destinations. They only rate as high as they do due to the proximity to a higher population.

Actually, the average ratings of each region on this site place Kanto and Shikoku as the lowest rated regions and Okinawa as the highest-rated region and prefecture (at least the one time I got curious and calculated it). Yamagata Prefecture's destinations are all very highly rated while Shizuoka Prefecture's average rating is one of the lowest (maybe the lowest. I forget.). But of course, there are places that seem overrated (like Kobe) and underrated (like most of Saga Prefecture's destinations) and comparing between them doesn't always work (Okinawa rates the highest, but it's not recommended for a first-time traveler looking to experience "Japanese culture" since it is more Ryukyuan culture, so you'd be better off visiting pretty much any other prefecture/region).

I think Japanese do travel differently, though. One big difference is that Japanese often put greater emphasis on food tourism than on sightseeing. In addition to having more family-oriented places, Japanese are also not as keen on seeing "Japanese" sites as foreigners, so aquariums, zoos, amuseument parks, "Isetan Dept Store", and things like that rank higher for them.

I always enjoy reading "top/best"-type of travel things, but of course they'll always leave you disappointed with some listings and places where lots of people go usually make the list more than less-visited sites but if you can find one or two places you didn't know about before that look interesting, it's worth it. If not, it's fun just to compare how you'd rank them or what places you think are missing.