My top 5 that are not in Kyoto or Tokyo, where I assume you are going anyways: 1.) Himeiji Castle- The very best castle in all of Japan. It s not a replica like most castles, but an original that miraculously didn t get taken apart or bombed during WWII. It s spectacular! It s also a very easy trip from Kyoto on the bullet train. You can walk to the castle from the station and be back that same day. 2.) Mount Koya- This is a cool daytrip from Kyoto. Mount Koya is one of the most sacred spots in all of Japan. It is covered in temples that were founded by Kobodaishi, who is probably the most famous saint in the history of Japan. He is buried here (well, he is actually said to be quot;meditatingquot; in his retreat... he s been meditating there for about a thousand years, but they still leave food out for him.) People pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to have a lock of their hair buried near his tomb, because it is thought that when he rises again to preach, those close enough to hear him will be the first to be saved. In any case, the cool thing to do on Mount Koya is a temple stay! That s right, you can spend the night in one of the temples, in a traditional style room. A monk will come around beating a gong at 7 AM to wake you up to attend religious services. I ve heard that some temples will ask you to rake leaves or help with other chores (although mine did not.) If you can t make it to Mount Koya, you can do a temple stay at several different places in Kyoto- check out Lonely Planet for more details. I HIGHLY recommend you do a temple stay while in Japan- it s wicked cool! 3.) Hiroshima- It s a couple of train stops beyond Himeiji. I think it s really important to look at world events from multiple points of view, and the Atomic Bomb Museum gives you a rare chance to do so, regardless of whether you think it was right to drop the bomb or not. All of the displays have English guides, so you will be able to understand everything. It s a difficult thing to see, but I think it s one of the most important things I saw while I was in Japan. Hiroshima is also a smallish town where you can walk around and hit most of the main attractions. It s also a short drive to Miyajima- that famous shrine you always see pictures of with the big red gate (called a Torii) in the water, which is also a great place to visit. 4.) Nara is also wicked cool. It s in the Kansai area, which means it s a short train ride from Kyoto and Osaka. Nara was the first capital, and it has TONS of important historical sights and temples. The Daibutsu (or great Buddha) in Todaiji temple is a must-see, as are the spectacular wooden statues that guard it in the outer gate (they re called Nio- they are stunning! Took my breath away!) Nara is also small and very walkable- you can t go 10 feet without running into a pagoda or a shrine or something! And they have these crazy deer that run loose everywhere and you can feed them and stuff. 5.) Kamakura- This is a day trip from Tokyo. Kamakura is the area where the first Shogun of Japan, Minamoto no Yoritomo, set up his headquarters. There are a bunch of historic shrines and stuff here. Probably not everybody would like this site as much as I do, but I m very interested in that period in Japanese history. Nikko is another cool daytrip from Tokyo, and has some cool shrine architecture as well.
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Tokyo--Shopping, the night life, sites like the Tokyo Tower, Meiji Park, and the Imperial Palace. Kyoto--Ancient capital. Nijo Castle and all the temples. Kinkakuji was my favorite. Nara--Also lots of temples there. There are tons of deer running around the city. It has a great atmosphere. Hiroshima--Peace park, short ferry ride to Miyajima Island. Sapporo--Great architecture, interesting city, lots of good nature
I definately recommend Kyoto. It s Japan s cultural heart. Many temples and shrines. The Gion and Higashiyama districts are awesome. Try to catch a festival there. You won t be disappointed!
Kyoto is good, but I also want to recommend Nara to visit. Nara is the most ancient city in Japan. There are plenty temples to see and the scenery is beautiful. There is the world biggest wooden structure and Buddha in Nara. My husband and I are planning to visit Nara next year as well. If Kyoto is classy amp; fabulous place, Nara is more mixed with nature and traditional. If you go to Nara park, there are lots of Japanese Shika(Deer?) roaming around. They are tamed and pretty to see. One more thing, though, that March in Japan is still cool, so don t forget to bring a jacket(prefererably rain proofed) and a light sweater. You ll enjoy the cherry blossoms, too. Check the cherry blossom forecast! (Yes, there is a such thing in Japan.)
Hida Takayama or Nikko if you want the traditional Japanese feel. Osaka and Tokyo for city life. Miyajima Island for beauty.
the porn shop - they re the best in Japan!
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