World Guide

Japan

Country · Asia, Eastern Asia

Mount Fuji
Pictured: Mount Fuji · Photo: 名古屋太郎, (edited by Hannes_24), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Japan is a country in Eastern Asia, situated near neighbors such as China, Russia, and South Korea. Its capital is Tokyo, and the nation covers 377,974 square kilometers with a population of about 123 million. Travelers can visit 113 sights across the country, ranging from shrines and castles to modern urban landmarks.

Highlights

The country features 113 sights. Urban centers include Tokyo, which contains the Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo Tower, the Tokyo Imperial Palace, Tokyo Station, Ginza, and Shibuya Crossing. Other major cities are Osaka, home to Osaka Castle; Kyoto, where travelers find the Kyoto Imperial Palace, Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, and Fushimi Inari-taisha; Nara, which hosts Tōdai-ji; and Hiroshima, site of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. Travelers also visit Himeji Castle, Yasukuni Shrine, Ise Shrine, Itsukushima Shrine, and the trading site of Dejima in Nagasaki. Natural landmarks include Mount Fuji and the volcano Sakurajima. Other cities worth visiting include Yokohama, Nagoya, and Nikkō-shi.

Food and drink

Culinary options include sushi, sashimi, miso, miso soup, and dashi. Common staples are onigiri, instant noodles, and natto, while regional specialties include okonomiyaki and takoyaki. Sake and mirin are also present.

When to go

The following describes the climate at the capital, Tokyo. Winters from December to February are cool, with daily highs between 8 °C and 11 °C and lows near 0 °C to 3 °C; these months have the least rainfall. Spring, from March to May, sees temperatures rise from 12 °C to 21 °C, with increasing rain. Summer, spanning June to August, is the warmest period with highs reaching 29 °C and frequent rain, particularly in July and August. September remains warm at 26 °C but is the wettest month with 215 mm of rain. October and November offer cooler conditions, with temperatures dropping from 20 °C to 15 °C.

Practical notes

The currency is the yen. The official language is Japanese. Electrical plugs are types A and B, operating at 100 V. Traffic moves on the left side of the road. The time zone is UTC+09:00.

Cities

Food and drink to try in Japan

  • Sushi
  • Sake
  • Sashimi
  • Miso
  • Miso soup
  • Onigiri
  • Okonomiyaki
  • Instant noodles
  • Takoyaki
  • Dashi
  • Natto
  • Mirin

Top sights in Japan

  1. Mount FujiUNESCOMount Fuji
  2. Yasukuni ShrineTokyo
  3. Tokyo SkytreeTokyo SkytreeTokyo
  4. Himeji CastleUNESCOHimeji CastleHimeji
  5. Tokyo TowerTokyo TowerTokyo
  6. Tokyo Imperial PalaceTokyo Imperial PalaceTokyo
  7. Osaka CastleOsaka CastleOsaka
  8. Fushimi Inari-taishaFushimi Inari-taishaKyoto
  9. Shibuya CrossingShibuya CrossingTokyo
  10. Hiroshima Peace MemorialUNESCOHiroshima Peace MemorialHiroshima
  11. Kiyomizu-deraUNESCOKiyomizu-deraKyoto
  12. Kinkaku-jiUNESCOKinkaku-jiKyoto
  1. Itsukushima Shrine · MiyajimaUNESCO
  2. Tōdai-ji · NaraUNESCO
  3. Dejima · Nagasaki
  4. Tokyo Station · Tokyo
  5. Ise Shrine · Ise
  6. Ginza · Tokyo
  7. Sakurajima · Kagoshima
  8. Kyoto Imperial Palace · Kyoto
  9. Tokyo Stock Exchange · Tokyo
  10. Nijō Castle · KyotoUNESCO
  11. Lake Biwa
  12. Shuri Castle · NahaUNESCO
  13. Seto Inland Sea
  14. Nissan Stadium · Yokohama
  15. Japanese Alps
  16. National Diet Building · Tokyo
  17. Matsumoto Castle · Matsumoto
  18. Mount Unzen · Unzen
  19. Kumamoto Castle · Kumamoto
  20. Kyocera Dome Osaka · Osaka
  21. Roppongi · Tokyo
  22. Tsukiji fish market · Tokyo
  23. Byōdō-in · UjiUNESCO
  24. Ushiku Daibutsu
  25. Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building · Tokyo
  26. Mount Aso · Mount Aso
  27. Fushimi Castle · Kyoto
  28. Azuchi Castle · Omihachiman
  29. Hiroshima Castle · Hiroshima
  30. Rainbow Bridge · Tokyo
  31. Nagoya Castle · Nagoya
  32. Tokyo National Museum · Tokyo
  33. Ryōan-ji · KyotoUNESCO
  34. Ajinomoto Stadium · Chofu
  35. Mount Kōya
  36. Ghibli Museum · Mitaka
  37. Nikkō Tōshō-gū · Nikkō-shi
  38. Tenryū-ji · KyotoUNESCO
  39. Yasaka Shrine · Kyoto
  40. Hikawa Maru · Yokohama
  41. Mount Tate
  42. Goryōkaku
  43. Umeda Sky Building · Osaka
  44. Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and GokayamaUNESCO
  45. Shitennō-ji · Osaka
  46. Izumo-taisha · Izumo
  47. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum · Hiroshima
  48. St. Mary's Cathedral, Tokyo · Tokyo
  49. Tsūtenkaku · Osaka
  50. Enryaku-ji · KyotoUNESCO
  51. Ginkaku-ji · KyotoUNESCO
  52. Arashiyama · Kyoto
  53. Tō-ji · KyotoUNESCO
  54. Mount Hiei · Kyoto
  55. Sanjūsangen-dō · Kyoto
  56. Lake Ashi · Hakone
  57. Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
  58. Atsuta Shrine · Nagoya
  59. Tottori Sand Dunes · Tottori
  60. Tanegashima Space Center
  61. Yokohama Stadium · Yokohama
  62. Hirosaki Castle · Hirosaki
  63. Ueno Zoo · Tokyo
  64. Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Nagasaki · Nagasaki
  65. Yokohama Landmark Tower · Yokohama
  66. Akasaka, Tokyo · Tokyo
  67. Kyōto Station · Kyoto
  68. Odawara Castle · Odawara
  69. Bamboo Forest · Kyoto
  70. Hikone Castle · Hikone
  71. Lake KawaguchiUNESCO
  72. Kōfuku-ji · NaraUNESCO
  73. Kanazawa Castle · Kanazawa
  74. Abeno Harukas · Osaka
  75. Lake Tōya
  76. Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki RegionUNESCO
  77. Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto · KyotoUNESCO
  78. National Museum of Western Art · TokyoUNESCO
  79. Ogasawara IslandsUNESCO
  80. Oura Church · NagasakiUNESCO
  81. Shimogamo Shrine · KyotoUNESCO
  82. Heijō Palace · NaraUNESCO
  83. Yakushi-ji · NaraUNESCO
  84. Glover Garden · NagasakiUNESCO
  85. Nishi Hongan-ji · KyotoUNESCO
  86. Sannai-Maruyama SiteUNESCO
  87. Nachi FallsUNESCO
  88. Kegon Falls · Nikkō-shi
  89. Shirakami-SanchiUNESCO
  90. Daigo-ji · KyotoUNESCO
  91. Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara · NaraUNESCO
  92. Hara Castle · ShimabaraUNESCO
  93. Kumano Hongū TaishaUNESCO
  94. Shiraito FallsUNESCO
  95. Mount YoshinoUNESCO
  96. Shrines and Temples of Nikkō · Nikkō-shiUNESCO
  97. Iwami Ginzan Silver MineUNESCO
  98. Seiganto-jiUNESCO
  99. Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal MiningUNESCO
  100. Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain RangeUNESCO
  101. Lake YamanakaUNESCO
  102. Saihō-ji · KyotoUNESCO
  103. Nara National Museum · Nara

UNESCO sites in Japan →

Weather by month

The warmest month is August, with an average high of 29 °C. The wettest is September, with about 215 mm of rain.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high, °C8912172124282926201511
Average low, °C004914182224201483
Rainfall, mm50551101231341651551702151949050
Rainy days571212131618181814117

Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for Tokyo (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.

Also worth a look

Neighbouring countries and territories