Aoba Castle, also known as Sendai Castle, crowns a forested hilltop overlooking the city it once protected. Built in 1601 by the powerful feudal lord Date Masamune, the castle’s wooden

A travel guide to Kyoto’s Arashiyama Bamboo Grove: the path, nearby temples, best times to visit, and how to get there.

Atsuta Shrine is one of the most sacred Shinto sites in Japan, second only to Ise. Set in a tranquil forest in southern Nagoya, it is said to enshrine the

A travel guide to Byodo-in, the famous Phoenix Hall in Uji near Kyoto: its mirror pond, golden phoenixes, museum, and how to visit.

Sendai is known as the City of Trees, and nowhere shows this better than central Jozenji-dori, a broad boulevard shaded by tall zelkova trees and dotted with sculptures. Together with

The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is the island’s most famous attraction and one of the largest aquariums in the world. Its centrepiece, the vast Kuroshio Sea tank, lets visitors stand before

Nagoya is a superb base for exploring central Japan, with fast trains fanning out to castles, craft towns and museums across Aichi and beyond. If you have extra days, these

Sapporo is the perfect base for exploring Hokkaido’s wider attractions, from a romantic canal town to volcanic lakes and flower-covered hills. If you have extra days, these trips show off

A travel guide to Dazaifu Tenmangu near Fukuoka, the famous shrine dedicated to the deity of scholarship and learning.

The stretch of coast between Kamakura and Enoshima is one of the most enjoyable seaside escapes near Tokyo. The vintage Enoden train trundles past beaches and surf towns to the