If any site captures the hectic energy of city life in Japan, it is Shibuya Crossing. The fast-paced scramble intersection outside Tokyo’s Shibuya station is crossed by an estimated 2.4 million people every day.
Honke Owariya initially sold cakes made from soba (buckwheat) rice cakes. Soon after, however, the establishment branched out into providing soba to Zen Buddhist temples and Japan’s Imperial Palace.
This traditional dance-drama, which is recognized by UNESCO and incorporates mime, dance and music, dates back to the early 17th century.
This is the entrance to the Ghibli Museum, a wonderland of gardens, exhibition spaces and artwork from Studio Ghibli’s films.
One highlight is the temple’s Daibutsuden (or Great Buddha Hall), where visitors can view the world’s largest statue of the Buddha Vairocana and other ancient treasures.
Once visitors set foot on Naoshima Island, they are likely to find a sculpture, painting or piece of architecture created by world-famous artists.
The mountain was formed by volcanic activity over 100,000 years ago and has since become a site of pilgrimage and artistic inspiration.
If you’d like to try the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku (“forest bathing”), there’s no better place to experience it than Sagano Bamboo Forest on the outskirts of Kyoto.