Japan packs an astonishing range of places into a country roughly the size of Germany — neon megacities, 1,000-year-old temple towns, floating shrines, and snow-capped volcanoes, often just a two-hour train ride apart. If you are short on time, here are the 15 must-visit places in Japan that consistently make it onto every serious traveller’s list, and why they belong on a first trip from India.
Quick Answer: The Famous Places You Should Not Miss
The must-visit places in Japan are Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Mt Fuji/Hakone, Nara, Miyajima Island, Arashiyama, Shibuya Crossing, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Dotonbori, Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), Himeji Castle, Nikko, and Okinawa. First-timers usually start in Tokyo, then ride the Shinkansen west.
1. Tokyo — Japan’s Neon Capital
Japan’s capital is the natural first stop for most visitors from India: Narita and Haneda receive the long-haul flights, English signage is everywhere, and a Suica card on Day 1 sorts the metro. Shibuya Crossing, Senso-ji at opening, Akihabara, Meiji Jingu, and food at every budget — from a six-seat ramen counter to a depachika basement — make Tokyo a destination in itself, not a layover. Three nights is the comfortable minimum; two is a neon sprint. See our full Things to Do in Tokyo and Places to Visit in Tokyo guides, or start at the Tokyo travel guide.
2. Kyoto — 1,600 Temples and Zen Gardens
Japan’s former imperial capital holds more than 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines. Fushimi Inari’s thousand torii gates, the gold leaf of Kinkaku-ji, Arashiyama’s bamboo, and Gion at dusk make Kyoto essential, not optional, on places to visit in Japan for the first time. The Shinkansen from Tokyo is about 2 hours 15 minutes. Three nights covers the core; four adds Ryoan-ji or a slower Nishiki morning. Book sakura and maple rooms three months ahead. Kyoto travel guide →
3. Osaka — Japan’s Street Food Capital
Dotonbori’s neon canal-side stalls, Kuromon Ichiba Market, and Osaka Castle make this the country’s most food-obsessed city. Locals call the eating culture kuidaore — “eat until you drop.” Takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and kushikatsu are the homework. Two nights so the city is not a 15-minute lunch from Kyoto. The castle keep is a reconstruction; the park and moat are the point, especially in sakura season. Osaka travel guide →
4. Hiroshima and Miyajima Island
The Peace Memorial Park and the A-bomb Dome are essential, sober history — allow two unhurried hours in the museum. A short JR ferry from Hiroshima, Miyajima’s floating torii at Itsukushima Shrine is one of Japan’s most photographed sights, but only at high tide; check a tide table, not a postcard. One full day from Osaka works (about 90 minutes on Hikari or Sakura); an overnight is kinder. A JR Pass does not cover Nozomi. Hiroshima travel guide →
5. Mt Fuji and Hakone
Japan’s sacred, symmetrical volcano is best viewed — not climbed, unless you visit in the official July–August summit season — from the Hakone region: onsen towns, a ropeway, Lake Ashinoko, and a ryokan night with kaiseki. One night between Tokyo and Kyoto is the classic 10-day insert for travellers from India. A day trip is a ropeway sprint; stay if you came for the bath. Weather hides the summit often; have a plan B. Hakone and more hidden gems →
6. Nara — Japan’s First Capital
Home to about 1,200 free-roaming deer that bow for crackers, and Todai-ji, which houses the country’s largest bronze Buddha inside the world’s largest wooden building. An easy day trip from Kyoto or Osaka — about 45 minutes on JR from Kyoto, pass-valid if you hold one. Kasuga Taisha’s lanterns are the quieter shrine. Treat it as a full day, not a lunch raid between Kinkaku-ji and an Osaka train.
7. Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Kyoto
A soaring bamboo corridor on Kyoto’s western edge, best at sunrise before tour buses. The grove itself is short; Tenryu-ji’s zen garden is why you stay in the west. Pair it with shojin-ryori nearby if you want a vegetarian Kyoto meal — ask for no fish stock, because dashi hides in a surprising number of “vegetable” bowls. Do not stack Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari, and Kinkaku-ji before lunch. Things to do in Kyoto →
8. Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo
The world’s busiest pedestrian crossing — up to 3,000 people move at once when the light turns green. Watch it from the Starbucks above, then walk it yourself. It costs nothing but patience. Combine with Meiji Jingu in the same west-Tokyo day; do not treat the scramble as a standalone pilgrimage that eats a morning you needed for Senso-ji.
9. Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kyoto
Thousands of vermillion torii climb Mt Inari in an unbroken tunnel. Free entry, open 24 hours — go at dawn for the best light and fewest crowds. The lower gates take about 30 minutes; the summit hike is 2–3 hours. This is a working shrine. Do not block the path for a photograph. It is the image most people mean when they search famous places in Japan.
10. Himeji Castle
Japan’s best-preserved original castle, nicknamed the White Heron for its brilliant white façade. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, roughly 90 minutes from Osaka by train — a coherent add-on on 12–14 days, or a dedicated castle morning if you skip a second Osaka food crawl. It is not a reconstruction in the Osaka Castle sense. Combine it with Hiroshima only if you have a full extra day; do not sandwich both between a 4pm Shinkansen.
11. Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), Kyoto
A Zen temple coated in real gold leaf, reflected in its still pond. One of Japan’s most photographed buildings. Bus groups arrive by 9:30am; an 8am start is the difference between a quiet reflection and a selfie scrum. Pair it with Ryoan-ji’s fifteen stones on the same northern bus logic, not with Fushimi Inari the same morning.
12. Nikko
A UNESCO-listed shrine complex about two hours north of Tokyo, set among cedar forests and waterfalls — a quieter temple day than Kyoto if you have slack in the capital. Toshogu is ornate, crowded at weekends, and worth it if you will not reach Kyoto’s density. Possible as a long day from Tokyo; kinder as an overnight if you add Kegon Falls. It sits on several of our ready-made Japan itineraries.
13. Dotonbori, Osaka
Osaka’s neon entertainment strip, famous for the giant mechanical crab, takoyaki stalls, and canal-side photographs. Eat standing, then walk two streets off the canal if you want a sit-down that is not a photo queue. This is the night; Kuromon is the morning. Stay in Namba if evenings matter. Things to do in Osaka →
14. Okinawa
Japan’s tropical southern islands — white-sand beaches, coral reefs, and a distinct Ryukyuan culture. Best added if your trip runs beyond 12 days. It is a flight from Tokyo or Osaka, not a Shinkansen hop, so it replaces Hiroshima or Kanazawa on a first circuit rather than sitting beside them. Treat it as a second Japan trip if you only have 10 days from India.
15. Kanazawa
A well-preserved Edo-era city on the west coast with Kenrokuen — one of Japan’s three great gardens — and a historic geisha district without Kyoto’s crowds. The Hokuriku Shinkansen makes it coherent on 14 days between Tokyo and Kyoto. One night is a taste; two if you like gardens and gold leaf. It is not on the 7-day Tokyo–Kyoto sprint. Hidden gems of Japan →
How to Plan Around These Places
Most first-time visitors from India cover Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima comfortably in 10–14 days on the Shinkansen. Direct Delhi–Tokyo flights take about 8–10 hours; Mumbai usually connects via Bangkok, Singapore, or Hong Kong. Indians need a tourist visa (about 5–7 business days; confirmed hotels and a detailed itinerary required). Compare a JR Pass to your actual hops after the 2023 price rise; it does not cover Nozomi — use Hikari or Sakura.
- 7 days: Tokyo and Kyoto only. Skip Hiroshima and Okinawa.
- 10 days: Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto with a Nara day, Osaka. Hiroshima if you drop Hakone or rush — better to extend.
- 12–14 days: Add Hiroshima and Miyajima, Himeji, or Kanazawa. Okinawa only if the beaches are the trip, not a leftover weekend.
See the Japan travel itineraries for day-by-day plans, or check Things to Do in Japan and Best Time to Visit Japan to fit these must-see places into the right season — sakura in late March–April, maple in October–November.
Frequently Asked Questions
The top places are Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Mt Fuji/Hakone, and Nara — together known as Japan’s Golden Route. These cover history, food, nature, and modern city life in a single trip from India.
Tokyo is the best first stop for most travellers — it has the main international airports (Narita and Haneda), the widest range of hotels and food, and an easy transition into Japanese travel before heading to quieter Kyoto or Osaka.
A well-paced 10-day trip covers 4–5 places comfortably: Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Nara (day trip), and Osaka, with Hiroshima added if you extend to 12–14 days.
Kyoto is better for temples, gardens, and traditional culture; Osaka is better for street food, nightlife, and a more relaxed, local atmosphere. Most itineraries include both, since they are only about 15 minutes apart on the Shinkansen.
Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo and the Fushimi Inari torii gates in Kyoto are the two most photographed and searched-for spots in Japan.
Yes — Kanazawa, Nikko, Takayama, and the Japanese Alps offer authentic temple towns and mountain scenery without Kyoto-level crowds, and all are reachable by train from the main circuit.