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Ueno Park - cherry blossom hanami park in spring, Tokyo, Japan

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Japan's Parks, Gardens & Natural Scenery

Bamboo groves, volcanic valleys, waterfalls, and lakeside views for travelers who want green space between the cities.

Japan packs an outsized amount of natural variety into a small footprint: manicured strolling gardens in the middle of major cities, volcanic valleys an hour from Tokyo, deer-filled parks, and waterfalls fed by mountain snowmelt. These spots are less about a single landmark and more about the walk itself, so build in unhurried time. Here's where to go.

Nature & Scenic Spots Across Japan

76 nature & scenic spots across 19 destinations

Tokyo

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Ueno Park - cherry blossom hanami park in spring, Tokyo, Japan

Ueno Park

Ueno Park is Tokyo's largest and most famous public park, home to world-class museums, a zoo, Shinobazu Pond, and some of Tokyo's best cherry blossom viewing. It is a cultural hub in the city.

Imperial Palace - stone bridge and moat in the heart of central Tokyo, Japan

Imperial Palace East Gardens

The Imperial Palace is the residence of Japan's Imperial Family, set on extensive grounds in the heart of Tokyo. The surrounding East Gardens and moat are open to the public and make for a beautiful stroll.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden - wide lawns, tree-lined pathways, and landscaped gardens in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is a 58.3-hectare national garden in Shinjuku combining French Formal, English Landscape, and Japanese Traditional garden styles plus a large greenhouse. It is a genuine year-round escape from the city, not just a cherry blossom spot.

Shioiri-no-ike tidal pond and the Nakajima-no-Ochaya tea house at Hamarikyu Gardens, framed by Shiodome skyscrapers, Chuo, Tokyo, Japan

Hamarikyu Gardens

Hamarikyu Gardens is a nationally designated Special Historic Site in Chuo, Tokyo, built around Shioiri-no-ike, the only seawater tidal pond among Tokyo's Edo-period gardens. It has an island tea house serving matcha, two preserved Edo-period duck hunting grounds, and a 300-year pine and peony garden, with adult admission at just ¥300.

Yoyogi Park's wide open lawns and tree-lined paths, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

Yoyogi Park

Yoyogi Park is a free, always-open public metropolitan park in Shibuya, directly beside Meiji Shrine but separately managed, with wide lawns, a dog run, a cycling center, cherry blossoms in spring, and a lively weekend gathering culture of street performers. The 2025 BE STAGE redevelopment added a free skateboard plaza and a small dining zone.

Cherry blossoms along the Sumida River with Tokyo Skytree in the background, Sumida Park, Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan

Sumida Park

Sumida Park is a free riverside park on both banks of the Sumida River near Asakusa: a Taito-ku side on the west bank, near Senso-ji, and a Sumida-ku side on the east bank, near Tokyo Skytree. It's one of Tokyo's most historic cherry blossom spots and a year-round Skytree photo viewpoint.

Tokyo Sea Life Park's glass dome exterior inside Kasai Rinkai Park, Edogawa, Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo Sea Life Park

Tokyo Sea Life Park is a public aquarium inside Kasai Rinkai Park in Edogawa, known for its glass dome and donut-shaped Voyagers of the Sea bluefin tuna tank. It is open and operating normally today; a confirmed replacement aquarium is scheduled to open next door in September 2028.

Cherry blossom canopy over the Meguro River near Nakano Bridge, Nakameguro, Tokyo, Japan

Meguro River

The Meguro River is one of Tokyo's most photographed cherry blossom spots, where roughly 800 sakura trees form a low pink canopy over the water for about 3.8km through Nakameguro. It is free to walk at any time of year, with a lively spring festival and evening illumination during the roughly two-week bloom window.

Inokashira Park's central pond with cherry blossoms and swan boats, Kichijoji, Tokyo, Japan

Inokashira Park

Inokashira Park is a free, always-open public park in western Tokyo, spanning Musashino and Mitaka around a spring-fed central pond. It has rowboat, cycle boat, and swan boat rentals, a small zoo, roughly 500 cherry trees, and sits a five-minute walk from Kichijoji Station, directly beside the Ghibli Museum.

Musashi Mitake Shrine's wooden torii gate and vermillion summit building on Mount Mitake, overlooking layered mountain ridges in Ome, western Tokyo, Japan

Mount Mitake

Mount Mitake is a 929-meter mountain in Ome City, western Tokyo, reached by train and a short cable car ride. Its summit area holds Musashi Mitake Shrine and a beginner-friendly trail through the moss-covered Rock Garden to Nanayo Falls, distinct from nearby Mitake Valley and the wider Okutama region.

A suspension footbridge over a clear turquoise river in the forested mountains of Okutama, with traditional riverside lodges below the peaks, Tokyo, Japan

Okutama

Okutama is a large mountain town on Tokyo's far western edge, the biggest municipality in the capital by area, built around Lake Okutama, river valleys, a limestone cave, and a wide hiking network, roughly two hours by train from Shinjuku.

Kyoto

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A lone walker with a pink umbrella on the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove path, between tall bamboo and brushwood fences

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is a short public path through tall bamboo in the Sagano area of western Kyoto, free to walk and with no gate. Most visitors combine it with Tenryu-ji's garden, Okochi Sanso and Nonomiya Shrine, which sit along it.

Cherry trees in full bloom arching over the Philosopher's Path canal, with a small bridge and a cafe along the path

Philosopher's Path

The Philosopher's Path is a canal-side walk of about 2 kilometers in eastern Kyoto, between Ginkaku-ji and the Nanzen-ji area. It is named for the philosopher Nishida Kitaro, who walked it each morning, and is lined with cherry trees donated by the painter Hashimoto Kansetsu.

The Shishinden, the hall of state of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, across its white gravel courtyard under a clear sky, with a bare tree beside its steps

Kyoto Imperial Palace

The Kyoto Imperial Palace (Kyoto Gosho) was the emperor's residence from 1331 until 1869; the present buildings date from 1855. It stands in Kyoto Gyoen park in the center of the city and is managed by the Imperial Household Agency, which opens it free to walk-in visitors.

Stone steps lined with red lanterns leading up to Kurama-dera's vermilion Niomon gate, among green maples

Kurama and Kibune

Kurama and Kibune are two mountain valleys north of Kyoto linked by a trail over Mt. Kurama. The walk runs through the grounds of Kurama-dera and down to Kibune, with its water-god shrine and summer riverside restaurants.

A corner tower of Byodo-in's Phoenix Hall and a vermilion bridge reflected in the pond under a clear autumn sky

Uji

Uji is a tea town on the Uji River south of Kyoto, with two World Heritage sites: Byodo-in, whose Phoenix Hall is on the 10-yen coin, and Ujigami Shrine, whose main hall is the oldest surviving shrine building in Japan.

Osaka

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Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan whale shark tank with Pacific Ocean exhibit and visitors watching marine life, Japan

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

One of the world's largest aquariums featuring whale sharks and immersive Pacific Ocean exhibits.

Minoo Park forest trail with autumn foliage and the Minoo waterfall visible through the trees, Osaka Prefecture Japan

Minoo Park

A scenic nature area north of Osaka known for waterfalls, forest trails, and spectacular autumn colors.

Sapporo

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Odori Park green boulevard downtown Sapporo Japan

Odori Park

A 1.5km green boulevard through downtown Sapporo, home to the Snow Festival, summer beer garden, and seasonal flower displays.

Glass Pyramid and open lawns at Moerenuma Park, Isamu Noguchi's land art park in Sapporo Japan

Moerenuma Park

A free, 188.8-hectare park in outer Sapporo designed by sculptor Isamu Noguchi as his final major work, built on a reclaimed landfill and centered on the Glass Pyramid, Mt. Moere, and a seasonal Sea Fountain.

Main Gate stone pillar and brick sign for Hokkaido University with a tree-lined avenue in Sapporo Japan

Hokkaido University

A free, open 177-hectare university campus in central Sapporo, a short walk from Sapporo Station, known for Ginkgo Avenue's autumn color and the historic Poplar Avenue.

Shobu Pond with reflected trees and downtown Sapporo skyline at Nakajima Park Japan

Nakajima Park

A free, roughly 24-hectare urban park in Chuo-ku, Sapporo, centered on Shobu Pond, immediately south of Susukino.

Main gate entrance sign for Sapporo Maruyama Zoo in Chuo-ku Sapporo Japan

Sapporo Maruyama Zoo

A municipal zoo within Maruyama Park in Chuo-ku, Sapporo, the oldest zoo in Hokkaido, adjacent to Hokkaido Shrine.

Cherry blossom trees along a walking path in Maruyama Park, Sapporo

Maruyama Park

Sapporo's most popular free public park for cherry blossom viewing, home to Hokkaido Shrine, Maruyama Zoo, and a hiking trail up Mount Maruyama.

Hiroshima

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Shukkeien Garden central pond with pine trees and cloud reflections on a sunny autumn day, Hiroshima Japan

Shukkeien Garden

A strolling garden built from 1620 for the lords of Hiroshima, around a central pond with islands, bridges and pavilions. A 10 to 15 minute walk from Hiroshima Station and from Hiroshima Castle.

View from Mount Misen across forested Miyajima ridges and the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, Hiroshima

Mount Misen

The 535-meter peak at the center of Miyajima, reached by three hiking trails or the Miyajima Ropeway plus a 30-minute summit walk. Views across the Seto Inland Sea, temple halls near the top, and a flame said to have burned for 1,200 years.

Nara

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Isuien Garden traditional Japanese strolling garden with Todai-ji borrowed scenery Nara Japan

Isuien Garden

A masterful Meiji-era strolling garden that frames Todai-ji's rooftops and the Wakakusa hills as living borrowed scenery across two interconnected ponds.

Nara Park wide open landscape with free-roaming sika deer Japan

Nara Park

A 502-hectare park surrounding Nara's great temples where over 1,200 wild sika deer roam freely among visitors — Japan's most extraordinary wildlife encounter in an urban setting.

Yoshikien Garden pond with pavilion, stone lantern, and maple trees Nara Japan

Yoshikien Garden

A free, three-part traditional Japanese garden directly beside Isuien Garden, offering a quieter and more compact alternative or add-on to Nara's better-known strolling garden.

Wisteria trellises and peonies in bloom at Kasuga Taisha Man'yo Botanical Garden Nara Japan

Kasuga Taisha Man'yo Botanical Garden

A small, separately-ticketed botanical garden beside Kasuga Taisha Shrine growing every plant species named in Japan's ancient Man'yoshu poetry anthology, best known for its wisteria in late April and early May.

Moss-covered stone lanterns lining ancient cedar forest path in Mt. Kasuga Primeval Forest Nara Japan

Mt. Kasuga Primeval Forest

A UNESCO-listed primeval forest directly behind Kasuga Taisha Shrine in Nara, open to the public via designated trails only, ranging from a short promenade to a genuine 3.5-4 hour moderate hike, plus a paid toll driveway for non-hikers.

Ukimido hexagonal wooden pavilion on Sagi-ike Pond Nara Park Japan

Ukimido Pavilion

A small, free hexagonal wooden pavilion floating on Sagi-ike Pond inside Nara Park, near Kasuga Taisha Shrine's first torii gate, best known for photography, seasonal boating, and the Nara Tokae lantern festival.

Hakone

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Lake Ashi Ashinoko Mt Fuji reflection torii gate Hakone Japan

Lake Ashi (Ashinoko)

A scenic volcanic crater lake offering iconic Mt Fuji reflections, the famous floating torii gate of Hakone Shrine, and beautiful lakeside views.

Owakudani volcanic valley steam vents Hakone Japan

Owakudani

An active volcanic valley at 1,044 meters with dramatic steam vents, sulfur springs, and the famous black eggs hard-boiled in volcanic water.

Outdoor onsen hot spring bath surrounded by forest Hakone Japan

Hakone Hot Springs

Hakone is one of Japan's most famous onsen resort areas, offering a wide range of hot spring experiences from traditional ryokans to public bathhouses.

Sightseeing cruise ship sailing on Lake Ashi with Mt Fuji backdrop Hakone Japan

Lake Ashi Sightseeing Cruise

A scenic cruise across Lake Ashi offering panoramic views of Mt Fuji, forested shorelines, and the famous torii gate of Hakone Shrine.

Yokohama

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Sankeien Garden traditional pond and pagoda Yokohama Japan

Sankeien Garden

A sprawling traditional Japanese garden with historic buildings relocated from across Japan, including a three-story pagoda.

Yamashita Park waterfront promenade Yokohama Japan

Yamashita Park

Yokohama's oldest waterfront park, a relaxing harbor-side promenade with rose gardens and views of the bay.

Zoorasia zoo animal habitat Yokohama Japan

Zoorasia

One of Japan's largest zoos, with naturalistic habitats grouped by world region and a wide range of rare species.

Rose garden and harbor view toward Yokohama Bay Bridge at Harbor View Park, Minato-no-Mieru Oka Koen, Yamate, Yokohama

Harbor View Park

A free, elevated Yamate hillside garden park above Motomachi, reached by a genuine uphill walk, known for Yokohama's most extensive rose gardens and a harbor view toward Yokohama Bay Bridge.

Kamakura

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Sandy shoreline of Yuigahama Beach in Kamakura, with the coastline and, weather permitting, Mount Fuji or Enoshima Island visible in the distance

Yuigahama Beach

Kamakura's main public beach, a free, year-round stretch of shoreline near Hasedera and the Great Buddha, with a summer swimming season and strong autumn-winter sunset value.

Nikko

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Kegon Falls waterfall plunging through a volcanic gorge in Nikko Japan

Kegon Falls

Japan's most famous waterfall, a dramatic 97-meter drop into a volcanic gorge near Lake Chuzenji.

Lake Chuzenji surrounded by mountains in Nikko Japan

Lake Chuzenji

A scenic crater lake formed by the eruption of Mount Nantai, ringed by mountains and famous for autumn foliage.

Shinkyo Bridge vermilion sacred bridge over the Daiya River in Nikko

Shinkyo Bridge

Nikko's iconic vermilion sacred bridge, marking the traditional gateway to the area's shrines and temples.

Ryuzu Falls cascading waterfall near Lake Chuzenji in Nikko Japan

Ryuzu Falls

A graceful, fan-shaped waterfall that splits around a rock near the edge of Lake Chuzenji.

Kanmangafuchi Abyss row of stone Jizo statues along the Daiya River in Nikko

Kanmangafuchi Abyss

A peaceful gorge along the Daiya River lined with a row of moss-covered stone Jizo statues.

Fukuoka

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Ohori Park lake and walking paths in Fukuoka

Fukuoka Ohori Park

A spacious lakeside park built around a former moat of Fukuoka Castle, popular for walking, boating, and seasonal scenery.

Mount Fuji

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Small lakeside pavilion on rocks at Lake Kawaguchiko with snow-capped Mount Fuji across the water

Lake Kawaguchiko

The Fuji Five Lakes base most visitors use, with free shoreline views of Mount Fuji, a sightseeing cruise and easy train and bus links to Tokyo.

Buildings and parking area at the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station below the upper slopes of Mount Fuji

Mt. Fuji 5th Station

The Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station at 2,305 m, the Yoshida Trail trailhead and the 5th Station most visitors reach by bus from Kawaguchiko.

Yellow tulips in front of Mount Fuji under an evening sky at Oishi Park

Oishi Park

A free flower walk on Lake Kawaguchiko's north shore, facing Mount Fuji across the water, best known for early-summer lavender and red autumn kochia.

Thatched-roof buildings beside a clear spring pond at Oshino Hakkai with snow-capped Mount Fuji behind

Oshino Hakkai

Eight spring-fed ponds in Oshino village, fed by Mount Fuji's underground water, with thatched buildings and views of the mountain on clear days.

Shiraito Falls, hundreds of thin streams of spring water falling from a moss-covered cliff in Fujinomiya

Shiraito Falls

A wide curtain of Mount Fuji spring water in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka, inscribed as part of the Fujisan World Heritage Site for its role in Fuji pilgrimage.

Snow-capped Mount Fuji above Lake Yamanakako on a clear winter morning, with a Lake Yamanakako sign post on the frosty shore

Lake Yamanakako

The largest of the Fuji Five Lakes by area, on Mount Fuji's northeast side, known for Diamond Fuji sunsets in autumn and winter.

Explore →Photo: Alpsdake, CC BY-SA 4.0

Hillside footpath with wooden railings in Arakurayama Sengen Park, visitors walking under green trees, with the town of Fujiyoshida and Mount Fuji beyond

Arakurayama Sengen Park

The Fujiyoshida hillside park around Chureito Pagoda, with Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine, a Mount Fuji viewing deck, seasonal trees and paid city parking.

Explore →Photo: Simo Räsänen, CC BY-SA 4.0

Kobe

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Shin-Kobe Ropeway gondola climbing above Nunobiki Herb Gardens with Kobe city and bay views

Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens & Ropeway

Japan's largest herb garden, reached by a scenic ropeway ride from right behind Shin-Kobe Station, with themed garden terraces, panoramic Kobe views, and the historic Nunobiki Falls on the mountain below.

Night view over Kobe and Osaka Bay from Rokko Garden Terrace on Mount Rokko

Mount Rokko

Kobe's highest mountain, reached by a historic cable car, famous across Japan for its "10 million dollar" night view over Kobe and Osaka Bay, plus hiking trails, an alpine botanical garden, and a ropeway link to Arima Onsen.

Storefront entrance of Kobe Animal Kingdom with a glasshouse roof and animal mural on Port Island in Kobe

Kobe Animal Kingdom

A mostly-indoor, all-weather animal and flower park on Port Island built around close, low-barrier encounters with capybaras, toucans, and other small mammals and birds.

Ontaki, the tallest of the four Nunobiki Falls, cascading into a pool beside a wooden trail sign in Kobe

Nunobiki Falls

A free set of four linked waterfalls on a wooded trail a short walk from Shin-Kobe Station, ranked among Japan's Three Great Sacred Waterfalls and free to visit without any ropeway or garden ticket.

Pond, pine trees, and a lakeside teahouse-style building at Sorakuen Garden with Kobe high-rises visible behind

Sorakuen Garden

The City of Kobe's only municipal Japanese-style garden, a former Meiji-era merchant estate in central Kobe with a relocated Kitano foreign-merchant house and a surviving Important Cultural Property stable.

Sandy beach and waterfront promenade at Kobe Suma Seaside Park with the park's stone entrance marker in the foreground

Kobe Suma Seaside Park

Kobe's most convenient free beach and waterfront park, redeveloped through 2024, home to the Matsunomori Village dining cluster and the separate, paid Kobe Suma Sea World aquarium within its grounds.

Sheep grazing on the hillside at Rokkosan Pasture with a view of Kobe and Osaka Bay below

Rokkosan Pasture

A Kobe City-operated pasture on Mount Rokko where sheep graze freely and visitors can get close to farm animals, open to the public since 1976.

Outdoor terrace seating at Rokko Garden Terrace's Nature View Cafe overlooking Kobe and Osaka Bay

Rokko Garden Terrace

The named viewpoint and dining complex at the heart of Mount Rokko's famous "10 million dollar" night view, with free outdoor terraces and the paid Rokko-Shidare Observatory.

Flowering alpine plants and the entrance sign at Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden with a view over Kobe and Osaka Bay

Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden

A seasonal high-altitude garden on Mount Rokko, opened in 1933, cultivating around 1,500 alpine and cold-climate plant varieties, distinct from Nunobiki Herb Gardens on a separate mountain.

Nagoya

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Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens grounds and animal enclosures in Chikusa-ku, Nagoya

Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens

A combined zoo and botanical garden in eastern Nagoya with the most animal species of any zoo in Japan, spread across 60 hectares alongside a nationally designated Important Cultural Property greenhouse.

Pond and seasonal garden grounds at Tokugawa Garden (Tokugawaen) in Higashi Ward, eastern Nagoya

Tokugawa Garden

A Japanese landscape garden on the former Owari Tokugawa family estate in eastern Nagoya, with a central pond, waterfall, and seasonal plantings from cherry blossoms to autumn maples, immediately next to the separately ticketed Tokugawa Art Museum.

Garden grounds and red-brick former Noritake ceramics factory buildings at Noritake Garden in Nishi-ku, Nagoya

Noritake Garden

A free public garden and shopping and dining complex built on ceramics maker Noritake's own Nagoya headquarters grounds, with a paid Craft Center and Museum where visitors can watch bone china being produced and hand-painted.

Pond and stream landscape at Shirotori Garden in Atsuta Ward, Nagoya

Shirotori Garden

A traditional Japanese garden in Atsuta Ward designed around a pond and streams representing the landscape of central Japan, a short walk from Atsuta Jingu.

Kanazawa

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Kotoji-toro two-legged stone lantern beside Kasumigaike pond at Kenroku-en Garden in Kanazawa

Kenroku-en Garden

One of Japan's three great gardens, landscaped over roughly 200 years by the Maeda lords of the Kaga Domain around the widely photographed two-legged Kotoji-toro stone lantern.

Takayama

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Stone path through the Higashiyama temple district hillside in Takayama with autumn foliage color

Higashiyama Walking Course, Takayama

A free, self-guided walking route through Takayama's historic temple district, linking more than a dozen temples and shrines to Shiroyama Park and the site of the former Takayama Castle.

Nakabashi Bridge's red-lacquered railings spanning the Miyagawa River in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture

Nakabashi Bridge

Takayama's red-railed bridge over the Miyagawa River, a free, always-open crossing between the Old Town and the Miyagawa Morning Market and the city's most photographed landmark.

Nagasaki

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Abandoned concrete apartment blocks and the encircling sea wall of Gunkanjima (Hashima Island) off the coast of Nagasaki, Japan

Gunkanjima

Gunkanjima, officially Hashima Island, is an abandoned undersea coal mining island off Nagasaki and a component of a UNESCO World Heritage property. It can only be reached on a licensed boat tour, and landing depends entirely on the day's weather.

Double stone arches of Meganebashi Bridge reflected in the Nakashima River in central Nagasaki

Meganebashi Bridge

A double-arch stone bridge of 1634 over the Nakashima River, widely cited as the oldest surviving stone arch bridge in Japan and named for the spectacles its reflection forms.

Western-style wooden residences and terraced gardens above Nagasaki harbor at Glover Garden in Minamiyamate

Glover Garden

A hillside open-air museum of nineteenth-century Western merchant houses above Nagasaki harbor, built around the 1863 Former Glover Residence.

The bronze Peace Statue and surrounding plaza at Nagasaki Peace Park in Matsuyama-machi, Nagasaki

Nagasaki Peace Park

A free public memorial park on the hillside above the atomic bomb hypocenter, centered on the Peace Statue, the Fountain of Peace, and monuments donated by countries and cities worldwide.

Shirakawa-go

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Aerial view of Ogimachi village's gassho-zukuri thatched-roof farmhouses lining the main road, with rice paddies and surrounding mountains, Shirakawa-go, Japan

Ogimachi Village

A free-to-walk, still-inhabited UNESCO World Heritage village in Gifu Prefecture with the largest concentration of gassho-zukuri thatched-roof farmhouses in Japan.

Matsumoto

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The three watermills at Daio Wasabi Farm surrounded by wasabi paddies fed by clear alpine spring water

Daio Wasabi Farm

Japan's largest wasabi farm, located in Azumino City, not Matsumoto, reached by a JR Pass-covered train from Matsumoto Station plus a short onward leg. Free grounds admission, famous for its three watermills and Akira Kurosawa film connection.

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