The Dotonbori district sits beside a 400-year-old canal. The bridge over the canal is a popular place to take your photo (look out for the Glico Man; the enormous runner towers over Ebisubashi Bridge and is a famous Osaka landmark).Almost a mile long, Shinsaibashi arcade stretches from Shinsaibaishi station to Dotonbori and is one of the busiest and oldest shopping streets in Japan. There are shops to suit every budget and tastes from high fashion to traditional crafts. Add on a limitless selection of cafes and restaurants, and you’ll be lucky to emerge before nightfall.

Wishing for happiness for all, it took a total of roughly 2.6 million people to come together and create the Great Buddha statue that now sits in Todaiji Temple’s Daibutsu-den, the Great Buddha hall. The statue itself is referred to as the “Daibutsu” in Japanese, with “dai” meaning giant and “butsu” meaning Buddha, however it is modeled after the Vairocana Buddha.

The main hall houses Kiyomizudera’s veranda, the most famous feature of the temple. Supported by traditional wooden Japanese construction, it stands 13 meters above the ground and is built without the use of nails.The veranda is usually crowded with visitors, but it’s worth venturing to the furthest corner and waiting your turn for a photo with the city of Kyoto in the background.

Considering some of the breathtaking views around the country, getting into Japan’s top 100 cherry blossom viewing spots is no mean feat, but as soon as you arrive you’ll understand how the Yamazaki River succeeded.Strolling a 2.5 kilometer stretch of the Yamazaki River, you will find more than 600 beautiful cherry blossom trees, stretching out across the pathway and dipping their branches toward the river surface below.

Ena Gorge is a scenic area whose man-made lake was originally formed because of the construction of a dam downriver. It is a river valley where, in the spring, cherry blossoms bloom in full force and, in the fall, the cliffs blaze red and yellow with autumn leaves. Enjoying this scenery with the added feature of mysteriously shaped rocks dotting the area is particularly fulfilling from a cruise boat, which takes you around the lake for 30 minutes of incredible sightseeing.

Matsumoto Castle is one of the grandest castles in Japan. Its five-storey main tower, built in late 16th century, is the oldest surviving castle tower in the nation.It’s famously photogenic, with a wide moat, vermillion bridges, and original stonework, backdropped by views of the Northern Alps.

You can enjoy crab bufeat.

On a still, clear day, you can see a perfect mirror image of Mt. Fuji reflected in the lake. For the best view of Mt. Fuji, try taking a photo of the stunning scenery at Chureito Pagoda located inside Arakurayama Sengen Park . The pagoda, as shown in the foreground of Mt. Fuji, is quickly becoming a popular photo spot in the Fuji Five Lakes area.

This small village is a pretty retreat no matter what time of year you visit. Evergreens are interspersed with maple trees that turn a gorgeous amber in the autumn months, and in the winter, layers of snow add a magical quality to this tranquil village. It is a popular destination and often busy, but even so, the peacefulness of the area persists.The gift shop is seemingly as large as the village itself and sells a wide variety of gifts and souvenirs, as well as snacks. Much of what is on offer is adorned with Mt. Fuji motifs; you’ll also find trinkets on sale celebrating the eight ponds.

The origin of this striking temple is the stuff of legend. The story goes that all the way back in 628, two fisherman brothers pulled a statue of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, from the Sumidagawa River. Although they tried to return it to the river, it always came back to them. They built Sensoji to house this sacred statue and to honor Kannon, completing it in 645.For centuries, a constant flow of visitors has come to pay their respects and pray in the temple’s main hall. Around the central building, you can also see the Goju-no-To five-tiered pagoda, several smaller halls, and charming little gardens, one of which houses Tokyo’s oldest stone bridge and wooden structure. To the right of the main hall, you will find Asakusa Shrine, where the three men who founded Sensoji are enshrined.