I’m often asked to recommend places to visit by J-List customers who are planning a trip to Japan. It’s a big topic, since there’s so much to see in Japan, but I’ll try to throw some ideas out. So if it’s useful to you, here’s my top ten recommended sights to see in Japan. 
My top ten list of places to visit in Japan.
- First, Tokyo. All the obvious stuff like Akihabara and Shinjuku are great to take in, just don’t fool yourself that Tokyo isn’t a massive concrete jungle. Try to hit Akiba on the Sunday after payday (the 25th of the month) to really feel its power.
- Nikko, a pleasant collection of temples dating back to 766 AD. You can see the grave of Tokugawa Ieyasu and also the “see no evil, hear no evil” monkeys. If you like miniatures, visit Tobu World Square nearby, which recreates the world’s grandest places in perfect detail.
- Kamakura, home of the second largest bronze Buddha statue in Japan. Be sure to ride the Enoden train, in operation since 1900.
- Mt. Fuji. Making the climb to the top is not difficult at all, and it will change your life forever. (I sang the Space Battleship Yamato theme at the top.) The climbing season is July and August.
- Moving to Kyoto, Kinkaku-ji is simply the most famous Buddhist temple in Japan. Built in 1397, it was burned down in 1955 by a mentally ill monk who thought the beautiful building didn’t match the austere tradition of Zen Buddhism.
- Ryoan-ji, the Zen Buddhist temple famous for its rock garden. You can lose yourself for hours here.
- Sanjuusan-gendou, or the Hall of 33 Bays, a collection of 1000 wooden statues of Buddhist “Kanon” (kind of like Buddhist saints who have been raised to deity status). It’s said you can find your own face among them if you look long enough.
- Fushima Inari, the temple in Kyoto where you walk through thousands of torii (Japanese arches), which simulates our passage through life.
- In between Kyoto and Nara is the down of Uji, famous for green tea as well as the Byodo-in temple, displayed on the back of Japan’s 10 yen coin. It’s one of the most peaceful places in the world.
- Finally in nearby Nara, Todai-ji is one of the most amazing places in all Japan. It’s the largest wooden building in the world, and it houses the largest statue of Buddha in Japan.
