The arts and architecture of Japan are one-of-a-kind. Japan boasts a number of fascinating museums, cutting-edge buildings and railways, and highly-acclaimed landscape gardens.
While you travel in Japan, make some time to marvel at some of the most impressive buildings and landmarks in the world. Especially in Tokyo, where you have iconic Tokyo Tower - immortalized in the Godzilla films, and Tokyo Skytree - one of the tallest towers in the world. And buildings aren't the only wonders Japan has produced. The Seikan Undersea Tunnel - the longest underwater tunnel in the world, links the main island of Honshu with Hokkaido. Taking a bullet train through the tunnel also allows you to experience the world-famous Shinkansen.
For museums, Japan has galleries and exhibition halls presenting displays on a variety of cultural treasures. The Miho Museum, designed by I.M. Pei, was named one of the "1000 Places to See Before you Die" by Michi Travel Japan, and exhibits artifacts of many ancient cultures. Hakone Open Air Museum boasts a large Picasso gallery, and has a number of sculptures designed to complement the surrounding landscape. Tokyo's Ghibli Museum displays the beloved animations of Hayao Miyazaki, and the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum honors the delicate art of bonsai gardening. Speaking of gardens, Japan is famed for landscape gardens, and one of the greatest is Kenrokuen, designed around the six "sublimities" of Chinese landscape design. There many other gardens of varying kinds to be admired all across Japan. Then there is Naoshima Art Island, where museums and art houses designed by acclaimed architect Tadao Ando await your discovery. Unique museum construction combines with artwork exhibitions from artists the world over to make Japan's most memorable art and architecture experience! Inquire about AJT's Art and Architecture Tours.

The history of Japan is ancient, stretching back thousands of years, and long periods of isolation from the West have led to one of the most well-defined, unique cultural identities the world has ever seen. There are so many historical buildings across Japan that visiting them all would take a lifetime, and our tours stop those you definitely shouldn't miss. Ise Grand Shrine is one of the most important - the shrine of the sun-goddess Amaterasu, and the enduring Izumo Grand Shrine is considered to be Japan's oldest Shrine. Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Shrine offers visitors a long walking path under thousands of vermillion "torii" gates, as seen in "Memoirs of a Geisha". Kyoto also has hundreds of Buddhist temples, and many temples across Japan should not be missed. Kiyomizu Temple and Kinkakuji "Golden Pavilion" are two of Kyoto's most celebrated, while Tokyo has Asakusa Sensoji - home to the Kaminarimon "Thunder Gate". And Nara features Todaiji Temple, whose grounds are overrun with cute Sika deer. Japan has a few castles left standing from the feudal era, and Matsumoto "Black Crow" Castle, with it's pitch black exterior, is one of the most imposing. Hikone Castle is a must-see for its cultural treasures - preserved buildings from the Edo era when it was a major link between Kyoto and Tokyo.
While you are exploring the historical sights, immerse yourself in ancient Japan with a visit to such places as the Koka Ninja Musuem, with secret rooms and hidden traps from when it was a ninja residence, and demonstrations in ninja training techniques. Those interested in Geisha shouldn't miss Gion Geisha District in Kyoto, which invites visitors to step back in time while wandering among old teahouses to glimpse a Geisha walking down the cobbled street.
Other historical sites include Gunkanjima Island - a former oil refinery and labor camp from World War 2, and Mikimoto Pearl Island: a pearl cultivation center featuring demonstrations from the female "Ama" pearl divers. Please inquire about AJT's History and Culture Tours.

Japan has incredible landscape and nature scenes to delight any visitor, with absolutely incredible mountain ranges, beautiful waterfalls and rivers, peaceful forests of many kinds, and many other must-see natural wonders. The number one natural landmark that should be on any traveler's bucket list has to be Mount Fuji. The tallest mountain in Japan attracts visitors and climbers from all over the world to marvel at it's beauty and hike up its shapely slopes. To only catch a brief view of Mount Fuji is an unforgettable moment, and Hakone one of the top regions where travelers can see a good view of the mountain's snow-capped cone. Hakone also has other charms, including the a ride on the Hakone Ropeway to the boiling pools of Owakudani, and a cruise on a pirate ship around lovely Lake Ashi.
Hokkaido is a land full of scenic beauty, and nowhere is the wild wonder of the northern island more abundant than on the southern Shiretoko Peninsula. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is lush with native splendor and full of wildlife - including Ezo foxes, black bears, and deer. Enjoy a cruise off the coastline to enjoy sighting some of Shiretoko's stunning waterfalls and a great variety of sea birds, especially the magnificent sea eagles.
One of the most famous animals of Japan is the Japanese macaque, and a nature-loving traveler shouldn't miss the chance to view these creatures in their natural habitat. Mount Takasaki, near Beppu, is home to hundreds of macaques. These mischievous brown monkeys wander freely through Mt. Takasaki Monkey Park, and visitors can come to watch them interact with and groom each other. Japan is home to many other unique animals as well, so please inquire about AJT's Sightseeing and Nature Tours.

Only one thing is better for a traveler than seeing a country's local cultural traditions, and that is having the rare opportunity to live it for yourself. When given a chance to step into the world of traditional Japan, it is definitely something that no traveler should miss! And we take pride in finding for our guests those uniquely Japanese cultural experiences that they will remember for a lifetime.
Any list of famous Japanese foods should begin with sushi, and most travelers only try it when they come to Tokyo. Take a cooking class with a professional sushi chef, and learn how to prepare Japanese sushi in an authentic way. For foodies interested in Japan, a stop in Kobe for delectable, tender wagyu beef is a must. Try Kyoto's local kaiseki cuisine to get a real taste of the old imperial capital, with entertainment by a maiko (an apprentice geisha) for additional cultural immersion.
Japan offers demonstrations and lessons in many of it's native traditional disciplines, and green tea ceremony is one of the most popular. The Way of Tea is an artform in Japan, and an elaborate ceremony developed among the old Japanese aristocracy, studied today and shared by old tea masters and geisha alike. Those interested in kanji should definitely plan a calligraphy lesson, where you can learn Japanese writing as an art. Another time-honored tradition is ikebana - the art of flower-arranging. The Japanese learned how to say and express so much using only a simple composition of flowers, and masters are available for a demonstration lesson in this unique art. Zen Buddhism was very popular in Japan in the Edo period, and some monks and teachers offer visitors training in zazen, or Zen meditation. Other chances for cultural immersion include trying on a traditional kimono, and learning to play the large Taiko drums!
Those with the itch to hike the Japanese countryside should consider one of Japan's pilgrimage trails. One of the most famous is undoubtedly the Shikoku Pilgrimage Trail, which stops at 88 temples in the breathtaking Shikoku region. Please inquire about AJT's Cultural Experiences Tours!

After stopping at Japan's must-see locations and most popular sites, take some time to step out of the cities and look for that hidden experience off the beaten path that only a few travelers find. Stepping out into Japan's rural countryside, amid mountains, forests, small villages, and leagues of rice paddies, you find the true heart of Japan.
One gem that has recently gained prominence is the sleepy mountain village of Shirakawago, nestled in a valley high in the Japanese Alps. This village became recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for the long preservation of its unique "gassho-zukuri" farmhouses. Shirakawago has opened some of its old houses for tourists to explore, and don't miss the Shiroyama Viewpoint for a pretty view of the town.
Step south into Wakayama prefecture to the town of Kumano, the center of one of Japan's most unforgettable hiking trails - the Kumano Kodo. This series of trails take hikers to a trio of picturesque temples known as the Kumano Sanzan. The trail is not for the easy walker - the mountainous terrain rises and dips in slopes of varying degrees. But the reward is a captivating landscape that few travelers have seen.
One of the Kumano Kodo's starting points is Koyasan, a mountain temple complex sacred to the Shingon sect of Buddhism as the resting place of their founder - Kobo Daishi. These high temples are largely untouristed, and offer travelers who reserve in advance the opportunity to stay overnight in a temple and partake of shojin ryori, or monk's food.
Hidden up in northern Miyazaki prefecture is the small village of Takachiho, a region thoroughly steeped in Japanese mythology. Travelers journey out to the village to see the shrine of Amano Iwato. Nearby is a cave that is particularly sacred to the Shinto religion as the former hiding place of Amaterasu, the Shinto sun goddess. The legend that tells of when she fled her brother to hide in the cave, and how she was lured out by the other gods is retold at the shrine in a nightly dance called Yokagura. Please inquire about AJT's Rural Landscapes and Hidden Gems Tours!