Japan is made up of thousands of islands divided into 47 prefectures and 9 regions.
There are four main islands: Honshu is the largest and home to the nation’s capital, Hokkaido is to the north, Kyushu to the south and Shikoku the smallest of the four. Further south are the subtropical islands of Okinawa.
So far, I’ve travelled through { 38 } prefectures! Aside from my home prefecture, Tokyo, my favourites are Nagano (nature), Kyoto (traditional Japan), Okinawa (island life), and Nagasaki (Portuguese and Dutch influence). I would recommend all of these in a heartbeat!
Each region offers something different, whether it be snowy mountains, a desert, ancient rainforest, surf, historical shrines and temples, farmhouse villages or cityscapes. There’s so much to discover and so much to enjoy!
If you’re planning a trip and wanting to know what’s on offer in the different parts of the country, or are just generally interested in learning more about Japan, I hope you’ll find this page useful.
So, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride from the top to bottom of Japan.
☆ Kushiro Shitsugen National Park (red-crowned cranes)
☆ Iwate & Miyagi: Sanriku Coast
☆ Fukushima: Aizu-Wakamatsu & Surrounds
☆ Fukushima: Miharu Giant Cherry Tree
☆ Tochigi: Oku-Nikko
☆ Tochigi: Nikko in Autumn
☆ Tochigi: Nikko Shrines & Temples (coming soon!)
☆ Gunma: Fukiware Falls & Ikaho Onsen
☆ Gunma: Takaragawa Onsen
☆ Saitama: Kinchakuda Spider Lilies Park
☆ Saitama: Kawagoe Festival
☆ Saitama: Kumagaya & Kawagoe
☆ Ibaraki: Hitachi Seaside Park Spring and Autumn
☆ Chiba: Mt Nokogiri
☆ Kanagawa: South Takao
☆ Kanagawa: Sagamihara Carp Streamers
☆ Kanagawa: Le Petit Prince Museum
☆ Kanagawa: Miura Peninsula
☆ Kanagawa: Kamakura
☆ Kanagawa: Odawara Castle
For TOKYO: select “My Tokyo Guide” from the top menu.
☆ Niigata: Sado Island
☆ Niigata: Fuji Rock Music Festival
☆ Niigata: Tokamachi Snow Festival
☆ Toyama: Snow Wall & Tateyama Alpine Route
☆ Toyama: Kurobe Gorge
☆ Ishikawa: Kenrokuen Garden
☆ Nagano: Karuizawa Autumn and Summer
☆ Nagano: Kamikochi
☆ Nagano: Hakuba in Autumn
☆ Nagano: Jigokudani Snow Monkeys
☆ Nagano: Tsumago to Magome (Kiso Valley)
☆ Nagano: Matsumoto
☆ Yamanashi: Lake Kawaguchi in Autumn and Spring
☆ Yamanashi: Mt Matsuda
☆ Yamanashi: Lake Yamanaka Flower Garden
☆ Yamanashi: Foothills of Mt Fuji
☆ Yamanashi: Climbing Mt Fuji
☆ Shizuoka: Kawazu
☆ Shizuoka: Izu
☆ Gifu: Shirakawa-go in Autumn and Summer
☆ Gifu: Takayama
☆ Aichi: Nagoya Castle
☆ Kyoto: Gion Festival
☆ Nara: Deer Park
☆ Wakayama: Mt Koya (coming soon!)
☆ Hyogo: Himeji Castle
☆ Mie: Ise Grand Shrine
☆ Mie: Wedded Rocks
☆ Okayama: Kurashiki
☆ Tokushima: Iya Valley
☆ Nagasaki: Peace Park
☆ Nagasaki: City Highlights (coming soon!)
☆ Miyazaki & Kagoshima: Coast Trip
☆ Oita: Beppu (coming soon!)
☆ Ishigaki Island & Taketomi Island
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.
Celia in Tokyo 
Do a Hiroshima blog
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Looking forward to reading all of the active links prefecture by prefecture. Great format
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Looking forward to reading all of the active links prefecture by prefecture. Great format
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Thanks, Daniel! If you have any suggestions on places you think I should go, let me know! :)
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Love this map idea to connect blog post. Good blog!
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Thank you Jean!
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