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Where are Japan's Most Beautiful Places? Introducing Famous Spots and the Charm of Each Region!

Oct 17,2025 Update
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Japan is home to numerous beautiful landscapes that display different expressions throughout the four seasons. Among these, the "Japan's Three Views" have been beloved by people since ancient times as scenic spots representing Japan. Matsushima, Amanohashidate, and Miyajima, selected by Confucian scholar Hayashi Shunsai during the Edo period, continue to captivate domestic and international travelers today.

Furthermore, Japan is rich in famous places where history, culture, and nature harmonize, such as Mount Fuji, Kinkaku-ji, Shirakawa-go, and Takachiho Gorge. This article carefully introduces beautiful places you should definitely visit in Japan. Please use this as a reference when planning your trip to Japan.

Table of Contents

1. Japan's Most Beautiful Places "Japan's Three Views"

1-1. Matsushima (Miyagi)
1-2. Amanohashidate (Kyoto)
1-3. Miyajima (Hiroshima)

2. 8 Famous Beautiful Places to Visit in Japan

2-1. Mount Fuji (Shizuoka・Yamanashi)
2-2. Fushimi Inari Taisha (Kyoto)
2-3. Kinkaku-ji (Kyoto)
2-4. Shirakawa-go (Gifu)
2-5. Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (Kyoto)
2-6. Takachiho Gorge (Miyazaki)
2-7. Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (Toyama・Nagano)
2-8. Kenroku-en (Ishikawa)

Summary

1. Japan's Most Beautiful Places "Japan's Three Views"

(★Image: https://x.com/modelpress/status/1070603901424955392/photo/1)

Widely known as scenic spots representing Japan are the "Japan's Three Views". First introduced in the early Edo period by Confucian scholar Hayashi Shunsai in his work "Nihon Kokushi Kō," Matsushima (Miyagi), Amanohashidate (Kyoto), and Miyajima (Hiroshima) were selected. The Japan's Three Views can be said to be the three major landscapes symbolizing Japan, still visited by many travelers from both domestic and international locations today.

Here, we will explain each of the Japan's Three Views locations in detail.

1-1. Matsushima (Miyagi)

Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture features the magnificent scenery of Matsushima Bay and the Pacific Ocean, with approximately 260 small islands scattered throughout. To enjoy the scenery, the "Four Great Views," representative viewpoints of Matsushima, are recommended. From Otakamori, you can enjoy spectacular views of Matsushima Bay in all four directions; from Tomiyama, the quiet Reikan (beautiful view) spreads out in front; from Tamonzan, the rugged Ikan (magnificent view); and from Ōgidani, you can savor the mystical Yūkan (secluded view).

The area is also rich in seafood such as Matsushima oysters and conger eel, with good access about 40 minutes by train from Sendai Station, making it a tourist destination where you can enjoy diverse attractions.

1-2. Amanohashidate (Kyoto)

Amanohashidate, located in Miyazu Bay in northern Kyoto Prefecture, is a Special Place of Scenic Beauty featuring a sandbar approximately 3.6km long and 20-170m wide, covered with over 5,000 pine trees. Named for its appearance like a bridge spanning the heavens, it has been celebrated in songs and poems since ancient times.

There are various ways to enjoy sightseeing, including viewing the "Hiryūkan (Flying Dragon View)" from observation points, where the landscape appears like a dancing dragon. The surrounding area is rich with poem monuments and historical sites, and the scenery woven by history and nature continues to captivate visitors.

1-3. Miyajima (Hiroshima)

Miyajima in Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, has been revered as "the island of gods" since ancient times and is counted as one of Japan's Three Views. The main attraction is Itsukushima Shrine, registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the vermillion Great Torii standing in the sea, whose harmony with the deep blue sea and dense primeval forest creates picture-like beauty.

On the island, you can enjoy spectacular views of the Seto Inland Sea from the ropeway to Mount Misen, as well as the seasonal nature of Momijidani Park throughout the four seasons. With good access by ferry in about 10 minutes, it's a tourist destination where you can experience diverse attractions including historic townscapes and encounters with deer.

2. 8 Famous Beautiful Places to Visit in Japan

Besides Japan's Three Views, Japan has many other beautiful tourist destinations known worldwide. Their attractions vary, from spectacular scenery created by magnificent nature to temples, shrines, and gardens that evoke history and culture. Here, we carefully introduce classic spots recommended even for first-time visitors.

2-1. Mount Fuji (Shizuoka・Yamanashi)

Mount Fuji, at 3,776m elevation, is Japan's highest peak and has been revered as a "sacred mountain" since ancient times due to its beautiful symmetrical shape. Its magnificent form has been depicted in numerous artistic works including ukiyo-e prints and literature, continuing to captivate people. On clear days, it can be seen from Tokyo and Yokohama, and the spectacular view from the Tōkaidō Shinkansen window is also popular.

Furthermore, from surrounding spots like the Fuji Five Lakes and Hakone, you can enjoy Mount Fuji together with lake surfaces and hot spring towns. Mountain climbing is officially permitted in July and August, attracting many climbers from both domestic and international locations.

2-2. Fushimi Inari Taisha (Kyoto)

Fushimi Inari Taisha in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City, is the head shrine of approximately 30,000 Inari shrines nationwide, a venerable shrine said to have been founded in Wadō 4 (711). Widely revered as a deity of abundant harvests, business prosperity, and household safety, it attracts many worshippers from both domestic and international locations throughout the year.

The main attraction is the "Senbon Torii (Thousand Torii Gates)," where vermillion torii gates continue endlessly. The torii gates, dedicated with wishes that prayers will "pass through" or in gratitude, overlap to create a mystical corridor. Within the shrine grounds, you can also enjoy unique experiences such as fox statues representing messengers of Inari Ōkami and the "Omokaru-ishi (heavy-light stones)" used for divining wishes. This is a representative attraction of Kyoto where over 1,300 years of history and people's faith continue to live on.

2-3. Kinkaku-ji (Kyoto)

Kinkaku-ji in Kita Ward, Kyoto City, officially named Rokuon-ji, is a Zen temple originating from the mountain villa "Kitayama-dono" built by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate. The three-story Shariden (reliquary hall) "Kinkaku (Golden Pavilion)" covered in gold leaf is particularly famous, and its reflection in Kyōko-chi Pond is said to represent the Pure Land paradise in this world. The landscape integrated with the garden symbolizes "Kitayama Culture" and has had a significant influence on Japanese cultural history.

Its beautiful appearance, changing with the four seasons, is a must-see when visiting Kyoto.

2-4. Shirakawa-go (Gifu)

Shirakawa-go in Shirakawa Village, Ōno District, Gifu Prefecture, is a gassho-zukuri (steep-roof thatched) village that preserves Japan's original landscape, registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with Gokayama in 1995. The gabled thatched roofs are a unique architectural style adapted to heavy snow regions, creating mystical scenery together with the blanket of snow in winter.

The village is also praised for maintaining its landscape while continuing daily life under the principle of "don't sell, don't rent, don't demolish." Additionally, activities such as re-thatching roofs are carried out through the spirit of mutual support called "yui," where residents cooperate with each other, becoming a symbol of regional culture.

This is a precious place where you can experience Japan's way of life and the spirit of mutual assistance along with the scenery of the four seasons.

2-5. Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (Kyoto)

The "Bamboo Grove Path" in Arashiyama, Kyoto, is a famous spot popular with domestic and international tourists as a landscape representing Japan. Along the approximately 400-meter path from Nonomiya Shrine through the north gate of Tenryū-ji to Ōkōchi Sansō, well-maintained bamboo stands in rows covering the sky, leading walkers into a mystical world. It is particularly beautiful when morning or evening light filters through, and has been captured in many photographs and videos.

You can also feel the history of Arashiyama, which was a villa area for nobles during the Heian period, and it is beloved as a landscape symbolizing Kyoto where natural beauty and culture harmonize.

2-6. Takachiho Gorge (Miyazaki)

Takachiho Gorge in Takachiho Town in northern Miyazaki Prefecture is a gorge formed when lava that flowed from Mount Aso's eruption cooled and solidified. The representative landscape, "Manai Falls," is known as an impressive waterfall with a 17-meter drop. Walking paths are maintained along the gorge where you can enjoy the valley's beauty and nature throughout the four seasons, and the experience of viewing the falls up close from rental boats is also popular.

Furthermore, Takachiho is also famous as a place connected to Japanese mythology, where traditional culture such as the Amano-Iwato myth and Yokagura (night sacred dance) still lives on. Takachiho Gorge is a representative tourist spot of Kyushu where you can simultaneously experience rich nature and the world of mythology.

2-7. Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (Toyama・Nagano)

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, crossing the 3,000-meter-class Northern Alps, is one of the world's leading mountain sightseeing routes, spanning approximately 37km with a maximum elevation difference of 1,975m. From Tateyama Station in Toyama Prefecture to Ōgizawa Station in Nagano Prefecture, you can enjoy spectacular scenery while transferring between cable cars, buses, and ropeways.

In spring, you can walk between snow walls over 20 meters high at the "Snow Corridor," and from summer to autumn, you'll be overwhelmed by the sightseeing water release at Kurobe Dam. Furthermore, at Murodo Daira, you can enjoy encounters with alpine plants and ptarmigan, the clear blue volcanic lake Mikuriga-ike, and the natural beauty of the four seasons.

The landscape where magnificent nature and human technology merge provides visitors with a special experience that brings deep emotion.

2-8. Kenroku-en (Ishikawa)

Kenroku-en in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, is one of Japan's Three Great Gardens alongside Kairakuen in Mito and Kōrakuen in Okayama, a daimyo garden that Kaga domain lords spent many years creating during the Edo period. The vast grounds feature ponds, artificial hills, and tea houses skillfully arranged, known as a "stroll garden" where you enjoy the scenery while walking.

The charm lies in the scenery that changes expression with the four seasons - spring cherry blossoms, summer fresh greenery, autumn foliage, and winter yukitsuri (snow protection for trees) - allowing you to enjoy beauty throughout the year. Kenroku-en, where history and nature harmonize, is an iconic attraction of Japanese culture beloved by domestic and international travelers.

Summary

The numerous beautiful places including Japan's Three Views are symbols of Japanese culture born from the accumulation of nature and human activities. The islands of Matsushima, the sandbar of Amanohashidate, and Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima have all provided emotional experiences to people both domestically and internationally with their unique landscapes. Additionally, there are many landscapes reflecting different histories and local characteristics in each region, such as Mount Fuji, Shirakawa-go, and Kenroku-en.

Japan's famous places allow visitors to experience the magnificence of nature and the depth of tradition, providing emotional experiences that cannot be fully appreciated through photographs and videos alone.

※This article was created based on information as of August 2025

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