Sensō-ji in Asakusa is Tokyo's oldest temple, founded according to legend in 628 after two fishermen found a statue of Kannon in the Sumida River. Visitors enter through the Kaminarimon, the Thunder Gate, with its huge red lantern. The Nakamise shopping street leads to the main hall and a five-storey pagoda. Incense smoke from the large burner is believed to bring good health.

Ueno Park was opened in 1873 as one of Japan's first public parks. It holds many of Tokyo's major museums, Ueno Zoo and several temples and shrines, including Tōshō-gū. Shinobazu Pond, covered with lotus in summer, lies at its southern edge. More than a thousand cherry trees line its paths, drawing large crowds in spring.

The Tokyo Skytree is a broadcasting tower in Sumida, completed in 2012. At 634 metres it is the tallest tower in the world and the tallest structure in Japan. Its design draws on traditional Japanese forms, including the curve of swords and the structure of five-storey pagodas. Two observation decks at 350 and 450 metres give views that can reach Mount Fuji on clear days.

Meiji Jingu is a Shinto shrine in Shibuya dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken. It was completed in 1920 and rebuilt after the Second World War. The shrine stands in a forest of about 100,000 trees donated from all over Japan. Huge wooden torii gates mark the paths. It is the busiest shrine in Japan at New Year, and traditional weddings are often seen here.

Takeshita Street is a narrow pedestrian street in Harajuku, opposite Harajuku Station. It is the centre of Tokyo's youth fashion, with small shops selling colourful clothes, accessories and cosplay items. It is also famous for crepes, rainbow candy floss and other sweets. On weekends it is packed with young people and visitors.

Shibuya Crossing outside Shibuya Station is often called the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. When the lights turn red for cars, people pour across from all directions at once, up to around 3,000 at a time. Giant video screens and neon signs surround it. Nearby stands the statue of Hachikō, the loyal dog who waited for his owner at the station for years.

Shinjuku Gyoen is a large park in Shinjuku and Shibuya, once the estate of a feudal lord and later an imperial garden. It opened to the public in 1949. It combines a Japanese traditional garden with ponds and tea houses, a formal French garden and an English landscape garden. It is one of the most popular places in Tokyo for cherry blossom viewing.

The Tokyo Imperial Palace is the residence of the Emperor of Japan, built on the site of Edo Castle, the seat of the Tokugawa shoguns. It is surrounded by moats and massive stone walls. Most of the grounds are closed, but visitors can see the Nijubashi bridges from the plaza and walk in the East Gardens, where the old castle keep foundations remain.

Tokyo Station is the main railway terminal of Tokyo, opened in 1914. Its red brick Marunouchi building, designed by Tatsuno Kingo, was damaged in 1945 and restored to its original design with two domes in 2012. Shinkansen trains depart from here to much of Japan. A large underground shopping area and the Imperial Palace lie nearby.

The Tsukiji Outer Market is a lively area of narrow lanes in central Tokyo, next to the site of the former Tsukiji fish market, which moved to Toyosu in 2018. Hundreds of small shops and stalls sell fresh seafood, knives, kitchen tools and snacks. Many people come for sushi breakfasts, grilled scallops and tamagoyaki omelettes.

Ginza is Tokyo's most famous upscale shopping district. Its main streets are lined with department stores, luxury brand flagships, galleries and restaurants. The Wako building with its clock tower at the Ginza 4-chome crossing has been a landmark since 1932. On weekend afternoons the main street, Chūō-dōri, is closed to cars.

The Chūreitō Pagoda is a five-storey pagoda on a hillside above Fujiyoshida, part of the Arakurayama Sengen Shrine. It was built in 1963 as a peace memorial. A climb of about 400 steps leads to a viewpoint where the red pagoda, the town and Mount Fuji appear together. In spring cherry blossoms frame the view, making it one of the most famous images of Japan.

Lake Kawaguchi is one of the Fuji Five Lakes at the northern foot of Mount Fuji. It is the most visited of the lakes, with hotels, onsen and museums along its shore. Its northern shore gives famous reflections of Mount Fuji on calm days. Cherry blossoms in spring and red maple leaves in autumn draw many photographers.

Oshino Hakkai is a set of eight spring-fed ponds in the village of Oshino, between Lakes Kawaguchi and Yamanaka. The water is snowmelt from Mount Fuji, filtered through volcanic rock for decades, and is very clear. Thatched-roof houses, a water mill and small shops surround the ponds, with Mount Fuji rising behind.

Ōwakudani is a volcanic valley in Hakone, created by an eruption of Mount Hakone around 3,000 years ago. Steam and sulphurous gas rise from vents among yellow rocks. Eggs boiled in the hot springs turn black and are said to add seven years to your life. A ropeway passes over the valley, with views of Mount Fuji.

Lake Ashi is a crater lake in Hakone, formed in the caldera of Mount Hakone about 3,000 years ago. Sightseeing boats, some shaped like pirate ships, cross the lake between Hakone-machi and Tōgendai. On clear days Mount Fuji appears over the lake. The red torii of Hakone Shrine stands in the water on its eastern shore.

Hakone Shrine stands in a cedar forest on the shore of Lake Ashi in Hakone. It is said to have been founded in 757 and was worshipped by samurai. Its best known sight is a large red torii gate standing in the water of the lake, a popular place for photos. Stone lanterns and steps lead up through tall trees to the main hall.

Kiyomizu-dera is a Buddhist temple on the hills of eastern Kyoto, founded in 778. Its main hall has a large wooden stage held up by tall pillars without nails, standing 13 metres above the hillside. The view over Kyoto is famous, especially in cherry blossom and autumn seasons. Below, the Otowa waterfall gives water believed to bring good fortune.

Yasaka Shrine stands at the east end of Shijō Avenue in Gion, Kyoto. Founded over 1,350 years ago, it is the shrine of the Gion Matsuri, one of the most famous festivals in Japan, held in July. Its main hall has hundreds of lanterns that are lit in the evening. Maruyama Park next to it is a popular cherry blossom spot.

Gion is Kyoto's most famous geisha district, around Shijō Avenue near Yasaka Shrine. Its streets, such as Hanamikoji, are lined with old wooden machiya houses, teahouses and restaurants. In the evening, geiko and maiko can sometimes be seen walking to appointments. The canal-side Shirakawa area, with willow trees and stone paths, is especially picturesque.

Sanjūsangen-dō is a Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto, famous for its hall about 120 metres long, the longest wooden building in Japan. Inside stand 1,001 gilded statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, in rows around a large seated Kannon. The present hall dates from 1266. An archery contest is held along its veranda every January.

Fushimi Inari-taisha is the head shrine of Inari, the Shinto god of rice and business, in southern Kyoto. It is famous for its thousands of bright orange torii gates, donated by businesses, which form tunnels along trails up Mount Inari. The full walk to the summit takes two to three hours. Stone foxes, the messengers of Inari, guard the shrine.

Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto. It was built as a retirement villa for the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in the 1390s and became a temple after his death. The top two floors are covered in gold leaf, and the pavilion is reflected in the Mirror Pond. A monk burned it in 1950, and it was rebuilt in 1955. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ryōan-ji is a Zen temple in northwest Kyoto, famous for its rock garden. The garden, created around 1500, has fifteen rocks set in raked white gravel, arranged so that one is always hidden from any point on the viewing platform. Its meaning is left to the viewer. The temple also has a large pond garden. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is a path through a dense forest of tall bamboo in western Kyoto. The stalks rise high on both sides, and the light filtering through and the sound of the leaves in the wind are its charm. The path leads to Tenryū-ji and the Ōkōchi Sansō villa. It is best visited early in the morning before the crowds.

Tenryū-ji is the head temple of the Rinzai Zen school in Arashiyama, founded in 1339 by the shogun Ashikaga Takauji. Its buildings have burned and been rebuilt many times. Its landscape garden, designed by the monk Musō Soseki, has a pond and rocks set against the mountains of Arashiyama. A gate leads directly to the bamboo grove. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Togetsukyō Bridge crosses the Katsura River in Arashiyama, western Kyoto. Its name means moon-crossing bridge, after an emperor who said the moon seemed to cross it. The wooden-looking bridge, rebuilt in 1934, is set against forested mountains. The area is especially popular during cherry blossom season and in autumn, and boats can be hired on the river.

Tōdai-ji in Nara was founded in the 8th century as the head of all provincial temples of Japan. Its Great Buddha Hall, the Daibutsuden, is one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. Inside sits a bronze statue of the Buddha about 15 metres high. Visitors try to squeeze through a hole in a pillar, said to be the size of the Buddha's nostril.

Nara Park is a large park in the centre of Nara, home to over a thousand freely roaming sika deer. In Shinto tradition the deer are messengers of the gods, and they are protected as a national natural treasure. Visitors buy special crackers to feed them, and some deer have learned to bow. The park contains Tōdai-ji, Kōfuku-ji and Kasuga Taisha.

Kasuga Taisha is a Shinto shrine in Nara, founded in 768 for the Fujiwara family. It is famous for its many lanterns: about 2,000 stone lanterns line the paths and about 1,000 bronze lanterns hang from the shrine buildings. All are lit twice a year during lantern festivals. The vermilion buildings stand in an ancient forest. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kōfuku-ji is a Buddhist temple in Nara, founded in 710 when Nara became the capital. It was the family temple of the powerful Fujiwara clan. Its five-storey pagoda, about 50 metres tall, rebuilt in 1426, is the second tallest wooden pagoda in Japan. The National Treasure Museum holds famous statues, including the three-faced Ashura.

Osaka Castle was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi from 1583 and was the largest castle of its time. It was destroyed and rebuilt several times. The present keep was rebuilt in concrete in 1931 and holds a museum on Hideyoshi's life. Its white walls and gold decorations rise above huge stone walls and moats, in a park that is popular in cherry blossom season.

Kuromon Market is a covered market in central Osaka, about 600 metres long, with around 150 shops. It began in the Edo period and is known as Osaka's kitchen. Stalls sell fresh seafood, wagyu beef, fruit and snacks. Many grill scallops, crab and tuna on the spot, and visitors eat as they walk through the market.

Dōtonbori is Osaka's most famous entertainment street, along the Dōtonbori canal in Namba. It is lined with restaurants and giant moving signs, including a huge crab and the running man of the Glico sign. It is a centre of Osaka food culture, with takoyaki, okonomiyaki and kushikatsu. The area glows with neon at night, and boats cruise the canal.