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.

Tsūtenkaku is a tower in the Shinsekai district of Osaka. The present tower, 103 metres high, was built in 1956, replacing an earlier tower from 1912. It is decorated with neon lights and has observation decks and a statue of Billiken, a god of good luck. The streets around it are known for retro shops and kushikatsu restaurants.

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.

Shitennō-ji in Osaka is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan, founded in 593 by Prince Shōtoku. Its buildings have been rebuilt many times, and the present ones follow the original layout, with the gate, pagoda, main hall and lecture hall in a straight line. A large flea market is held on the 21st and 22nd of each month.

Sumiyoshi Taisha in southern Osaka is the head shrine of the Sumiyoshi shrines, dedicated to the gods of the sea and sailors. It is one of the oldest shrines in Japan, said to date from the 3rd century. Its main halls show the Sumiyoshi-zukuri style, an ancient form of shrine architecture. The steep arched Sorihashi bridge is its best known feature.

The Umeda Sky Building in Osaka is a 173-metre skyscraper made of two towers joined at the top by the Floating Garden Observatory. Completed in 1993, it was designed by Hiroshi Hara. Escalators cross the open space between the towers. The open-air rooftop gives a 360-degree view of Osaka, especially popular at sunset.

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.

Hōryū-ji in Ikaruga, Nara, was founded in 607 by Prince Shōtoku. Its buildings include the oldest wooden buildings in the world, and its five-storey pagoda and main hall date from the late 7th century. The temple holds many treasures of early Japanese Buddhist art. In 1993 it became one of Japan's first UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Himeji Castle is the largest and most famous surviving original castle in Japan. Its present form was completed in 1609. It is called the White Heron Castle because of its brilliant white walls and roofs that look like a bird taking flight. Its complex system of gates and maze-like paths was designed for defence. It was one of Japan's first UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Kobe Port Tower is a 108-metre tower on the waterfront of Kobe, completed in 1963. Its red lattice structure is shaped like a hand drum, and it was renovated in 2024. It stands in Meriken Park, next to the Maritime Museum and a memorial of the 1995 earthquake. The harbour area is lit up at night with the mountains behind.

Arima Onsen in northern Kobe is one of the oldest hot spring towns in Japan, mentioned in records from the 8th century. It has two types of water: kinsen, golden water coloured by iron, and ginsen, clear silver water. Narrow lanes lead past ryokan inns, shrines and shops. Public bath houses are open to day visitors.