Destination
Type of Activity
Editors Pick
Photo by Masaya YoshimuraRead More21_21 Design Sight
The sleek, Tadao Ando-designed 21_21 Design Sight hosts exhibitions that always have an interactive component and often feel like they've come from the near future.
Read MoreArashiyama Area
The gateway to Kyoto’s lush western hills, famous for forested mountains and bamboo grooves, this area is 20-minutes by car from the city center and worthy of a day trip. It can be packed with tourists from all over Japan,...
Read MoreASIMO the Robot
For an offbeat, only-in-Japan experience, stop by the Honda Center during one of its scheduled shows that introduce ASIMO, the world’s most advanced humanoid robot that can walk, run and perform simple human tasks. Besides the marvel of the technology,...
Read MoreDaitoku-ji Temple
This extensive temple complex houses twenty-four sub-temples, eight of which are open to the public. If you are interested in Zen culture, this is a place to visit. Ryosen-in holds early morning zazen (Zen meditation sittings). Also, don’t miss the...
Read MoreDay Trip: Mount Fuji
On a clear day, its snowcapped peak, as iconically Japanese as a sumo wrestler or a kimono-wearing woman, can be glimpsed from the top floors of the major hotels. The highest peak in Japan, at 12,288 feet, Mount Fuji is...
Read MoreEdo Tokyo Museum
The Edo Tokyo Museum offers a great overview of the city’s history and is designed to allow the visitor to walk through the past. Each area represents a separate era, from the first shogun, in 1590, to the Great Kanto...
Read MoreFushimi-Inari-Hike
Active types will enjoy this hike, which starts at Inari Station and leads up Inari-san (765 feet). You will have a great view over southern Kyoto and can visit Tofuku-Ji Temple on the way back down to Tofuku-ji Station (where...
Read MoreFushimi-Inari-Taisha
This shrine was dedicated to the gods of rice and sake. It’s a popular sight and the complex consists of five shrines spread out across the wooden slopes of Inari-san mountain. The path meanders 2 ½ miles up the mountain...
Read MoreGion District
Kyoto's most charming central neighborhood is filled with tiny wooden townhouses (machiyass), which line the ancient streets and have glowing paper lanterns hanging beside their front doors. If you’re lucky you will catch a glimpse of the beautiful, elaborately dressed...
Golden Pavilion, KyotoRead MoreGolden Pavilion (Rokuon-ji Temple)
One of the most iconic monuments in Kyoto, the Golden Pavilion was originally built in 1397 and its sides are covered with gold leaf. Getting a photo in front of the dazzling building is a Kyoto rite of passage (crowds...
Read MoreIndagare Tours: Day Trip Kamakura
Spend the day sightseeing in the ancient seaside town of Kamakura, a 60-minute drive south of Tokyo. Kamakura’s iconic image is of its giant Buddha, housed within Kitokuin Temple. From there, go on hiking trails dotted with small places of worship, including...
Read MoreIndagare Tours: In-Home Cooking Class
Spend a half-day with a Japanese local who will welcome you into his or her home. Once there, learn to cook traditional and more modern Japanese dishes, like cabbage with miso dressing, spicy burdock root salad, Japanese omelet, red miso...
Read MoreIndagare Tours: In-Home Cooking Class
Spend a half-day with a Japanese local who will welcome you into his or her home. Once there, learn to cook traditional and more modern Japanese dishes, like cabbage with miso dressing, spicy burdock root salad, Japanese omelet, red miso...
Read MoreIndagare Tours: New Tokyo tour
From Harajuku’s bright and bold fashion statements to Akihabara’s blinding array of electronics shops and Roppongi’s pachinko parlors and karaoke joints, “New Tokyo” provides a multi-sensorial feast. Explore contemporary art museums, galleries and department stores (tip: some of the best...
Read MoreIndagare Tours: Nightlife/Dining
Explore Tokyo’s izakayas, sake bars and jazz clubs with a noted food writer and guide. Go beyond Michelin-starred restaurants to experience how locals eat and drink, especially in the after-hours. Indagare’s food expert will take you through back alleys, far...
Read MoreIndagare Tours: Old Tokyo
It’s easy to forget that this bustling metropolis is steeped in ancient tradition. For a glimpse of Old Tokyo, go on a guided tour of the Imperial Palace, Tsujiki fish market and Meiji Shrine. For a more immersive experience, participate...
Read MoreIndagare Tours: Origami Class
Learn the intricate art of paper folding with Japan’s top origami artist. Private classes and demonstrations can be arranged in his work studio. Contact Indagare's Bookings Team for details.
Read MoreIndagare Tours: Style Tokyo
Shopping in Tokyo can range from the mundane (think Muji’s array of “brandless products”) to the sublime (Goth schoolgirl outfit, anyone?). A city of countless subcultures, Tokyo’s shopping scene can be difficult to navigate on your own. Indagare can arrange...
Read MoreIndagare Tours: Sumo Wrestling
If you are traveling to Japan during sumo season (dates vary), don’t miss seeing a match or a training session. This ancient sport is fascinating to watch, whether as a spectator at a tournament or at a sumo stable where...
Read MoreKappabashi
A short walk from Asakusa, Kappabashi is the kitchen-ware district of Tokyo and a great shopping neighborhood for cooks. It’s where the city’s chefs shop, so there are great deals on ceramic plates and bowls, copper pots and pans, cutlery...
Read MoreKoke-Dera (Saiho-ji Temple)
To get permission to enter this famous moss garden (koke-dera), you have to make a reservation several weeks in advance, making it somewhat challenging for visitors. But for anyone interested in Zen practice, it’s worth the extra effort. If you...
Read MoreKyoto Imperial Palace
The palace complex is enclosed by a long wall and consists of several gates, halls and gardens. It can be visited only on guided tours held by the Imperial Household Agency. You need to apply for permission in advance with...
Read MoreMeiji Shrine
As at other shrines and temples in Tokyo, it is the tranquillity and orderliness here that captivate. Glorious woodland, said to comprise 120,000 trees, surrounds Meiji Shrine, which itself has exquisite gardens. The original 1920 shrine was destroyed by bombing...
Read MoreMori Art Museum
When Roppongi Hills, a sprawling property development opened in 2003, it received a lot of attention for its ambitious assembly of hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and high-end shops. Art aficionados, however, were drawn to a serious little museum at the heart...
Read MoreNanzenji Temple
This temple was originally a retirement home for Emperor Kameyama (in 1264) but was later dedicated as a Zen temple. The present building dates from the 17th century. Nanzenji is now the headquarter of the Rinzai school and has been...
Read MoreNational Art Center
The National Art Center has exhibition spaces the size of aircraft hangers and a reputation for bringing in cutting edge art. With no permanent collection, the quality of the museum depends on the traveling exhibitions, but Tokyo has good taste.
Read MoreNezu Museum
The Nezu Museum, found in a leafy corner of central Tokyo, was once the Nezu family’s home. Today, the site is occupied by a masterpiece of modern architecture and a classic Japanese garden. The museum showcases the family’s priceless collection...
Read MoreNijo Castle
Within the confines of this ancient and vast castle are lovely gardens and the Ninomaru Palace. The most beautiful things inside are the superb wall paintings of tigers, eagles, pine trees, white Japanese apricots and the wonderful “nightingale” floors. They...
Read MoreNishiki Market
A must-visit in Kyoto, Nishiki Market is a narrow, five-block-long shopping street lined by more than 100 shops and restaurants. Known as “Kyoto's Kitchen,” this lively retail market specializes in all things culinary, including fresh seafood, produce, knives and cookware,...
Read MoreNomura Museum
On your way to Nanzenji Temple, stop at the small but wonderful Nomura Museum, which was founded by business magnate Nomura Tokushichi, himself a great artist. This museum is only open in spring and fall. It features a very interesting...
Read MoreOdawara Art Foundation
The Odawara Art Foundation was established in 2009 by the contemporary artist Hiroshi Sugimoto in order to foster the advancement of Japanese culture while adopting an international perspective. The foundation produces and promotes theatrical performances, from classical theater arts to...
Read MorePhilospher’s Walk (Tetsugaku No Michi)
You can easily bike to this famous path in eastern Kyoto where a rustic path runs about 1.5 km (1 mile) along the Lake Biwa Canal from Ginkaku-ji Temple to Nyakuo-ji Shrine. It was a favorite route of philosopher Nishida...
Read MoreRyoan-ji Temple
On the outskirts of Kyoto (take a taxi to get here), the Zen temple of Ryoanji was founded in 1450. Originally the site of a villa, nestled among the forested slopes of the mountains, it was converted into a Zen...
Read MoreSakura
One of the busiest times in Kyoto is sakura, when the city explodes with cherry blossoms (and visitors). The timing changes every year depending on the temperature, but the cherry blossoms usually bloom in March or April. The Japanese language...
Read MoreSanjusangen-do
This holy building was founded in 1164 and is 390 feet long. Inside are 1,001 Buddhas (the largest is in the center), and a visit is impressive and quite moving. It’s just down the road from the Hyatt Regency and...
Photo by Nobutada OmoteRead MoreSCAI the Bathhouse
Located in the YaNeSen neighborhood, SCAI the Bathhouse is a former Japanese bathhouse that is now one of the best contemporary art galleries in the country.
Read MoreSensoji Temple
Built by two brothers to honor Kannon, the goddess of mercy, Sensoji is one of Tokyo’s most famous and popular temples. The ancient Buddhist structure was completed in 645, making it Tokyo’s oldest. Destroyed by bombings during the war, the...
Read MoreShopping Omotesando and Harajuku
Nothing beats the combination of wacky Japanese fashion and excellent shopping in the Omotesando and Harajuku neighborhoods, and exploring these areas give you a glimpse of what makes Tokyo’s youth culture tick.
Read MoreShugaku-in Imperial Villa
This village was built by Emperor Gomizuno-o in 1629 as a retirement retreat. Come here to see its three beautiful gardens and tea houses.
Read MoreShunka-en BONSAI Museum
Located 20 minutes by car from downtown Tokyo, Shunka-en BONSAI Museum feels a world away from the hustle and bustle of the Japanese capital. A serene oasis, the museum is also a bonsai workshop and garden, where you can view...
Courtesy MORI Digital Art MuseumRead MoreteamLab Borderless Tokyo
Tokyo's 107,000-square-foot teamLab Borderless museum has 50 interactive digital installations, including the highly Instagrammable Forest of Resonating Lamps, which features hundreds of light bulbs that change color as you approach them. The location is a bit out of they way, but...
Read MoreTenryu-ji (Heavenly Tiger) Temple
The main attraction at this temple is the 14th-century Zen garden. The temple is a popular place to sample Zen vegetarian cuisine (shojin ryori), which has its origins in Buddhist asceticism: great attention is given to the presentation and tofu...
Read MoreTo-ji Temple
About a fifteen-minute walk south from Kyoto station, this temple has a five-story pagoda, which has burned down several times since the temple was erected in 794. The current one, however, dates to 1643 and at 57 meters (187 feet)...
Read MoreTofuku-Ji Temple
This temple was intended to compete with Nara’s Todai-ji and Kofuku-ji (hence the name.) It is considered one of Kyoto’s main Zen temples. The huge San-mon gate is the oldest Zen main gate in Japan. The present complex includes twenty-four...
Read MoreTokyo National Museum
There’s no better place to see Japanese art than at the Tokyo National Art Museum. The largest and oldest museum in Japan, it houses an incredible collection of antique kimonos, samurai weapons, scrolls, screens, ceramics and more. Be warned, however,...
