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The field guide to Japan's hidden details

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所128 places国2140 nationwide何272 things話7 stories正fact-checked

必見Must-see places in Japan

Fushimi Inari Taisha稲荷Must-seeFushimi Inari TaishaFushimi Inari-taisha (Japanese: 伏見稲荷大社) is the head shrine of the kami Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain, also named…Shrine · Kyoto · 5 hidden detailsSensō-ji (Asakusa)寺Must-seeSensō-ji (Asakusa)Temple · TokyoKiyomizu-dera寺Must-see世界遺産Kiyomizu-deraTemple · KyotoItsukushima Shrine (Miyajima)厳島Must-see世界遺産Itsukushima Shrine (Miyajima)Shrine · Hiroshima & Miyajima · 3 hidden detailsTōdai-ji寺Must-see世界遺産Tōdai-jiTemple · NaraKinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)寺Must-see世界遺産Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)Temple · KyotoChūreitō Pagoda (Arakurayama Sengen Park)跡Must-seeChūreitō Pagoda (Arakurayama Sengen Park)Historic site · Mt Fuji & HakoneNikkō Tōshō-gū日光Must-see世界遺産Nikkō Tōshō-gūShrine · Nikkō · 3 hidden detailsHimeji Castle城Must-see世界遺産Himeji CastleCastle · Himeji

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旅Top-rated tours across Japan

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何What is this?

The things you'll see at almost every shrine and temple — and what they mean.

Torii gateTorii gate鳥居Komainu (guardian lion-dogs)Komainu狛犬Inari foxesInari foxes稲荷の狐Shimenawa (sacred rope)Shimenawa注連縄Sacred tree (shinboku)Sacred tree御神木Temizuya (purification fountain)Temizuya手水舎KimonoKimono和服Geisha (geiko)Geisha芸妓SumoSumo相撲Onsen (hot springs)Onsen温泉DarumaDarumaだるまPagoda (gojū-no-tō)Pagoda五重塔

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国Nationwide guide

Expert English explanations for 2140 places across Japan, from the Japan Tourism Agency.

Hokkaidō & Tōhoku

Hokkaido 49Aomori 15Iwate 34Miyagi 28Akita 14Yamagata 27Fukushima 20

Kantō

Tochigi 56Gunma 10Saitama 36Chiba 18Tokyo 40Kanagawa 32

Chūbu

Niigata 36Toyama 23Ishikawa 38Fukui 41Yamanashi 37Nagano 66Gifu 63Shizuoka 26Aichi 55

Kansai

Mie 38Shiga 68Kyoto 275Osaka 49Hyogo 86Nara 165Wakayama 52

Chūgoku & Shikoku

Tottori 19Shimane 51Okayama 7Hiroshima 100Yamaguchi 29Tokushima 8Kagawa 36Kochi 3

Kyūshū & Okinawa

Fukuoka 66Saga 15Nagasaki 62Kumamoto 77Oita 44Miyazaki 65Kagoshima 29Okinawa 32

字Read the signs: 6 kanji

Spot these on maps and signs and you'll always know where you are.

鳥居toriiShrine gate
神社jinjaShinto shrine
寺tera / -jiBuddhist temple
参道sandōThe approach path
御守omamoriProtective amulet
本殿hondenMain hall of a shrine

静Quiet moments

Gardens, moss and koi — the slow side of Japan most itineraries rush past.

話Stories

The sleeping cat carving at Nikkō Tōshō-gū, a white cat curled among peonies日光The Sleeping Cat of Nikkō: What Is It Really Guarding?Find the famous sleeping cat carving at Nikkō Tōshō-gū, see the sparrows hidden behind it, and learn what the carving is said to mean.5 min readA tunnel of vermilion torii gates with black inscriptions at Fushimi Inari Taisha稲荷Why Do Inari Foxes Hold Keys? And Who Paid for 10,000 Torii?6 min readThe great torii of Itsukushima Shrine standing in the sea at sunset厳島The Great Torii of Miyajima Isn't Buried — So How Does It Stand?5 min readMoss-covered stone lanterns and a deer at Kasuga Taisha in Nara春日3,000 Lanterns and Sacred Deer: Kasuga Taisha Explained5 min readAerial view of the keyhole-shaped Daisen Kofun surrounded by moats in Sakai, Osaka古墳Keyhole Tombs: What Are Japan's Kofun — and Who Rests Inside?6 min read

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正

Fact-checked, with legends marked

Every fact comes from official sites, the Japan Tourism Agency and university sources. Legends carry the 伝 mark so you always know which is which.

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