Regions of Japan
Regional cultural assets
An archipelago of contrasts
The wild heart of Japan
Hokkaido continues to represent the untamed wilderness with many great national parks.
For many visitors the scenery resembles northern Europe, with rice paddies and concrete warrens typical of the rest of Japan replaced by rolling fields and faux-German cottages.
The natural paradise
Traditionally a poor rural backwater with a harsh climate, today’s Tohoku offers the traveller some of the best scenery in Japan.
In winter, the Snow Country (Yukiguni) of the western Japan Sea coast racks up some of the highest snowfall figures in the world, which also means great skiing and lots of onsen to warm up in.
The vast plain
The Kanto region of Japan, on the eastern side of the main island Honshu, is a broad plain dominated by and nearly synonymous with the megalopolis of Tokyo and its suburbs.
Anchored by Tokyo, the Kanto region also has rustic mountain getaways and gorgeous subtropical islands.
For True Adventure
Japan spiritual culture
The Underrated Japan
Chugoku is the westernmost part of the main Japanese island Honshu. Aside from Hiroshima, most of Chugoku is probably well off the beaten track for a brief visit to Japan; but if time permits, you’ll find a region full of memorable sights and experiences, and a side of Japan that’s completely unlike the better-known destinations in Kansai and Kanto.
The Unknown Island
Shikoku is an oft-forgotten island in Japan. The smallest of Japan’s Big Four, it lies to the south of Honshu.
Surrounded by the tranquil Seto Inland Sea and the dynamic Pacific Ocean, Shikoku has everything a traveler could wish for
Tropical Japan
Kyushu is the southernmost of the four main islands of Japan. The climate is slightly warmer and more tropical than Honshu, and the southern and eastern coasts are regularly battered by typhoons each year.