Blending ancient traditions with ultra-modern lifestyles, this populous metropolitan area has stunning natural scenery, relaxing hot springs and fun theme parks.
From Japan’s enthralling capital city to Buddhist temples, Disney resorts and Mount Fuji, Shutoken (Capital Region) is a traveler’s dream. Shutoken includes the Kanto region and part of neighboring Chubu. Visit Shutoken to discover advanced urban living alongside centuries-old customs. The natural landscape has beaches, lakes, mountains and valleys.
Tokyo is a megacity split into neighborhoods that evoke memories of a feudal past and dreams of the future. Explore neon-lit shopping and entertainment zones such as Akihabara, Ginza, Odaiba and Shibuya Crossing. Enjoy panoramas of the skyline from Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree. Sample sushi in the alley restaurants around the former Tsukiji Fish Market and witness Buddhist devotion at Sensoji Temple.
Head to the coastal Chiba prefecture to tour old villages and be spellbound by temples. Visit the Tokyo Disneyland® and Tokyo DisneySea® amusement parks. Experience more Buddhist worship at Narita’s 10th-century Shinshoji Temple and hike trails up Mount Nokogori. Watersport enthusiasts flock to Kujukuri Beach.
Saitama attracts visitors with Edo-era Kawagoe castle town and Kazo City’s udon noodle bars. Go rafting on the Arakawa River and walk between temples on the Chichibu Kannon Pilgrimage. Nestled between mountains and the Pacific, Ibaraki houses Japan’s space agency at Tsukuba Science City. Admire colorful flowers in Hitachi Seaside Park and the enormous Ushiku Daibutsu Buddha statue.
Appreciate rural Japan in Tochigi, where Nikko is home to wondrous UNESCO-listed temples such as Nikkō Tōshō-gū. Dine at gyoza dumpling shops in Utsunomiya. Gunma offers hiking and skiing in Minakami and relaxation at the Kusatsu and Ikaho hot springs.
Yokohama, the capital of Kanagawa prefecture, has a sleek skyline, bustling Chinatown and the peaceful Sankeien Garden. Look up at Japan’s tallest peak, Mount Fuji, from the onsens of Hakone. Yamanashi is a gateway for hikes to the snow-capped summit. Try fishing and watersports while staying at the resort towns of Fuji Five Lakes.
Shutoken is a central-eastern region of Japan’s Honshu island. Travel here via Tokyo International Airport, Narita International Airport or the reliable high-speed railway system.
