Shuri Castle

Japan's southernmost prefecture, with a distinct culture rooted in the history of the Ryukyu Kingdom. With its emerald seas, the World Heritage Shuri Castle ruins, unique cuisine and music, Okinawa draws visitors from home and abroad as a resort island offering charms different from mainland Japan.

The castle of the Ryukyu Kingdom in the Shuri district of Naha, Okinawa Prefecture. Constructed in the 15th century and serving as the kingdom's center for 450 years. Featured by its red-lacquered walls and distinctive Ryukyu architectural style. Registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000. Rebuilt after World War II, attracting approximately 2.5 million visitors annually, representing Okinawa's premier tourist site.

Japan's tallest free-standing mountain, revered since ancient times as a subject of faith and art. Registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 2013, it symbolizes Japan and attracts roughly 300,000 climbers annually.

A collection of temples and shrines including Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, and Ryoan-ji, encompassing the UNESCO World Heritage 'Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.' They embody the aesthetic and historical essence of Japan's thousand-year imperial capital.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site that bears witness to the devastation of the 1945 atomic bombing. The Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park serve as enduring symbols advocating for nuclear disarmament and lasting world peace, drawing visitors from around the globe each year.

Known affectionately as the 'White Heron Castle,' Himeji Castle was one of Japan's first UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites. Combining an elegant white-plastered exterior with sophisticated defensive architecture, it is regarded as the finest surviving example of Japanese castle construction. After major restoration in 2015, it attracts around two million visitors annually.

A shrine built over the sea on Miyajima island in the Seto Inland Sea, iconic for its great torii gate standing in the water at high tide. Registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1996, it has been celebrated since ancient times as one of Japan's Three Most Scenic Views.