Kamakura Daibutsu (Great Buddha)

Located in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, the birthplace of Japan's samurai culture. Home to numerous historic temples and shrines including the Kamakura Daibutsu and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine. Flourishing as the capital of the Kamakura shogunate from the 12th-14th centuries, it retains status as an ancient capital, attracting approximately 18 million visitors annually. Known since the Edo period as an intellectual retreat, it remains vital for understanding Japanese history and culture.

A roughly 13-meter bronze Amida Buddha statue at Kotoku-in temple. Casting began around 1252, and since a Muromachi-period tsunami washed away the hall, the Great Buddha has sat serenely in the open air. It is the most iconic attraction of the ancient capital of Kamakura, near Tokyo.

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.

The head temple of the Kegon school of Buddhism, founded by Emperor Shomu in the Nara period. The Great Buddha Hall housing the approximately 15-meter Vairocana Buddha is one of the world's largest wooden structures. It is a component of the UNESCO World Heritage 'Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara.'

An ancient Nara temple originally vowed by Emperor Tenmu for the recovery of his empress. The East Pagoda, a surviving National Treasure from the Nara period, is praised as 'frozen music' for its graceful form. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage 'Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara.'

Japan's oldest and largest museum, founded in 1872. Housing approximately 120,000 items including 89 National Treasures and 648 Important Cultural Properties, it boasts one of the world's greatest collections of Japanese and Asian art.

One of Japan's largest castle complexes in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. Known as White Heron Castle, the beautiful white-walled keep cluster is both a World Heritage Site and National Treasure, considered the masterpiece of Japanese castle architecture. Beauty was restored through the 2015 'Heisei Grand Renovation,' attracting about 2 million visitors annually.