Kurashiki Bikan District & White-Wall Streetscape

The riverbank area of Kurashiki in Okayama Prefecture preserves Edo-period townscape. White-walled storage houses line the streets with beautiful willow trees. Designated a Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings in 1979. Multiple museums add cultural value. Attracts approximately 1.5 million visitors annually, exemplifying Japanese townscape preservation.

A picturesque historical district in Okayama featuring white-walled storehouses and willow-lined canals. Home to cultural institutions like the Ohara Museum of Art and stylish shops, it preserves the ambiance of an Edo-period merchant town.

Tsumago Juku in Minami-Kiso, Nagano is the 42nd post station on the Edo-era Nakasendo trade route. Once bustling with travelers between Edo and Kyoto, the commercial area remains perfectly preserved in its 18th-century form. Stone-paved streets, latticed-window houses, and lodgings create a time-stopped atmosphere. First designated as a town-preservation district nationwide in 1976, setting the model for post-station preservation in Japan.

A cultural city in Hokuriku that flourished as the castle town of the Kaga domain, where tradition and modernity coexist at Kenroku-en Garden, the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, and Higashi Chaya District. The 2015 Hokuriku Shinkansen dramatically improved access from Tokyo, triggering a tourism surge.

One of Japan's premier mountain scenic spots at approximately 1,500m elevation in the Northern Alps. Views from Taisho Pond and Kappa Bridge reflecting the Hotaka Range are sometimes called 'Japan's Switzerland.' Private car restrictions preserve the natural environment, making it a popular base for mountaineering and trekking.

A UNESCO World Natural Heritage archipelago roughly 1,000km south of Tokyo. Called the 'Galapagos of the East,' the islands are a treasure trove of endemic species. Accessible only by a 24-hour ferry, this remote paradise is popular for whale watching and diving.