MUSEUMS

Mori Art Museum

The highest art museum in the world, Mori Art Museum is an iconic art institute located at the top of a 54 story tower. Focusing on the concept that ‘each of the world’s diverse cultures must be accorded equal importance’, the museum’s exhibitions are dedicated to contemporary art from all around the world.

The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

Opened in 1952, the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (MOMAT) has continuously grown throughout its history, requiring various updates to the building. The last of these renovations occurred in 1999, enlarging the exhibition galleries and library, allowing further public access, and also creating space for a restaurant and museum shop to be added. Renowned for its Japanese collections from the Meiji Period (1868-1912), the museum also presents an impressive display of both Japanese and international 20th century works.

National Museum of Western Art

Just like the renowned international art cities of New York, Paris and London, Tokyo contains an overwhelming number of iconic masterpieces. The National Museum of Western Art (NMWA) opened in 1959 and its collection was founded on the Impressionist paintings and Rodin sculptures which are a part of the Matsukata Collection.

Suntory Museum of Art

A small but mighty institution, Suntory Museum of Art is set in a Japanese Modernist building designed by internationally acclaimed architect Kengo Kuma, and is regarded as an important organization in the Japanese art industry. The museum is distinct in holding no permanent exhibition, and many of its displayed works center on exploring art in everyday life, and finding connections between ‘ancient art to modern art, Eastern art to Western art, across the boundaries of time and place and culture.’

Tokyo National Museum

Founded in 1872, Tokyo Nation Museum is the oldest and one of the most significant national museums. Dedicated to collecting and displaying historic artworks and antiquities from Japan and Asia, visits to this venue are essential for travelers interested in the long history behind Japanese art.

Kyoto National Museum

Located in the old capital of Japan, Kyoto, this museum is deemed just as noteworthy as the museums in Tokyo. Kyoto National Museum was founded in 1897 and its strength lies in its Japanese and Asian art from the pre-modern period. Their online museum dictionary is also an insightful tool which offers enlightening information on the history of the held works.

The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

Originally opened in 1963, The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto (MoMAK), exhibits exemplary Japanese and international contemporary works, with a particular focus on the Kansai region, allowing visitors an unrivaled insight into modern perspectives of Japan’s old capital.

The Hakone Open-Air Museum

The seasons play a pivotal part in Japanese culture, and The Hakone Open-Air Museum explores this relationship between nature and art through their outdoor displays. Presenting a vast range of modern sculptures in a massive 70,000 square meter outdoor area, internationally renowned works from Rodin, Bourdelle, Miro and Moore can be discovered here.

Nara National Museum

Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784 AD, and its beautiful temples and sites attract culture-hungry tourists throughout the year. The Nara National Museum is surrounded by some of these beautiful structures, such as the Tōdai-ji Temple, the Kōfuku-ji Temple, and the Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and the museum holds an eminent collection of artworks and artifacts that reveal the history of Buddhist art.

Seto Inland Sea

In recent years the islands that sit in the Seto Inland Sea have become renowned as artistic hot spots because of the Setouchi Triennale; however it was Benesse Holdings, Inc and Fukutake Foundation that created this art boom. Working with various artists, architects and venues to create exciting art experiences throughout the islands of Naoshima, Teshima, and Inujima, museums have also been founded on these isles, such as the outstanding Chichu Art Museum.

PARKS

Arisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park

Arisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park is one of Tokyo’s most enchanted woodlands. Walking distance from Roppongi, in the chic district of Hiro-o (think embassies and cafes), Arisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park is in some ways a tranquil retreat, in other ways a virtual jungle, with a surprising amount of natural variety in a piece of land the size of just one city block.

Hama-Rikyu Gardens

Hama-Rikyu Gardens, moated and with historic tidal duck ponds, is located in the Shiodome area facing the Sumida River. A large tract of floral and sylvan beauty, and a naturist’s delight in any season. Hama-Rikyu Gardens is also only a short walk from the smaller, nearby Kyu-Shiba Rikyu Gardens and both garden attractions can easily be seen in half a day of sightseeing.

Hibiya Park

Hibiya Park: a sprawling, elegant, woody park in the very heart of Tokyo, right next to the Imperial Palace and not far from Tokyo’s ritzy Ginza shopping district. The area was the site of the Mori and Nabeshima clans’ estates during the Edo era and became a public space in 1903. Amazingly rich in flora and fauna, Hibiya Park is Japan’s first Western-style park. However, Hibiya Park’s debonair calm belies a tumultuous history.

Jindai Botanical Gardens

Jindai Botanical Garden is a world-class 42 hectare (105 acre) garden in Chofu City, in the west of Tokyo, that offers seasonal beauty all year round. Jindai Botanical Garden is Tokyo’s main botanical garden, being the only one operated by Tokyo Metropolis. It has the biggest rose garden in Tokyo, and is famous too for its plum and cherry trees, which blossom in spring.

Kiba Park

Kiba Park (Kiba Koen) is a large, multi-purpose park near the Kiyosumi-Fukagawa district of Tokyo’s Koto ward. Mostly wide open space, Kiba Koen is occupied by families strolling and boys throwing baseballs. There are tennis courts, a BBQ area and event space. The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo is also located in Kiba Park.

Kiyosumi Teien Garden

Kiyosumi Teien Garden, the landscape gem of Tokyo’s Koto ward in the Kiyosumi-Fukagawa district, is an example of an ancient daimyo’s (feudal lord’s) pleasure ground. Kiyosumi Teien Garden is a superbly laid out and an impeccably kept jewel of Japanese landscaping.

Koishikawa Botanical Gardens

Koishikawa Botanical Gardens, in Tokyo’s Bunkyo ward, is full of beautiful natural and landscaped gardens, including remnants of Tokyo’s old forests, and a centuries old medicinal herb garden. Centrally located in Tokyo’s Bunkyo ward.

Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens

Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens was begun in 1629 by Yorifusa Mito, the first feudal lord of the Mito Tokugawa family and eleventh son of patriarch Ieyasu Tokugawa. Korakuen was completed by Mitsukuni Mito, Yorifusa’s son. The garden is heavily influenced by Chinese garden design.

Kyu Furukawa Gardens

Kyu-Furukawa Gardens is a mix of an English country house with rose gardens and large, adjacent lawn designed by British architect Josiah Conder, with a lovely Japanese-style garden, the work of Kyoto-based landscape designer Ogawa Jihei, aka Niwashi Ueji (1860-1933).

Kyu-Iwasaki Teien Gardens

Kyu-Iwasaki Tei Gardens, in the Yushima district of Tokyo’s Taito ward, is near Ueno Park, and features elaborate and elegant old wooden buildings that were part of the palatial residence of Hisaya Iwasaki, the third president of Mitsubishi.

Kyu-Shiba Rikyu Gardens

This gem of a garden, translated as the “Shiba Detached Palace Garden,” is, along with Koishikawa Korakuen Garden, one of Tokyo’s few surviving clan gardens from the Edo Period. Kyu-Shiba Rikyu Gardens is an oasis of serenity and elegance in the hardfaced, small-business milieu of the Hamamatsu-cho area. Kyu-Shiba Rikyu is also only a short walk from nearby Hama Rikyu Gardens and both attractions can easily be seen in half a day.

Kyu-Yasuda Teien Gardens

Kyu-Yasuda Teien Garden is in the heart of Tokyo’s Ryogoku sumo district, in the metropolis’s Sumida ward. Like Ryogoku, the gardens are steeped in history – going back to a samurai residence of the seventeenth century. However, the gardens in their present form, freely open to the public, date from much later: the early twentieth century. The focal point is the garden’s pond, that in their original state were tidal.

Meiji Shrine Inner Garden

Meiji Shrine Inner Garden (Jingu Nai-en or Gyoen) actually existed long before Meiji Shrine. The garden was built in the early Edo Period (1603-1867) by Lord Kato of Kumamoto. Meiji Jingu Inner Garden is not large (83,000 square meters), but is definitely worth the 500 yen entrance fee.

Mukojima Hyakkaen Garden

Mukojima Hyakkaen Garden in Sumida ward, north-eastern Tokyo, is one of Tokyo’s few remaining historical gardens from the Edo era. This quite small garden is skillfully laid out in a natural style, giving it the feel of a much bigger natural expanse. Its variety of trees and flowers ensures that Mukojima Hyakkaen Garden is looking good whatever time of year.

Rikugien Garden

Rikugien Garden, in Tokyo’s Bunkyo ward, was created in the early 18th century by Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu (1658-1714), an associate of the shogun of the day, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the fifth Tokugawa shogun, who donated the land. Rikugien is an Edo-period, landscaped, strolling garden covering ten hectares with a large pond and island, with a hill covered with a dense grove of ancient trees.

Shakujii Park

Shakujii Park in Tokyo’s Nerima ward is a sprawling area of unspolit nature surrounding two large ponds: Shakujii Pond at the eastern end of the park and Sampoji Pond at the western end. Full of natural beauty, Shakujii Koen Park is great for birdwatching, and houses the ruins of an ancient castle.

Shiba Park

Shiba Park, is close to Tokyo Tower and Zojoji Temple and is, in fact, Japan’s oldest public park, designated as such way back in 1873 at the beginning of the Meiji Period. Once the Tokyo garden of the Okubo clan in the Edo Period, this city center park is home to the ancient Maruyama burial mound (kofun), one of the biggest in Tokyo at 110 meters (361 feet) long and the Toshogu Shrine.

Shinagawa Kumin Park

Shinagawa Kumin Park, in Tokyo’s Shinagawa ward, is one of Tokyo’s best kept park secrets. This 13-hectare blend of different types of scenery, hundreds of trees, and large saltwater lake, Shinagawa Kunin Park is a must-visit for any park-lover, especially those with children in Tokyo.

Shinjuku Gyoen Park

Shinjuku Gyoen Park: an ancient feudal estate that has maintained its integrity, Shinjuku Gyoen Park was redesigned by a Frenchman to reflect the best of Eastern and Western outdoor aesthetics, and is now a meandering idyll of peace and quiet, and stunning seasonal beauty, in the midst of one of Tokyo’s most commercially manic districts.

Showa Kinen Park

Showa Kinen Koen (Showa Memorial Park): is a massive national park in Tachikawa, just over an hour west of Tokyo, that offers spectacular scenery, myriad attractions, and ample recreation and relaxation opportunities. Showa Memorial Park was established in 1983, as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the reign of Emperor Hirohito (posthumously, Emperor Showa) that happened eight years before, in 1975.

Todoroki Valley Park

Todoroki Valley Park (Todoroki Ravine Park): is touted as Tokyo’s only valley, where just walking down the 50 or so steps into the valley from the Golf Bashi Bridge will result in about a three degree (three Celsius, 5.5 Fahrenheit) drop in your surrounding temperature. You can leisurely stroll along the quiet stream (called the Yazawa River), cross under a couple of bridges, listen to the songbirds, cross back over the stream a time or two and feel you have escaped the worst of the Tokyo heat.

Ueno Park

Ueno Park is the mother of Tokyo parks and gardens and is almost synonymous with the Ueno area. Just east of elegant Bunkyo ward, Ueno Park is located in Tokyo’s ‘shitamachi’ (working & merchant class). Ueno is a large area full of natural and cultural beauty. As well as a zoo, it has the most museums in any one area in Japan, and the surrounding area has the highest concentration of temples in Tokyo.

Yoyogi Park

Yoyogi Park in Tokyo’s Shibuya ward is one of Tokyo’s biggest parks, and by far its freest and easiest, open all hours for (almost) whatever takes your fancy. Great for strolling, picnicking, partying, sunbathing, exercising, and people watching. Yoyogi Park includes cycle hire and tracks, special space for dogs, and more.

Yokoamicho Park

Yokoamicho Park in Sumida ward, specifically the Ryogoku district of Tokyo – Japan’s sumo heartland, is a park with a poignant history, matched by some beautiful gardens, unusual monuments, and halls of remembrance.

Yume no Shima (‘Dream Island’) Park

In Tokyo’s industrial Koto ward bordering Tokyo Harbor, Yume no Shima Park is a splash of freshness in a landscape of gargantuan blank-faced warehouses. Yume no Shima began life as a landfill and dumping ground, but was rescued from this poor fate in 1972 when it was decided to make it into a park. It is now a verdant space covered mainly with eucalyptus trees and enjoyed by strollers, sketchers, picnickers, sunbathers, and anyone else seeking refuge from the bustle.

Kyoto Parks & Gardens

Kyoto Parks & Gardens – Kyoto is a city of gardens. Japan’s historic capital is home to thousands of set gardens within its many palaces, temples and shrines. In addition to these gardens, Kyoto has many public parks and areas of green space, chief among them Japan’s oldest botanical garden, the river banks of the Kamo River and many other large and small public parks.

Nagoya Parks & Gardens

Nagoya Parks & Gardens – Nagoya belies its image as a vast, unremitting, concrete jungle with a number of large public parks and some classical Japanese gardens. Recommended parks and gardens in Nagoya are Tokugawa-en, next to the Tokugawa Art Museum, Shirotori Garden, the grounds of Atsuta Shrine, Heiwa Koen and Higashiyama Koen which includes Nagoya’s zoo and botanical garden. For cherry blossoms head to Tsurumai Park or Nagoya Castle Park.

Adachi Museum of Art

The gardens at the Adachi Museum of Art near Matsue in Shimane Prefecture in western Japan are often voted the best in the country and compliment the art of Yokoyama Taikan and other artists inside the museum. The six-part gardens were laid out by famed designer Kinsaku Nakane and the different styles include the Dry Landscape Garden, The White Gravel & Pine Garden, the Moss Garden and the Pond Garden.

Ashikaga Flower Park

Ashikaga Flower Park is a floral attraction in Ashikaga, Tochigi prefecture, that features a year-round profusion of various flowers, with the main focus on wisteria, or fuji in Japanese. Imaginative landscaping and and attractions such as illuminated garden displays make a trip to Ashikaga Flower Garden an unforgettable one for the flower lover.

Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park

Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park is a 1,262 km2 (487 square mile) national park, mountainous and full of natural beauty, that covers four prefectures: Tokyo, Saitama, Nagano, and Yamanashi.  From the Tokyo metropolis, Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park stretches out west as far as Yamanashi prefecture and can easily be reached by public transport from the capital.

Japanese Gardens in Expo Park, Osaka

The Japanese Gardens at the Expo Memorial Park in Osaka are less than 50 years old, yet for those with an interest in traditional Japanese gardens it has a lot to offer as it showcases the many different styles of garden that have been enjoyed by the Japanese over the past 1,000 years or more. The gardens were built for the World Expo of 1970, and meant to introduce foreign visitors to the variety of traditional garden types throughout Japanese history, and is really four different gardens which flow into each other.

Encho-en Garden, Tottori

Encho-en Garden in Tottori Prefecture is one of the largest Chinese gardens in Japan. It is a genuine Chinese garden rather than a Chinese-style garden. It was designed in China, all the materials were sourced in China, the buildings were built in China and then dismantled and shipped over, and even some of the trees came from China. Encho-en Garden was constructed to celebrate the “sister relationship” between Tottori and Hebei that was established in 1986.

Kairaku-en Garden Mito

Kairaku-en Garden in Mito in Ibaraki Prefecture, around one hour north of Tokyo by express train, is one of Japan’s big three landscape gardens. The other two being Kenroku-en in Kanazawa and Koraku-en in Okayama. Dating from the 1840s, Kairaku-en is most well-known for its beautiful plum blossoms in late February to early March, which really draw the crowds, but this delightful, strolling garden can be enjoyed all year round.

Keitakuen Garden

Keitakuen Garden in Osaka behind the Osaka City Museum of Fine Art in Tennoji Park, it is a delightful garden that is not so well known and therefore gets relatively few visitors. Keitakuen Garden is a quite large, stroll type garden centred on a large pond. Keitakuen was built for the very wealthy Sumitomo Family, merchants and industrialists who made their modern fortune with the Besshi Copper Mine on Shikoku.

Kenrokuen Garden Kanazawa

Kenrokuen Garden, in Kanazawa is one of Japan’s most beautiful and popular gardens. No matter what season you go to Kanazawa, a visit to Kenrokuen garden is an unmissable part of your trip. The name of Kenrokuen literally means, “the garden of six sublimities” or, “a garden combining the 6 aspects of a perfect garden”.

Koko-en Garden Himeji

Koko-en Garden in Himeji is located in the shadow of the World Heritage listed Himeji Castle. Actually gardens is more accurate as there are nine different types of garden, all based on styles popular during the Edo Period (1603-1868). Koko-en was built on the site of the Nishi Yashiki, the western residence of the domain lord, and the walled compounds and lanes between conform to the historical layout of the area. The gardens are authentic enough that scenes from historical dramas and movies are filmed here.

Koraku-en Garden Okayama

Koraku-en Garden in Okayama is another of Japan’s big three landscape gardens. Completed in 1700, the garden is known for its expansive lawns and the beautiful Ryuten Pavilion, which has a small stream running through it. The garden is close to Okayama Castle and incorporates the castle in its “borrowed scenery.” The manicured lawns are interspersed with stone lanterns, bushes and small ponds.

Minoo Park

Minoo Park is one of Japan’s oldest parks, and a great side trip from central Osaka. Often compared to Mount Takao or Mount Mitake in the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park near Tokyo, Minoo Park is a relaxing place to get away from all the concrete and skyscrapers of the downtown. Minoo Park is worth visiting any time of the year. The well maintained paths make it possible to walk up in the winter, and in the summer beautiful green trees surround walkers.

Ritsurin-koen Takamatsu

Ritsurin-koen in Takamatsu in Shikoku is considered one of Japan’s best gardens. This 16 ha strolling garden is laid out on a grand scale but it is also contiguous with a range of low, forested hills conveying the impression that the garden is endless. This incorporation of the view of Mt Shiun beyond the garden to the west, is a device often used in Japanese gardens, even those on a very much smaller scale, and is known as a “borrowed view”.

Rokkaen

The Rokkaen house and gardens in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture were designed by the celebrated English architect Josiah Conder (1852-1920) and opened in 1913. The combined Western and Japanese-style house was the former residence of Seiroku Moroto, a local rice and timber magnate, who made his fortune in the area. The beautiful strolling garden includes a lawn and pond, in which the mansion casts lovely reflections.

Sankeien Garden Hiroshima

Sankeien Garden in Hiroshima (aka Chisenkai Yushiki Teien) is a traditional stroll garden but was only constructed in 1993, part of the development surrounding the construction of Hiroshima Airport in the mountains east of Hiroshima City that also includes a forest park, Chuo Shinrin Park.

Sankeien Garden Yokohama

Sankeien Garden in Naka ward, Yokohama, is the city’s most charming traditional attraction, with something for nature lovers, Japanese history and culture buffs, photographers, and anyone with an eye for beauty. Sankeien Garden is 17.5 undulating hectares (over 42 acres) of groves, traditional old Japanese structures, gardens, ponds, waterfalls, bridges, refreshment spots and a museum, connected by rambling paths and footbridges.

Sengan-en Garden

Sengan-en Garden in Kagoshima was the summer garden and villa of the ruling Shimazu clan in the Edo Period of Japanese history. Sengan-en is a strolling garden in Chinese style known for its use of “borrowed scenery” in the shape of Sakurajima and Kinko Bay. On the spacious grounds is Japan’s first factory, the Shoko Shuseikan, which is open as a museum, displaying the Shimazu family treasures and the clan’s early attempt at industrial production.

Shikina-en Garden

Shikina-en Garden in Naha, Okinawa, was constructed at the end of the 18th century as a second home for the Okinawan royal family and to entertain important guests. A section of the old stone pavement that ran from the Shuri Palace to Shikinaen still exists. The Shikinaen garden is a stroll garden, meant to be walked around rather than viewed from one particular point, and has features both Japanese and Chinese, to make it uniquely Okinawan.

Shukkei-en Garden Hiroshima

Shukkei-en Garden in Hiroshima was completed in 1620 by the local feudal lord and is modeled on the famous West Lake in Hangzhou, China. Shukkei-en Garden is small at only four hectares in area but has a delightful pond, ornamental Chinese-style bridges and relaxing thatched pavilions and tea houses to linger and enjoy the surroundings and plants and flowers in season.

Tottori Prefectural Flower Park

Tottori Prefectural Flower Park is a sprawling, beautifully laid out and maintained 50-hectare garden estate in Tottori Prefecture, with a huge range of different landscapes, gardens, and flower collections. The Park has a renowned lily collection, and is distinguished by its huge transparent Tropical Dome that forms the focal point of the Park. Tottori Prefectural Flower Park offers different faces of seasonal beauty all year round, and with fully covered walkways for enjoyment in any weather. Illuminated garden at certain times of the year.

Uminonakamichi Seaside Park

Uminonakamichi Seaside Park is a huge public park in Higashi ward, Fukuoka, on the end of the Uminonakamichi shoal enclosing Hakata Bay, accessible by train or ferry. Uminonakamichi Seaside Park is more family- than tourist-oriented, and offers a huge array of attractions, including a petting zoo and extensive flower gardens, for a reasonable price, easily occupying a full day.

Urakuen Garden Inuyama

Urakuen Garden, in Inuyama is a perfect example of a Japanese cha-niwa – a garden designed to suit the needs of the aesthetic of the tea ceremony. The delightful Jo-an teahouse which now stands in the garden, was originally built in Kyoto in 1618 by Oda Urakusai, a younger brother of local Chubu area warlord Oda Nobunaga. Urakuen can easily be visited from nearby Nagoya.

Yuka-en Garden

Yuka-en Garden in Hiroshima’s Naka ward is an authentic, walled Chinese garden completed in 1992 to mark five years of official friendship between the sister cities of Hiroshima in Japan and Chongqing in China.

MARKETS

Takeshita-dori

After Gwen Stefani made Harajuku a household name, it only makes sense to check out the birthplace of this street style. Takeshita-dori runs through Harajuku Station and Meiji-dori, and is a crossroads for street-style cultures. Down this pedestrian-only street, you will find shops specializing in unique styles, such as punk or costumes. Though the market may be more crowded on the weekends, it is worth visiting for the people-watching.

Mottainai Flea Market

Flea markets have become quite popular in Japan over the years, many of which are organized by locals, recycling councils or civil organizations. Mottainai Flea Market is a market the people of Tokyo look forward to each year which focuses on secondhand clothes. The organizers aim to reduce waste. You will also find books, CDs, and DVDs in perfectly good quality.

Tsukiji Fish Market

Tsukiji Fish Market is the largest seafood market in the city. The real attraction for visitors is the Outer Market, where the fresh seafood can be purchased at a reasonable price.

Nakamise Shopping Street

Leading up to Sensoji Temple, there is, surprisingly, one of the oldest shopping centers in Japan, Nakamise Shopping Street. From 1688 to 1735, special permission was granted for people to open shops in the surroundings of the temple in service to the visitors. Today, Nakamise Shopping Street has around 90 shops that sell various kinds of Japanese souvenirs, some dating back to the Edo era. Look out for some good bargains on clothes and shoes. You can also buy traditional snacks and dishes that are popular during festivals.

Ameya-Yokochō

Ameya-Yokochō, abbreviated Ameyoko, means ‘Candy Sellers’ Alley’. This is a vibrant, colorful market located in the Ueno area of Tokyo. Ameyoko Market was originally a black market that sold sweet potatoes and sugar after World War II. Today, anything can be purchased at Ameyoko Market. You will find good bargains on clothes, shoes, fish, meat, farm produce, golfing equipment, anime DVDs, food, and more. There are plenty of restaurants and bars around in case you get hungry or would like to have a drink.

Tokyu Food Show

Located in the basement of Tokyu Toyoko Department Store, Tokyu Food Show is a beehive of food stalls selling sweets, pastries, deli goods, wines, and a variety of foods from all over the world. The self-proclaimed “theater of food” is one of the largest markets, with an impressive variety of products. Many of the stalls are associated with established restaurants. The majority of them cater for takeout only; however, a few provide small counters where you can eat on the spot.

Nogi Shrine Antique Flea Market

On the fourth Sunday of each month, the people of Tokyo, as well as visitors from all over the world, are anxious to see what goodies are available at Nogi Shrine market. Held on the sandō road of Nogizaka’s Nogi Shrine, more than 40 shops are set up. They sell furniture, secondhand clothes, cooking utensils, and other antiques. Get incredible bargains on just about anything. There are also some food stalls selling snacks and other delectable treats just in case you get hungry.

Omotesando Hills

Omotesando is a street in Harajuku lined with high-end stores that target fashionable urbanites. Ask anyone for Tokyo’s Champs-Elysees. This is the nickname for the broad, tree-lined avenue located south of Takeshita-dōri where you will find Omotesando. Although this isn’t the typical market, in this bustling shopping area you will find the items you couldn’t find in Tokyo’s markets. Many famous international stores offering the very best in shopping and dining experiences have been established there, especially after the Tokyo Olympics in 1964.  A wealthy clientele can be seen browsing the famous shops, cafés, boutiques, and restaurants.

Boro-Ichi Street Market

Dating back to some 430 years, Boro-Ichi Street Market is the place to shop if you are looking for antique kimonos, toys, and clocks, as well as a variety of other items. A trip to this market is not just ideal for shopping, you will also be taking part in a dynamic folk-cultural activity. In its early beginnings in the 1570s, the market was established as a “free market” where taxes were removed to boost the economy. Now it has grown into a biannual two-day event set on the 15th and 16th of December and January, attracting over 700 sellers.

Heiwajima Antique Fair

Heiwajima Antique Fair is a three-day event held five times a year in the months of March, May, June, September, and December. Heiwajima Antique Fair was established in 1978, making it the oldest antique fair in Japan. It attracts over 280 dealers from all over the country. Since most homes in Japan do not have a garage, the citizens look forward to these events to sell and purchase items. You will find products like pottery, furniture, textiles, jewelry, paintings, glass, lacquer, and other items. Try going on the final day where you will get the best deals.

Shintennoji Flea Market

Shintennoji was built by Prince Shotoku in 593 AD making it the oldest Buddhist temple in Japan. The temple hosts an antique market on the 21st and 22nd of every month. Around 100 sale tents are erected, housing merchants offering goods like handbags, pottery, and handicrafts for incredibly low prices. Among the craft stores are food stalls serving warm, delicious local street food. Admission to both the market and temple is free, so be sure to check out this busy and beautiful sight.

Ashiharabashi Upmarket

Upmarket is an energetic food and craft market that happens monthly near JR Ashiharabashi Station on the Osaka Loop Line. This lively event features performances as well as vendors and takes place at three adjacent locations: the JR station plaza, Salt Valley, and a large open-air parking lot. With over 80 unique sellers offering goods like fresh farmed vegetables, handmade clothing and accessories, craft beer, and vegan food, this hip community event will make you feel at home no matter where you’re from.

Nakanoshima Food Lover’s Market

This monthly celebration of fresh, local food happens at the Nakanoshima fishing port, located along one of the city’s many interconnected waterways. The Food Lover’s Market provides the chance to shop for locally grown food sold by people who are truly passionate about their craft. As part of an effort to encourage buying local, this market can be a fun and educational look into an ethical food scene that is only recently becoming popular in Japan.

Kuromon Ichiba Market

Just as Osaka is known as Japan’s kitchen, Kuromon Ichiba Market is reputed as Osaka’s kitchen. This is because this undercover market, which is 600 meters in length and has close to 200 shops, sells pretty much everything used in Japanese cooking. Many of the shops stock fresh ingredients, such as fish, seafood, and vegetables, that are from regional sources. Many shops also sell cooked food, such as grilled eel, teppanyaki beef, fresh oysters, ramen, and bento boxes.

Ikuno Korea Town

Embrace another culture while in Japan at Osaka’s Korea Town. Situated not far from touristy Namba, Korea Town is where many local Koreans live and work. The area has developed with scores of Korean shops selling food, daily goods, and even Korean-style clothing. The restaurants are mainly yakiniku style, a Japanese cuisine of grilled meat over charcoal inspired by a similar Korean dish.

Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shotengai

Sennichimae Doguyasuji, the best culinary marketplace in town, is also located near Namba. It was built as an approach from nearby Hozenji, one of Minami’s most famous temples. Today Doguyasuji is a 150-meter long covered shopping arcade that sells wholesale items for restaurants, a wide range of utensils like knives, as well as serveware and even plastic models of food that shops use to display menu items.

Shinsaibashisuji Shopping Street

Shinsaibashisuji is a covered shopping arcade in the heart of the famous Minami district. Shinsaibashisuji has been Osaka’s most important shopping area for 400 years, with hundreds of shops lining this 600-meter long street. From huge department stores like Daimaru and flagship clothing stores like Uniqlo to small independent boutiques, there is something for every shopper and every wallet on this street.

Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Street

This is the longest shotengai, or covered shopping arcade, in Japan. Spanning multiple kilometers and neighborhoods, Tenjinbashisuji is a wealth of shops, restaurants, cafés, bookstores, and – best of all – a fascinating insight into the daily hustle and bustle of Japanese business owners and patrons. Stroll along the shopping street no matter what the weather and enjoy all the delicious food, souvenirs, and other goods that Osaka has to offer.

Nishiki Market

A true haven for voracious travelers, the Nishiki Market (known as ‘Kyoto’s Kitchen’) offers an extensive range of stalls and stores that strive to cater to your materialistic desires. Selling everything from scrumptious street foods to finely crafted tableware, Nishiki provides a contrast to the usual opulence and elegance that Japan embodies. Live like a native and sample an addictive selection of fresh and dried pickles while soaking in the aromas that permeate the air.

Shinkyogoku Shopping District

Nestled within the heart of the city, this expansive district accommodates an enviable variety of establishments that serve up the edible delights of Kyoto. It also has retailers selling the latest designs that live up to the fashion-forward reputation that Japan upholds. Scour the trendy area and you will be in utter awe of what is on sale. From funky phone cases to innovative anime themed clothes, the choices are endless and will leave you starstruck.

Teramachi

The solution to any outing dilemma, this market hosts a vast array of specialty stores along with the notorious 100 yen stores, perfect for backpackers or those living on a budget. Teramachi is named after the eponymous street in Kyoto and is home to acclaimed restaurants, featuring mouth-watering treats and satiating pick-me-ups. It also has establishments offering intricate souvenirs or extra luggage.

Tenji-San’s Festival

A highly anticipated street market that is located within the esteemed Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, Tenji-San opens to the public on the 25th day of each month. It transforms the area into a wonderland of wholesome culinary jewels along with tasty snacks and miscellany. The shrine aims to honor the deceased scholar Sugawara no Michizane, one of the only people who is treated as a deity and is worshiped mainly by students wishing to thrive in their academic careers.

Toji

A monthly novelty, the seemingly serene grounds of the Toji temple erupts into an explosion of vibrant color and adopts an upbeat and lively atmosphere in which hundreds of antique stalls stand proudly, awaiting your entrance. On the 21st of every month, Toji accommodates all niches, selling both budget and up-market produce. Among other things, there are artfully crafted wooden toys and beauty essentials that contain local ingredients – the homeopathic cure to any dermatological issue.