Ever tried strawberry milk flavoured Pepsi? Or how about meat flavoured ice-cream? If you haven’t ever heard of these quirky food items, welcome to Japan; a country where such eccentric tastes are quite common! Japan is a historic land of stunning natural beauty that has beautifully blended in ancient traditions with modern life. Also known as the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’, this country is famous all over the world for its out-of-the-box fashion trends as also for its culinary experiments. Even though Japan is relatively a small country, the depth of its culture and colour is immeasurable. While there are so many amazing places to see in Japan, there are also several historic events that have helped shape the past, present and future of this great nation!

Some of the best places to visit in Japan, according to many travellers are Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Sapporo and Hakone, to name a few. Along with these incredible cities, a quintessential Japan tour package also offers the best food, culture, sightseeing, history, art and technology!

While there is no best time to visit Japan as such, the country has four beautiful seasons:

Winters are dry and cool (January, February)

Spring is lovely; This is the season for the wonderful cherry blossoms! (March, April, May)

Summer is wet, followed with a hot and humid climate (June, July, August, September and October)

Autumn is considered to be the best season of the year! (November and December)

Now, let’s take a look at some of the most popular tourist places and must-visit sightseeing attractions of 3 Japanese cities – Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka!

Tokyo

One of the best places to visit in Japan is the capital city, Tokyo. Derived from the word ‘to’ and ‘kyo’, it literally translates into ‘east capital’. Tokyo is a mega-metropolis of contradictions! While on one hand, you will find sprawling skyscrapers, cutting-edge architecture and technology, on the other hand, you will come upon ancient shrines and temples, gigantic gardens and traditional houses. In addition to a population of over 13-million people, this city is unusually calm and efficient. Here the trains are always on time and if they happen to be late (which is a rare occurrence) they are only delayed by a maximum of 18 seconds!

Very popular with tourists, Tokyo is best known for its fine-dining restaurants (it is the city with the most Michelin starred restaurants), the best shopping experiences, bustling nightlife, the famous anime-pop culture and its art and culture. Just like there is no best time to visit Japan, there is no particular preferred season or time to visit Tokyo; you can visit this metropolis all-year round! It is often the preferred choice for couples who wish to have a unique honeymoon experience and you would not be surprised if Tokyo found its way and became part of their Japan honeymoon packages. Some of the major tourist places and among the prime Japan tourist attractions that we recommend you to visit in Tokyo are:

Tokyo Imperial Palace:

The Emperor of Japan’s primary residence, this palace is sprawled across an unbelievable amount of land. Most of the gardens are open to the public and you can stroll in admiring the view. There are a lot of cherry trees, which when they bloom in the month of April, become one of the most beautiful spots in Tokyo and one of the most beautiful places in Japan. In the past, the Imperial Palace was known as Edo Castle and was home to the Samurai warriors.

Tokyo Tower:

The Tokyo Tower stands tall at 1,091 ft. and is the second tallest structure in Japan. It is used as an observation and communications tower and is the symbol for Japan’s rebirth as a major economic power. The Tokyo tower also has two observatory decks for visitors to enjoy the view. Both the observatory decks offer views to as far as the Tokyo Sky Tree and Mount Fuji, easily making it one of the best places to see in Japan!

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden:

A huge sprawling garden owned by the Naito family in the Edo Era, this garden is today open for public and is divided into three distinct landscape designs – English garden landscaping, French formal landscaping and traditional Japanese landscaping. There are over 20,000 cherry trees that fill the garden and become a sight for sore eyes during the splendid cherry blossom festival every year; also considered by some to be the best time to visit Japan and of course, Tokyo!

Ashikaga Flower Park:

Who doesn’t love flowers?! The Japanese have a flower park which houses one of their favourites – Wisteria! The wisteria flowers, also known as ‘Fuji’ can be found in the Ashikaga Flower Park in different colours like blue, white and pink. One of the large Fuji trees is almost 100 years old and looks like a huge umbrella of hanging flowers while there is a long tunnel of hanging whit Fuji flowers! Now wouldn’t that be an incredible experience that you can enjoy with your special someone as part of your Japan honeymoon package? A shout-out to all the flower enthusiasts out there; this is one of the beautiful places in Japan, hands down!

Lake Ashinoko:

Lake Ashinoko is the result of a volcanic eruption from Mount Hakone 3000 years ago. Today, Lake Ashinoko seems perfect with the view of the majestic Mount Fuji in the background, an experience that you can include as a part of your Japan tour package. Visitors can enjoy a cruise in the lake and savour the beautiful views of both the lake and Mount Fuji, thus making it one of the best places to visit in Japan.

Sensoji Temple:

The oldest temple in Tokyo, Sensoji Temple dates back to the year 645, making it almost 1400 years old. Housed in the Asakusa district of Tokyo, this temple is also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple. This temple was damaged during the Second World War, however, it was rebuilt again in the original style and till date, stands as a reminder of the resilience of the Japanese people.

Rainbow Bridge:

Constructed in the shape of a rainbow (from where it gets its name), the Rainbow Bridge is a suspension bridge that connects Tokyo with the man-made island of Odaiba. 1,870 feet long and 416 feet tall, this bridge is one of the most prominent symbols of Tokyo’s bayside!

Toyota Motor’s Mega Web:

This one is for the automobile enthusiasts out there. A theme park for motor vehicles! The best thing about this theme park? Not only is there a History and Showcase section, to learn and understand the history of Toyota and its newest models, but there is also a ‘Ride Studio’! You get to test drive Toyota’s newest car models. Now, how cool is that!! Pack your bags and get ready to visit the mind-blowing theme park and make it a part of your Japan travel packages right away!