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From the buzzing capital to foodie hotspots, charming towns, and hidden gems, here are the 7 best places to visit in Japan for first-timers!
While recently living in Japan for nine months with our circus jobs—6 months in Tokyo and 3 in Osaka—we made the conscious decision to try to get to know our base cities as much, and as deeply as possible.
We focused on quality instead of quantity. Limiting day trips and weekend trips out of our base cities to only the destinations we considered to be absolute musts while visiting Japan.
And this is how I came about choosing these 7 best places to visit in Japan for first-timers.
While there is so incredibly much to visit and experience in beautiful Japan—we started planning our return trip as soon as we left—I think that taking the time to explore at a slower pace allows you to truly soak in its unique culture and charm.
This is why I believe these are the places worth adding to your itinerary during your first trip to Japan.
7 Places To Visit In Japan For First Timers
1) Tokyo: The iconic and exciting capital
No trip to Japan is complete without a stop in futuristic, buzzing, and exciting Tokyo.
With a never-ending list of unique things to do in Tokyo, from immersive art experiences, incredible foodie spots, tiny bars packed with personality, a buzzing city center, and quiet, charming neighborhoods to explore, there is truly something for every kind of traveler.
There is so much to do and see in Tokyo, that even after living here for six months, it feels like even a lifetime would not be enough to see it all.
And while that might seem daunting, I honestly think this is what makes Tokyo so exciting and attractive as a destination, the sheer amount of possibilities.
If you are short on time, don’t worry, with an efficient 2 day Tokyo itinerary you can still manage to see all of Tokyo’s most iconic sights, such as Shibuya, Asakusa, Harajuku, and more.
If you have more time on your hands, 5 days in Tokyo will allow you to travel slower and get a better feel of the city by visiting more off-the-beaten-path neighborhoods, like Ebisu, Nakameguro, and Daikanayama.
And explore all the cute coffee shops in Tokyo—a must in my itineraries!
Whether you’re on a slow-paced or faster-paced trip to Japan, Tokyo is undoubtedly one of the unmissable places to visit for first-timers.
2) Hakone: A lush, relaxing oasis
To get a fuller sense of Japan and its many incredible destinations, another great spot to add to your Japan itinerary is the beautiful Hakone.
Hakone is a dreamy town about two hours south of Tokyo, famous for its lush landscapes, relaxing hot springs, stunning views of Mount Fuji over Lake Ashinoko, and its unique Heiwa no Torii, a dramatically beautiful Torii Gate emerging from the lake.
This lush oasis is a short distance from the exciting capital, making it the perfect 2-day trip destination to add to your Japan itinerary for a relaxing break.
As previously mentioned, you can spend forever exploring Tokyo, however, when visiting Japan for the first time I think it’s a good idea to see a little bit of everything and enjoy all the different sides this incredible country has to offer.
And honestly, there’s nothing further from Tokyo’s buzzing energy than the slow-paced picturesque Hakone with its relaxing hot springs.
Bonus points if you stay in a traditional ryokan with a private onsen to fully take advantage of the relaxing trip.
3) Kamakura: Historic and charming town outside of Tokyo
A place that I believe gets overlooked by travelers planning their first trip to Japan is the charming Kamakura.
Kamakura is a picturesque coastal town located less than an hour south of Tokyo, making it a perfect day trip excursion to add to your Japan itinerary.
Packed with history, Kamakura is also known as the Kyoto of the East due to its large number of temples and shrines, like the picturesque Meigetsu-in Temple, and the iconic Kotoku-in Buddhist temple with its Great Buddha of Kamakura.
Besides all the historic elements of the town, Kamakura is also surrounded by beautiful lush hills and is bursting with small-town charm, with its cute Komachi-dori Street being the perfect place to spend a few hours of street food tasting and souvenir shopping.
There’s so much to explore in this charming town, which is why it became my go-to day trip spot while living in Tokyo, and why I believe is one of the top places to visit in Japan for first-timers.
4) Osaka: A foodies heaven
Even though Tokyo is the bigger, brighter more exciting city, Osaka has my full heart.
Osaka is a lively, energetic city with a wildly unique personality, filled with fun and welcoming locals who love to eat, laugh, and drink together.
While being radically smaller than the capital, what Osaka lacks in land size, it makes up for in unexpected local warmth, good vibes, and just incredibly delicious food—it’s unreal.
I particularly remember my shock the first day I arrived in Osaka after living in Tokyo for 6 months, and the first local I came across struck up a conversation with me—something that never happened in Tokyo—I immediately knew this place was different.
Food is a vital part of the culture, and the beating heart of this city, making it a paradise for foodies—this is where I had all the best meals during our nine months in Japan.
This is why I consider Osaka to be an absolute must in any Japan itinerary, and one of the best places to visit in Japan for first-timers to get a rounder sense of Japan and its many faces. I consider Osaka the most fun one!
5) Nara: A fairytale town with bowing deer
I strongly believe that any first-timers to Japan should add a day trip to Nara Park to their itinerary to feel like a real-life Disney princess.
While Nara itself is a historic city with important temples, the highlight for my Disney-loving heart is the free-roaming bowing deer at Nara Park that visitors get to interact with.
This was one of my favorite things to do while living in Osaka, as it only takes a short 35-minute train ride to spend the day in the beautiful Nara surrounded by the adorable bowing deer.
Whether you want to spend a full day exploring Nara and its temples, or if you want to hop in for a quick morning visit to feed the deer, visiting Nara Park is an easy addition to any Kyoto or Osaka itinerary.
And a trip I highly recommend to anyone to experience this unique movie-like scene, something so surreal you can only find in dreamy Japan.
6) Kyoto: The soul of Japan
If Osaka is the stomach of Japan, then Kyoto is the soul, bursting with tradition, history, temples and shrines, and enchanting old-school vibes.
Kyoto is one of those bucket list destinations that truly lives up to the hype. With every street looking straight out of a movie, and a slower, more local pace than buzzing Tokyo that welcomes you in.
Providing a picture-perfect view of Japan, with old streets lined with traditional houses, offering over a thousand and a half temples and shrines to explore, and countless picturesque alleys to wander, Kyoto is one of the unmissable places to visit in Japan for first-timers.
While there is so much to do and see in Kyoto, the city’s tranquil atmosphere invites you to slow down, explore the temples leisurely, wander its markets aimlessly, sit at one of the cute Kyoto coffee shops, and see the world go by.
7) Kobe: The world’s best beef
If you are anything like me—a foodie on a mission—then during your trip to Japan you will want to take a quick afternoon trip out of Osaka, to have the best dinner of your life in Kobe.
Kobe is a port city in Japan, and one of the ten biggest cities in the country, one of the main things that it is known for, is its iconic and delicious Kobe beef, a world-famous local brand of wagyu meat.
This melt-in-your-mouth meat is nothing like I ever tried before, and in true Teppanyaki style, the dinner process itself is such a memorable experience to add to your Japan trip.
If you want to try this iconic dish but don’t want to schedule a whole day for this side quest, don’t worry, as it only takes a short 40-minute train ride from Osaka to Kobe, making it a doable afternoon round trip—this is how we did it.
There are plenty of Teppanyaki restaurants in Kobe offering different set menus to try their mouth-watering local delicacy, we got lucky and managed to squeeze in a last-minute reservation at Kobe Beef Steak Restaurant Royal Mouriya.
But do as I say and not as I do, and book a table in advance to make sure you don’t miss out on this incredible dinner.
Final thoughts on where to go in Japan for first-timers
From the exciting Tokyo and its unique neighborhoods to Osaka, a whole city obsessed with food, the historic Kyoto and its picture-perfect alleys, to the lush hills of peaceful Hakone, there is so much to see and explore in Japan.
But as a first-timer in Japan, we have to start somewhere.
I believe that these seven places are some of the most iconic, unmissable spots, mixed with a few underrated destinations that I loved visiting during my time here, to guarantee a well-rounded trip.
I hope you find this post useful and that it inspires you to dive deeper into your travel planning for Japan.
Even after living in Japan for nine months, I cannot wait to go back and explore even further, so I’m excited for you and your first trip to this wildly unique destination.
Which city in Japan are you most excited about visiting? Let us know in the comments.