Scenery — 20 places
National ParkNational parks
Landscapes this country chose to protect.
20 destinations
Landscapes this country chose to protect.
01
FUJI
Mount Fuji
Yamanashi / Shizuoka
The mountain that draws this country's outline in a single ridge.
02
KAMIKOCHI
KamikochiNagano · Koshinetsu
A mountain scenic area at an elevation of about 1,500 m, set deep in the Northern Alps in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. Along the Azusa River, beneath the Hotaka mountain range, lie Taisho Pond, Kappa Bridge and Myojin Pond.
Mountains / Gorges / Forests
03
HAKUBA
HakubaNagano · Koshinetsu
Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture. A mountain resort of farmland and villages set against the three Hakuba peaks, including Mount Shirouma at 2,932 m. A base for skiing in winter, and for climbing and the highlands in summer.
Mountains / Snowscapes / Highlands
04
TATEYAMA
Tateyama & MurodoToyama · Hokuriku
Tateyama Town, Toyama Prefecture. At Murodo-daira, the heart of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route at 2,450 m, the crater lake Mikurigaike holds blue water. Snow walls of Yuki-no-Otani in spring, alpine flowers in summer, autumn leaves in autumn.
Mountains / Lakes / Snowscapes
05
HAKONE
HakoneKanagawa · Kanto
Hakone Town, Kanagawa Prefecture. The closest mountain resort to the Tokyo area, gathering Lake Ashi and Owakudani, both shaped by volcanoes, and numerous hot springs. Part of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.
Lakes / Hot spring towns / Mountains
06
SHIRETOKO
Shiretoko
Hokkaido
A peninsula where sea, forest and mountains remain unbroken.
07
AKAN
Lake AkanHokkaido · Hokkaido
A caldera lake at the heart of Akan-Mashu National Park in Kushiro, Hokkaido. Akanko Onsen lies on its shore facing Mount Oakan, and the lake is known as home to marimo, a Special Natural Monument.
Lakes / Hot spring towns / Forests
08
MASHU
Lake MashuHokkaido · Hokkaido
Teshikaga Town, Hokkaido. A lake enclosed by steep caldera walls, with no rivers flowing in or out. Known for its deep blue surface, Kamuishu Island floating in the lake, and frequent fog.
Lakes / Snowscapes / National parks
09
TOWADA
Lake TowadaAomori / Akita · Tohoku
A caldera lake straddling Aomori and Akita prefectures. With a maximum depth of 326.8 m, it is deep, and its peninsulas and capes form an intricate shoreline. It is also the source of the Oirase Stream.
Lakes / Forests / National parks
10
OIRASE
Oirase StreamAomori · Tohoku
Towada City, Aomori Prefecture. A mountain stream running from Nenokuchi on Lake Towada to Yakeyama, where clear water flows between mossy rocks and forest in a succession of waterfalls and rapids. A walking trail follows the river.
Gorges / Forests / Waterfalls
11
FUJI GOKO
Fuji Five Lakes
Yamanashi
Five lakes, five views of Fuji.
12
IZU
Izu & Jogasaki CoastShizuoka · Tokai
Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture. A sheer cliff coast formed when lava from the eruption of Mount Omuro reached the sea. One of the highlights of the Izu Peninsula Geopark, where a suspension bridge and walking trails look out over rugged rocks and sea.
Seas / National parks
13
SETOUCHI
Seto Inland SeaHiroshima / Okayama / Kagawa / Ehime / Yamaguchi / Hyogo · Chugoku
An inland sea enclosed by Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. An archipelagic seascape dotted with islands large and small, it forms the heart of Setonaikai National Park, one of Japan's first national parks, designated in 1934.
Seas / Islands / National parks
14
MIYAJIMA
MiyajimaHiroshima · Chugoku
Itsukushima (Miyajima), Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture. The buildings and great torii of Itsukushima Shrine, built over the sea, were inscribed as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1996. One of the Three Views of Japan.
Islands / Seas / World Heritage
15
YAKUSHIMA
YakushimaKagoshima · Kyushu
Yakushima Town, Kagoshima Prefecture. Home to Mount Miyanoura (1,936 m), the highest peak in Kyushu, with forests of Yakusugi cedars over a thousand years old and moss-covered ravines. In 1993 it became one of the first areas in Japan inscribed as a World Natural Heritage site.
Islands / Forests / Mountains
16
AMAMI
Amami Oshima
Kagoshima
Subtropical forests, and the sea in its inlets.
17
ISHIGAKI
Ishigaki Island & Kabira BayOkinawa · Okinawa
Ishigaki City, Okinawa Prefecture. Kabira Bay, in northwestern Ishigaki Island, is known for its white sand, small green islands and a sea that changes colour moment by moment. It is a national Place of Scenic Beauty and part of Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park. Swimming in the bay is prohibited; glass-bottom boats let you view the underwater world.
Seas / Islands / National parks
18
IRIOMOTE
Iriomote IslandOkinawa · Okinawa
Taketomi Town, Okinawa Prefecture. The second-largest island in Okinawa Prefecture after the main island, most of it covered by subtropical forest. Vast mangrove forests spread at the river mouths, and the Iriomote cat lives here. Inscribed as a World Natural Heritage site in 2021.
Islands / Forests / Seas
19
NIKKO
Nikko & Kegon FallsTochigi · Kanto
Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture. At Kegon Falls, water flowing out of Lake Chuzenji plunges straight down a 97 m cliff. Counted with Nachi Falls and Fukuroda Falls among Japan's three great waterfalls, it is a signature landscape of Nikko National Park.
Waterfalls / Lakes / Forests
20
NACHI
Nachi FallsWakayama · Kansai
Nachikatsuura Town, Wakayama Prefecture. A waterfall that drops 133 m in a single tier, the falls themselves long enshrined as the sacred body of Hiro Shrine. A component part of the World Cultural Heritage site "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range".
Waterfalls / Forests / National parks