Tokyo, being the capital city, is a great place to start off your sightseeing. Begin with the Ginza, where you will find a lot of shopping places and restaurants. The same goes with Shinjuku, although it is recommended that you visit Shinjuku in the morning as night time may be pretty “rough” for tourists like you.
In Asakusa you will find the Sensoji Temple, which is perhaps its main attraction. Here you will find vendors that sell interesting crafts and food. The Shibuya district in the western end of Tokyo is one that will suit the young and the young at heart. This is the emerging shopping and entertainment district in Japan and is one of the hippest places in town.
Akihabara is another place that you can visit if you are a tech junkie. This is where tech gadgets of all kinds can be found.
In Tsukiji is where you will find the world's largest open fish market, offering about 450 different varieties of fish.
Of course, your trip to Japan will never be complete without visiting the Imperial Palace at the heart of Tokyo. Remember though that the palace is not open to the public so be content with just taking pictures outside the gardens, which is fortunately, are open for tourists. The gardens surrounding palace has actually become public parks and are great for long walks.
Another must-see sight in Japan is the Cherry Tree grove that can be found at the Arkawa River. Cherry Trees are symbols of strength Japanese culture. Never leave Japan without having your picture taken with cherry trees.
One of the places that you should include in your itinerary is the National Park in Nikko where you will get to see the rich history behind the Tokugawa Shoguns. The place is so beautiful that UNESCO has included it in its list of World Heritage sites.
Another great place to visit is the Kamakura, where some of Japan's best shrines, temples and monuments can be found. This is also the town where the Great Buddha statue is located.
Kyoto is perhaps the country's second most visited city. It boasts if not only five but 15 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It also has a really great history, being the seat of the monarchy in the first and second millennium. It is in fact known as the “Thousand Year Capital.” There are also a lot of temples in the city so you really can get a taste of Japan's rich history.
Once known as the city where the nuclear bombs were thrown, Hiroshima has come to be known now as Japan's peace zone. The city features a Peace Park and a Peace Memorial Museum. You will also find in Hiroshima the Miyajima Island where you will find shrines and the torii gate, which has become one of the classic symbols of Japan.
Nagasaki, another city affected by nuclear bomb has also come to be known for its Peace Parks. One great attraction in Nagasaki that you should not miss is the Sofuku-ji, a temple that has a distinctive Chinese architecture.
Temples in Nara is also another great tourist destinations because of the temples of Shinto and Buddhism that it features.
