Japan Tourism Topics

1. Discover the San'in area of Japan with a new app!
Want to explore a new area of Japan? A new app called "Discover Another Japan" is now available, offering sightseeing passes for tourist attractions in the San'in region in the southwest of Honshu, facing the Sea of Japan. With this app, visitors can easily discover and access Japan's many and varied destinations. If not sure where to start, why not take a ride on the Matsue Horikawa Pleasure Boat and take in the wintery scenery?
Discover Another Japan Pass

2. Experience modern and contemporary art and design at the new Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka
Newly opened in February 2022 on a sandbank called Nakanoshima in Osaka city, Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka houses a collection of more than 6,000 art pieces, including representative works from Japanese and overseas artists as well as works by local artists. In addition to Nakanoshima's many museums including the National Museum of Art, Osaka and Osaka Science Museum, now visitors have another reason to explore this part of Osaka!
Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka

3. Want to hit the ski slopes in the Kansai area? Check out the Rokko Snow Park!
Located just one hour by car from central Osaka, the Rokko Snow Park in Kobe is a fantastic place for beginners and children to enjoy winter sports. It opens in early December and operates until the beginning of March; visitors can rent skis, snowboards, sleds, and even winter sportswear, so all you need to do is show up and hit the slopes! The Snow Park is ready to welcome overseas visitors with a program of ski lessons in English and a restaurant with a halal menu.
Rokko Snow Park

4. Visit Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple in the heart of Tokyo on New Year's Eve
In Japan, it is a tradition to visit temples or shrines in the New Year. The Tsukiji Hongwanji is a Buddhist temple located next to the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. On New Year's Eve, a Buddhist memorial service is held at the temple to allow people to reflect on the year gone by. It's located within walking distance of Ginza, a high-end shopping district where visitors can experience many of Japan's New Year's traditions. On New Year's Eve and New Year' Day, you can visit the temple throughout the night and enjoy a countdown event, a pipe organ concert, New Year's bell ringing, and illuminations!
Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple

5. Seven Stars in Kyushu voted the best luxury train by Condé Nast Traveler
Condé Nast Traveler, one of the world's most influential travel magazines, announced in October that the JR Kyushu cruise train "Seven Stars in Kyushu" was voted the best luxury train in their 2022 Readers' Choice Awards for the second year in a row. Launched in October 2013, Japan's first luxury sleeper train boasts an exquisite blend of Japanese and Western traditions: an interior featuring fine woodwork, an authentic tea ceremony room, a bar, and saloon. Its luxury dining options include Japanese, French and Italian cuisine. Experience Japan's highest level of hospitality while enjoying breathtaking views of the Kyushu countryside!
Seven Stars in Kyushu

6. Stay at the new Marriott hotel in Hiruzen Highland, Okayama
In November 2022, the new luxury hotel Fairfield by Marriott Okayama Hiruzen Highland opened its doors in Maniwa city, Okayama prefecture. It's a perfect base from which to explore an area that dazzles with breathtaking seasonal colors and includes stunning vistas of Mount Daisen and the Hiruzen Three Peaks. Guests can try horseback riding and trekking and enjoy picnics in the Hiruzen Highlands in the summertime; wintertime activities include skiing and snowboarding. During your visit, why not also visit Kurashiki, a historical town lined with canals dating back to the Edo period?
Fairfield by Marriott Okayama Hiruzen Highland

7. Enjoy the magical winter scenery at the Hyoto Festival in Hokkaido
Taking place between January 28 and February 23, Hyoto Festival is an ice festival held at Lake Shikotsu in Chitose, a city whose airport serves as a gateway to Hokkaido. Various large and small ice shapes made by spraying and freezing water from Lake Shikotsu will be on display in shimmering blue hues during the day, and illuminated by colorful lights at night. Come and experience the fascinating world of ice in Hokkaido this winter!
Hyoto Festival

8. Find your favorite restaurants in the MICHELIN Guide Kyoto Osaka 2023
If you are looking for restaurants in the Kyoto and Osaka area, be sure to check out the latest MICHELIN Guide Kyoto Osaka 2023; this highlights 389 of them, including 41 newly added entries. Six restaurants in Kyoto and three in Osaka have maintained their MICHELIN Green Star status, demonstrating how local chefs and their teams are continuing to put sustainability at the heart of their business.
MICHELIN Guide Kyoto Osaka 2023

9. Visit Asahiyama Zoo in Hokkaido to see animals in the winter environment!
Asahiyama Zoo in Hokkaido, the northernmost zoo in Japan, has started winter operations which will last until April 9th. The zoo offers visitors an opportunity to see polar bears, penguins and other cold-weather animals in a winter environment that resembles their natural polar habitats.
Asahiyama Zoo

10. Experience the 1,200-year-old UNESCO folk art performance in Akita
Dainichido Bugaku, a UNESCO Intangible Folk Cultural Property, is the oldest form of bugaku folk art performance and has been handed down for more than 1,200 years by residents of four neighborhoods in Kazuno city in Akita prefecture. The annual performance is held at Ohirumemuchi Shrine in Kazuno city, and the next one will be held on January 2nd. If you are in the Tohoku region at that time, be sure to check out this historical and traditional New Year event!
Dainichido Bugaku

Notes:
• Items 1-3 are based on information from JNTO Partners
• The above details are correct as of the time of publication, and are subject to change.

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