Japan
A week in Japan
Seven days across Japan: Hiroshima, Hirosaki, Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Naha. Each day is a walk through the best-known places in one city, and the cities follow in the order that keeps the travel between them short.
Day 1: Hiroshima
- Hiroshima Peace Memorial MuseumMuseum · On the map
- Hiroshima Peace Memorial ParkGarden · 0.1 km on from Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum · On the map
- Children's Peace MonumentMonument · 0.2 km on from Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park · On the map
- Hiroshima Peace MemorialMonument · 0.2 km on from Children's Peace Monument · On the map
- Hiroshima CastleMuseum · 0.9 km on from Hiroshima Peace Memorial · On the map
- Assumption of Mary Cathedral, HiroshimaCathedral · 1.1 km on from Hiroshima Castle · On the map
6 stops, about 2.6 km between them in straight lines.
Day 2: Hirosaki
- Hirosaki CastleCastle · On the map
- Hirosaki ParkGarden · Next to Hirosaki Castle · On the map
- Hirosaki City MuseumMuseum · 0.3 km on from Hirosaki Park · On the map
3 stops, about 0.3 km between them in straight lines.
Day 3: Tokyo
- Tokyo National MuseumMuseum · On the map
- National Museum of Nature and ScienceMuseum · 0.3 km on from Tokyo National Museum · On the map
- National Museum of Western ArtMuseum · 0.1 km on from National Museum of Nature and Science · On the map
- Tokyo Metropolitan Art MuseumMuseum · 0.3 km on from National Museum of Western Art · On the map
- Ueno ZooZoo or aquarium · 0.1 km on from Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum · On the map
- Ueno Imperial Grant ParkGarden · 0.6 km on from Ueno Zoo · On the map
6 stops, about 1.5 km between them in straight lines.
Day 4: Nagoya
- Tokugawa GardenGarden · On the map
- Tokugawa Art MuseumMuseum · 0.1 km on from Tokugawa Garden · On the map
- Nunoike ChurchCathedral · 1.5 km on from Tokugawa Art Museum · On the map
- Hisaya Ōdori ParkGarden · 1.5 km on from Nunoike Church · On the map
4 stops, about 3.1 km between them in straight lines.
Day 5: Kyoto
- JurakudaiCastle · On the map
- Kyoto City Archaeological MuseumMuseum · 0.6 km on from Jurakudai · On the map
- Kyoto Imperial PalacePalace · 1.3 km on from Kyoto City Archaeological Museum · On the map
- Kyoto Gyoen National GardenGarden · 0.2 km on from Kyoto Imperial Palace · On the map
- St. Agnes CathedralCathedral · 0.6 km on from Kyoto Gyoen National Garden · On the map
- Museum of KyotoMuseum · 1.2 km on from St. Agnes Cathedral · On the map
6 stops, about 3.9 km between them in straight lines.
Day 6: Osaka
- Grand Cathedral of the Virgin Mary of OsakaCathedral · On the map
- Osaka Museum of HistoryMuseum · 0.7 km on from Grand Cathedral of the Virgin Mary of Osaka · On the map
- Osaka CastleCastle · 0.7 km on from Osaka Museum of History · On the map
- Osaka Castle ParkCastle · Next to Osaka Castle · On the map
- Osaka Business ParkPark · 0.6 km on from Osaka Castle Park · On the map
- Fujita Art MuseumMuseum · 0.5 km on from Osaka Business Park · On the map
6 stops, about 2.5 km between them in straight lines.
Day 7: Naha
- Shuri CastleMuseum · On the map
- Sonohyan-utakiMonument · 0.2 km on from Shuri Castle · On the map
- ShureimonMonument · Next to Sonohyan-utaki · On the map
- TamaudunMonument · 0.2 km on from Shureimon · On the map
4 stops, about 0.5 km between them in straight lines.
More for Japan
- Things to do in Japan · 36 places to see, led by Hiroshima Peace Memorial and Itsukushima Shrine
Photo credits
- Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum: Taisyo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park: Balon Greyjoy, CC0
- Hiroshima Peace Memorial: Oilstreet, CC BY 2.5
- Hiroshima Castle: Unknown author, Public domain
- Assumption of Mary Cathedral, Hiroshima: Taisyo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hirosaki Castle: 掬茶, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hirosaki Park: Feri88, CC BY 3.0
- Hirosaki City Museum: 663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tokyo National Museum: Wiiii, CC BY-SA 3.0
- National Museum of Nature and Science: 663highland, CC BY 2.5
- National Museum of Western Art: 663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum: 663highland, CC BY 2.5
- Ueno Zoo: Los688, Public domain
- Ueno Imperial Grant Park: Sdalu, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tokugawa Garden: Tomio344456, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tokugawa Art Museum: Tomio344456, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Nunoike Church: ~MVI~, CC BY 2.0
- Hisaya Ōdori Park: Bariston, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jurakudai: Collection of Mitsui Bunko archive, Public domain
- Kyoto City Archaeological Museum: PlusMinus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kyoto Imperial Palace: Saigen Jiro, CC0
- Kyoto Gyoen National Garden: Shinpeiinada, CC BY-SA 3.0
- St. Agnes Cathedral: 663highland, CC BY 2.5
- Museum of Kyoto: J o, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Grand Cathedral of the Virgin Mary of Osaka: 663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Osaka Museum of History: 663highland, CC BY 2.5
- Osaka Castle: 663highland, CC BY 2.5
- Osaka Castle Park: 663highland, CC BY 2.5
- Osaka Business Park: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fujita Art Museum: 663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shuri Castle: 663highland, CC BY 2.5
- Sonohyan-utaki: nnh, Public domain
- Shureimon: 663highland, CC BY 2.5
- Tamaudun: 663highland, CC BY 2.5
Pictures from Wikimedia Commons, through each place’s Wikidata entry.
Good to know
- Each day starts at the best-known place not yet seen and adds the best known within a short walk of it, then puts them in the shortest order. The places come from Wikidata (CC0), ranked by how many Wikipedias have an article about them.
- The map draws each day’s walk along the streets, routed by Valhalla on OpenStreetMap; the distances beside the stops are straight lines.
- Opening hours, tickets and closures are not checked: each place’s Wikipedia article has them.