Tokyo, Japan’s busy capital, mixes the ultramodern and the traditional, from neon-lit skyscrapers to historic temples. The opulent Meiji Shinto Shrine is known for its towering gate and surrounding woods. The Imperial Palace sits amid large public gardens. The city's many museums offer exhibits ranging from classical art in the Tokyo National Museum to a reconstructed kabuki theater in the Edo-Tokyo Museum. The old, narrow streets of the Asakusa district contain shops, women in kimono, and the 7th-century Sensō-ji Buddhist temple. By contrast, Roppongi has lively nightclubs and karaoke bars, and Akihabara has high-tech electronics stores. Cozy Japanese-style pubs called izakaya are scattered throughout the city. Tsukiji fish market, with a famous tuna auction, is near the center. The Tokyo SkyTree tower offers expansive views of the city from its public observation deck. Tokyo is famed for its vibrant food scene, and its Shibuya and Harajuku districts are the heart of its trendy teen fashion culture.

Kyoto, once the capital of Japan, is a city on the island of Honshu. It's famous for its numerous classical Buddhist temples, as well as gardens, imperial palaces, Shinto shrines, and traditional wooden houses. It’s also known for formal traditions such as kaiseki dining, consisting of multiple courses of precise dishes, and geisha, female entertainers often found in the Gion district.

Osaka is a large port city and commercial center on the Japanese island of Honshu. It's known for its modern architecture, nightlife, and hearty street food. The 16th-century shogunate Osaka Castle, which has undergone several restorations, is its main historical landmark. It's surrounded by a moat and park with plum, peach, and cherry-blossom trees. Sumiyoshi-taisha is among Japan’s oldest Shinto shrines.

Yokohama, a Japanese city south of Tokyo, was one of the first Japanese ports opened to foreign trade, in 1859. It contains a large Chinatown with hundreds of Chinese restaurants and shops. It is also known for Sankei-en Garden, a botanical park containing preserved Japanese residences from different eras, and the seaside Minato Mirai district, site of the 296m Landmark Tower.

Sapporo, the capital of the mountainous northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, is famous for its beer, skiing, and annual Sapporo Snow Festival featuring enormous ice sculptures. The Sapporo Beer Museum traces the city’s brewing history and has tastings and a beer garden. Ski hills and jumps from the 1972 Winter Olympics are scattered within the city limits, and Niseko, a renowned ski resort, is nearby.

Hiroshima, a modern city on Japan’s Honshu Island, was largely destroyed by an atomic bomb during World War II. Today, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park commemorates the 1945 event. In the park are the ruins of Genbaku Dome, one of the few buildings that were left standing near ground zero. Other prominent sites include Shukkei-en, a formal Japanese garden, and Hiroshima Castle, a fortress surrounded by a moat and a park.

Nagasaki is a Japanese city on the northwest coast of the island of Kyushu. It’s set on a large natural harbor, with buildings on the terraces of surrounding hills. It is synonymous with a key moment during World War II, after suffering an Allied nuclear attack in August 1945. The event is memorialized at the city’s Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Park.