Eight regions.
One country in motion.

01北海道

Wide skies, volcanic ranges and some of the deepest snow in Japan. Hokkaido moves at a different pace — Sapporo's grid of streets, quiet fishing towns and lavender fields that bloom for a few short weeks.

SapporoFuranoShiretokoNiseko

02東北

Japan's northern main island is a study in contrast: volcanic hot springs, cedar forests, quiet castle towns and a coastline rebuilt with quiet resolve. Cherry blossoms arrive late here, and the autumn colour is extraordinary.

MatsushimaAomoriSendaiNyuto Onsen

03関東

Tokyo is the gravitational centre, but Kanto is more than its capital. Neon crossings, centuries-old shrines, the Shonan coast and mountain trails all sit within a morning's train ride of each other.

TokyoNikkoKamakuraHakone

04中部

The Japan Alps run through the middle of Honshu, framed by old post towns, wasabi fields and the unmistakable profile of Mount Fuji. Chubu is where the country's geography feels most dramatic.

Mount FujiTakayamaKanazawaJapanese Alps

05関西

Kyoto's temple gardens, Osaka's kitchen streets and Nara's deer parks form the cultural heartland. Kansai rewards slow travel: a lantern-lit alley or a moss garden can be the whole day.

KyotoOsakaNaraKobe

06中国

Islands, ferries and floating shrines. Chugoku faces the calm Seto Inland Sea on one side and the Sea of Japan on the other, with Hiroshima's sobering history and Yamaguchi's quiet landscapes in between.

HiroshimaMiyajimaTottoriYamaguchi

07四国

The smallest of Japan's four main islands is a place of pilgrimage routes, river valleys and laid-back coastal towns. Shikoku is for travellers who prefer the long way round.

NarutoMatsuyamaKochiIya Valley

08九州・沖縄

From Fukuoka's food stalls to Yakushima's ancient cedars and Okinawa's coral coasts, the south runs hotter, slower and greener. It is Japan at its most tropical — and its most volcanic.

FukuokaYakushimaOkinawaBeppu