Official Tourism Travel Links Japan
- Kevin Warren
- Jan 23
- 6 min read
Welcome to a collection of Official Tourism Travel Links Japan. These links to Japanese Islands, Cities and Prefectures will make your visit to Japan easier. Not all information sources for your travel journey are equal, with these "Official" travel sites being the best option for details from the source, your destination. Image and captions are links, click to get to the Official travel site.
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The Tourism Information You Need Most
Immigration
Japan’s welcome begins with orderly arrival formalities, and Visit Japan Web is the government’s modern tool for handling them with the same time-tested precision the country is known for. Operated by the Government of Japan’s Digital Agency, this online service lets visitors—and people returning to Japan—prepare key arrival procedures in advance, including immigration and customs steps, alongside a tax-free shopping service. Japan Customs requires all passengers to submit a declaration, and it specifically recommends submitting that declaration electronically via Visit Japan Web—where you enter your information and receive a 2D (QR) code to present at the airport. At seven major international airports, travelers can use electronic declaration terminals (even while waiting for checked baggage) and then proceed through customs e-Gates designed to shorten waiting times and reduce congestion—so you spend less time on paperwork and more time stepping into Japan.
Travel Sites
Honshu is Japan’s heavyweight: the country’s largest island, at nearly 88,031 miles out of a national land area of about 145,947 miles; so roughly 60% of Japan is concentrated on this single, sweeping stretch of land. It’s the backbone of Japan travel for a reason: many first-time visitors start in Tokyo, then hop on the bullet train to Kyoto and Osaka, the well-established Golden Triangle that offers a clear, broad introduction to Japan’s culture, history, cuisine, and people.
But Honshu isn’t only a greatest-hits itinerary, it’s where Japan’s big stories and quiet pleasures sit side by side, from modern city streets like Tokyo to heritage neighborhoods, Onsen towns, and mountain landscapes that reward taking the slower road. Towering over it all is Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest peak at 12,388 ft, recognized on the UNESCO World Heritage List as “Fujisan – Sacred Place and Source of Artistic Inspiration.” Much of Japan experiences a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, Honshu constantly changes character—spring and autumn colors, summer festivals, winter escapes, World Heritage Sites, coastlines—giving travelers a reason to return, not just pass through.
Tokyo is Japan’s capital and its most electric crossroads—high-rise and fast-paced, yet still anchored by pockets of older Tokyo that refuse to disappear. Japan’s official tourism guide frames the city as a place where tradition and innovation sit shoulder to shoulder, from Asakusa’s temple streets and preserved shrines to the fashion and shopping districts of Shibuya, Harajuku, and Ginza. For travelers, that contrast is the invitation: spend a quiet hour in a historic garden that reflects back to the days when the city was still called Edo, then step out into the present where “old meets new” is more than a slogan—it’s how Tokyo keeps rewriting itself. Come hungry, too—official travel writing calls Tokyo a foodie paradise, ranging from ramen shops to a dining scene known for the sheer depth of its Michelin-starred restaurants. And remember the promise Tokyo makes best: “You cannot visit the same Tokyo twice”—every return brings a new neighborhood, a new detail, and a fresh reason to go.
Kyoto is Japan’s thousand-year heartland, a city that served as the nation’s capital for over a millennium after Emperor Kanmu established his court here in 794, and where many of Japan’s cultural customs and religious traditions took root. Today, that heritage isn’t sealed behind museum glass: it lives in the daily rhythm of temple bells and neighborhood shrines, in a city that counts more than a thousand sacred sites and an extraordinary share of Japan’s National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties. Kyoto’s stature is also recognized internationally through the UNESCO-listed “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto,” a group of 17 cultural landmarks—among them Saihoji Temple (Kokedera), the famed “Moss Temple,” whose garden is carpeted in over 120 varieties of moss. Come to Kyoto for the icons, but stay for the quieter reward: a slower pace, enduring craftsmanship, and the rare feeling of stepping into a place where history is still part of everyday life.
Osaka’s story is inseparable from its long-standing role as a hub of commerce and culture in Japan—a reputation it had already established by the Edo period, when the city’s appetite for trade and entertainment helped shape its character. Today, that legacy makes Osaka one of the country’s most rewarding urban stops: a place where history still stands tall at Osaka Castle (begun in 1583, with the iconic main tower reconstructed in 1931), and where the city’s famous food-first spirit earns it the nickname “Japan’s kitchen.” Spend an evening in Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori—an area with centuries of merchant life and “400 years of entertainment,” set beside a 400-year-old canal—then follow the local philosophy of kuidaore (eat until you drop) as neon-lit streets turn into an open invitation to taste Osaka. And when you’re ready to widen the lens, Osaka’s waterfront reminds you it’s also a major port city, with the bay area developed into a premier visitor zone anchored by big attractions like Universal Studios Japan and Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.
Niigata, set along the Sea of Japan, is a place where Japan’s essentials begin: fertile plains shaped by heavy mountain snowfall, prized rice fields, and the pure meltwater that helps define the region’s sake—so much so that Niigata is celebrated as the nation’s “rice capital,” home to standout varieties like Koshihikari. For Koi Waters readers, it’s also sacred ground: Ojiya City is introduced by Niigata’s official tourism guide as the birthplace of nishikigoi—“swimming jewels” that first emerged from a mutation around 200 years ago and are now officially recognized as Niigata Prefecture’s ornamental fish (2017). Beyond the paddies, visitors can ferry out to Sado Island for hot springs, award-winning sake, and the culture-rich pull of Kodo and its Earth Celebration. Back inland, the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field threads contemporary works through Tokamachi and Tsunan, with over 200 pieces scattered across countryside galleries and repurposed buildings. And with Niigata reachable from Tokyo in about two hours by Joetsu Shinkansen, it’s an easy escape into a Japan still governed by seasons, craftsmanship, and water in all its forms.
Accounting for about 22% of Japan’s total area, Hokkaido is the nation’s largest prefecture—a vast northern island where wide-open nature, long straight roads, and seasonal flower fields make travel feel refreshingly indulgent. Just a short flight from Tokyo, it’s also one of Japan’s most inviting all-seasons getaways: Hokkaido earns its place on the must-visit list with world-class powder snow in winter, while cooler summers offer a welcome break from the mainland’s humidity, setting the stage for hiking and exploring national parks. Add natural hot springs, volcanic scenery, outstanding seafood, and opportunities to learn about the traditions of the indigenous Ainu people, and it becomes easy to see why Hokkaido belongs high on any Japan itinerary.
Kyushu and its outlying islands cover about 26,241 miles, roughly 11% of Japan’s land area—making it the southernmost and third-largest of Japan’s main islands, a generous stretch of Japan where the journey itself is part of the reward. As Japan’s third-largest island, Kyushu is made for unhurried travel: it’s easy to reach, best explored at a leisurely pace, and internationally known for tonkotsu ramen, varied hot springs, dramatic mountains, and peaceful beaches, with Fukuoka drawing international notice for its food scene. Close to the rest of Asia, welcoming new ideas and cultures for over a thousand years, Kyushu’s seven prefectures offer a classic mix of Japanese pleasures—soak in Beppu Onsen, then chase the big landscapes, from Sakurajima to Mt. Aso, for a side of Japan that feels both deeply rooted and unmistakably alive.
On the western edge, Nagasaki stands out as a vivid port city where international history is still tangible, offering Nagasaki Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Museum for a moving, enduring message of peace and resilience.
Shikoku may be Japan’s smallest of the four main islands, but it carries an outsized share of the country’s living tradition—where faith, folklore, and landscape still feel woven into daily life. This is the home of the Shikoku Henro, a centuries-old, circular pilgrimage that traces 88 temples linked to the monk Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi) across roughly 1,200 kilometers—less a checklist than a road that invites reflection, conversation, and a slower way of moving through Japan. Beyond the pilgrimage route, Shikoku opens onto the glittering Seto Inland Sea and its island-scattered calm, while Tokushima’s Awa Odori—one of Japan’s best-known cultural events—draws national attention each August with dance that has echoed for centuries. Come to Shikoku to meet a more traditional Japan at an unhurried pace: soak in celebrated hot springs like Dōgo Onsen, taste Kagawa’s famously beloved udon, and let the island’s quieter horizons do what they’ve always done—restore the traveler.
