Best Townscapes Spot List

A good old-fashioned shopping district with 70 older shops and a shitamachi (downtown) atmosphere.

Shibuya is a very popular town for younger generations, and this crossing is one of the biggest scramble crossings in the world. It is a famous spot that appears in many movies.

This is an area where you can find all kinds of antique books. There are shops with new books as well.

Nihonbashi is a town where traditional Japanese and modern cultures are woven together, where you can experience the charms of Japan.

The Ameyayo shotengai(shopping street) grew out of a black market that sprung up following the end of World War II. It is a shopping district that retains the good old feel of downtown Tokyo.

Marunouchi Naka-Dori Street connects Yurakucho and Otemachi. Large buildings such as Marubiru (Marunouchi Building) line the street, giving it the atmosphere of a business district.

Midosuji takes its name from the Kita Mido Hall and the Minami Mido Hall, which are branch temples of Higashi Hongan-ji Temple and Nishi Hongan-ji Temple located by the roadside. As the face of Osaka, this grand boulevard runs through the city's heart and entertainment area and is lined with banks, trading company buildings, and hotels. Stretching 44 meters wide, the road extends four kilometers southwards from the front of Hankyu Department Store beside Osaka Station to Namba Station. The road is lined with four rows of gingko trees, whose leaves turn a beautiful yellow in autumn.

At 1.3 km long, Togoshi Ginza Shopping Street is one of the longest such streets in the Kanto area. Some 400 shops as well as many events including food fairs.

A wholesale district with a variety of specialty shops selling everything from traditional Japanese dolls, to displays for shop windows, toys and stationery.

It is the main street of Ura-Harajuku (the Harajuku back street) along which stylish stores stand. There are cafes and some general stores on the street, so taking a stroll on the back street is fun as well.

An alley roughly 300 metres from Ningyocho, named Amazake Yokocho after a shop selling sweet sake.

The first lodging station of Old Tokaido Road, the main road that led to Edo (Tokyo). Visit the historical places and sites to trace the vestiges of a thriving town.

A small alley teeming with traditional izakayas (Japanese-style bars). A place to enjoy a the Showa Retro atmosphere while in Shibuya.

Sapporo's northern entertainment district: ”The district that never sleeps”

Tightly packed with foods, glass products, and more

A new cultural tourist facility where one can brush shoulders with artisans producing soy sauce, local sake and glass art.

The Dotombori-gawa River slices right through the Minami district of Osaka, and it is from the river's Ebisubashi Bridge that you can view the famous Glico neon billboard up close. The riverside promenade called Tombori River Walk exudes a tasty atmosphere. Tombori River Cruise, in which you can enjoy the scenery of Dotombori from the river, is open for an only limited time.

A restaurant that serves freshly caught river fish can also be found, and the area is characterized by the friendly atmosphere of the traditionally commercial, working-class neighborhood.

Shaped like the fugure eight, this loop bridge connects Kinsei-dai (Venus Lookout) in Suwayama Park and the mountaintop observatory square called Venus Terrace. This winding bridge, thrusting out toward urban Kobe, offers you a magical night view right before your eyes. Lights of ships and planes arriving and taking off from Kobe Airport resemble shooting stars. The Futatabisan Driveway leading to Venus Bridge is closed to vehicles from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. (closed to two-wheel vehicles all day).