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10 Best Sightseeing Spots in Japan

Japan is an exciting and unique country.  For many years, it was closed to foreign travel.  But now, Japan is welcoming tourists.  They have begun a campaign targeted at attracting ten million tourists per year to the island nation.  This is the time to see all of the amazing sights that Japan has to offer.

The tenth best sightseeing spot in the country of Japan is Ueno Park in Tokyo.  Ueno Park is a huge park that is located close to Ueno Station.  It was opened as a public park in 1873.  At the park's south entrance, visitors can see the Saigo Takamori statue.  Takamori was an important figure in the Meiji Restoration that happened in 1868.  Ueno Park also has a variety of museums, including the National Museum of Western Art, the Tokyo Metropolitan Fine Art Gallery, the National Science Museum, and the Tokyo National Museum.  It also has a zoological garden, which was founded in 1882.  There is also a pond with the goddess Benten's statue.  There's the Toshuga Shrine.  And, there are over one thousand cherry blossom trees that are unbelievably beautiful.  

The ninth best sightseeing spot in Japan is Harajuku in Tokyo.  Harajuku a district that offers great shopping.  The big draw is Takeshita Dori (Takeshita Street), which is home to a number of boutiques, fashion shops, restaurants, bars, cafés, and clothing stores.  Sightseers should visit this area on a Sunday.  On Sundays, all the kids dress in crazy costumes to look like punk musicians, anime characters, and other things.  Two more attractions in Harajuku are Yoyogi Park, where the Meiji Shrine can be found, and Ota Memorial Museum of Art.           

The eighth best sightseeing spot in Japan is Asakusa, Tokyo.  Asakusa is a district that has retained the feel of old Tokyo.  The popular sight to see in Asakusa is Sensoji, which is a big Buddhist Temple that was built around the year 800.  People also like to take rickshaw rides and eat traditional Japanese street foods.  The area has been the most popular entertainment district in the country for hundreds of years.          

The seventh best sightseeing spot in Japan is Shibuya, Tokyo.  This is one of Tokyo's most colorful districts.  The intersection at the Hachiko Exit features the gigantic video screens and neon signs that make Tokyo look so unique.  This is a busy intersection that hosts an enormous amount of foot traffic and is a great place to get a feel for the culture of modern Tokyo.  

The sixth best sightseeing spot in Japan is Ginza, Tokyo.  Ginza is a very prestigious district of Japan's capital that is home to great restaurants, night clubs, art galleries, department stores, and other attractions.  The best time to visit Ginza is in the afternoon during the weekend.  That's when Chuo Dori is blocked off from through traffic and turns into a street fair.    

The fifth best sightseeing spot in Japan is Shinjuku, Tokyo.  Shinjuku is the district that hosts Japan's busiest train station.  Shinjuku Station has two million passengers pass through its doors during the course of every single day.  Shinjuku also has some of the tallest buildings in the city.  There's an observation desk at the Metropolitan Government Office where people can enjoy the view.  Kabukicho is also located in Shinjuku.  This the wildest red light district in Japan.     

The fourth best sightseeing spot in Japan is the rest of Tokyo.  Tokyo is the home of twelve million permanent residents.  That constitutes one of every ten citizens of the country.  One of the most popular things to do in Tokyo is to ride the monorail to Odaiba, which is an island in the harbor.  Odaiba has incredible beaches, a ferris wheel, a Toyota showroom, great shopping, and a science museum.  Another place tourists must visit on their trips is the Imperial Gardens.

The third best sightseeing spot in Japan is Kyoto.  Kyoto used to be the capital of Japan.  Now, it is the country's seventh largest city.  The big thing in Kyoto is the shojin ryori, a Buddhist vegetarian cuisine.  Another thing people like about visiting Kyoto is seeing the Katsura Imperial Villa, which has been around since approximately the year 1600.      

The second best sightseeing spot in Japan is Osaka.  This is the third largest metropolitan area in all of Japan.  It was the first capital of the country.  The most popular attraction in the city is the Osaka Castle.  The second most popular attraction is Himeji Castle located about 75km outside Osaka.       

The best sightseeing spot in Japan is Yokohama.  Yokohama has a population of more than three million people.  This means it it the country's second largest metropolis.  It was one of the nation's first large ports.  The most popular place in Yokohama is Chinatown, which hosts a variety of interesting museums.  One of which showcases the island nation's most popular native superhero, Anpanman.