Important Sights and Activities:

Original Castles:

• Himeji-jo in Himeji, Chugoku
• Matsumoto-jo in Matsumoto, Chubu
• Matsuyama-jo in Matsuyama on Shikoku
• Nijojo (Ninomaru) in Kyoto, Kinki
  more of a palace than castle, but a UNESCO heritage site and beautiful buildings and gardens

Reconstructed Castles:

• Osaka-jo in Osaka, Kinki, with the Toyotomi Hideyoshi Museum
• Nagoya in Nagoya, Chubu, castle history museum and popular cherry blossom garden
• Kumamoto in Kumamoto, Kyushu, with modern museum inside

Tsukiyama (Landscape Gardens):

• Kenrokuen in Kanazawa
  Japan's most famous landscape garden
• Katsura Villa in Kyoto
• Korakuen in Okayama
  outstanding landscape garden
• Kairakuen in Mito
  famous for it's plum trees

Karesansui (Zen, dry landscape, rock gardens):

• Ryoanji (Peaceful Dragon Temple) in Kyoto
  Ryoanji is famous for it's dry landscape style rock garden (Karesansui), we should sit and contemplate the voids and eventually sense the invisible 15th rock.
  Ryoanji at Japan-Guide
• Saiho-ji or Koke-dera (Moss Temple), in Kyoto
  There are two famous gardens at Saihoji, one dry land and one pond garden, both covered in moss. Visiting Saihoji is by invitation only - send postcard to Saiho-ji Temple, 56 Kamigaya-cho, Matsuo, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto to request a visit.
• Ginkaku-ji (Temple of the Silver Pavilion) in Kyoto
  Ginkakuji is the common name for Jisho-ji, a Rinzai temple on Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's villa. It is famous for it's sand garden, it's fencing, and buildings.
• Nanzenji in Kyoto
• Motsuji in Hiraizumi

Modern Attractions:

• Kaiyukan (Ring of Fire Aquarium) in Osaka
  Whale Shark ("Yu-chan"), ocean sun fish, sea otters, penguins, white-sided dolphins
• Seagaia Ocean Dome near Miyazaki, in Kyushu

Museums:

• Rekihaki (The National Museum of Japanese History) in Sakura, Chiba-ken
• Edomura (open air museum of Edo era Samurai life) in Nikko
• Hida Folk Village in Takayama, Chubu

Buddhist Temples:

• Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) in Kyoto, Zen (Tozan Jishoji)Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto, Zen (Rokuonji)
• Kiyomizudera (Pure Water Temple) in Kyoto, Nara
• Todaiji in Nara, houses largest Buddha statue
• Horyuji in Nara, oldest wooden structures in Japan

Shinto Shrines:

• Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima, near Hiroshima, famous for the Torii in the ocean
• Nikko Toshogu in Nikko, mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu

Natural Beauty:

• Amanohashidate, Miyazu Bay, Kyoto-ken; two hour train ride from Kyoto
• Matsushima Bay, near Sendai, Tohoku
• Kegon Waterfall at Lake Chuzenji
• Oirase Valley at Lake Towada and Lake Towada itself
• Mount Fuji from Fuji Five Lakes or Hakone

Festivals:

• Takayama Matsuri in Takayama, Hida-ken