Department store basements: The basements of almost every department store are filled with food stalls selling everything you can imagine. Go and feast!
Gen Yamamoto, Tokyo: A cocktail genius perfects his craft behind a bar carved from a single massive tree. Expect a magical mystery tour of beautiful flavors and glassware (Note - you will not get drunk)
Cafe de L’Ambre, Tokyo: The best coffee in the world. Period. Get the 1903 Brazil beans
Tsukiji market, Tokyo: While the fish auction has moved, the outer market is still a mecca of all types of japanese food from fresh fruit to fish
Sawanoi brewery, Ome: Great sake in a beautiful location with affordable pricing (~100-500 yen per cup)
Nishiki market, Kyoto: A street featuring all varieties of Japanese food - don’t be afraid to try the surprising and the strange!
Mitsuboshien Kambayashi Sannyu Honten, Kyoto: Possibly the best green tea in Japan. Do not miss
Fujioka Shuzo, Kyoto: An adorable nihonshu microbrewery with great sake and amazing duck
Okakita/Yamamoto Menzou, Kyoto: Two of the best noodle restaurants in the world right next to each other. Pick the one with the shorter line
Dotonburi, Osaka: A nightlife madhouse staple of osaka. Eat and drink the night away (takoyaki, kushi-katsu, and okonomiyaki are required eating!)
Konpira udon, Takamatsu: INCREDIBLE UDON! Simple yet amazing
Panya koro, Onomichi: One of the best bakeries (in the world?) hidden in a sleepy coastal city
Kobayashi soba, Matsumoto: Incredible soba, tempura, and tea in this cute mountain city
Bar Rocking Chair, Kyoto: A tiny jazz bar with perfectly mixed cocktails and great atmosphere
Kanda Matsuya, Tokyo: A small 130? year old soba shop that perfectly captures the atmosphere of Tokyo and has great noodles (try the gomasoba!)
Yatai stalls, Fukuoka: Do not miss grabbing food and beers with locals at these tiny food stalls!
Shimanami Kaido, Onomichi: An insanely beautiful ~80km bike ride in between islands filled with amazing citrus and friendly locals
Kamikochi, Nagano: Possible the most gorgeous place on earth with the clearest water. Trek in the fall for a magical experience
Sawanobori: The best sport in the world. Canyoning, but going up instead of down (basically waterfall climbing)
Kumano Kodo, Wakayama: One of the two UNESCO protected pilgrimages in the world. A beautiful trek in between mountains where you can stay with locals. If you end in Nachi, you are rewarded with a temple in front of a spectacular waterfall
Ishizuchi-san, Ehime: One of my favorite hikes in the world but not for the faint of heart. Haul yourself up giant iron chains to a temple on the top of a mountain. Then, cross a knife-edge ridge to get to the summit. Try to time it with the ‘opening of the mountain’ ceremony
Fuji-san: A popular trek but an incredible sunrise. Well worth it
Miyajima: An island featuring one of the best views in the world (esp at sunset), a great hike, great anago-don, and a beautiful torii gate standing in the ocean
Tokyu Hands: The store that has it all. Try not to leave with an entire home’s worth of goods
Kyoto temples/shrines: Kyoto is home to some of the most spectacular temples and shrines and visit as many as you like. Fushimi Inari, Kyomizudera, Ryoanji, Sanjusangendo, and the Arashiyama area are personal favorites
Kamogawa, Kyoto: Wander by the river, especially on the river-path and in the old neighborhoods, in the late afternoon and into the night to find the true soul of Japan
Katsura Imperial Villa, Kyoto: The prettiest garden I’ve ever been lucky enough to enjoy. PLEASE GO if you are ever in kyoto. Absolutely stunning. Probably the best garden in Japan and possibly in the world.
Kasagi: A small town with both great bouldering and an incredible temple (holy site for 2000+ years, the emperor fled here after failing to overthrow the shogun in (1300s?), amazing stone carvings)
Peace Park/Museum, Hiroshima: A brutal memorial to victims of the atomic bomb in a stunning park
Cherry Blossom/Maple Leaves viewing in Spring/Fall: Japan celebrates the changing of the seasons as the country turns vivid colors. Locals dress up, explore, and picnic throughout the country. Join them!