Bucket lists are a great way to set exciting goals that are fun and fulfilling to achieve throughout your life. They can prompt new adventures, create new memories and establish new friendships.
They can take you to new places that you never would have dreamed of visiting, and in Japan, there are so many new and exciting places for people to discover and explore. Japan bucket list travel is elite; it’s like nothing else.
With over 6,800 official islands in Japan, you can pack your Japan bucket list full of different and inspiring things to try from all over the country. Venture into Tokyo’s bright and buzzing nightlife, or opt to leave behind the fast-paced city and relax in an inviting onsen hot spring.
There’s an unending number of incredible things to do in Japan!
10 best things to do in Japan: Your Japanese bucket list
1. Pair a sake tasting with omakase sushi
Omakase sushi meals have become famous world-wide for their detail, dedication and deliciousness. They have become the gold standard for fine dining, with only the best ingredients and freshest fish used in the chef’s culinary creations.
Here, at this intimate and upscale sushi restaurant in Tokyo, you will get the chance to indulge in 15 pieces of luxurious sushi, paired perfectly with some of the most delicious and high-quality sake selections. It is one of the best foodie things to do in Japan.
2. Experience Tokyo’s electric nightlife
Have you even been to Japan if you didn’t go drinking in Tokyo?
Experience a true slice of local nightlife in Tokyo’s eclectic Kichijoji neighborhood.
Bar hop through the area and Kichijoji’s famous Harmonica Yokocho (Harmonica Alley), where retro bars and izakaya greet you, as you taste different kinds of popular Japanese drinks and bites to eat. Try the horse meat, it’s delicious!
Find out more: 9 Original Tokyo Bar-Hopping Tours for a Night to Remember
3. Sing your heart out at karaoke
How could you spend time in Japan without allowing yourself to experience the chaotic fun of karaoke?
Head out into the bustling district of Shinbashi and experience the post-work life of a typical Japanese salaryman by drinking and eating at izakaya and bars before finishing the night off at karaoke!
One of the best things to do in Japan is sing karaoke with drinks, snacks and good friends.
4. Enjoy enviable views of Mt. Fuji (Kawaguchiko)
Mt. Fuji, also known affectionately as “Fuji san” by locals and residents alike, is one of the most famous landmarks of Japan.
Fujikawaguchiko is a resort town in the foothills of Mt. Fuji, and surrounds Lake Kawaguchiko, one of the scenic Five Fuji Lakes. Lake Kawaguchiko is one of the easiest of the Fuji lakes for visitors to access, via both train and direct bus connections to and from Tokyo.
A wide range of attractions are available around Lake Kawaguchiko, including onsen, museums, Fuji Q amusement park, a ropeway and more. If seeing Mt. Fuji hasn’t made it onto your Japan bucket list yet, make sure to add it.
For an experience you’ll never forget, go glamping with Mt. Fuji views!
5. Stay in a traditional Japanese inn
Immerse yourself in a truly time-honored Japanese cultural environment via a stay in a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn.
Relax and unwind for one night at this beautiful ryokan in Ishikawa, where you’ll have the chance to soak in a private onsen, enjoy a luxurious kaiseki multicourse dinner and breakfast, have access to Awazu Onsen and learn the ancient art of shakyo, meditative script writing.
A stay at a ryokan accompanied by a traditional kaiseki meal are both absolute musts on your list of things to do in Japan.
6. Relax in an onsen hot spring
An almost mandatory requirement for anyone’s Japan travel plans is a visit to an onsen hot spring. While you may have taken a dip at the traditional Japanese inn above, the onsen town of Kannawa Onsen in Beppu (on the island of Kyushu) is a must-see in itself.
It’s certainly on this author’s own personal Japan bucket list, as it is a place teeming with steam, with clouds of it billowing out of all the nooks and crannies of the town. With hot springs of every color and mineral-richness, relaxing in an onsen in Beppu is like no other.
In an area like this, food can also be cooked and prepared with the mineral-enriched steam from the onsen. This style of traditional cooking is called jigokumushi (literally “hell steaming”), which deepens the flavors and gives the food a unique texture.
Find out more: 12 Things to Do in Beppu: Top Tourist Attractions
7. Catch the shinkansen bullet train
Perhaps another of the most famous activities of Japan, riding the shinkansen (or bullet train) definitely belongs on your Japan bucket list.
It is one of the fastest, most convenient and relaxing ways to travel throughout the country. Known for its punctuality, cleanliness, comfort, safety and efficiency, catching a ride on the shinkansen is truly one of the most memorable things to do in Japan.
For a way to tick off two Japan bucket list items in one day, join this bullet train to Mt. Fuji tour and you’ll get to travel via shinkansen to Fujinomiya, enjoy a bento box lunch and snacks on the way, then explore Fujinomiya with the expertise of a local tour guide before catching the bullet train back to your starting point.
Alternatively, the shinkansen is also the perfect way to get to Kyoto, coming up next on your Japan bucket list.
Find out more: 19 Fun Things To Do Around Mt. Fuji
8. Wander the streets of Kyoto
Kyoto has always been one of the most popular destinations on people’s Japan travel lists. While Tokyo is modern, electric and exciting, Kyoto is traditional, ancient and stunning.
Simply strolling down the streets of Kyoto feels like a stroll back through time. Explore the beautiful nighttime streets of Gion, the geisha district, and indulge in a kaiseki meal.
Similar to Japanese tea ceremony — another Japan trip bucket list item, if you ask us — food is only one element of the kaiseki. Dishes are carefully chosen according to season, the tableware is exquisite and of the highest quality, and exceptional thought goes into how each dish is presented so it appears as a work of art.
Explore Gion: Where Gourmet Meets Geisha: 9 of Gion’s Best Restaurants
9. Embrace Japanese history in Hiroshima
While perhaps most famous for its tragic history, Hiroshima is a strong and stout hearty city. It has been rebuilt since the war around the message of an unwavering commitment to peace.
A visit to this city is profoundly inspiring, yet also heart breaking. Aside from wartime history, there’s many other things to explore in Hiroshima, such as Hiroshima Castle and Hiroshimayaki, the city’s signature dish and unique take on okonomiyaki.
Find out more: 34 Best Things to Do in Hiroshima: Japan’s Reborn City of Peace
10. Experience country living on a Japanese farm tour
Wasabi, the beloved spicy green paste usually served with sushi and soba, comes from the delicious and expensive wasabi root.
Most wasabi served at shops and restaurants is actually an imitation made from dyed horseradish, as actual, authentic wasabi can only grow in specific conditions and must be enjoyed freshly grated, before its fresh aroma disappears.
A wasabi farm tour in Okutama might not have initially been something on your list of things to do in Japan, but it is a rare opportunity for you to discover more about the background and culture of wasabi, as well as taste fresh and real wasabi.
That certainly must be a bucket list item.
Want to take it a little further and stay at a Japanese farm overnight?
Give yourself a detox from city life with a stay at a restored traditional tea farm near Mt Fuji. You’ll get a guided tour of the farm, learn to prepare Japanese tea (with leaves you picked yourself!), prepare a regional Japanese dinner and enjoy a traditional Japanese breakfast.
Japan is a country filled with many unique things — food, history, culture, nature and more. There’s something for everyone, whether it be staying at a ryokan and enjoying a soak in an onsen or riding the rails on the world-famous bullet train.
There’s a plethora of things to pick and choose from for your own personal Japan bucket list. Enjoy exploring, adventuring and ticking them off!
Hungry for more things to do in Japan? Check out these Japan trip itineraries:
