Matsue
Matsue is a water-shaped castle city where an original keep, canals, tea culture, Lafcadio Hearn, and Izumo traditions meet.
Historic Cities
Nagasaki
Nagasaki is a steep-sided port city shaped by Asian and European exchange, Christianity, industry, atomic bombing, and peace memory.
Hiroshima
Hiroshima is a river-delta city whose castle-town, military, atomic-bombing, reconstruction, and peace histories remain visible together.
Osaka
Osaka is a historic port and merchant metropolis shaped by Naniwa, waterways, Osaka Castle, industry, food culture, and performance.
Tokyo
Tokyo is Japan’s capital metropolis, shaped by the transformation of Edo, repeated rebuilding, layered neighborhoods, and global urban life.
Nikkō
Nikkō is a mountain city where sacred landscapes, Buddhist and Shinto institutions, Tokugawa heritage, lakes, waterfalls, and hot springs meet.
Kanazawa
Kanazawa is an Edo-period castle town shaped by Maeda patronage, preserved districts, Kenrokuen, traditional crafts, and contemporary culture.
Kamakura
Kamakura is a coastal city where warrior-government history intersects with temples, shrines, literature, craft, and modern seaside life.
Nara
Nara is an ancient Japanese capital whose palace site, temples, shrines, literature, parkland, and modern neighborhoods form layered landscapes.
Kyoto
Kyoto is Japan’s former imperial capital, where court culture, temples, shrines, crafts, historic neighborhoods, and modern urban life intersect.