MERIDIAN経路ATLAS
ATLASHOKKAIDO TO THE YAEYAMA ISLANDS

Japan, one layer
at a time.

Every district carries the same six layers: how to start, what to do, what is hidden, where to photograph, where a vegetarian actually eats, and what only locals bother with. Pick a region on the map, or read one layer straight across the country.

How to startThings to doHidden spotsPhoto spotsVegetarian foodLocal & offbeat
REGIONS
9
DISTRICTS
36
SPOTS
540
THE ARCHIPELAGO · NORTH-EAST AT THE TOP, ISLANDS AT THE BOTTOMTap a region, then a district

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REGION 03Kanto関東

Tokyo and everything within a train fare of it: a temple city by the sea, a mountain shrine in cedar, and a lake under a volcano. The density is the attraction and also the problem.

When. Late March for blossom, November for maples in the hills. July and August are humid enough to reorganise your day around shade.
KANAGAWA · TEMPLES BY THE SEA
Kamakura鎌倉
LAYER 01 · HOW TO START

An hour from Tokyo on the Yokosuka line. Start at Kita-Kamakura station, walk the Zen temples south, and finish at the beach — downhill, in the right light order.

GETTING AROUND

Walk the north half, then the Enoden tram along the coast. Buses to the Great Buddha are slow on weekends; the hiking trails are faster.

WHEN TO COME

June for hydrangeas at Meigetsuin, late November for maples at Engakuji. Weekday mornings, always.

LAYER 02
THINGS TO DO
The stops that justify the journey — sequenced, not listed.
Kotoku-in Great BuddhaHASEThirteenth-century bronze, open to the sky since a tsunami took the hall.
EngakujiKITA-KAMAKURAA working Zen monastery you can sit in; the bell tower is up a steep flight.
HasederaHASETerraced hillside garden with a full bay view from the top.
LAYER 03
HIDDEN SPOTS
Two streets past where the coaches stop.
Hokokuji bamboo gardenJOMYOJISmall, ticketed, and calmer than Kyoto's version; take the matcha seat.
ZuisenjiNIKAIDOA rock garden carved from the cliff, twenty minutes past the bus stop.
Daibutsu hiking trailKITA-KAMAKURAA 90-minute ridge walk linking the north temples to the Buddha.
LAYER 04
PHOTO SPOTS
Where to stand and, more importantly, when.
Kamakurakokomae crossingSHICHIRIGAHAMATram, level crossing, sea; late afternoon, and mind the road.
Meigetsuin round windowKITA-KAMAKURAQueue before opening in June or you photograph a queue.
Inamuragasaki at sunsetINAMURAGASAKIFuji across the bay on clear winter evenings.
LAYER 05
VEGETARIAN FOOD
Vegetarian food in Japan: where you eat properly, not adequately.
Shojin ryori at HachinokiKITA-KAMAKURAFormal Zen temple cuisine; book ahead, allow two hours.
Kamakura vegetable bowlsKOMACHILocal farm produce is a genuine speciality here, not a garnish.
Sesame tofu standsHASEMade fresh near the temple gates and sold by the cup.
LAYER 06
LOCAL + OFFBEAT
What residents do that no itinerary contains.
Zeniarai Benten money washingSASUKEEnter through a rock tunnel and rinse your cash in the spring.
Morning zazen at KenchojiYAMANOUCHIPublic sitting, twice weekly, free, no experience needed.
Surf check at YuigahamaYUIGAHAMATokyo's beach culture at 6am, before the day trippers.
15 spots in Kamakura · 5 of 5 layers shownBuild a route around this →
ACROSS JAPANONE LAYER, ALL 36 DISTRICTS

Read the country by what you came for.

Pick a layer and the whole archipelago reorders around it — every hidden spot from Shiretoko to Hateruma, or every vegetarian meal worth walking to, in one list.

Hokkaido · SapporoTanukikoji arcade back lanesCHUOSeven covered blocks; the interest is in the alleys crossing them, not the arcade itself.
Hokkaido · SapporoMaruyama shrine forest pathMARUYAMAA working shrine with a mountain trail behind it that most visitors never notice.
Hokkaido · SapporoSapporo Beer archive cellarHIGASHIBehind the museum shop; the unfiltered pour is only sold on site.
Hokkaido · Furano & BieiShikisai-no-oka back fenceBIEIThe unpaid side has the same view with a third of the people.
Hokkaido · Furano & BieiKanno FarmKAMIFURANOFree, smaller, and looks straight at the Tokachi range.
Hokkaido · Furano & BieiShirahige FallsSHIROGANEBlue water pouring out of a cliff face; five minutes from the pond, mostly empty.
Hokkaido · HakodateMotomachi's Russian Orthodox laneMOTOMACHIThree churches of three faiths within 200 metres, all still in use.
Hokkaido · HakodateYachigashira onsenYACHIGASHIRAA huge public bath at the tram terminus, used almost entirely by locals.
Hokkaido · HakodateHakodate Park zoo cornerAOYAGIA tiny municipal menagerie with a view over the strait.
Hokkaido · ShiretokoKamuiwakka hot fallsUTOROClimb a warm river in grip shoes; shuttle-only in high season.
Hokkaido · ShiretokoRausu hot spring by the roadRAUSUFree open-air pools maintained by the town.
Hokkaido · ShiretokoNotsuke PeninsulaBETSUKAIA sand spit an hour south with a drowned forest and thousands of birds.
Tohoku · Matsushima & SendaiFukuurajima island bridgeMATSUSHIMAA small toll gets you a nearly empty botanical island.
Tohoku · Matsushima & SendaiShiogama shrine's 202 stepsSHIOGAMAThe old approach; almost nobody climbs it from the sea side.
Tohoku · Matsushima & SendaiRinnoji gardenSENDAIA quiet pond garden ten minutes from the subway, rarely more than five visitors.
Tohoku · HirosakiZenringai temple streetNISHIHIROThirty-three Zen temples in a row, effectively empty on weekdays.
Tohoku · HirosakiSaisho-in five-storey pagodaDOTEMACHIVermilion, seventeenth century, and usually yours alone.
Tohoku · HirosakiApple orchard road to IwakiHYAKUZAWAPick-your-own from September; farmers sell at the gate.
Tohoku · Yamadera & GinzanYamadera's back trail to Mineno-uraYAMADERABeyond the last hall; almost nobody continues.
Tohoku · Yamadera & GinzanShirogane waterfall pathOBANAZAWATen minutes past the last inn at Ginzan, with a mine tunnel to enter.
Tohoku · Yamadera & GinzanKaminoyama castle town wallsKAMINOYAMASamurai houses and free footbaths on the pavement.
Tohoku · Aizu-WakamatsuNanukamachi streetNANUKAMACHIRetro shopfronts restored by their own owners, not a developer.
Tohoku · Aizu-WakamatsuTadami line bridge no. 1 viewpointMISHIMATen-minute climb to the shot that made the line famous.
Tohoku · Aizu-WakamatsuOyakuen medicinal gardenHANAHARUA daimyo's herb garden, still growing 400 species.
Kanto · KamakuraHokokuji bamboo gardenJOMYOJISmall, ticketed, and calmer than Kyoto's version; take the matcha seat.
Kanto · KamakuraZuisenjiNIKAIDOA rock garden carved from the cliff, twenty minutes past the bus stop.
Kanto · KamakuraDaibutsu hiking trailKITA-KAMAKURAA 90-minute ridge walk linking the north temples to the Buddha.
Kanto · Yanaka & ShitamachiKayaba coffeeYANAKAA 1938 corner café restored rather than replaced.
Kanto · Yanaka & ShitamachiSakuragi AtariUENO-SAKURAGIThree 1938 houses turned into a beer hall, bakery and salt shop.
Kanto · Yanaka & ShitamachiHimalayan cedar cornerYANAKAA 100-year-old tree the neighbourhood fought to keep.
Kanto · NikkoKanmangafuchi AbyssTAKUMICHOA riverside path lined with 70 stone Jizo; nobody is ever there.
Kanto · NikkoTakinoo Shrine pathSANNAIA mossy stone road behind Toshogu, twenty minutes and centuries away.
Kanto · NikkoSenjogahara marsh boardwalkOKUNIKKOTwo hours across an alpine wetland between two waterfalls.
Kanto · HakoneOld Tokaido cedar avenueMOTOHAKONEFour hundred-year-old trees along the original highway; walk it to the checkpoint.
Kanto · HakoneHakone Detached Palace gardenMOTOHAKONEFree, on a promontory, with the best lake-and-Fuji angle.
Kanto · HakoneChoanji's 500 rakanSENGOKUHARAStone arhats scattered through a mossy hillside temple.
Chubu · Takayama & Shirakawa-goHida-FurukawaFURUKAWAFifteen minutes north; the same architecture with no coaches.
Chubu · Takayama & Shirakawa-goHigashiyama walking courseTAKAYAMAA temple trail on the hill behind town, three kilometres, always empty.
Chubu · Takayama & Shirakawa-goAinokura in GokayamaNANTOThe far quieter thatched village up the same valley.
Chubu · KanazawaKazuemachi teahouse rowKAZUEMACHIThe third, smallest geisha district, along the river, mostly residential.
Chubu · KanazawaNinja temple (Myoryuji)NOMACHITrapdoors and hidden stairs; reservation required, no children unaccompanied.
Chubu · KanazawaOyama Shrine's Dutch gateOYAMAStained glass on a shrine gate, lit at night.
Chubu · Matsumoto & KamikochiMyojin PondKAMIKOCHIAn hour upriver from the bridge; a shrine pond most day trippers skip.
Chubu · Matsumoto & KamikochiMatsumoto Folkcraft MuseumSHIMOGANAIA mingei collection in a farmhouse on the city edge.
Chubu · Matsumoto & KamikochiUtsukushigahara plateauUTSUKUSHIGAHARAAn open-air sculpture field at 2,000 metres, reached by a free road.
Chubu · Kiso ValleyOdaki and Medaki fallsNAGISOTen minutes off the main trail, signposted and ignored.
Chubu · Kiso ValleyNezame-no-toko gorgeAGEMATSUWhite granite slabs in green water below the railway line.
Chubu · Kiso ValleyKiso-Fukushima checkpointKISOA reconstructed barrier station with the original registers on display.
Kansai · Kyoto HigashiyamaOtoyo Shrine miceSAKYOGuardian mice instead of lion-dogs, on the Philosopher's Path.
Kansai · Kyoto HigashiyamaKonchi-in gardenSAKYOA Kobori Enshu crane-and-tortoise garden inside Nanzenji, usually deserted.
Kansai · Kyoto HigashiyamaYasaka KoshindoHIGASHIYAMAHundreds of coloured cloth balls; small, bright, five minutes off the main lane.
Kansai · Arashiyama & Kyoto WestGio-ji moss templeSAGANOOne small thatched hut on a carpet of moss; costs almost nothing.
Kansai · Arashiyama & Kyoto WestOtagi NenbutsujiSAGANO1,200 carved rakan, each different, on the road to Kiyotaki.
Kansai · Arashiyama & Kyoto WestJojakkoji hillSAGANOA steep maple temple with a city view and a fraction of the crowd.
Kansai · NaraNigatsudo verandaZOSHICHOAbove Todaiji, free, open all night, with the best view in Nara.
Kansai · NaraKasugayama primeval forestKASUGANOA protected wood since 841 AD, with a walking road through it.
Kansai · NaraShin-YakushijiTAKABATAKETwelve clay guardian statues from the 8th century in one small hall.
Kansai · KoyasanOkunoin at nightOKUNOINLantern-lit, open 24 hours; a monk-led night walk runs most evenings.
Kansai · KoyasanNyonin-michi women's pilgrim pathKOYASANThe ridge route women once had to take; four hours, near-empty.
Kansai · KoyasanKarukayado hallKOYASANA tiny hall with painted panels telling one very sad story.
Chugoku · Miyajima & HiroshimaDaisho-in templeMIYAJIMASpinning sutra wheels on the handrail, a cave of 1,000 lanterns, no crowd.
Chugoku · Miyajima & HiroshimaMiyajima back streets after 6pmMIYAJIMAThe day trippers leave with the last ferry and the island empties.
Chugoku · Miyajima & HiroshimaShukkeien gardenNAKAA miniature landscape garden five minutes from the station.
Chugoku · KurashikiIvy Square courtyardsCHUOA converted mill with quiet brick yards behind the shops.
Chugoku · KurashikiKojima denim streetKOJIMAJapan's denim capital, 20 minutes south; workshops open to visitors.
Chugoku · KurashikiTsurugatayama park at duskCHUOLocal evening walk with the whole quarter below.
Chugoku · Izumo & MatsueIwami GinzanOHDAA silver mine town in a green valley; walk or cycle the 2 km to the shaft.
Chugoku · Izumo & MatsueHinomisaki lighthouse coastIZUMOJapan's tallest stone lighthouse on a wild headland.
Chugoku · Izumo & MatsueYaegaki Shrine mirror pondMATSUEFloat a coin on paper and read your fortune from how it sinks.
Chugoku · Tottori CoastNageiredo hall at SanbutsujiMISASAA temple wedged into a cliff; the climb requires proper shoes and a check.
Chugoku · Tottori CoastSand MuseumTOTTORIMonumental sand sculpture, new theme yearly, next to the dunes.
Chugoku · Tottori CoastMisasa onsen radium bathsMISASAA riverside spa town with an open-air bath in the riverbed itself.
Shikoku · Iya ValleyOchiai villageHIGASHI-IYAA whole settlement on a 40-degree slope, some houses rentable as thatch stays.
Shikoku · Iya ValleyDouble vine bridgesHIGASHI-IYATwo smaller bridges and a rope cart, far up the valley and rarely busy.
Shikoku · Iya ValleyScarecrow village of NagoroHIGASHI-IYAMore life-sized dolls than residents; unsettling and quietly sad.
Shikoku · MatsuyamaDogo's Tsubaki-no-yuDOGOThe locals' bath next door: half the price, none of the queue.
Shikoku · MatsuyamaBansuiso villaICHIBANCHOA 1922 French-style mansion below the castle.
Shikoku · MatsuyamaShikoku pilgrimage stretch to JorurijiSUBURBSA quiet three-temple walk through orange groves.
Shikoku · Takamatsu & NaoshimaArt House ProjectNAOSHIMAOld village houses converted one by one; the dark Minamidera is the one.
Shikoku · Takamatsu & NaoshimaYashima plateauTAKAMATSUA flat-topped mountain with a battlefield, a temple and an aquarium.
Shikoku · Takamatsu & NaoshimaInujima seirenshoINUJIMAA copper refinery ruin turned museum; almost nobody makes the third ferry.
Shikoku · Kochi & ShimantoCape AshizuriTOSASHIMIZUThe southern tip of Shikoku; cliffs, a lighthouse and a pilgrimage temple.
Shikoku · Kochi & ShimantoNakatsu gorgeNIYODOGAWANiyodo blue water in a mossy ravine, an hour inland.
Shikoku · Kochi & ShimantoYasui gorge glass bridgeAKIA small dam gorge locals swim in each August.
Kyushu · Aso & KurokawaDaikanbo lookout at dawnASOThe 'sea of cloud' fills the caldera on cold clear mornings.
Kyushu · Aso & KurokawaKamishikimi Kumano shrineTAKAMORIA mossy stone stairway through cedars, straight out of a film.
Kyushu · Aso & KurokawaNabegataki fallsOGUNIYou walk behind the curtain of water.
Kyushu · NagasakiOura's hidden Christian churchesMINAMIYAMATEOura Cathedral is the oldest church in Japan; the story around it is remarkable.
Kyushu · NagasakiSanno Shrine one-legged toriiSAKAMOTOHalf a gate left standing after 1945, still there.
Kyushu · NagasakiNakashima river stone bridgesCHUOTwenty-odd bridges including the Meganebashi 'spectacles'.
Kyushu · Beppu & YufuinHyotan onsenKANNAWAA century-old bath complex with waterfall showers; the locals' choice.
Kyushu · Beppu & YufuinMyoban steam hutsMYOBANThatched sheds where bath salts crystallise; the hillside smells of sulphur.
Kyushu · Beppu & YufuinMount Tsurumi ropewayBEPPUThe whole bay and every steam plume from 1,300 metres.
Kyushu · Kagoshima & YakushimaYunohira observatorySAKURAJIMAThe highest point visitors can reach on the volcano.
Kyushu · Kagoshima & YakushimaOhko-no-taki fallsYAKUSHIMAEighty-eight metres, on the quiet west coast road.
Kyushu · Kagoshima & YakushimaChiran samurai gardensMINAMIKYUSHUSeven preserved gardens in a hedge-lined street, an hour south.
Okinawa · Naha & Southern OkinawaSakiyama and Kinjo stone roadSHURIA 500-year-old limestone lane down from the castle, shaded and empty.
Okinawa · Naha & Southern OkinawaSefa-utakiNANJOThe kingdom's holiest site: a triangular rock cleft looking out to Kudaka island.
Okinawa · Naha & Southern OkinawaFukushu-en Chinese gardenKUMEA full Fujian garden in central Naha with almost no visitors.
Okinawa · Kerama IslandsInazaki lookoutZAMAMIA cliff at the island's end where whales pass close inshore.
Okinawa · Kerama IslandsAka island bridgeAKAWalk or cycle to Geruma; deer swim between the islands.
Okinawa · Kerama IslandsTokashiku beach turtlesTOKASHIKIGreen turtles graze the shallows most mornings.
Okinawa · Ishigaki & TaketomiKondoi beach at low tideTAKETOMIA sandbar walk with water to your ankles for a hundred metres.
Okinawa · Ishigaki & TaketomiYonehara reefISHIGAKISnorkel from the beach; strong current beyond the reef, stay inside.
Okinawa · Ishigaki & TaketomiSukuji sunset pointISHIGAKIShallow, warm and almost always empty on weekdays.
Okinawa · Hateruma & YonaguniHateruma star observatoryHATERUMASouthern Cross visible here and almost nowhere else in Japan.
Okinawa · Hateruma & YonaguniYonaguni horse pastureYONAGUNISmall native horses roaming free at Cape Agarizaki.
Okinawa · Hateruma & YonaguniPemuchi beachHATERUMAWild, rough, and empty; swimming is not advised, walking is.
108 hidden spots entries across 9 regions

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