There are plenty of wonderful places to visit all over Japan, but many tourists go to just a few of the same spots. This results in these destinations becoming overcrowded \u2014 and decreases enjoyment. Besides, hot spots are not always the most interesting or unique. To make the most of your time in Japan, avoid these tourist traps and research better alternatives that are a little more off the beaten path.<\/p>\n
At the top of any list of places to avoid in Japan has to be Tokyo Disneyland. The sheer number of people who visit on any given day makes it almost impossible to have a good time. You\u2019ll be waiting in line for hours for virtually any ride \u2014 and you may even need to wait just to enter the park. If you\u2019re desperate for some Disney, a far better option is DisneySea<\/a>, especially on a weekday (with the exception of holidays).<\/p>\n Kyoto is full of temples, but one of the most popular with tourists is the Golden Temple due to its two upper floors being covered in gold leaf. Although it is undoubtedly impressive, this is one to miss. Unlike many other temples, it\u2019s off-limits to visitors \u2014 the closest you can approach is from across a pond. This means you\u2019ll only see the building and statues from quite a distance. You\u2019ll have a better experience if you go to one of the many temples where the public can walk the grounds and take refreshments at a tea room.<\/p>\n It\u2019s almost surprising that the Sapporo Clock Tower has become so popular with tourists. It\u2019s true that the building is attractive and has historical importance, but almost everyone who pays to enter agrees that it isn\u2019t worth it. If you want to see the clock tower, just view it from the outside.<\/p>\n Whereas the idea of seeing a traditional palace may be enticing, you need to realize that you\u2019ll be unable to enter, which just leaves you staring at the facade. Whereas the gardens are impressive, Shinjuku Gyoen<\/a> national park is arguably even better \u2014 and you\u2019ll be able to enjoy the scenery in peace.<\/p>\n Many tourists head to Tokyo Sky Tree for views of the cityscape. Whereas you won\u2019t find anything else equal in height (it\u2019s the tallest tower in the world), you can find other observation decks that don\u2019t require a long wait and a hefty entrance fee.<\/p>\n Although it\u2019s only a small city, Nikko receives a massive influx of tourists because it\u2019s well known for its numerous temples and shrines. For an authentic experience when visiting holy places, it\u2019s essential to find a sense of tranquility, which (unfortunately) is entirely absent from Nikko. The good news is you can find beautiful sacred sites across the country \u2014 such as Koyasan<\/a> in Wakayama Prefecture.<\/p>\n Avoiding the above places will help you steer clear of the crowds and push you to find more unique options in the cities you visit. In other words, you\u2019ll experience Japan at its finest.<\/p>\n Basile Morin<\/a>, CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are plenty of wonderful places to visit all over Japan, but many tourists go to just a few of the same s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":4973,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[54,104,82],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-japan","category-temples-shrines","category-travel"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4972"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50024,"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4972\/revisions\/50024"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}2. Golden Temple<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Sapporo Clock Tower<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. Imperial Palace<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. Tokyo Sky Tree<\/strong><\/h3>\n
6. Nikko<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![Basile Morin<\/a>,](\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Water_reflection_of_Kinkaku-ji_Temple_a_sunny_day,_Kyoto,_Japan.jpg\"){kind=link}