Explore every episode of the podcast Walking Tour of Japan

Step into the Hakodate Morning Market (Hakodate Asaichi), one of Hokkaido's most famous seafood markets, on this immersive audio walking tour of Hakodate, Japan. Starting just outside JR Hakodate Station, we wander through roughly 250 shops and stalls piled with king crab, hairy crab, sea urchin, salmon roe, scallops and sweet Hokkaido melons.

Along the way you'll learn how the market was born in 1945, when farmers sold vegetables by hand in the hungry months after World War II, and how it grew into the city's kitchen after settling at its current site in 1956. We stop at Donburi Yokocho (Rice Bowl Alley) for a seafood rice bowl breakfast, try our luck at the famous live squid fishing pond in the Ekini Market, and explore why squid is Hakodate's official city fish, from the summer Squid Dance to the recent decline in local catches. We visit the diner behind the original Tomoe bowl, the hand-shaved kelp and dried goods of the Morning Market Square, and the small stone monument marking the market's birthplace, before finishing at the harbor beside the retired Seikan ferry Mashu Maru with a view of Mount Hakodate.

Places to eat mentioned in this episode: Kikuyo Shokudo (seafood bowls over charcoal-steamed rice), Lucky Pierrot Hakodate Ekimae (local burger chain), Menchubo Ajisai JR Hakodate Station (Hakodate shio ramen), and Hakodate Beer (local brewpub).

Nearby sites covered: the Mashu Maru Seikan Ferry Memorial Ship, Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses, the Motomachi district, Mount Hakodate and its ropeway, Goryokaku Fort, and Hakodate Jiyu Market.

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Fifteen stones, a sea of raked white gravel, and a mystery that has endured for more than five centuries. In this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, we take an unhurried audio walk through Ryoan-ji, the Temple of the Peaceful Dragon, home to the most famous Zen rock garden in the world and part of the UNESCO-listed Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.

Starting at the temple gate in northwest Kyoto, we stroll past Kyoyochi Pond, a survivor of a Heian-era aristocratic estate, climb the mossy stone steps to the abbot's hall, and settle onto the veranda to face the karesansui garden itself. You'll learn why you can never see all 15 stones at once, how the oil-infused clay wall plays tricks with perspective, what scientists discovered hidden in the garden's empty spaces, and how the temple's founder, the warlord Hosokawa Katsumoto, helped ignite the very war that burned it down. We also visit the famous tsukubai water basin and its Zen riddle, explore the returned fusuma paintings, and finish with a quiet loop around the pond that most visitors miss.

Along the way, you'll get practical tips on beating the crowds, where to sit for the best view, and why a rainy day might be the perfect time to go.

Hungry after your visit? We recommend yudofu (simmered tofu) at Seigen-in inside the temple grounds, Kyoto-style okonomiyaki at the tiny, family-run Okonomiyaki Katsu, and ramen at Ramen KAZU near the Golden Pavilion. We also highlight nearby sites worth adding to your day: Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion), Ninna-ji, Myoshin-ji, and Toji-in.

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Step off the train at Harajuku and into a forest that didn't exist a century ago. In this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, we take an immersive audio walk through Meiji Jingu, Tokyo's grand Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken — and through the 170-acre man-made forest planted by more than 100,000 volunteers to surround it.

You'll pass beneath the towering first torii, stand between the famous walls of sake barrels and Burgundy wine barrels, and walk under the Otorii, Japan's largest wooden myojin-style torii, carved from 1,500-year-old Taiwanese cypress. We detour into the peaceful Inner Garden (Gyoen) to visit the imperial teahouse, the South Pond, the June iris garden, and the legendary Kiyomasa's Well "power spot," then continue to the purification fountain, the South Gate, the husband-and-wife camphor trees, and the main hall. Along the way you'll learn how to pray at a Shinto shrine, why the shrine's fortunes are written as imperial poems, how the shrine was rebuilt after WWII air raids, and why more than three million people visit for hatsumode each New Year.

After the tour, we share where to eat nearby: Forest Terrace Meiji Jingu right on the shrine grounds, AFURI Harajuku for yuzu shio ramen, Harajuku Gyoza Lou for cheap and delicious dumplings, and Tonkatsu Maisen Aoyama for tonkatsu in a converted bathhouse. We also highlight other sites worth visiting nearby, including Yoyogi Park, Takeshita Street, Omotesando, the Ota Memorial Museum of Art, the Nezu Museum, and Togo Shrine.

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Wander among nearly 1,700 free-roaming sacred deer in Nara Park, the historic heart of Japan's first permanent capital. This audio walking tour begins at the edge of downtown Nara and leads you through Kofukuji Temple and its five-story pagoda (now under a once-in-a-century restoration), past the Nara National Museum, and up to the Great South Gate of Todaiji, where two eight-meter wooden guardian kings carved in 1203 tower over dozing deer.

From there, the walk heads east to the foot of Mount Wakakusa and across the quiet Tobihino meadow, then follows a moss-covered avenue of some 2,000 stone lanterns to Kasuga Taisha, the shrine whose legend of a god riding a white deer made Nara's deer sacred. Along the way you'll learn how to feed the deer with shika senbei crackers (and why they bow), visit the deer sanctuary that hosts the centuries-old October antler-cutting ceremony, and end with a quiet moment at Ukimido, the "floating" pavilion on Sagiike Pond.

Hungry? We recommend Nakatanidou for high-speed-pounded mugwort mochi, Kamameshi Shizuka for iron-pot rice with a crispy crust, the thatched-roof teahouse Mizuya Chaya for udon and matcha in the woods, and Hiraso for Nara's signature persimmon-leaf kakinoha sushi. Nearby, don't miss Isuien Garden, the old merchant lanes of Naramachi and Gangoji Temple, Shin-Yakushiji Temple, the Kasugayama Primeval Forest trail, and Todaiji's Great Buddha Hall.

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Step into one of Japan's strangest and most photogenic landscapes: the Beppu Hells, or Jigoku Meguri, a circuit of seven boiling hot springs so violent that locals once believed the land itself was cursed. In this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, we walk the full circuit across the Kannawa and Shibaseki districts of Beppu, Kyushu, starting at the cobalt-blue Umi Jigoku (Sea Hell), formed 1,200 years ago by an eruption of Mount Tsurumi, and moving through the bubbling gray mud of Oniishibozu Jigoku (Monk's Head Hell), the six-in-one Kamado Jigoku (Cooking Pot Hell), the crocodile-filled Oniyama Jigoku, and the milky-white garden pond of Shiraike Jigoku. We finish in Shibaseki with the blood-red Chinoike Jigoku, Japan's oldest documented hot spring, and the dramatic geyser of Tatsumaki Jigoku.

Along the way, you'll learn how a 1910 entrepreneur turned a feared volcanic wasteland into one of Japan's top attractions, why locals steam rice, eggs, and puddings using nothing but hot spring vapor, and where to find the best jigoku mushi (hell-steamed) meals in town, including Jigoku Mushi Kobo Kannawa and the steam kitchen at Hyotan Onsen. We also point you toward nearby stops worth adding to your trip: the centuries-old Kannawa Mushi Yu steam bath, the pudding shop and mineral huts of Myoban Onsen, the historic sand baths of Takegawara Onsen, and the sweeping volcano views from the Beppu Ropeway.

Whether you're planning a trip to Kyushu or just want to experience one of the most otherworldly corners of Japan from wherever you are, this episode brings the steam, color, and history of the Beppu Hells to life.

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Step inside Nikko Toshogu, the dazzling mountain mausoleum built for Tokugawa Ieyasu, the shogun who ended a century of civil war and unified Japan, then was declared a guardian deity after his death. In this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, we walk the full grounds of this UNESCO World Heritage shrine: the towering stone torii and red five-story pagoda at the entrance, the Sacred Stable's famous Three Wise Monkeys carving, the ceiling of the "crying dragon" that rings like a bell when you clap beneath it, the gold-leafed Yomeimon Gate with its deliberately imperfect upside-down pillar, the tiny Sleeping Cat carving tucked above a side gate, and the quiet, cedar-shaded climb of 207 stone steps to Ieyasu's actual tomb at the Okusha inner shrine. Along the way we share tips on the best time of day to visit, the quiet detour most tour groups skip, and a few carvings hiding in plain sight. We also point you toward lunch: casual yakitori and gyoza at Hippari Dako, refined vegetarian yuba kaiseki at Gyoushintei, and old-fashioned Meiji-era Western dishes at Meiji no Yakata, all within easy walking distance of the shrine. And we look beyond Toshogu to the sights nearby worth adding to your trip: the legendary vermilion Shinkyo Bridge, the gilded Buddhas of Rinnoji Temple, the older and simpler Futarasan Shrine, the more understated Taiyuinbyo mausoleum, and the mountain scenery of Lake Chuzenji and Kegon Falls.

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Step inside Japan's "Little Venice" on this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, as we walk the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter from its willow-lined canal to a hilltop shrine overlooking the whole town. Discover how an Edo-period rice-trading canal town became home to Japan's first museum of Western art, the story behind the Ohara Museum of Art's unlikely El Greco masterpiece, the ivy-covered red brick of the old Kurabo cotton mill at Ivy Square, and the centuries-old wisteria vine at Achi Shrine.

Along the way, we stop for coffee and cake at Cafe El Greco, rice bowls and pudding at Yuurin-an, and a relaxed build-your-own plate at Kurashiki Salad and Cafe Nagayamon, then point you toward Kojima Jeans Street, Korakuen Garden, and the Great Seto Bridge for the rest of your trip through Okayama Prefecture.

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Step inside the Nebuta Museum WA RASSE, the striking red waterfront building in Aomori City built to hold onto the memory of Japan's most explosive summer festival. In this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, we trace the more than three-hundred-year history of the Aomori Nebuta Matsuri, walk through a darkened hall of massive illuminated floats built from washi paper and wire, and explore the traditions of haneto dance and matsuri-bayashi music that bring the festival to life even outside of its six nights each August. Along the way, we stop for a build-your-own seafood bowl at Furukawa Fish Market and browse the stalls of Auga Fresh Market, then look ahead to nearby stops including the ancient Sannai-Maruyama archaeological site, the Aomori Museum of Art, and the panoramic views from ASPAM tower.

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Step into the valley that turned a near-failed rice farm into one of Hokkaido's most photographed landscapes. This episode of Walking Tour of Japan takes you through Farm Tomita in Nakafurano, where a family's stubborn 1950s gamble on lavender - a crop nearly wiped out by cheap synthetic fragrance oil in the 1970s - grew into the rolling purple hillsides and rainbow-striped flower fields that now draw over a million visitors a year. Walk the historic Traditional Lavender Field up to its panoramic viewpoint over the Furano basin and the Tokachi mountains, wander the famously photogenic striped Field of the Flower People, and step inside the farm's working distillery where lavender oil is still extracted the same way it was decades ago. Along the way, we cover where to eat on the farm grounds and at the nearby Furano Cheese Factory, known for its wine-infused cheddar and wood-fired pizza, plus two easy add-ons for your itinerary: the artisan log cabins of Ningle Terrace and the strikingly blue waters of Biei's famous Blue Pond.

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Kyoto: Kiyomizu-dera - Climb the historic Higashiyama slopes of Kyoto to Kiyomizu-dera, a UNESCO World Heritage temple founded in 778 AD around a sacred spring. This episode walks you through the vermilion Niomon Gate and past its three-storied pagoda, out onto the temple's legendary wooden stage - built without a single nail and famous for the Japanese saying about taking a "leap of faith." You'll drink from the three blessing-streams of the Otowa Waterfall, pass the matchmaking stones of a hillside shrine, and learn the history behind a temple that has burned down and been rebuilt again and again for over a thousand years.

Along the way, we recommend where to refuel: hand-whisked matcha at GOKAGO, fresh fried donuts at loose kyoto, matcha soba noodles at Menkuroudo, and traditional sweets at Kasagiya. We also point you toward nearby Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka, Kodai-ji Temple, the Yasaka Pagoda, and the streets of Gion for the rest of your day in Higashiyama.

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Tokyo Tower isn't just a photo op - it's a 333-meter monument to a country rebuilding itself from the ground up, part of it literally forged from melted-down tanks left over from the Korean War. In this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, we start at the base of Foot Town and climb through the tower's history, its earthquake-defying engineering, and its glass-floored Main Deck and mirrored Top Deck elevator, before looking down on centuries-old Zojoji Temple and, on a clear day, Mount Fuji itself. Along the way, we point you toward a laid-back craft beer stop at RISE & WIN Brewing Co. KAMIKATZ TAPROOM, comforting Japanese plates at RED Shokudo inside Foot Town, and an elegant tofu kaiseki experience at Tokyo Shiba Tofuya Ukai - plus nearby detours to Zojoji Temple, Shiba Park, and the art-filled Roppongi district.

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Cross the swaying Deai suspension bridge into Ogimachi, the largest hamlet of Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage village hidden in the mountains of Japan's Gifu Prefecture. In this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, we walk beneath the village's famous gassho-zukuri farmhouses, steep thatched roofs built without a single nail to shed the region's heavy snow, and step inside the grand Wada House to uncover the secret trade that built this valley's fortune: silkworms raised in the rafters and gunpowder fermented beneath the floorboards. Along the way we visit the rare thatched-roof Myozen-ji Temple, the Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine and its autumn sake festival, and climb the mountain trail to the Shiroyama Viewpoint for the postcard panorama of the entire village.

After the walk, we share where to eat, including Soba Wakimoto for handmade buckwheat noodles and Hida beef, the tatami-mat dining room at Hakusuien, and the family-run Shiraogi. We also point you toward nearby detours worth adding to your trip: the Gassho-zukuri Minkaen open-air museum, the quieter Gokayama hamlets of Ainokura and Suganuma, and the historic old town of Takayama.

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Begin the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage where over a thousand years of henro have started before you - at Ryozen-ji, temple number one, in the coastal town of Naruto, Tokushima Prefecture. In this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, we step through the temple's Niomon Gate to trace the story of the monk Kukai, later honored as Kobo Daishi, and the 1,200-kilometer circuit of 88 temples that grew from his life and teachings across the island of Shikoku. Along the way, we visit the temple's pagoda, main worship hall, and Daishi Hall, learn how pilgrims outfit themselves for the road ahead, and explore the layered history of Mount Oasa, sacred to both ancient mountain worship and Buddhist tradition.

We also share tips on when to visit, how much of the pilgrimage to attempt, and where to eat nearby - including Ichifuji, Funamoto Udon Taima, and Monzen Ichibangai Kaze - plus other nearby sites worth your time, including the Naruto Whirlpools, the Otsuka Museum of Art, and Oasahiko Shrine.

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Step inside one of Japan's most distinctive landmarks on this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, as we climb the hill in Naha to explore Shuri Castle - the vermillion-red palace of the seafaring Ryukyu Kingdom. We walk the full ceremonial approach, from the iconic Shureimon gate once printed on the 2,000-yen note, past a sacred World Heritage stone gate, through the welcome gate and its shisa guardians, alongside the dragon-spout Ryuhi spring, and up through the inner gates to the striped main courtyard. We stand before the Seiden main hall - destroyed by fire in 2019 and now in the midst of an extraordinary public reconstruction, with its exterior unveiled in 2025 and full reopening planned for autumn 2026 - and take in the sweeping sea view from the eastern viewing platform.

Along the way we share where to eat nearby: classic Okinawa soba at Shuri Soba and Ukaji Soba, refined Ryukyuan cuisine at Sui Dunchi, casual taco rice at PICO by the monorail, and traditional sweets and tea at the Shuri Castle Teahouse. We also point you toward nearby gems including the historic Kinjo-cho stone-paved road, the royal mausoleum of Tamaudun, the garden villa of Shikina-en, and the centuries-old Ryutan pond.

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Stand face to face with the Great Buddha of Nara on this immersive walking tour of Todai-ji, the Great Eastern Temple - one of the most astonishing structures ever raised by human hands. We begin among the sacred bowing deer of Nara Park and pass beneath the towering Great South Gate, guarded by a pair of fierce wooden kings carved by Japan's most legendary sculptors. Inside the Great Buddha Hall, once the largest wooden building on Earth, we come face to face with a fifteen-meter bronze Buddha cast from nearly all the copper in an eighth-century nation - born of plague, famine, and an emperor's desperate prayer for peace. We'll circle the ancient lotus-petal pedestal, find the lucky pillar with a hole the size of the Buddha's nostril, admire the twelve-hundred-year-old octagonal bronze lantern, and climb the quiet hillside path to a hall with sweeping views over the city and the setting of a dramatic spring fire ceremony.

Along the way you'll get our picks for where to eat nearby: a thatched-roof teahouse in the park known for hot udon and matcha sweets, a shop serving Nara's signature persimmon-leaf kakinoha-zushi, a refined restaurant offering wagyu beef beside a garden, and a charming all-you-can-eat pickle-buffet spot near the temple grounds. We also point you toward other sights worth your time - a serene Edo-period strolling garden famed for its borrowed scenery, an atmospheric forest shrine lined with thousands of moss-covered lanterns, and the vast park and its sacred deer.

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Descend into the world's largest active volcanic caldera on this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, as we explore Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu. Inside this twenty five kilometer wide basin, nearly one hundred thousand people farm and live alongside a still-venting volcanic crater, grazing cattle across grasslands kept green for over a thousand years through deliberate, traditional burning. The walk takes you from the nearly two thousand year old Aso Shrine, rebuilt after the devastating 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, to Komezuka, a perfectly cone-shaped hill tied to a legend of famine and generosity, and on through the sweeping grasslands of Kusasenri before climbing to Daikanbo, the caldera's most celebrated viewpoint, where the Five Peaks of Aso form a silhouette known locally as the sleeping Buddha. Along the way, you'll hear where to warm up with a locally roasted coffee, where to try the region's prized red beef over rice, and which nearby destinations - including the hot spring village of Kurokawa Onsen and the cool forests of Kikuchi Gorge - are worth adding to your itinerary.

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Step into Shinjuku's Golden Gai, a six-alley pocket of postwar Tokyo where nearly three hundred tiny bars - some seating only five people - have survived bulldozers, economic collapse, and eighty years of change. In this episode, we trace the neighborhood's path from black-market rubble and red-light district to creative haven for writers and filmmakers, and finally to today's mix of longtime regulars and curious travelers from around the world. Along the way, we point you toward a beloved 24-hour ramen counter known for its dried-sardine broth, and Kameya, a fast and friendly stand-up soba counter in nearby Omoide Yokocho. We'll also guide you to Hanazono Shrine, the yakitori alleys of Omoide Yokocho, the neon spectacle of Kabukicho's Godzilla head, and the calm greenery of Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden - everything you need for a full night, and a quiet morning after, in this corner of Shinjuku.

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Matsushima Bay in Miyagi Prefecture is one of Japan's officially recognized Three Most Scenic Views - a bay scattered with over 260 pine-covered islands that has inspired poets, monks, and travelers for more than a thousand years. In this episode, we explore the bay on foot, beginning at the iconic Godaido Hall on its tiny islet, the oldest surviving example of Momoyama architecture in the Tohoku region. From there we walk the ancient cedar-lined approach to Zuiganji, a National Treasure Zen temple rebuilt in 1609 by the great samurai lord Date Masamune, and tour its gold-leaf painted rooms and storied museum. Next door, Entsuin reveals one of the most surprising secrets in Japanese history: a sealed Buddhist mausoleum hiding Western roses, crosses, and playing card symbols - traces of a seventeenth-century diplomatic mission to Rome. We finish at the historic Kanrantei Tea House, perched at the water's edge with views across the islands, and take the long red bridge out to Fukuurajima Island for a panoramic sweep of the entire bay.

For food, we recommend Santori Chaya for local conger eel and fresh oysters with bay views, and the seasonal Oyster Shack for charcoal-grilled all-you-can-eat oysters from late October through mid-March. The Kanrantei Tea House offers matcha and seasonal sweets in a genuinely historic setting.

Nearby sites covered in this episode include the city of Sendai, the UNESCO World Heritage temples of Hiraizumi, and the Shiogama Seafood Market.

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Every February, the city of Sapporo transforms into one of the world's most extraordinary winter spectacles. In this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, we explore the Sapporo Snow Festival - a celebration that began in 1950 when a group of high school students built six snow sculptures in a city park, drew fifty thousand visitors, and accidentally launched a tradition that now attracts more than two million people from around the world each year.

We start at the eastern end of Odori Park, taking in the full scope of the festival from the observation deck of the Sapporo TV Tower before walking the entire 1.5-kilometer length of the park, past the massive snow sculptures built by Self Defense Force engineers and international teams, through blocks of smaller competition pieces, and into the evening illuminations that transform the park after dark. We then continue into the Susukino district, where translucent ice sculptures glow under colored lights in one of Japan's most vibrant entertainment neighborhoods.

Along the way, we cover the full history of the festival - from its post-war origins and early growth to its national recognition in 1959 and worldwide fame following Sapporo's 1972 Winter Olympics. We share practical tips for making the most of your visit, including the best times of day to come, what to look for in the international competition sculptures, and how the projection mapping shows work after dark.

For food, we recommend Ganso Ramen Yokocho for Sapporo's signature miso ramen in a lively alley of tiny shops, Jingisukan Daruma for the city's beloved grilled lamb barbecue served with a decades-old house sauce, and Soup Curry Garaku for the warming, spiced broth dish that originated right here in Sapporo. Nearby sites include the Former Hokkaido Government Office Building, the Sapporo Clock Tower, Tanukikoji Shopping Street, and Nijo Market.

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Step into the bustling lanes of Tokyo's Tsukiji Outer Market - one of the most vibrant and historic food destinations in all of Japan. In this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, we explore the storied streets of a place that has fed Tokyo for nearly a century, from its origins as reclaimed land in the Edo period to its rise as the world's most famous fish market, and its remarkable reinvention after the wholesale auctions moved to Toyosu in 2018. We wander past stalls piled high with gleaming seafood, pause to watch vendors slice tamagoyaki straight off the grill, and discover the rhythm of a market that still wakes before dawn. Along the way, we visit Namiyoke Inari Shrine, the small but deeply significant guardian of the market, and explore the Tsukiji Uogashi fresh market building where the energy of the old inner market lives on. We share the best time to arrive, the hidden alleys most visitors walk past, and the practical tips that will make your visit unforgettable.

For places to eat nearby, this episode covers Sushizanmai for around-the-clock sushi, Tsukiji Uogashi's standing counters for fresh nigiri and kaisendon, Edo-Jidai for traditional Edomae sushi, and the market's legendary tamagoyaki stalls. For nearby sites, we highlight Hamarikyu Gardens, Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple, Ginza, and Toyosu Market.

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Step inside one of Japan's most iconic landmarks on this episode of Walking Tour of Japan. Osaka Castle has stood - and fallen, and risen again - at the heart of this great city for more than four centuries, and every stone in its massive walls carries a story. We begin at Otemon Gate and move through the park's vast grounds, tracing the layered defensive design built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the peasant-born warlord who unified Japan and built the greatest fortress of his age. Along the way, we explore the newly opened Toyotomi Stone Wall Museum, climb the main castle tower through eight floors of feudal history and armor, and emerge onto the observation deck for panoramic views across modern Osaka. We cover the full arc of the castle's turbulent past - from Hideyoshi's ambitious construction in 1583 to the devastating Siege of Osaka in 1615, the Tokugawa reconstruction, and the remarkable 1931 rebuilding funded by public donation. The tour concludes at Hokoku Shrine and the Cherry Blossom Gate, where the city's enduring connection to its most celebrated historical figure is still felt today.

For dining after the tour, we mention Okonomiyaki Fuku near the park for classic Osaka griddle dishes, Tokumasa Udon near Morinomiya Station for celebrated curry udon, and The Garden Oriental Osaka for a more atmospheric meal in a historic garden setting. Nearby sites covered in the episode include the Osaka Museum of History, Shitennoji Temple, and Himeji Castle.

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Step into the electric heart of Osaka on this immersive audio walking tour of Dotonbori -- the city's legendary canal-side entertainment district where neon never sleeps and the food is always extraordinary. In this episode, we trace the story of a neighborhood born from an ambitious 17th-century canal project and transformed over four centuries into Japan's most famous food street. Walk with us past towering mechanical crabs, the glowing Glico Running Man, and sizzling takoyaki stalls, then slip down a cobblestone alley to find a moss-covered temple hidden just steps from the chaos. From the history of kabuki theater and kuidaore culture to the unwritten rules of kushikatsu and the best time to catch the neon at its most spectacular, this tour brings Dotonbori to life in your ears.

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Step inside Tokyo's oldest temple on this immersive audio walking tour of Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa. In this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, we guide you through the iconic Thunder Gate, down the centuries-old Nakamise shopping street, past the towering Hozomon gate, and into the sacred main hall where a hidden golden statue has been venerated for nearly 1,400 years. Along the way, you'll hear the legendary origin story of two fishermen and their miraculous catch, discover how samurai warlords and shoguns shaped this remarkable site, and learn the customs that draw over 30 million visitors every year. We'll also share the best times to visit, the quiet corners most tourists miss, and our top recommendations for things to do, see, and eat in the surrounding Asakusa neighborhood. Whether you're planning your first trip to Japan or simply want to feel transported, this episode brings one of the world's great sacred sites to life.

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Step inside the lantern-lit streets of Kanazawa's Higashi Chaya District -- Japan's largest surviving geisha quarter -- where two-hundred-year-old wooden teahouses line stone-paved lanes and the arts of the geisha world still live and breathe today. In this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, we wander the atmospheric alleyways of the eastern chaya district, duck inside the crimson-lacquered interior of a working teahouse, brush our fingers across centuries-old latticework, and discover how this city once shaped by a powerful feudal clan became the unlikely keeper of Japan's most refined cultural traditions. We also explore the glittering world of Kanazawa gold leaf, pause at a museum frozen in 1820, and find the quiet spots most visitors walk right past. Whether you are planning a trip or traveling from your couch, this is one walk you will not forget.

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Step inside one of Japan's most iconic landscapes -- the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove in Kyoto. In this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, we explore the towering Sagano bamboo forest, where ten thousand Moso stalks rise twenty-five meters overhead to form a breathtaking green corridor. We begin at the entrance near the ancient Nonomiya Shrine -- a sacred site connected to imperial princesses and the world's first novel -- then move deep into the grove, pausing at hidden corners most visitors rush past. Along the way we uncover the Heian-period aristocrats who first fell in love with this valley, the fourteenth-century Zen master who shaped itsspiritual character, and the Hollywood-era film star who spent thirty years building a secret hillside villa at the forest's edge. We also share practical tips for experiencing the grove at its most magical, and point you toward the best places to eat and explore in the surrounding Arashiyama district. Whetheryou're planning your trip or walking the path right now, this is your guide to one of Japan's most unforgettable places.

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In this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, we explore one of the world's most powerful and moving landmarks — the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima. Standing on the banks of the Motoyasu River, this haunting UNESCO World Heritage Site is the only structure left near the hypocenter of the world's first atomic bombing on August 6, 1945. Once the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, its skeletal steel frame and crumbling walls have been preserved exactly as the blast left them — a stark and unforgettable witness to history. We walk the surrounding Peace Memorial Park, pausing at the Children's Peace Monument, the Cenotaph for the Atomic Bomb Victims, the eternal Flame of Peace, and the deeply moving Peace Memorial Museum. Whether you are planning a trip to Hiroshima or simply want to experience this profound place through sound, this episode brings it to life — step by step, story by story. We also share the best places to eat and explore nearby, from Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki to fresh local oysters on the river. A must-listen for any traveler heading to Japan.

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠NorthStarTravelers.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to explore our other podcast shows and browse gear recommendations for wherever your next journey takes you.

Step inside one of Japan's most breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Sites with this immersive audio walking tour of Kinkaku-ji — the legendary Golden Pavilion of Kyoto. In this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, we guide you step by step through the ancient grounds of this Zen Buddhist temple, tracing over 600 years of history from the grand ambitions of a shogun to a devastating act of arson and a remarkable rebirth. Discover the meaning behind each floor of the gilded pavilion, the secrets of the Mirror Pond, hidden features most visitors walk right past, and the powerful story that inspired one of Japan's greatest novels. We also share practical tips for getting the most out of your visit, plus recommendations for nearby temples, shrines, and places to eat. Whether you're planning your first trip to Kyoto or returning for another look, this episode brings the Golden Pavilion to life in a whole new way.

Visit ⁠⁠⁠NorthStarTravelers.com⁠⁠⁠ to explore our other podcast shows and browse gear recommendations for wherever your next journey takes you.

Step into the electric heart of Tokyo with this immersive audio walking tour of Shibuya Crossing — the world's busiest pedestrian intersection. In this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, your guide leads you through the full Shibuya experience: from the legendary loyalty of Hachiko the dog and the dramatic 1973 debut of the scramble crossing, to the towering neon billboards, the hidden alley of Nonbei Yokocho, and the breathtaking aerial view from Shibuya Sky. Along the way, discover the history behind one of Tokyo's most iconicdistricts, practical tips for making the most of your visit, and the best places to eat, drink, and explore nearby — including the rooftop park of Miyashita Park and the ramen haven of Ichiran. Whether you're planning your first trip to Japan or a seasoned traveler looking to go deeper, this episode brings Shibuya to life one step at a time. Keywords: Shibuya Crossing Tokyo, Japan travel podcast, Shibuya walking tour, Hachiko statue, Tokyo tourism, Japan travel guide, Shibuya Scramble Crossing, things to do in Tokyo, Japan audio guide, Walking Tour of Japan podcast.

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NorthStarTravelers.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to explore our other podcast shows and browse gear recommendations for wherever your next journey takes you.

In this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, we explore Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto - one of Japan's most iconic and deeply spiritual sites. Founded in 711 AD, this ancient shrine at the foot of Mount Inari is the head of more than thirty thousand Inari shrines across Japan and is dedicated to the god of rice, sake, foxes, and prosperity. We walk through the famous Senbon Torii - thousands of blazing vermilion gates that wind up the forested mountain - and discover the history behind those gates, the fox guardians who line the path, and the centuries of wishes written into every stone and inscription along the way. We climb through the inner sanctuary, past the mysterious heavy-light wishing stones, up to the panoramic Yotsutsuji viewpoint halfway up the mountain, and for those with the energy, all the way to the quiet summit shrine at the top.

Along the way we share tips on the best time to visit, a hidden bamboo grove most tourists miss, and the quieter upper trails where the true spirit of the mountain reveals itself.

After the tour, we recommend three places to eat nearby: Vermillion Cafe for specialty coffee and light meals right outside the shrine entrance, Kendonya for hearty soba and udon just down from the Keihan station, and Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu for satisfying beef cutlets across the street from Kendonya.

We also highlight three nearby sites worth visiting while you're in the area: Tofuku-ji, one of Kyoto's finest Zen temples with stunning rock gardens and spectacular autumn color; Daigo-ji, a UNESCO World Heritage site with a centuries-old five-story pagoda and famous cherry blossoms; and the Fushimi sake district, where you can tour breweries, taste some of Japan's finest sake, and explore the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum.

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Step inside one of Japan's three most celebrated gardens on this immersive audio walking tour of Kenroku-en in Kanazawa. In this episode of Walking Tour of Japan, we stroll through 25 acres of ponds, stone lanterns, ancient tea houses, and centuries of history — all brought to life as if you're walking the mossy paths yourself. Whether you're planning a trip to Kanazawa or dreaming of one, this episode reveals the hidden stories, seasonal wonders, and quiet corners that make Kenroku-en one of Japan's most extraordinary places to visit.

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Walking Tour of Japan is a podcast built to enhance how you experience one of the world's most captivating countries. By combining storytelling with location-based insights, we help you connect more deeply with the places you visit — before your trip, during it, or from the comfort of home. Our mission is to make exploration more meaningful, flexible, and accessible for everyone.

To see our full list of shows to destinations around the world as well as gear recommendations visit us at www.NorthStarTravelers.com