Tokyo Disneysea
Tokyo DisneySea, situated adjacent to Tokyo Disney Land, focuses less on rides and more on atmosphere, attracting attendees with its numerous shows and parades in settings recreating Venice, New York, and Arabia. Geography purists should take note that Tokyo DisneySea, much like Tokyo Disneyland, the Tokyo Auto Show, and Tokyo Narita Airport, is not in Tokyo, but instead Chiba Prefecture, which borders the capital to the east.
Nijo Castle in Kyoto
By far Japan’s most accessible castle for visitors following the standard Kyoto-Tokyo route, Nijo Castle is conveniently located near the center of the country’s former capital. As a result of being built in 1626 during a period of relative peace, Nijo Castle was more a luxurious estate for the Shogun to use on visits to Kyoto than an actual fortress, giving it a comparatively open design unique among Japanese castles.
Cup Noodle Museum Yokohama
The instant ramen – Cup Noodle Museum in Yokohama features exhibits on the development and history of the quick-to-prepare noodles, its biggest draw is the area in which visitors can create their own unique cup of instant ramen from over 5,000 possible flavor combinations.
Tsukiji Fish market – Tokyo
Once upon a time, a visit to Tsukiji was strictly for travelers, freshly arrived in Japan, whose jet lag caused them to get up at 4 a.m., hours before anything else was open. Then the rest of the world discovered how delicious raw fish is, and everything changed. Be forewarned, though. Tsukiji remains first and foremost a working marketplace, so don’t stand in the aisles snapping pictures too long, or you’re liable to get run over by one of the dozens of service carts skittering about the complex.
Asahiyama Zoo
One of Japan’s most-visited zoos, Asahiyama Zoo was also the setting for the popular 2009 film “Penguins Flying in the Sky”. Needless to say, this cemented the Antarctic birds as one of the zoo’s star attractions, along with its polar bear enclosure.