Start with a whiff of the miraculous at the Senso Temple, where sacred incense smoke is said to have curative powers. Built to commemorate Emperor Meiji and his empress, the Meiji Shrine is one of the most important Shinto shrines in the country. Yearly festivals bring various groups to its iris garden and Treasure House, including the "Seven-Five-Three Festival," in which young children arrive dressed in mini kimonos.

Nara can be an eye-opening experience. The enormous 50-foot bronze Buddha statue in Todai-ji was dedicated in AD 752 by having a priest symbolically "open his eyes" by scrambling up and painting them in (the original paintbrush remains at the temple); strings dangling off the brush allowed the dignitaries on the ground to hang on and participate in the action. The sense of "more is better" continues at Kasuga Shrine, where a thousand intricate bronze lanterns hang prettily off the building. Don't bother the wild deer roaming the adjacent Nara Park - once considered messengers of the gods, they are still a nationally protected treasure.

With over 2,000 Buddhist temples and shrines still intact, Kyoto shines as one of the best-preserved Imperial cities in Japan. Visit the famous Zen Buddhist Temple Kinkakuji, or Golden Temple, that gets its name from the pure leaf gold that covers the top two floors. Next, head to Fushimi Inari Taisha, the main shrine of the god of business, and see the thousands of red torii, or Japanese gates, that snake their way up the hill to the inner shrine. The Sanjusangendo Temple offers visitors an unusual and unbelievable sight. Its main hall is filled with 1,000 life-size statues of soldiers of the Thousand Armed Kannon which stand to protect the main deity of the temple.

Explore the extraordinary city that suffered an unimaginable destruction and incredible rebirth to become the thriving city it is today. At Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, see the Peace Memorial Museum and the Atomic Bomb Dome, the skeletal remains of a pre-blast building, for an idea of the catastrophic effects the Atomic bomb had on the city. The park, museum, and Atomic Bomb Dome act as a symbol of peace and as a memorial for those who died. Visit the Shukkei-en Garden and take a moment to stroll around the beautiful pond, the cleverly placed valleys, bridges, teahouses and gazebos.

Glide through the tranquil waters, past the iconic red Torii gate and into the realm of the sacred at the Itsukushima Shrine. As you step off the ferry you will be greeted by the “messengers of the deities”, or the tame Miyajima deer, that are always found wandering around the shrine. After visiting this impressive structure browse through the many craft stores, bakeries and street-food carts on Omotesando Street - see if you’re brave enough to sample a traditional dish of conger eel.

Osaka's 16th-century castle dominates the city, both economically (it's the single most visited sight in Japan) and architecturally. Extensively renovated in 1997, the castle maintains the city's historic past even as space-age buildings move Osaka into the future. Come up for air at the Umeda Sky Building, where you'll climb 550 feet to the Floating Garden Observatory for a bird's eye view of Osaka.