East Asia: Japan & South Korea

Japan

Japan offers one of the widest visual ranges of any single country: the neon canyons of Tokyo, the wooden temples and geisha districts of Kyoto, snow-capped Mount Fuji, and torii gates standing in forests and in the sea. An efficient rail network, anchored by the shinkansen bullet trains, makes it possible to travel between these places quickly, and the seasons are sharply defined.

Tokyo is the country's modern face — the scramble crossing at Shibuya, the lantern-lit alleys of Shinjuku's Omoide Yokocho, and views of Mount Fuji from observation decks on clear winter days. Kyoto, the former imperial capital, holds the bulk of Japan's classic scenes: the thousands of vermilion torii gates of Fushimi Inari climbing the mountainside, the gold-leafed pavilion of Kinkaku-ji mirrored in its pond, the bamboo grove at Arashiyama, and the preserved wooden streets of the Higashiyama and Gion districts.

Beyond the two big cities, the country opens up. Mount Fuji rises in clearest view from the Fuji Five Lakes region or from the pagoda at Arakurayama Sengen Park, and the Hakone and Kawaguchiko areas pair it with reflections and hot-spring towns. Nara's deer roam among ancient temples, the floating torii of Itsukushima Shrine near Hiroshima stands in the tide, and in winter the snow monkeys of Jigokudani bathe in steaming pools while the historic farmhouses of Shirakawa-go sit under deep snow.

Where to take photos

• Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kyoto — thousands of vermilion torii gates forming tunnels up a wooded mountainside, emptiest at dawn before the crowds arrive
• Mount Fuji from Arakurayama Sengen Park — the symmetrical volcano rising behind the Chureito Pagoda, especially in cherry-blossom and autumn seasons
• Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo — the world's busiest pedestrian scramble, dizzying from above at night when the neon and crowds peak
• Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Kyoto — towering green stalks lining a walkway on the city's western edge
• Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima — the great torii gate appearing to float on the sea at high tide near Hiroshima

South Korea

South Korea sets glass-and-steel megacities against restored royal palaces, mountain temples and a deeply seasonal landscape. Seoul anchors the country with its palaces and hillside villages, the south holds the coastal city of Busan and the historic town of Gyeongju, and an extensive network of mountains turns brilliant with maple in autumn and pink with blossom in spring.

Seoul balances the ancient and the new within a single skyline. The Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung palaces, with their painted eaves and tiled roofs, sit beneath modern towers, and visitors in rented hanbok, the traditional dress, add color to the courtyards. The Bukchon Hanok Village preserves rows of tile-roofed houses on a hillside, while at night the lantern-lit Gwangjang Market and the view from Namsan Seoul Tower over the sprawling lit city give the modern counterpoint.

Outside the capital, the country opens up. Busan, on the southern coast, is known for the brightly painted, tiered Gamcheon Culture Village and the seaside Haedong Yonggungsa temple perched above the water. Gyeongju, capital of the ancient Silla kingdom, scatters grassy royal burial mounds, the Bulguksa temple and the Seokguram grotto across a compact area. The island of Jeju adds volcanic cones, waterfalls and coastline to the south.

Where to take photos

• Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul — a large royal palace of painted halls and tiled roofs set beneath the modern skyline, with hanbok-clad visitors in the courtyards
• Bukchon Hanok Village, Seoul — a hillside neighborhood of preserved traditional tile-roofed houses with lanes that open onto the city beyond
• Gamcheon Culture Village, Busan — brightly painted houses stacked in tiers up a hillside, a layered patchwork of color
• Haedong Yonggungsa, Busan — a rare seaside Buddhist temple built into the rocks above the waves
• Gyeongju — grassy ancient Silla burial mounds, the Bulguksa temple and the Seokguram grotto across an open historic landscape

More guides to explore

Nara, Japan

Nara Travel Guide: Bowing Deer & the Great Buddha

Japan

Japan: ancient temples, neon cities & quiet mountain towns

Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo Travel Guide: Neon Districts, Ancient Shrines, and the Imperial Palace