Historic Sites, Places of Scenic Beauty, and Natural Monuments of Japan

Pirikanoka, an Ainu phrase meaning "beautiful shape," is a National Place of Scenic Beauty composed of ten sites scattered across Hokkaido. From the rocky cliffs of Kudosan in Nayoro to the storm-battered Cape Erimo in the south, from the watchtower stone of Ganboiwa in Engaru to the alpine peak of Poroshiri-dake, each component is bound to Ainu oral literature, sacred mountain worship, and indigenous place-names. Discover a uniquely layered cultural property where Hokkaido's natural splendor meets the living language and spirituality of the Ainu people.

Tucked into a hillside in the seaside town of Yoichi, Hokkaido, Fugoppe Cave preserves more than 800 mysterious petroglyphs carved by Epi-Jōmon people around 1,500 to 2,000 years ago. Horned and winged human figures interpreted as shamans, boats, fish, and sea creatures invite visitors into an ancient ritual world that still puzzles archaeologists today. Designated a National Historic Site in 1953, this rare cave — one of only two of its kind in Japan — offers an unforgettable encounter with Hokkaido's deep prehistoric past.

A National Historic Site on a terrace above Kushiro Marsh where 300+ pit-dwelling depressions span 2.5 km, recording 10,000 years from Palaeolithic to Satsumon.

Japan's first bastion-style star fort, built in 1855 by the Matsumae Domain, two years before Goryōkaku. Now a free park near Hakodate, loved for its cherry tunnel.

Maruyama Primeval Forest in central Sapporo, designated a National Natural Monument in 1921, is a rare near-natural forest covering the slopes of 225-meter Mount Maruyama. Home to a remarkable variety of trees including katsura and Japanese oak, it gained international scientific recognition in 1893 when Harvard botanist Charles Sargent praised its biodiversity. Easily accessible from the subway, it offers seasonal beauty and the historic eighty-eight sacred sites pilgrimage trail.

Designated a National Natural Monument in 1921, the Moiwa Primeval Forest cloaks the slopes of Mt. Moiwa (531m) just minutes from downtown Sapporo. The forest preserves a remarkable diversity of broad-leaved trees and over 400 plant species. Five hiking trails, a ropeway, and a mini cable car offer easy access to one of Japan's most accessible urban wilderness experiences.

Straddling Yubari City and Minamifurano in Hokkaido, Mount Yubari was designated a National Natural Monument in 1996. Discover a rare natural treasure where Japan's largest serpentinite melange exposure meets endemic alpine flora found nowhere else on Earth.

Yukuepira Chashi Ato in Rikubetsu, eastern Hokkaido, is a national historic site preserving one of the largest Ainu chashi (fortress) remains in northern Japan. Built in the mid-16th century and traditionally linked to the Ainu chieftain Kaneran, this triple-enclosure earthwork rises on a cliff above the Toshibetsu River, its restored ramparts gleaming brilliant white with volcanic ash. With over 100,000 excavated artifacts, ties to pioneer physician Seki Kansai, and a setting in "Japan's coldest town" famed for crystal-clear night skies, the site offers a rare encounter with Ainu heritage, frontier history, and the wild beauty of eastern Hokkaido.

A volcanic peninsula on Lake Kussharo shelters Japan's northernmost min-min cicada, a southern species preserved by geothermal heat. A National Natural Monument since 1951.

On the easternmost cliff of Kii Oshima Island in Wakayama, the Kashinozaki Lighthouse — designed by Scottish engineer Richard Henry Brunton and first lit in 1870 — stands as Japan's oldest working stone lighthouse. In the waters below, the Ottoman frigate Ertuğrul sank in 1890, and the islanders' selfless rescue became the cornerstone of an enduring Japan-Türkiye friendship. Designated a National Historic Site in 2021, the lighthouse, shipwreck reef, landing site, and memorial cemetery together tell a remarkable story of modernization, maritime tragedy, and cross-cultural compassion.

On the Torinosu Peninsula in Tanabe, hundreds of dark mudstone veins cross a tidal platform: Japan's largest clastic dike swarm, formed by an ancient earthquake.

A 133-metre waterfall on Mount Nachi, Wakayama, a Place of Scenic Beauty since 1972, worshipped as a deity at Hiro Shrine and at the origin of Kumano Nachi faith.

Near Honshu's southern tip at Kushimoto, about 40 stone pillars run 850 meters out to sea, hard rock left standing after waves wore away the soft mudstone.

Beside Yunomine Onsen, Histiopteris incisa survives at its northern limit on geothermal warmth. First found in Japan here in 1887; a Natural Monument since 1928.

At the mouth of the Waka River, this bay so moved Emperor Shomu in 724 that he renamed it. Its tidal flat, Akahito's Man'yoshu verse, and Edo-era bridges endure.

The complete kokuhō catalogue — browse by prefecture, period, and category.

Nationwide jūyō bunkazai — architecture, sculpture, painting, crafts, and documents.

UNESCO-inscribed cultural and natural sites across the archipelago.