Why is Hokkaido named after an Ainu word? Why was building a bridge once illegal?
Twelve places with stories worth knowing.
12 Places and Their Stories
01
北海道Hokkaidō
Japan's northernmost main island. Once called Ezochi, its modern name traces back to the Ainu word kai ("the people who live in this land"). In 1869, the government renamed it Hokkaidō ("northern sea circuit") as full-scale development began.
02
種子島Tanegashima
An island off Kagoshima where Portuguese traders introduced the matchlock gun to Japan in 1543 — an event that changed the course of Sengoku-era warfare so much that firearms were sometimes called "Tanegashima" themselves. Today it's home to JAXA's Tanegashima Space Center, one of Japan's main rocket launch sites.
03
大井川Ōi-gawa
A river in Shizuoka once so difficult to cross that an Edo-period saying went, "Even a horse can cross Hakone's eight ri, but never the Ōi River." Building a bridge over it was banned by the shogunate.
04
一関市Ichinoseki
A city in Iwate famous for its distinctive mochi food culture. The tradition of serving mochi at life milestones — weddings, funerals, festivals — has continued since the Edo period, and over 100 local mochi recipes are still passed down today.
05
高松市Takamatsu
The capital of Kagawa Prefecture, said to have the highest udon consumption per person in Japan. The city is dotted with self-service udon shops serving large, cheap bowls to locals and visitors alike.
06
嵐山Arashiyama
A scenic district in western Kyoto known for the Togetsukyo Bridge and its bamboo grove path. It flourished as a retreat for aristocrats as far back as the Heian period, and its cherry blossoms and autumn foliage still draw huge crowds today.
07
噴火湾Funka-wan
A nearly circular bay in southern Hokkaido. In 1796, British explorer William Broughton named it "Volcano Bay" after spotting the active volcanoes surrounding it — and the Japanese translation of that name, Funka-wan ("eruption bay"), is what stuck.
08
淡路島Awajishima
An island in Hyōgo connected to Honshu and Shikoku by the Akashi Kaikyō and Ōnaruto bridges. In Japanese mythology, it's said to be the very first island born during the creation of the nation — making it one of Japan's oldest recorded place names.
09
硫黄島Iōjima
A volcanic island known as one of the fiercest battlegrounds of the Pacific War. The ground is still warm from volcanic heat today, warm enough that hot springs bubble up from shallow digging — and the recovery of war dead's remains continues on the island to this day.
10
石垣島Ishigakijima
An island in Okinawa's Yaeyama chain, home to Ishigaki — Japan's southernmost city. Kabira Bay, on the island's north side, made the list of "100 Scenic Spots of Japan" for its exceptional water clarity, and its waters are home to manta rays and sea turtles.
11
旭川市Asahikawa
Hokkaido's second-largest city, home to Asahiyama Zoo, famous for its "behavioral exhibits" that let animals show natural behaviors instead of sitting still. Winters here can drop below -20°C, and the city's snow and ice festivals draw crowds every year regardless.
12
小笠原諸島Ogasawara Islands
A chain of islands roughly 1,000 km south of Tokyo that has never been connected to any continent, giving rise to many endemic species found nowhere else. Often called the "Galápagos of the Orient," the islands were registered as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 2011.