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Japan has gained popularity since its borders reopened for standard tourism in October last year, and airlines in the United States relaunched flights to this fascinating destination.
Its beautiful temples, cherry blossom season, forest and gardens, delicious food, and rich culture are just a part of what makes Japan a great destination.
In order to promote diversity, sustainability, and inclusion in this Asian country, the Japan Travel Awards chose the best attractions of the year, and they recently announced the 2023 winners.
The newly awarded attractions, also chosen for their outstanding hospitality, have been selected among 28 finalists from 145 entities across the country.
These are 5 of the top winning attractions chosen by Japan Travel Awards:
Grand Prix: Hakone Maruyama Bussan
How about learning a new skill during your vacation while also learning about the local culture and traditions?
That’s what this workshop specializing in yosegi-zaiku—mosaic-like marquetry— and Karakuri—puzzle boxes— does.
This interesting store is located in the beautiful town of Hakone, famous for its hot springs and breathtaking landscapes, about an hour and a half drive from Tokyo.
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These traditional crafts, developed in the region since the Edo Period—between 1603 and 1867— are now accessible for all international travelers as Hakone Maruyama Bussan has optimized its facilities, making it barrier-free for all visitors and has a trained staff ready to welcome everyone even in sign language.
Best Tourism Development: Chichibugahama Beach
For travelers looking for a great and trendy instagrammable destination, Chichibugahama Beach is the perfect place.
This 1 km long scenic beach in the city of Motoyo has tide pools that, at certain times of the day, create perfect spots for great pictures with water reflections.
The popularity of this beach also represents great success after 25 years of hard work and recovery since this place used to be polluted.
The local community has been cleaning and making major tourism efforts to turn it into a must-go destination, and the amazing Instagram images are proof of this success.
Best Accommodation: Wakura Onsen Tadaya Ryokan
The historic inn Tadaya features in-room baths with stunning views of the Sea of Japan, as well as open-air hot spring baths.
This beautiful hotel located in Wakura Onsen Hot Spring District offers great hospitality and a sustainable model.
The region where this hotel is located was recognized as a Green Destination in 2021, and the Wakura Onsen Tadaya Ryokan was considered a “Green Destination Good Practice Story” for contributing to the community and for its sustainability efforts.
They currently use local ingredients for their meals and reduced their multiple-course services to just breakfast and dinner.
Best Sustainable Travel: Kumano Kodo
Those who enjoy nature and hiking will have a wonderful time at the Kumano Kodo.
The ancient routes of this pilgrimage network connect visitors to small rural villages and local culture.
This beautiful attraction was also recognized as one of the top travel experiences in the World by the New York Times.
This Unesco World Heritage Site has been welcoming visitors for over 1,000 years, and those willing to walk its paths can connect to Japan’s spiritual countryside for days, weeks, or even months.
The Kanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau has made efforts to develop good infrastructure and share information in multiple languages to meet the needs of local visitors and international travelers.
Best Adventure Travel: Sokoiko! Peace Cycling Tour
Have you heard of a peaceful cycling tour?
This initiative allows visitors to ride bikes while also learning about Hiroshima’s bombed heritage.
The tour offers powerful storytelling experiences in Japanese and English, showing people the primary atomic bomb sites.
The experience showcases Hiroshima’s past, present, and future with interesting information and anecdotes, allowing visitors to understand its transformation.
One of the judges from the Japan Travel Awards said that Sokoiko! Peace Cycling Tour is “a truly will-balanced tour that we can wholeheartedly recommend to travelers.”
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com