You'll need at least a couple of weeks just to skim the surface of what Japan can offer. The capital Tokyo, and the former imperial city and thriving cultural centre of Kyoto, will be top of most visitors' itineraries, and deservedly so, but you could avoid the cities entirely and head to the mountains or smaller islands to discover a different side of the country, away from the most heavily beaten tourist tracks.

Few cities in the world can compare to Tokyo in terms of its scale and the sheer range of attractions, from the serene calm of the premier shrine Meiji-jingu to the frenetic, eye-boggling fish market Tsukiji. Here you'll find some of the world's most ambitious architecture, most stylish shops and most outrageous restaurants and bars. Frequent tragedies, both natural and man-made, have destroyed much of historical Tokyo and yet the past lingers, in the alleys around the temple Senso-ji and in the elegant imperial gardens now open to the public.

Even on the shortest trip to Tokyo you should consider taking in surrounding attractions, in particular the historical towns of Nikko to the north, where the amazing Tosho-gu shrine complex is set amid glorious mountain forests, and Kamakura to the south with its giant statue of the Buddha and tranquil woodland walks. To the west stands Japan's eternal symbol Mount Fuji , best visited during the climbing season from June to September, and the beautiful hot-spring (onsen) resort of Hakone around the lake Ashi-no-ko.

Mountains, lakes and hot-spring resorts continue north from Tokyo to the very tip of Honshu island. This district, known as Tohoku, sees surprisingly few visitors, but its sleepy villages and nicely laid-back cities deserve greater attention. While the region has little in the way of top-tier sights, the Golden Hall of Hiraizumi more than justifies the journey, and can easily be combined with the islet-sprinkled Matsushima Bay or Tono , where a more traditional way of life survives among the fields and farmhouses. Northern Honshu is also known for its vibrant summer festivals , notably those of Sendai, Aomori, Hirosaki and Akita, and for its sacred mountains. Of these, Dewa-sanzan , on the Japan Sea coast, is home to a colourful sect of ascetic mountain priests, while souls in purgatory haunt the eerie wastelands of Osore-zan , way up on the rugged Shimokita Peninsula.

North across the Tsugaru Straits from here, Hokkaido is Japan's final frontier, home to the Ainu, the country's indigenous people, and popular for its outdoor sports. Daisetsu-zan National Park , dominating the centre of the island has excellent hiking trails over mountain peaks and through soaring rock gorges carved into incredible shapes. For remoteness it's hard to beat the Shiretoko National Park in the far northeast, covering the spindly peninsula of volcanoes and primeval forests that juts out into the Sea of Okhotsk. To the northwest, the lovely islands Rebun-to and Rishiri-to are ideal summer escapes, while in the south, the Shikotsu-Toya National Park , includes two beautiful lakes, onsen and the baby volcano Showa Shin-zan.

Hokkaido's most historic city is Hakodate , with its hundred-year-old wooden houses, churches built by expat traders and lively fish market. Most of the appealing capital Sapporo is thoroughly modern, particularly the raging nightlife centre Suskino, but two older attractions are worth catching: the original Sapporo Brewery and the Historical Village of Hokkaido, a park with over sixty buildings from the island's frontier days. Winter is also a fantastic time to visit Hokkaido to catch Sapporo's amazing Snow Festival ( Yuki Matsuri ) in February, ski at top resorts or take a boat through the drift ice off the port of Abashiri.

Skiing, mountaineering and soaking in hot springs are part of the culture of Central Honshu (Chubu), an area dominated by the magnificent Japan Alps . Either the old castle town of Matsumoto or Nagano , with its atmospheric temple of pilgrimage, Zenko-ji, can be used as a starting point for exploring this region. Highlights include the tiny mountain resort of Kamikochi , accessible only from April to November, and the immaculately preserved Edo-era villages of Tsumago and Magome , linked by a short hike along the remains of a three-hundred-year-old stone-paved road. On the Gifu-ken side of the mountains, Takayama deservedly draws many visitors to its handsome streets lined with merchant houses and temples built by generations of skilled carpenters. In the remote neighbouring valleys you'll find the rare A-frame thatched houses of Ogimachi, Suganuma and Ainokura , remnants of a fast disappearing rural Japan and all designated World Heritage Sites.

On the Japan Sea coast, the historic city of Kanazawa is home to Kenroku-en, one of Japan's best gardens, and is the departure point for the charming fishing villages along the wild coastline of the Noto-hanto , a peninsula to the northeast. Also accessible from Kanazawa, you can join a working community of Zen Buddhist monks at Eihei-ji , a beautiful temple in total harmony with its wooded surroundings. Chubu's southern coast is heavily industrialized, although the major city of Nagoya has a few minor points of interest, including the Tokugawa Art Museum, and the pretty castle-town of Inuyama, which holds summer displays of the ancient skill of ukai , or cormorant fishing. Also worth visiting is Meiji Mura, a vast outdoor museum of turn-of-the-twentieth-century architecture.

South of the Japan Alps, the Kansai plains are scattered with ancient temples, shrines and the remnants of imperial cities. The most famous of these former capitals is Kyoto , where at first the sheer wealth of sights can be overwhelming. The city's prime attractions are its magnificent temples and palaces, filled with superb statuary or exquisite painted screens, and surrounded by the most glorious gardens. Kyoto is also Japan's premier cultural centre, home to its most refined cuisine and most classy ryokan, while the city's hidden corners make casual wandering a delight. Nearby, Nara is a more manageable size but no slouch when it comes to venerable monuments, notably the great bronze Buddha of Todai-ji and Horyu-ji's unrivalled collection of early Japanese statuary. The surrounding region contains a number of still-thriving religious foundations, such as the highly atmospheric temples of Hiei-zan and Koya-san . Over on the east coast, Japan's most revered Shinto shrine, Ise-jingu , consists of a collection of austere buildings shaded by towering cryptomeria trees.

Not all Kansai is quite so rarefied, however. The opening of Kansai International airport has given a boost to the fast-moving, slightly unconventional metropolis of Osaka . Apart from its easy-going atmosphere and boisterous nightlife, the city's main attractions are its fabulous aquarium, a superbly restored castle and a hard-hitting civil rights museum. Further west, the port of Kobe , now with 1995's earthquake firmly set behind it, offers a gentler cosmopolitan atmosphere, but is no match for Himeji , home of Japan's must see castle as well as some impressive modern gardens and buildings.

History hangs heavy on Western Honshu (Chugoku) and not just in its most visited city, the reborn Hiroshima . The Kanmon Straits separating Honshu from Kyushu witnessed one of Japan's most crucial naval battles, Dannoura, in the twelfth century, while in the northern coastal town of Hagi disgruntled samurai sparked the Meiji Restoration some 600 years later. The most rewarding sights are on the area's southern San-yo and northern San-in coasts.

After Hiroshima, on the southern coast, it's worth pausing at Okayama to stroll around one of Japan's top three gardens, Koraku-en, and the appealingly preserved Edo-era town of Kurashiki . The beauty of the Inland Sea, dotted with thousands of islands, is best appreciated from spots such as the idyllic fishing village of Tomo-no-Ura, Nao-shima or the port of Onomichi . If you have time, don't miss out on the islands themselves, especially Shodo-shima, Ikuchi-jima and Miya-jima - home to one of the country's most famous symbols, the waterbound red torii gate at the ancient shrine of Itsukushima-jinja. All have a relaxed atmosphere, a world apart from the metropolitan bustle of mainland Japan.

Crossing to the San-in coast, the castle town of Hagi retains some handsome samurai houses and atmospheric temples, only surpassed by the even more enchanting Tsuwano , further inland. Home to the pantheon of Shinto deities, one of Japan's most venerable shrines, Izumo Taisha, lies roughly mid-point along the coast, near the watery capital of Matsue , which has the region's only original castle. The pine-forested sand spit at Amanohashidate , one of Japan's top scenic spots, extends at the far eastern end of the region, and is easily accessible from both Kyoto and Osaka.

You don't need to visit all 88 temples on Japan's most famous pilgrimage to enjoy the best of Shikoku , the country's fourth largest island. Apart from dramatic scenery in the Iya valley and along the often rugged coastline, the places to aim for are Matsuyama , with its imperious castle and splendidly ornate Dogo Onsen Honkan - one of Japan's best hot springs; the lovely garden Ritsurin-koen in Takamatsu ; and the ancient shrine at Kotohira , one of the most important in the Shinto religion. Japanese tourists know these places well, but you're unlikely to run into many other gaijin on Shikoku.

The southernmost of Japan's four main islands, Kyushu is probably best known as the target for the second atomic bomb, which exploded over Nagasaki in 1945. This surprisingly attractive, cosmopolitan city quite rightly acts as Kyushu's prime tourist focus, but it's worth devoting a few extra days to exploring the island's more far-flung sights. Hikers and onsen enthusiasts should head up into the central highlands, where Aso-san 's smouldering peak dominates the world's largest volcanic crater, or to the more southerly meadows of Ebino Kogen . So much hot water gushes out of the ground in Beppu , on the east coast, that it's known as Japan's hot-spring capital, complete with jungle baths, sand baths and wonderfully tacky amusement centres. Major cities such as Kagoshima and Kumamoto offer more conventional castles, museums and craft centres, while Fukuoka takes pride in its innovative modern architecture and an exceptionally lively entertainment district.

Last but not least, Okinawa comprises more than a hundred smaller islands stretching in a great arc from southern Kyushu to within sight of Taiwan. Okinawa was an independent kingdom until the early seventeenth century and traces of its distinctive culture still survive. The beautifully reconstructed former royal palace dominates the capital city, Naha , but to really appreciate the region you need to make for the remoter islands. Though not undiscovered, this is where you'll find Japan's most stunning white-sand beaches and its best diving, particularly around the subtropical islands of Miyako, Ishigaki and Iriomote.