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Japan in 2025: New and Upcoming Attractions

Dan Beauchamp

2025 is the year of Osaka.

Cover photo: Digital rendering of Yumeshima (“Dream Island”), site for World Expo 2025 in Osaka. Via Nikkei (cropped).

Digital rendering of the wooden Grand Ring, designed by Sou Fujimoto (藤本 壮介) for World Expo 2025 in Osaka. Via the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau (color-corrected and cropped).

Intro

Japan’s popularity continues to grow, with 2025 likely to set new records for foreign tourist arrivals. The country will offer many unique art festivals and events this year. Most notably, the city of Osaka will host World Expo 2025, an international exhibition of cutting-edge technology and design.

In anticipation of the World Expo, the city of Osaka has seen many changes within the last few years, including the partial opening of Grand Green Osaka and Umekita Park, a major mixed-use development nearby Osaka Station. Japan’s first Waldorf Astoria hotel will open next spring.

Overall, it appears Japan’s major post-COVID changes have settled down. While higher labor and material costs have delayed multiple projects, the nationwide hotel boom continues, buoyed by tourist demand and foreign investment.

Katana Marketing group unveils Junglia theme park, with CEO Tsuyoshi Morioka (森岡 毅) in the center, Tokyo, Japan (2023). Via Atonavi Magazine (cropped).

Highlights

2025’s most exciting new attraction is Junglia, a nature theme park in northern Okinawa, expected to open in the summer. The project is led by Tsuyoshi Morioka (森岡 毅), the businessman credited with saving Universal Studios Japan. The park will feature exciting rides and resort accommodations.

Development trends include arenas, art museums, and commercial centers. Several cities have new stadium projects for event hosting. IG Arena will be the new home to the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament, annually held in July.

Japan’s least populous prefecture will see the Tottori Prefectural Museum of Art open in local capital Kurayoshi. The Yokohama Museum of Art will have a grand reopening in February and the long-awaited Edo-Tokyo Museum is also expected to finally reopen after extensive renovations.

Other exciting projects include an Edo-themed commercial park at a castle town near Mount Fuji, Hanakouji Kofu, the Iga Ninja Experience Facility in Mie, and the opening of the scenic Kurobe Unazuki Canyon Route in Toyama, which will make sightseeing in the famous canyon gorge easier and more convenient.

Visitors admire a Tyrannosaurus rex animatronic at the newly-renovated Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum in Katsuyama, Fukui, Japan (2023). Photo by Danny With Love.

Recommendations

As visitors in Japan continue to grow, “overtourism” is a trending topic. Travel guide company Fodor’s suggests tourists avoid Kyoto and Tokyo altogether. While I personally think this is a bit extreme, I do suggest exploring other parts of Japan. My top three recommendations for 2025 are Kobe, Fukuoka, and Fukui (ordered by season). All three cities offer a myriad of new attractions, infrastructure improvements, and a variety of activities.

World-famous for marbled beef, Kobe is one of the biggest cities in the Kansai Region. 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake, commemorated by winter illumination event Kobe Luminarie. Landmark Kobe Port Tower reopened last year, offering impressive views of the historic port and waterside events center Glion Arena Kobe will open in April. Kobe offers convenient access to nearby Osaka, the hot springs of Arima Onsen, and UNESCO World Heritage site Himeji Castle!

Fukuoka — Japan’s fastest-growing city — will see the opening of event center Fukuoka Civic Hall and new landmark One Fukuoka Building this spring. Fukuoka International Airport is also unveiling an additional international terminal. The largest city on the island of Kyushu, Fukuoka offers access to historic Nagasaki and the famous hot springs of Beppu Onsen. Don’t miss Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival in July!

I also recommend Fukui, a prefecture rediscovered thanks to the new Hokuriku Shinkansen (bullet train) extension. Just one train ride from Tokyo, Fukui is home to Japan’s largest dinosaur museum, Zen temple Eiheiji, and the medieval ruins of Ichijo Valley. In 2024, the Fukui Station area unveiled major renovations including dinosaur animatronics and eateries. New bus tours make sightseeing easier than ever. Don’t miss fresh Echizen crab season in the fall!

Nationwide List

For more attractions, please refer to the list below, which includes new sites in all 47 prefectures opened in 2024 and opening in 2025. This is a list of places I find noteworthy, not a comprehensive list. Some sites listed as opened in 2024 are opening in December. Please refer to my article from last year for more new attractions in Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, and Osaka.

Designed by Hirai Seijiro (平井 晴二郎), the Former Hokkaido Government Office Building is designated a national important cultural asset, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan (2009). Via Wikipedia (color-corrected).

Digital rendering of the sky spa at Sapporo Hotel by Granbell in Hokkaido. Via PR Times (cropped).

Hokkaido & Tohoku Region: Miyagi, Fukushima, Aomori, Iwate, Yamagata, Akita

Hokkaido

Miyagi

Fukushima

Aomori

Iwate

Yamagata

Akita

Digital rendering of Harajuku Quest, a commercial center designed by OMA. Via OMA (cropped).

Promotional image for Athletics Forest, one of the new areas opening at TeamLab Planets in Tokyo. Via TeamLab (cropped).

Tokyo

Yokohama Museum of Art, designed by Kenzo Tange (丹下 健三), Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan (2024). Photo Kenshu Shintsubo (新津保 建秀) and via Tokyo Art Beat.

Digital rendering of the open-air rooftop terrace at The Gate Hotel Yokohama offering views of Yokohama Port, Kanagawa. Via Gate Hotels (color-corrected and cropped).

Kanto Region (other): Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Ibaraki, Gunma, Tochigi

Kanagawa

Saitama

Chiba

Ibaraki

Gunma

Tochigi

Sennindani Dam on the Kurobe Unazuki Canyon Route, Toyama, Japan (undated, published 2024). Via PR Times (color-corrected).

A popular cafe from Kyoto, Salon de Muge will open a new location in Fukui City near Mount Asuwa (undated, published 2019). Via Crea Traveller (cropped).

Hokuriku Region: Ishikawa, Toyama, Fukui

Ishikawa

Toyama

Fukui

Digital rendering of IG Arena, new home to the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament, designed by Kengo Kuma (隈 研吾) and Associates. Via TFC Stadiums (cropped).

Digital rendering of Hanakouji Kofu, an Edo-themed commercial park near Mount Fuji, Yamanashi. Via Kofu City (cropped).

Chubu Region (other): Aichi, Shizuoka, Niigata, Nagano, Gifu, Yamanashi

Aichi

Shizuoka

Niigata

Nagano

Gifu

Yamanashi

Digital rendering of Grand Green Osaka South Building, which will include Umekita Onsen Ren and Time Out Market Osaka. Via Kyodo News PR Wire (color-corrected and cropped).

Digital rendering of the entertainment & dining complex Nakaza Kuidaore Building. Via Iwate Nippo.

Osaka

Digital rendering of Glion Arena Kobe, Japan’s first waterfront arena. Via PR Times (cropped).

Digital rendering of Lago Otsu, a lakeside confectionary complex with store, cafe, and park. Via Taneya (color-corrected and cropped).

Kansai Region (other): Hyogo, Kyoto, Mie, Shiga, Nara, Wakayama

Hyogo

Kyoto

Mie

Shiga

Nara

Wakayama

Digital rendering of the Tottori Prefectural Museum of Art, designed by Maki & Associates and Takenaka Corporation. Via Qetic (cropped).

Digital rendering of Minamoa commercial center at Hiroshima Station. Via Sankei News (cropped).

Chugoku & Shikoku Regions: Hiroshima, Okayama, Ehime, Yamaguchi, Kagawa, Tokushima, Kochi, Shimane, Tottori

Hiroshima

Okayama

Ehime

Yamaguchi

Kagawa

Tokushima

Kochi

Shimane

Tottori

Digital rendering of Hotel Indigo Nagasaki Glover Street, readapted from a late-19th century Monastic complex. Via IHG Hotels (color-corrected and cropped).

Digital rendering of One Fukuoka Building, a mixed-use commercial center with hotel on the top floors. Via Fashion Press (cropped).

Kyushu Region: Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Oita, Miyazaki, Saga

Fukuoka

Kumamoto

Nagasaki

Kagoshima

Oita

Miyazaki

Saga

Digital rendering of Junglia nature theme park in northern Okinawa, aerial view. Via Junglia (cropped).

Okinawa