From grand imperial palaces to thousand year old Shinto shrines, Japan is home to remarkable examples of iconic and ancient architecture. In Asuka, explore the ancient tombs of the first Japanese emperors, whilst in Nara, experience Todaiji Temple, first constructed in 752, housing one of Japan’s largest bronze buddhas standing 15 metres tall. Matsumoto Castle, designated a ‘National Treasure of Japan’, is one of Japan’s most beautiful and original castles. Constructed from 1592, it features a unique ‘hirajiro’ style, built on plains rather than on a mountain. Fushimi Inari Shrine, featured in the movie Memoirs of a Geisha, is the most important Shinto shrine in Japan, dedicated to Inari and is famous for its thousands of Vermilion torri gates leading to the sacred forest of Mount Inari.