If you think this classic furled-roof temple looks familiar, take a look at a 10-yen coin and you’ll see why. One of Japan's most famous temples—and an UNESCO World Heritage Site—the temple’s 11th-century Phoenix Hall graces both the 10-yen coin and 10,000-yen note. It’s also one of the best examples of Heian-era architecture.More
Spanning the tranquil Uji River, Uji-bashi Bridge occupies a legendary site. Few Japanese landmarks have played such a starring role in Japanese literature and art as the Heian-period version of this structure, which was featured in The Tale of Genji—a masterpiece of Japanese prose that’s considered by many historians to be the world’s first novel. It was originally built in 646, and was most recently rebuilt in 1996.More