Restaurant and travel website TripAdvisor® has released its lists for the Top 20 Best Museums in Japan 2018 and Top 20 Best Art Museums in Japan 2018 as ranked by its users.   Taking the number one spot for art museums is Teshima Art Museum in Kagawa Prefecture and for museums the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum in Nagasaki Prefecture. The Teshima Art Museum is located on the island of Teshima in the Seto Inland Sea just a 30-minute ferry ride from Takamatsu. It's home to a single piece of artwork - a concrete shell structure devoid of pillars that's made in the image of a water droplet just as it's about to land. The structure takes in natural light, sounds and wind from the surrounding area, combining man-made artwork with nature. The Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum is based in the city of Nagasaki and was built in remembrance of the Nagasaki atomic bombing which occurred on August 9, 1945. It houses permanent exhibitions as well as occasional temporary exhibitions all giving historical background to the atomic bombing and postwar nuclear weapons. The museum also has a library with books and picture books relating to peace, nuclear weapons and other relevant topics, as well as a museum shop. There are twenty each of museums and art museums ranked on TripAdvisor's list, all must-visits celebrated for their individual and unique exhibits. The art museums are also not only revelled for what they have on show but for their architecture and gardens where one can enjoy nature through all four seasons; many users commented on how they lose track of time and find themselves healed from visiting. A number of facilities related to the disasters of the war ranked in the lists, including the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.   Top 20 Best Art Museums in Japan 2018 1. Teshima Art Museum (Kagawa) 2. Fujishiro Seiji Museum (Tochigi) 3. Nezu Museum (Tokyo) 4. Otsuka Museum of Art (Tokushima) 5. Ghibli Museum Mitaka (Tokyo) 6. Adachi Museum of Art (Shimane) 7. Okada Museum of Art (Kanagawa) 8. Pola Museum of Art (Kanagawa) 9. Hiroshi Senju Museum Karuizawa (Nagano) 10. The National Museum of Modern Art (Tokyo)   Top 20 Best Museums in Japan 2018 1. Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum (Nagasaki) 2. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (Hiroshima) 3. Tokyo National Museum (Tokyo) 4. Motorcar Museum of Japan (Ishikawa) 5. Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History & Human History (Fukuoka) 6. Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum (Fukui) 7. The Museum Meiji-mura (Aichi) 8. Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology (Aichi) 9. National Museum of Ethnology (Osaka) 10. Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo (Shimane)   If you're looking to visit a museum while you're in Japan then be sure to check out TripAdvisor for reference.

TripAdvisor® is the world's biggest travel website for locating the best places to stay, eat and have fun. The rankings for each location are determined by the public who rate and review the places they visit.   The website has just published its 2018 ranking for the best castles to visit in Japan. This marks the 6th run for best castles in the country. Included this year are 11 castles and 9 castle ruins. Coming in top place for the 3rd year in a row is Himeji Castle in Hyogo Prefecture. It boasts as the first castle in Japan to be registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The castle underwent significant renovation from 2009 to 2015. Known for its distinct white walls, the castle has been attracting much popularity in recent years. In 2nd place is Nijo in Kyoto which has gone up three places from last year. Ranking at 3rd place is Matsuyama Castle located in Matsuyama, the capital of Ehime Prefecture. This castle came in 3rd place last year too. Matsumoto Castle was chosen for 4th place. It also goes by the name "Crow Castle" due to its black exterior - quite the opposite of the white walls of Himeji Castle. Oka Castle came in 5th place, the highest ranking of the castle ruins. All that's left of it now are stone walls, but it is known as the castle which served as a model in pianist Rentaro Taki's song Kojo no Tsuki ('The Moon Over the Ruined Castle'). This is noted in the Japanese comments on TripAdvisor, with people describing the contrast between the moon and castle as breathtaking as mentioned in the song. Inuyama Castle in Ehime Prefecture came in at 7th place, moving up the list significantly. It's one of the 12 original castles of Japan and known for its castle tower being designated as a national treasure.   Castles are an important part of Japanese culture and an incredible immersive experience of the country's history. Make use of this list to visit at least one during your trip!    

TripAdvisor® has unveiled the most popular theme parks around the world as ranked by international travelers. The top 10 list for Japan list includes theme parks that have ranked before as well as two new entries – located in Wakayama Prefecture and Kyoto Prefecture.

1. Universal Studios Japan, Osaka 2. Tokyo DisneySea, Chiba 3. Tokyo Disneyland, Chiba 4. Adventure World, Wakayama 5. Nagashima Spa Resort, Mie 6. Fuji-Q Highland, Yamanashi 7. Tokyo One Piece Tower, Tokyo 8. Mega Web, Tokyo 9. Amanohashidate View Land, Kyoto 10. Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura, Tochigi

  Taking this year’s number one spot is Universal Studios Japan for the second year in a row. In second place is Tokyo DisneySea which has moved up one spot from last year. in Third is Tokyo Disneyland which is celebrating its 35^th anniversary this year.   Not only did Universal Studios Japan clock in at number one in Japan, it also ranked in the top 25 worldwide as well as third place in the whole of Asia. Comments praised it for being the best place for Disney movie lovers and as a place to enjoy seeing many different characters. There was also excitement about the renewal and introduction of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter which gives guests the chance to see the inside of Hogwarts Castle. Those who have attended it commented that it’s just like stepping into the movies.   Tokyo DisneySea and Tokyo Disneyland also made it in fourth and fifth place respectively for the most popular theme parks in Asia. Travelers in the comments commend both parks for allowing even adults to forget their age and enjoy their time there.   The top 3 theme parks of Japan this year have not changed from last year. Adventure World in fourth place however has made it onto the list for the first time. Located in the town of Shirahama in Wakayama Prefecture, Adventure World is known for housing giant pandas, but it also has a fun amusement area enjoyed by kids and adults like with a Ferris wheel, rollercoaster and more. It was also selected as number eight in the most popular theme parks in Asia.   Another theme park on the list for the first time is Amanohashidate View Land in Kyoto. Coming in ninth place, this park offers a gorgeous panoramic view of Amanohashidate, one of Japan’s three scenic views.   If you’re coming to Japan then be sure to schedule a day to visit one of the country’s top 10 theme parks.