"5 Worst Places To Visit In Japan"

Above, one of the moats at the Imperial Palace.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in January, RocketNews24 posted an article on the "5 Worst Places To Visit In Japan."

This was based on a survey by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). The survey was as of September 2012.

They begin it with this:

When foreigners do find themselves in Japan, travel guidebook in hand, they are inundated with advice regarding must-see places. But the worst part about taking a trip is arriving to one of these “must-see” locations and realizing it isn’t all that great. That’s why we’ve gathered up a list of the top five most disappointing tourist spots in Japan as recommended (unrecommended?) by users on Reddit.

Generally, what may be of interest to one person, may not be of any interest to another. Some have been called "tourist traps" by survey participants. Maybe so. However, I would consider such a survey to be somewhat subjective. It's all in the eye of the beholder.

When I come across such survey or poll results, I usually just furnish the link to it so readers can go there to see for themselves. In this case, I will list the places that made the list with my own comments.

They are:

#1 Roppongi:  I've been in Roppongi a few times and have enjoyed myself there and have gone to a couple of the clubs there. In 2004, I organized a dinner party at the T.G.I. Friday's there for G-Tour and everyone had a great time. Some even went back to Roppongi after the party was over.

#2 Tokyo Disneyland:  From what I've heard, there isn't that much difference between Tokyo's Disneyland and the one in Anaheim, California (and I've been there many times). Why should I go to a place in Japan where I can see and do the same things as in California?  But, as the article mentions, I've heard DisneySea is "awesome." Still, why should I spend most of my day waiting in line for rides when I can do something else?

#3 Imperial Palace:  I've been there twice (the first time was on my own and the second time was with a tour). The article states that there isn't much to see, but I enjoyed it anyway. I think it's worth at least one visit and it is a beautiful place.

#4 Sapporo Clock Tower: The article called it a “a boring rip-off" and is not even worth going inside. The only thing I would do is take an outside picture of it and move on. It was (briefly) featured in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991).

#5 Tokyo: The article says that some people recommend "avoiding the bustling city" and visit rural areas instead. I've always enjoyed Tokyo. But I would also recommend seeing rural areas as well as other Japanese cities such as Osaka, Kyoto and Fukuoka.

Whether or not to visit these places is all up to the traveler.

To read the full article, go here.