Fourteen breathtaking pictures of Japan that will make you want to book a trip - from castaway islands to a shrine that 'appears to float on water'

Japan is a country at the top of many travellers' bucket lists - and these incredible pictures show why. Lonely Planet says: 'It's a steep ascent – a sort of walking meditation – but one that makes the views from the top, of the surrounding mountains, that much more spectacular' Pictured here is the spellbinding Takachico Gorge, a canyon cutting between sheer basalt cliffs with the 17-metre- high Minainotaki waterfall completing the magical scene. The Japan National Tourism Organization says: 'Imagine lazily cruising through a deep volcanic gorge in a rowboat while a waterfall forms rainbows in the mist around you' Hitachi Seaside Park near the city of Mito in Ibaraki Prefecture is 'a tapestry of flowers' that's 'a sight to behold' says JNTO. Pictured above is a castaway islet just off the island's coast In winter, skiers in Japan's Zao mountains will see the trees become glazed with snow, earning the nickname 'snow monsters'. The best time of year to see the phenomenon is between February and March Said to be one of the most spectacular cycling journeys in the world, the Shimanami Kaido route stretches for 70km across islands in Japan's Seto Inland Sea - with the immense 2.5-mile- long Kurushima Bridge forming one of the legs A Unesco World Heritage site, Miyajima Island has one of Japan's most impressive shrine gates.