Kuromon (black gate)

Located on the approach to Suiyu Jinja (shrine), this gate is painted all black and can be called the symbol of Akizuki. It was built in the early Kamakura period (1185-1333) as the back gate of Koshosan Castle, the predecessor of Akizuki Castle, but in 1624, it was moved as the main gate of Akizuki […]

Takoya Dotonbori Kukuru Mainstore “Big Octopus”

This realistically-designed octopus installed in 2000 looks almost like the real thing. The one next to the Dotonbori Glico sign is the “father” and the one at the front of the shop is the “eldest son,” while the “mother” and “second son” can be found in the Dotonbori Konamon Museum. The father octopus’s eyes sometimes […]

Doyamacho

Located in the Doyamacho area on the east side of Umeda Station there are around 230 restaurants – mainly gay bars – forming the largest gay town in west Japan. Foreigners are welcome in half of the bars so there is no need to feel nervous. On the other hand, if you have any issues, […]

Mount Io

Mount Io is a 512-meter-high active volcano located between Lake Mashu and Lake Kussharo. Its other name is Atosanupuri, meaning “naked mountain” in Ainu. In the past, it was used as a mine to extract sulfur. With the blue sky in the background, the plumes of smoke and the sound of gurgling are quite impressive. […]

羽田空港　展望デッキ

羽田空港では3つターミナル全てに展望デッキがある。 入場料もなく、眺めも良いので搭乗時間まで時間を潰すには良い場所かもしれない。 ここは小さな男の子連れのファミリーにとっては素晴らしい場所だろう。 のべつまくなしに発着する飛行機を間近に見ることが出来るので、普段は走り回って君達の言うことなど全く聞かない彼らも、ここでは大喜びで歓声を上げるだけで、基本的には良い子でいてくれる。   3つのターミナルの展望デッキは向いている方角がそれぞれ違うため、見ることの出来る景色が全て異なる。 各ターミナルの展望デッキの特徴を以下で記す。 第1ターミナルの展望デッキ(国内線/6階＋屋上) 高層ビル群や東京湾、(天気が良い時は)富士山など360度のパノラマを楽しむことが出来る。 ここは西向きのデッキなので夕陽が素晴らしく、また南側にある大きな工業地帯の夜景も美しい。 第2ターミナルの展望デッキ(国内線/5階) 東京湾を行き交う船や大きな橋など湾岸エリアのパノラマを楽しむことが出来る。 が、ここで一番素晴らしいのは、日没後のイルミネーションだ。 約4000個のLEDによる照明が滑走路の光と合わさって非常にロマンチックだ。 屋内には滑走路を見ながら食事ができるレストランもあるので、デートにも使える。 第3ターミナルの展望デッキ(国際線/5階) 滑走路までの距離が遠いため、飛行機が離着陸する際の迫力が国内線ターミナルの展望デッキと比べると少し落ちる。 ただ、第1ターミナルビルや管制塔など飛行場らしいものが良く見えるし、国際線ターミナルだけあって世界中から飛んできた色とりどりの航空機を見ることが出来るので、一番「飛行場にいる」と感じることが出来る場所だ。

Ueno Farm

The garden is considered to be Japan’s “holy place for gardening” and is visited by tourists and gardening enthusiasts from all over Japan. Over 2,000 varieties of carefully selected flowers and plants suited to the northern climate have been planted on the 13,000 sq m site. The garden, which was created through a process of […]

Izumi Tenku no Yu at Ariake Garden

Visitors can enjoy a variety of baths using genuine hot spring water pumped up from approximately 1,500 m underground, saunas, and bedrock baths.

Lake Mashu Observatory No.1

There are three observatories on Lake Mashu, but this one is the most popular and famous. Located at the top of Lake Mashu’s outer rim at an elevation of about 520 meters, the observatory offers a panoramic view of the deep blue waters of Lake Mashu, Mt. Oakandake, the Kushiro plains, the Pacific Ocean and […]

海遊館

Akan Sightseeing Cruise

The Akan Sightseeing Cruise circumnavigates Lake Akan and operates 4 to 11 times a day between May and November. The boat departs from the pier on the south side of the lake and cruises for about 85 minutes, taking in the view of Mt. Oakan and Mt. Meakan, with stops at Churui Island (where the […]

Rausu Kunashiri Observation Tower

This observatory – located on a hill 167m above sea level — presents a great panoramic view of Rausu city, the Shiretoko mountains, the Nemuro Channel, and Kunashir Island (about 25 km away). Stationed telescopes are available, which is nice.

Kushiro City Marshland Observatory

The Kushiro City Marshland Observatory is the best-maintained observatory near the city and the airport, and is located at the western edge of Kushiro Marsh. From the observation deck on the third floor and the rooftop, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the marshland, Kushiro city, and the Pacific Ocean. The first floor has […]

Mt. Hakodate

The view from Mt. Hakodate is simply magnificent; so much so that it received the highest accolade – 3 stars – from global travel guide book Michelin Green Guide Japan.

黒門市場

Kottaro Marsh Observatory

This observatory is located at the northeastern edge of Kushiro Marsh on a small hill. Compared to other observatories in Kushiro Marsh, the view from this observatory is “inferior”. However, if you are lucky, you can see beautiful Japanese cranes. The nearby road is a narrow gravel road, so be careful when driving.

Yunohana Hotel

A total of 5 baths including cedar and rock bath are located on the 1st floor; the open air bath is on the 2nd floor. Both are right next to the sea boasting great views.

Kokura Castle

Kokura Castle was built by Tadaoki Hosokawa (1563-1646), an influential warlord, over a period of seven years from 1602, and is a symbol of Kitakyushu. Unfortunately, the castle was completely destroyed by fire in 1837 and 1866, but was finally rebuilt in 1959. On the castle grounds are a zone where visitors can learn about […]