観光
Otaru Canal
The canal – completed in 1923 – spans 1,140 meters in length and a sightseeing highlight. Along the canal, a promenade and stone brick warehouses stand seeming nostalgic. Once dusk settles in, a romantic fairy-tale-like scene emerges as the promenade and brick warehouses come to life from the warm glow of gas lamps. Nowadays, the […]
Imperial Palace East Gardens (Observation of Inner Palace Grounds)
Part of the Edo Castle was turned into the Imperial Palace East Gardens when constructing the palace for the Emperor. It is necessary to register at Otemon (gate), but reservations in advance is not necessary and it’s free! *The inner grounds is massive, use the map below to get your bearings. Below are the main […]
- Area
- Tokyo Station Area and Tokyo
金沢市西茶屋資料館
にし茶屋街の歴史を学べる資料館。 1階には、大正時代(1912〜1926年)のベストセラー作家で、このエリアと縁が深い島田清次郎(1899〜1930)の関係資料が展示されている。 ※と言ってもこの人物について君は聞いたこともなく、興味もないだろうからスルーしてくれても良い。 2階には、客をもてなしたお茶屋の部屋が再現されている。 鮮やかな朱色の壁、金屏風、漆塗りの装飾品などが並び、豪華な雰囲気だ。 入館が無料なのは良い。
- Area
- Nishichayagai and Ishikawa
Saltpeter Hall
The museum exhibits materials and tools that explain the process of saltpeter production, which was a major industry in Gokayama during the Edo period (1603-1868). Visitors can try their hand at shooting an old-fashioned gun, the flintlock rifle.
川越氷川神社
約1,500年前に創建された、長い歴史と高い格式のある神社だ。 主祭神は素戔嗚尊で、他に素戔嗚尊の妻と子供、妻の両親という合計五柱の神々が祀られている。 これらの神々は一つの家族で、そのうち夫婦が二組であることから、川越氷川神社は「家族円満・夫婦円満・縁結び」に大いにご利益があるとして人々から信仰されている。 特に縁結びが非常に有名で、多くの女性たちが良縁祈願に訪れる。 また、370年以上の歴史があり、毎年10月中旬に約1,000,000人もの観客が集まるほど人気がある川越氷川祭はこの神社の例大祭だ。 1849年に竣工した現在の本殿の建物には、全面に精巧で素晴らしい彫刻が施されている。 また鳥居は高さ約15mと木製の鳥居としては日本最大級の大きさで、扁額の文字は、日本人の間では非常に有名で人気のある幕末の武士、勝海舟(1823〜1899年)によるものだ。 川越氷川神社がユニークなのは、歴史と格式のある神社であるにもかかわらず、絶えず新しい取り組みを行なっているところだ。 メインの参拝客である女性たちが喜びそうな、楽しくてフォトジェニックな企画やイベントを多数打ち出し続けている。 参拝客に喜んでもらい、より信仰心や親しみを持ってもらうとともに、コツコツとお金を稼いで、神社の維持/発展にそのお金を使おうとする前向きな姿勢と努力には感心してしまう。 新しい取り組みに関しては、具体的には以下だ。 ＜絵馬トンネル＞ 参拝客の願いが込められた絵馬が約20ｍに渡って吊り下げられ、まるでトンネルのような形となっている。 本殿の脇にあり、フォトジェニックだ。 ＜鯛みくじ＞ 日本では縁起が良い魚である鯛をモチーフにしたおみくじを、小さな釣り竿を使って釣り上げるのが楽しい。 ＜縁結び風鈴＞ 「天の川に恋の願いが届くように」というロマンティックなテーマで、夏季(7月上旬〜9月上旬)限定で行われる祭事。 この時期、たくさんの参拝客たちが(主に恋の)願い事を書いた短冊を風鈴にかけて祈る。 色鮮やかなガラスで出来た2,000個の風鈴が、涼やかな音を立てながら風に揺れる様子は、綺麗で心が洗われる。 君がすれっからしだったとしてもきっと恋をしたくなる。
Senso-ji
The oldest temple in Tokyo. Though the temple has the same characters as “Asakusa”, it is read “Senso-ji”, not “Asakusa-dera”. In the year 628, 2 fishermen (brothers), built Senso-ji to enshrine the the bodhisattva of mercy and salvation after going out to nearby Sumida River and catching a statue of the bodhisattva Kannon with […]
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 […]
- Area
- Hokkaido and Lake Akan / Mashu / Kussharo
Osaka Ohsho Dotonbori Main Store Gyoza Dumplings
The store’s main dish, gyoza, was made into a model approximately 1,100 times its actual size and has remained there since 2012. The attention to detail makes the gyoza very realistic as if it has been cooked – so real that you might want to eat it! Size 4m tall, 3.5m wide
Lake Akan Hot Springs
Due to the volcanic land, the area around Lake Akan gush with high quality hot springs; one hot spring town on the lake’s south shore has around 20 lodging facilities. Among them, roughly 10 of the lodges (like the 2 below) allow you to enjoy their hot spring for about ¥1500 without having to stay […]
- Area
- Hokkaido and Lake Akan / Mashu / Kussharo
Hachiman-zaka
The picturesque scene of the tree lined hill stretching out to the sea is often used in movies and commercials. A major newspaper even ranked it the No.1 hill in Japan.
Hōkoku Shrine(Senjokaku)
A huge temple with a normal tile roofing and an East Asian hip-and-gable roof. The interior is as large as 1,000 tatami mats, hence its other name Senjo-kaku— 1,000 mats palace—but actually there are only 857 tatami mats. It was built in 1587 as a sutra library by order of Hideyoshi Toyotomi (1537-1598), the top […]
Mojiko Station
Mojiko Station opened in 1891 and was the “gateway” to Kyushu’s railroad network until 1942, when the undersea Kanmon Tunnel was opened to traffic. The current station building was constructed in 1914, and in 1988 it became the first railroad station in Japan to be designated as an Important Cultural Property. * Mojiko Station and […]
Lion Rock Observation Deck
The lion rock observation deck is located near the ropeway’s Shishiiwa Station. At 433 meters above sea level, there is no obstruction of view; you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Seto Inland Sea and islands of various sizes, even Shikoku can be seen on a clear day. The view is especially beautiful in […]
Abashiri Drift Ice Sightseeing & Icebreaker Ship – Aurora
Get up close and personal with this sightseeing cruise from Abashiri Port. The cruise lasts for about 1 hour and runs from the end of January to the beginning of April. All 491 tons of the ship break the ice blocks apart as it marvelously moves forward, and because of its large size there is […]
Hakodate St. John’s Church
An Anglican Church built in 1874. The church had burned down several times due to fire; the current church you see now was built in 1979. What’s interesting is from wherever you look you see a cross.
Gokayama Folk Museum
The museum is housed in a gassho-style building and exhibits about 200 daily utensils such as tableware and clothing that were used in the past.
Amami Oshima Kaiun Shuzo
It is located in Uken-son in the western area, quite far from the airport and Naze.
Rinku no Yu
Rinku no Yu is a hot spring located in Rinku Pleasure Town SEACLE on the mainland, the opposite shore of Kansai International Airport. The prices are cheap; a good place to visit if you have time until your flight. There are various baths and saunas such as outdoor hot springs and rock baths, and you […]
Sōhonzan Shitennōji
A temple with a long history, a rarity in Osaka. It is the first ever state-sponsored temple in Japan built by order of Prince Shotoku (574-622) in 593. He was also a magnificent statesman who is revered by Japanese even today. Shitennōji has been destroyed countless times by fire caused by wars, lightening, and typhoons, […]
Former Public Hall of Hakodate Ward
A colonial style building built in 1910 as a public hall. The 1st floor isn’t all that impressive. The 2nd floor, on the other hand, has a massive hall that is worth seeing. From the balcony of the 2nd floor, visitors can see a beautiful view of Hakodate Bay.
Kyushu National Museum
One of only four national museums in Japan. (The others are located in Tokyo, Nara, and Kyoto.) Based on the concept of “understanding the formation of Japanese culture from an Asian historical perspective,” the museum introduces the history of cultural exchange with other Asian regions in five easy-to-understand themes. The museum’s greatest feature is that […]
- Area
- Dazaifu Tenmangu and Fukuoka
Otaru Music Box Museum
The largest music box shop in all of Japan. Inside the brick building built in 1912 is a 9 meter atrium and an attic filled with the warm presence of wood.Around 3,400 various kinds of music boxes are on display and sold. It’s grand sight,Within walking distance from the flagship is a workshop where you […]
Hakata Gion Yamakasa
It is a Shinto ritual dedicated to Kushida Shrine, known as the chief deity of the Hakata area of Fukuoka City, and has a long history of about 800 years. In 2016, it was registered as a World Heritage SiteINtangible Cultural Heritage) by UNESCO, along with 32 other festivals around Japan. Drawing approx. 3.5 million […]
- Area
- Nakasu Kawabata and Fukuoka
1-1, Chiyoda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- Area
- Tokyo Station Area, Tokyo
4-5-1, Sanjo Higashi 4-chome, Abashiri City, Hokkaido
- Activities
- 観光船
6-7-2 Ishizaka, Dazaifu City, Fukuoka
- Area
- Dazaifu Tenmangu, Fukuoka
- Activities
- 博物館
Kushida Shrine, 1-41 Kamikawabatamachi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka
- Area
- Nakasu Kawabata, Fukuoka
- Activities
- 伝統文化