TOKYO JOYPOLIS

One of the largest indoor amusement parks, Tokyo Joypolis is a mashup of digital and real. Beginning with a coaster ride that runs through the well hole of the facility and takes you on a journey full of thrills, there are over 20 attractions for one to enjoy. You’ll even find attractions with the latest […]

Hakodate Orthodox Church

Built in 1860, the Hakodate Orthodox Church was the first Russian Orthodox Church in Japan. Its white walls and green roof contrast beautifully. It’s also famous for its booming bell chime before service.

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 […]

Asahikawa Ramen Village

8 ramen shops representing Asahikawa are gathered together under one roof in the corner of a shopping center. Each ramen shop serves half-sizes or mini versions so you can compare between them.

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. […]

Motomachi Roman Catholic Church

This Catholic Church was built in 1859, but after a fire it was rebuilt – to what you see today – in 1924 as a gothic church. The gorgeous altar in the cathedral was a gift from the Pope himself.

Old Moji Mitsui Club

The building was built in 1921 by MITSUI & CO., LTD, a major Japanese general trading company, as a social club for entertaining VIPs, and is designated as a National important cultural properties. In 1922, Dr. Einstein (1879-1955), that well-known physicist who was visiting Japan on a lecture tour, stayed there for about a week […]

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.

Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Street

Because the strip is about 2.6 kilometers long, walking its total length will take approximately 40 minutes. Weekends will be especially crowded, so it will take longer. If you’re short on time, then just walk around 5 chome. The characteristics of each chome are as follows. 3 to 6 chome are generally very lively.  Most […]

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, […]

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 […]

Lake Kussharo

Lake Kussharo, with a circumference of 57 km and an area of 79.3 km2, is the largest caldera lake in Japan. It was formed about 30,000 years ago inside the Kussharo Caldera, which is the largest caldera in Japan, measuring about 26 km east to west and 20 km north to south. Incidentally, the word […]

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.

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

Seven Stars Tree

On the northern side of Highway 237 stands a single Japanese oak tree in the middle of the rolling hills. The tree suddenly earned fame in 1976 as the world’s 4th largest tobacco manufacturer, JT, used the tree as the package image of their Seven Stars cigarette brand. That’s pretty much all there is to […]

Tokyo Racecourse

Kanno Farm

The flower fields spread on a hill along Hanabito Kaido Road (Route 237), 2 km west of JR Bibaushi Station. More than 30 kinds of flowers, mainly lavender, are in full bloom from mid-June to mid-October Vivid flowers cover the entire hillside, and from the roadside you can look up to see the flower garden. […]

Fukugi Tree Road

Shiroi Koibito Park: Chocolate Factory

A theme park for sweets operated by one of Hokkaido’s most famous sweets makers Ishiya Seika

Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping Street

A roughly 160m-long shopping arcade lined with 50 or so stores that sell kitchen utilities, machines and tools targeted at professional chefs and cooks. Of course, you don’t have to be a professional to shop here, so if you’re interested in cooking, it may be worth having a look for new kitchen utensils here. The […]

Kinryu Ramen “Kinryu”

The green dragon sticking through the red wall is very lifelike and looks as if it could move at any moment. Put in place in 1992. The sign itself could almost be considered an elaborate art piece due to its intricate details.   Size Approx. 6m in length