知念岬公園
太平洋に向かって突き出した岬の先端にある公園で、あまり人が多くない“穴場”だ。 高台にあり、三方が海に囲まれているので、視界を遮るものがなく非常に眺めが良い。 公園の下は、エメラルドグリーンの珊瑚礁となっており、その先はグラデ―ジョンが美しいコバルトブルーの海と水平線、青い空が広がっている。 そして沖縄で“神の島”と呼ばれている久高島も間近に見える。 また、知念岬は東側に向かって開けているので、海から昇ってくる真っ赤な太陽を見ることが出来る“日の出観賞スポット”としても有名だ。 そして周りに光源がほとんどない場所なので、夜は星空や月が非常にクリアに見える。 公園内はきれいに整備されており、赤瓦屋根の東屋や歩きやすい遊歩道があるので、散策すると非常に気持ちが良い。 なお、公園内に売店やレストランなどはない。
- Area
- Minamikaigan and Okinawa
Oyamazumi shrine
One in 10,000 shrines in Japan has a branch shrine. In the center of the temple grounds there is a large 2,600 year-old camphor tree, regarded as a holy tree.
Tomita Shuzojo
Located in Naze, it is easily accessible, but costs 1,000 yen to visit.
NEW YORK JOE EXCHANGE
The store is popular for its American-inspired interior with a large selection of merchandise and low-priced brand-name items.
- Area
- Shimokitazawa and Tokyo
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 […]
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. […]
- Area
- Hokkaido and Lake Akan / Mashu / Kussharo
Hakata Hankyu
Hakata Hankyu—the Fukuoka branch of Hankyu Department Store—happens to be the No. 1 department store in western Japan. Located on the south side of JR Hakata City, the department store extends from the basement floor to the eighth floor, and has approx. 42,000 square meters of floor space. Like the flagship store in Osaka, the […]
- Area
- Hakata-Station and Fukuoka
Statue of Liberty
Copying the shape and size of the statue of liberty in Paris, France, the replica in Odaiba is made out of bronze. It sits facing the waterfront at Aqua City Odaiba. The 11 meter tall, 9 ton statue is about one third the size of the Statue of Liberty in New York. For whatever reason […]
TsutaFuji
TsutaFuji is a small and cozy restaurant with only 11 seats at the counter, but it is popular with a continuous line of customers on holidays. Their chuka-soba soup is made from pork bones and seafood, and is especially rich in flavor from small dried sardines. Toppings include plenty of pork back fat, chashu pork, […]
Sushi Kubota
- Area
- Nakasu Kawabata and Fukuoka
Matsuya Ginza
Highly regarded in its own right, Matsuya Ginza has been selling high-end fashion since its opening in 1925. Popular are the newest sweets and deli on basement floors 1 and 2.
- Area
- Ginza / Yurakucho and Tokyo
Tea house Kikuchi
Located on the approach to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, this store is famous for its umegae mochi. The store uses carefully selected high-quality ingredients such as azuki beans and glutinous rice, and makes umegae mochi using its own unique method. The candy in particular is elegantly sweet and melts smoothly in the mouth. The second floor […]
- Area
- Dazaifu Tenmangu and Fukuoka
Bunka Kissa Kyoshu
The café is housed in a gassho-style building. Through the large windows, patrons can enjoy the beautiful countryside scenery of the four seasons. The classical music carefully selected by the owner and antique interior decorations give a relaxing feeling. The menu is coffee only, and children are not allowed in the restaurant, so please be […]
- Area
- Shirakawago and Gifu
Hachiya Goju Sogyoten
Established in 1947, this is a famous ramen restaurant. Their original formula for the soup includes broth from pork bones and a seafood broth made mainly from dried horse mackerel. Both broths are cooled to remove impurities and finally blended together. In addition the soup comes topped with this shop’s original burnt lard. It is […]
Kitashinchi Yuki Shinten
Run by Kiccho Group, the owner of many Michelin Star awarded Japanese restaurants, Kitashinchi Yuki offers Japanese-style cuisine starting at just ¥3,850 in lunch time. The interior of the restaurant brings about a “Japanese” atmosphere as well and is quite nice.
- Area
- Kita-Shinchi and 大阪府
Lake Notoro
Lake Notoro – a massive saltwater lake spanning 580,000m2 connected to the Sea of Okhotsk – is home to primeval flowers along the lakeside, famous especially for the infinite sea of red from the Salicornia europaea (also known as Sangocho) in autumn. Mid- to late-September is the best time to visit, when the deep red […]
Hankyu Umeda Main Store
Highly-reputed and world-class, the Hankyu Umeda store is the highest-grossing department store in Western Japan and the 2nd overall in Japan, renowned for its high quality goods (with prices to match). No. 1 for fashion, cosmetics and beauty in Kansai, Hankyu is known as the birthplace for many modern fashion trends amongst women across a […]
- Area
- Osaka North and 大阪府
Ryotei Sagano
- Area
- Hakata-Station and Fukuoka
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, […]
Iwase House
The gassho-zukuri house was built about 300 years ago over a period of eight years. The five-story house has a frontage of 26.4 m, a depth of 12.7 m, and a height of 14 m, making it quite impressive when viewed up close. In fact, it is the largest gassho-zukuri in Japan. Since the house […]
Ohatsu Tenjin Dori Street
The local pub district in Osaka. The Ohatsutenjin Shopping Area has 80 restaurants of bountiful variety, the narrow roads lined by long-established shops with good reputations. Known as the “bar street,” the 20 or so restaurants are well-known amongst the locals.
- Area
- Osaka North and 大阪府
Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens & Ropeway
Known for being the best herb gardens in Japan, it is also the most easily accessible night view viewing spot in the mountains. You may choose to either watch from the bullet-train or go up 400 meters to the peak on the ropeway near Shin-Kobe Station. The gondola lift on the ropeway holds up to […]
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。
JR Hakata City, 1-1 Hakata Station Chuogai, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka
- Area
- Hakata-Station, Fukuoka
- Activities
- ショッピングモール
1-19-1, Kichijoji Honcho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo
- Activities
- 家電量販店
107 Ogi-machi, Shirakawa-mura, Ono-gun, Gifu
- Area
- Shirakawago, Gifu
- Activities
- 喫茶店/カフェ
Malta Building 2st Floor, 1-5-39 Dojima, Kita-ku, Osaka City
- Area
- Kita-Shinchi, 大阪府
Ticket office: Central Terminal 2F 7-1 Hatobacho, Chuo-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo
- Activities
- 観光船