Shin-Okubo (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo) Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) Shin-Okubo is a multicultural area in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, known in particular as "Korea Town." Since the 1990s, it has developed into a place where Korean restaurants, grocery stores, cosmetic shops, and K-POP-related shops are concentrated. It has become a popular destination for foreign residents and young people.

Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) Shigisan Chogosonshiji Temple is an ancient temple located on Mount Shigi in Heguri Town, Ikoma District, Nara Prefecture. Since ancient times, the temple has been worshipped as the principal deity, Bishamonten, and has been a popular place of prayer for long-lasting military fortune, prosperity in business, and safety in the home.

Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) Kokoen Garden is a Japanese garden located to the west of Himeji Castle in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture. Developed in 1992 (during the Heisei era), it utilizes the site of a former samurai residence and is made up of nine gardens combining different styles, including pond-centered strolling gardens, dry landscape gardens, and open-air gardens.

Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine (Honmiya, Hongu-cho, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture) is one of the three central shrines of Kumano (Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha, and Kumano Nachi Taisha). It has long been a center of Kumano faith, attracting worshippers from all over the country. It is a sacred place deeply connected to the Kumano Kodo trail...

Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) Lake Kinrin is a small brackish lake located in Yufuin Town, Yufu City, Oita Prefecture, and is one of the iconic tourist spots in the Yufuin hot spring resort area. The lake's topography is where hot spring water gushes out and groundwater mixes, and during periods of large temperature differences between morning and evening, water rises above the lake surface...

Hakuba Iwatake (Hakuba Village, Kitaazumi District, Nagano Prefecture) Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) Hakuba Iwatake is a mountain resort in Hakuba Village with a direct view of the Northern Alps (Hakuba Mountain Range). Developed as a ski resort after the war, it is popular as a highland area for skiing and snowboarding in winter and gondola rides in summer.

Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) The Botchan Train is a revival tourist train that runs through Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture. Its exterior recreates the atmosphere of the small locomotive featured in Natsume Soseki's novel "Botchan." Its charming wooden-style passenger cars and red locomotive-like form create a retro feel, and it is a popular spot for visiting Dogo Onsen and Matsuyama...

Kirifuri Plateau (Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture) — Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) Kirifuri Plateau is a plateau area that stretches south of Lake Chuzenji and the Nikko Mountain Range in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture, at an elevation of roughly 1,200 to 1,400 meters. Formerly developed as a summer resort and ranch, it is now known for its seasonal natural scenery (including the early summer Nikko...

Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) Shuzenji is a tourist destination centered around a historic hot spring town and temples in Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture. Its origins date back to the Heian period, when Shuzenji Temple, which is said to have been associated with Kobo Daishi (Kukai), and it developed as a hot spring resort and tourist destination through the Kamakura and Edo periods. The old town...

Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) The Aomori Nebuta Festival is one of the Tohoku region's most famous summer festivals, held annually in early August (usually August 2-7) in Aomori City. There are various theories about its origins, but it is said to have originated in ancient times as a prayer for good harvests and protection from evil, and is known for its warrior paintings and historical...