Tourist attractions--archive--

Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) Toji Temple (Kyoogokokuji Temple) is one of the ancient temples founded when the capital was moved to Heian-kyo (794). It was established by Kobo Daishi (Kukai) as the main training center for the Shingon sect. Its five-story pagoda is a Kyoto landmark and is known as the tallest wooden five-story pagoda in Japan.

Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) The Shimanto River, one of Japan's cleanest rivers, flows through southwestern Kochi Prefecture. Known as "Japan's last clean river," the river's natural scenery and traditional lifestyles remain vividly preserved throughout its basin. It stretches for approximately 196 km, meandering from the mountains to the plains and out to its mouth...

Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) Kochi Castle (Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture) is a valuable example of castle architecture remaining from the Edo period, and a historical relic that is one of the twelve remaining castle towers. Developed as the headquarters of the Tosa clan, many buildings, including the castle tower, Honmaru Palace, and turrets, retain their Edo-period appearance. Castle...

Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) The Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter is a historic landscape preservation district in the center of Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture. Along the Kurashiki River, which flourished as a commercial district from the Edo to Meiji periods, the area retains its charming streetscape of white-walled storehouses, townhouses with lattice doors, and rows of willow trees. The area is particularly known for its beautiful scenery.

Overview (History, Features, and Appeal) The Takarazuka Revue (Takarazuka Revue Company) is Japan's leading musical revue company, founded in 1913 by Ichizo Kobayashi. Its most notable feature is that it performs entirely with women. The Takarazuka Grand Theater (Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture) is its home base, where lavish stage productions and...

Wajima Morning Market (Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture) — Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) Wajima Morning Market is a traditional morning market held every morning in the center of Wajima City on Ishikawa Prefecture's Noto Peninsula. Known for its long history, its history is said to span hundreds to even a thousand years, and it has served as a hub for the distribution of Noto's food culture and folk crafts...

Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) Tamatsukuri Onsen (Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture) is a hot spring resort known since ancient times for its "beautiful skin water." According to legends and local records, it has been beloved since ancient times, and the charm of the hot spring town lies in the quiet atmosphere and tranquility unique to Shimane. The water is gentle on the skin, leaving it feeling refreshed after bathing...

Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) Bitchu Matsuyama Castle is a mountain castle located in Takahashi City, Okayama Prefecture, and is known as one of Japan's 12 remaining castle towers. Built atop a mountain at an elevation of approximately 430 meters, it is famous for being the castle with the highest remaining castle tower in Japan.

Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) Lake Akan is a caldera lake located in Kushiro City, Hokkaido, and is one of the central tourist destinations in Akan-Mashu National Park (an area that now includes Akan-Mashu Prefectural Natural Park). A hot spring town (Lake Akan Onsen) spreads along the lakeside, and the surrounding active volcano, Mount Meakan, is a popular spot for sightseeing.

Mount Inasa (Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture) Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) Mount Inasa is a mountain approximately 333 meters above sea level overlooking Nagasaki city, known as a panoramic observation spot offering a panoramic view of Nagasaki Port and the city. Nagasaki's night view has been called one of the "Three Great Night Views of Japan" and the "10-Million-Dollar Night View," and Mount Inasa's...