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Tenryū
This fine temple has one of the most attractive stroll gardens in all of Kyoto, particularly during the spring cherry-blossom and autumn-foliage seasons. The main 14th-century Zen garden, with its backdrop of the Arashiyama mountains, is a good example of shakkei (borrowed scenery)
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Uji
Uji is a small city to the south of Kyoto. Its main claims to fame are Byōdō-in and tea cultivation. Ujis stone bridge – the oldest of its kind in Japan – has been the scene of many bitter clashes in previous centuries.Uji is also home to Ujigami-jinja , a Unesco World Heritage Sit
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Ninna
Few travellers make the journey all the way out to this sprawling temple complex, but most who do find it a pleasant spot. It’s certainly a good counterpoint to the crowded and more famous temples nearby. If you’re after something a bit off the beaten track in Northwest Kyoto, this
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Manshu
The charmingly intimate temple of Manshu-in, which served as a retreat for former emperors, is a great place to escape the crowds that descend on other Kyoto temples. The temple was originally founded by Saichō on Hiei-zan but was relocated here at the beginning of the Edo period b
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Katsura
Katsura-hama is a popular beach 13km south of central Kōchi at the point where Kōchis harbour empties out into the bay. Unfortunately, strong currents prohibit swimming, but its a lovely spot to stroll, with a small shrine perched on an oceanside promontory. Just before the beach i
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Ishiyama
This Shingon-sect temple was founded in the 8th century. Climb the many steps past a garden of massive boulders to the hondō (main hall), famed as the place where Lady Murasaki wrote The Tale of Genji. Continue exploring on trails winding further uphill through a lovely forest, inc
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Maruyama
Maruyama-kōen is a favourite of locals and visitors alike. This park is the place to come to escape the bustle of the city centre and amble around gardens, ponds, souvenir shops and restaurants. Peaceful paths meander through the trees and carp glide through the waters of a small p
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Ōagata
This ancient shrine set on a lovely hillside is dedicated to the female Shintō deity Izanami and attracts women seeking marriage or fertility. See if you can find the large hime-ishi (姫石; princess stone) and other items resembling giant female genitals. The popular Hime-no-miya Mat
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Shisen
One of the real highlights of the far northern Higashiyama Area, Shisen-dō (House of Poet-Hermits) was built in 1641 by Ishikawa Jōzan, a scholar of Chinese classics and a landscape architect who wanted a place to retire. The hermitage is noted for its display of poems and portrait
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Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum
Hakutsuru is the dominant sake brewer in Kōbes Nada-ku, one of Japans major sake-brewing centres. The self-guided tour through its historic, wood-built former brewery building (the current, giant concrete factory is behind it) is a fascinating look into traditional sake-making meth
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Zōjō
One of the most important temples of the Jōdō (Pure Land) sect of Buddhism, Zōjō-ji dates from 1393 and was the funerary temple of the Tokugawa regime. Its an impressive sight, particularly the main gate, Sangedatsumon , constructed in 1605, with its three sections designed to symb
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Marionette (Karakuri) Exhibition Room & Inuyama Castle Historical Museum
Included in your admission ticket to Inuyama-jō are the following two collections.One block south of Haritsuna Jinja and Sankō-Inari Jinja, the Marionette contains a small display of Edo- and Meiji-era puppets. On Saturday and Sunday you can see the wooden characters in action (at
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Naka Incineration Plant
Exploring a garbage processing plant might not sound appealing, but if youre an architecture fan this building is worth a visit. The waterfront building is an imposing sleek-lined glass-and-metal construction designed by Taniguchi Yoshio, architect of the MoMA redesign in New York.
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Osaka
After unifying Japan in the late 16th century, General Toyotomi Hideyoshi built this castle (1583) as a display of power, using, its said, the labour of 100,000 workers. Although the present structure is a 1931 concrete reconstruction (refurbished 1997), its nonetheless quite a sig
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Chūō
Northeast of the train station is Tokushimas central park, Chūō-kōen, where youll find the scant ruins of Tokushima-jō (Tokushima Castle) and the beautiful Senshūkaku-teien , an intimate 16th-century garden featuring rock bridges and secluded ponds. You can get a glimpse into the c
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Mt Fuji
Fuji is divided into 10 ‘stations’ from base (first station) to summit (10th), but most climbers start from one of the four fifth stations, reachable by road. The most popular is Kawaguchi-ko Trail , accessed from the Fuji Subaru Line Fifth Station , because of its direct access by
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Yakuō
The major attraction in the small coastal town of Hiwasa is Yakuō-ji, Temple 23, and the last temple in Tokushima Prefecture. Yakuō-ji dates back to the year 726, and is famous as a yakuyoke no tera (a temple with special powers to ward off ill fortune during unlucky years). The un
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Daien
Established sometime around 1615, this small, photogenic temple hemmed in by trees commemorates stillborn and miscarried children, as well as aborted foetuses. Located in the rear of the temple precinct is a separate tribute to the 14,700 people who died in the fire of 1772, which,
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Bear Mountain
This 15-hectare enclosure at the Sahoro Resort in northern Tokachi, Bear Mountain meets bear-watching requirement perfectly. Thirteen male higuma roam the forested enclosure, which has very clever viewing facilities.For ¥2000 you can stroll along a 370m boardwalk 5m above ground le
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Gekkeikan Sake Ōkura Museum
The largest of Fushimi’s sake breweries is Gekkeikan, the world’s leading producer of sake. Although most of the sake is now made in a modern facility in Osaka, a limited amount is still handmade in a Meiji-era sakagura (sake brewery) here in Fushimi. The museum is home to a collec
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