-
Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters
Directly south of Naha in Kaigungo-kōen is the Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters, where 4000 men committed suicide or were killed as the battle for Okinawa drew to its bloody conclusion. Only 250m of the tunnels are open, but you can wander through the maze of corridors
-
Kyoto Station
The Kyoto Station building is a striking steel-and-glass structure – a kind of futuristic cathedral for the transport age. You are sure to be impressed by the tremendous space that arches above you as you enter the main concourse. Moreover, you will probably enjoy a brief explorati
-
Kamigamo
Kamigamo-jinja is one of Japan’s oldest shrines and predates the founding of Kyoto. Established in 679, it is dedicated to Raijin, the god of thunder, and is one of Kyoto’s 17 Unesco World Heritage sites. The present buildings (more than 40 in all), including the impressive Haiden
-
Awa Jūrobe Yashiki Puppet Theatre
For hundreds of years, puppet theatre thrived in the farming communities around Tokushima. Performances can still be seen here, in the former residence of Bandō Jūrobe, a samurai who allowed himself to be executed for a crime he didnt commit in order to preserve the good name of hi
-
Yudono
Accessible from May to October, Yudono-san (1504m) is the spiritual culmination of the Dewa Sanzan trek. Coming from Gas-san, its a short walk from the stream bed at the end of the descent to Yudono-san-jinja . Its forbidden to photograph and taboo to discuss this sacred natural sh
-
Kyoto National Museum
The Kyoto National Museum is Kyoto premier art museum and plays host to the highest level exhibitions in the city. It was founded in 1895 as an imperial repository for art and treasures from local temples and shrines. In the original main hall there are 17 rooms with displays of ov
-
Nagoya
The original structure, built between 1610 to 1614 by Tokugawa Ieyasu for his ninth son, was levelled in WWII. Todays castle is a concrete replica (with elevator) completed in 1959. Renovations are ongoing. On the roof, look for the 3m-long gilded shachi-hoko – legendary creatures
-
Tobacco & Salt Museum
For years, smokers have found solace in Tokyo’s cafes and bars, and for much of that time the government was in the business of supplying them through a tobacco monopoly. That company has since been privatised to Japan Tobacco Inc, which is the owner of this museum, a shrine to the
-
Garan
In this temple complex of several halls and pagodas, the Dai-tō pagoda, rebuilt in 1934 after a fire, is said to be the centre of the lotus-flower mandala formed by the eight mountains around Kōya-san. The main object of worship is the Dainichi-nyōrai (Cosmic Buddha) and his four a
-
Zenkō
Founded in the 7th century National Treasure Zenkō-ji is home to the revered statue Ikkō-Sanzon, said to be the first Buddhist image to arrive in Japan (AD 552). Not even 37 generations of emperors have seen the image, though millions of visitors flock here to view a copy every sev
-
Fukuoka
Only the walls of Fukuoka-jō (Fukuoka Castle) remain, but the castles hilltop site (Maizuru-kōen) provides good views of the city and great views of aircraft landing at nearby Hakata airport.Ōhori-kōen, an expansive park and pond (once part of the castles moat system) is just adjac
-
Tōshōdai
This temple was established in 759 by the Chinese priest Ganjin (Jian Zhen), who had been recruited by Emperor Shōmu to reform Buddhism in Japan. The temple grounds are pleasantly wooded and mossy, making a good contrast to nearby Yakushi-ji, which is largely devoid of greenery.The
-
Giō
This tiny temple near the north end of the main Arashiyama sightseeing route is one of Kyotos hidden gems. Its main attraction is the lush moss garden outside the thatch-roofed hall of the temple. This quiet temple was named for the Heian-era shirabyōshi (traditional dancer) Giō, w
-
Nara Prefecture Kashihara Archaeological Museum
This museum is highly recommended for those with an interest in the history of the Japanese people. The objects on display come from various archaeological sites in the area, including several kofun . Although most explanations are in Japanese, theres enough English to give you a g
-
Fukagawa Fudō
Fukagawa Fudō-dō, which belongs to the esoteric Shingon sect, is very much an active temple. Fire rituals (called goma) take place daily in an auditorium in the Hondō (Main Hall), at 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm, plus 7pm on festival days (1st, 15th, 28th of each month). Sutras are
-
Tokyo Midtown
With a similar design and urban-planning blueprint to the one that made Roppongi Hills so successful, this sleek complex brims with sophisticated bars, restaurants, shops, art galleries, a hotel and leafy public spaces. Escalators ascend alongside human-made waterfalls of rock and
-
Urasenke Chadō Research Center
Anyone interested in tea ceremony should make their first stop the Urasenke Chadō Research Center. Urasenke is Japan’s largest tea school and hosts hundreds of students annually who come from branch schools worldwide to further their studies in ‘the way of tea’. The gallery located
-
Matsūra Historical Museum
Across the bay, the museum is housed in the stunning residence of the Matsūra clan, who ruled the island from the 11th to the 19th centuries. Youll find armour that you can don to pose for photos, byōbu (folding screen) paintings, and the thatched-roof Kanun-tei , a chanoyu (tea ce
-
Kita (Kayabuki
Along Rte 38, about 20 minutes drive west of Ashiu, is Miyama-chō’s star attraction, Kitamura (North Village), a hamlet boasting a cluster of some 50 thatched-roof farmhouses. In 1994 the village was designated a national preservation site, and since then the local government has b
-
Tazawa
Ringed by mountains, Tazawa-kos lovely sandy beach, Shirahama (白浜), might actually be Japans best swimming beach outside the remote islands, but only in the warmest months. Rent pleasure-craft at the nearby boathouse from spring to autumn. Romantic sunset strolls are highly recomme
Total
1725 -travel
FirstPage PreviousPage NextPage LastPage CurrentPage:
74/87 20-travel/Page GoTo Page:
