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Roppongi Hills
Its over a decade old, but Roppongi Hills remains the gold standard for real-estate developments in Tokyo. The centrepiece of the office, shopping, dining and entertainment complex is the 54-storey Mori Tower, home to the Mori Art Museum and Tokyo City View observatory. Scattered a
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Momotarō Karakuri Hakubutsukan
Part gallery and part funhouse, this small museum is devoted to local legend Momotarō , with memorabilia, toys and depictions of the peach boy from over the years. On the ground floor is a collection of amusing displays designed to trick the eye – here you can get a photo of yourse
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Kabukichō
Tokyo’s most notorious red-light district, which covers several blocks north of Yasukuni-dōri, was famously named for a kabuki theatre that was never built. Instead you’ll find an urban theatre of a different sort playing out in the neighbourhood’s soaplands (bathhouses just shy of
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Kita
During the Edo period the Kita family administered over 200 villages from Kita-ke, the pivotal crossroads of the Kaga, Etchū and Noto fiefs. Inside this splendid, sprawling family home and museum are displays of weapons, ceramics, farming tools, fine and folk art, and documents. Th
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Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry & Technology
The worlds largest car manufacturer had humble beginnings in the weaving industry. This interesting museum occupies the site of Toyotas original weaving plant. Rev-heads will find things textile heavy before warming to the 7900sqm automotive and robotics pavilion. Science-minded fo
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Nakashima
Parallel to Teramachi, the Nakashima-gawa is crossed by a picturesque collection of 17th-century stone bridges. At one time, each bridge was the distinct entranceway to a separate temple. Best known is the double-arched Megane-bashi , originally built in 1634 and so called because
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Goryō
Japans first Western-style fort was built in 1864 in the shape of a five-pointed star (goryō-kaku means five-sided fort), and was designed to trap attackers in deadly crossfire. Nothing remains of the actual fort structure, but the landscaped grounds and moat are picturesque, and 1
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Ōhara
Since ancient times Ōhara, a quiet farming town about 10km north of Kyoto, has been regarded as a holy site by followers of the Jōdo school of Buddhism. The region provides a charming glimpse of rural Japan, along with the picturesque Sanzen-in, Jakkō-in and several other fine temp
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Aso Volcano Museum
This unique museum has a real-time video feed from inside the active crater, informative English-language brochures and audioguides (free) and a video presentation of Aso friends showing off.Opposite the museum, you can go hiking on Kusasenri , a grassy meadow with two lakes in the
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Yūshū
Most history museums in Japan skirt the issue of war or focus on the burden of the common people. Not so here: Yūshū-kan begins with Japans samurai tradition and ends with its defeat in WWII. It is also unapologetic and has been known to boil the blood of some visitors with its par
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Arimatsu Tie
This museum upholds the 400-year-old tradition of shibori (tie-dyeing). Downstairs, youll find historical artefacts, a gift shop and a video introducing this painstaking and beautiful craft. Upstairs, a number of women patiently demonstrate the art. If you fancy and have the time (
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Kongōbu
This is the headquarters of the Shingon sect and the residence of Kōya-sans abbot. The present structure dates from the 19th century. The main halls Ohiro-ma room has ornate screens painted by Kanō Tanyu in the 16th century. The rock garden is interesting for the sheer number of ro
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Ichijōdani Asakura Clan Ruins
Designated a national historic site, this unexpected find boasts one of the largest town ruins in Japan. Perched in a narrow valley between modest mountains, its easy to see why the Asakura clan would have built their small fortified city here: its very beautiful. Youre free to wan
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Tsukiji Outer Market
Here, rows of vendors hawk related goods, such as dried fish and seaweed, rubber boots and crockery. Its far more pedestrian friendly than the inner market, too. There’s also the market’s Shintō shrine, Namiyoke-jinja, whose deity protects seafarers. Uogashi-yokochō , a cluster of
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Godai
Date Masamune constructed this small wooden temple in 1604. Although it stands on an island in the bay, connected to the mainland by a short bridge, it was miraculously untouched by the 2011 tsunami. The temple doors open to the public only once every 33 years (next in 2039). Come
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Osaka Museum of History
Built above the ruins of Naniwa Palace (c 650), visible through the basement floor, this museum houses dramatically illuminated recreations of the old city and life-sized figures in the former palace court. There are also interesting early-20th-century displays, and great views of
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Nagahama Hikiyama Museum
From 14 to 16 April, the towns most famous festival, Nagahama Hikiyama Matsuri, takes place; its scheduled to join the Unesco World Heritage list in 2016. The highlight is costumed five- to 13-year-old children performing kabuki (stylised Japanese theatre) plays aboard a dozen elab
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Akama
Bright vermilion, Akama-jinjū is a shrine dedicated to the seven-year-old emperor Antoku, who died in 1185 in the battle of Dan-no-ura. On the left is a statue of Mimi-nashi Hōichi (Earless Hōichi), the blind bard whose musical talents get him into trouble with ghosts in a story ma
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Sōya
30km east of Wakkanai, Sōya-misaki is mainland Japans northernmost point. Birdwatchers will love the seagulls and terns, while people-watchers will enjoy the stream of tour buses and groups being photographed before the northernmost point monument. This is where length-of-Japan wal
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Fuji Sengen
A necessary preliminary to the Mt Fuji ascent was a visit to this deeply wooded, atmospheric temple, which has been located here since the 8th century. Notable points include a 1000-year-old cedar; its main gate, which is rebuilt every 60 years (slightly larger each time); and its
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