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Pentax Square
Even nonphotography buffs will appreciate the photo exhibits at this diminutive gallery , on the mezzanine of the courtyard behind the Shinjuku Center. For true camera buffs, however, the best part is the vast array of Pentax cameras, lenses and other optical equipment on display.
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Teshima Art Museum
Teshimas art museum is a large concrete shell, forming a low tear-drop-shaped dome on the hillside. Visitors wander through the peaceful, contemplative space, where cut-outs in the shell frame snapshots of blue sky, clouds, or the green of the surrounding hills. Look down to see sm
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Taga
Once upon a time, many Shintō shrines had a connection to fertility rites. Of those that remain, Taga-jinja is one of the best known. The grounds of the shrine are strewn with tree-trunk phalluses and numerous statues and stone carvings. Inside, the museum is packed with anthropolo
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Municipal Bullfighting Ring
Tōgyū (闘牛) is probably best described as a type of bovine sumo. In these bloodless wrestling matches, victory is achieved when one animal forces the other to its knees, or when one turns tail and flees from the ring. Fights are held on 2 January, the first Sunday of April, 24 July,
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Hōzen
Only a short walk south of Dōtombori Arcade youll find Hōzen-ji, a tiny temple hidden down a narrow alley. The temple is built around a moss-covered Fudō-myōō statue. This statue is a favourite of people employed in mizu shobai (water trade) who pause before work to throw some wate
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Yōmei
Once the scaffolding comes off in 2018, the Sunset Gate will be grander than ever, its gold leaf and intricate, coloured carvings and paintings of flowers, dancing girls, mythical beasts and Chinese sages, all shiny and renewed. Worrying that the gates perfection might arouse envy
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Sapporo Clock Tower
No Japanese tourist can leave Sapporo without snapping a photo of the citys signature landmark, the clock tower. Built in 1878, the clock has not missed tolling the hour for more than 130 years. Thats impressive, but these days Sapporos encroaching urban metropolis somewhat dwarfs
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Jizō
This delightful little temple does not boast any spectacular buildings or treasures, but it has a nice moss garden and is almost completely ignored by tourists, making it a great place to sit and contemplate. From the car park near Saihō-ji (a nearby temple), there is a small stone
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Hino
About 5km northeast of Shimonoseki Station, this park has superb views over the Kanmon Straits from the top of 268m-high Hino-yama. To get to the lookouts ropeway , get off the bus at Mimosusōgawa (御裳川; ¥260, 12 minutes). From here its a steep 10-minute walk to the ropeway entrance
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Kanran
This pavilion was presented to the Date family by the daimyō (domain lord) Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the late 16th century. It served as a genteel venue for tea ceremonies and moon-viewing parties – the name means ‘a place to view ripples on the water’. Today its a peaceful spot for si
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Ohkinohama
About 40 minutes south of Shimanto City, on the bus to Ashizuri-misaki, is Ohkinohama, Shikokus most magnificent sandy white beach. The only souls to frequent this unspoilt 2km stretch are the pick of the regions surfers, some egg-laying turtles and the odd, grinning clam diver. Fa
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National Art Center Tokyo
Designed by Kurokawa Kishō, this architectural beauty has no permanent collection, but boasts the country’s largest exhibition space for visiting shows, which have included Renoir, Modigliani and the Japan Media Arts Festival. Apart from exhibitions, a visit here is recommended to
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Takiguchi
Takiguchi-dera was founded by Heian-era nobleman Takiguchi Nyūdō, who entered the priesthood after being forbidden by his father to marry his peasant consort Yokobue. One day, Yokobue came to the temple with her flute to serenade Takiguchi, but was again refused by him; she wrote a
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Tanegashima Development Centre – Gun Museum
Though one focus is on the history of guns in Tanegashima, with an excellent collection of antique firearms, this is actually a cultural and natural-history museum as well. If you make as straight a beeline as possible up the hill from the port, youll find it at a crossroads; the b
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Nikkō Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park
About 1km west of Shin-kyō bridge, this splendidly restored imperial palace of more than 100 rooms showcases superb craftsmanship, with parts of the complex dating from the Edo, Meiji and Taishō eras. Apart from the construction skills involved there are brilliantly detailed screen
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Sarobetsu Genya
While technically part of Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park, these marshlands are best accessed from Wakkanai. Approximately 35km south of town, Sarobetsu Genya is full of colour every year, best in June and July, with dramatic wildflower blooms. Frequent futsū on the JR Sōya l
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Hotel New Ōtani
The New Ōtani was a showplace hotel when it opened in 1964 to coincide with the Tokyo Olympics. Even though this is no longer considered the pinnacle of Tokyos luxury hotels, it remains worth visiting for its beautiful 400-year-old garden , which once belonged to a Tokugawa regent,
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Kyoto Botanical Gardens
The Kyoto Botanical Gardens occupy 240,000 sq metres and feature 12,000 plants, flowers and trees. It is pleasant to stroll through the rose, cherry and herb gardens or see the rows of camphor trees and the large tropical greenhouse . This is a good spot for a picnic. It’s also a g
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Morijuku Museum
This museum is housed in a 150-year-old building that once served as the home of a shōya (village headman). Downstairs is a collection of soft-edged scenes painted by local-born artist Nakao Shō, a roomful of bullfight sketches by Goya, and a framed set of beautifully embroidered T
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Tachiarai Heiwa Kinenkan
Expanded in 2009, Tachiarai Heiwa Kinenkan shows the rigorous training Japanese fighter pilots endured. English signage is basic, but the artefacts are evocative (uniforms, medals, gold-plated sake cups etc). The centrepiece is a jet fighter shot down during the war and recovered f
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