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Hōsen
A quiet option, this temple is just down the path west of the entry gate to Shōrin-in. The main tatami room offers a view of a bamboo garden and the surrounding mountains, framed like a painting by the beams and posts of the building. There is also a fantastic 700-year-old pine tre
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Chingo
This small, peaceful temple is actually part of Sensō-ji but has a separate entrance on Dembō-in-dōri. It pays tribute to the tanuki (racoon-like folkloric characters), who figure in Japanese myth as mystical shape-shifters and merry pranksters. They are also said to protect agains
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Teradaya Museum
Famed as the inn of choice for rebel samurai Sakamoto Ryōma (1834–67), these days Teradaya operates as a museum. Fans of Ryōma faithfully make the pilgrimage here to see the room where he slept.You might have to ask a passer-by for directions, as the way is poorly marked. There is
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Tokugawa Mausoleum
Built in 1643, the Tokugawa Mausoleum is actually two adjoining mausoleums in a clearing, of Tokugawa Ieyasu (on the right) and Tokugawa Hidetada (on the left), the first and second Tokugawa shoguns, respectively. They are ornately decorated, as with most structures associated with
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Shibuya Center
Shibuyas main drag is closed to cars and choc-a-block with fast-food joints and high-street fashion shops. At night, lit bright as day, with a dozen competing soundtracks (coming from who knows where), wares spilling onto the streets, shady touts in sunglasses, and strutting teens,
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Tsukiji Hongwan
When this branch of the mother temple in Kyoto fell victim to the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923, it was rebuilt in a classical Indian style, making it one of the most distinctive Buddhist places of worship in Tokyo. Talks in English about Dharma are usually held on the last Saturd
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Odaiba Kaihin
One of the best views of Tokyo is from this park’s promenades and elevated walkways – especially at night when old-fashioned yakatabune (low-slung wooden boats), decorated with lanterns, traverse the bay. Also here youll find an 800m-long man-made beach and an 11m replica of the St
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Diver City Tokyo Plaza
This Odaiba mall distinguishes itself more with its nonshopping attractions, including the mixed amusement and sports park Round1 Stadium , a rooftop skate park and Gundam Front Tokyo (http://gundamfront-tokyo.com/en), an exhibition based on the popular robot anime. An 18m-tall mod
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Akan International Crane Centre GRUS
On the western side of the park, this place has an excellent English website and is accessible from the Kushiro–Akanko bus (¥1410, one hour) that travels along Route 240. Attached is the Crane Observation Centre, a winter feeding ground that is your best chance to see cranes outsid
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Rakushisha
This building was the hut of Mukai Kyorai, the best-known disciple of the illustrious haiku poet Bashō. Legend holds that Kyorai dubbed the house Rakushisha (literally ‘House of the Fallen Persimmons’) after he woke one morning following a fierce storm to find the persimmons he had
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Tsuboya Pottery Museum
The excellent Tsuboya Pottery Museum houses some fine examples of traditional Okinawan pottery. Here you can also inspect potters wheels and arayachi (unglazed) and jōyachi (glazed) pieces. Theres even a cross-section of a nobori-gama (kiln built on a slope) set in its original loc
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Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum
Although the Teien museum hosts regular art exhibitions – usually of decorative arts – its appeal lies principally in the building itself: its an art-deco structure, a former princely estate built in 1933, designed by French architect Henri Rapin. The museum reopened in late 2014 a
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General Nogi’s Residence
This wooden residence, next to Nogi-jinja, is where General Nogi and his wife committed ritual suicide on the death of Emperor Meiji. Its open to the public only on 12 and 13 September, but the rest of the year you can peek through its windows and notice the mash-up of Japanese and
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Harmonica
With low ceilings and red paper chōchin (lanterns), this old covered market has a definite vintage feel. Some of the vendors – the fish mongers, for example – are equally old-school, but there are some trendy boutiques and bars here too. Theres a morning market every third Sunday (
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Futarasan
Set among cypress trees, this very atmospheric shrine was also founded by Shōdō Shōnin; the current building dates from 1619, making it Nikkōs oldest. Its the protector shrine of Nikkō itself, dedicated to Nantai-san (2484m), the mountains consort, Nyotai-san, and their mountainous
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Sankei
Opened to the public in 1906, this beautifully landscaped garden features walking paths among ponds, 17th-century buildings, several fine tea-ceremony houses and a 500-year-old, three-storey pagoda. The inner garden is a fine example of traditional Japanese garden landscaping. From
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Shōfuku
This temple, surrounded by serene gardens, is not to be confused with Sōfuku-ji (in Teramachi). It contains an arched stone gate dating from 1657. The main building was reconstructed in 1715 in the ornate Chinese style of the time. The onigawara (ogre-covered) wall is particularly
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Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography
Tokyos principal photography museum is closed through August 2016 for renovations. In addition to drawing on its extensive collection, the museum also hosts travelling shows (usually several exhibitions happen simultaneously; ticket prices depend on how many you see). The museum is
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Matsumoto Open
Adjacent to the better known Japan Ukiyo-e Museum , amid fields and rice paddies beneath the gaze of the Alps, stand these five examples of striking late Edo- and early Showa-era architecture for you to explore. The museum is approximately 3km from JR Matsumoto Station, 15 minutes
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Nishijin Textile Center
In the heart of the Nishijin textile district, this is worth a peek before starting a walk around the area. There are also displays of completed fabrics and kimonos, as well as weaving demonstrations and occasional kimono fashion shows. Unfortunately, it’s often overrun by large to
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