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Asakusa Tokyo
158 Reviews Sensoji Temple is believed to be the first temple ever built in the Tokyo area and was originally founded by a fisherman, Haji Nakatomo, who is said to have built the temple after finding a statue of...
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Gion (Geisha district) Kyoto
64 Reviews It's not a long walk but it really holds a historical look. building looks new but in the old japanese style. Restaurants there are little above the average price wise. at the end of the road you will...
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Universal studio Osaka
26 Reviews in japanese that ture but still loads for fun for those who have never been to universal stuido of usa. just access the site of universal sutio and you will understand everthing , it is a very...
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Nagoya Castle Nagoya
28 Reviews With its famed golden shachi dolphin roof decorations, Nagoya Castle is the de-facto symbol of the city. Built in 1612, the main edifice was reconstructed in 1959 on its original foundation after...
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12 Reviews Kobe is home to one of Japan's three most famous Chinatowns (Yokohama and Nagasaki being the other two), so when the Chinese New Year arrives (setsubun), the Chinatowns are great places to visit, and...
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Peace Park and Memorial Museum Hiroshima
128 Reviews I once stayed with a friend who lived a stone's throw away from the Peace Museum in Nagasaki and since then, I have always wondered what it was like to live near a building charged with so much...
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Todaiji Temple Nara
75 Reviews Todai-ji ("Great Eastern Temple") is reputedly the largest wooden structure in the world, and it houses what must be one of the largest bronze statues of Buddha around, the Daibutsu or Great Buddha....
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Snow Monkey Park Nagano
4 Reviews Without a doubt, one of the coolest spectacles in all of Japan is to watch the wild snow monkeys of the Japanese Alps sit out a snowy winter day soaking in the hot waters of a naturally-heated onsen....
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Itsukushima Shrine Miyajima
30 Reviews If you are in the Hiroshima city, you must visit Itsukushima-Jinjya in Miyajima. It's the shrine (not a temple) with famous red torii (gate) in the water, but has lots more than just the...
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Korakuen Garden Okayama
12 Reviews Korakuen Garden is considered to be one of the three best gardens in Japan since the Edo Period. It was constructed by Tsuda Nagatada by orders of the daimyo Ikeda Tsunamasa and took thirteen years to...
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Shinjuku Tokyo
72 Reviews This was a stunning experience with all the different varieties of cherry trees in full blossom. Incredibly beautiful! The garden is run by the Ministry of the environment now but it has a long...
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Kiyomizu Temple Kyoto
98 Reviews I really loved the short visit I made to this place. i like the atmosphere of this narrow streets with souvenirs shops along your way up the hill to the temple. the temple is realllllly huge and you...
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castle Osaka
62 Reviews Visit the Castle... its very interesting. Its a fairly long walk from the Rail Station, but its an interesting walk and the Castle is quite unusual which is why it should be seen. Pity to go all the...
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Shrines & Temples Nagoya
12 Reviews 1900-year-old shrine with lush evergreen forest is best known by one of the three Imperial Regalia, Kusanagi sword. The shrine saw the modification after the Meiji Restoration. It is a nice place to...
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Meriken Park & Harborland Kobe
24 Reviews in this area, you can do a lot. there is the mosaic mall just on the other side from kobe tower, all the cafe and restaurants there have the sea view. i wrote a review about the aswome fisherman...
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Miyajima Hiroshima
33 Reviews I was skeptical about the appeal of Mt. Misen since one round trip ticket costed me 1800 yen, which was by far the most expensive ropeway I had ever used. "No view is worth this much, " I remember...
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Nara Park Nara
33 Reviews There is around 1000 Deers rooming Nara , they eat somthing called Shika Senbei which is rice crackers specially made for them. they costs 150 en and sold every where. But take cares they are...
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Zenkoji Temple Nagano
5 Reviews The main hall is typical Buddhist architecture from the mid Edo Period. The principle image is enshrined inside the altar in the innermost temple. Admission to the inner temple is 500 Yen, and...
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Five-Tiered Pagoda Miyajima
8 Reviews The beautiful curved roofs of the Goju-no-to Pagoda and strinking vermilion colouring are a familiar sight on the island of Miyajima. Standing on a hill overlooking the bay and Itsukushima Shrine, the...
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Kibiji District (Kibi Plains) Okayama
6 Reviews Saijo Inari is known as one of the three great Inari Shrines in Japan (Fushimi Inari in Kyoto and Toyokawa Inari in Aichi being the other two). It is unique, because the complex is composed of a...
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Imperial Palace Tokyo
61 Reviews this is the second of the famed double bridge in the Imperial Palace Front plaza area. There are two bridges over a moat separating the Kokyo Gaien and the Imperial Palace - these are called...
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Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) Kyoto
102 Reviews Three-storey Zen Buddhist temple. Each floor was done in different architectural style - the ground floor is Heian imperial architecture, the second floor typifies warrior aristocracy and the top...
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Dotombori Osaka
22 Reviews Dotombori is a street in Namba alligned with eateries, arcades, and shopping centers. Many people do come for food and shopping, but the area itself is actually an attraction of sorts. The restaurants...
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Aquarium Nagoya
7 Reviews The most interesting thing for me in this Aquarium is the dolphins performance. They really brilliant. Cool !! Beside that you can see the big whales and you can find nemo and dory also in here...
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Mount Rokko Kobe
7 Reviews A highland pasture spread on the peak of Mt. Rokko. Sheep, donkeys and ponies are free to graze, and visitors can come in close contact with the animals. Children can learn and try to take milk from...
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Thank you very much;Yes , Koyasan, i know and plan to stay there. And i want to stay in Nara aera and Miyajima and Kyoto.I also just find Soto zen homepage,very useful:http://global.sotozen-net.or.jp/fre/temples/foreigner/index.htmlSoreja..Pascal
Basho is one of the most well-known haiku poets in Japan. He travelled extensively around Japan during late 17th century. You can find Basho monuments in old highways such as Tokaido, Nakasendo, or Oshu Kaido.
Where are the places to get the photos just like Utagawa Hiroshige described in his masterpiece Tokaido 53 stop series?Photo#1 FUCHUThe mountain behind the Hiroshige's Fuchu currently in Shizuoka city is said to be Mt. Tokuganji. But as you cross the bridge over the Abe River along the Tokaido highway, you will soon see that both the direction and the distance do not fit for the mountain in question. The mountain in #1 photo is the peak where Abe castle ruins is located. It perfectly fits the frame. Photo#2 NISSAKAAlthough "Night-weeping Stone" is no longer on the Tokaido highway and what's more confusing there are two night-weeping stones, the landscape with the backdrop of the mountain is unchanged. You can see this landscape like #2 photo as you pass the Oogiya shop. The mountain on the Hiroshige's Nissaka is Mt. Awagatake 532 meters in elevation. Sayono Nakayama area is about one...
If you only have time to visit one castle in Japan, try to make it Himeji. This castle is known to the japanese as "Shirasagi-jo" or, "The White Egret Castle", and is one of the 12 feudal castles still remaining. We spent the entire day at Himeji, exploring the castle and grounds and found it not only fascinating but beautiful. I think we were lucky, as it was cherry blossom season, which made for a lovely backdrop...however, a nice japanese man approached us and gave us an envelope full of photo's he had taken of the castle in all seasons, and it looked brilliant no matter what time of year!More photo's in my Himeji travelogue.
We stayed in the old Post Town of Tsumago for 3 nights. It was a highlight of our trip. Part of the reason we came here was to walk the 'Nakasendo' (the old Edo time 'highway'. We did the trail from Magome to Tsumago (even the baby who wasn't yet 2), and nobody was eaten by bears (mind you, we had our trusty bear bell tinkling all the way), or collapsed from fatigue...it is actually quite an easy walk once you get up the hill at Magome. We met a japanese man who was in his 80's along the way...so it really is do-able for all ages, although I don't think doing it from the opposite direction would be as easy as it would be mostly uphill...we caught the bus to Magome from Tsumago (an experience in itself), and walked back along the trail.I don't really believe for a minute there are still bears, but the bells make a great souveneir!
Tsumago is one of the old post towns along the Nakasendo. The Nakasendo was the road that once connected Edo (Tokyo), with Kyoto. Travellers would stop to rest in the post towns on their journey's. Tsumago has been kept as much as possible in its original state from those times. There are no telephone poles or TV aerials in view, and the road is closed to traffic. It was very interesting to spend time wandering around here and also very relaxing. There were no where near as many tourists as we had expected, and in the early morning we had the place pretty much to ourselves. There are a number of little tea/coffee shops and also a great little ice-cream shop selling green tea ice-cream.
I have called this a challenge for a reason, when I arrived and saw all the Torii I went for a little dander, which turned into a stroll, which turned into a walk and finally into an agonizing fast pace panic as I began to wonder if I was lost and ever going to find the way out never mind find the top. After further reading I found out there are in fact over 10,000 of these Torii gates leading some 4km into the hills for your standard casual 2 HOUR stroll. Should have read that before I went. A bit of advice is to go early because it can become a bit dangerous and slippery when it gets dark. I went in the afternoon in June (the rainy season) hence the panic. It is really worth it though a nice spring sunshine was high in the sky allowing for some beautiful glare shots through the Torii. It is a really picturesque place and perfect for the professional or aspiring photographer. Or like me...
If you are in Kyoto, you can do a half day city tour. The city tour can be booked at the JR Kyoto train station. They have many different packages to suit your needs. Prices ranges from mid 1000 yen to mid 9000 yen. If you want the convenience, this kind of tour might be for you. But if you don't like your time to be restrained while visiting places of interests, this tour might not be for you. And also, if you want to do the tour, check whether or not it is a Japanese language only tour.
KOYASAN - A World Herritage SightWhen you had enough of the cities and need to escape the madness and noice, go to Koyasan.Let the temples and shrines here blow you away. Go hiking in the hills. Stay at a temple, listen o the monks tell the stories of Buddhism. Meditate. Relax.NOT TO BE MISSED:The shrines of divinities! Several shrines in one small area. Some of the most beautiful in Japan, I thought anyway. For great temple to stay at, see my accomodation tips!
This small town was one of the highlights on my trip. It was quiet and relaxed. Cute, traditional streets lead me past USUKI CASTLE RUINS and out of the town. On my way to see the STONE BUDDHAS , carved into a mountain.It was about a 3km walk to get there (perfect to get a bike since busses dont go very frequent), following a quite big busy road. However there was a good space for walking and cycling so it wasn't a problem. But for being late mid-May it was extremely hot. BRING WATER!!The area where the stone Buddhas can be found is worth all the trouble to get there!!! Tucked away in a bamboo forest the carvings are impressive and a amazing way to spend the day. Walking up and down those hills, listening to the birds singing, hearing the breeze in the trees, looking up on the faces of Buddha sure brings a special fealing in your gut. Peace. Of heart and mind!Also not to be...
Park Hyatt Tokyo Tokyo
7 Reviews and 525 Opinions Most memorable
Hotel Granvia Kyoto Kyoto
6 Reviews and 740 Opinions We stayed 3 nights at Kyoto Granvia Hotel from Feb. 27 to Mar 1, 2008. We paid Yen 17,600 per night,...
The Ritz-Carlton Osaka Osaka
1 Review and 351 Opinions
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Q: Hello, I'm going to Japan next week and wanted to get some suggestions on hotels in Tokyo. I would like to stay somewhere close...
A: Take a look at my Tokyo page for some answers to your questions: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/d6834/ Shinbashi is convenient to Yokohama as well. You don't...
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