Located in the western part of Iwate Prefecture in northeast Japan, Appi Kōgen (安比高原) is an alluringly beautiful place for relaxing walks along the plateau from spring to autumn. When the region transforms into a winter wonderland, many flocks to Appi Kōgen for skiing or snowboarding on its high-quality snow because Appi Ski Resort is […]
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If you admire pottery, you will definitely want Bizen City (備前市) in Okayama Prefecture to be on your itinerary. You can easily spend a whole day strolling through all the pottery shops scattered around JR Imbe Station. We are sure that you will find some exquisite pieces of artwork that you would like to own.
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If you enjoy a bit of hiking, we would advise you to admire the sunset at Yudachiukeyama (夕立受山). Although the mountain only has a height of 210 meters, the panoramic view of the Seto Inland Sea is even better than the one you get from Bizen♡Hinase Bridge. As the entire hiking trail is well-maintained, with
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If you are interested in seeing a Japanese school from a couple of centuries ago, visit Shizutani School (旧閑谷学校) in Okayama‘s Bizen City. It is the oldest public school in Japan and was thus designated as a National Historic Site. The school was established in the early 1670s by the then Okayama Domain’s lord, Ikeda
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If you are in Okayama Prefecture‘s Bizen City, how about taking a detour to experience the countryside? Driving along the windy road and slowly climbing up the mountain, your field of vision will suddenly widen! Located at an altitude of 400 meters, the Hattōji Furusato Village (八塔寺ふるさと村) was where Buddhism used to prosper as much
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Matsuyama Castle in Takahashi City in Okayama is also known as the Takahashi Castle (高梁城). As it can be easily confused with the Matsuyama Castle in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, it is more commonly referred to as the Bitchū Matsuyama Castle (備中松山城).
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Takahashi (高梁市) City in Okayama Prefecture is a great place for anyone after some stunning sea of cloud pictures. Within the city, it has not one, but two spots where you have a high chance of capturing the stunning weather phenomenon. You might even have a sunrise over the sea of clouds on one side of the
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Another great place to admire the view of the sea of clouds is Mt.Yataka (弥高山). Even taller than Mt. Komatsu, at 654 meters above sea level, the sea of clouds continues further across the horizon to the distant mountains of the Shikoku region. As with Bitchū Matsuyama Castle, your best chance to see the sea
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From Takahashi‘s city center, if you continue traveling in a northwest direction deep into the mountain up to the plateau, which is 500 meters above sea level, the Fukiya Furusato Village (吹屋ふるさと村) will suddenly appear in front of you. The village looks so out of place because it doesn’t quite blend in with the natural
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If you want to escape from the hustle and bustle of Osaka City and get back to nature, consider coming to Minō / Minoo / Minoh city (箕面市). It is in Osaka prefecture, less than 30 minutes by the Hankyū Train from Umeda Station (梅田駅)! Right next door to Minō is Ikeda city (池田市) which
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