Even if you haven’t been to Japan before, your image of Shinjuku is most likely an area in Tokyo that is filled with skyscrapers and crowds. While the stereotype is true, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden (新宿御苑) is where you can escape the crowds and adore Japanese and Western-style beautiful gardens. Although it is one of […]
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden: An Oasis of Peace and Quiet Read More »
If you plan to come to Kansai for the cherry blossoms, consider Kaizu Ōsaki (海津大崎), one of Japan’s Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots! Along the 4 km lakeshore, there are around 800 cherry trees, old and young, that usually blossom in early to mid-April (the exact date of full bloom varies each year). As one
Kaizu Ōsaki – Shiga’s Ultimate Cherry Blossom Destination Read More »
Nagahama Castle (長浜城) at the northeastern lakeshore of Lake Biwa is known as Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s starting point for becoming the leader of Japan. Even if you aren’t interested in Japanese history and the Japanese castle, you might still want to visit the castle park in spring. Usually, from early to mid-April, the cherry trees blossom
Nagahamajō: The Castle That Leads to Hideyoshi’s Success Read More »
One of the most famous attractions around Japan’s largest lake, Lake Biwa, is Hikone Castle (彦根城). The castle was never besieged and thus maintained its graceful appearance throughout the past 400 years. Because of its beautiful scenery, even those who aren’t interested in castles tend to pay it a visit when they travel to Shiga
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Just minutes from JR Akita Station, Senshū Park (千秋公園) isn’t just another park you can find in Japan. In the park, you will find a castle, a tea ceremony tea house, three shrines, a museum, an art gallery, and even a library! What is even more awesome is that the castle has been recognized as one
Senshū Park – An Unusual Castle Park in Akita City Read More »
Amongst The Three Great Gardens of Japan, Kenrokuen Garden (兼六園) in Kanazawa is probably the most famous (with the other two being the Kōrakuen (後樂園) in Okayama Prefecture and the Kairakuen (偕樂園) in Ibaraki Prefecture. This National Place of Scenery Beauty is practically the symbol of the city, if not the entire Ishikawa Prefecture!
Kenrokuen – Explore Japan’s Most Famous Garden Read More »
Numerous World’s Fairs have been held since the mid-19th century, and a couple of them were held in Japan (one was held in Osaka in 1970). After the exhibition, the site was turned into Osaka’s biggest park, where the locals can walk through woods and meadows and wade through small rivers. A couple of facilities
The Best Guide to the Events at Expo ’70 Commemorative Park Read More »
Inokashira Park (井の頭公園) is Kichijōji’s landmark. That park is just a 5-minute walk from Kichijoji Station and has a ground of 42,000 square meters. Completed in 1917, it is the first suburban park in Japan. But the most important fact is that Inokashira Park is one of Japan’s Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots. Around Inokashira
Inokashira Park: One of Tokyo’s Best Cherry Blossom Spots Read More »
Kakunodate, or Kakunodatemachi (角館町), is a town in Akita Prefecture that is known as “Michinoku no ko Kyoto (みちのくの小京都)”, or “Northeastern’s Little Kyoto”. The town used to be the home of the samurai stationed at Kakunodate Castle back in the Edo period (1603 – 1868). Even now, traces of the presence of the samurai remain
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While Kakunodate isn’t the most well-known cherry blossom destination in the Tōhoku Region, it is highly recommended. In addition to the cherry blossom in the town center, the cherry trees also lined the Kinokinai River (桧木内川) for two kilometers! Moreover, the cherry trees’ foliage also paints the town in vivid color when the temperature starts
The Cherry Blossom and Fall Foliage Spots in Kakunodate Read More »