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Tomioka Silk Mill
What is the common keyword for the World Heritage Site “Tomioka Silk Mill” and DIY? The hints are “Flemish Bond” and “English Bond”. In 2014, “Tomioka Silk Mill” in Tomioka City, Gunma Prefecture was registered as a World Heritage Site. At the end of Edo era when was immediately after opening the country, raw silk was Japan’s important product. In order to improve the quality of raw silk and its mass production, “Tomioka Silk Mill” was the machine filature factory established by Meiji government. At that time, it was the largest silk-reeling factory in the world. Its operation started in 1872. The management organization changed several times from the government […]
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JAXA Tsukuba Space Center
Highly recommended for those who get excited when thinking about or talking about space! I went to the “JAXA Tsukuba Space Center” where the Space Brothers also visited and felt the universe! JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) is an organization that consistently conducts everything from basic research to development and operation in the field of aerospace in Japan. JAXA’s Tsukuba Space Center, located in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, is one of the largest aerospace development facilities in Japan. Opened in 1972. There is an exhibition hall called “Space Dome” on the site that is 12 times the size of Tokyo Dome. Visitors can get up close and personal with full-scale […]
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Amanohashidate, one of the three most scenic spots in Japan.
What is Amanohashidate like? A summary of the highlights of Amanohashidate! Amanohashidate is a scenic spot located at the western end of Wakasa Bay, southeast of the Tango Peninsula and Miyazu Bay in northern Kyoto Prefecture and is designated as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty by the Government. Together with Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture and Miyajima in Hiroshima Prefecture, it is one of the three most scenic spots in Japan. The following illustrations show some of the best places to visit in Amanohashidate. Amanohashidate is a 30-minute drive from the Ine no Funaya. Amanohashidate is formed by a sandbar (spit) of approximately 2.4 km called “Daitenkyo” and a sandbar […]
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Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum
Even if you are not a fanatic, you must go there before you die! Kids will absolutely be love it! I visited “Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum!” Fukui Prefecture is called “Dinosaur Kingdom” because many dinosaur fossils are excavated. In Fukui Prefecture, there are many dinosaur spots that both children and adults can enjoy, such as monuments of dinosaur, dinosaur theme parks, a dinosaur museum and dinosaur fossil quarry. A huge moving monument of dinosaurs are set up at the West Exit Station Square (its nickname is Dinosaur Square) of JR Fukui Station. There are three full-scale reproductions of dinosaur lived in Fukui, Fukuiraptor, Fukuisaurus and Fukuititan. The largest one is […]
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Honeycomb Art Museum “Bee Heaven”
First ever in the world! I will introduce the art museum “Bee Heaven” of honeycomb arts which created by a man fascinated by bees! Bees are not bad guys! They are good model of companies! There is an art museum called “Bee Heaven” which honeycombs of hornet are displayed in Tomi City, Nagano Prefecture. More than 1600 of unique masterpiece of honeycomb arts are displayed. Yoshikuni Shiozawa who is a director of “Bee Heaven” respects bees a lot because he believes “Hardworking bees achieve great job with small bodies. This is good example of companies!” It opened in 1995. Mr. Shiozawa founded a liquid concrete company in the local Tomi […]
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Mt. Osore (Osorezan)
A hell tour, tower of stones and colorful pinwheels etc…and there’s smell of sulfur is drifting around. Mt. Osore(Oserezan) of Aomori is so amazing! At the northern end of the main island, Shimokita Peninsula, that Aomori Prefecture is located, there is a sacred place called “Mt.Osore (Osorezan)” where souls of the dead will gather. It was opened about 1,200 years ago. There is no single mountain called “Mt.Osore”, but this is a generic name for the eight mountains surrounded Lake Usoriyama and lake itself. In Buddhism, it is said that the souls of dead cross the Styx and enter the world after death called Anoyo (next world). There are places […]
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“Throwing oneself of firefly squid” is a spring feature of Toyama Bay.
If you think that you can see firefly squid anytime you go there, you will be disappointed with the gap between your expectation and the reality. So, please do not hesitate to go “HOTARUIKA Museum (firefly squid museum)”. Every year from March to May, large numbers of firefly squid, glowing blue and white, are washed up in the surf by the waves along the coast of Toyama Bay from Toyama City to Uozu City, centering on Namerikawa City, Toyama Prefecture. This scene is known as the “Hotaruika no Gunyuukaimen – Firefly squid swarming sea surface,” and is designated as a special natural monument in Japan. Incidentally, firefly squid themselves have not […]
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Uesugi Shrine (Yonezawa castle ruins)
There is the Uesugi Shrine, the Uesugi Museum, the Uesugi Earl’s Residence, and a bronze statue. I took a walk around the Yonezawa castle ruins. The “Uesugi Shrine,” which located in the ruins of the former Yonezawa Castle in Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, is a shrine dedicated to Kenshin Uesugi. He is a warlord during the age of civil wars (16th century). Kenshin Uesugi died in 1578, and his body deified in Kasugayama Castle in Echigo Province (current Niigata Prefecture). However, when Kagekatsu Uesugi, who was a successor of Kenshin, was transferred to Yonezawa after Aizu, Kenshin’s coffin was also moved from Echigo to Yonezawa. He built the ancestral hall […]
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Matsushima, one of the three most scenic spots in Japan.
I previously thought that the scenery of Matsushima was exaggerated to attract tourists, whether it was one of the Three Views of Japan, or it moved Basho Matsuo’s heart. However, I was wrong. It really was an amazing view! Matsushima in Miyagi prefecture, famous for its haiku, “Matsushima-ya, Aa-Matsushima-ya, Matsushima-ya,” is one of the Three Views of Japan, alongside Miyajima of Hiroshima prefecture and Amanohashidate of Kyoto prefecture. Around 260 islands, large and small, are inside Matsushima Bay. The contrast of the blue ocean and green islands is a beautiful view when seen from high ground. “Four Great Views” is four scenic viewpoints of Matsushima, all acquiring three stars from […]
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Momotaro shrine
A pilgrimage to the holy land of the folktale”Momotaro”! Momotaro Shrine in Aichi prefecture introduces the legend of “Momotaro” with a unique view of the world even though it is a shrine! The legend of “Momotaro” is most famous in Okayama prefecture, but the legend of “Momotaro” also remains in the middle basin of the Kiso River, which straddles Aichi and Gifu prefectures. According to the legend of “Momotaro“, which has been handed down around the Kiso River, “Momotaro Shrine” in Inuyama City, Aichi prefecture, is where the grandfather and grandmother in the story lived. It is said that when They died, Momotaro hid himself in a nearby mountain and […]
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Dotombori
Why are there so many restaurants in Dotombori, Osaka? From sightseeing spots to gourmet food, this site is full of information that will give you some idea of what Dotombori is all about! The most famous downtown area in Osaka Prefecture is Dotombori in Osaka’s Minami district. It is an area where visitors can enjoy everything from sightseeing spots to gourmet foods such as Osaka’s soul food “Takoyaki”, “Okonomiyaki”, and “Kushikatsu”, as well as shopping. The Glico sign, huge signboards in the shape of crabs and octopuses, and flamboyant neon signs that stretch across the road are well known as the symbolic scenery of Dotombori. The Ebisu Bridge over the […]
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To-no-Hetsuri
“To-no-Hetsuri” is a tourist spot famous for its natural beauty created over a million years and the thrilling swaying suspension bridge. “To-no-Hetsuri” is a scenic spot along the Agagawa River located in Shimogo Town, Fukushima Prefecture. It is designated as a national natural monument. A stratum that was formed a million years ago was uplifted and weathered by river erosion and wind and rain over many years, creating a tower-like cliff. In early summer, wisteria flowers hang from the cliffs, and in autumn, you can enjoy the scenery of beautiful autumn leaves. “Hetsuri” means cliff in dialect. Famous tourist attractions such as Ouchi-juku and Yunokami Onsen are nearby. There are […]