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Amakusa Ariake Octopus Road
The octopus love of people in Amakusa is unbelievable! National Route 324 is octopus’s highway! Big octopus in Amakusa is just awesome! In the Amakusa region of Kumamoto Prefecture, the route along National Route 324 is called the Amakusa Ariake Octopus Road, named after Amakusa’s specialty, octopus. The Ariake Sea, where extends along this road is a large catching area of octopus. Amakusa in summer is famous for catching many octopuses, and shops along the road offer their original specialties using those local octopus, such as dried octopus and large octopus’ dumplings. Speaking about a special feature of summer in Amakusa, it is a sun-dried octopus with a humorous figure […]
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“Hell Tour” of Beppu Onsen
Here is a question for you. Ant hell, crocodile hell and capybara hell. Which hell actually exists in “Hell Tour” of Beppu Onsen? Even in Oita Prefecture, where the number of hot springs yielding is highest in Japan, Beppu City is especially known as the largest number of hot springs. Gas, hot mud, and hot water has been gushed for over 1000 years and its scene was feared as hell. There are hundreds of hot springs in Beppu city, and there are not only hot springs that you can be soaked in hot water, but also hot spring that you can enjoy with your eyes. This is “Hell Tour” that […]
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Yoshinogari Historical Park
I got into a doctor of archeology and enjoyed Yoshinogari Historical Park! “Yoshinogari site” is a typical ruin from the Yayoi period (from B.C. 3rdto A.D 3rdcentury) which is also in the history textbooks. Excavations have been carried out since 1986, and there are about 40ha of the largest ruins in Japan located in the eastern part of Saga Prefecture, in the southern foot of a mountain of Sefuri. Also, Yoshinogari site is academically important because this site showed that small “villages” incorporated the cultures from East Asia and eventually developed into “countries” with some “villages” through about 700 years of the Yayoi period. This is also designated as a […]
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Oki Islands
Oki Islands are beautiful islands in Shimane Prefecture that looks like they are not islands in the Sea of Japan, even though they are islands in the Sea of Japan. Oki Islands consists of 4 manned islands and 180 unmanned islands that are located in the Sea of Japan, northeast of Shimane Prefecture. It is located approximately 40 to 80 km offshore of Shimane Peninsula. Of the four inhabited islands, Chiburijima Island (belonging to Chibu Village), Nakanoshima Island (belonging to Ama Town), Nishinoshima Island (belonging to Nishinoshima Town) are called as Dozen Islands and the largest island (belonging to Okinoshima Town) of Oki Islands are called as Dougo Island. Also, […]
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Dogo Onsen
This is a scene from the 3000-year history of Dogo Onsen! An egret with an injured leg started to soak in a hot spring flowing though rocks. Eventually, he healed his wound and flew away! Dogo Onsen, located in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture is Japan’s oldest hot spring with a history of 3000 years. In Japanese mythology, when the age of gods, Okuninushi-no-Mikoto and Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto traveled to Iyo Province (current Ehime Prefecture). During the travel, Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto got sick. Okuninushi-no-Mikoto put Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto on his palms, soaked in a hot spring and Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto got well. In addition, it is said that many emperors and Imperial family member including Prince Shotoku, Emperor Keiko, […]
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Tsunoshima Ohashi Bridge
Tsunoshima Ohashi Bridge won the third place of “The breathtaking sights in the world I want to see before I die”! Tsunoshima, located northwest of Yamaguchi Prefecture, is a small island of the Sea of Japan. Tsunoshima Ohashi which was completed in 2000, is now a tourist attraction representing Yamaguchi Prefecture. Many people wish to visit there once to see “a bridge extends straight along the beautiful emerald green sea”. The total length of Tsunoshima Ohashi is 1780m and it is one of the longest bridge in Japan which you can go across for free of charge. Amagase Park is located on the mainland side of Tsunoshima Ohashi and this […]
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The Akame 48 waterfalls The Ninja Forest
Great news for those who want to be a Ninja! You can get Ninja training from how to throw shuriken to how to walk on the water, in the mountain of Mie Prefecture! Iga region in western Mie Prefecture is the home of “Iga Ninja”. Together with “Koka Ninja” based in the southern part of Shiga Prefecture where is over Iga region and mountains, Iga Ninja is one of the most famous group of Ninja. “Ninja Forest” is a place where you can experience Ninja training and it is located at the mountain foot of “Akame 48 waterfalls” in Nabari City, Mie Prefecture. You can also rent Ninja costume at […]
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Kofukuji Matsubara Shopping Street
Why is Yokohama’s “Kofukuji Matsubara Shopping Street” busy while shopping streets across the country are sluggish? Amazing number of visitors! What is an idea that increased 400,000 people a year? “Kofukuji Matsubara Shopping Street” is a shopping street that straddles Hodogaya Ward and Nishi Ward in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. It is a 6-minute walk along the old Tokaido Road toward Yokohama from the nearest station, Sagami Railway Tennocho Station. There are about 70 shops such as greengrocers, fish shops, butchers, flower shops, shoe shops, dry goods shops, liquor stores, and clothing stores in a 200m square area. It’s an old-fashioned shopping street with a retro atmosphere, but it’s a […]
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Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
Foreign visitors are dramatically increasing! Why Japanese macaques of Nagano Prefecture is popular among foreigners? Yamanouchi Town, Nagano Prefecture where Shiga Highland and Yudanakashibu hot spring village are located is a mountainous region where Japanese macaque live. It is very cold in winter and one third of the year is covered with snow. Japanese macaques living in “Jigokudani (Hell Valley)” area of Yamanouchi Town are famous as “Monkey go into hot spring” in both domestic and oversea. Also, they are called as “Snow Monkeys”. The photograph of Japanese macaque go into hot spring was posted on the cover of American photographic magazine in 1970 and introduced by medias of each […]
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Aizu Tajima Gion Festival
Have you ever heard of the Gion Festival in Fukushima Prefecture? You can see a Japanese bridal walk from the morning and enjoy kodomo-kabuki after that. You can see, and enjoy the Gion Festival in Aizu all day long! Three days from 22 to 25 July, the “Aizu Tajima Gion Festival” is held every year in the Tajima area of Minami Aizu Town, Fukushima Prefecture. The Aizu Tajima Gion Festival is one of Japan’s three major Gion Festivals, along with the “Kyoto Gion Festival” and “Hakata Gion Yamagasa.” Aizu Tajima Gion Festival has designated as an important intangible folk cultural asset of Japan because the festival has more than 800 […]
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Hometown of Ono no Komachi (Koamchido Hall), one of the world’s top three beauties
Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture is the hometown of Ono no Komachi. I tried to summarize the sad legend of Ono no Komachi and Fukakusa no Shosho. The Ogachi district of Yuzawa City in Akita Prefecture is said to be the birthplace and final place of Ono no Komachi, a female poet of the early Heian period (9th century). The vermilion building that comes into view as you drive along National Route 13 is Komachido hall, which was built in memory of Ono no Komachi. It is said that this was the place where Fukakusa no Shosho planted a peony plant that was a gift to Ono no Komachi, so it […]
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” former Konpira Grand Theatre (Kanamaru-za)”
The playhouse from the Edo period remains in Kotohira Town, Kagawa Prefecture. A staff explained well to us about the stage set. Even if you are not a Kabuki fan, this is the place you can enjoy. I want to see a real Kabuki for next time. “Konpira Grand Theatre (Kanamaru-za)” in Kotohira Town, Kagawa Prefecture is the oldest existing playground in Japan built in the late Edo period (1835). In Kotohira Town, “Kotohira-gu” which is known as “Konpira-san” for a long time has been enshrined. In the Edo period, Konpira-san was said as the “must go place once in a lifetime” and lots of people visited there from all […]