Former villa of the British Embassy which was used as a summer residence until 2008. It was donated to Tochigi Prefecture in 2010 before opening to the general public as the “British Embassy Villa Memorial Park” in July 2016. The villa was designed by British diplomat and Japanologist Ernest Satow and construction finished in 1896. Satow was known for his love of Okunikko and he even wrote the first English-language guidebook to the area, “A Guide Book to Nikko”, which was published in 1875.

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Yamate District

Yamate was the area where foreigners lived in the years after Yokohama port opened for trade. Harbour View Park located at the top of the hill provides one of the best views of Yokohama port and also has a rose garden and Western-style cemetery. You can walk up the hill from the Motomachi shopping district to the view point at the top which looks over the Minato Mirai area.

Ueno Sakuragi Atari

Three restored Showa period houses re-opened as a small commercial initiative with a beer hall and restaurant, olive oil store, and bakery. Very charming little place.

Nagamachi Samurai District

Former area of residence for the samurai of Kanazawa with narrow canals and stone paths. Some of the homes are open to the public. There is also a small museum showing how the merchant class used to live, complete with a reconstructed old style pharmacy, tea room, traditional garden, and displays of local handicrafts.

Kyoto Imperial Palace

Kyoto Imperial Palace (京都御所, Kyōto Gosho) is the former residence of the Imperial Family and seat of the…