Awashizenmura Onsen

Small onsen in the Boso Peninsula which left much to be desired

Sapporo Breweries Chiba Beer Factory

Sapporo Breweries, maker of the famous Sapporo Black Label beer, has three factories which offer guided tours: Hokkaido,…

Hashima Island ("Battleship Island")

Hashima Island (端島) is an abandoned island and former coal mine located about 15 kilometers from Nagasaki. It…

Hitachi Seaside Park

Hitachi Seaside Park (ひたち海浜公園, Hitachi Kaihin Kōen) is 470 acres of parkland on the coast of Ibaraki that…

Meganebashi Bridge

Meganebashi (眼鏡橋), sometimes known as “Spectacles Bridge”, gets this name from the distinctive double arches that, when reflected…

Dejima Island

Dejima (出島, “Exit Island”) is a small island in the port of Nagasaki which served as a Dutch…

Omotesando Hills

Upmarket shopping mall with a walkway that spirals up six floors of fashion stores and restaurants.

Oriental Bazaar

The souvenir store on the boulevard was originally an antique store but moved to Omotesando Dori in 1951 to target the U.S. army personnel in the area (it is modeled after a shrine and stocks “Japanesey” items).

Nogi Shrine

Small shrine established in 1923 made famous by the suicide of General Nogi Maresuke and his wife Nogi Shizuko in 1912.

Kitain Temple

Temple rebuilt from the only surviving remains of Edo Castle famous also for its 538 statues of the Rakan, disciples of the Buddha.

Honmaru Goten of Kawagoe Castle

The only surviving structure of Kawagoe Castle, once a key strategic defense points for Edo.

Kashiya Yokocho

“Penny Candy Alley” is a street lined with about 20 shops selling traditional Japanese sweets and candy. Kawagoe is known for its sweet potatoes which are cut into sticks, fried, and salted.