Number of reviews 6/ Number of likes 6
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Shinjuku Gyoen once stood as an estate of the Naito family, the hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa family in the Edo period before being established as an imperial garden in 1906.
Whether you're here for the flowers or just to enjoy the lush lawns, it's really soothing.
Hirakata T-SITE
Located in Hirakata City, halfway between Osaka and Kyoto, this eight-story, one-basement shopping complex opened in 2016 with the theme of "A lifestyle department store that accompanies and adds colors to your daily life". Centered on the Tsutaya Bookstore, which sells books, there are stores such as knick-knacks, apparel, cosmetics, cafes, restaurants, and more.
The design and decor, both inside and out, are super refined. It really shows off a new lifestyle vibe. I wish we had more big shopping malls with bookstores like this in Taiwan.
Wakayama Castle
The origin of the castle started in 1585, Hashiba Hideyoshi (later Toyotomi Hideyoshi) subjugated Kishu teritory (the area now known as Wakayama) and he ordered his younger brother, Hidenaga, to build a castle on Mt.Torafusu which is at a downstream of Kinokawa-river. Later, a vassal of the Hashiba family, Kuwayama Shigeharu was placed in charge of the castle (and later, the castle lord). After the Battle of Sekigahara, Asano Yoshinaga became lord of the castle and he started building a tower followed by an interconnected corridor. He built residences in the area now known as Honmaru, Ninomaru, and Nishinomaru while building a castle town. In 1619, Yorinobu, the 10th son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, inherited the castle.
Standing at the top of the castle and looking down at the streets below, I felt like I ruled the world!