Mount Kora
Stretching from southern Fukuoka Prefecture to the Oita border, the Mino Mountain Range is home to Mount Kora, a 312-meter peak situated at its westernmost end. The mountain is best known as the site of Kora Taisha, the Ichinomiya (highest-ranking shrine) of the former Chikugo Province.
As soon as you get up the mountain, the air feels so fresh—it really wakes you up! The views are fantastic. You can see all of Kurume City, and on clear days, you can even spot the Ariake Sea.
Kinokuniya Books Shinjuku Main Store
Standing along Shinjuku Dori, at the East Exit of Shinjuku Station, is Kinokuniya, a major bookseller. Since its establishment in 1927, it has been a mainstay of Shinjuku, supporting its development in shopping. Completed in 1964, the current Kinokuniya Building wash chosen as a building of historical value by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 2017.
The whole building is a bookstore, with a huge variety of books. Foreigners can even get tax refunds here.
Eslite Spectrum Nihonbashi
Taiwan’s one-stop shop in Japan for books, lifestyle, and cultural goods. In addition to the latest hot items from Taiwan, here you’ll even find a lineup of brands that of-fer the best of Japanese culture.
It's not just a bookstore—there are also stationery and lifestyle goods. It really feels like a way of life.
TOKYO Solamachi
With a wide variety of over 300 shops gathered in this retail complex, you can feel the liveliness of Tokyo’s shitamachi downtown.
It gets super crowded during meal times on weekends. For some of the famous restaurants, it's almost impossible to get a seat.
MERI, a Specialty Cloth Zori Shop
A specialty shop offering cloth zori sandals, five-toe socks, and split-toe tabi socks. Traditionally seen as old-fashioned, zori have been updated to reflect current trends and are sold as stylish cloth footwear. Crafted by highly skilled artisans, these breathable cloth zori are praised for being cool in summer and warm in winter. They are very popular as a new style of indoor footwear and make ideal souvenirs!
You can only really use these as indoor slippers at home, and honestly, the price is pretty steep...
LUMINE EST
Located right by JR Shinjuku Station East Exit, this is a fashion building with convenient access. Many fashion, fashion accessories, interior goods, cosmetic shops are located between B2F and 6F. The shops are open late in the evening so it is easy to drop by on the way home.
You have to go to a different floor to process tax refunds. There were a lot of people waiting, and the staff at the counter were really inefficient. I ended up giving up.