Suju Chang's Reviews

Osaka Castle Park

Nationally designated special historical site, Osaka Castle Ruin, and the surrounding area were renovated into an urban park. 13 buildings of important cultural properties including Osaka Castle Main Tower, watchtowers and gates dot the vast 261-acre premises.

• Osaka Castle, Kyobashi
• Parks & Gardens

Azumaya Kyu-Karuizawa Branch

Located towards the end of Old Karuizawa Ginza Street, Azumaya serves delicious Japanese dishes such as soba noodles and its popular specialty, Chikara-mochi (bite-sized rice cakes). The store is easy to spot with its distinctive noren curtain and lanterns marked "力餅" (Chikara-mochi).

• Nagano
• Japanese Cuisine

J Art Foundation

Originally opened in 2006 as the Sapporo Miyanomori Art Museum-the first contemporary art museum in Hokkaido-this institution reopened in May 2025 under the new name J Art Foundation after a seven-year closure.

• Sapporo Station, Odori, Susukino
• Museums

HUB Akihabara Store

Founded in 1980, HUB is a British-style pub that boasts about 50 stores in the Kanto region and over 100 nationwide, with the Akihabara shop serving as the hotspot for both Japanese and international travelers. The pub's relaxed atmosphere is almost reminiscent of a café, making it easy to swing by for easy drinks or a chance to mingle over conversation.

• Akihabara, Kanda, Ochanomizu
• Wine Bars

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine is a historic shrine that is said to have been built around 1500 years ago. The main shrine features elaborate engravings, and it has been designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

• Saitama
• Shrines & Temples

Cat Alley (Neko no Hosomichi)

Cat Alley, or Neko no Hosomichi, is the 200-meter narrow road that stretches from Ushitora Shrine in Nagae, an area of Onomichi City (Hiroshima). The road was started in 1998 when artist Shunji Sonoyama painted the “fukuishineko” lucky stone cats found along the road.

• Hiroshima
• Tourist Attractions

Otsuka Museum of Art

The museum houses more than 1000 works, ranging from antiquity to the 20th century and collected from over 190 museums in 26 countries. The full-size faithful replicas were created using a special technology on ceramic plates. The paintings are reproduced onto ceramic plates which, the museum claims, will preserve their colors and shapes for as long as 2000 years. The museum particularly wishes, with its unique methods, to contribute to the recording and perseveration of the world’s valuable cultural heritage.

• Tokushima
• Museums