Tokachigawa Onsen
Tokachigawa Onsen is located in the Tokachi Plain in the center of Hokkaido. The "Moor hot springs" are rare in Japan, and rich in organic plant matter. As a result, the hot water has a high temperature of 55-60 degrees Celsius and gushes out from a location 500-700 meters underground.
It was my first time riding a hot air balloon, so I was a bit nervous at first.
But it actually felt really stable.
Seeing the Tokachi Plain from the sky was honestly super spectacular.
Starbucks Coffee Ueno Onshi Park Store
Located within Ueno Onshi Park in Taito, Tokyo, this Starbucks is situated near the central fountain area of the park, making it an ideal spot for a rest during a park stroll. Ueno Onshi Park is known for its concentration of cultural facilities like zoos, museums, and art galleries, and the café is always bustling with visitors stopping by before or after visiting these attractions.
This Starbucks has a simple design with a nice Japanese touch.
Sitting on the terrace and looking out over the park feels really relaxing.
They’ve got a pretty good selection of drinks and desserts, and it feels especially great to come here during cherry blossom season.
Tokyo Disneyland
Known and loved as the “kingdom of dreams and magic”, this full-scale themepark is just a 15 min. train ride from Tokyo Station.
The nighttime parade hits way harder than the daytime one.
As the illuminated floats go by, the whole park turns colorful and dreamy.
Definitely something you’ll want to save as the highlight of your evening plans.
Kappabashi Dougu Street®
Kappabashi Dougu Street is a shopping district between Tokyo’s Asakusa and Ueno areas that extends around 800 meters from north to south. It is an interesting shopping district, where around 160 shops all related to food items all gather, selling the obvious items like cooking utensils and tableware, as well as other things like restaurant signboards.
Kappabashi Dougu Street is super fun to walk around.
It’s a famous kitchenware street in Tokyo, with all kinds of tableware, baking tools, knives, and even realistic fake food displays.
It feels like a treasure street when you browse around.
Even if you’re just checking out the unique kitchen tools, it’s really interesting.
Shibayama Kofun Haniwa Museum
Chiba Prefecture boasts one of the highest concentrations of ancient burial mounds (kofun) in Japan. Among them, Shibayama Town, home to this museum, is renowned as an archaeological treasure trove, with more than 500 kofun once believed to have existed in the area.
This place mainly showcases ancient haniwa (clay figures) and kofun culture. Even though it's not very big, there's a lot to see. There are all kinds of unique haniwa—people, horses, houses—they look cute and have a real sense of history. 😄
There are some interactive areas and models inside, and the explanations are pretty clear. If you're into history or archaeology, you'll probably find it really fun. The kofun park outside is nice for a walk, too—it's peaceful and great for taking photos. 📸
Overall, it's a small museum and there aren't a ton of exhibits, so 30 to 60 minutes is enough. But if you're in the Narita or Shibayama area, it's definitely worth stopping by!
Aya Teruha Suspension Bridge
Aya Town was registered as a UNESCO Ecopark in 2012 for the large-scale preservation of laurel forest, many Japan’s native species, and for the nature-friendly regional development. Teruha Suspension Bridge, also included in the Kyushu Chuo Sanchi Quasi-National Park, is the longest pedestrian bridge in the world, where you can experience the nature of Aya River Gorge.
This used to be the world's longest suspension bridge. It's really impressive and super high—looking down feels like you're 40 or 50 stories up.
Kumamoto Castle
Kumamoto Castle is the famous castle built by Kiyomasa Kato in 1607. It was built using the latest, cutting edge techniques at the time and was the setting of many important moments in Japan’s history.
One of Japan's top 100 castles. It's really unfortunate that it was damaged by the earthquake. I hope it gets fully restored soon.
Kinrin Lake
Kinrin Lake is one of many popular tourist spots in the hot springs town of Yufuin. The lake sits under Mt. Yufu and as such was called takemoto-no-ike (lit. “lake under the mountain”) for years. However, it was renamed to Kinrin, or “golden scales”, by Mori Kuso in 1884 when he saw the golden glimmering scales of fish as they swam at sunset.
Yufuin is one of the most popular tourist spots in Kyushu, and Kinrin Lake is right there. The whole area is really scenic and it's one of my personal favorites.
Miyanoen
One of the most familiar beverages to Japanese people is Japanese tea. We brew Japanese tea according to a procedure and enjoy the aroma and taste. We want to make people more aware of this wonderful taste and pass it on to future generations. With this concept, the tea garden "Miyanoen" has been producing and selling Japanese tea for over a century.
Besides the fun of picking tea leaves, you can also try all kinds of tea-based cakes, candies, and ice cream. Lots of visitors from Europe and America—such a great experience!
Nagatoro Steam Locomotive
The Chichibu railway operates the Steam Locomotive Paleo Express mainly on weekends. This tourist train rumbles down the track of Chichibu Line, running through deep forest. It takes 2 hours and 40 minutes to go from Kumagaya Station to Mitsumineguchi station. This relaxed classic train trip is rewarding, and it’s wonderful to view the amazing seasonal scenery from the window.
This charming little station is full of retro vibes and history. Riding the SL steam locomotive really feels like stepping back into the Showa era.