Noritake Garden
The birthplace of Noritake, a tableware brand highly regarded around the world. Today, the spacious, green grounds offer a relaxing retreat dotted with shops, cafés, restaurants, and a museum. The red-brick building constructed in 1904 was the first factory of Nippon Toki Gomei Kaisha, now NORITAKE CO., LIMITED.
It's right next to Nagoya Station. There's a creative market and a huge lawn, plus the Toyota Museum is nearby, so you can easily visit both.
Atami Sun Beach
A beach bustling with swimmers in summer that also offers excellent views of the Atami Marine Fireworks Festival, held more than a dozen times a year. A 400-meter row of palm trees, white sand contrasting with the blue sky, shallow water, and the gentle sound of the waves create the atmosphere of a tropical resort.
The fireworks festival over the ocean is so colorful and dazzling! Really eye-catching!
Sakura Furusato Square
It is a flower garden that welcomes you with its seasonal flowers, such as tulips in spring, sunflowers in summer, and cosmos in autumn. In the center of the garden, there is a symbolic windmill which actually spins with wind power.
The first time I saw so many tulips and a Dutch windmill was at Huis Ten Bosch in Kyushu, but this place is just as impressive.
Kamigamo Shrine
In ancient times, Kamowakeikazuchi-no-okami, the god of the shrine, descended to the mountain northwest of the main shrine, and the Kamo clan, a powerful local family, built a shrine building in 678, and it is the oldest shrine in Kyoto.
There's a lively handmade market held here once a month.
Byodoin Temple
The site was originally used as a villa by Fujiwara no Michinaga, a powerful figure during the Heian period. His son, Yorimichi, inherited the property and converted it into a temple in 1052. It was registered as a World Heritage Site in 1994. Following renovations completed in 2014, it is said to have regained an appearance closer to its original form. The Amida Hall, which houses the principal image of Amida Buddha, is a highlight. Its magnificent symmetry is sure to captivate visitors.
The Phoenix Hall is surrounded by a small river, and its reflection on the water, together with the surrounding scenery, makes it feel like a paradise on earth.