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.
The cherry blossoms at Shinjuku Gyoen are absolutely breathtaking. Whether you're having a picnic on the green lawn or strolling through the cherry blossom tunnels, it feels like stepping into a dream world.
Kameya Honpo
Nearby Shibamata Taishakuten, you’ll find Kameya Hompo, a famous shop selling Dango, or flavored rice dumplings. It was a model for the Dango shop of Tora-san, the main character in the movie, “The Otoko wa tsurai yo (It’s Tough Being a Man)”.
They have a lot of different dango flavors, and the staff are super friendly.
Boso no Mura
This museum recreates buildings and landscapes from the late Edo period to the early Meiji period based on traditional townscapes and farmhouses that remain in Sawara and other areas of the prefecture.
You can really feel the atmosphere of the Edo period here. It's like escaping the present and becoming a time traveler.
Funabashi H.C. Andersen Park
This green park adorned with seasonal flowers was named after Andersen, who is from Odense, Denmark, a sister city of Funabashi City. Visited by 800,000 people a year, it is the prefecture’s prominent theme park. The vast 38.3ha (95 acres)-grounds are divided into zones for different attractions.
It's a great place to bring kids—so much fun that you can easily spend the whole day here. Some attractions are fun for adults too. The only downside is that getting here isn't very convenient.
Kujukuri Beach
Kujukuri Beach is Japan's largest sandy beach from Cape Gyobu in the eastern Chiba Prefecture to Cape Taito along the Pacific Ocean. The beach extends in the shape of an arc with no reef.
Even early in the morning, there are lots of surfers enjoying the waves. The coastline is really long, clean, and comfortable.
Katori Shrine
Futsunushi-no-o-Kami written in Japanese mythology, ”Kuniyuzuri”, is enshrined as the Deity and this shrine is the head shrine of about 400 Katori Shrines around the country.
Walking along the approach, you can really enjoy the changing colors of the maple and ginkgo trees. The weather was so pleasant and comfortable. 😌
Non-Verbal Theatre GEAR in Kyoto
Gear is a non-verbal theater where the performance uses no words. Pantomime, magic, breakdance, juggling, etc. are combined with projection mapping technology in this original new entertainment made in Japan.
This place used to be the Mainichi Newspaper building. The show combines magic effects, and even the stage lighting is really well done. I felt it was totally worth seeing.
Kyoto Aquarium
A large-scale inland aquarium that opened in March 2012 in Umekoji Park near Kyoto Station. It is divided into 10 areas and houses approximately 15,000 creatures from 250 different species, including the giant salamander, a national special natural treasure that lives in the Kamo River, Cape penguins, Largha seals, fish, and jellyfish. The “Kyoto Penguin Correlation Chart,” which shows the relationships among the penguins currently on display, has become the talk of the town because the penguins’ complex relationships resemble those of humans.
The jellyfish display is definitely a highlight, and there's also a dolphin show.
Kyoto Tower (Nidec The Kyoto Tower)
It is located right in front of Kyoto Station. It was designed in the shape of a lighthouse to illuminate Kyoto, and is the tallest building in Kyoto at 131 meters. It has been visited by over 32 million people since it opened in 1964.
You can spot this landmark right after leaving Kyoto Station. It looks beautiful when it's lit up at night. There's an admission fee if you want to go up to the observation deck.