Kawasaki Daishi Heikenji Temple (Kongosan Kinjoin Heikenji)
Kawasaki Daishi is considered the birthplace of the "Hatsumode" tradition. Every year during the first three days of the New Year, approximately 3 million people visit for worship.
After visiting the temple, a lot of people enjoy grabbing some local food and shopping for souvenirs in the nearby shopping street. You’ll find all kinds of lucky charms and traditional crafts, meant to bring good fortune and protection back home.
Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum
A dome-shaped museum located on the low hill near the center of the explosion displaying 1500 preserved documents and personal mementos. You can get an easy understanding of atomic bombs with a design of exhibitions performing a plot with wishes for peace and also describing the devastating terrors of an atomic bomb and the history of nuclear weapons.
The U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki to force Japan to surrender and end the war, causing massive casualties in an instant...
Kodokan
Kodokan is a domain school, opened by Mito feudal domain’s 9th lord, Tokugawa Nariaki (1800-1860) in 1841, and was the largest educational institution in Japan.
The reason Japan was able to rise so quickly and become strong during the Meiji Restoration is mainly because education was already widespread during the Edo period.
Sendai Castle Ruins (Aoba Castle)
Sendai Castle was built by order of the lord Date Masamune. Commonly called "Aoba Castle," it has been the center of the clan government for 270 years.
The most famous thing here is the statue of Date Masamune. You can also get a great view of downtown Sendai from here.
Aso Shrine (Kumamoto)
The master god who has created Aso, Takei Watatsu no Mikoto, and 12 of his family gods are enshrined here. As the head of Higo Province, this is ranked top over nearly 500 branch Aso Shrines nationwide. Its history goes back more than 2000 years. Its faith is fused with volcano worship that believes Mt. Aso to be a god.
When I visited, the area was still heavily affected by the earthquake and most of the main buildings hadn't been rebuilt yet. I really hope they can restore everything soon.