Northern Horse Park
This is a hands-on theme park where visitors can enjoy nature and interaction with horses, based on the "Northern Farm" which is known for breeding many famous racehorses.
Even if you’re not into horse racing, it’s super relaxing just watching the horses run around here. It really has that Hokkaido vibe—huge land, not many people.
Sapporo Kani-ya Main Store
This massive building, consisting of 7 floors above ground and 2 basement levels, is entirely dedicated to crab cuisine, making it one of the largest crab restaurants in Hokkaido. With a wide range of seating options, including private rooms and a banquet hall that can accommodate up to 120 guests, it’s perfect for various occasions.
The crab here is super fresh. Whether it's sashimi, hot pot, grilled, or steamed, everything tastes fantastic.
Kobe Anpanman Children’s Museum & Mall
This is a spot for children to meet their hero, Anpanman. The building is divided into two floors, with the museum on the second floor (admission fee applies) and a shopping mall on the first floor (free to enter).
There are all kinds of Anpanman-themed goods here, like toys, stationery, clothes, and snacks. They're perfect as souvenirs or gifts.
Metasequoia tree avenue (Shiga Prefecture)
A part of the Koarajimakinosawa route is lined with about 500 metasequoia trees along a 2.4km-long straight road. This beautiful road is called the "Metasequoia Avenue.”
This long, impressive green avenue looks different in every season. Lots of people are busy taking photos, but don't forget there are still cars on the road—so be careful with traffic!
Kobe Motomachi Shopping Street
The Kobe Motomachi shopping street is a shopping arcade with 6 areas (Ichibangai, Sanchome, Yonchome, Gochome, Rokuchome). The lively street is lined with various shops both traditional and contemporary, offering fashion, miscellaneous goods, restaurants, and more.
This is the biggest shopping street in Kobe. There's a huge variety of things for sale, from traditional to innovative. Definitely worth taking your time to explore.
Kobe, Sannomiya Center Gai Shopping Street
Sannomiya Center Gai plays a role as a hub of Kobe where the transportation network converges. The name Sannomiya derives from that of Ikuta Shrine - the village located in the shrine’s territory is called Kanbe, which is also the origin of Kobe. Sannomiya Center Gai is a large-scale shopping arcade connecting east to west from Flower Road to Koikawasuji, and lined with various shops ranging from fashion, interior design and general merchandise to gourmet food.
You can find pretty much everything here, and it's super convenient since it's right by Sannomiya Station.
Wakayama Castle Park Zoo
This zoo has been popular among the locals in Wakayama for more than 100 years since the Taisho era. As the name indicates, it is located on the ground of Wakayama Castle and is home to 79 mammals of 21 species, 83 birds of 26 species, and 5 reptiles of 2 species (as of March 2021).
Even though it's a small zoo, the place is pretty clean. You can also see penguins and a black bear, which is nice.
Wakayama Castle
The origin of the castle started in 1585, Hashiba Hideyoshi (later Toyotomi Hideyoshi) subjugated Kishu teritory (the area now known as Wakayama) and he ordered his younger brother, Hidenaga, to build a castle on Mt.Torafusu which is at a downstream of Kinokawa-river. Later, a vassal of the Hashiba family, Kuwayama Shigeharu was placed in charge of the castle (and later, the castle lord). After the Battle of Sekigahara, Asano Yoshinaga became lord of the castle and he started building a tower followed by an interconnected corridor. He built residences in the area now known as Honmaru, Ninomaru, and Nishinomaru while building a castle town. In 1619, Yorinobu, the 10th son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, inherited the castle.
The original castle tower was destroyed by American bombing during World War II, so the current one is a reconstruction. There's also a free zoo at the base of the mountain in Wakayama Castle Park.
CUPNOODLES MUSEUM OSAKA IKEDA
At the CUPNOODLES MUSEUM in Ikeda City, Osaka Prefecture, the birthplace of instant ramen, 11 exhibits and attractions will delve into the appeal of instant ramen.
There were way too many people trying the cup noodle-making experience. I ended up spending over three hours, which felt like a bit of a waste of time.
Mount Wakakusa
Mt. Wakakusa is a grass-covered gentle mountain, 342 meters above sea level. It is also called “Mt. Mikasa” because it looks like three hats stacked on top of each other. It is well-known for its annual Yamayaki, a Nara traditional event held in January.
Besides feeding the deer, you can get a fantastic view of all of Nara City. The scenery is amazing!