Gion Ninigi main store
Ninigi, a confectionery store in the Gion district of Kyoto, offers a wonderful fruit daifuku series, Kajitsu no Fuku. Their fantastic daifuku is filled with fresh juicy seasonal fruit, including strawberry, tangerine and white bean paste or whipped cream in a thin soft mochi.
Traditional Japanese daifuku and wagashi made with premium fresh fruit—this is a classic Kyoto souvenir.
Rokkatei Flagship Store
Rokkatei is loved as a staple brand for Hokkaido souvenirs. They offer a wide variety of sweets, such as Marusei Butter Sandwiches, Strawberry Chocolates.
You can find Rokkatei's classic souvenirs at places like Tanukikoji in the city or even at the airport. But at this branch, you can pick up some limited edition items too.
Hitsujiyama Park
At the foot of Mt. Buko, the symbol of Chichibu, between Chichibu and Yokoze sits the sprawling shibazakura (moss phlox) hills at Hitsujiyama Park. This coveted destination draws tourists to Chichibu every year in Spring between mid-April and Golden Week in May.
The hillside is completely covered in shibazakura, like a beautiful carpet. Walking through the sea of flowers feels so romantic.
Ritsurin Garden
Used as a villa by the Matsudaira clan of Takamatsu, Ritsurin Garden was completed nearly 300 years ago by successive generations of feudal lords who renovated it. While the sprawling strolling garden covers 16 hectares, the total area of this park, including Mount Shiun in the background, extends to an impressive 75 hectares!
I walked all around the park and enjoyed so many beautiful views. If you climb up to a higher spot, you get an even clearer look at everything.
Akiyoshidai, Akiyoshido
Akiyoshidai is Japan’s largest karst plateau spread in the middle of and eastern of Mine city, the central city of Yamaguchi prefecture. A coral reef which was born about three hundred million years ago in the warm sea became limestone while moving on the plate over a huge time, and the limestone accumulated and moved from the sea to the mountain became Akiyoshidai.
This is the largest limestone cave in the East. Only about 1 kilometer is open to the public, but the paths are well maintained and there are even elevators. It's pretty cool inside—actually, it was a bit too cold for me, so I left quickly.