Chin Wei Liu's Reviews

Himeji Castle

This castle is a World Heritage Site and a Japanese castle masterpiece. The main keep, built by Ikeda Terumasa in the early Edo period, has a five-story exterior, one basement level, and six stories above ground on the inside, making it the largest Edo period castle tower still standing.

• Hyogo
• Tourist Attractions

Japan's most beautiful castle: Himeji Castle, also known as Shirasagi Castle.
A must-visit spot during cherry blossom season!
If you're coming to Japan to see cherry blossoms, Himeji Castle in the Kansai area is the perfect choice for first-timers.
Kansai is rich in history and culture, and Japanese people have loved cherry blossoms since ancient times. Their love for sakura goes all the way back to the Nara period, as seen in the Manyoshu poetry collection, which has many references to cherry blossoms. You can really feel how much the Japanese cherish these flowers.

Seeing cherry blossoms in Japan feels like seeing hope and a new beginning—after all, they're the flowers of spring, and their arrival means spring is here.

Himeji Castle is in Hyogo Prefecture. While Hyogo might sound unfamiliar, most people know Kobe (yep, the place famous for steak!).
If it's your first visit, here are five places you can't miss:
1. Himeji Castle
2. Kobe Port
3. Kitano Ijinkan (the Starbucks here is a must!)
4. Mt. Maya night view
5. Arima Onsen

Noboribetsu Marine Park Nixe

The aquarium is centered around "Nixe Castle," which was built on the actual "Egeskov Castle" model in Denmark. About 400 species and 20,000 living things are on display. The entire interior of the beautiful brick castle is used as an aquarium.

• Lake Toya and Noboribetsu
• Zoos & Aquariums

A must-visit in Noboribetsu (NIXE Marine Park).
It's a great spot for both adults and kids. It's pretty rare to find a marine park like this in Hokkaido! There are lots of shows—the penguin parade is the main attraction here, and most visitors come just for that.

Finding food here might seem tricky, but don't worry! The park isn't huge, but it has everything you need. Most people go for the all-you-can-eat sukiyaki, but there are other restaurants and snacks (like ice cream) that I totally recommend!

(The photo shows the Ferris wheel that's only open for kids in summer—super cute!)

Lake Toya

There is no better attraction than the natural landscape of Lake Toya in Hokkaido. The area around a caldera lake, Lake Toya , and an active volcano, Mt.Usu, was designated as the Toya- Usu Unesco Global Geopark in UNESCO Global Geopark.

• Lake Toya and Noboribetsu
• Nature Spots

Lake Toya is a hot spring lake in Hokkaido that never freezes over. The island in the middle of the lake reminded me so much of a HERSHEY'S Kisses chocolate when I first saw it! Behind Lake Toya, there's Mt. Yotei, which looks a lot like Mt. Fuji (it's also called Ezo Fuji). There are tons of attractions around the lake:
1. The Usuzan Ropeway (cable car)
2. Showa Shinzan Bear Ranch
3. In summer, you can take a cruise and watch fireworks at night; in winter, there's a starlight path
4. If you're traveling on your own, you can even try out beginner-level ski slopes here
Honestly, if you want to fully enjoy Lake Toya, even a three-day, two-night trip doesn't feel like enough!

Lake Akan

Lake Akan is Hokkaido's fifth largest freshwater lake and is known as a habitat for marimo moss balls. Marimo moss balls can be found in freshwater lakes all over the world, but the ones in Lake Akan have international significance due to their beautiful spherical shape with a diameter of more than 15 cm.

• Kushiro and Nemuro
• Nature Spots

Lake Akan in winter is amazing! I always tell people that for a honeymoon, you should pick a snowy country to really feel that 'growing old together' vibe. Hokkaido's Lake Akan is a great choice!

Here are ten things you can do in Kushiro and Lake Akan during winter:
1. Hot springs
2. Snowshoeing in Kushiro Wetlands
3. Ride the Kushiro Wetlands SL Winter Train
4. Try 'Katte Don' (DIY seafood bowl)
5. Ice skating
6. Snowmobiling
7. See beautiful red-crowned cranes
8. Ski at Utara near Lake Akan
There's so much more!
The most fun is ice fishing for wakasagi (smelt) on the lake. If you don't catch any, the shop will even give you a plate of fried wakasagi to try!

Onuma Quasi National Park

In July 1958, Onuma Quasi-National Park was designated as the 13th in the nation and the only quasi-national park in southern Hokkaido.

• Hakodate and Matsumae
• Parks & Gardens

Sometimes you just need to get out with the family. I think this is the most beautiful spot in Onuma Park, hands down. The view of Mt. Komagatake, the lake, and the blue sky with clouds is just stunning.

I really admire how Japan limits the number of businesses in tourist areas, so local shops don't get out of hand. There’s usually just one boat operator here (and they don’t overcharge).
You can go fishing, boating, cycling, and there are some small restaurants too. It's a great place to visit after lunch.

Shikotsu-Toya National Park

The Shikotsu-Toya National Park is located in the southwest of Hokkaido and the scale of the ground reaches 993km.

• Chitose and Tomakomai
• Parks & Gardens

Crepuscular rays, also called 'Jesus rays,' are a common sight at Lake Shikotsu. It's a freshwater lake in Chitose, Hokkaido, and part of Shikotsu-Toya National Park. It's actually the northernmost lake in Japan that doesn't freeze over.

It's so quiet and beautiful here—kind of like a grander, cleaner version of Sun Moon Lake. The wind on the lake can get strong depending on the season, but there are lots of little shops and dessert places around, perfect for a break. You have to try the cream puffs from Sweets shop PATISSIER LAB (Tarumae Mountain Cream Puff, 220 yen) and the cheesy potatoes—they're super delicious!

Kanazawa Castle & Kenrokuen Four Seasons Tale

Known as the residence of the 14th generation of the Maeda family of the Kaga Clan, "Kanazawa Castle", and the large garden "Kenrokuen" constructed in its outer citadel, are representative tourist attractions of Ishikawa and Kanazawa. Kenrokuen is famous as one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan and has been designated as a special place of scenic beauty by the national government.

• Kanazawa
• Festivals & Events

Kanazawa is like a mini Kyoto where you can easily spend half a day exploring. Kenrokuen is the most famous spot here, and its name comes from Li Gefei's 'Record of Famous Gardens in Luoyang,' which says a great garden needs six elements. In all of Japan, only this garden truly matches that description.

There are so many unexpected things to discover inside. Kenrokuen really lives up to its reputation. If you have time, try to find out what the six elements are! After exploring, there are lots of local snacks and little items to check out in the Kanazawa area. No wonder it's called the little Kyoto!

Shirakawa-go (Historic Village)

Shirakawa-go, a beautiful area where traditional Japanese scenery still exists, is home to the largest number of still-standing traditional “gassho-zukuri” Japanese homes. As of 2016, there are around 100 buildings still standing, both large and small. It is the largest remaining historic settlement in Japan, and it is preserved as a Group of Traditional Buildings in the register of Cultural Properties of Japan.

• Gifu
• Famous Places

Old houses are something we've all seen, but coming to Shirakawa-go is about seeing how people in a snowy country managed to live in such tough conditions. These unique houses are full of the wisdom and creativity of the people who lived here long ago. Even though this used to be a pretty poor village, tourism and electricity have really improved life for the locals.

It's a picture-perfect place all year round. Walking in feels like stepping back in time to old Japan. There are lots of festivals and events throughout the year, so it's worth visiting in every season. You can even see the irrigation channels from childhood (if you look closely, the water is super clean and there are trout swimming in it!).