Looking up at that imposing dark brown castle keep instantly makes you feel as if you've traveled back to Japan's war-torn Sengoku and Edo periods! This ancient castle, one of Japan's Five National Treasure Castles, is also one of only 12 surviving original castle keeps in the country. It has completely preserved its appearance from when it was built more than 400 years ago. The exterior walls of the keep are covered with dark black wooden siding, and the boldly spreading eaves look both elegant and commanding, like a huge black bird about to take flight. That's why it earned the impressive nickname "Plover Castle"! Climbing the steep, sturdy old wooden stairs inside and walking across the thick wooden floors that make a deep sound underfoot, you eventually reach the observation level at the very top. The view is unbelievably open, offering an unobstructed 360-degree panorama of Matsue's cityscape as well as a distant view of sparkling Lake Shinji. The breeze blowing against your face feels incredibly refreshing!
Matsue Castle | Review by Jk
Other Reviews by Jk
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Itsukushima Shrine
Itsukushima Shrine stands on the island of Itsukushima, which is also known as the island of gods. It is said that the shrine was founded in 593 by Saeki no Kuramoto, and the 3 goddess “Ichikishimahime-no-Mikoto,” “Tagorihime-no-Mikoto,” and “Tagitsuhime-no-Mikoto” are enshrined there. Famous for granting a wide list of benefits, these three goddesses as are worshipped as the goddesses of the sea, transportation, fortune, and art.
Seeing that huge red torii gate standing in the sea from afar really gives you goosebumps! This is the World Heritage Site Itsukushima Shrine, and the wildest part is that the entire shrine was built right on a beach where the tide comes and goes. It's incredibly unique!
At high tide, the seawater slowly rises, making the vermilion wooden corridors and shrine buildings look as if they're floating on the water. The red pillars are reflected in the blue sea, and every photo looks like a fairyland. At low tide, it's a completely different experience. Once the water recedes, the entire beach is exposed, and everyone can walk across the sand right underneath the huge torii gate. Looking up at those enormous camphorwood pillars, they're truly massive and spectacular up close. You can clearly see the barnacles and wood grain at the bottom—they're incredibly impressive!
Walking along the long wooden corridors with the cool sea breeze blowing toward you, you can even see the seawater flowing beneath your feet. You can often spot wild deer that aren't afraid of people leisurely wandering along the shore. They're incredibly adorable. -
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Don Quijote Dotonbori Store
Known for its late-night hours, quirky shelf displays, and handwritten promotional signs, Don Quijote is a beloved all-in-one discount store. The Dotonbori branch is especially eye-catching thanks to its iconic yellow Ferris wheel attached to the building’s façade-now a well-known landmark along the Dotonbori River in Osaka’s Minami district.
Right beside Osaka’s Dotonbori Canal, there’s absolutely no way to miss the Don Quijote Dotonbori Store, with its giant yellow Ferris wheel and penguin mascot. This place is truly a late-night shopping paradise for all night owls and shopaholics! Every floor is packed with all kinds of extremely popular products, from the overwhelming selection of snacks, instant noodles, and matcha sweets at the first-floor entrance to beauty and skin care products, medicine, electronics, household goods, and even funny cosplay costumes upstairs. There are so many products stacked to the ceiling that it feels like a maze. Pushing a shopping basket through the narrow, bustling aisles while hunting for treasures, with the catchy signature theme song and lively checkout calls ringing in your ears, sends the thrill of shopping and your adrenaline straight through the roof!
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Dotonbori Giant Ferris Wheel Ebisu Tower
A giant Ferris wheel attached to the large discount store “Don Quijote” Dotonbori store along the Dotonbori River, one of the liveliest spots in Osaka’s Minami area, where buildings with flashy signs line both banks. Facing the river, this striking Ferris wheel is the world’s first oval shape, unlike typical circular wheels. Its four-person gondolas also feature a unique mechanism that rotates horizontally mid-ride-the first of its kind in the world.
Along Osaka’s Dotonbori Canal, it’s absolutely impossible to miss the massive yellow Ferris wheel built right into the exterior of the Don Quijote building—the Dotonbori Giant Ferris Wheel, “Ebisu Tower”! In the center is a huge statue of Ebisu, the god of fortune, holding a fishing rod and grinning from ear to ear. Together with the eye-catching yellow-and-black track, it perfectly captures Osaka’s over-the-top, humorous, and energetic character. Even just taking photos from across the canal makes for an impressive sight!
The wildest thing about this Ferris wheel is that it’s one of the world’s rare “oval-track Ferris wheels”! As the gondola slowly rises, your view gradually gets higher along the track, putting the entire Dotonbori Canal, sightseeing boats cruising back and forth, the famous Glico Running Man sign, and the dense sea of neon lights below you. Especially when it lights up at night, the dazzling cityscape and reflections on the river blend together. Looking down over the entire sleepless city from high above inside the gondola, with such a wide-open view, is an absolute thrill! -
