Shirakawa-go in winter is just magical. The heavy snow covering the gassho-style houses gives the whole village a unique and beautiful vibe.
Shirakawa-go (Historic Village) | Review by 張志祥
Other Reviews by 張志祥
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Biwako Hakodateyama Mountain
Renewed and reopened in 2020, Biwako Hakodate Mountain offers seasonal flowers in summer and skiing in the silvery white world of winter. You can take an 8-minute gondola ride while enjoying the scenery of Lake Biwa. Once you reach the top of the mountain, which is about 630 meters above sea level, you will feel a sense of freedom.
The view is fantastic here. You can see everything all around you.
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Hitachi Seaside Park
Hitachi Seaside Park is a large park that spans an area of about 215 hectares. During springtime, daffodils, tulips, and nemophila bloom. In early summer, there are roses, and in summer, there are zinnias and sunflowers. Autumn brings forth kochia and cosmos. During winter ice tulips, plum blossoms, and other seasonal flowers bloom. In particular, the nemophilia that bloom from mid-April through early May are lauded for their gorgeous blue color, blending the sky, sea, and flowers together into a vast expanse of blue.
This is one of the most famous spots in Ibaraki. In autumn, the hills are covered with kochia, and there's always something to see here no matter the season.
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Byodoin
An imperial authority in the Heian Period, Fujiwara Michinaga used this place as a vacation home. His son Yorimichi inherited, converted and opened it as a temple in 1052. It was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1994. The remodeling in 2014 brought it back closer to its original state. The main Amida Buddha statue in Amida Hall is worth a look. You will be amazed by the symmetrical beauty of the building.
Different temple buildings are scattered throughout the area. The most famous is the Phoenix Hall, with a pair of golden bronze phoenix statues on the roof. You can even compare them to the JPY 10,000 bill and 10 yen coin—the designs come from here.
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