Located in western Kanagawa Prefecture, the town of Hakone is part of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park (富士箱根伊豆國家公園). It takes only 1.5 hours from Tokyo to Hakone, which offers the tourists an easy excursion from the hustle and bustle of the capital, brimming with stunning views of Mount Fuji, high quality natural hot springs and more undiscovered treasures. Owakudani (大涌谷) is accessible from Hakone-Yumoto Station either via train, cable car, or ropeway. Due to the volcanic erupt

Nagano (長野) boasts the highest mountain ranges in the country, so it is regarded as the “roof of Japan”. We can reach the sky via visiting the Matsumoto Castle (松本城). It was built in the 16th century. Stepping into its wooden interiors, we can admire the medieval weapons in the oldest surviving castles of Japan. Interestingly, the castle is coined as “Crow Castle” with its jet-black outlook. Not only is Matsumoto (松本) a gateway to the Japan Alps, it is also the birthplace of

Mt. Fuji is the most obvious power spot. This UNESCO-designated World Cultural Heritage site nurtured the Fuji Five Lakes upon volcanic eruptions, when lava blocked rivers or split existing lakes. Lake Yamanaka was split from Utsuko; Lake Saiko, Motosu and Shojiko were split from Se-no-umi; while Lake Kawaguchi was a result of barrage formation by solidified magma. Here is the top ten power spots in search of spiritual connection: 1）Mt. Taikan Observatory, Kanagawa (大観山スカイラウン

“The train came out of the long tunnel into the snow country (国境の長いトンネルを抜けると、雪国であった).” — “Snow Country”, Yasunari Kawabata Alongside Kurobe Gorge and Osugi Gorge, Kiyotsu Gorge stands among one of the three great gorges in Japan. Towering cliffs with “columnar jointing" created a V-shaped grand canyon over the Kiyotsu River. It was not until 1996 that a 750m pedestrian tunnel was constructed, from which one could admire the gorge safely. Inspired by the "five elements" of nat

The Railway system in Japan offers world-class services. As a celebration of its culture, visitors can learn about its history in a museum, including the first bullet train “Shinkansen” in the world… Japan celebrates Railway Day (鉄道の日) every 14 October in order to honor the achievement of its transportation system. The Mumbles to Swansea Railroad in Wales was the first fee-paying railroad, while the history of Japan rail transport can be traced back to the 19th century, when

Before the nuclear disaster in 2011, Fukushima (福島県) was a well-known regional destination for its natural resources, and historic and cultural discoveries. As the third largest prefecture of Japan, it comprises three regions: Aizu (会津) in the mountainous west, Nakadōri (中通り) in the agricultural central, and Hamadōri (浜通り) in the east which is closer to the Pacific Ocean. Ouchi Juku (大內宿) used to be the Shimotsuke Kaido route, where the feudal lords made their trips to Edo, u

“What do you want? Cause you’ve been keeping me awake. Are you here to distract me, so I make a big mistake?” In search of the fifth element in the Enchanted Forest, Elsa sang “Into the Unknown” to become braver. “Are you out there? Can you show me?” In this case, should the visitors follow suit during the encounter of snow monsters in the uninterrupted Mount Zao?  With a combination of Siberian winds and heavy snowfall, the juhyo (樹氷) was created between December and Februar

Alongside the Mount Fuji (富士山) and Hakusan (白山), Tateyama (立山) is regarded as one of the Three Holy Mountains in Japan (日本三霊山). Tateyama consists of three sacred peaks, which are Onanji (大汝山), Oyama (雄山) and Fuji-no-Oritate (富士ノ折立). As the eastern backdrop of Toyama Prefecture, the Tateyama Mountain Range (立山連峰) was formed with two peaks: Tateyama and Tsurugi (劍岳). It is believed that in the eighth-century, a hunter pursued a wounded bear all the way to Murodo. It has somehow

Between the Hakodate Harbour to the west and the Tsugaru Strait to the east, Hakodate is the southern gateway to Hokkaido. With a population of over 240,000, it is the third largest city of the island. From Aomori in Tohoku to Hakodate in Hokkaido, one of the fastest and easiest ways to reach Hakodate is taking the less-than-two-hour Jōban Line operated from JR East. Along with Shimoda, Hakodate was one of two designated ports to be opened to American ships, under the Treaty

A for Archaeology Aomori is a port city situated in the north of Honshu. On one side, visitors can create their own nokke-don seafood bowl in the Aomori Gyosai Centre. On the other side, they can also create their own itinerary with AAA standards. Excavations at the Sannai Maruyama Site uncovered a settlement in 1992, which can be dated back to the Jomon period. As the archaeologists unearthed the remains of dwellings and burial his tools and bones, a  picture began to emerge