Also known as Atamijo, this “castle” is in fact a pure tourist attraction that was built in 1959 on a mountain top overlooking the city of Atami, despite the fact that Atami never had any castle in its history! To be fair, Atamijo is a good looking castle from the outside and with a stunning […]
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Located in Atami City’s center and originally built by a shipping magnate in 1919, Kiun-kaku (also known as Kiunkaku) served until 1947 as a private villa to different owners including the railroad tycoon Kaichiro Nezu. It’s interesting to note here that Kaichiro also happens to be the original owner of the Nezu garden and museum […]
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Owakudani is an area around a crater created during Mt Hakone’s last eruption some 3,000 years ago. Today Owakudani is still an active volcanic zone where sulfurous fumes, hot rivers and hot springs are heavily present. Despite being a very famous tourist attraction where were you can enjoy, in some safe zones, a gorgeous view […]
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Founded in 807 AD by the famous Japanese Saint Kobo, or Kobo Daishi one of the greatest founders of Buddhism in Japan. Shuzenzi Temple is also one of the oldest temples in Shizuoka. While small in size, Shuzenji temple also offers visitors the chance to visit a small museum, featuring many artefacts. Until 1995 it […]
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Despite being “lost” in the middle of the mountains of Izu peninsula, Shuzenji is a well known tourist destination for both Japanese and foreigners alike. Indeed Shuzenji is one of the oldest and most famous hot spring resort towns on the whole peninsula! Like the Japanese tradition dictates, there is no onsen without ryokan and […]
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Located on the west side of the Izu peninsula, Heda is one of those small Japanese fishing villages that time seems to have left alone. Granted in Heda you will find some very impressive fishing boats alongside some rather modest ones, but the place has something hard to describe that makes it unique. It feels […]
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Known by many as ‘little Paris’ due to its significant French presence, Kagurazaka is in fact a very old dining district closed to Iidabashi Station. There you will find many fantastic little restaurants, French or not, as well as some upscale restaurants and ryotei hidden in the many, small backstreets. Besides its many restaurants and […]
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Located on the north part of Tsukishima 月島 or the “moon island” , Tsukudajima was an island of its own and separated from Tsukishima over 100 years ago. But due to the construction in Tokyo bay, the local authorities decided to redraw Tokyo’s coastline by joining several island together. Tsukudajima is perhaps better known now […]
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Located between Shirahama beach and Dogashima, Tsumekizaki is a gorgeous seaside park that has several great walking paths, an incredibly diverse garden and an old lighthouse with a stunning view of the surrounding ocean. Somehow more difficult to access than any other place, Tsumekizaki Park is still the ideal place to go for anyone who’s […]
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Dosgashima, over time, has become hugely popular among both Japanese and foreign tourists.It is most famous for its dramatic stone formations and gorgeous landscape shaped by the lava flow from nearby volcanoes that erupted many centuries ago. While most people tend to limit their visit to Dogahima itself, with its many restaurants and onsens, the […]
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Like Hokokuji, Engaku-ji is not your average temple, and it is actually ranked as the second most important Zen Buddhist temple in Japan. Founded in 1282 by a Chinese Zen monk at the request of Hojo Tokimune (then ruler of Japan), Engaku-ji is in fact more like a closed village temple than an actual temple. […]
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Number 10 on the Kamakura 33 Kannon pilgrimage, Hokokuji is one of Kamakura’s most peculiar temples. Secluded and located in the eastern hills of Kamakura, Hokokuji was founded in 1334 and, like many other temples in the region, it suffered badly as a result of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. What’s so special about this […]
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