Japan: Tomonoura
Tomonoura is a small fishing village famous as the location for several films: notably Ponyo and Wolverine.
Cat in the Hat
I saw this cute cat sitting in a hat in a shop at the Ekinishi area near Hiroshima Station.
Japan: Hiroshima at Night (Ekinishi)
Ekinishi (“west of station”) is a small neighbourhood just west of Hiroshima Station that is full of trendy bars and restaurants and really comes alive at night.
Hotel High Up
This hotel almost seems like it could have been in a James Bond film starring Roger Moore.
Japan: Hiroshima (Peace Park and Museum)
The Hiroshima Peace Park is dedicated to the legacy of Hiroshima as the first city in the world to suffer a nuclear attack.
Japan: Atomic Bomb Dome
The Genbaku Dome (aka Hiroshima Peace Memorial, or the Atomic Bomb Dome) is a former exhibition hall that somehow still stands as a ruin.
Japan: Miyajima
Miyajima (Shrine Island), is an island famous for the O-Torii gate seemingly surrounded by water.
Japan: Kurashiki
Kurashiki has a preserved canal area that dates back to the Edo Period, when the city served as an important rice distribution center. In fact, “Kurashiki” roughly translates to “town of storehouses” in reference to the rice storehouses.
Japan: Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle is the only castle we visited in Japan is a “real” castle, ie. it is the original castle (with some restoration work) and not a reconstruction.
Japan: Hiroshima Castle
Hiroshima Castle was destroyed by the atomic bomb in 1945 but has been reconstructed (in 1958) and now serves as a museum of Hiroshima history pre World War II.
Japan: Okayama Castle and Korakuen
Okayama Castle is another reconstructed castle (the original was destroyed in World War II by air raids). Nearby is Korakuen which is regarded as one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan.
Japan: Osaka Castle
Osaka Castle was destroyed (several times over the course of history), and the present building is a concrete reconstruction.
Japan: Huis Ten Bosch
Huis Ten Bosch is a gigantic theme park in Sasebo (near Nagasaki) that is intended to be a mini version of Netherlands, including famous buildings such as the Huis Ten Bosch palace, Stadhuis and the Domtoren.
Japan: Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Japan was the third theme park opened after the original Universal Studios Hollywood, and Universal Studios Orlando. It was the first park in the franchise to open outside the US.
Japan: DisneySea
DisneySea is a unique theme park, intended as a nautical counterpart to Disneyland.
Japan: Ghibli Museum
The Ghibli Museum is a unique museum showcasing the work of the Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli. It is located in Inokashira Park in Mitaka.
Japan: Nara
Nara is considered a small city today, but was once the capital of Japan and the seat of the Emperor.
Japan: Kinkakuji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion)
Kinkakuji, or Temple of the Golden Pavilion, is one of the must see places in Kyoto. Most of the temple is covered in gold leaf, and it’s set next to pond and therefore extremely photogenic.
Japan: Nijo Castle
Nijo Castle is a “flat” castle containing Ninomaru and Honmaru Palaces. It is established in Kyoto by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of Japan.