Kyoto Tower

It stands 131 meters tall just across Kyoto Station. It is Kyoto's tallest building and a rare modern iconic landmark in the city well-known as its ancient temples and shrines. 　

The tower was completed in 1964, the same year as the opening of the shinkansen and the Tokyo Olympics.

 
A viewing platform is located 100 meters　above ground and affords a 360 degree view of Kyoto and as far as Osaka on clear days.


Kyoto Tower stands on top of a typical commercial building, which contains souvenir shops, restaurants and a hotel, as well as a public bath in the basement.
 

Nishio Castle

It is located in Nishio, eastern Aichi Prefecture. At the end of the Edo period, Nishio Castle was home to the Ogyu Matsudaira, Japanese feudal lord of Nishio Domain. 

The castle dates to the Kamakura period with a fortification called Saijo- jō was built by Ashikaga Yoshiuji in around 1221. The territory came under the control of the Tokugawa clan in the Sengoku period, and by order of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Sakai Shigetada reconstucted the castle in 1585 with moats, stone walls, several watchtower, gates and a donjon.The castle was expanded further under Tanaka Yoshimasa, rulers of Sunpu Castle under Toyotomi Hideyoshi.


 

Following the establlishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, the castle became the headquarters of Nishio Domain, which changed hands many times during the Edo period. 

It was dismantled in 1872, following the Meiji Restoration. The current structures include a large watch tower and gate, reconstructed in 1996 to boost local tourism along with a local history museum.

Marugame Castle

It is also known as Kameyama Castle, is a hilltop castle in Marugame City.

It has a commanding view of the city below and overlooks one of the narrowest parts of the Seto Inland Sea. Marugame Castle is one of only twelve castles remaining in Japan that have survived the post feudal ages (since 1868) with their keep buildings intact.

It was originally constructed from 1597 to 1602 by Ikoma Chikamasa, the feudal lord who also built Tamamo Castle in nearby Takamatsu.


However, due to a new policy by the shogun that limited the number of castles per province to just one, The Castle was abandoned again just 13 years after its completion. The castle was rebuilt in 1660 after the province had been split into two. 

Over the centuries many of the castle buildings were destroyed by fires, and now only the original keep and several of the castle gates remain.

Kinugawa Hot Springs

It is one of the popular hot spring destinations near Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture, Kanto region. The clear, mild waters that flow from the area's hot springs have been in use since the Edo Period (1603-1867), and can be experienced at Kinugawa Hot Spring's ryokan and public baths.

Most visitors overnight at one of the largest hotel ryokan overlooking the Kinugawa River. Each of the ryokan has its own baths, some of which are open to non-staying guests during daytime.

Additionally, there are several public baths that are open to anybody. A few free foot baths are also available around Kinugawa Hot Springs. 

Ameyoko

Ameyoko is a busy market street along the Yamanote Line between Okachimachi and Ueno Stations.The name Ameyoko is a short form for Ameya Yokocho (candy store alley), as candies were traditionally sold there.  

Alternatively, Ame also stands for America, because lots of American items used to be sold there when the street was the place of a black market after World War Two.

Today, various products such as clothes, bags, cosmetics, fresh fish, dried food and spices are sold along Ameyoko.

Opening hours and closing days depend on individual stores, but stores typically open around 10:00 and close around 19:00.

Gunkanjima

 Gunkanjima is a small island situated about 20 kilometers from Nagasaki Port in Kyushu region. Until 1974, the island served as a coal mine, and more than 5,000 residents called the 480 meter long, 150 meter wide island home, resulting in the highest population density in history recorded worldwide.

 To accommodate lots of people in such a small area, every piece of land was built up so that the island came to resemble a massive battleship. In fact, "Gunkanjima" is a nickname that means "battleship island" in Japanese. The island's formal name is Hashima.

In 2009, a newly constructed boat dock was constructed to make it possible for sightseeing tour boats to land on Gunkanjima. Tour participants are taken to three observation decks in a small part on the southern end of the island and spend about 45 minutes on the island with Japanese speaking tour guides. Tour participants are not allowed to get too close to the buildings because of the risk of collapse.

The boat ride between Nagasaki and Gunkanjima is also interesting. Boats take about 50 minutes one way, and pass large Mitsubishi ship building factories and other islands along the way. The ride also allows for some nice views of the city of Nagasaki and its port from the boat.

Oya Temple

It is a Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect in the city of Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture. 

According to legend, the temple was established by Kukai, the founder of the Shingon sect, in 810, The temple was reconstructed during 1615 to 1624.  

The temple is built into the surrounding tuff rock and features a carved figure of the Bodhisattva Kannon with a thousand arms with a surrounding altar. 

 
Nearby park features a massive statue of Kannon Bodhisattva, called the Kannon of Peace carved after World War II.