Kenrokuen garden

Kenrokuen in Kanazawa is classified as one of Japan's three most beautiful landscape gardens along with Kairakuen in Mito and Korakuen in Okayama. 

The spacious grounds used to be the outer garden of Kanazawa Castle and were constructed by the ruling Maeda clan over a period of nearly two centuries. It was opened to the public in 1871, it features a variety of flowering trees which provide the garden with a different look for each season.

The name Kenrokuen literally means Garden of the Six Sublimities, meaning spaciousness, seclusion, artificiality, antiquity, abundant water and broad views, which according to Chinese landscape theory are the six essential attributes that make up a perfect garden.


See the detail as below.
Kenrokuen

Hirosaki Castle

The castle was built in 1611 by the Tsugaru Clan. A three-story castle tower, fortified moats, castle gates and some watchtowers survive or were reconstructed.

  
The castle is located in Hirosaki Park, a spacious public park of about 0.6 square kilometers. The park is one of Japan's best cherry blossom spots. In spring, lots of tourists visit the park to enjouy cherry blossom viewing. 

The castle's original five-story keep burnt down in 1627 after being struck by lightning. Rebuilt in 1810, the present three-story keep is the only one in the Tohoku Region that was not rebuilt in the modern times.　　

Nangoku Hotel in Chiba

General info:
Address:2544-1 Shirahama  Shirahamacho Minamiboso City Chiba Prefecture
TEL:0470-38-5759
Website (Japanese only)
Access:30 minutes by bus from JR Tateyama Sta / 30 minutes by car from Tomiura IC

The hotel offers hot spring and other attractive facilities such as penny arcade, free table tennis and free Karaoke. The hotel itself is aging, but accommodation fees are reasonable.  

The hotel is close to Nojimazaki Lighthouse, which is located at the southern tip of the Boso Peninsula.

Some of the rooms ofter the view of the lighthouse. It is situated about five minutes walk from the hotel.

Check-out time is noon, which is very user-friendly. 

Daio Wasabi Farm

This wasabi farm is located in Azumino, Nagano Prefecture.It is one of the popular tourist spots due to its beautiful watermills and for the river that runs through it.   

A restaurant offers wasabi-flavoured ice cream and other wasabi-themed products.

Outside of Japan, the site is best known for its appearance in the 1990 film Dreams by world famous director Akira Kurosawa in the segment called "Village of the Watermills". 

Yoshida Castle

It is located in Toyohashi city, southeastern Aichi Prefecture. At the end of the Edo period, Yoshida Castle was home to the Inaba clan, feudal lord of Tateyama Domain. It was also known as Imahashi Castle and later as Toyohashi Castle.

The castle is a flat-land style, built on the west bank of the Toyogawa (river). The main bailey was enclosed by a moat, with three three-story watchtower, one two-story watchtower and three gates. 

The second and third baileys were also moated, and had smaller watchtower and fortified gates. Aside from some remnants of the stonework on the moats, nothing remains of the original structures.

Takayama Jinya

It is a former government outpost that was established in order to bring the Hida Province under the direct control of the Edo Shogunate. 

It was established in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture.

 

 The grounds and building are open to the public for a fee, and there is lots of information about the history of the building during the Edo Period displayed inside. It's recommended. 

There is a farmer's market held every morning in front of Takayama Jinya, along with a farmer's market held on the banks of the Miya River.

Iwasaki Castle

It is a hill castle, located in Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture. It was built during the Sengoku period in Owari Province and was a support castle to Shobata Castle.

It is now situated in a two-hectare park. Parts of the castle lie in ruins, including the remains of a well and a watchtower which were discovered during archeological digs. 

The keep, or tenshu, was rebuilt in 1987 out of concrete and holds a museum about the history of the castle.