Japan has a multitude of things to attract tourists, so this is my 3rd edition of 30 things Sensei wants to do in Japan.
30 Things Sensei Wants to Do in Japan #3
- How can I forget about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios Japan? Can’t wait to visit Hogsmeade (the village where Hogwarts students run amok on weekends) and Hogwarts Castle (where portraits talk to one another in Japanese)!
- I will like to undertake the Shimanami Kaido Cycling tour because it’s a fun way to travel all the way from Imabari, Ehime to Onomichi, Hiroshima. Along the way, I look forward to visiting six islands, namely Oshima, Hakata, Omishima, Ikuchi, Innoshima and Mukoujima to luxuriate in the rustic vibes.
- Karuizawa is a popular summer retreat for the Japanese. When I make my way there, I will love to visit the former Mikasa Hotel, which was a Western-style, wood-based villa entirely built by Japanese craftsmen in 1906. It would be fun to see the extent to which these craftsmen faithfully replicated the Western style of architecture.
- Have a winter wonderland, Asian style. Otaru Canal in Hokkaido still preserves brick warehouses left over from its glorious days as a thriving port city. With lamps casting their magic on the snow adorning the streets, I should be able to make priceless memories.
- The Yamazaki single-malt whiskey has won accolades for its exquisite taste. So I will like to visit the distillery and the Yamazaki Whiskey Museum at the foot of Mt. Tennozan in southwestern Kyoto. It is where the Katsura, Uji and Kizu rivers converge and one of Japan’s softest waters can be found. It has been recognised by the Ministry of Environment as one of Japan’s one hundred best natural mineral waters! Coupled with the humid climate, it has all the right ingredients for whisky maturation!
- Inujima Island used to be a prosperous site for copper refining, so visiting the Inujima Seirensho Art Museum (repurposed from the copper refinery) will be a unique experience. This museum showcases a thought-provoking contemporary art work by Yukinori Yanagi.
- Japan tracks everything; there is even the 100 Soundscapes of Japan. One soundscape ranked on this list is the sound of numerous bells attached to about 100 horses as they trot along a parade. That’s why the festival is known as Chagu Chagu Horse Festival, which refers to the onomatopoeia made by these bells. Kumamoto also has a Drunken Horse Festival, so it will be interesting to compare the similarities and differences between these two festivals as I watch these colourful decorated horses journey from Takizaka City to Morioka City.
- Will be fun to see the 2000 snowmen displayed during the Yukidaruma Festival at Shiramine Town in Hakusan, Ishikawa. At night, candles will be lit near these snowmen to evoke a magical atmosphere.
- Niigata is known for sake breweries, so I want to be overwhelmed by 100 kinds of sake on sale at Ponshukan. What’s more, accessibility is easy because it is found inside Echigo-Yuzawa Statioj. I can even enjoy a hot dip at a sake onsen right next door!
- I have always appreciated Kanazawa for its appealing aesthetic sensibilities, and it seems that Ishikawa Prefectural Library will be yet another reason for me to pay a repeat visit. The library dazzles your sight with the massive circular atrium, reminiscent of the Colosseum in Rome. As a nod to its traditions, each of its four areas showcases a design based on the five distinctive colours used in its traditional Kaga Yuzen dyeing.
- Tadao Ando is a renowned architect. I have enjoyed his architectural works - the Benesse House Museum and Chichu Art Museum - when I visited Naoshima Island in Kagawa. Knowing that he has contributed to the design of Kumamoto Children’s Book Forest has piqued my curiosity. He sensitively leverages local materials like hinoki cypress, imbuing the library with a cosy, heartwarming feel.
- I’m a great fan of asari miso soup (shellfish soup), but it seems that it is really hard to find it in Japan these days. That’s why I want to visit Drive-in Michishio in Yamaguchi because it is famous for its shellfish soup.
- I don’t drive, but my wife does. So, we can rent a car and drive through Fuji Safari Park. Great way to observe lions, bears, cheetahs and tigers in their simulated natural habitat. Safety is not compromised as gates are installed between different areas of the park to keep the animals away from one another.
- I lived in Kumamoto City for two years. One thing I regret not observing is the Yamaga Lantern Festival held in Yamaga City every summer. Kumamoto ladies are reputed to be stylish, so it would be fun to watch them showcase their elegant selves. They dress up in kimonos and dance along the street, with exquisite lanterns on their heads.
- People in Kumamoto eat basashi (horse sashimi), but this is unlikely to happen in Iwate, where horses used in agriculture are revered. So much so that there is a festival called Chagu Chagu Umakko Festival to pray for the good health of these hardworking beasts. Small children mount on these horses’ backs adorned with vibrant harnesses and bells and parade from Takizawa to Morioka. It will be an interesting sight to say the least.
- For a refreshing change of cognitive scenery, I would like to visit the Bitcoin mining site in Gunma, Japan that is operated by Agile Energy X, a subsidiary of TEPCO Power Grid. Since this site is awaiting a grid update currently, it leverages 50 kW of solar energy that would have otherwise gone to waste to mine Bitcoin, serving as a testimony with regard to how Bitcoin mining need not be environmentally damaging. Another nod to sustainability is its highly modular and scalable format, which means that this mine can be transferred to another location after the grid has been updated completely.
- Visit Nakasu, the street where sleep doesn’t exist, in September. Its streets are said to transform into stages featuring live jazz music events, so it will be quite a lively experience.
- Itoshima is a 30-minute drive from Fukuoka City, and you will be rewarded with spectacular sea views. But what I’m most keen on is the oyster huts that only open for business from November to March. I want to try Itoshima’s fresh delicious oysters!
- Visiting the UCC Coffee Museum in Kobe could be fun since I am a compulsive coffee drinker. Looking forward to savouring the taste and aroma of various coffees at the tasting corner.
- I am a great fan of unagi and has happily tucked into unagi rice at Yanagawa, Fukuoka (a place famous for unagi). It seems that Jinen restaurant in Osaka offers a tantalising unagi sushi topped with rich butter. Just typing this whets my appetite.
- I enjoy photography and have visited the Tottori Sand Dunes. So, I’m intrigued by Shoji Ueda Museum of Photography in Tottori. This photographer is said to be famous for his unconventional works featuring the Tottori Sand Dunes as a backdrop.
- I love Yayoi Kusama’s quirky and peculiar art. In fact, I visited Naoshima to partake in her eye-catching polka-dotted pumpkin. Knowing that Matsumoto City Museum of Art houses some of her artistic masterpieces is enough to lure me in.
- Tottori is also famed for its 20,000 wild fireflies of Fukumaki. They decorate the mountainside forest with an ethereal beauty during summer.
- Starbucks outlets are commonly found all over the world, but surely not many stores are built inside a 100-year-old traditional Japanese townhouse, with green noren curtains adorning the entrance. Ninenzaka, a street leading to Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto, is home to one such Starbucks outlet. It should be an eye-opening experience.
- Kyoto also houses the Kanji Museum. As someone of Chinese descent, of course I’m enthusiastic to learn about how Chinese characters were adopted and adapted in the Japanese writing system.
- Forest bathing is a cherished practise for the Japanese, and there’s no better way to be at one with nature than visiting Koyasan. This towering mountain boasts 117 temples, among which 53 of them are open for lodging at night. It will be interesting to be up close with abbots and monks who quietly go about their ways, serving the norms of the temple. I’m sure that I will feel rejuvenated after eating vegetarian cuisine and honing my spirituality.
- The best things in life are free - and in Tokyo, there are as many as four loop buses that enable travellers to explore it for free. For example, the Marunouchi Shuttle covers the bustling areas around Tokyo Station, whereas the Tokyo Bay Shuttle takes travellers on a journey around the Odaiba district’s attractions.
- Gokayama boasts two famous villages, Ainokura and Suganuma, which provides a visual feast due to their gassho-style (thatched-roof) houses. The villages become particularly picturesque during winter, when the roofs become enveloped with snow.
- Tendo in Yamagata produces more than Japan’s shogi (Japanese chess) pieces. Not interested in shogi, but during its cherry blossom festival every April, it organises a Human Shogi event. Men and women will wear armoured gear and chambermaid costumes respectively and move on a giant shogi board according to the direction of professional shogi players!
- Chiba is home to Disneyland. No doubt, I want to visit Disneyland, but when my children grow older, I can imagine taking them to the Kasori Shell Mound, which houses one of Japan’s largest shell mound sites from the Jomon period. I anticipate being fascinated by the doughnut-shaped and horse hoof-shaped shell mounds.