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Nature
Ski slopes perfect for beginners, experts, and everyone in between. Featuring comfortable facilities like restaurants, hot spring baths, and slopes for children.
These remarkably shaped rocks, tunnels, and caves carved out by the choppy waters of the Sea of Japan extend across some 6 km of the coast. Enjoy an hour-long pleasure cruise departing from Wakasa Fisherman's Wharf for a refreshing yet breathtaking time.
Consisting of five lakes, the water and depths of each of them vary, making each a different shade of blue. The Rainbow Line (toll road) to the mountaintop park offers fantastic views of the dynamic scenery.
Carved out by the rough wavves of the Sea of Japan, this 1.5 km stretch of coastline features breathtaking views that led to its being nationally designated as both a place of scenic beauty and a natural monument, as well as magnificent sunsets worthy of recognition as one of Japan's 100 most beautiful sunsets.
Hatenashi Settlement is located along Kohechi Route, which is one of the pilgrimage routes to Kumano. These routes were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage as part of the “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range”. It is also called ‘The Sky Village’ due to its high altitude location and has spectacular views of the Hatenashi Mountain Range. Hatenashi Settlement is chosen one of Japan’s top 100 villages. Visitors enjoy these views not only on clear days but also in mist and clouds on rainy days.
Mitarai Gorge is surrounded by beautiful trees and renowned for its scenic beauty created by large rocks and gushing waterfalls. The streams flow with emerald-green crystal clear water. Visitors enjoy seasonal vistas, from fresh greenery in spring to colorful red leaves in autumn.
Mt Yoshinoyama is regarded as Japan’s best cherry-blossom sight. It has about 30,000 cherry trees, mainly of the Shiroyamazakura variety. The trees burst into bloom from early to mid-April. Mt Yoshinoyama has long been worshipped as a sacred mountain and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site named the “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range”.
The history of Gojo Shinmachi went back to roughly 400 years ago, shortly after the Edo Bakufu was established following the Battle of Sekigahara. The Shimmachi Street retains historical buildings from the Edo period including the oldest existing private residence. Their architectural styles vary from each period. The area was designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
Soni Haighland is a grassland covered with Japanese pampas grass.The grass is burned in middle of March every year,and the area becomes like a large fresh-green carpet from spring to summer. Sivery and golden Jananese pampas grass glows reflecting sunlight in autumn,and a number of tourists visit this place every year. It is well-known for the most beautuful sunset in Japan.
Asuka Village is located in Inabuch District and a popular destination, selected one of the top 100 Japanese rice terraces and the top 100 beautiful Japanese villages. In mid-September, red spider lilies called ‘Higanbana’ or “Manjusage” in Japanese, blossom along the paddy fields and the river banks. These strikingly red flowers with mystical shapes attract visitors. Its highlight is a nostalgic view through the contrast between the green rice fields and the bright red lilies and the undulating contours of terraced paddy fields.
Mt Miune is part of the Murou Akane Aoyama Quasi- National Park. Freezing fog can be seen in mid-winter, between January and February. That is one of the few places in the Kansai region. The summit of Mt Miune, at 1,235m above sea level, and the plateau called “Hachodaira” command a spectacular view. It trekking trail is about 10km long round trip and takes about 4 hours. Winter trekking gears such as crampons are needed in winter.
Nara Park extends 4km east to west and 2km north to south. The vast urban park covers the eastern part of Nara City, including the grounds of Todaiji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Kohfukuji Temple, as well as the primeval forest of Kasuga Okuyama protected as a sanctuary of Kasuga Taisha Shrine. The park provides beautiful lawns, pine groves over 100 years old, and approximately 1,100 wild dear roaming freely.
Tottori Prefectural Flower Park
Location:
Nanbu (Town),Tottori Prefecture
Set with a view of the majestic mountain Daisen, this is the largest flower park in western Japan. A covered walkway reaches for one kilometer all the way around the park. Visitors can therefore enjoy flowers in each of the four seasons regardless of the weather.
Backed by broad stretches of beech forest, the mountain Daisen still has untouched tracts of nature containing colonies of wild birds and vegetation. The area is very popular as a place for peaceful and relaxing walks in the forest, and appreciation of nature. There are many ways to enjoy your stay, including trekking, downhill cycling and leisurely cycling. Come and take a deep breath of clean mountain air.
Okumiya (Summer Shrine), of Ogamiyama-jinja Shrine
Location:
Daisen (Town),Tottori Prefecture
The mountain Daisen has been revered since olden times by mountain priests as a holy mountain inhabited by gods. The Okumiya Shrine of Ogamiyama-jinja has long been the center of worship. The majestic shrine hall stands at the end of a sacred approach of about 700 meters, paved with natural stone. At the formal summer opening of the mountain, a torch procession of 2,000 people leads off from the Okumiya.
This natural beach is an unusual formation in Japan. Oval-shaped cobblestones collecting on the beach grind against each other when pushed back and forth by the waves, emitting a soothing sound. Scenic sunsets can be enjoyed on the beach, and each of the seasons shows a unique perspective.
Nageire-do Hall of Sanbutsu-ji Temple, on Mt. Mitoku
Location:
Misasa (Town),Tottori Prefecture
En-no-Gyoja, by tradition the founder of the Shugendo school of Buddhism, was said to have used the power of Buddhism to throw the hall onto the side of Mt. Mitoku. Indeed, the hall seems to be floating on the side of a precipitous cliff. Nageire-do Hall can be reached by climbing the pilgrim’s path, a steep and difficult track passing over tree roots and boulders. However, the scenery on reaching the top is something special.
Itaibara Village
Location:
Chizu (Town),Tottori Prefecture
Itaibara Village is classified as a Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings. As if hidden within a valley of deep green cedar forests, Itaibara is a Japanese mountain village presenting a scene that appears just as it would have in days long past, with groups of old thatched-roof houses, branch schools, shrines, small mill houses working with the flowing river water, charcoal huts, and more.
Fudoin Iwaya-do is a butai-zukuri (balcony-type) construction built into a natural cave. It is renowned as a temple of the Shugendo school of Buddhism, and listed as a National Important Cultural Property. The Main Hall holds a statue of the Buddhist divinity Fudo Myo-o, said to have been carved by Kobo Daishi at the age of 33 years. The statue is regarded as one of Three Great Fudo Myo-o Images in Japan.
Jinpukaku is a white, European-style building located close to the ruins of Tottori Castle within Kyusho Park, an area renowned also for cherry blossoms. The two-story building is of wood with a tiled roof, and was designed in the French Renaissance style. The elegance of the exterior harmonizes nicely with the beauty of the Japanese-style garden. Jinpukaku is listed as a National Important Cultural Property.
Sanin Kaigan Geopark, Part of the Global Geopark Network (GGN)
Location:
Iwami (Town), Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture Shinonsen (Town), Kami (Town), Toyooka City, hyogo Prefecture Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture
A Geopark is a “Natural Park” that contains especially important, valuable or beautiful geological and geographical features. Centered on Sanin Kaigan National Park, Sanin Kaigan Geopark is a broad area stretching about 120 km east to west, and encompassing parts of the prefectures Tottori, hyogo and Kyoto. Visitors can see many valuable and beautiful geographical and geological features. These include the Tottori Sand Dunes, the largest group of coastal dunes in Japan, Genbu Cave with its basaltic jointed rock structures, the famous singing sands of Kotohiki Beach, and diverse variegated coastal landforms, rocks and rock strata.
Five million daffodils in Nadakuroiwa Daffodil Park
Location:
Minamiawaji City, hyogo Prefecture
Lovely wild daffodils bloom all over a steep slope facing the Pacific Ocean. The sight of so many yellow flowers swaying simultaneously to ocean winds is truly breathtaking. Seen only from January to February, the daffodils are a bit of natural winter poetry on Awaji Island.
Seto Inland Sea, viewed from the Ako Onsen District
Location:
Ako City, hyogo Prefecture
Ako Misaki is a richly varied and picturesque area offering views of a coastline with fantastically shaped rocks, jointed cliffs and beaches. Shodo Island and a group of islands known as Ieshima Shoto can be seen out to sea. The setting sun, throwing light over the coastline and islands, presents a wonderful and ever-popular spectacle.
Wisteria in Byakugo-ji Temple, Tanba City
Location:
Tanba City, hyogo Prefecture
Wisterias are seasonal flowers, blossoming at Byakugo-ji Temple between late April and mid-May. They create quite a spectacle as they hang down in a shower of flowers. Autumn, with its vivid fall colors, also offers wonderful scenery at this temple.
Designed by the architect Tadao Ando, Awaji Yumebutai is a charming leisure and resort facility containing hothouses, flower beds, gardens and more, all based on the theme “Flowers and Greenery.” Complete with a panorama-view restaurant, outdoor theater, resort hotel and other facilities, Yumebutai lacks nothing in terms of comfort and entertainment.
Fumin no Mori Hori-goenchi (Prefecture Nature Center, Kisenwaiwai-mura)
Location:
Sennan City, Osaka Prefecture
The Nature Center is a wood-built, apex-roof lodging facility, located within the Kongo-Ikoma-Kisen Quasi-National Park. The facility offers experience of life in the country and farming activities in earlier days, with wood-burning kitchen stoves, the living room fireplace, and the goemon-buro (a bath with a fire beneath ? the bather stands or sits on a wooden pallet in the bath), etc. Camping facilities are also available.
Mt. Kongo is visited by many hikers ? beginners and experienced. From late spring into summer, the region is enveloped in the cool freshness of new green growth. In autumn, everything is tinted with vivid autumn colors, whereas winter is the time to see trees flowering with hoarfrost. Take the Mt. Kongo Ropeway for a graceful trip through the sky to the top, and a view of Osaka Bay. Katsuragi-jinja Shrine and Tenporin-ji Temple are located at the top. The mountain is known as a place where Buddhism and Shintoism overlap, and is visited by many worshippers and Shugendo priests.
Tondabayashi City Agriculture Park, Savor Farm
Location:
Tondabayashi City, Osaka Prefecture
Savor Farm, spreading out over an extensive 20 hectares, is an agriculture park where visitors can experience and enjoy the yields of the earth throughout the year. Lovely flowers bloom all over the place in each of the four seasons, and carefully tended seasonal fruits and vegetables await your approval. Try fresh juice made from fruits picked early on that day, dine on seasonal vegetables, join a workshop for hands-on experience in various crafts, and enjoy harvest festivals and other events. Bring the entire family. There is much to do and enjoy.
Settsukyo ? Upper reaches of the Hokusetsu district
Location:
Takatsuki City, Osaka Prefecture
Each spring, some 3,000 cherry trees present a magnificent panorama of cherry blossoms. Summer offers fireflies and the chance to dip your toes in cool, clear streams, while autumn is a mellowing season with vivid autumn foliage. Walk along the hiking paths and enjoy the unique features of each of the four seasons. The Settsukyo area is also renowned for its hot springs. There are spa hotels, and spa facilities for day trippers, offering opportunities for thorough enjoyment of natural hot springs.
Iya Vine Bridge
Location:
Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture
Wild hardy kiwi vines (approximately 5 tons) are used to make this vine bridge, which is 45m long, 2m wide, and 14m above the water. In olden times, it was used as an important part of the local road in this deep valley. Nationally Designated Important Folk Cultural Asset.
Naruto Whirlpools
Location:
Naruto City, Tokushima Prefecture
The difference in sea level in the Naruto Strait when the tide ebbs and flows creates intense currents, including whirlpools that can reach up to 20 meters in diameter. One of the three big tidal currents in the world, the deafening roar of the whirlpools and the swirling spectacle is magnificent to see. The whirlpools appear for about one and a half hours before and after low and high tide every day.
Kito Cedar Log Riding Tournament (Naka)
Location:
Naka, Naka District, Tokushima Prefecture
Cedar logs cut from the forest are floated downstream in this contest that allows participants to experience a traditional skill. The Nakagawa River, so clear that sweetfish can be seen swimming on the river bottom from the bridge, is where log riders called "Tobi" ride down the river balanced on just one log. It is fun just watching the local experts perform difficult maneuvers. Practice events are held in June and July.
Mugi Oshima Island Thousand-year Coral (Mugi)
Location:
Mugi, Kaifu District, Tokushima Prefecture
In a cove of the largest uninhabited island in Tokushima, Mugi Oshima, there is a porites lutea coral that has been living for over a thousand years, estimated to be one of the largest in the world. It is 10m tall, 30m wide, and its presence is like a forest inside the ocean. Mugi Oshima island itself, surrounded by brightly colored fish and coral, is known as the Galapagos of Shikoku. See Club Noah Mugi for diving excursions.
Himegami Festival (Nakamura, Mugi)
Location:
Mugi, Kaifu District, Tokushima Prefecture
This traditional ceremony based on a tale of tragic love features a strange rock enshrined deep in Mugi Oshima, called "Himegami". Participants pray for a good catch and safety on the sea, and after prayers are offered to the 3m long, 1.5m diameter male symbol, it is put on a fishing boat and paraded to Oshima Island 7.5km off the coast. At night, the town is lively with a fireworks display.
Haha River Firefly Festival (Kaiyo)
Location:
Kaiyo, Kaifu District, Tokushima Prefecture
The lights of little fairies flutter above the clear firefly river. The lights reflect in the dark river's surface, creating a magical scene. During the Firefly Festival, ride a riverboat on the Haha River to see the fireflies up close.
Dogama is a famous place in the naturally beautiful Ichiu Gorge, location of the clear-flowing Sadamitsu River. The three giant potholes were created by erosion in the hard green schist. The potholes are called Ichinokama, Ninokama, and Sannokama, and they create a tunnel, which creates a rare sight not seen elsewhere. Prefecturally Designated Natural Monument.
Oku-Iya Double Vine Bridges
Location:
Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture
Approximately 800 years ago, the Heike clan used Mt. Tsurugi as a place to train their horses, and these vine bridges were used to travel there. Now it is a passage to the Oku-Iya Kazura Vine Bridge Campground. There are two bridges side-by-side, so they are nicknamed the "Man's Bridge and Women's Bridge", or the "Husband and Wife Bridge". Beside the Women's Bridge is a man-powered ropeway that crosses the river, called a "yaen".
Crystalline schist was worn away by the Yoshinogawa River rapids over 200 million years to create the gorge, which looks as though it was carved out of marble. Every winter, the snow-covered gorge looks even more magical than usual. Enjoy stove-equipped boats on a winter cruise.
Iya Valley Peeing Boy
Location:
Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture
In the deep, V-shaped gorge, the emerald green Iya River flows, and looking down from above is sure to make your head spin. In the autumn, the mountain is full of fall leaves from the bottom of the valley to the peaks, and visitors peek out at the sight from cars and buses. On a cliff overlooking the Iya River, a rock left from building the road sticks out, and on top of the rock, a statue of a peeing boy stands, as a physical representation of anecdotes about local children and travelers testing their courage.
Mt. Tsurugi is listed among Japan's 100 most famous mountains. Though it has a height of 1955m, there is a chairlift from the beginning of the hiking trail to the center of the hiking trail, and it is a comparatively easy mountain to climb, making it popular. On a clear day, the view from the top of the mountain can reach to Kansai, Kishu, and the Seto Inland Sea.
Sea of Clouds (Hachigo-giri in Yamashiro)
Location:
Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture
In tall mountains, the cloud sea phenomenon happens, but in the case of Yamashiro, the terrain and climate means that places where there is a river, the Hachigo-giri effect occurs. Of course, with any riverbank, in a steep mountainous area, cultivated fields reach up to the sky, but when the seasons are changing from spring to summer and again from summer to fall and winter, in periods when the temperature changes are extreme, the hachigo-giri fog rises up off the river. In the chilly morning air, climb up to the topmost parts of the mountains and experience unspeakable beauty and stillness.
The Tottori Sand Dunes are 16km from east to west, and 2.4km from north to south, in a long strip along the coast. The dunes are always changing due to the force of the wind.
Natural waves and wind carved out these picturesque cliffs that can be viewed from sea or land. The sea here is so clear that the sea floor can be seen, and it makes a wonderful sight along with the blue sky, oddly-shaped rocks, and trees that should be seen up-close.
Utsubuki Park – White-walled Storehouses and Red Roof Tiles
Location:
Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture
Mt. Utsubuki, the symbol of Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture, features Utsubuki Park its foot, with beautiful blossoming cherry trees in early April. The reflection at night of the cherry blossoms in Hagoromo Pond is wonderful. After cherry blossoms come the azaleas, which are also very beautiful. This gathering point for the city's citizens has been chosen as one of Japan's 100 famous spots for cherry blossoms, one of Japan's 100 best city parks, and one of the 100 best spots for forest therapy. Hasedera Temple, which was built during the Muromachi era, and the Edo era merchant's houses that line the Tama River, and the white-walled and black burned cedar warehouses make it a great spot for a stroll.
Mt. Daisen South Face – Kagikake Pass Observation Deck
Location:
Kofu, Hino District, Tottori Prefecture
The highest peak in the Chugoku region, National Park Mt. Daisen is a famous picturesque spot. The towering cliffs and the giant beech forests stretching below are a breathtaking sight. In particular, when the new leaves come out in May, and when the colorful autumn leaves turn in late October and early November, it is particularly beautiful. The spot is loved by travel journalist Kaoru Kanetaka and world-class nature photographer Yoshikazu Shirakawa.
Oto Matsuri
Location:
Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture
Every year, the Oto Festival is held at Kamikura Shrine on February 6. It's amazing to see the participants holding burning torches in their hands as they run down the 538 steep stone steps of the road approaching the shrine.
Kumano Kodo (Ogumo Torigoe)
Location:
Hongu, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture
The World Heritage Site, "Kumano Kodo". In ancient times, people came here to renew their spirit on this healing trail. The Kumano Kodo was also a location for imperial outings of retired emperors, and along the trail are "oji" shrines collectively called the 99 Ojis that are dedicated to the Kumano Mikogami gods. The retired emperors used to visit these ojis while traveling the long road.
Engetsu Island
Location:
Shirahama, Nishimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture
Engetsu Island is a small island with a full-moon shaped hole in the middle. The best time to view it is when the sun is setting. In summer, it's 6:30pm, and it's 4:30pm in winter, when many sightseeing visitors and locals alike gather to see the beautiful sight. In spring and autumn, there is a beautiful moment when the setting sun shines through the hole in Engetsu Island, which is particularly beautiful.
Kumano Kodo (Hyakken-gura)
Location:
Hongu, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture
The World Heritage Site, "Kumano Kodo". In ancient times, people came here to renew their spirit on this healing trail. Partway through the trail, there are spots where the peaks of the Kii Peninsula mountains can be seen. Hyakumengura is the most popular spot to view this sight.
Mt. Koya
Location:
Koya, Ito District, Wakayama Prefecture
Surrounded by eight peaks, it is as if Mt. Koya is surrounded by the petals of a lotus. Kobo Daishi (Kukai) opened the mountain as the basic training place for Shingon Buddhist secret teaching. Even today, many monks continue the teachings of Kukai, and continue to do ascetic training here. There are 52 pilgrims lodgings on the mountain, and visitors can experience the history and culture of Mt. Koya through vegetarian Buddhist cuisine or by attending a Buddhist religious service.
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