First timer’s dilemma

 First time and not sure where to go?

Must you will have to decide which region as there are really a lot to share across the 9 regions, 47 prefectures. 

if you are near Nagoya, go to Gifu ,  hida furakawa, shiragawa-go.  

Edo themed is usually commercialise,  you can visit toei movie village in Kyoto. 

In Kyoto, there are a lot of known and unknown areas to explore especially outskirt ones nearer to the mountains. 

Mt koya,  Shoshazan good places to explore the untouched temples in the mountains.  Mt Rokko is the other one. 

But if you in Nagoya, go to Meiji mura then.

It’s preserved buildings and culture, even items , uniform etc are Meiji era . 

Karuizawa is another one to explore walking around the whole central and more to explore into the outskirts. 

Nikko known for its beauty within nature , temples and onsen. 

Toyama another than the alpine route, it has one of the beautiful waterfalls. 

Hiroshima has sandankyo gorge is beautiful but check the bus ride in as it’s 1 way in once only in the morning and 1 way out in the afternoon.  Taxi fare is high as very far. 

Iwakuni best known for the bridge Kintaikyo but it has a beautiful mountain and historic royal site and museums , nature to explore. 

My advise is keep to 1 region and explore wholesomely as there are many unknown to tourists but they are really beautiful places.

Gunkanjima in Nagasaki

Other than the popular atomic bomb sites in Nagasaki ,  this is getting known - battleship island or called gunkanjima, originally is called Hashima island.  The island looked like a battle ship from far. 

Need to take guided tour as is a ruin of a mining industry from late 1890 up to WWII.

The interesting thing is it was able to draw sea water and filter to be drinking water then in 1895, more than 220 years ago.  There are more technologies and equipments used that are so advanced. 

There were public facilities like post office, elementary and junior high schools, a movie theatre, a billiard hall, a ping-pong hall, a board game place, a mahjong hall, and other entertainment facilities. There was also a bar.

Credit: Picture from google 

But as Nagasaki gov didn’t plan to maintain or renovate the island, it’s slowly becoming dangerously potential collapsing buildings with the strong sea current .  

They have started to seal off some areas for falling debris from the buildings.  

Might totally banned entry in years to come.

Somewhere interesting in Tokyo and Kansai

 Just a list for anyone who wants not so touristy places:

Kansai :

Spain village in mie,  near Kyoto

Toei movie theme park, Kyoto 

Meiji village,  Gifu

Haiyukan aquarium , osaka

Kobe , Hyogo,  near osaka

Mt Rokko

Astro boy museum ,  Hyogo

Himeji castle

Himeji turtle rescue centre

In Tokyo metropolis and surrounding :

Ikebukuro Sun Plaza 

Gyoza museum

Yokohama cup noodle museum

Ramen museum

Yokohama port 

Odaiba 

Museums

Diver city Gundam 

Factory outlet 

Hakkeijima

Aquarium 

Theme park 

Ghibli museum

Mitaka

Inokashira park and zoo

Kichijoji

Where to go in Hiroshima

 Kure Yamato museum 

Miyajima - torii, aquarium , walk deeper into the island, there are many heritage temples , rope cable up mountain.  Food , buskers , deers 

Iwakuni - heritage Royal graveyard , white snake museum,  rope cable up to mountain, old street,  summer festival and food store along the river 

Rabbit island - Ōkunoshima

Kintaigyo 

Sandankyo

Onomichi

A dome, peace park, peace memorial museum

Tomonoura

Okonomiyaki Mura

Hiroshima castle

Knowing Tokyo in summary

 Within Tokyo 

Traditional Asakusa , asakusabashi, Ueno, kawagoe 

Mixed modern 

Harajuku , Meiji shrine, Omotesando , ameyoko

Neighbourhood 

Mitaka, kichijoji , Ikebukuro , Kawasaki 

High end shopping

Ginza , Roppongi 

Reclaimed land ( full of activities) 

Odaiba

Hakkeijima 

Night active area/ shopping area 

Shibuya 

Shinjuku , kabukichio

Outskirt of Tokyo 

Traditional 

Kamakura 

Nikko

Narita

Hitachi

Modern

Yokohama 

Omiya

Waterfalls, nature and into the past recommendations

 Non tourism area across the 9 regions, 47 prefectures. 

if you are near Nagoya, go to Gifu ,  hida furakawa, shiragawa-go.  

Edo themed is usually commercialise,  you can visit toei movie village in Kyoto. 

In Kyoto, there are a lot of known and unknown areas to explore especially outskirt ones nearer to the mountains. 

Mt koya,  Shoshazan good places to explore the untouched temples in the mountains.  Mt Rokko is the other one. 

But if you in Nagoya, go to Meiji mura then.

It’s preserved buildings and culture, even items , uniform etc are Meiji era . 

Karuizawa is another one to explore walking around the whole central and more to explore into the outskirts. 

Nikko known for its beauty within nature , temples and onsen. 

Toyama another than the alpine route, it has one of the beautiful waterfalls. 

Hiroshima has sandankyo gorge is beautiful but check the bus ride in as it’s 1 way in once only in the morning and 1 way out in the afternoon.  Taxi fare is high as very far. 

Iwakuni best known for the bridge Kintaikyo but it has a beautiful mountain and historic royal site and museums , nature to explore. 

My advise is keep to 1 region and explore wholesomely as there are many unknown to tourists but they are really beautiful places.

What to do around Hiroshima region

 Hiroshima is a very huge and beautiful place to visit.  Many people just go to A bomb and peace park.  Museums are gem !  Hiroshima castle too.

Islands linked to WWII,  the rabbit island and the island where chemical warfare researches were done which are safe to visit. 

Yamato museum in Kure being the best marine design and technology then.  

Not only that , there’s isle islands which are breathtaking. 

City of Hiroshima,  Kure, outskirt to Iwakuni, Onomichi 

There are really heritage and yet not even tourism related,  100 years historic town - Tomonoura. ( need to bring drink and snacks as it’s totally a town left in the past )

Not to mention Miyajima that is not only the heritage coastal, low tide torii, it has aquarium,  cable to visit the mountains and then many other heritage temples that are out of tourism territory!

Iwakuni other than Kintaigyo, has a huge area of many interesting places like royal burial site, the white snake museum , the cable up the beautiful mountain etc etc.

Food: okonomiyaki,  oysters during year end,  yakisoba,  maple cake .

If you have time, explore  Yamaguchi, Okayama,  shimane, totorii too. They are the forgotten places yet they have really beautiful garden,  places of interests too.  

In Okayama,  kurashiki (water village). Walking distant from Okayama jr station, you walk pass the old shopping street before reaching Kurashiki . Very interesting history and different food and shops too.