SEARCH RESULTS: 2024
Sanko Inari Shrine
At the base of Inuyama Castle sits the Sankyo Inari Shrine. Built in the 1500’s, the shrine is said to bring fortune in romance, peaceful households and harmonious marriages and is a destination for many seeking luck in matchmaking. Amulets and charms in the shape of hearts can be seen throughout the grounds along with long rows of tori gates—making the shrine a popular location for photographers. While the shrine specializes in love, it is dedicated to the guardian deity of Inuyama castle. Additionally, there is a legend of a wish-granting stone here. It is said that if the stone is easy to lift, your dreams will be realized with […]
La Collina Omi-Hachiman
This confectionery shop is part nature preserve and part theme park. The flagship store of the Taneya Group, the shop is surrounded by nature and serves up a wide variety of popular seasonal confections. As a bakery, the owners developed a deep appreciation for natural ingredients and thus decided to turn their shop into a nature preserve where they could grow their own ingredients and be in tune with the seasons. With its grass-covered roof, the shop has been described as Ghibli-like in appearance and is a great location for photography lovers. Of course, the desserts are not to be missed either. La Collina is best known for its baumkuchen, […]
Omi-Hachiman
On the shores of Lake Biwa sits the picturesque town of Omi-Hachiman. Once a thriving merchant town on the Nakasendo Road, the city still retains much of its Edo-Era charms. The city first developed during the Warring States period (1467-1603) after the construction of Hachiman castle. Later, the Hachiman-bori canal system and its central location propelled the town into a transportation hub. Today, visitors can take a cruise through the merchant town and see the Edo-Era constructions just as they would have looked some 400 years ago. The town is particularly beautiful in spring as the cherry blossoms frame the bridges and canals throughout the city. Movie lovers may find […]
Uraku-en Garden and Joan Tea House
Inuyama is most known for Inuyama Castle, the oldest original castle in Japan and a National Treasure. However, Inuyama boasts a second national treasure at Uraku-en. The garden grounds are a sight to behold on their own, but the truly unique feature is the 400-year-old Joan tea house designed by the master of tea ceremony Oda Uraku. Considered a masterpiece of early Edo-period architecture and one of only three tea houses to be designated the status of “National Treasure,” the tea house features a fusuma (sliding paper door) covered in an old lunar calendar, windows with bamboo sun shades, and an unusually placed entry. It is said that the entire […]
Koka Ninja House
The Koka Ninja House, is an authentic ninja house built during the Edo era and the only remaining house available to the public where ninja lived. It was the residence of the Mochizuki family, a family of ninjas, and as such, contains many tricks, traps, and secret escape paths for you to explore. Built over 300 years ago in the Koka countryside, the Ninja House offers visitors a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in what life must have been like for a Koka Ninja. Visitors to the house can also view a collection of ninja weapons, tools, and artifacts. Want to experience Nagoya’s unique culture for yourself? Based in Central […]
Noritake Garden
Famed throughout Japan and around the world as Japan’s premier manufacturer of porcelain and china tableware, Noritake originated in Nagoya over 100 years ago and maintains an impressive museum and gallery in Nagoya called Noritake Garden. The 34,000 square-meter garden is divided into three zones—the Culture Zone, the Commercial Zone, and the Historical Zone—all of which are surrounded by beautifully manicured landscaping and lush greenery. All buildings on the grounds are wheelchair accessible. The garden houses a gallery, shop, craft center, and several restaurants allowing visitors the opportunity to dine on Noritake chinaware, shop for their own collection, or simply soak up the scenery of the garden. In the craft […]
Midland Square and Outdoor Observation Deck Sky Promenade
At 247 meters, Midland Square is Nagoya’s tallest building. The shimmering skyscraper offers visitors high-end shopping, a cinema, a Toyota Automobile Showroom, and an underground pedestrian network that connects to the city. Situated on the top floors is the Sky Promenade—the highest outdoor observatory in Central Japan. This semi-open-air observation deck allows you a stunning 360-degree view of the city. If you visit the Sky Promenade with one of our guides on a tour of Nagoya, they will happily point out all the city’s landmarks as well as more distant locations. Additionally, there is a BBQ terrace on the Sky Promenade, allowing visitors to grill steak, sausages, chicken, and even […]
Nagoya Culture Path
The Nagoya Culture Path is an area rich in well-preserved historical estates from some of Nagoya’s wealthiest residents from the Meiji Era through the early Showa Era (1868 -1930). Once home to middle and lower-class samurai, the area between Nagoya Castle and Tokugawa Garden transitioned into a neighborhood popular with entrepreneurs, missionaries, journalists, and artists as the country transitioned away from its feudal past. Many of the residences remain today and are now considered designated cultural properties. The neighborhood serves as a concentrated area of architectural marvels and a living museum of Japan’s path to modernization. Today, visitors can enter the well-preserved homes and stroll the gardens of several of […]
Naegi Castle Ruins
Naegi Castle was constructed over 400 years ago and sits 432 meters above the beautiful Kiso River in Gifu Prefecture. Like many castles throughout Japan, Naegi castle was dismantled in 1871 during the Meiji Era as a symbol of the end of the feudal system of government. Today, all that remains are the impressive stone foundations atop Mt. Takamori. Though little more than ruins remain of this impressive structure, the natural and man made foundation stones combine to give these castle ruins a truly unique and impressive appearance, earning Naegi Castle the nickname of “the Machu Picchu of the East.” Naegi Castle was rare in that during the approximately 260 […]