Immerse Yourself In The Legacy of Japan’s Master Painters Amid Breathtaking Coastal Beauty [Ibaraki : Tenshin Memorial Museum of Art, Ibaraki]
This museum honours the achievements of artists connected to Izura (五浦), such as Okakura Tenshin (岡倉天心) and Yokoyama Taikan (横山大観), while also allowing visitors to appreciate their remarkable works. From the Observation Lobby and cafeteria, you can take your time to admire the Izura Coast, a scenic spot that is one of the prefecture’s best, with its series of small and large inlets and beautiful pine forests.
Location: Tsubaki 2083, Otsu-machi, Kitaibaraki City, Ibaraki
Website: tenshin.museum.ibk.ed.jp
A panoramic view of the vast kanto plain! [Tochigi : Izuruhara Benten-ike Pond and Isoyama Benzaiten]
The highlight here is the Izuruhara Benten-pond (出流原弁天池), a clear pond fed by some of Japan’s most famous spring water. In the nearby shop, you can enjoy Sanos’s famous imo fry (fried potatoes) and old-fashioned cream soda. If you climb the approximately 130 steps to the main hall of the nearby Isoyama Benzaiten (磯山弁財天), you can take in the peaceful scenery of the Kanto (関東) Plain.
Location: Izuruhara-cho 1117, Sano City, Tochigi
Website: Tochigi Travel Net : tochigiji.or.jp/spot/s9779/
A highland lake with a cluster of wildflowers [Gunma : Nozori-ko Lake]
Nozori-ko (野反湖) Lake is a man-made lake at an altitude of 1,513m, surrounded by mountains of the 2,000m class in the north-west of the prefecture. With an atmosphere reminiscent of the Swiss highlands, it is a habitat for wildflowers where you can enjoy magnificent views while hiking or camping. You can also visit Chatsubomigoke (チャツボミゴケ) Park and Oizumi (大泉) Falls in the same town of Nakanojo (中之条町).
Location: Iriyama Kokuyurin 223 Rinhan, Nakanojo-machi, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma
Website: Gunma Tourism Guide: gunma-kanko.jp/spots/429
The original landscape of Japan seen from a secluded mountain village [Saitama : Terasaka Rice Terraces]
Located in the west of the prefecture, these are some of the largest rice terraces in Saitama, spanning about 40,000㎡. With a backdrop of mountains centred around Mount Buko (武甲), you can enjoy the rural scenery throughout the seasons, from rice planting in early summer to golden rice ears and bright red cluster amaryllis in early autumn. The photo shows the Hotaru Kagari-bi (ホタルかがり火) Festival in early July.
Location: Yokoze Terasaka, Yokoze-machi, Chichibu-gun, Saitama
Contact: Yokoze Town Tourism Association (横瀬町観光協会)
Website: yokoze.org/tanada/
Truly like a painting! [Chiba : Kanozan Kujukutani Observation Park]
The view of the mountain ranges of the Kazusa (上総) Hills, including Mount Takago (高宕), is collectively known as Kujukutani (九十九谷). In his travelogue Kanozan (鹿野山), the modern essayist Omachi Keigetsu (大町桂月) highly praised the view of the Kujukutani. The Japanese painter Higashiyama Kaii (東山魁夷) ‘s work, Zansho (残照), was based on this very view.
Location: Kanozan Higashi-amagaya 119-1, Kimitsu City, Chiba
Contact: Kimitsu City Economic Promotion Division (君津市経済振興課)
Website: city.kimitsu.lg.jp/site/kanko/2230.html
A serene and magnificent view you won’t believe is in Tokyo! [Tokyo : Hachijo-Fuji Fureai Farm]
Located on the slopes of Hachijo-fuji (八丈富士) on Hachijo Island, this farm offers a truly extraordinary view, with a vast horizon in the distance and cows grazing peacefully nearby. From the observation deck at the end of the promenade, you can see the entire island. The central photo shows the Osato Tamaishigaki (大里の玉石垣), a stone wall that is all that remains of the camp that was once the political centre of Hachijo Island.
Location: Okago 5627-1, Hachijo Island, Hachijo Town, Tokyo
Contact: Hachijo Town (八丈町)
Website: town.hachijo.tokyo.jp
A factory nightscape lit up in a myriad of colours, like a city that never sleeps! [Kanagawa : Chidori-bashi Bridge]
Chidori-bashi (千鳥橋) Bridge is considered the gateway to the ‘factory nightscape’ of Kawasaki (川崎). From the direction of Kawasaki Station, you can see the factory nightscapes of Mizue-cho (水江町) and Chidori-cho on the right, across the Chidori Canal; Haneda (羽田) Airport on the left; the Yako (夜光) factory district in front; and a residential area behind you. The illumination of the factories and the lights reflecting on the water create a magnificent view unique to this industrial area!
Location: Chidori-cho, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa
Contact: Kawasaki City Tourism Association (川崎市観光協会)
Website: k-kankou.jp/industrial_night/
This article is a reproduction from the August/September 2024 issue of WARAKU magazine.
This article is translated from https://intojapanwaraku.com/travel/247441/
