Vivian Liu's Reviews

Kazura Bridge (Fukui Prefecture)

Ikeda Town in Fukui Prefecture is surrounded by unspoiled nature and traditional rural scenery. Spanning the tree-lined Asuwa River is a rare suspension bridge made with kazura vines, measuring 44 meters (144 feet) long, 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) wide, and 12 meters (39 feet) high.

Fukui
Tourist Attractions

28 Dec 2025 See More

Very rustic, very countryside, and very thrilling. The whole bridge is woven from vines, and honestly it looks a little scary.
It sways when you walk on it, and the gaps under your feet are pretty big. If you look down, you can see the river right below, so anyone who’s nervous about that might end up with shaky legs 😅

Tsutenkaku Tower

In 1912, a 75-meter steel tower modeled after the Eiffel Tower was built atop a building inspired by the Arc de Triomphe. It is said that Nangaku Fujisawa, a Confucian scholar from the early Meiji period, named it Tsutenkaku, meaning “a tall building reaching toward heaven.” The original tower was later dismantled following a fire, but strong public demand led to the construction of the current second-generation Tsutenkaku Tower in 1956. Standing 108 meters tall, it is 33 meters higher than the original.

Tennoji, Shinsekai
Observatories

2 Nov 2021 See More

The area around here is the famous Shinsekai shopping street, packed with restaurants sporting flashy signs everywhere.

Kokyo Gaien National Garden

This park is located in the area outside the Main Gate to Japan’s Imperial Palace. At the center is the Garden Plaza, where green lawns are dotted with about 2,000 black Kuromatsu pine trees.

Tokyo Station, Nihonbashi, Marunouchi
Parks & Gardens

2 Nov 2021 See More

The Imperial Palace is usually closed to the public, so you can only take photos near the Nijubashi Bridge. The spacious garden in front is really well maintained.

Nippondaira Hotel

Nippondaira is known as one of Japan's leading tourist destinations. Nippondaira Hotel enjoys an outstanding location overlooking Suruga Bay, with the World Heritage-listed Mount Fuji directly ahead. Its predecessor, Nippondaira Kanko Hotel, opened in 1964. It was renamed Nippondaira Hotel in 1979 and completely renovated in 2012.

Shizuoka
Hotels

2 Nov 2021 See More

The huge floor-to-ceiling windows in the room offer an absolutely stunning view.

Kumano Kodo

The Kumano Kodo is a network of pilgrimage routes leading to the Kumano Sanzan, a collective name for Kumano Hongu Taisha Grand Shrine, Kumano Hayatama Taisha Grand Shrine, Kumano Nachi Taisha Grand Shrine, and Nachisan Seiganto-ji Temple. As devotion to Kumano grew, members of the Imperial family began using these routes to make pilgrimages to Kumano, and the practice eventually spread to the general public.

Wakayama
Mie
Tourist Attractions

2 Nov 2021 See More

There are lots of stone art installations along the path—probably spontaneous creations by travelers.

Sagano Bamboo Grove Trail

The delightful scenery attracted noble families and poets who built their homes in Sagano. Sagano bamboo trail spans about 400m (437 yards) from Nonomiya Shrine, via Tenryuji Temple’s north gate to Okochi Sanso cottage.

Arashiyama, Sagano, Nishiyama
Tourist Attractions

2 Nov 2021 See More

I took the sightseeing train from Kameoka Station to Sagano. Right outside the station is the peaceful bamboo grove trail, and right next to the path is the World Heritage site, Tenryu-ji Temple.