Asahikawa City Museum
The "Asahikawa City Museum" displays materials related to the history, culture, and nature of northern Hokkaido. A distinguishing feature is its rich collection of materials about the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido.
The museum also showcases the local natural environment and ecosystem, including plants, animals, geography, and climate. It's a great way to learn about the area's unique landscape and ecological features.
Takayama Festival
Takayama Festival has been carefully kept for over 300 years in Takayama City, Gifu. It includes the Sanno Festival (Spring Takayama Festival) held at Hie Shrine in April, and Hachiman Festival (Autumn Takayama Festival) at Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine. It is known as one of Japan’s Most Beautiful Festivals.
It's known as one of Japan's three most beautiful festivals, with the Sanno Festival in spring and the Hachiman Festival in autumn. Everyone, young and old, gets involved in the festivities. Lots of international tourists come too, so it's really hard to find a hotel room during the festival.
Miyama, a village for Satsuma ware
Miyama is located in a beautiful country side area with a bamboo forest trail, and has an array of Satsuma ware pottery studios, along with cafes and restaurants.
Satsuma ware is a traditional Japanese porcelain. It features colorful painted and gold-decorated patterns with a crackled glaze. These pieces used to be made for the nobility.
Koenji
Koenji, located about 6 minutes from Shinjuku Station on the Chuo Line, has always attracted people who stay current, "If you go here, you will find interesting things. There are shopping streets of various sizes stretching from north to south centered on the station, lined with a variety of stores, including cafes, general merchandise stores, and restaurants. It is also famous as a "Vintage clothing town," with a wide variety of secondhand clothing stores.
The Junjo Shopping Street might make you think it's a lively entertainment area for locals, but it's actually just a regular shopping street for eating, drinking, and having fun.
TOKYO Solamachi
With a wide variety of over 300 shops gathered in this retail complex, you can feel the liveliness of Tokyo’s shitamachi downtown.
After visiting the Skytree, you can head over to the nearby mall for shopping and some great food.
Ameyoko Shopping Street
The Ameyoko Shopping Street, affectionately known as "Ameyoko," stretches approximately 500m between JR Ueno Station and JR Okachimachi Station, with around 400 shops lining the street. It features a variety of businesses, including food and confectionery, clothing, general goods, and jewelry stores.
Right outside Ueno Station, this is a super lively shopping street. Tons of shops, great variety, and really good deals. It's a fun place to walk around and explore.
Tenjin Matsuri
Tenjin Festival is said to be one of Japan’s Three Major Festivals, held in the city of water, Osaka, in summer. It is the tradition of Osaka Tenmangu Shrine where the god of education, Sugawara no Michizane, is enshrined. A variety of rituals take place from late June for a month. Yoimiya Festival on July 24 and Hongu Shinji ritual on the 25th are the climax, viewed by 3 million domestic and foreign visitors each year.
This is a traditional cultural and arts festival in Osaka. Everyone participating is so passionate and energetic—it really rubbed off on me as a visitor!