Hiroshima Castle Sannomaru is a newly developed leisure and shopping area near Hiroshima Castle, with restaurants, souvenir shops, and cultural experiences. After visiting the castle, you can stop by to walk around, grab something to eat, and shop for unique items.
The cat café is highly recommended for cat lovers. You can observe cats with all kinds of personalities up close, and being surrounded by them is quite blissful. At feeding time, they even line up in a row to eat!
Haneda Airport (Tokyo International Airport)
Haneda is Japan’s largest airport, officially called Tokyo International Airport. Each of the three terminals has an observation deck where you can watch closely the airplanes take off and land, shopping facility, and restaurants with different cuisines.
Haneda Airport is close to central Tokyo and much more convenient to get to than Narita Airport, making it a shopping paradise for many travelers at the end of their trip. The souvenir shopping areas in the airport are seriously crowded, with so many airport-exclusive items, collaborations, and cute packaging options that it's hard to know where to look.
Interestingly, it isn't just tourists who shop here. Even Japanese people make special trips to Haneda Airport to buy exclusive souvenirs, which shows just how appealing this place is!
If you're a souvenir lover, don't underestimate how much time you'll need to shop at the airport. Most of the exclusive items are concentrated in the domestic terminals. If you want to browse leisurely and take your time choosing without rushing to board, I recommend arriving at least 3–4 hours early so you'll have enough time to explore.
Sapporo Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill
Even though located in Sapporo City with 2 million residents, Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill offers the beauty of mother nature. In spring, the hay comes out in green. In summer, lavender fields send out fragrant greetings. Fall foliage will be exquisite, and winter will spread a white snowy carpet. The majestic scenery in all four seasons is perfect for photography.
I made a special trip to see the famous statue of Dr. Clark at Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill. Dr. Clark was an American agricultural scientist and educator who came to Hokkaido in 1876 and helped establish Sapporo Agricultural College, greatly influencing the development of agricultural education in Hokkaido at the time. What left the deepest impression was his phrase, “Boys, be ambitious!” which also became a symbol of Hokkaido’s pioneering spirit. Standing at the observation hill and seeing the doctor pointing into the distance, it felt as though he was reminding people to bravely pursue their goals.
It was raining during this visit, so we missed the expansive grassland views you get on a clear day. Because of the bad weather, the sheep were resting indoors, so we didn’t get to see them grazing on the grass. I heard that on sunny days, around 200 to 300 sheep graze outside, leisurely feeding in the lush green fields. It must be a very soothing sight.
Jingisukan Anbe
A jingisukan specialty restaurant with over 70 years of history, located just across the Hayase River from JR Tono Station. Jingisukan is often closely associated with Hokkaido, but it’s also popular in Tono, Iwate Prefecture. Per-capita lamb consumption here rivals Hokkaido. Known as the originator of “Tono Jingisukan,” this is a beloved spot that draws visitors day after day.
Jingisukan barbecue is also one of the must-eat foods when visiting Hokkaido! First, beef fat is spread evenly over the sizzling grill, giving the slices of meat a rich aroma as they cook. Then, tender slices of meat are laid out and slowly grilled. Fresh local Hokkaido vegetables are spread beneath the grill, catching the dripping meat juices and fat. The vegetables soak up all that flavor, creating a delicious mix of savory and sweet! Hokkaido vegetables are already naturally very sweet, and grilling makes them even sweeter and tastier. Eating big bites of meat with the vegetables is simple but incredibly satisfying and enjoyable!
