Towada-Hachimantai National Park | Review by 黃國棟

When visiting Fukushima, don't miss Tsurugajo Castle, a place full of history. It is listed as one of the “100 Fine Castles of Japan” and is also one of Fukushima's best-known castles. Its white walls and red-tiled roofs look especially elegant beneath the blue sky. Even seeing it from a distance makes you want to stop and admire it.

Although the current castle tower was reconstructed, the old stone walls and appearance of the castle grounds have been preserved. As you walk around, you can still feel the strong historical atmosphere.

What surprised me most was that the museum isn't just a place to look at exhibits. It also uses interactive multimedia displays, including video, lighting, and sound, to introduce the history of Tsurugajo Castle. This makes the visit lively and interesting, so it doesn't feel boring at all.

When visiting Morioka, besides enjoying the mountains, forests, and lakes, I also highly recommend a trip to Morioka Zoological Park ZOOMO! Its biggest appeal is that the animals live in environments close to nature, where you can see them moving around freely.

It's about a 40-minute drive from Morioka Station. The park is very large, and the animals have plenty of room to move around. It doesn't feel crowded like a city zoo; instead, it has a more relaxed and leisurely atmosphere.

This time, I quickly followed the route around the park and finished in about 1 hour. If you want to take your time and carefully observe each kind of animal, I recommend allowing another 30–45 minutes for a more relaxed visit.

The biggest surprise was a cougar cub born in June this year. You can see it moving around and playing with its mother. It's so tiny and incredibly cute. This was also the area with the largest crowd that day, and no one wanted to leave.

Although I visited on a Saturday, the park was surprisingly not very crowded. This may be because it's some distance from central Morioka, but that actually makes it easier to comfortably enjoy your time with the animals.

If you're taking the bus, be especially careful! Buses don't run very frequently, so I recommend checking the outbound and return times in advance and planning how long you'll stay so you don't miss the bus back.

Upon arriving at Motsuji Temple, the first thing that catches your eye is its peaceful, beautiful garden. Compared with the traditional image of a temple, this place feels more like a Japanese garden built around a pond, showcasing the Pure Land aesthetic of the Heian period throughout.

Strolling slowly along the pond, you can admire the garden from different angles. The water, green trees, and historic temple complement one another, offering a different view with every turn.

The weather was lovely during this visit, and the sunlight streaming into the garden made Motsuji Temple feel even more serene and enchanting. With little noise around, I simply walked slowly, took in the scenery, and experienced the distinctive tranquility and elegance of an ancient Japanese temple.