Seifa Utaki lies hidden away in the cool, shady forests of Nanjo, accessible via a small, stone footpath through the woods.

The garden is known for its wide array of stones, of all sizes and shapes. It is said the garden dates back to the Edo-period and was a former mansion site of a wealthy man named Kinokuniya Buzaemon in 1716. Then in 1878 Iwasaki Yataro (the founder of Mitsubishi) purchased the land and turned it into a place of recreation for his employees and distinguished guests.

The original Fushimi Castle was completed in 1594 but was destroyed two years later by an earthquake. It was quickly rebuilt, and then under the control of Torii Mototada, a vassal of Tokugawa Ieyasu, in 1600, the castle fell in a famous and significant siege by Ishida Mitsunari (the commander of the Western Army at the famous Battle of Sekigahara).

The region of Tajima, which refers to northern Hyogo prefecture, offers a completely different face to that of southern Hyogo, which comprises of big city names such as Kobe where many skyscrapers and vivid colors of neon lights characterize the province. On the contrary, this part of Hyogo is full of nature, history and boasts of premium quality hot springs.

Soni Highlands is a valuable landscape where we can see kayaba even today. It is because the village of Soni maintains that grassland. For a long time, this has been a task for March season. But this season it is on schedule for February.

With alpine flowers in bloom from July to August, autumn-colored leaves adorning the trees from September to November, and the crisp frosty air to delight in from December to March, Utsukushigahara is a choice destination throughout the four seasons.

The ultimate reason to why the area of Hiruzen is so cool compared to other parts of Western Japan is the altitude of where this place is located along with all the mountain ranges and dense forests which help block off rays from the sun.

Japanese people are known to have followed Sangakushinko; a type of animism during ancient times which mountains are worshiped as gods, and Mt. Katsuragi was most certainly one of which people of Nara considered it as their sacred icon.

While there are numerous charming sights to see in Karuizawa, two of the worthy visiting spots to check are the Onioshidashi Park by Mt. Asama and the Shiraito Waterfalls.

If you are in Tokyo and want to experience the Buddhist tradition of temple lodging, or “Shukubo”, you are in luck. Taiyoji, The Temple of the Sun, has everything you could want in a temple stay, just a two- hour train ride away.

Let me show you an area that often stays unnoticed, but holds so much fun, beauty, history and great relaxing spots. The city of Nanjo is located in the south-eastern part of Okinawa. It lies right on the ocean has much history to share and has a beautiful view of the coast line. Here are my five tips for a daytrip to Nanjo.

Suwa Lake, has 3 cities around it; Suwa, Shimo Suwa, and Okaya. It has a surface area of around 13 km2, it takes about 30 minutes to go around the whole place by car. The closest stations near the lake are; Kami-Suwa Station and Okaya Station. If you’re from Tokyo, you can take the train from Chuo Line that goes to Matsumoto from Takao Station or Otsuki Station in Yamanashi.