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.

Attracted by the panoramic views that Shikoku Karst has to offer, I decided that this was definitely one of my must-sees in Kochi, and off we went to Shikoku Karst on an early weekend morning in the middle of September.

Owakudani, written as 大涌谷, in Japanese means "Great Boiling Valley". It is both poetic and a bit mysterious. The valley was created in the result of a Mt. Hakone eruption around 3000 years ago, and still experiences volcanic activity. It is mostly safe, nevertheless. The Tourist Center was closed between 2015 and 2016, but now it is available again, as well as the Hakone ropeway.

These scenic paths stretch across Tokyo with lush and varied vegetation, for the most part, on either side of the path that passes a range of interesting sites. Some notable paths among many are the Chidorigafuchi, Kenzawa, Jiyugaoka, Tachiaigawa, and the Karasuyamagawa Green Roads.

When it comes to attractions, we might think of museums, statues, zoos, theme parks, museums or galleries. As the largest city in Japan, Tokyo offers a lot of such attractions. However, it also has some less common types of places to visit that are actually no less interesting and impressive — bridges.

With an endless view of the Sea of Japan below, this spot is easily your next stop to vow for eternal love.