Greater Tokyo

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Nogi-machi Brick Kiln

Nogi-machi Brick Kiln

Made in 1890, the Nogi-machi Brick Kiln is a Hoffmann kiln that belonged to the former Shimotsuke brick manufacturer and was a major contributor to Nogi’s industrialisation. This is the only perfectly original Hoffmann kiln in Japan and is designated as an Important Cultural Property. It is in the shape of a hexadecagon (a 16-sided polygon) and is 34 metres in height and 100 metres in circumference. The kiln baked up to 408,000 bricks per year during the 80 years between 1890 and 1971. The conservation and repair work on the kiln was completed in September 2015 and the kiln was open to the public on 10 May 2016. The Nogi Koryu Centre (known as the “Nogi Hoffmann Kan”) was built and opened to the public at the same time. The centre offers activities and workshops as well as original goods and light meals. Come and experience the culture of the Meiji period!

Nikko kaido Oshu kaido TOCHIGI
Yatai-no-Machi Central Park

Yatai-no-Machi Central Park

Yatai-no-Machi Central Park is home to the Yatai Museum, Tourism and Local Products Centre and “Kikusuien”, one of three famous gardens in Kanuma. The Yatai Museum’s exhibits include three hand-carved wooden floats – official local cultural properties – and videos on the Kanuma Autumn Festival which is designated an Important Folk Cultural Property. Take a close look at elaborate carvings on the floats and learn about the history of this famous festival. Built in the early 1900s, “Kikusuien” was known as one of three outstanding gardens in Kanuma at that time. Many cultural elites such as Sumio Kawakami (a printmaker) visited and loved this Japanese garden. Nowadays many people come to the restored garden for its fantastic autumn leaves in late November. The Tourism and Local Products Centre is a hub for tourism offering a selection of brochures about destinations in Kanuma in addition to a wide range of local products. At the Konjac café, visitors can enjoy a variety of dishes hand made from the local all-natural Konjac potatoes.

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Senjogahara Marshland/Odashirogahara Marshland

Senjogahara Marshland/Odashirogahara Marshland

Senjogahara in the Nikko National Park is one of the nation’s most renowned marshland areas. You can enjoy a variety of nature trails, 350 kinds of wild plants, and many species of wild birds. The trails offer magnificent views of the marshland with Mt. Nantai in the background, and an array of natural panoramas. The neighbouring Odashirogahara consists of unique grass and marshlands. The famous Japanese white birch tree known as “the lady of Odashirogahara” can be found here.

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Azumayama Park

Azumayama Park

You can always find flowers throughout the year as well as paths covered with flourishing trees in Azumayama park. Also, at the peak, there is an observatory where you can enjoy a panorama of Sagami Bay while enjoying a comfortable sea breeze from Shonan. Here, you can enjoy nature and have a relaxing time.When you visit, be mindful of the time of year so you can enjoy the park’s seasonal flowers and nature -- Rape flowers from January to February, Cherry blossoms from late March through early April, Azaleas from late April to mid May, Hydrangeas from late June to early July, and Cosmos in August. In autumn, enjoy the trees’ red vibrant red leaves.An early morning stroll is a special experience, with clear air and few people.

Nature & Views Tokaido Koshu kaido KANAGAWA
Hatsuyama Festival (Petanko Festival)

Hatsuyama Festival (Petanko Festival)

This Shinto Ritual is held in June 1st every year in Sengen Mountain (“Otoko Sengen” and ”Onna Sengen”). It is said that if you bring a baby born during last 1 year and pay visit to the shrine on this mountain and red stamp is put on the baby’s forehead, the baby will grow up in good health without illness. This Shinto ritual has begun more than 400 years ago and has been designated as an important cultual prpperty of Ashikaga City. Boy visit Otoko Sengen (Higher Mountain) and Girl visit Onna Sengen (Lower Mountain) If you can not pay visit to the shrine due to illness, etc., red seal will be stamp on the baby’s underwear.

Nikko kaido Oshu kaido TOCHIGI
Nikko Yumoto Visitor Center

Nikko Yumoto Visitor Center

Founded by Ministry of Environment of Japan in1994, the Nikko Yumoto Visitor Center provides information on hiking trails and seasonal highlights, so visitors can enjoy the natural environment to the fullest.   Visitors to the center can also learn about local seasonal attractions, such as the autumn leaves that bloom in the Oku Nikko area, or the flowers that bloom in season. There is also an exhibition on the ecology of Oku Nikko, where you can learn more about the natural environment of Oku Nikko through a diorama of the terrain, videos, and seasonal events. In addition to learning more about the best time to explore each area, you can also take a break here too.   Visitor Center also offers guided bird-watching tours, animal exploration tours, hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing tours, and occasionally hosts exhibitions on topics such as reducing the damage caused by deer farming, the history of Oku Nikko, and the culture of the local hot springs. Visitor Center's official website also recommends hiking routes, including the Nikko Shirane Mountain Route, the Yunokko Lake Route, and the Battlefield Plain Wetland Route.    

Nikko kaido Oshu kaido TOCHIGI
FIBA 3×3 World Tour Utsunomiya Opener

FIBA 3×3 World Tour Utsunomiya Opener

3x3 basketball, now recognized as an official Olympic sport, is showcased at its highest level in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour—an international series organized by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to determine the world’s best 3x3 club team. The 2025 season will span across 15 cities worldwide. The top teams from the tour will advance to the World Tour Final, where the global champion will be crowned. Featuring the previous year’s champions and top-ranked teams from around the world, this tournament represents the pinnacle of 3x3 basketball competition. Since 2016, the city of Utsunomiya has continuously hosted the FIBA 3x3 World Tour. Beginning in 2022, Utsunomiya was selected to kick off the season as the host of the Utsunomiya Opener, and will continue to do so through 2028—marking seven consecutive years as the opening venue. The 2025 Utsunomiya Opener is scheduled to take place over three days, from Friday, April 25 to Sunday, April 27. The venue for the event is the historic Utsunomiya Futaarayama Shrine, said to have over 1,600 years of history. A special 3x3 court will be set up in front of the shrine’s grand torii gate, creating a striking fusion of tradition and modern sports culture. Japanese elements such as mikoshi (portable shrines) will be featured to further enhance the atmosphere and share the unique spirit of "3x3 City Utsunomiya" with the world. In 2024, the local team UTSUNOMIYA BREX.EXE competed in the Utsunomiya Opener as the host city representative. They made history by advancing through the qualifiers to the final tournament stage for the second consecutive year—a first for any Japanese team. In the knockout stage, they faced off against UB (Serbia), the reigning champions of both the 2022 and 2023 World Tours. Although they were defeated 22–11, the team showed tremendous strength and determination in their battle against the world’s best.

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Mibu Highway Park at Michi-no-Eki Mibu

Mibu Highway Park at Michi-no-Eki Mibu

The Mibu Highway Park at Michi-no-Eki Mibu is a roadside station connected to the Mibu PA (motorway rest area) and conveniently located between both the motorway and the local highway (route 71). Located in the centre of the local municipality, the “Mirai-kan” information centre at the Mibu Highway Park is a hub for tourism offering information, local products and fresh local vegetables. Along with the Mibu Highway Park, Michi-no-Eki Mibu has Tochigi Wanpaku Park and Mibu-machi Toy Museum within its vast 52.5-hectare grounds. A great place for a break or a whole family day out.

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Tsumada Yakushi

Tsumada Yakushi

The temple enshrines Yakushi Nyorai, known as the Buddha who saves people from illness, injury, and other suffering. In particular, the dumplings served on the temple fair, also known as "omedama-san," are said to be beneficial for eye diseases. There are many cultural assets on the temple grounds, including the Yakushido Hall, camphor tree, and bronze bell. The current Yakushido was reconstructed in 1758, but the raigo-hashira (pillars that surround the kitchen) are the same as those used when the temple was rebuilt in 1584. It is written in the Shinpen Sagami-no-Kuni Fudoki Manuscript that the earlier building was destroyed by fire during the attack on Odawara Castle by the Takeda clan in 1569. The temple is open to the public once every 60 years on the Kanoetora anniversary of the opening of the main sanctuary. The next one will be in 2070.

Temples & Shrines Tokaido Koshu kaido KANAGAWA
Atsugi Museum Hotel(Tron hot spring)

Atsugi Museum Hotel(Tron hot spring)

Approximately 10,000 pieces of artwork including folkcrafts from across the country, Japanese local toys, western paintings, Japanese paintings, sculptures, cutout pictures, books, ink paintings, and ceramics are displayed behind the front desk on the first floor. The owner of the hotel collected these materials in 1951 and Atsugi Museum Hotel is the only local place in the central area of Kanagawa to have this kind of collection.

Onsen & Stay Tokaido Koshu kaido KANAGAWA