Kanto

Yokohama Chinatown is Japan's largest Chinatown, packed with Chinese restaurants, souvenir shops and variety goods shops within the 500 meters by 500 meters area. Numerous people visit this town of food and culture seeking the authentic Chinese tastes and exotic atmosphere. In addition to great food, it is also fun to stroll around and look for various Chinese goods.

Lake Ashi, with a shoreline of approximately 20 kilometers, spreads out widely with Mount Fuji as a backdrop. This vast lake is surrounded by resort areas with a number of tourist spots, including shrines, an aquarium, an art museum, and historical buildings. There are also many activities to enjoy, such as hot springs, cruises and a ropeway to the mountain top. This area offers many opportunities to enjoy its natural features, as well as local traditions.

Hakone in Kanagawa Prefecture is one of the most well-known hot spring destinations in Japan. It is also known for the Hakone Yosegi Zaiku, a traditional woodworking craft that skillfully creates geometric patterns by gathering woods of various natural colors, said to have developed about 200 years ago in Hatajuku of Hakone. They are crafted in various sizes and patterns, such as coasters, small boxes, drawers and trays, and the puzzle box which is quite difficult to open is especially...

Kencho-ji Temple is the head of the Kencho-ji school of Rinzai Buddhism. It was established in 1253 by Tokiyori Hojo, the regent of the time, who invited the Chinese high priest Rankei Doryu from Nansong to open one of Japan's first authentic Zen monasteries. On the premises, there is a training hall where monks still undergo rigorous training.

Sankeien is a Japanese-style garden that was created by Sankei Hara (1868-1939), a businessman who was engaged in the production and trading of raw silk that laid the foundation for the development of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture. The 175,000-square-meter site is dotted with 17 valuable historical buildings, including 10 important cultural properties relocated from around Japan such as Kyoto and Kamakura, creating stunning scenery from season to season that harmonizes with nature.

The Hachijojima Island Freesia Festival is a spring festival held every year from late March to early April in Hachijojima, a tropical island accessible from Haneda Airport in approximately 55 minutes. At the Hakkeisan Freesia Field near Hachijojima Airport, around 350,000 freesias of various colors bloom brilliantly against the backdrop of Hachijo-Fuji mountain. Numerous events that can only be experienced on the island are held during the festival period.

The only waterfall in Tokyo selected as one of the Top 100 Waterfalls in Japan, Hossawa Falls in the village of Hinohara is 62 meters tall and has four stages in all. The deep hole at the lowest stage (length of about 26 meters) has a mysterious atmosphere and is said to be inhabited by a large serpent since ancient times. The waterfall is also famous for freezing in winter, and the Hossawa Falls Winter Festival is held from December to February every year.

Rising 333 meters, Tokyo Tower has been appreciated as the icon of Tokyo since its construction in 1958. The symbolic tower which attracts people day and night is a must-see site of the metropolis.

Ginza Chuo-dori Street may be most famous as Japan's premier shopping area with large-scale department stores and luxury brand boutiques, but did you know that it is also renowned for its sweet confections? Amid the international crowd of visitors, new shops are constantly opening, while many long-time establishments strive to this day to maintain their traditional flavors. Here, we introduce the finest confectionery shops of Ginza Chuo-dori, the birthplace of many of Japan's best-known sweets.

Lake Okutama in Okutama, Tokyo, has a total storage capacity of 180 million tons and supplies about 20% of the water used by Tokyo residents. The lake is located inside Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park and is popular as an oasis of the metropolis as it changes its appearance beautifully from season to season with cherry blossoms, fresh greenery, fall leaves, and winter snowscapes. The lakeside is dotted with various historic sites and antique houses with a nostalgic atmosphere. It is also a...

Open to the public free of charge, the observatories located on the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building provide a panoramic view of the capital of Tokyo. The Tokyo Tourist Information Center and Japanese Prefectural Promotion Corner are located on the first floor of the building, where you can get tourist and event information on not only Tokyo but on every prefecture in Japan.

Originally built as the residence of Prince Asaka in 1933, the main building of the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum opened as an art museum in 1983. The building itself is a work of art, imbued with the essence of beauty that Prince and Princess Asaka brought back after their long-term stay in France. After various renovations in recent years including the construction of the Annex and maintenance of the garden, the museum was fully opened in 2018.