Daioji Temple has been recognized as a national valuable cultural resource for almost 600 years and has a cathedral with a thatched roof, which is uncommon in Japan. With a thatched roof cathedral, which is rare in Japan, Daioji Temple has a long history of over 600 years and has been designated as a national important cultural property At the temple, you can experience Zazen, a sitting meditation where you can look within and replenish your mind.
Lake Towada is surrounded by exceptionally beautiful foliage in spring and autumn. To see this beautiful unspoiled scenery, take the Akita Nairiku Line through the mountains on a journey into the past.
Miyama-cho is renowned for its surviving thatched-roof houses built between 220 (Edo period) and 150 (Meiji period) years ago. The town was selected as the ‘Best Tourism Village’ at the 24th UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation) General Assembly. The peaceful rural landscape and thatched roofs match each other to create a soothing scene.
A long-established brewery founded in 1753. The brewery was built over 200 years ago and is a nationally designated tangible cultural asset where is well worth to visit. The water which used rainwater that falls in the nearby mountains, soaks deep into the ground, it naturally filtered over a long period of time and gushes out into the city of Chichibu as underground water. You can bring your own bottle to take this famous water away from the shop. You also can taste several types of sake, there are many types of sake available, as well as amazake (sweet sake) and liqueurs in the shop.
Two locations for your sightseeing list are Manno-ike Reservoir, one of Japan’s largest reservoirs, and Honen-ike Reservoir, Japan’s first multiple-arch dam whose towering structure resembles a medieval European castle.
The bucolic beauty of the terraces is amazing enough to warrant a side trip when visiting the vast Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, an art show spread over 760 square kilometers. Enjoy the breathtaking terraced scenery as you seek out more than 200 art pieces which have been distributed throughout the area.
Containing 48 different kinds of moss, Hiyo Moss Garden is one of the most famous moss gardens in Japan. Hiyo Village is a beautiful hamlet with shrines, old traditional homes, and of course the mosses and cedar trees of the Moss Garden.
Aizuwakamatsu’s old samurai residences evoke an image of a bygone warrior era, and the agrarian scenery of rice paddies against the background of Mount Bandai and the Iide Mountains captures the essence of Aizu’s landscape. Tsurugajo Castle, a symbol of the city, provides a wide view of the changing beauty of the seasons in Aizu Basin and the old castle town.
Ishinomaki was the area hit hardest by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The Ishinomaki Minamihama Tsunami Memorial Park was developed as a place for memorial services, and as a base for passing on the memories and lessons of the disaster to posterity.
Filled with steeply sloping fields, traditional homes, and stone walls, these communities rise as much as 400 meters in altitude from one end to another.
