- DESTINATION
- THINGS TO DO
ALL
- ALL
- Tokyo
- Hokkaido
- Tohoku
- Kanto
- Chubu
- Kansai
- Shikoku / chugoku
- Kyushu
- Okinawa
ALL
- ALL
- Food
- Shopping
- Accommodation
- Culture
- Entertainment
- Tour
-
Cuddle with the Bunnies on Japan's Rabbit Island, OkunoshimaJapan is known for its enclaves of adorable wild animals! Plenty of visitors will find their way to Nara or Miyajima to see the somewhat tame wild deer, head up north to play with the foxes at the Zao Fox Village, or maybe even run into the many cats of Enoshima Island.
But how familiar are you with Hiroshima's Okunoshima? A.K.A. Rabbit Island! It hasn't quite reached the same level of fame as some of the other animal-filled spots, but it's on its way. If you think about the ratio of adorable animals to visitors, you'll be hard pressed to find anywhere better than this little island, so grab your carrot sticks and make some new rabbit friends!,For such a fun place, the island has a surprisingly dark past. Starting in the 1920s, the Imperial Japanese Army started developing chemical weapons on Okunoshima. The project was kept entirely secret, even through the construction of a chemical munitions gas manufacturing plant on the island, where thousands of tons of mustard and tear gas were produced. Not so cute. But the reason for initiating the military project on this island are the same reasons why the rabbits thrive there now, isolation.
A common rumor is that the rabbits on the island are descendants of rabbits used as test subjects inside the chemical weapons plant, which is kind of horrifying. The reality is that those rabbits certainly existed, but the bunnies you see now frolicking freely on Okunoshima were simply brought to the island after the factory's demolition, when the space was developed into a park. They do add a lot to the island!,Nowadays, Okunoshima is mostly just a destination for rabbit-loving travelers! You can certainly learn about the island's history during your visit by taking a look at some of the building ruins or the local museum, but the real focus is all the furry critters.#shikoku / chugoku#tour#animal experience
Must-Try Delicacies of the Shikoku and Chugoku RegionsInterested in traveling off the beaten track, but also looking to spoil the foodie inside of you? Tokyo has some great grub, but don't miss the chance to explore a little deeper into Japan and enjoy the country's more local dishes. Shikoku and Chugoku's great natural resources lead to mouth-watering regional specialties. Let us introduce you to a handful of the area's most delectable delicacies.,While the Osaka-style okonomiyaki is maybe more prevalent (and is definitely easier to make at home), the Hiroshima preparation tends to be especially popular among foreign visitors. Perhaps it's the impressive precariousness of the pile of ingredients you see on the skillet? While Osaka okonomiyaki is more of a solid disc, Hiroshima okonomiyaki features towering layers of individual ingredients, fried on top of a thinner batter pancake. If you get to see it made in front of you, don't miss the opportunity to admire the chef's balancing skills.
If you want to try something with a little more kick, dig in to a dish of Hiroshima's soupless dandan noodles. Japanese dandan noodles usually come in a bowl full of spicy pork broth, but instead these are topped with a super-flavorful ground meat sauce.
If you want to learn more about the joys of a foodie trip to Hiroshima, plus some of the other fun things to do there, check out our article for more information.,Kagawa makes some of the most famous udon in all of Japan, known as "sanuki udon." These noodles have a distinctly square cross-section, resulting in delicate edges and chewy insides. Wander Kagawa looking for a sign that says "さぬき" ("sanuki"), and you'll soon find yourself sitting in front of a tangle of delicious udon.
Kagawa isn't the only place in Japan with a local udon specialty! Read more about sanuki udon, and two other unique varieties here.,I bet you weren't expecting to find olives as a Japanese specialty! But it turns out that Kagawa Prefecture's Shodoshima Island is home to a thriving olive farm. It's no huge plantation, but the olive orchard produces fruit that's used in all kinds of specialty products. From subtly delicious olive cookies to classic olive oil, plus olive hand cream and even olive soft-serve ice cream! These olives are something special.,Yamaguchi is famous for its pufferfish (fugu) cuisine, and area is supposedly responsible for 80% of the blowfish caught in Japan. People worry that eating fugu is dangerous, since there are parts of the fish's body that contain poison. But really, chefs train for years before they're awarded the qualifications that allow them to prepare the fish for consumption. They're skilled at what they do, so indulge yourself in this upscale sashimi! Or you can always go back to Tokyo to try fugu added to ramen.,Kawara soba is a specialty of Shimonoseki City, but the legendary origins come from soldiers surrounding Kumamoto Castle, a ways south of Yamaguchi. The story goes that during the Satsuma Rebellion, or the Seinan War, they stole ceramic roof tiles from the sieged castle, and used them to cook their food in place of a pan. These days the heated tiles are still used to fry up this unique noodle dish, with soba and meat cooked together and then dipped in a light sauce.,These little pickles are made from a plant similar to scallions, garlic, and shallots, usually called Chinese onion in English. They're crisp with a nice sharp bite, and they're a specialty of Tottori! In Japan you'll often find them served in a variety of ways at izakaya taverns, or alongside Japanese curry. They add a little kick to what tends to be fairly savory food with deep flavors.
,Now that you have a better idea of what to eat in Chugoku and Shikoku, we hope you'll be inspired to visit the areas! The two parts of Japan are full of interesting finds, which you can learn much more about on our Chugoku/Shikoku page, and they're not explored nearly enough by foreign visitors. Take the initiative, and try some truly delicious Japanese specialties!
Be sure to look out for more exciting articles every day at JAPANKURU!
Or add us on Instagram and Facebook to share your pictures of Japan. 🗾
#shikoku / chugoku#food#katsuo
The Eshima Ohashi Bridge: Behind The ScenesPreviously we’ve posted this article about the Eshima Ohashi Bridge.,There were a few comments on our post asking how the pictures were taken.
Well, the answer is simple, but we thought we will put this together into an article just to make it easy for you.,There were a few comments on our post asking how the pictures were taken.
Well, the answer is simple, but we thought we would pull it all together into an article just to make it easy for you.,First of all, the biggest spoiler, the bridge in-fact is not steep at all like any rollercoaster.,We had a shot from a different angle in the post, but this will show better on exactly how steep/or not this bridge is.
This closer looks will also give you a better idea of what I’m talking about.,If you see this, you can tell how exactly far away we took the photo from.,Of course if you have a better camera that would be your option to go!
But this works just as well as you can see in the photo.
What we’ve done was take a photo with a 200mm lens and zoomed into the picture, then cropped it out.
We will show you on this map.,This distance takes about 6~8 min by car and about an hour to walk. (Don’t forget you need to get back afterwards!)
This is also why we recommend you rent a car before you make your way there.
,Would you be keen on trying it out for yourself?
Things we needed for this photo shoot:
Camera: Nicon D750
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR
a car
and a snickers bar.#shikoku / chugoku#tour#eshima ohashi bridge
Tsunoshima Ohashi Bridge: The Most Beautiful Bridge in JapanTsunoshima Ohashi Bridge (角島大橋) is a 1,780 meter (5,840 ft) bridge that connects Tsunoshima Island to mainland Shimonoseki, in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Just reading a description might make this bridge sound rather mundane, but the slender bridge running over beautiful white sand is such a beautiful sight that it was featured in a 2013 Japanese best-selling book called Places To Go Before You Die. If you're spending any time in Yamaguchi, you'll definitely want to take a look at this beautiful bridge.,Aside from all the appreciation it has received thanks to being featured in a best-selling book, Tsunoshima Ohashi Bridge was also voted "Most Beautiful Bridge in Japan" on the popular travel site Trip Adviser. It's popular among locals and international travelers.
Unlike many parts of Japan, the beach under the bridge has bright white sand, giving the water a vibrant green-blue gleam.
Tsunoshima Ohashi Bridge (角島大橋)
Tsunoshima, Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi,Japan loves to feature local sightseeing spots in its dramas, and the Tsunoshima Ohashi Bridge hasn't been left out! Keep an eye out for it the next time the characters in your favorite Japanese drama take a trip to Yamaguchi Prefecture.
If you decide you need to see the bridge in person, make sure you enjoy all the rest of what Yamaguchi has to offer, as well. Shimonoseki is famous for puffer fish, which is carefully prepared so that it's quite safe to eat. Plus, Motonosumi Inari Shrine, one of CNN's 31 Most Beautiful Places in Japan, is right nearby. Rent a car and drive right over!
⇩ Get a better view of the bridge in our video below! ⇩
,Be sure to look out for more exciting articles every day at JAPANKURU! 🐶
Or add us on Instagram and Facebook to share your pictures of Japan. 💖🗾#shikoku / chugoku#tour#tsunoshima
Motonosumi Inari Shrine: A Must-See Shrine, as Designated by CNN!Thanks to the 2005 film Memoirs of a Geisha, plenty of visitors to Japan have seen an Inari shrine long before arriving in the country. The most famous of these, and the one in the movie, is the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, where there are paths lined with beautiful red shrine gates, or torii (鳥居). But most travelers have no idea that Kyoto is not the only place to see this cool sight!
Today we're talking about the Motonosumi Inari Shrine (元乃隅稲成神社) far in south-western Japan, which has its own claim to fame with a beautiful seaside path, lined with 123 red torii. It's so beautiful, in fact, that CNN has chosen it as one of the most beautiful sightseeing spots in Japan. (High praise in a country packed with amazing views!),They say that if you make a wish as you walk down the path, making your way all the way down to the cliff below, your wish will come true! There's no way to know if this is true, but you might say that getting to see such a beautiful view is a dream come true in and of itself.,A local fisherman established this particular shrine in 1955, after seeing a white fox in a dream. Foxes are a symbol of Inari, the god worshipped at this shrine, so to the fisherman it was a clear sign.
Maybe you'll get lucky and see a fox during your trip! Or maybe you'll only get a little bit lucky, and be stuck enjoying the beautiful view of vibrant red torii against a blue ocean background.
Motonosumi Inari Shrine (元乃隅稲成神社)
498 Yuyatsuo, Nagato, Yamaguchi,Unlike most shrines, this one has a donation box high set high above everyone's heads. At the top of a shrine gate, it's good luck if you can even get your coins in to donate!
So, what do you think? Have you had enough of the crowded Fushimi Inari Shrine, and are you ready to hang out with some torii and take some gorgeous pictures that aren't full of strangers? For anyone heading to Yamaguchi, or any traveler looking for a more unique shrine experience, try out Motonosumi Inari Shrine!
⇩ Get an even better look in our video below. ⇩,
Be sure to look out for more exciting articles every day at JAPANKURU! 🐶
Or add us on Instagram and Facebook to share your pictures of Japan. 💖🗾#shikoku / chugoku#tour#motonosumi inari shrine
Akiyoshidai (秋吉台) & Akiyoshido (秋芳洞): Amazing Geological Formations in JapanLooking out onto the sea, it can be hard to imagine it looking any other way. The ocean will always be the ocean... right?
Well, the Akiyoshidai Plateau and Akiyoshido Cavern are beautiful and amazing reminders that the earth shifts in all kinds of interesting ways! If you're planning a trip out to south-western Japan, then this area of Yamaguchi Prefecture comes highly recommended. (Maybe you're making your way to Yamaguchi to see the gleaming red gates of the Motonosumi Inari Shrine, or the vibrant blue ocean surrounding the Tsunoshima Ohashi Bridge?) Head on over and find a geological area like none other in Japan.,The Akiyoshidai Plateau is what's called a karst formation. The area was once a coral reef in the ocean, with millions of small creatures living and dying under the water. After 300 million years of slow change, however, the coral turned to limestone, and the soluble limestone wore away in a variety of ways, as it is wont to do. Now we're left with a fascinating collection of underground limestone caves, and solid chunks of rock dotting the aboveground landscape (...a karst plateau!) In an effort to protect the beautiful scenery, the area has become a quasi-national park. The way the grass changes from green to orangey brown throughout the year makes it worth a visit during any season.,Some visitors mistake this area for a mountain range, because of its high elevation, but in truth it's a plateau. After the coral on the sea floor turned the limestone, shifts in the Earth's crust raised the whole system high above the surrounding area. Not bad for 300 million years!
Now there are roads throughout the landscape that are perfect for a relaxing drive, for those who like road trips. The best way to explore the quasi-national park is probably via rental car.
Akiyoshidai Plateau
Akiyoshidai Quasi-National Park
Official Website,The plateau is covered in these flat grasslands, and you can look for miles in any direction without seeing a tree! Visit in February for an interesting sight: every year large fields of grass are burned, and flames fly across the dead grass. The air is filled with smoke, and it's all very dramatic. After the fields are burned, though, the new shoots of spring grass poke through the ashes, and the fields are soon green and grassy once again!,As we mentioned before, the coral limestone left rocks scattered aboveground, and a network of caves scattered below. Some of these are huge, and they range all over the area. The most famous is Akiyoshido, Japan's largest and longest limestone cavern.,The caves are full of stalactites, stalagmites, and other amazing rock formations. There's even a history of mining in the area, which you can learn more about while you're underground.
See the water flowing through some of the caves, still at work carving out interesting shapes. It took 300 million years to get to this point, but soon enough the landscape will turn into something new and completely different.
Akiyoshido Cave
3449-1 Akiyoshidai, Shuhocho, Mine, Yamaguchi
Official Website,This huge cave stays at 63°Ｆ all year 'round, making it an interesting visit during both the summer and the winter months. Maybe you can escape the summer sun this year and spend some time admiring Japan's natural beauty from a unique perspective.
This might not be what most people imagine when they think of Japan, but the country is really full of different landscapes. If unusual view like the Akiyoshidai Plateau and Akiyoshido Cavern appeal to you, maybe you'll also like the sand dunes of Japan's little desert in Tottori Prefecture?
Be sure to look out for more exciting articles every day at JAPANKURU! 🐶
Or add us on Instagram and Facebook to share your pictures of Japan. 💖🗾,
⇩ Get an even better view of the landscape in our video below. ⇩#shikoku / chugoku#tour#akiyoshidai
Sand Dunes in Japan!? Head to Tottori to Find the Tiny Desert of Western JapanToday we'd like to tell you about a fascinating spot in Japan that just isn't well known outside of the country! In fact, a lot of the Chugoku region is widely ignored by foreign visitors, and we'd like to fix that. If you're already planning to visit anywhere in Kansai, like Kyoto or Osaka, Chugoku isn't even far away. Those more popular destinations might have their own great attractions, but if you're looking for a unique experience, set your eyes on Tottori Prefecture in the Chugoku region!,Well, calling it a desert might be a bit of a stretch (but that doesn't stop many in Japan from doing so anyway!) Located right on Tottori's coast, this enormous sand dune stretches 16 km (about 10 miles) north to south, and is about 2 km (1.2 miles) wide. The Tottori Sand Dune is the largest one in Japan, and if you visit it really does feel like a trip to the desert. Look in one direction and you'll get lovely views of the beach and the coastline, but turn your head and you can pretend for a moment that you're in the Sahara.,Hike up the sand dune to the highest point, nicknamed the "Horse's Back" (Umanose, 馬の背), to get a better sense of the landscape. From up there, you get a 360-degree panoramic view of the sand and the sea, helping you to better appreciate the vast expanses of the landscape. Some visitors say they feel so small up there that they wonder if the strong winds might blow them away!
Tottori Sand Dunes
Address: 2164-661 Fukubecho Yuyama, Tottori
Phone: 0857-22-0581
Official Website,The sand dunes themselves are natural works of art, and the ways they change throughout the year only add to their artistry. Whether you want to take beautiful photos or just want the beautiful memory in your mind forever, here are some things to look out for:
Wind Ripples
When the wind blows over the sand at a speed of 5 or 6 meters a second, the sand forms rippled patterns across the dunes. The formation of these lovely ripples totally depends on the wind and surrounding season, so you'll need to have luck on your side if you want to see them!
"Suribachi" (すり鉢)
These are large dips in the sand that look like they could be craters (or, as the Japanese name suggest, a mortar and pestle), but they just form without any outside interference. Because of the shape, during some seasons rain will collect and form pools in the sand. If there has been a fair amount of rain in the area, the water will really accumulate, and this rare occurrence is sometimes called a "Tottori Sand Dune Oasis"!
Sand Curtains
Strong winds will sometimes lift sand right off the dune and into the air. This rising layer of sand looks like it could be a blowing sheet of fabric from afar, with the phenomenon looking like a curtain in front of an open window.
Sunset Light Shows
Beaches are always good places to appreciate sunsets (or rises), and the coastline of Tottori is no different. Sit on the sand dune and watch the the last colorful rays of sunlight wash over the sand. If you come in winter, you might even get to see snow, which sparkles on the dunes.,One of the more exciting activities you can engage in at the dunes is sliding or rolling down from top to bottom! The sand isn't as slippery as you might expect, so you're unlikely to build up and real speed on the way down, but that just means it's safe enough for visitors of any age. If you start all the way at the top you get a nice long slide down, which is pretty fun! Exhaust yourself running up the dune again and again, and race your friends on the way down.
Try sliding down like a playground slide, or rolling down horizontally. You could even bring something to sit on, and slide down like you're sledding on a snowy hillside. Let us know which way you find most entertaining!,Once you get to the desert, there's lots of things to do there aside from just admiring the dunes! Really get into that desert spirit and take a ride through the sand on a camel (you get to sit right between the two humps!) Or, if you're feeling adventurous but like to watch out for your safety, try out hang gliding over the desert sand. It's a good place to try out the sport when you're a beginner, since the expanse of sand provides an environment without any big obstacles to fly into. It turns out you can have a pretty full day of desert experiences in Japan, who knew?
Camel Rides
Available at Rakudaya, next to the "Rakuda" entrance of the Tottori Sand Dune.
Address: 2164-806 Fukubecho Yuyama, Tottori
Hours: 9:30 ~ 16:30 (Dec. to Feb.: 10:00 ~ 16:00)
Phone: 0857-23-1735
While you're in western Japan, you shouldn't miss the chance to visit Shimane Prefecture as well! From famous shrines to little wineries, it's a pretty interesting area. On your way there you can even cross the prefectural border at the famous Rollercoaster Bridge!
⇩ Want to see what hang-gliding in the desert looks like? ⇩,
Be sure to look out for more exciting articles every day at JAPANKURU! 🐶
Or add us on Instagram and Facebook to share your pictures of Japan. 💖🗾#shikoku / chugoku#tour#tottori
12
Weibo
Pinterest
Blogger
Naver
Sina
Pixnet
Vimeo
All Contents and pictures are