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Otaru Music Box Museum
At the Marchen Crossroads (メルヘン交差点), a 15-minute walk east of the canal, the main music box museum is mind-boggling. So is the fact that theyve got another five buildings about town! There are over 25,000 music boxes and if youre really keen, you can make your own.
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Nison
This is a popular spot with maple-watchers. Nison-in was originally built in the 9th century by Emperor Saga. It houses two important Kamakura-era Buddha statues side by side (Shaka on the right and Amida on the left). The temple features lacquered nightingale floors.
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Takamatsu City Museum of Art
This impressive inner-city gallery is testament to Takamatsus quality art scene. The light and spacious refitting of a former Bank of Japan building is a stroke of curatorial genius, well served by interesting exhibitions on rotation from across Japan and the world.
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Otaru Museum
This small but engaging half of Otaru Museum, known as the Ungakan (運河館), is housed in a restored warehouse dating from 1893 near the canal. It has displays on Hokkaidōs natural history, some Ainu relics, and various special exhibitions on herring, ceramics and literature.
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Gundam
If you want to get all otaku about it, the official name of this 32-metre tall robot sculpture is G 1/1 RX-78-2 Gundam Ver. GFT. Every half-hour from 7.30pm to 9.30pm, video footage from the anime show is projected behind the sculpture onto the mall behind the giant robot.
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Chapel of St Maria
The tiny Maria-dō dates from 1951. More than 150 hidden Christians were imprisoned in a Buddhist temple on this site in the early years of the Meiji Restoration; 36 died before a law allowing freedom of religion was passed in 1873. A procession is held here on 3 May.
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Kaleidoscope Museum of Kyoto
This one-room museum is filled with unexpected wonders. Frankly, we had no idea of the variety and complexity in the field of kaleidoscopes. We don’t know who will enjoy this more, children or the adults trying to keep them entertained. It’s right behind the Museum of Kyoto.
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Sakibaru
This stunner of a beach lies about 4.5km down a point of land just north of Kise (about 20km northeast of Amami). Take a Sani-bound bus from Amami and get off at Kiseura (¥950), and then walk. If youre driving, its marked in English off the main road (be prepared for narrow roads).
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Shiretoko Pass Lookout
If hiking isnt your thing, you can obtain dramatic views by driving Route 334 between Utoro and Rausu and stopping at the Shiretoko Pass Lookout (740m), which sits just to the southwest of Rausu-dake (1660m). Route 334 winds through magnificent forest; keep your eyes open for deer.
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Usui Pass Lookout
On the border of Gunma and Nagano Prefectures, about 4km northeast of Old Karuizawa, youll find this observation platform with stunning views of Mt Asama and surrounding mountains. Theres no public transport – for directions, ask at the Karuizawa Tourist Association office.
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Former Kaichi School
A few blocks north of the castle, the former Kaichi School is both an Important Cultural Property and the oldest elementary school in Japan, founded in 1873. It opened its doors as an education museum in 1965. The building itself is an excellent example of Meiji-era architecture.
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Old Bank of Japan Building
Dont miss the old Bank of Japan (日本銀行), a classic brick building that was designed by the same architect responsible for Tokyo Station. The exterior is marked by owl keystones, which pay homage to the Ainu guardian deity, while an impressive 100m-high ceiling highlights the interio
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Glover House
The house takes its name from Thomas Glover (1838–1911), whose arms-importing operations played an important part in the Meiji Restoration; he built the first train line in Japan and helped establish the countrys first modern shipyard. The place is nestled in hillside Clover Garden
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Kyū
Kyū-Takatori-tei is a fabulously restored late–Meiji Period villa of a local trader, built in a mix of Japanese and Western styles, with lantern-filled gardens, a Buddhist altar room, a wealth of paintings on cedar boards and an indoor nō stage. An English audioguide rents for ¥300
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Canal City
Canal City shopping centre is Fukuokas biggest mall, boasting an eponymous artificial canal with illuminated fountain symphony, hotels, a multiplex cinema, playhouse and about 250 boutiques, bars and bistros. It was designed by Jon Jerde, who later created Tokyos Roppongi Hills.
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Gohyakurakan
Crowded into two small caves at Gohyakurakan, there are 500 diminutive stone statues of the Buddhas disciples, each showing a different expression – some smiling, some turning their head to chat to their neighbour. The collection was completed in 1766, after 25 years of work.
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Landmark Tower
Standing an impressive 296m high (70 storeys) the Landmark Tower has one of the worlds fastest lifts (45km/h). On clear days from the 69th floor Sky Garden observatory there are views to Tokyo and Mt Fuji, and you can get a glimpse into games taking place at Yokohama Stadium.
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Hanayashiki
Japans oldest amusement park has creaky old carnival rides and heaps of vintage charm. Once youre inside, you can buy tickets for rides (which cost a few hundred yen each). A haunted-house attraction here allegedly housed a real ghost that is said to still appear on the grounds.
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Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art
Fans of contemporary art should drop into this modern museum in Hijiyama-kōen, where the exhibits change regularly and may include anything from large-scale installations to video. Outside is a sculpture garden. Check ahead before your visit as there are sometimes special exhibitio
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Shibuya Hikarie
This glistening 34-storey tower, which opened in 2012, is just the first step in what promises to be a massive redesign of Shibuya. Sandwiched between the shops on the lower floors and the offices on the upper floors are a couple of worthwhile cultural sights on the 8th floor.
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