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Tsuwano
The broken walls of Tsuwano-jō brood over the valley. A slightly rickety chairlift takes you slowly up the hillside, and theres a further 15-minute walk through the woods to the castle ruins. Theres nothing here but the walls, but there are of course great views.
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Meguro
Lined with cherry trees and a walking path, the Meguro-gawa (not so much a river as a canal) is what gives the neighbourhood Naka-Meguro its unlikely village vibe. On either side youll find all manner of quirky boutiques, plus cafes overlooking the water.
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Kanmon Tunnel
This is where you come to get that picture of yourself with one foot in Honshū and the other in Kyūshū. For the 780m submarine walk to Kyūshū, take the bus from the station to the Mimosusōgawa bus stop (¥260, 12 minutes) and take the lifts there to the tunnel.
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Iō
This steaming, hissing mountain (512m), a couple of kilometres south of Kawayu Onsen, comes complete with sunshine-yellow sulphur and onsen-steamed eggs. Chances are youll hear the sellers calling Tamago! Tamago! Tamago! (Eggs!) even before you reach the car park.
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Imari City Ceramic Merchants Museum
Near the river Imari-gawa, Imari City Ceramic Merchant’s Museum houses some priceless pieces of Koimari (as old Imari ware is known) from the 18th and 19th centuries, inside the handsomely preserved home of a merchant family; there’s an excellent English leaflet.
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Hokkaidō Folk Arts & Crafts
Located 5km southwest of the train station, this collection of three museums provides an overview of the islands traditional folk arts. A free shuttle runs every hour or two between the village and the Kureyon Parking, next to the Asahikawa Washington Hotel.
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Cenotaph
This curved concrete monument houses a list of the names of all the known victims of the atomic bomb. It stands at one end of the pond at the centre of Peace Memorial Park, framing the Flame of Peace further down the pond, and the Atomic Bomb Dome across the river.
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Ishite
East of Dōgo Onsen is Ishite-ji, 51st of the 88 Temples, and one of the largest and most impressive in the circuit. Ishite means stone hand and comes from a legend associated with Kōbō Daishi. A statue of Kōbō Daishi overlooks the temple from the hillside.
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Imamiya Ebisu
Nicknamed Ebessan, this famous shrine is said to have been founded by Japans most revered historical figure, the priest-prince Shotoku-taishi, circa 600AD. These days it enshrines the Shintō god of commerce and hosts the Tōka Ebisu festival each January.
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Hatakeyama Collection
Get a feel for wabi-sabi – the aesthetic of perfect imperfections that guides the tea ceremony – at this museum specialising in the earthy pottery and art associated with the traditional ceremony. The museum closes for weeks at a time in between exhibitions.
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Hayashibara Museum of Art
This is a small museum with exhibits of scrolls, armour and paintings that were once the property of the Ikeda clan (who ruled Okayama for much of the Edo period). Its near the rear entrance of Okayama-jō. Look for the traditional black-and-white building.
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Matsumoto City Museum of Art
This sleek museum has a good collection of Japanese artists, many of whom hail from Matsumoto or whose works depict scenes of the surrounding countryside. Highlights include the striking avant-garde works of local-born, internationally renowned Kusama Yayoi.
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Tsumagojuku
It was in this building that the daimyō themselves would spend the night, although the buildings architecture is more noteworthy than its exhibits. A combined ticket (adult/child ¥700/350) includes admission to Waki-honjin and the Local History Museum, opposite.
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Tomo
This museum sits at the top of the hill behind the harbour, with exhibits relating to local industry and craft. On the grounds is the site of the old castle , of which nothing remains but a few foundation stones. There are good views across the sea from here.
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Takezaki
Nearby to the Space Centre, this coastline is home to a beautiful stretch of white sand popular with surfers. The best spot to enjoy it is the beach in front of the Iwasaki Hotel (closest bus stop: Iwasaki Hotel), which has some impressive rock formations.
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Tōchō
Tōchō-ji has Japans largest wooden Buddha (10.8m high, 30 tonnes, created in 1992) and some impressively carved Kannon (goddess of mercy) statues. The temple is said to date from AD 806 and to have been founded by Kūkai, founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism.
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Buke Yashiki
Several kilometres up a narrow, winding road near Kyōjō, Buke Yashiki is a thatched-roof samurai-house museum commanding spectacular views of the valley. Beside the house is a Shintō shrine that is home to a massive cedar tree dating back more than 800 years.
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Saimyō
About five minutes upstream from the base of the steps that lead to Jingo-ji, this fine little temple is one of our favourite spots in Kyoto. See if you can find your way round to the small waterfall at the side of the temple. The grotto here is pure magic.
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Oku Iya Ni
The spectacular Oku Iya Ni-jū Kazura-bashi are two secluded vine bridges hanging side by side high over the river. A self-propelled, three-seated wooden cable-cart is another fun way to cross the river; theres a small public camping area on the other side.
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Ōko
On the west coast is Yakushimas highest waterfall, at 88m. Its a five-minute walk from Ōko-no-taki bus stop, which is the last stop for some of the buses running south and west from Miyanoura and Anbō (note that only two buses a day run all the way out here).
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