Best Visiting Spot List

This is Japan's major video community site Niconico Douga's showroom. Niconico allows individual users to host live broadcasts, and they also provide various anime and gaming shows catering to die-hard fans streamed live over the internet. The Niconico main office's studio is the one responsible for these live broadcasts. Aside from being able to watch public live broadcasts of some of the programs, they also have cafes and event spaces with electricity and Wi-Fi, as well as shops which sell original merchandise. Try to get a peek at their internet broadcasting office.

The headquarters of the famous TV Asahi face the lush Mori Garden, being a vital part of Roppongi Hills. On its first floor, the TV Asahi shops sells all kinds of goods and merchandise of the channel. This includes all-time favorites such as Doraemon and Crayon Shin-chan, shows and animations that aren't only majorly popular in Japan but also abroad. Around 2,000 different unique items and a lot of special editions can be found here, making for excellent souvenirs that perfectly represent the modern Tokyo that Roppongi Hills and TV Asahi stand for.

This attraction features a half-size replica of a Viking ship and exhibits related to the children's book author Hans Christian Andersen. Delightful goods made in Denmark are also for sale.

Located right in the heart of America Mura is Mitsu Park. Commonly known as Sankaku Park (triangle park) because of its shape, this spot is a magnet for young people all day long and doubles as a convenient meeting place.

Built in 1933, this large museum is the second old municipal art museum in Japan. The collection extends to about 3,300 pieces centered on Kyoto artists from the modern to contemporary period. The museum holds art exhibitions such as Nitten (the largest competition art exhibition in Japan) as well as events organized by fine art associations.

This museum was established in March 2003 with 3 designers, Issei Miyake (fashion designer), Taku Sato (graphic designer), and Naoto Fukazawa (product designer) as its directors and Noriko Kawakami, a journalist and editor, as its associate director. Not only does it offer exhibitions, but it also offers various programs such as talks and workshops with a concept of ”becoming a venue where day-to-day perspectives and views can be proposed.” The building with a symbolic roof created with an image of ”one sheet of fabric” was designed by Tadao Ando, an architect.

Ubukeya is a ”Uchi Hamono” shop established in 1783 in Osaka. It was located in Edo during the Bakumatsu period, and is still around now. The store name came from the praises that their products ”can cut your ubuke (soft hair), can cut and remove”. They sell a range of products, from tweezers to Japanese knives, to scissors, western knives and other knives. If you take care of them meticulously, they can even be passed on to your grandchildren's generation. Apart from that, you may also find it interesting to see the wooden, quirky architecture of the shop.

Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third shogun of the Tokugawa family in the Edo period, established Sanjusangen-do for the peace in the country, national security, and tempering martial arts. The hall built after the manner of ones in Kyoto became the beginning of Yasaki-inari. The name Yasaki also came from ”yumi” (a bow) and ”ya” (an arrow). Fukurokuju (god of happiness, wealth, and long life) of the seven deities is placed at the right side of the worship hall in front of the main building.

If you come to Shibamata, the Tora-san Museum is an absolute must-visit. As explained earlier, it is all about the film series Otoko wa Tsurai yo that revolves around the wandering salesman Tora-san and his sheer eternal story of his unsuccessful love life. Running between 1969 and 1995, it holds the world record for the world’s longest-running movie series starring a single actor. As such, Otoko wa Tsurai yo and its endearing main protagonist, played by Kiyoshi Atsumi, has a large fandom not only in Japan. The museum itself was opened in 1997. Even if you have never heard of this show up until now, the Tora-san Museum is well-worth the visit. The dumpling store and print shop of the series have been faithfully recreated, offering not only a nostalgic paradise for fans of Otoko wa Tsurai yo but also a very authentic glimpse into Tokyo’s 60s and 70s. Other parts of the museum take you even further back: beautiful dioramas show how Shibamata has looked back in the 1930s when Tora-san was a child. There even is a life-sized wagon of a man-powered tramway as it was used decades ago! For fans of Otoko wa Tsurai yo, we highly recommend also visiting the Yoji Yamada Museum, dedicated to the director of the series and many other movie masterpieces – it’s right next to the Tora-san Museum.

The place along the beach where Omiya-no Matsu (pine tree of Omiya) and a statue of Kanichi and Omiya are situated is the most photographed place in Atami. The bronze statue is based on the novel, Konjiki Yasha (The Golden Demon), written by Koyo Ozaki, which gained popularity in the Meiji period (1868-1912). The novel greatly helped make the name of Atami known throughout Japan.

Atami Castle is located on the top of Mt. Nishikigaura. The observatory in its tehnshu-kaku (donjon) commands a view of the whole of Atami. Atami is likened to a Monaco in the orient for its resort hotels and beautiful marine views. On a clear day, it is recommended to enjoy views while soaking your feet in the footbath on the first floor (free of charge).

Nikkotei Oyu is a time-honored inn, which is popular among one-day tourists to enjoy hot spring bathing. There is an open-air bath surrounded by bamboo trees, which is large enough to accommodate some 20 people. There is also a room for up to five people, which is recommended for a family.

This attraction introduces the culture and history of Austria, with a central emphasis on Mozart. You'll see valuable items on display, such as a replica of the piano that Mozart used for composing, and a music score written in his original handwriting. On the terrace you can enjoy the imperial torte set (1,350 JPY), which is imported directly from Vienna, as well as Austrian beer and wine.

Haibara is a washi shop in Nihonbashi that has been around for over 200 years. They sell various types of washi, from letters sets to kazari fans and paper products. The shop is also for the fact that Takehisa Yumeji, an artist famous for drawing beautiful women in the Taisho period (1912 - 1926) designed many of the patterns for this shop's letter writing sets, envelopes and uchiwas. The ”Jabara (rickrack/zigzag) letter writing set” is the shop's most popular item, with dotted lines at every folding point, and you can just tear off the part you need to use.

A restaurant that serves freshly caught river fish can also be found, and the area is characterized by the friendly atmosphere of the traditionally commercial, working-class neighborhood.

Located just north of Hokke-do in the Todai-ji Temple complex, Nigatsu-do is known as a place where Shuni-e (Omizu-tori or Sacred Water-drawing Festival) takes place every March. Nigatsu-do was named so since Shuni-e was held in February (nigatsu in Japanese) in the old calendar. Fire destroyed it in 1667, but two years later the current building was reconstructed exactly as it was before the fire. The building's design features a cascading style of architecture, and provides a commanding view of the roof of the Great Buddha Hall and Nara city. The principal image is the Juichimen Kannon, which is never shown to the public.