Wednesday, August 3, 2011

HONSHU

(does not include Kyoto or Tokyo; does include Osaka)

CHIBA PREFECTURE
FUNABASHI CITY
Restaurants
Joe’s Shanghai – Funabashi Lala Port, Lalaport Tokyo-Bay, North Wing, 1F, 2-1-1 Hamachou (Chiba-Ken); 011-81-04-7431-8777; joesshanghairestaurants.com; famous for dumpling soup.



CHŪBU PREFECTURE
NAGOYA
Restaurants
Din Tai Fung – 1-1-4 Meieki Nakamura-ku (12F Nagoya Takashimaya Department Store); 011-81-05-2562-5606; dintaifungusa.com; excellent café chain that elevates street food into something elegant; try xiaolong bao (soup dumplings).



GIFU PREFECTURE
(includes Seki City)
SEKI CITY
Sights & Sites
Nemichi Shrine – 448 Itadori (Seki City); 011-81-05-8157-2111; kankou-gifu.jp/spot/5094; there is name-less small pond under shrine; recently become known as Monet’s Pond because resembles painting by Claude Monet; water lilies flower from June to October every year.


YORO
Sights & Sites
Site of Reversible Destiny – 1298-2 Takabayashi (Yoro City); 011-81-05-843-20501; yoro-park.com; artists-architects-poets group formed by Madeline Gins & Arakawa; architectural projects have included residences, parks & plans for housing complexes and neighborhoods.



ISHIKAWA PREFECTURE
KOMATSU (includes Kaga)
Hotels
Hōshi Ryokan – Wa-46 Awazu-machi (Komatsu); 011-81-07-6165-1111; ryokan.ne.jp/hoshi/?lang=en; founded in 718; operated by same family for 46 generations; set 3 km from Nata-dera Temple & 11 km from Katayamazu Hot Spring; quaint, wooden inn surrounded by gardens & trees; subdued rooms feature garden views, shoji screen doors, chabudai dining tables, tatami floors & futons; most have balconies & flat-screens; seafood dining; gender-segregated, communal bathhouse with indoor & outdoor hot spring pools; traditional tea ceremonies.

Sights & Sites
Katayamazu Hot Spring – Katayamazuonsen (Kaga); 011-81-07-6174-1123; kasuikyo.com/lang/en; part of Kaga Onsen Villages together with Yamashiro, Yamanaka & Awazu (hot-spring town next to Shibayamagata Lake); spring contains calcium chloride & sodium, has moisturizing effect & keeps you warm long after you bathe in it; Machiyu, public bath facility in Katayamazu Onsen center has 2 types of baths (rebuilt in April 2012); in Kata No Yu has mysterious atmosphere as if water of bath is directly connected to surface of Shibayamagata Lake, spreading before your eyes; in Mori No Yu, enjoy high-quality hot spring water in abundant green scenery.
Nata-dera Temple – 122 Natamachi Yu (Komatsu); 011-81-07-6165-2111; .japan-guide.com/e/e4281.html; Shingon Buddhism Koyasan Branch temple (among major Japanese Buddhism schools); about 10 km south of central Komatsu city & 3 km southwest of Awazu hot spring resort; started in 717 when Priest Taicho enshrined statue of 1K-handed Kan’non; when Emperor Kazan visited here in 986, gave name “Nata-dera” to temple; in 14th Century, temple had come to ruin by civil wars; Toshitsune Maeda, 2nd lord of Kaga Clan, restored in 1640; temple on mountain slope; forests, ponds, beautiful garden & rocky hills in site; main temple near huge rocky cliff & 1K-handed Kan’non enshrined there; including within main temple, Shoin (Priest’s studu room) & Kuri (Priest’s living house), 3-storied pagoda, Bell Tower & Gomadou temple; Kondou-Kaouden temple rebuilt in 1990 & all Buddhist memorial services are held in this temple; Yusenkyo cliff is most popular spot in temple.


KANAZAWA
Hotels
Guest House Pongyi – 2-22 Rokumai-machi; 011-81-07-6225-7369; english.pongyi.com; highly recommended guest house from which to explore beautiful city not bombed in WWII.

Restaurants
Shima Geisha House – 1-13-21 Higashiyama; 011-81-07-6252-5675; teahouse in Higashi Chaya District.

Sights & Sites
Higashi Chaya District – old Geisha “teahouse” district.
Kanazawa Castle – 1-1 Marunouchi; 011-81-07-6234-3800; pref.ishikawa.jp; next to Kenrokuen Garden.
Kenrokuen Garden – 1-1 Marunouchi; 011-81-07-6234-3800; pref.ishikawa.jp.
Myoryuji Temple – Nomachi 1-chome; 011-81-07-6241-0888; reservations required; “ninja” temple; Nichiren sect founded; famous for passages and rooms labyrinth; 1 underground passage leads to nearby River Sai banks.
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art – 1-2-1 Hirosaka; 011-81-07-6220-2800; kanazawa21.jp; impressive architecture and collection.



KANAGAWA PREFECTURE
HAKONE
Hotels
Hyatt Regency Hakone Resort & Spa – 1320 Gora Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun; 011-81-04-6082-2000; hakone.regency.hyatt.com; resort town centered around hot springs; 79 rooms, muted and spacious; high-tech; full-service spa; mediocre food; late fall for foliage, winter for warming up in onsen (hot tub soak); east wing rooms on 3rd and 4th floors offer unobstructed views of surrounding Mount Myogo.
KAI Hakone – 230 Yumoto Chaya Hakone machi Ashigarashimo Gun (Kanagawa); 011-81-05-3786-0099; global.hoshinoresort.com/kai_hakone or kai-hakone.jp; ryokan with less than 50 rooms; set apart in world of its own, off Old Tokaido road in Sugumogawa valley; each unit offers river view; dining room serves fresh Pacific seafood from nearby Odawara, combined with ingredients from local Ashigara area; in late 19th Century, Hakone among 1st resorts patronized by American and European residents of Japan.



MIYAGI PREFECTURE
SHIROISHI
Sights & Sites
Zao Fox Village – 11-3 Fukuokayatsumiya (about 20-minute drive from Shiroishi Town); 011-81-02-2424-8812; www12.plala.or.jp/zao-fox/#_=_; animal attraction where visitors get up-close look at foxes on forest land surrounded by chain-link fence about 3 meters high; within enclosed area are roofed walkways, numerous small shelters, platform shelter from where visitors can feed foxes & Shinto shrine; within main area, foxes are free to roam.


SENDAI
Restaurants
Din Tai Fung – 1-9-33 Chuo Aoba-ku ; 011-81-02-2212-1680; dintaifungusa.com; excellent café chain that elevates street food into something elegant; try xiaolong bao (soup dumplings).


NAGANO PREFECTURE
KOMORO
Sights & Sites
Momofuku Ando Center of Outdoor Training – 1100 Ookubo Komoro-shi; 011-81-02-6724-0825; momofukucenter.jp; notable for “bird apartment” (houses 78 birds in large structure accessed, by birdwatchers, by ladder; can sit in area behind bird apartments and peer in through tiny peepholes.


NAGANO (includes Karuizawa, Nozawa-Onsen & Obuse)
Bars & Nightclubs
Ichi Mu An Bar & Cafe – 735-1 Karuizawa-machi (Kitasaku-gun); 011-81-02-6745-7966; facebook.com/karuizawa.ichimuan; David-Lynch-fantasy-whiskey-bar; retro.
Libushi – 9347 Toyosato, Shimotakai-gun (Nozawa-Onsen); 011-81-08-6930-3992; facebook.com/Libushi/timeline#_=_; tiny bar run by Englishman; imported beers.
Yonetaro – 9459 Toyosato (Nozawa-Onsen; 011-81-02-6985-2540; www14.plala.or.jp/yonetaro; only open in winter; pub food.

Hotels
Kiriya Ryokan – 8714-2 Toyosato, Shimotakai-gun (Nozawa-Onsen); 011-81-02-6985-2020; kiriya.jp; run by same family for 5 generations; spare rooms with tatami mats & futons, snowy town views; house onsen (natural hot spring).
Prince Karuizawa – 1016-75 Karuizawa; 011-81-02-6742-8811; princehotels.com/en/the_prince_karuizawa; wonderfully comfortable & well-heated family ski resort; daily therapeutic baths.

Restaurants
Club Restaurant – 807 Obuse, Kamitakan-Gun (Obuse); 011-81-02-6247-5300; masuichi.com/masuichi-tsu/index.htm#_=_; chicly cavernous; dominated by wood-fired clay rice cooker that turns out, in season, bowls of chestnut sticky rice.

Shopping
Obusedo – 808 Obuse (Obuse); 011-81-02-6247-2027; obusedo.com/english; confectioner.
Sakurai Kanseido – 779 Obuse, Kamitakan-Gun (Obuse); 011-81-02-6247-5166; kanseido.co.jp/#_=_; 207-year-old confectioner; specializes in chestnuts (September to mid-October).

Sights & Sites
Asagama-no-yu Onsen – 8758 Toyosato, Shimotakai-gun (Nozawa-Onsen); 011-81-02-6985-3155; nozawakanko.jp/english/hotspring/sotoyu.php#_=_; bath house; in Edo-period wooden house.
Hiroshi Senju Museum – 815 Shiozawa (Nagakura); 011-81-02-6746-6565; senju-museum.jp/en; Japanese painter known for large-scale waterfall depictions.
Ogama Onsen – Nozawa-Onsen (at village top, just beneath ancient Shinto shrine); particularly interesting because great place to see “real Japan” in action; 90 degrees celsius, far too hot for any human to bathe in, but perfect for cooking eggs & vegetables; non-villagers must stay behind protective fence, but great place to watch communal cooking in action.



NARA PREFECTURE
NARA
Restaurants
Awa – I Shonami-cho; 011-81-07-4224-5699; set in town house with pretty courtyard; offers kaiseki, elaborate seasonal meal with many courses.
Mangyoku – 9 Ganrin-cho; 011-81-07-4222-2265; occupies former geisha house; tapas-style dishes.

Sights & Sites
Nara Park – city center (near Kintetsu Nara Station); 011-81-07-4222-1101; pref.nara.jp/narakoen/index-e-take-2.htm; city’s center; wild deer.
Naramachi – 44 Gangojicho Nara; historic merchant area.
Todaiji Temple – city center (near Kintetsu Nara Station); home to Japan’s largest Buddha statue.



OSAKA PREFECTURE
IBARAKI
Sights & Sites
Hitachi Seaside Park – 605-4 Onuma (Mawatari, Hitachinaka); 011-81-02-9265-9001; hitachikaihin.go.jp; 190 hectares, featuring blooming flowers year-round; known for baby blue-eyes flowers, with 4.5M flowers in spring; also features 1M daffodils, 170 tulip varieties, & many other flowers; cycling trails & small amusement park with Ferris wheel.


OSAKA
Bars & Nightclubs
Bar Core – 1-8-6 Dotonbori (Chuo-ku); 011-81-06-6211-2228; perhaps Osaka’s smallest bar; polished; standing only; try Japanese whiskey (Hibiki).

Hotels
Hotel Monterey Grasmere Osaka – 1-2-3 Minatomachi (Naniwa-ku); 011-81-06-6645-7111; hotelmonterey.co.jp; good location.
New Otani – 1-4-1 Shiromi, Chuo-ku; 011-81-06-6941-1111; newotani.ca.jp; 4-story atrium overlooking Osaka Castle; clean, sparse décor; good food.
St. Regis Osaka – 3-6-12 Honmachi (Chuo-ku); 011-81-06-6258-3333; stregisosaka.co.jp; elegantly “mod” design; 12th floor lobby; outdoor Zen garden.
Ritz-Carlton – 2-5-25 Umeda, Kita-ku; 011-81-800-241-3333 ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Osaka/Default.htm; mixed use skyscraper; excellent food and spa.

Restaurants
Din Tai Fung – 5-1-5 Namba Chuo-ku (7F Takashimaya Osaka store); 011-81-06-6631-1298; dintaifungusa.com; excellent café chain that elevates street food into something elegant; try xiaolong bao (soup dumplings).
551 Horae – 3-6-3 Namba (Chuo-ku); 011-81-06-6641-0551; 551horae.co.jp; local franchise famous for its steamed pork buns; locations all over city but assembled here; get box and eat at Namba Parks Garden.
Matsusakagyu Yakiniku M on Hozenji Yokocho – 1-1-19 Namba (Chuo-ku); 011-81-06-6221-2917; matsusaka-projects.com; specializes in Matsusaka beef; narrow restaurant on stone-paved alley near Hozenji Temple.
Mizuno – 1-4-15 Dotonbori (Chuo-ku); 011-81-06-6212-6360; mizuno-osaka.com; okonomiyaki (“grill what you like”).
Takoyaki Jyuhachiban – 1-7-21 Dotonbori (Chuo-ku); 011-81-06-6211-3118; specialty is takoyaki (fried octopus balls).
Shopping
Hanshin Department Store – 1-13-13 Umeda (Kita-ku); 011-81-06-6345-1201; hanshin-dept.jp/dept/english; Hanshin Tigers’ official store.
Hep Five Department Store – 5-15 Kakuda-cho (Kita-ku); 011-81-06-6313-0501; hepfive.jp.
Ichimonji – 14-8 Nanbasennichimae (Chuo-ku); 011-81-06-6633-9393; ichimonji.co.jp; knives.

Sights & Sites
Cosmo Tower – 1-14-16 Nanko-kita (Suminoe-ku); 011-81-06-6615-6055; actio.co.jp/platplanet; dazzling, 360° views.
Hanshin Koshien Stadium – 1-82 Koshien-cho (Nishinomiya); 011-81-07-9849-4509; hanshin.co.jp/koshien; baseball stadium.
Hep Five Department Store Ferris Wheel – 5-15 Kakuda-cho (Kita-ku); 011-81-06-6313-0501; hepfive.jp; giant (347') ferris wheel that spins atop 9 story building; great city views.
Hozenji Temple – 1-Chome Namba (Chuo-ku); Jodo Buddhist temple; built in 17th Century; trimmed with paper lanterns.
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum – 8-25 Masumi-cho (Ikeda-shi); 011-81-07-2751-0825; nissin-noodles.com; entertaining noodle-loer pilgrimage point.
Namba Parks Garden – 2-10-70 Nambanaka (Naniwa-ku); 011-81-06-6644-7100; nambaparks.com; rooftop park on 8 levels.
National Museum of Art, Osaka – 4-2-55 Nakanoshima (Kita-ku); 011-81-06-6447-4680; nmao.go.jp; designed by Cesar Pelli; must-see architecture.
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan – 1-1-10 Kaigan-dori (Minato-ku); 011-81-06-6576-5501; kaiyukan.com.



TOCHIGI PREFECTURE
NIKKO
Sights & Sites
Tosho-gu Shrine – 2301 Sannai; 011-81-02-8854-0560; toshogu.jp; established in 1617 as lavish memorial for Tokugawa Ieyasu, founding Tokugawa shogunate ruler (Edo Period); shrine comprises gilded Yomeimon Gate, main sanctuary (set in cedar grove) & tomb itself.



YAMAGATA PREFECTURE
YAMAGATA
Hotels
Meigetsus – 5-50 Hayama (Kaminoyama); 011-81-02-3672-0330; meigetsuso.co.jp/english; visit Zao Onsen hot spring & ski resort, located in mountains of Japan’s Yamagata Prefecture & you’ll see ice trees (trees that pack on heavy amounts of snow to take on fascinating shapes).



YAMANASHI PREFECTURE
HAYAKAWA
Sights & Sites
Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan – 825 Yujima (Minamikoma-gun); 011-81-05-5648-2111; keiunkan.co.jp/en; hot spring hotel founded in 705 AD; oldest hotel & among oldest companies in world; continuously operated by 52 generations of same family (including adopted heirs) for over 1.3K years; lies at foot of Akaishi Mountains; since its foundation hotel has had all hot water sourced directly from local Hakuho Springs; last renovated in 1997 & has 37 rooms.

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