Some of Japan’s hidden gems are not places — but quiet moments noticed by the right people.

The Railway Museum is super fun.

They love to eat dango.

En said he likes it.

The Tower of Siblings

Japanese food is incredibly delicious.

My child and the underground passage

Kyō and Bird

All of Hokkaido's "deliciousness" is here. Perfectly roasted beef with exquisitely melted Gouda cheese. Local ingredients like Mashu Soba and Mashu Udon are also abundant. In the morning, enjoy a tasting of three types of milk, and a "sashimi bowl" featuring fresh seafood over steaming hot rice. Add some mountain wasabi for extra flavor. There's also a nostalgic sweet omelet. 🍓A strawberry fair is currently being held (until 5/31). The most enjoyable part is deciding what to eat first. You can make reservations from the profile. 📍Kussharo Prince Hotel https://www.instagram.com/kussharo_ph/...

Photographed on May 19, 2014. These are the remnants of cherry blossoms at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine.

In search of the fresh leaves of May, I visited the tea-producing area of Ono, the Fujigouchi Tea Garden. If you listen closely, you can hear a singing voice from somewhere… "As summer approaches, on the 88th night, young leaves flourish in the fields and mountains. Is that tea being harvested over there? Wearing a red and white checkered apron and a hat made of bulrushes." Location: Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture

Introducing stores where you can enjoy matcha around Zenkoji Temple✨ <If you want to look back later, don't forget to tap the "save mark!"> 1. Saryo Itoen Zenkoji Store Opened in March 2023! This Japanese cafe, located east of the main hall of Zenkoji, offers matcha and carefully selected sencha, presenting the charm of Japanese tea in line with modern lifestyles. 【Location】East side of Zenkoji main hall (East Park) 【Hours】9:00 AM - 4:00 PM 【Other】Eat-in space available 2. Sukiya Naito Toukiten @sukiya.naito.toukiten You can enjoy a casual matcha-making experience near Nagano Station, even if it's your first time! There are courses available without reservations, making it convenient to use during your sightseeing breaks. 【Hours】10:00 AM - 6:30 PM (Closed on Mondays) 【How to Apply】 ・Phone reservations available (026-227-7110) ・Web reservations available through Jalan.net *There are also courses available without reservations. 【Duration】About 30 minutes 【Parking】None (there are paid parking lots nearby) *Parking service tickets for the first parking lot will be issued for customers who spend over 2,000 yen. 【Experience Fee】Course with fresh sweets 2,000 yen (tax included) *Please check the official website for details. 3. Fujita Kyuemon Shop Here, you can enjoy koi-shaped taiyaki and matcha, not the usual tai. The koi-shaped taiyaki made with seasonal ingredients is popular. They also offer rare matcha, and the matcha brewed on-site by the owner is exceptional. 【Phone Number】026-219-2293 【Hours】6:30 AM - until sold out *Winter hours (December to February) 7:00 AM - until sold out 【Closed】Irregular holidays 4. CHAYADO 108 @cha_yado_momoya This cafe, which offers matcha, is a guesthouse run by the popular sweets shop "centotto gelato" located in Shinanomachi and Nagano Station Building. You can spend a calm time in a quiet atmosphere with soft light filtering through wooden lattice and a focus on space. 【Phone Number】026-217-2608 【Hours】9:00 AM - 6:00 PM (Last order at 6:00 PM) 【Closed】None 【Parking】None 5. Chokien This long-established shop is dedicated to "family recipe fire-roasted tea." Their soft serve ice cream, bavarois, and sweet red bean soup made from tea are highly praised. 【Phone Number】026-232-2511 【Hours】9:00 AM - 5:30 PM (Weekdays) 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM (Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) 【Closed】Irregular holidays <Zenkoji Food Walk Ticket> This is a great ticket that allows you to choose and purchase your favorites from 19 stores offering Nagano specialties and sweets! ✨How to Use✨ 1. Purchase the ticket [1,000 yen each (tax included)] 2. At participating stores listed in the pamphlet, exchange the stickers attached to the ticket (100 yen x 8, 50 yen x 4) for products 3. Exchange the used ticket for a prize (get an original bag!) You can enjoy a little bit of various stores' flavors at a lower price than usual, making it perfect for a food walk✨ For more detailed information, please check the highlights (@nagano_cvb)! #Matcha #Sweets #Food Walk #Nagano City #Nagano Tourism

Hiraike Park in Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture. Within this spacious park, there are small ponds with water lilies and Ooga Lotus, which are about to be in full bloom. It's not a famous spot, but it's one of my favorite hidden gems where you can find peace and tranquility.

Matsuyama City, in collaboration with JTB Corp. and a third party, will utilize the digital map "Stroly" to encourage both domestic and international tourists to explore the area and revitalize the city center through the nighttime economy. It can be easily used by first-time visitors, as it is linked with GPS location information on smartphones and other devices. (1) Dogo Onsen and Matsuyama City Digital Map - A tourist map of the city center and Dogo Onsen area - Featuring illustrations that represent Matsuyama, such as Matsuyama Castle, hot springs, white herons, and camellias, making it easy for overseas visitors to understand at a glance. (2) Matsuyama NightDining & Bar Digital Map - A map of restaurants in the city center, including izakayas, bars, and restaurants - Accessible via QR codes and websites - Available in Japanese, English, Korean, traditional Chinese, and simplified Chinese - Linked with GPS location information, allowing users to check their current location while using it - Future content will be further enhanced.

Photographed on May 19, 2014. These are the remaining cherry blossoms at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine.

Create special memories with your family near Tokyo 🤿☀️ This time, we visited Usami in Higashi-Izu. It's a seaside area in Japan that you can access from Tokyo in a day. In the morning, we departed the city, heading towards Izu while enjoying the coastal scenery. The landscape gradually changes. Time flows slowly. Just that alone allows you to feel a different side of Japan compared to Tokyo. On this day, we participated in a PADI Open Water Diver course as a family. At first, they seemed a bit nervous, but once they entered the water, smiles began to appear. Seeing the same ocean, watching the same fish, and being moved by the same scenery. Diving offers such special moments. The waters of Higashi-Izu are a popular diving area for international guests as well. The scenery changes with the seasons, allowing you to enjoy schools of fish and the serene blue underwater world. "I can't believe there's such a sea near Tokyo." It's not uncommon to hear such remarks from first-time international visitors. Obtaining a diving license is not just about getting a qualification. It's about challenging yourself to enter a new world together. It's about spending the same time in Japan's waters. That experience itself will remain as a memory of the journey. It's another side of Japan that you won't encounter just by visiting tourist spots. That is the charm of "Dive Near Tokyo." At Hokule'a Shonan, we offer small-group beginner-friendly diving tours and license courses. We can accommodate English speakers, making it a great option for international travelers and foreigners living in Japan. Why not spend a slightly special day during your trip to Tokyo?

The sunset at Taga-cho, Shiga Prefecture, was perfect on this day!

A sunset captured from the road heading from Kitami to Bihoro.

Taken on May 19, 26. This is the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine grounds and the Kawagoe City Gokoku Shrine. I sat on the bench in front and enjoyed the cool breeze.

Near the Amarube Trestle Bridge in Hyogo Prefecture, Heisei Suimei no Sato offers a stunning view of the Sea of Japan from its beautiful sandy beach. On a weekday afternoon just before the season, there are few visitors, allowing you to enjoy this scenery all to yourself.

Event Announcement📣 On Sunday, May 24th, the 46th Hirocho Azalea Festival will be held at Daimaruyama Forest Park😊 Approximately 12,000 Ezo Yamazutsujis will beautifully decorate the venue🎵 On that day, Yasu from HBC Radio's "Car Navigation Radio Afternoon First!" will serve as the host, energizing the venue. A variety of programs will be available, including Tokachi Port's Soran Dance, a special balloon show by the clown Gucci, a BINGO tournament with luxurious prizes, and a quick-eating contest called "Shishamon Pick" featuring local specialties‼ In the gourmet corner "Full Belly Market," delicious offerings from various shops will be sold. You can also enjoy fresh seafood purchased on-site using the grilling station. Additionally, you can taste the "Hakkaku Oyakata's hometown Chanko Nabe" provided by the Women's Promotion Council of three organizations in Hirocho😍 Shuttle buses will operate from Hirocho Elementary School to the venue, ensuring that elderly guests and those with small children can attend comfortably🤗 Date: May 24, 2026 (Sunday) 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM Venue: Special Venue at Daimaruyama Forest Park https://www.town.hiroo.lg.jp/kankou/event/...

A carefully curated buffet featuring Hokkaido ingredients. Enjoy as much as you like, both morning and night. A limited-time fair filled with strawberries is also underway 🍓 Available from Saturday, April 25, 2026, to Sunday, May 31, 2026. Save this if you're interested 👇 Reservations can be made through the profile URL. 📍Kussharo Prince Hotel https://www.instagram.com/kussharo_ph/...

【Mt. Atosanupuri Trekking Tour】 This year, the Mt. Atosanupuri Trekking Tour has begun!❣️ In this tour, we will introduce the main points of interest. Reservations can be made through Teshikagacho Navi or via the link in our stories🔗. Please check Teshikagacho Navi and our social media, and enjoy this special trekking tour!⛰️✨ 〈Mt. Atosanupuri Trekking Tour〉
Mt. Atosanupuri, meaning "naked mountain" in Ainu language, features approximately 1,500 fumaroles and beautiful yellow sulfur crystals surrounding them. It has been designated as a "specific natural tourism resource" in Teshikagacho, and the mountain is classified as a restricted area under Article 19 of the Eco-Tourism Promotion Act.

If you are looking for a special and valuable trekking tour, please join us.
Advance reservations are required, so don't forget!

Limited climbing tours led by certified guides / Winner of the Minister of the Environment Award at the 18th Eco-Tourism Awards.

Announcement of the Lecture at Kawayu Visitor Center On Saturday, June 20th, we will host a lecture by Professor Emeritus Masashi Ohara from Hokkaido University, titled "The Life History of the Giant Ubayuri - A Unique Life History of the Giant Ubayuri." Additionally, from June 20th to July 20th, a special exhibition co-hosted by the Ministry of the Environment is planned at the Kawayu Visitor Center. Titled "A Journey at 3 km/h - Walking the Eastern Hokkaido Trail," it will explore the charm of the long trail that just opened in October 2024.🚶‍♂️💨✨ We hope you enjoy both the lecture and the special exhibition! 😊 For more details, please contact the Kawayu Visitor Center.

As my health has improved, I visited Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. This is the shrine grounds around 7:30 in the morning. I prefer to visit alone and take my time.

There is a spring when window frames become paintings. The Kyoto Prefectural Office Former Main Building, located in Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City, is an important cultural property built in 1904. Compared to Gion and Arashiyama, it attracts fewer visitors, making it a hidden gem where you can quietly savor the true depth of Kyoto. Every spring, the Cherry Blossom Viewing Festival is held, where magnificent weeping cherry trees bloom in the courtyard surrounded by Meiji-era Western-style architecture. The view of the cherry blossoms and the courtyard through the old wooden windows creates a composition that resembles a painting, offering a special spring experience unique to this place. Despite being an active government building, it is free to visit, allowing you to enjoy the luxurious collaboration of historical architecture and cherry blossoms. This is a place that those tired of the usual Kyoto sightseeing spots should definitely visit. 85-3 Yabunouchi-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City.

Is there really such a different world in Nagoya? Yokisō, located in Chikusa Ward, Nagoya City, is a villa garden built by Jirozaemon Itō, the first president of Matsuzakaya, during the Taisho to Showa periods. Surprisingly little known even among locals, it is a hidden gem favored by connoisseurs. The vermilion bridge spanning the pond, the charming wooden corridor, and the autumn scenery with vibrant maple leaves reflecting on the water create a beauty reminiscent of Kyoto's famous gardens. The tranquil space enveloped in shades of green, yellow, and red allows you to forget the hustle and bustle of the city. Admission is free, making it easy to visit, and it remains uncrowded even during the autumn foliage season. Be sure to enjoy this hidden Japanese garden, the best in Nagoya. 2-5-17 Hōō-chō, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken, Japan.

Is this Nagoya? It’s a corridor from another world that makes you do a double take. The Nagoya City Archives, located in Higashi Ward, Nagoya City, is an important cultural property built in 1922 in the Neo-Baroque style. Compared to Nagoya Castle and Sakae, it has fewer tourists, making it a hidden architectural gem where you can take your time exploring. Upon entering the building, you are greeted by an elegant marble staircase, stained glass, and arched windows that create a majestic space, making you feel as if you've wandered into a European palace. Its overwhelming beauty has made it a popular filming location for dramas and movies. The fact that admission is free and you can easily drop by is another delightful point. You can discover a new side of Nagoya. 3-1 Shirakabe 1-chome, Higashi-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken, Japan.

This sky is unique to this place. Located in the northern part of Mie Prefecture, Inabe City is a nature-rich agricultural town overlooking the Suzuka Mountains. From late September to early October each year, the vast fields are blanketed with white buckwheat flowers in full bloom. During sunset, the dramatic sky is dyed in shades of crimson, creating a fantastical scene where the silhouette of flower fields stretches to the horizon against the backdrop of the mountains, resembling a painting. It is precisely because of the unspoiled rural landscape that one can experience this overwhelming sense of scale and tranquility. With easy access, just about an hour's drive from Nagoya, be sure to visit with your camera in hand to seek out this hidden gem of a view. Inabe City, Mie Prefecture, Inabe Town.