Tom J

6 hours ago
[Image1]Nishiwaki in the center of Hyogo prefecture proudly proclaims itself

Nishiwaki in the center of Hyogo prefecture proudly proclaims itself "The Navel of Japan." Being a bellybutton seems a little unflattering, but it is actually a hotly disputed title, since Shibukawa in Gunma prefecture contests the title with its own Navel festival, complete with painted stomachs. Weird.

Nishiwaki itself has a "navel park", complete with monument, but thankfully has a lot more to indicate than its name or its relative geographic remoteness would indicate. A nice science museum and observatory is available, and the staff are very kind with on-hand demonstrations and explanations. A multipurpose community center "Mirai-e" has a large children's play area stocked with a very unusual amount of wooden toys from Sweden.

If you are looking for something more cultural, Nishiwaki is a center of the Banshu-ori textile tradition, making it one of the best places to get cotton products that are grown in Japan.