What tourist attractions does my hometown promote?

Konishi brewery village

My hometown, has sake factories which have been running since 16th century. As a guide, I will show travelers a sake museum whose wooden building is was once a sake brewery.

The second floor of Konishi brewery village is sake museum. (The first floor is a restaurant!)

sake barrel

After visiting it, I will give them a chance of sake testing.

Saigoku kaido highway

I will also show them a ruin of the old castle near JR station and a part of a famous highway connecting between Kyoto and Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi prefecture. There are some interesting stone monuments along this road.

What to do when a big earthquake occurs during the stay in Japan.

Japan is an earthquake prone country. First of all, you ensure your safety. If you are in a building, you should keep away from the window in case the glass breaks. You should turn off any fire immediately, go beneath the desk or table and follow the instructions of the staffs in the building. The best destination after the earthquake would be an evacuation site. These sites may be public schools, or public parks. The local government will provide information and some service.

Where can travekers do some tax-free shopping?

Overseas travelers in Japan who spend more than 10,001yen on in one shop are entitled to a refund of the 5% consumption tax. Only department stores and specialty shops used to dealing with foreign tourists offer the refund, and you must show your passports. No refund is granted for cosmetics, food, alcohol, cigarettes, medicine, film and batteries, which include the consumption tax in their price tag.

About lodgings in Japan

Ryokan entrance

a room of Ryokan

a shared bath of Ryokan (some ryokans offer hot springs)

If you stay at a Japanese style inn, at first, you have to take off your shoes at the entrance, and switch to slippers. You do not enter into your room with slippers. Before entering your room, there is a small space to take off the slippers, so you enter the Japanese style room barefoot. I think you can relax sitting on a tatami floor barefoot. You have to make sure about the times and the place for dinner and breakfast. Japanese inns serve the meals in your room or in a large dining room. And the time is fixed. If the inn has a shared bath, you can enjoy soaking in a hot water bath tub. While taking bath, you will be surprised that some staffs enter your room and lay out futon, which is Japanese bedding.

Are car rental services available in Japan? Could you give me some tips on driving in Japan?

Yes, car rental services are available in Japan. However you have to obtain the international driver’s license ahead of coming to Japan. And you people drive on the left in Japan which is similar to UK.

Is there a way for foreign tourists to make their travel economical?

a room of Ryokan (Japanese style inn)

Western style hotels and Japanese inns called Ryokan are usually rather expensive for young travelers. To make their travel economical, one of the best accommodations would be staying at Japanese friend’s house.

Minshuku inn

If they do not have any Japanese friends, I will recommend to stay at Youth Hostels or dormitories which can be found in large cities. They could be located outside of town. However, the transportation system in Japan is well equipped and recent dormitories have been renovated and they are said to be more comfortable than before. I also recommend minshuku which is a private home offering overnight accommodation. Travelers can enjoy the homey atmosphere and home cooking in Minshuku inn.

Seishun 18 ticket (for JR Line)

As for transportation, JR lines offer a special ticket called “Seisyun 18 ticket” with which travelers can get on any train for a period of five days with the exception of bullet and express trains.

My city

Okada house, one of the oldest sake brewery house in Japan, built in the early Edo period. It is designated as an important cultural asset by Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

About my city.

My city is a suburb in Kansai region, the west part of Japan, near Osaka.
My city has been very famous for Japanese sake breweries since the Edo period.
The reason why the sake factories are there is because the water is suitable for sake production. In addition, my city is located on the Osaka Bay. They could easily ship sake barrels from Osaka Bay to Edo which is now Tokyo.
Although my hometown suffered from the Great Hanshin Earthquake, and lots of buildings were destroyed, people have kept their chin up and gotten through difficulties.

Mt. Fuji, the highest, the most popular, and the most hallowed mountain in Japan

What is the highest mountain in Japan? The highest mountain in Japan is Mt. Fuji. It is located in the north part of Shizuoka, and in the south west of Yamanashi prefecture. Mt. Fuji is an active volcano. It has not erupted for about 300 years. Mt. Fuji is almost perfectly cone-shaped mountain. You can see it from the window of the Shinkansen, the Japanese bullet train in Shizuoka prefecture.

How high is it? Could you tell me a bit about it?
Mt. Fuji is 3776 meters high and is a symbol of Japan. Mt. Fuji has been depicted in various kinds of art works, such as Ukiyo-e, the wooden block printing by Hokusai and in some folding screens. In the traditional public bath house, you can find the wall painting of Mt. Fuji. This mountain has been loved by Japanese.
Mt. Fuji itself has been regarded as divine.


Which do you think is the best season for touring around Japan?

In my personal opinion, the autumn is the best season for touring around Japan. The temperature in the autumn is so pleasant. In addition, it has a lot of days free of rain. You can appreciate the leaves turn beautifully crimson and yellow in the ground of shrines and temples. However, each season has each attractive point. You can see the cherry blossom in the early spring everywhere in Japan. In the summer, you can enjoy visiting a summer festival in a shrine.