4.0Nagoya Castle(3.542 reviews) - New museum open! Friday: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Castles
Nagoya Omotenashi Bushotai is comprised of 6 bushos (army generals) and 4 jingasa soldiers. The 6 bushos are; Nobunaga Oda, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, Ieyasu Tokugawa, Toshiie Maeda, Kiyomasa Kato, and Keiji Maeda. Nagoya Omotenashi Bushotai members talk and act as the “real” historical figures. They are featured in various TV shows. They also entertain visitors at the Nagoya Castle.See more..
4.0Higashichaya Old Town(2.622 reviews) - A well-preserved tea district with numerous teahouses, restaurants, and shops Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites • Neighborhoods • Points of Interest & Landmarks
A small neighborhood with old teahouses, quaint alleys, and countless restaurants and shops. It's about a 10-15 minute walk from Kenrokuen. You'll find everything from high-end sushi to Instagrammable gold flake-topped soft serve ice creams in Higashichaya. Most come to walk around and take photos in the picturesque alleys, walk along the river, or pop into the many cafes for a beverage. Many of the buildings look like homes, but don't be fooled, most of them are either a restaurant, a teahouse, or a shop. It's also a good area to buy unique souvenirs. Prepare for lots of tourist during busy seasons.See more..
4.0Kanazawa Castle(2.197 reviews) - Great looking structure and history with free guide Friday: 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Historic Sites • Castles
All that remain of this castle, once occupied by the powerful Maeda family, are the Ishikawa Gate, a moat and stone walls.See more..
4.5Inuyama Castle(1.047 reviews) - Volunteer tour guide made this trip amazing! Friday: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Castles
We were pleasantly surprised to be offered a free tour - in English! - when we arrived at the castle entrance. The guide was very knowledgeable and gave us lots of insights to the castle's construction and history. The tour took about 45 minutes or so and really made the trip. Since most of the displays were only in Japanese, we would have had a very quick trip through the castle. I see some other reviewers commented on wearing socks and the steep stairs... I would recommend wearing less slippery socks if at all possible. My husband's socks were pretty slick compared to mine, so he had to be extra careful walking on the smooth wooden floors. This would not be a good place to visit if you have issues with stairs or heights, unless you just want to look around the gardens.See more..
Many samurai (Japanese warriors) used to live in this area, where remnants of that era, like several mansions, a canal and private gates, still remain.See more..
4.0Nomura Family Samurai House(869 reviews) - An iconic landmark of the neighbourhood! Friday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM Historic Sites
Step inside this traditional Japanese home, complete with tea-ceremony room, a small, enchanting garden, artifacts from the Edo period and personal belongings of the Nomura family, who lived here for 10 generations.See more..
4.0Oyama Shrine(678 reviews) - A quiet and nice shrine! Friday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Historic Sites • Religious Sites
The unique entry gate for which this 1599 shrine is famous was originally part of Kanazawa Caste.See more..
4.5Nakasendo Magome-juku(674 reviews) - Stunning walk Friday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Historic Sites • Historic Walking Areas • Hiking Trails
This historic footpath through the Kiso Valley connects the villages of Tsumago and Magome. The partially paved trail is approximately 8 kilometers in length and passes by several historic and natural wonders.See more..
4.0Maruoka Castle(351 reviews) - Worth entering the castle Friday: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Castles
It is free to explore the grounds and look at the castle, but 300 Yen to enter the castle, and also a small museum in a seperate building. Definitely worth entering the castle, an original old Japanese castle, for the views of the surrounding area. It used to be used as a watchtower, and from the views it commands it is easy to see why. Once inside, be ready to climb to get to the top floors of the tower, using very steep stairs with a rope to help you. Worth the effort to get up there. Walking around the outside of the castle is also very interesting, and in summer there are a lot of insects, butterflies, birds, and flowers to see. There is also a small garden, with a koi pond, and a shop/cafe in the grounds. (The museum is the 'Sakaide City Maruoka Museum of History and Folklore', included in the castle ticket)See more..
Kanazawa boasts three active geisha districts, aka the "tea" streets. All are well worth a visit, and each is distinctive. As the "smallest" of the three, Kazuemachi is sometimes overlooked, a great shame as its riverside location, cafes and shops, and during cherry blossom season, gorgeous ephemeral trees all make it well worth an afternoon's stroll.See more..
4.5Ainokura Gassho Community(296 reviews) - Breathtaking Friday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
I read about Ainokura in Lonely Planet and from that point on I made sure that I had to go out to visit there. I stayed in Toyama, not far from the train station, hired a car for the day and drove out to Ainokura. It was so worth it! It's such a beautiful village and was a beautiful way to experience traditional Japanese hospitality and living. It really is a must! It's like you've stepped back in time into a fairytale. Make sure you visit the Gokayama tourist information centre and Murakami House before you make the drive to Ainokura. When you're at the visitor centre make sure you put a sticker on the map of where you're from, my family were the first visitors from Samoa to place a sticker there.See more..
4.0Ichijodani Asakurashi Ruin(271 reviews) - Peaceful site with lots of history Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
We were fortunate to visit the Ruins with a Goodwill Guide who explained the history of the area and provided details about the buildings and the site as we walked thru the recreated town. We visited the garden areas of the feudal lord's residence, entering thru the reconstructed gate. Climbing the hill behind the residence area, we had a view of the beautiful valley. It would be a wonderful place to enjoy a picnic or read a book.See more..
