Travel Information
JAL's original Japan guide. Discover your favorite places in Japan.
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Find the wonders, sites and activities of Japan.
Extra edition of “Untold Stories of Japan” presented by Japan Airlines and TripAdvisor.
This page will open in a new windowBEING JAPAN
JR Central and JAL are promoting Japan’s charms and highlights to our inbound customers and tourists from abroad, proving some tips to spend a pleasant and comfortable time in Japan.
JAL Mileage Bank
About Japan
Destinations
Sapporo / Hakodate / Asahikawa / Obihiro / Kushiro / Rishiri / Okushiri / Abashiri
Japan’s northernmost island and an outdoor lover’s paradise
Kakunodate / Tazawa / Nyuto Onsen
Relax among mountains and lakes in summer, or be dazzled by the winter snow while enjoying unique, northern cuisine.
Morioka / Hiraizumi / Tono
Stunning in all four seasons, Iwate is full of opportunities to enjoy great food and festivals, as well as magnificent scenery.
Yamagata Prefecture / Fukushima Prefecture / Aomori Prefecture
Sceneries, history, cuisine, skiing and hiking... enjoy a trip that will rejuvenate your soul.
Sado-ga-shima / Naeba / Myoko Kogen / Echigo-yuzawa-Onsen
The land of snow, hot springs and fine sake
Narita / Tokyo Disneyland
The gateway to Japan. Packed with great spots for sightseeing where are easily accessible from the capital.
Shinjuku / Akihabara / Asakusa
Japan’s capital and the world’s most populous metropolis
Nagoya / Inuyama / Seto / Nishio /
Toyota / Tokoname / Himaka Island /
Toyokawa / Okazaki
The center of Japanese technology that has prospered as a manufacturing base since ancient times.
Kii Peninsula / Ise
Most sacred shrine, Excellent pearls, and Samurai theme park. Touch the tradition and history.
Arashiyama / Gion / Kurama
The traditional and cultural heart of Japan
Umeda / Namba / Shin-Sekai
One of Japan’s major cities and home of good eating
Fukui / Katsuyama / Obama / Tsuruga / Awara
Sample seafood delicacies such as Echizen crab and puffer fish, as you soak yourself in the history of Fukui’s many heritage sites.
Kobe / Toyooka / Himeji / Kinosaki
Enjoy tradition, modernity, sightseeing spots and culinary delights
Shimane Prefecture / Tottori Prefecture
Iya Valley / Tsurugi-san
Hidden springs and fantastic scenery amid pristine natural surroundings.
Shimanto City / Ashizuri-misaki
Combining unspoiled natural beauty with a tropical climate
Miyajima / Iwakuni / Tomo-no-ura / Onomichi
Steeped in history and a symbol of peace the world over
Uwajima / Matsuyama / Ishizuchi-san
Fresh fruit and fish. Tour some of the castle, explore the history.
Fukuoka / Dazaifu
Many sights to see and delicious cuisine. Fukuoka leaves you satisfied every time.
Karatsu / Imari / Arita
Experience breath-taking natural scenery and traditional crafts. A trip with delighting surprises around every corner.
Kumamoto / Aso-san / Kurokawa-Onsen
Surround yourself with nature and taste gourmet flavors you will find nowhere else.
Kirisima-Yaku National Park / Satsuma Peninsula / Amami Islands
The home of historic heroes and a living volcanic landscape. Toast with delicious shochu and sample the unique Kagoshima cuisine.
Osumi Island / Miyako Island / Yaeyama Islands
Japan’s tropical side offering a unique culture and history
Iwakuni / Yamaguchi / Hagi / Shimonoseki / Mine / Ube / Hofu / Yanai
Westernmost end of Japan's main island, Honshu. Walk through the history with great food, sake and lots of superb views.
Theme
Must See
More fun
This year, Miketsukuni Wakasa and the Saba Kaido were recognized as Japan Heritage sites. The Reinan region of Fukui Prefecture borders Wakasa Bay, and is blessed with bountiful marine resources. Through the ages it supported the cuisine of the ancient capital of Kyoto as a Miketsukuni, or a region that supplied "Minie" food offerings to the Imperial Court.
Kehi Jingu(About 1 hour required)
Emperor Chuai is among six important figures enshrined at this age old shrine, which is also known as Echizen Ichinomiya and Hokurikudo Sochinju. Legend has it the great torii gate there was built from temple juniper wood that washed ashore from Sadogashima. Alongside those at Itsukushima Jinja in Hiroshima and Kasuga-Taisha in Nara, it is one of Japan's three largest wooden torii, and is designated as a cultural asset of national importance.
The "chomeisui" water that flows down off a great rock at the shrine is said to keep you in good health and grant longevity. This is also a popular destination for those making their first shrine visit of the year.
15 min.
Tsuruga Red Brick Warehouses(About 1 hour required)
Near the quay, where the salt breeze fills the air, stand many old warehouses that lend a unique port town charm to the area. On the east side of Tsuruga Port are red brick warehouses that were built in the Meiji period, based on the designs of a foreign engineer. At the time they were used as oil storehouses, and up until a few years ago they housed harvested kelp.
Following renovations, they reopened on October 14, 2015. The north building now serves as a Diorama Hall for the railway and port, and the south building has a new lease of life as a Restaurant Hall where you can enjoy the historic red brick surroundings.
Close by are other facilities such as a railway museum and the Port of Humanity Tsuruga Museum where you can learn more about Tsuruga's history.
30 min.
Marusanya local seafood cuisine(About 1 hour required)
The "Local Specialty Set" features oroshi soba or mori soba noodles using Echizen's famous spicy daikon, as well as your choice of any six pieces of sushi, such as pressed mackerel, grilled mackerel, conger eel, and sea bream.
There are also a myriad of other fresh seafood dishes you'd expect to find at a fish wholesaler like this, including seafood rice bowl and sashimi meals.
Food is one of the most enjoyable things about travel. Here you can sample a range of Fukui delicacies. On the ground floor a range of marine products and processed goods perfect for souvenirs are also sold!
30 min
Mikata Five Lakes(About 2 hours required)
Mikata Lake, Suigetsu Lake, Suga Lake, Kugushi Lake, and Hiruga Lake lie scattered throughout the gorges of the low-lying hills in this region, producing subtle shades that are truly wondrous to look upon. The differences between their hues are apparent from the 11.2 km Rainbow Line (toll road), which provides views of the dynamic landscape of the Five Lakes and the Sea of Japan. In November 2005 the lakes were designated a registered wetlands under the Ramsar Convention.
Sancho Park is popular with couples, and features a rose garden. Paid jet boat tours of the Five Lakes can also be booked at the Mikatagoko Lake Center.
30 min.
Shimojo, Wakasa Fugu Inn(Overnight stay)
This traditional inn's selling point is cuisine featuring Wakasa fugu raised by the proprietor in the sea nearby. Here you can enjoy fugu dishes with volume and quality you could only find here in the heart of fugu country. The centerpiece of the Wakasa fugu full course is the grilled fugu, with each thick slice seared over charcoal. In the colder months the pieces even dance before you on the plate. On top of that, you can look forward to a bounty of treats such as Tessa, Tecchiri, deep-fried cuts, and fresh local fish made into boat-wrap sushi. Of course, parboiled skin and zosui are also on offer. In winter, Wakasa oysters steamed in an earthenware pot are included as well.
The large variance in water temperature between summer and winter firms the flesh of the Wakasa fugu that grow in the clear waters of the Sea of Japan. Fukui prides itself on this winter delicacy.
10 min.
Hashi no Furusato Kan(About 1 hour required)
Wakasa lacquered chopsticks account for 80% of all those produced in Japan. The manufacturing process takes several months, and involves the use of a special lacquering technique in which high-grade lacquer is applied in a dozen or more layers. The chopsticks are then decorated using various shells and gold leaf, and finished using stone or charcoal. At Hashi no Furusato Kan around 3,000 sets of Wakasa lacquered chopstick are on display, giving visitors a good sense of the traditional skills involved. Another popular activity is the workshop where you can try out the finishing process, and make your very own set of chopsticks.
30 min.
Kumagawa-juku(About 1 hour required)
Long ago this was an important post town between Wakasa and Kyoto, and the ruins of the magistrate's office, guard house, and store house can still be seen today. The streets are lined with old irrigation channels, and have a historic atmosphere. Historical documents and personal diaries from between the Toyotomi period and the end of the feudal era are also preserved here. Kumagawa-juku is designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, and the townscape retains echoes of its former prosperity.
Kumagawa-juku was part of the Saba Kaido, or "mackerel road" over which mackerel caught in the Miketsukuni Wakasa region was carried to Kyoto. Miketsukuni Wakasa and the Saba Kaido have now been recognized as Japan Heritage sites.
5 min.
Marushin, home of kuzu and mackerel sushi(About 1 hour required)
The kuzu here is cooked from scratch using arrowroot starch after taking the customers' orders. As a result, the kuzu has a consistency you only get when it is freshly made. Experience the firmness and translucence of the kuzu-mochi, kuzu-zenzai, and kuzu-kiri for yourself. The homemade mackerel sushi specially prepared from raw mackerel by the proprietor is also extremely popular.
This restaurant in central Kumagawa-juku was converted from an old traditional Japanese house, lending it an air of antiquity. Specialties such as local candy and mackerel sushi are also sold.
Provided by Hiroki Saito
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