Iconinc pond in Tokyo with lotus flowers blooming in August.

One of historic post towns along the old Nakasendo road.

Reconstructed castle with nice traditional garden in Suwa city.

Attractive city park in central Tokyo close to Imperial Palace.

Kitsuki is a beautiful castle town not far from Beppu, on Kunisaki peninsula. There is a small reconstructed castle and 2 samurai districts with a few residences open to the public.

Usa Jingu is one of the oldest and most important Shinto shrines in Japan. It is dedicated to Hachiman deity, and is the ancestor of all other Hachiman shrines.

This post is part of a series called Japan 2016 I’ve been to Kokura before, very briefly at dusk, when the castle was already closed. This visit, almost 10 years…

Traditional Japanese residence with spacious garden in Nikko.