Sights in Japan
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Okhotsk Ryūhyō-kan
Next to the old prison is this ice-floe museum, which has an interesting display relating to the tiny kurione (sea angel), a funky relative of the sea slug that has become the de facto Abashiri mascot.
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A
Okayama Prefectural Museum
A range of historical artefacts from the region, including documents, tools, armoury and Bizen pottery. The museum is near the entrance to Kōraku-en.
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Okayama-jō
Nicknamed U-jō (烏城; Crow Castle) because of its colour, the striking black Okayama Castle was built by daimyō Ukita Hideie and completed in 1597. Much of the castle was dismantled after the Meiji Restoration and most of what remained burnt down during WWII air raids. The castle was rebuilt in 1966.
The imposing exterior – its gilded fish-gargoyles flipping their tails in the air – is the castle's most impressive aspect, and you can enjoy it for nix by walking around the grounds, or looking from across the river. Inside the donjon (main keep) museum, modern finishes and an elevator mar the 16th-century feel, but there are a few interesting displays, and views from…
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Ōhashi House
Between the station and the canal area is the beautifully restored Ōhashi House, built in 1793. The house belonged to one of Kurashiki's richest families and was built at a time when prosperous merchants were beginning to claim privileges that had previously been the preserve of the samurai.
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B
Ōhara Museum of Art
This is Kurashiki's premier museum, housing the predominantly Western art collection amassed by local textile magnate Ōhara Magosaburō (1880–1943), with the help of artist Kojima Torajirō (1881–1929). The varied assemblage of paintings, prints and sculpture features works by Picasso, Cézanne, El Greco and Matisse, and one of Monet's water-lilies paintings (said to have been bought from the man himself by Torajirō while visiting Monet's home in 1920). While no rival to the major galleries of Europe, it's an interesting collection and one of the town's biggest attractions for Japanese tourists.
The valid-all-day ticket gets you into the museum's Craft and Asiatic…
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C
Oasis 21
Yes, it's a bus terminal, but if all the world's bus terminals were as interesting as OASIS 21, a recipient of good-design awards, everyone would take public transport. The 'galaxy platform', a fantastical glass disk, seems to hover storeys above the ground, and you can climb it via stairs and go for a walk, particularly at night when it's adventurously lit.
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Nyūtō Onsen
Nyūtō is one of Japan's choicest hot springs, and a must-visit for any aspiring onsen aficionado. The area is home to no fewer than eight rustic ryokan, each with a different character and different baths. All offer healing waters that are great for an away-from-it-all soak. Many also feature konyoku or mixed-sex baths (when it comes to bathing, the Japanese certainly aren't shy!) The two most famous bathhouses are Tsuru-no-yu and Kuroyu .
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Nyoirin-ji
Take the left fork on the road just above Yoshimizu-jinja and the dilapidated Katte-jinja (勝手神社) shrine to reach Nyoirin-ji, a temple that preserves both the relics of Emperor Go-Daigo's unlucky court and his tomb itself.
The right fork leads uphill, where you will soon pass the two recommended accommodation options here, Kizō-in (喜蔵院) on your left and then Chikurin-in (竹林院) on the right, which has a wonderful garden.
A few minutes' walk further on there is another fork, where you'll find a wooden torii and some steps leading up to a shrine. Take the left fork and the next right up the hill for the 3km hike to Kimpu-jinja (金峯神社), a small shrine in a…
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Noshappu-misaki
This cape (ノシャプ岬), the second most northern point in mainland Japan, is a nice place for a picture or a picnic, or just to watch the water for a while. If it's a clear day, look for the green flash as the sun slips below the horizon. The cape is a pleasant walk (35 minutes) or bike ride (15 minutes) away from town. Along the way, look out for the kelp-drying yards (they look like gravel-covered car parks if they're not covered with kelp) along the shoreline.
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Noboribetsu Grand Hotel
Half the price (and size), the star attraction is the domed ceiling, giving the impression of a spacious Roman-era bath.
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Nishitō Utaki
Near Nagomi-no-tō is a shrine dedicated to a 16th-century ruler of Yaeyama-shotō who was born on Taketomi-jima.
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Nishi Amane Former
Worth taking a walk along the river to see is the thatched-roof former residence of Nishi Amane (1829–97), a philosopher and political scientist prominent in the Meiji government.
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Nippon-ginkō Kyū Otaru-shiten
Don't miss the old Bank of Japan (日本銀行), a classic brick building that was designed by the same architect responsible for Tokyo Station. The exterior is marked by owl keystones, which pay homage to the Ainu guardian deity, while an impressive 100m-high ceiling highlights the interior.
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Nigatsu-dō & Sangatsu-dō
The Nigatsu-dō and Sangatsu-dō halls are almost sub-temples of Tōdai-ji. They are an easy(uphill from the Daibutsu-den) walk east . You can walk straight east up the hill, but we recommend taking a hard left out of the Daibutsu-den exit, following the enclosure past the pond and turning up the hill. This pathway is among the most scenic walks in all of Nara.
As you reach the plaza at the top of the hill, the Nigatsu-dō is the temple hall with the verandah overlooking the plaza. This is where Nara's Omizutori Matsuri is held. The verandah affords a great view over Nara, especially at dusk. Opening hours here are the same as those of the Daibutsu-den.
A short walk south…
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Nichigin-dōri
Once known as the 'Wall Street of the North', Nichigin-dōri is lined with elegant buildings that speak to Otaru's past life as a prominent financial centre.
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Nearby Islands
A quick ferry ride from Fukuoka, pretty Nokonoshima mixes natural and man-made parks. The latter, called Island Park, gets the most visitors, with a swimming beach, fields of seasonal wildflowers, huts selling crafts, and sweeping ocean views. Bicycle rental (per hour/day ¥300/1000) and English maps are available at Noko Market, by the ferry dock. Buses 300 and 301 depart frequently from Nishitetsu Tenjin bus terminal (¥360, 20 minutes) for Meinohama Municipal Ferry Port.
Ferries to delightfully rural Shikanoshima (志賀島), where fresh seafood restaurants line the harbourside streets, depart hourly (¥650, 33 minutes) from Bayside Place, along with seasonal sightseeing…
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Narusawa Ice Cave
Close to the road, this cave was formed by lava flows from a prehistoric eruption of Mt Fuji.
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Nankinmachi (Chinatown)
Nankinmachi, Kōbe's , is a gaudy, bustling, unabashedly touristy collection of Chinese restaurants and stores that should be familiar to anyone who's visited Chinatowns elsewhere in the world. The restaurants here tend to be overpriced and may disappoint sophisticated palates, but the place is fun for a stroll, particularly in the evening when the lights of the area illuminate the gaudily painted facades of the shops.
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D
Nakazato Tarōemon
This kiln-gallery is dedicated to the life and work of the otter responsible for the revival of Karatsu ware. His work is in the inner gallery.
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Nakayama Rice Fields
About 4km inland from the Ikeda ferry terminal are Nakayama's 'thousand rice fields'. The terraces are pretty in any season but are especially picturesque after rice planting in late April or early May, when the water-filled fields become a hillside of mirrors.
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Nakashima-gawa
Parallel to Teramachi, the Nakashima-gawa is crossed by a picturesque collection of 17th-century stone bridges. At one time, each bridge was the distinct entranceway to a separate temple. Best known is the double-arched Megane- bashi, originally built in 1634 and so called because the reflection of the arches in the water looks like a pair of Meiji-era spectacles. Six of the 10 bridges, including Megane-bashi, were washed away by flooding in 1982 and restored using the recovered stones.
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Nakamachi
The narrow streets of this former merchant district make a fine setting for a stroll, as most of its storehouses have been transformed into cafes, galleries and craft shops specialising in wood, glass, fabric, ceramics and antiques. Nakamachi Kura-Chic-Kan is just one option, showcasing locally produced arts and crafts, with a relaxing coffee house next door.
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Naha City Traditional Arts and Crafts Center
Right on Kokusai-dōri, this place houses a collection of traditional Okinawan crafts. Staff members demonstrate glass-blowing, weaving and pottery-making in the workshops. Enter by 5.30pm.
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Nagoya-jō
Currently celebrating its 400th anniversary, Nagoya-jō was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu for his ninth son from 1610 to 1614. Although it was destroyed in WWII and replaced in 1959 with a concrete replica, it's worth a visit for the fine museum inside featuring armour, treasures and histories of the Oda, Toyotomi and Tokugawa families. A lift will save you climbing stairs. Note the 3m-long replicas of shachi-hoko (gilded dolphin-like sea creatures) at either end of the roof (and in every souvenir shop).
Within the castle grounds, the garden, Ninomaru-en (二の丸園), has a teahouse in an attractive setting. It's a sight during the cherry-blossom season (around early April), and on…
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Nagomi-no-tō
Roughly in the centre of the village, the modest lookout tower of Nagomi-no-tō has good views over the red-tiled roofs of the pancake-flat island.
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