Angel Road is a 500m long sandbar that connects mainland Shodoshima to three small islands in southern Shikoku. This lovely spot in Kagawa Prefecture is a romantic destination for couples.

Regardless of whether you’re interested in the Angel Road for its romantic undertones or not, the sandbar is a beautiful place to spend time.

Not only is it a stunning natural sight, legend says that if you walk across Angel Road hand-in-hand with your partner, it will strengthen your relationship. Flying solo? Walk across alone and make a wish for it to come true.

The Angel Road in Kagawa Prefecture only appears at low tide.

When planning your trip here be aware that visitors can only walk across Angel Road during low tide, two times per day. During high tide, the sandbar is submerged underwater and the view is nothing special, just another small island off the coast of Shodoshima. It’s best to visit in the warmer spring and summer months when the days are long and the weather is clear. In winter, the road only appears once a day for a short time.

Tips For Visiting Angel Road

To get the greatest view over Angel Road, head to the nearby Yakusoku no Oka, or the Hill of Promise. A short but steep flight of sandy stairs will bring you to a small observation point where you’ll have a picture-perfect view of the road and its connecting islands.

Even if you’re single, you can still enjoy the view.

You may need to queue to get a chance to ring the Love Bell at the top of the hill, which is another place you can supposedly strengthen your relationship. Top it off by purchasing a heart-shaped ema (Shinto prayer board) and writing a wish for everlasting love or you know, just self-love, on the back.

Regardless of whether you’re interested in the Angel Road for its romantic undertones or not, the sandbar is a beautiful place to spend time at low tide. Anyone can appreciate the breathtaking views of the sea.

Visit the other highlights of Shodoshima, including the Olive Park, the picturesque Kankakei Gorge and ropeway, or the quirky Yokai Art Museum while you’re in the area.

Visiting Mount Yoshino and the surrounding town is like visiting three places at once in Nara Prefecture. The Shimo Senbon (lower), Naka Senbon (middle), and Kami Senbon (upper) areas of the mountain each offer different attractions and things to see.

Mount Yoshino was designated as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 called “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.” It’s a rather leisurely hike with the mountain’s altitude at 350 meters.

The cherry blossoms on Mount Yoshio look especially spectacular at night when they are lit up!

Shimo Senbom is where most people coming from Yoshino Station arrive and has some of the most spectacular cherry blossoms of the whole mountain. This is the departure point for the ropeway that travels to the top of the mountain in case you aren’t up for hiking.

Other Cherry Blossom Spots around Nara and Osaka

Upward Mount Yoshino

Kami Senbom (upper area) is where the most common image of Mount Yoshino, as seen below, is usually shot. The best place to get this iconic snap is from a spot called Hanayagura. However, photography isn’t the only attraction as picnics can be enjoyed in the area’s many parks and simply walking around the natural terrain can lead to beautiful, isolated spots.

The iconic shot of Mount Yoshino and the surrounding area you’ve more than likely seen.

One of the best-kept secrets of Mount Yoshino is also here, the Oku Senbon area. This area has cherry blossoms that bloom later than the flowery wonders elsewhere due to the high altitude. This gives people who missed the peak season a second chance to see the spring blossoms.

While Yoshino can get crowded, especially at cherry blossom time, there are still plenty of lesser-known locations dotting the area, waiting to be discovered.

• The 2020 Yamato Koriyama Castle Festival which was scheduled to take place between March 24 and April 07 has been canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Upon entering the castle grounds, there will be a signpost marking two paths. Most visitors will head up the hill—directly to the main building—but they’re missing out. The longer path leads through the gardens via the Ote Gate, and it’s worth taking your time.

Perfect harmony

Photo by: Ok, Japan. You’re beautiful. We get it.

Once through the Ote Gate, there is a small but elegant garden. This spot is famous for an old building known as the Bishamon Kuruwa. It is so perfectly aligned with the neighboring greenery that it is hard to believe it wasn’t built just for photos.

Long ago, it was built as a place to enjoy the tea ceremony slowly. The result was perfect harmony with the surrounding area. Similarly, the photogenic stupa is just a bit further up the path. Tsutsui Junkei, the feudal lord who united the area, was laid to rest here.

The castle legend

Dang, that looks cool.

After enjoying the sights in the surrounding grounds, walk around the upper-most area of the walls. It’s a legend that—during the building of the castle—the castle lord used every piece of stone he could get his hands on to fortify it. These stones included rocks from local temples, unfinished Buddhist art, and even a Jizo statue.

Because they are associated with the protection of children and the souls of the damned, Jizo statues are handled carefully. Unfortunately, the Jizo statue at Koriyama was not so lucky. It was forced into a hole in the wall upside down, presumably, in an attempt to disguise its true nature.

Remarkably, this upper wall is one of the few things to survive the original castle’s destruction. It seems that the Jizo’s powers of protection may have manifested themselves after all.

Koriyama Castle Festival

Night festival for cherry blossoms at Koriyama.

The locals hold a festival every year to ward off the bad mojo because that’s what happens when you build a castle out of sacred stones. The Yamato Koriyama Castle Festival involves the locals dressing in period costumes and a goldfish fair at the nearby Yanagisawa shrine. The art of goldfish husbandry has a long history traced back to samurai. It is a big part of the town’s identity.

Because it is slightly off the beaten track, it is easy to overlook Koriyama Castle. As an area with real history and plenty of things to uncover, it’s unfortunate. However, for visitors looking to discover a little more about the feudal period in Japan, such as the priorities of those in power, it is a location worth exploring.

• Feb. 5, 2020 to March 8, 2020 
• Nighttime illumination starts from around 5 p.m.

Picture bright, cotton candy pink flowers hovering above you as you make your way down the street.

One of the reasons this festival is so popular is because its cherry blossoms called kawazu-zakura bloom much earlier and last much longer than the other varieties that come after it. Just south of Yokohama, and right on the edge of Tokyo Bay, Miura Kaigan is a scenic place to see these early-blooming spring flowers.

Start at Miura Kaigan Station

Photo by: piconao Cherry trees!

The festival itself stretches from Miura Kaigan Station all the way to Komatsugaike Park. Cherry blossom trees line the street for about a kilometer from the station.

Best Cherry Blossom Spots in Tokyo

When you arrive at Miura Kaigan Station, you’ll see a handful of festival stalls selling snacks and alcohol. The smell of the usual festival food culprits like takoyaki, grilled chicken skewers, and dango (sweet rice dumplings) fill the air.

Photo by: Yukari Sato The nighttime illumination starts at sunset, around 5 p.m.

Depending on the time you choose to visit, the mood of the festival changes. At night, the trees are illuminated creating the perfect scenery for a nighttime hanami (cherry blossom viewing party). Usually, the light-up starts around 5 p.m.

Use the Misaki Maguro Pass for easy access

If you plan on going to the festival, consider buying the Misaki Maguro Pass at Shinagawa Station. The pass includes roundtrip transportation by train from Shinagawa Station, unlimited use of local buses within the Miura peninsula, and a sightseeing activity. Underwater sightseeing boat cruise anyone?

To top it off, you get a free meal from one of the participating local restaurants. Free food is always a good thing.

Priced at little less than ¥4,000 it’s a great option for travelers on a budget. Look for the Keikyu Line office at Shinagawa Station to buy one. Happy cherry blossom viewing!

• 2019 Kameido Tenjin Shrine Chrysanthemum Festival Dates: Oct. 23 to Nov. depending on how long the flowers stay in bloom.

Built in 1661, Kameido Tenjin Shrine is located in Tokyo’s Koto Ward in a sleepy, downtown area known as shitamachi (traditional area). The shrine is an integral part of local life, and if you’re lucky enough, you might catch a Japanese wedding ceremony or blessings of pregnant women and newborns being performed there.

Photo by: Manish Prabhune This is probably the No. 1 spot to go see wisteria in the spring/early summer.

The shrine, with its signature red bridge and scenic seasonal flowers, is also a place of worship for the Shinto god of learning. The three bridges leading to the main shrine are said to represent life, with the onnabashi (woman’s bridge), otokobashi (men’s bridge), and hirabashi. The picturesque arches represent the future, past, and present, respectively.

The kame in Kameido means turtle in Japanese, and you will see plenty of them sunbathing in the shrine’s pond. Watch these cute reptiles as you take in the shrine’s architecture and wisteria trellises.

Seasonal festivals and flowers

Visit in winter, and you will see Japanese students braving the cold and feverishly writing on ema (wish boards), eager to ace their entrance exams and get accepted to their school of choice. Wish them a heartfelt “Ganbatte!” (“Good luck!”) to lift their spirits.

Visit in summer for Reitaisai, the main festival of the shrine held in late August every four years.

Photo by: Hotel Asia Center Storybook type scenery!

A picturesque temple with stunning views of Tokyo Sky Tree, Kameido Tenjin truly comes alive during Golden Week, a Japanese holiday every May, when its wisteria bloom for the Wisteria Festival. Be sure to bring your camera because the azalea shrubs complement the pale color of the wisteria petals, giving you the perfect background for a selfie. Expect crowds during Golden Week, but rest assured that you will have ample opportunity to maneuver around the grounds day or night, as the wisteria is lit up at night for evening visitors.

Photo by: sigusr0 The Chrysanthemum Festival in late October isn’t as popular as the Wisteria Festival, but the flowers are just as gorgeous.

While the shrine’s main festival is during Golden Week, Kameido Tenjin Shrine also has a Plum Festival in February and Chrysanthemum Festival in October. Once you’ve toured the grounds of Kameido Tenjin, head to the nearby Japanese confectionery shop, Funabashiya, to try their famous kudzu mochi and other traditional sweets.

Dig Japanese shrines? Read more on where to find them!

• 2019 Autumn Kochia: Peak time to see the kochia at their most vivid shade of red is between Oct. 17 to Oct. 23.

The sprawling public park overflows with blooming seasonal flowers through the year that draw crowds from all over Kanto. The park also contains an amusement park, cycling paths and BMX courses, as well as hosting one of Japan’s largest rock music festivals.

From late April to early May, Miharashi Hill is covered in 4.5 million nemophila flowers, transforming the hill into a sea of blue.

Miharashi Hill is the famous slope on the seaside and the most photographed area of Hitachi Seaside Park. Hundreds of camera-toting visitors come for the baby blue nemophila blooms in the spring, returning again in the fall for the summer cypress kochia balls. For in-between, there’s gardens filled with tulips and cosmos, lily and lavender, zinnia flowers and rapeseed to stroll among.

The hill is awash in red with kochia flowers in mid-October.

At over 150 hectares, the park can be quite large to cover on foot. Grab a bike for a gentle ride around.

Wanna see more autumn colors?

For those who want to exert the minimum effort possible, the Seaside Train is a relaxing way to get around and covers the park in about 35 minutes.

With stops at 10 different locations, visitors can hop on and off at their own pace.

Go on, be lazy. Photo by Zhao !.

The amusement park has retro rides for both children and adults. Kids can run around while the adults handle lunch at the BBQ Plaza – groups can reserve spots and grill as they will. A variety of restaurants and cafes serve regional foods and seasonal sweets, decorated with the current flowers in bloom.

If you’re a fan of J-Rock or J-Pop, head to the Rock in Japan festival held at the park over three days in August. It’s one of the biggest music festivals in the country and a great chance to rock out in a field of flowers – Woodstock eat your heart out.

Penises of all colors and sizes take over Kawasaki city during the Kanamara Matsuri—aka the Penis Festival. You’ll find everything from penis-shaped lollipops to earrings and even some vagina-shaped treats.

Photo by: Randiah Camille Green

Around 30,000 people flock to the event in the otherwise quiet town in Kanagawa Prefecture, about 45 minutes south of Tokyo.

The rowdy celebration of all things phallic happens annually on the first Sunday of April. Expect lots of drunk people in penis hats.

Photo by: Randiah Camille Green The festival can get a little wild.

Kanayama Shrine

The backstory of Kanayama Shrine, where the festival takes place, sounds a lot like a horror movie plot. The legend goes that a jealous demon fell in love with a married woman and burrowed itself inside her vagina.

After the demon bit off the penis of the woman’s husband, she asked a blacksmith to build a steel phallus to break its teeth. Yikes.

Photo by: Randiah Camille Green The steel phallus that saved the day.

The phallus was enshrined here along with the Shinto gods of mining and blacksmithing. It later became a popular place for sex workers to pray for protection against sexually transmitted diseases.

The shrine itself is tiny so during the festival make sure to get there before 9 a.m. to avoid a long line wrapped around the block.

Kawasaki Daishi and shopping street

If the line to enter Kanayama Shrine is too long, you can still enjoy the festivities from nearby at Kawasaki Daishi. The huge shrine grounds and its adjacent shopping street are lined with penis goods—this is where you’ll find those penis lollipops you see everyone walking around with.

Photo by: Randiah Camille Green Penis and vagina-shaped treats!

Here you can enjoy a variety of food stalls, performances, and general festival atmosphere. It’s impossible to have a bad time when you’re surrounded by hundreds of people wearing penis hats and glasses.

Penis Parade

Typically the mikoshi (portable shrine) parade starts around 11:30 a.m. The procession is made up of three different shrines, including a pink one carried by members of the trans community called Elizabeth.

Photo by: Guilhem Vellut Queen Elizabeth.

The mikoshi are left on display for plenty of photo opportunities before and after the procession.

While it’s easy to just write this off as some strange sausage festival, let’s not forget that it is a historical tradition in which people come to pray for fertility and safe childbirth. The festival has also become a pride celebration for the trans community. Funds raised during the event are donated to HIV and AIDs research.

Still, whether your reason for joining this raucous party is for fertility prayers or just for laughs, nobody will judge you for buying those penis candles, right?

• Sakura Festival 2019 Dates: April 7- May 7; Ningen Shogi 2019 Dates: April 20 & 21

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for Ningen Shogi, or human Japanese chess, a yearly spring tradition in this northern city in the Tohoku region.

Shogi time

Shogi (将棋) is a Japanese board game that is similar to chess but instead of having intricate shapes for its pieces, the shogi pieces (or koma) are wedge-shaped. However, they are then replaced by samurai-garbed people during the exciting event of Ningen Shogi.

This unique affair takes place on Mount Maizuru (also known as Tendo Park, but will show up on Google Maps as 天童公園), and it is usually held the last week of April. Furthermore, it is the most awaited event in Tendo City’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival.

Photo by: Maureen Del Rosario This area makes 90 percent of shogi (kind of like Japanese chess) pieces.

Visitors can witness, under the picturesque sakura trees at Maizuru Park (aka Tendo Park), a “shogi battle” between two professional players, and how they command their life-sized koma to move around a 52-feet-long and 46-feet-wide shogi board. There are also commentators that keep the audience updated about the game.

Although it’s in Japanese, even those unfamiliar with the language and/or game can still enjoy it because it’s such a rare sight to watch a board game made to look like an epic Japanese battle.

So, why this city? Around 90 percent of Japan’s shogi pieces are produced in Tendo, and this city has been crafting it since the Edo period.

Around 90 percent of Japan’s shogi pieces are produced in Tendo, and this city has been crafting it since the Edo period.

It all started when Tendo became a feudal domain of the Oda clan (a powerful political family during Edo era) and faced financial difficulties. Growing rice wasn’t ideal for this city’s terrain, so its residents tried to find other ways to earn more money. As a result, the making of shogi pieces with local wood and lacquer became one of its additional livelihoods.

More than just a game

Aside from the Human Chess match, visitors can enjoy the exhilarating taiko (Japanese drum) performances, shop for souvenirs and savor delicious festival food like yakisoba, takoyaki, kakigori (flavored shaved ice) and many more!

There is also a “shogi corner” in the venue where you can test your skills in making your own koma or just have fun playing shogi with other Japanese chess aficionados.

Know before you go

Wannabe life-size shogi pieces (from high-school students and up) can send their application at the Tendo City’s website. If there are too many submissions, a lottery system is implemented. Visitors and non-residents are also welcomed to join, though Japanese and shogi skills are a big help since the program is in Japanese. For an updated schedule and for Ningen Shogi applications please visit its official site calendar.  (Japanese only)

Nijo Castle probably isn’t the first destination that comes to mind when one thinks of famous places to visit in Kyoto.

It is after all one of the 17 sites across Kyoto to be collectively designated by UNESCO as a world heritage site under the combined banner of Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. The castle’s rich history begins in 1601 when Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the enduring Tokugawa dynasty, ordered its construction to serve as the official residence of the shogun in Kyoto. The castle itself houses two palaces, the Ninomaru and the Honmaru.

Photo by: Luca Mascaro Walking the Nijo Castle garden in spring.

One of the most intriguing features of the Ninomaru Palace is the so-called “nightingale floors.” Back in those feudal times, high-ranking political officials had to live with the constant threat of assassination. Nijo Castle had its own unique way of keeping would-be assassins at bay: the floors of the castle were designed in such a way to make it impossible to step on them without making noise. The sound those wooden floorboards created was often likened to birdsong, hence the nightingale name.

Today ambitious school children and some adults, too, try — and invariably fail — to be the first to traverse the walkways of the Ninomaru Palace silently.

The palace also has numerous hidden doorways to allow for the swift deployment of guardsmen wherever necessary.

Photo by: Tony Lin Beautiful sakura light up at Nijo Castle.

At some 1,600 square meters, the Honmaru Palace is around half the size of its neighbor and is perhaps most famous for hosting the enthronement banquet of Emperor Hirohito in 1928.

Perhaps the most splendid feature of Nijo Castle is not the castle itself, nor the palaces contained therein, but rather the gardens that encircle the keep. Of the gardens, probably the most famous among them is the Seiryu-en Garden, completed in 1965, which contains two teahouses and has been used to host numerous cultural events for the city of Kyoto through the years.

Welcome to the Tohoku region’s most loved spot for cherry blossom viewing.

Hirosaki Castle, with its mighty three-story castle tower, though suffered from a lightning strike a few centuries ago, stands solemnly in Hirosaki Park near central Aomori Prefecture. Hirosaki Park has an area of 600,000 square meters — about the area of 150 soccer fields. Come to this park in late April or early May and you’ll find yourself lost in a sea of pink.

Hirosaki Castle was constructed in 1611 as the seat of the Tsugaru Clan who once ruled over the Hirosaki Domain.

The park’s enormity is not the only reason for its popularity. Its options for leisure activities are another reason to make it up to this northern locale. Many parks in Japan have thousands of cherry blossom trees, but few offer diverse sights and experiences like Hirosaki’s 2,600 sakura trees do.

Oirase Stream

Blossom spots

First off, one of the best viewing spots in the park is of course, right at the castle. The castle is of a clean white and classy green, and a catchy red bridge sits right in front of it. Imagine some light pink petals around the duo, and you’ve got an iconic “Japanese” scene.

Follow the signs in the park to walk a little bit uphill. At a higher location, you will see Mt. Iwaki in its entirety and a variety of cherry blossom trees in different shades of pink in front of it. During early springtime, it’s likely that there is still snow on Mt. Iwaki’s peak.

Cherry blossoms along the moat surrounding Hirosaki Castle.

If you’re looking for a more unique and private cherry blossom viewing experience, row a boat in the west moat. Rent a boat for ¥1,000 for 60 minutes and find your favorite angle to enjoy the serenity. This moat becomes even more breathtaking after the full-bloom period — it transforms into a pink carpet as petals fall.

The best way to surround yourself with cherry blossoms, though, is, of course, walking under the sakura tunnel. Watch canopies of pink crowd above you, and admire them close-up, too. This tunnel can get crowded during the day though so if possible, visit in the early morning or in the evening. Don’t forget to try out the local specialties from the food stands, especially the black potato jelly!

Photo by: Cara Lam Cool snack: Black jelly!

Special to the sakura season is the illumination at night. Suddenly the sight becomes all the more magical with hundreds of lit up pink trees on a navy backdrop.

Snow Lantern Festival

Hirosaki is the place to be for an unforgettable encounter with Japan’s cherry blossoms, but it also has something special in winter! If you are in this snowy prefecture, don’t miss out on the Snow Lantern Festival every February, when around 200 snow lanterns are crafted around the grounds of Hirosaki Castle as part of its annual winter festival.

Photo by: Hirosaki Snow Lantern Festival at the amazing Hirosaki Castle.

At night their soft glow gently illuminates the snow-covered landscape, creating a romantic atmosphere straight out of a fairytale. The festival also features fireworks, project mapping displays, snow sculptures and a giant snow slide – perfect for making the most out of the area’s heavy snowfall! And don’t worry, you can still view the cherry blossoms even at this time of year, with a special sakura light-up event taking place during the festivities.