Lovers of quirky contemporary art shouldn’t miss the Towada Art Center, devised in the 2000s to revitalize the small, often-overlooked city of Towada in northern Honshu’s Aomori Prefecture. Now, alongside Towada’s mountains, lake, and autumn leaves, the Art Center is one of the provincial city’s star attractions and worth a detour while traveling through Aomori.
Located in Okinawa, a semi-tropical island off the coast of Japan, Yara Castle was built between the 13th and 15th centuries. The former estate is a remnant from the days of the Ryukyu, a powerful kingdom that once ruled over an independent Okinawa. Today, this rugged park features castle ruins, gravesites of Ryukyuan royals, and hiking trails along the Hija River.
Located in Tokyo’s upscale Ginza district, Kabukiza Tower is best known for being home to the renowned Kabukiza Theater, where you can watch live performances of kabuki–a traditional form of Japanese theater. The tower also has plenty of amenities, including souvenir shops, an information desk, and restaurants.
The Toyohira River stretches for 45 miles (72 kilometers) through the Japanese island prefecture of Hokkaido, from Mt. Oizari (Oizaridake) through Jozankei to Sapporo before combining with the Ishikari River and emptying into Ishikari bay. In Sapporo, the river’s banks are lined with pathways, which are popular with joggers and walkers.
In Tokyo’s trendy Ginza district, this contemporary gallery showcases work by both Japanese and international artists, such as Sophie Calle, Olafur Eliasson, Kengo Kito, and Hiroshi Sugimoto. It’s well-known for its photography exhibitions, but also displays mixed-media installations, sculptures, and works from diverse art movements, with receptions and artists’ talks to catch.
Dover Street Market Ginza, the Japanese outpost of the iconic London store, feels more like an art gallery than a retail space. Curated by fashion visionary Rei Kawakubo, it features high-end clothing, urban streetwear, jewelry, accessories, books, and more, spread over seven floors, creating a unique shopping space that blends art and style.
Standing at 6,444 feet (1,964 meters), Mt. Kenashi (Kenashiyama) is the tallest summit in the Tenshi Mountains, on the border of Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures. The Asagiri Plateau at the base of the mountain stretches to its more famous neighbor, Mt. Fuji, and hiking or camping here affords views of Fuji.
Famed for its more than 100 years of towel production and home to almost 200 towel factories, the city of Imabari in Ehime Prefecture honors its colorful culture and heritage at the Towel Museum. Here, towels are elevated from everyday items to works of art, and visitors can learn all about how this essential item is manufactured.
