Minami (Namba) is one of two largest cities in Osaka. Minami, is “South” for Japanese – most of Osaka’s parts are named after the position of its regions. Minami is home to Namba, Shinsaibashi and Dōtonbori shopping districts. The Minami ward, however, is now merged with Chuo ward in Japan.

The city boasts of a life that is a gregarious and outwardly interesting as Tokyo but admittedly smaller and more personable. It offers something for everyone, with attractions such as Amerikamura for the fashion fanatics, the Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade, Nipponbashi Den Den Town for electronics and manga otakus, and the colorful Dotonbori entertainment district. These popular spots are located near the Namba Station.

Map courtesy of Japan-Guide on how to get to Minami (Namba):

Check out the Namba Walk in this clip:

The video is taken two years ago by some guy, a tourist, or an exchange student but for some reason, people in Namba are still blasting Destiny’s Child’s Survivor song… lol

Of course, there is not such thing as a Food Replica State of Japan but there is a region in Japan that specializes in making food replicas for the food industry Japan-wide. That region is called Gujo Hachiman. Gujo has been a food replica capital for decades, with the first food replica factory, Iwasaki Mokei (Sample Village Iwasaki), was opened in 1932.

The replicas are made using wax, although modern technologies have also contributed in the food replica making business with modern machinery and methods.

Visit a food replica factory in Gujo, here’s a map courtesy of Japan Guide:

Jeoiji Temple is well known for it’s beautiful garden, Shessutei. It was named after a famous monk who is a painter and garden designer, Shessu. The garden is also an inspiration to one of Shessu’s art masterpieces.

How to get there?
Joeiji Temple stands outside of the city center, about six kilometers north of Yamaguchi Station.

More info here…

Hōryū-ji (法隆寺, lit. Temple of the Flourishing Law?) is a Buddhist temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Its full name is Hōryū Gakumonji (法隆学問寺), or Learning Temple of the Flourishing Law, named as such because the site serves as a seminary as well as a monastery. The temple is widely acknowledged to have some of the oldest wooden buildings existing in the world, and is one of the most celebrated temples in Japan.

In 1993, Hōryū-ji was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Japanese government lists it as a National Treasure.

The temple was originally commissioned by Prince Shotoku; at the time it was called “Ikaruga-dera”(斑鳩寺), a name that is still sometimes used. This first temple is believed to have been completed by 607. Hōryū-ji was dedicated to Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of healing and in honor of the prince’s father.

Excavations done in 1939 confirmed that Prince Shotoku’s palace, the Ikaruga-no-miya (斑鳩宮), occupied the eastern part of the current temple complex, where the Tō-in (東院) sits today. Also discovered were the ruins of a temple complex which was southwest of the prince’s palace and not completely within the present temple complex. The original temple, named by modern historians and archaeologists Wakakusa-Garan (若草伽藍), was lost, probably burned to the ground after being hit by lightning in 670. The temple was reconstructed but slightly reoriented in a northwest position, which is believed to have been completed by around 711. The temple has been repaired and reassembled in the early twelfth century, in 1374, and 1603.

A little background history to Meiji Mura and good to know facts:

Ever wondered how Japan’s Meiji era looked like? In Meiji Mura, architecture as well as lifestyle is simulated to the glorious modernization era helm by the Meiji emperor for 45 years.

The Meiji open air museum is open-air architectural museum/theme park in Inuyama, near Nagoya in Aichi prefecture, Japan. It was opened on March 18, 1965. The museum preserves historic buildings from Japan’s Meiji (1867-1912), Taisho (1912-1926), and early Showa (1926-1989) periods. Over 60 historical buildings have been moved and reconstructed onto 1 km² (247 acres) of rolling hills alongside Lake Iruka. The most noteworthy building there is the reconstructed main entrance and lobby of Frank Lloyd Wright’s landmark Imperial Hotel, which originally stood in Tokyo from 1923 to 1967, when the main structure was demolished to make way for a new, larger version of the hotel.

The Meiji era was a period of rapid change in Japan. After centuries of isolation, Japan began to incorporate ideas from the west, including building styles and construction techniques. Meiji Mura’s goal is to preserve these historic early examples of western architecture mixed with Japanese construction techniques and materials. Incidentally, many of the buildings were saved from demolition during the post World War II period, another time of transition and rapid progress in Japanese history.

In addition, notable buildings of historical or cultural importance including those of later eras are preserved as well, including a few Japanese style buildings. Nine of the buildings are designated as Important Cultural Assets, and nearly all the rest are registered as tangible cultural assets. The museum includes buildings from Hawaii and Seattle in the United States, and also Brazil. A steam locomotive and street car, along with shuttle buses and horse-drawn carriages, provide transportation within the grounds. An operational historic post office is included among the 67 buildings (as of 2005). Though some buildings are somewhat empty, others have displays showing the history of the building and period, period furniture, and other displays.

The former Imperial Hotel was moved from Tokyo between 1967 and 1985. Though only the entrance and lobby remain, it is the largest structure in Meiji Mura.

Other structures preserved at Meiji Mura include Lafcadio Hearn’s summer house from Shizuoka (1868) and Kyoto’s old St. Francis Xavier Cathedral (1890). The former Cathedral is available to rent for weddings.

Meiji Mura is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from March to October, and until 4:00 p.m. from November to February.

Official Meiji Mura website

Did you manage to catch a firework show this summer?

Mount Rokkō is 931m high and is the perfect spot for a city’s picturesque view. Various tourist attractions can be found such as a botanical garden and a music box museum. Japan’s first golf course was on top of Mount Rokkō too. There is no single mountain or peak called “Rokkō.” The highest peak of the mountains is called Rokkō-Saikōhō (六甲最高峰, Rokkō-Saikōhō?), literally, the highest peak in Rokkō Mountains.

Top of Rokkō-Saikoho

How to get there?

From central Kobe:

From Sannomiya Station, take the Hankyu Kobe Line to Rokko Station (7 minutes, 180 Yen), from where you can catch the Rokko Cablecar up the mountain (10 minutes, 570 Yen one way, 1000 Yen round trip).

The “Omote Rokko Shuyu Joshaken” ticket consists of a round trip ticket for the Rokko Cablecar and unlimited use of the circular bus line on top of the mountain for 1300 Yen.

From Arima Onsen:

The Rokko Arima Ropeway connects Arima Onsen with the top of Mount Rokko. The one way trip takes 12 minutes and costs 980 Yen. A round trip ticket costs 1770 Yen.

The “Ura Rokko Shuyu Joshaken” ticket consists of a round trip ticket for the Rokko Arima Ropeway and unlimited use of the circular bus line on top of the mountain for 1900 Yen.

From Kobe to Arima or the other way around:

The “Rokko Arima Katamichi Joshaken” ticket provides a one way trip between Rokko Station and Arima Onsen using cablecar, bus and ropeway plus unlimited use of the circular bus line on Mount Rokko for 1700 Yen. It is a nice way to access Arima Onsen from Kobe.

More info on how to get to Mount Rokko: Travel Guide Japan

Japanese Edo period castles are everywhere in Japan but the Matsumoto Castle is a very nice one to check out if you’re in Matsumoto city. Matsumoto city is the second largest city in the Nagano perfecture and is the perfect grounds to start your hiking trips to the Japanese Alps, i.e. Kamikochi.

Places to checkout while you’re in the city are:

- Matsumoto Castle
- Nakamachi
- Japan Ukiyoe Museum
- Kamikochi
- Alpine Route

Matsumoto City Official Website

Kushiro is just a park. The whole place is not just an uncivilized jungle, it is actually quite a pleasant town. Here’s a video of Kushiro town during summer of ‘06