Regional discoveries | Value Village

NaganoNature & Scenery

Yamanouchi

Snow Monkey Park

Japanese macaques that bathe in hot springs, said to be the only ones in the world.

NaganoNature & Scenery

Matsumoto and others

Utsukushigahara

A lava plateau at 2,000 metres, where cattle are put out to graze.

NaganoNature & Scenery

Around Tateshina

Tateshina

A highland lake at the foot of the Yatsugatake range. It freezes over completely in winter.

GifuNature & Scenery

Gifu

Nagaragawa Ukai

A fishing method that has run for more than 1,300 years. The masters hold office under the Imperial Household Agency.

GifuNature & Scenery

Shirakawa

Wadake

The largest gassho-zukuri house in Shirakawa-go. Silkworms were raised in the roof space.

ShizuokaNature & Scenery

Fujieda

Rengejiike

The water source of tea country.

ShizuokaNature & Scenery

Around Fujinomiya

Mt. Fuji

Three thousand seven hundred and seventy-six metres. It is inscribed not as natural but as cultural heritage: an object of worship and a wellspring of art.

ShizuokaNature & Scenery

Kawazu

Kawazu Nanadaru

Seven falls dropping over columnar basalt. The road of The Izu Dancer.

ShizuokaNature & Scenery

Makinohara

The largest tea-growing area in Japan, opened up by former shogunal retainers.

ShizuokaNature & Scenery

Shizuoka

Nihondaira

A hill with Fuji, Suruga Bay and Miho no Matsubara all in view.

AichiNature & Scenery

Toyota

Korankei

Maples planted by an abbot became four thousand trees of autumn colour.

MieNature & Scenery

Shima

Ago Bay

Pearl rafts float on a rias coast. This is the sea where Mikimoto Kokichi first succeeded in culturing pearls.

MieNature & Scenery

Ise

Meoto Iwa

Around the summer solstice the sun rises between the two rocks.

ShigaNature & Scenery

Around Otsu

Lake Biwa

The largest lake in Japan, taking up a sixth of the prefecture. An ancient lake, four million years old.

ShigaNature & Scenery

Takashima

Metasequoia Avenue

Five hundred trees along 2.4 kilometres. The colour changes completely with the seasons.

ShigaNature & Scenery

Otsu

Biwako Valley

Looking down on Lake Biwa from 1,100 metres.

KyotoNature & Scenery

Kyoto

Arashiyama

The Togetsukyo bridge and the bamboo grove. A villa district of the nobility since the Heian period.

OsakaNature & Scenery

Mino

Minoo Falls

A drop of 33 metres. Tempura-fried maple leaves are the local speciality.

HyogoNature & Scenery

Kobe and Nishinomiya

Nada Gogo

The largest sake district in Japan. Miyamizu water and the cold winds off Rokko raised the sake.

HyogoNature & Scenery

Minamiawaji

Awaji Island

The island of the creation myth. The whirlpools can be seen from above.

NaraNature & Scenery

Nara

Tsukigase Plum Grove

Ten thousand plum trees. They were first planted to take ubai, a dye.

NaraNature & Scenery

Soni

Soni Highland

Thirty-eight hectares of grassland, turning gold in autumn.

WakayamaNature & Scenery

Shirahama

White sand, and Engetsuto, the island the setting sun passes through.

WakayamaNature & Scenery

Koya

Okunoin Path

Two kilometres of cedars, with over 200,000 gravestones. Sengoku commanders lie there without regard to which side they fought on.