The "ART" of manholes...... and other Japan Things to Do Tips

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In Japan almost everything takes on a certain artistic quality, and manhole covers are no exception. The artwork on Japanese manhole covers varies from city-to-city.

Some covers display images representative of a city's unique culture, while others display icons that are representative of the function of the hole they are covering, like those for the fire department....

Japanese manhole covers are so interesting,so next time you find yourself wandering the streets looking for something artistic, make sure you take a moment to look down .....

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the link below is for MANHOLE tours...but only in japanese....

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Address: all over the streets of japan
Website: http://www6.airnet.ne.jp/manhole/

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If you like rubber stamps, take a trip to Japan, where nearly every historical monument has been thoughtfully furnished with a rubber stamp station.

Look for a simple card table with stamp pads at train stations, temples and shrines, museum, etc

Rubber stamps can serve as a unique guide to what you've done and where you've been in Tokyo or Japan in general..

For journal keepers, they add a romantic, unique touch to notes and impressions of the city and your trip...

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Look at these sites for information....
RUBBER STAMPS FROM JAPAN

GRUTT PASS

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Ise
Ise Shrines .......Japan's most sacred shrines.

Izumo
Izumo Taisha ......Japan's second most important shrine.

Kyoto
Fushimi Inari Shrine .....The ultimate torii experience.
Heian Shrine .....Shrine in form of the ancient Imperial Palace.
Yasaka Shrine ......Shrine famous for its Gion Festival.

Nara
Kasuga Taisha .....Nara's most celebrated shrine.

Tokyo
Meiji Shrine .....Dedicated to the deity of Emperor Meiji.
Yasukuni Shrine..... Dedicated to the deities of Japan's war dead.

Kamakura
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu ......The most important shrine of Kamakura.
Zeniarai Benten ......Shrine where visitors wash their money.

Fujiyoshida
Sengen Shrine .....Major shrine dedicated to Mount Fuji.

Hakone
Hakone Shrine ......Hakone's most famous shrine.

Osaka
Sumiyoshi Taisha .....Osaka's most prominent shrine.

Kanazawa
Oyama Shrine ......Shrine dedicated to the former local lord.

Nikko
Nikko Toshogu ......Mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Futarasan Shrine .......Dedciated to three of Nikko's sacred mountains.

Kotohira
Kompirasan .....Shikoku's most popular shrine.

Miyajima
Itsukushima Shrine ......Famous for its large gate standing in the ocean.

Yamaguchi
Yamaguchi Daijingu..... A small version of the Ise Shrines.

Dazaifu
Dazaifu Tenmangu ......The first shrine dedicated to Tenjin.

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In theory the lowest of the four social classes during the Edo Period, where the MERCHANTS but actually many grew to be very wealthy.

Merchant districts are characterized by shop lined streets and warehouses

In Takayama

Look at my page on Sanmachi Suji
The narrow streets in Takayama's old town are lined by traditional buildings, shops and sake breweries.
A few former merchant homes are open to the public.

to get there,
is a 5-10 minute walk from the JR Takayama Station just across the Miyagawa River.

In Kurashiki

Historic Canal Area
Numerous warehouses along a willow lined canal.
Many of the warehouses have been converted into museums, souvenir stores, boutiques and cafes.

to get there,
is a 10 minute walk from JR Kurashiki Station.

In Kawagoe

Kurazukuri Street
More than a dozen warehouses, reminiscent of the Edo Period, are along Kawagoe's main street.
Many of them are now housing stores and restaurants.

to get there,
10-15 minute walk along the main street from Hon-Kawagoe Station.

In Nara

Naramachi
Naramachi is the former merchant district of Nara, where several traditional warehouses and residential buildings have survived.
One old residence is open to the public for free.

to get there,
Naramachi is located south of Kintetsu Nara Station and Kofukuji Temple.
Kofukuji stands at the entrance to Nara Park when you approach the park from either Kintetsu or JR Nara Station.

In Matsumoto

Nakamachi District
Nakamachi-dori is a street lined by several old buildings, including a number of warehouses.
Some of them house small shops, restaurants and ryokan.

to get there,
5-10 minute walk from Matsumoto Castle and a 10-15 minute walk from Matsumoto Station.

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Day 1 - Land at Narita Airport and take the train to Tokyo. Rest and recover from your flight.

Day 2 - Visit Nikko and explore its complex of temples and shrines at Toshogu.

Transportation: at Tokyo train station, take the JR Shinkansen on the Yamabiko Line to Utsunomiya train station. At this station, change to the Nikko Line and go to Nikko train station.

Day 3 & 4 - Visit Hakone in Japan's famous Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.

Transportation: Return to Tokyo train station and take the JR Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Odawara train station. At Odawara, you can buy the Hakone Free Pass (3 days for 4,130 yen) which gives you access to Odakyu railways, cable cars, buses, and boats. Hakone

Day 5 & 6 - Visit TAKAYAMA, a culturally rich and historic scenic mountain town.

Also, Shirakawago which contains thatched-roofed houses and is one of the most picturesque villages in Japan.

Transportation: take the JR Shinkansen train to Nagoya, and then at Nagoya take the Express train to Takayama.

From Takayama, it is a 2 hour bus ride to Ogimachi with a bus change in Makido. (If you have a JR Rail Pass, you can use it between Makido and Ogimachi and only buy the ticket between Takayama and Makido)

Day 7, 8, 9 - Visit KYOTO, the ancient capital of Japan. This city contains hundreds and hundreds of temples, shrines, gardens, as well as the old Imperial Palace.
time permitting, a one day trip to Nara is also recommended.

Transportation: take the Express train from Takayama to Nagoya, and change to the JR Shinkansen at Nagoya and take it to JR Kyoto train station.

Day 10- Take the JR Shinkansen back to Tokyo train station and take the Express train to Narita Airport.

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Day 1 - Land at Kansai International Airport in Osaka and take the train or bus to Kyoto. Rest and recover from your flight.

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Day 2, 3, 4 - Explore KYOTO, the ancient capital of Japan. This city contains hundreds and hundreds of temples, shrines, gardens, as well as the old Imperial Palace. A one day trip to NARA is also recommended.

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Day 5, 6, 7 - Visit TAKAYAMA, a culturally rich and historic scenic mountain town. Also, Shirakawago which contains thatched-roofed houses and is one of the most picturesque villages in Japan.

Transportation: take the JR Shinkansen train to Nagoya, and then at Nagoya take the Express train to Takayama

From Takayama, it is a 2 hour bus ride to Ogimachi with a bus change in Makido. (If you have a JR Rail Pass, you can use it between Makido and Ogimachi and only buy the ticket between Takayama and Makido).

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Day 8 & 9 - Visit Hiroshima and the world famous Peace Memorial Park. Spend a relaxing day on Miyajima Island and see the red shrine gate which guards Itsukushima Shrine.

Transportation: take the Express train from Takayama to Nagoya, and change to the JR Shinkansen at Nagoya and take it to JR Hiroshima train station.

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Day 10 - Take the JR Shinkansen train from Hiroshima to JR Shin-Osaka train station. Take the train to Kansai International Airport.

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1.-Himeji Castle, Hyogo Prefecture

One of the few remaining original castles in Japan, a visit to Himeji Castle is a must for any traveler interested in Japanese history. If you go...there are free guided tours of Himeji Castle conducted in English by volunteer tour guides.

These tours are highly recommended and last for about 2 1/2 hours (and well worth every minute of your time!). No reservations are needed - just show up and ask about the guided tour at the admissions gate.

Transportation: Take the JR Shinkansen (Bullet Train) from JR Shin-Osaka train station to JR Himeji train station

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2.-Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture

Situated on the Japan seacoast, Kanazawa is a destination for those travelers interested in Japanese history and culture.

Transportation: Take the JR Thunderbird Limited Express from JR Kyoto train station to JR Kanazawa train station.

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3.-Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture

This is a great town for photographers, full of traditional Japanese-style architecture and ancient canals.

Transportation: Take the JR Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Okayama, and then take the JR Super Yakumo Express train to JR Kurashiki train station.

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4.-Mount Fuji District:

Mount Fuji is most beautiful from October to May when the top of the mountain is covered with snow, and for the more adventurous the climbing season runs from July to September.

Near Mount Fuji lies the Fuji Five Lakes district, and this destination is popular with tourists from nearby Tokyo.

Transportation: Take the JR Chuo train line from Tokyo train station or Shinjuku train station to Otsuki train station. At Otsuki train station, transfer to the Fujikyu train line and go to Fujiyoshida train station. This is about a 2 hour and 30 minute train ride. Fujiyoshida train station is the starting point for the climb up Mount Fuji.

HOW TO GET TO MT FUJI

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5.-Mount Koya is one of Japan's holiest mountains located in Wakayama Prefecture.

The journey to Mount Koya takes visitors a cedar-filled valley 800 meters above sea level, surrounded by 8 mountain peaks.

Mount Koya has grown to more than 100 monasteries surrounding the head temple of Kongobuji.

Transportation: It is a 1 hour and 40 minute train ride on the Limited Express train from Nankai train station in Namba, Osaka to Gokurakubashi train station. From this station, it is a 5 minute cable car ride to Mount Koya. Stay at a Temple.

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6.-Takaragawa Onsen (Hot Springs), Gunma Prefecture

Japan is also famous for its outdoor hot springs, and one of the most spectacular is the river hot springs at Takaragawa Onsen in Gunma Prefecture.

Transportation: Take the JR Shinkansen (Bullet Train) from Tokyo train station on the Joetsu Line to Jomokogen train station. At the train station, take the Takaragawa Onsen bus to the last stop.

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1.-Daisetsuzan National Park, Hokkaido

This park in central Hokkaido has a wide range of hot springs, gorges, and mountains including Asahidake which is Hokkaido's tallest mountain.

Transportation: take the JR Limited Express train from JR Sapporo train station to JR Kamikawa train station. From here visitors can take trains and buses to different areas of the park.

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2.-Iriomotejima (Iriomote Island, Okinawa)

This island is a national park and it is known as the "Galapagos of the Orient" because of its rare subtropical plants and animals. It is also popular for scuba diving and eco-tours.

Transportation: there are boats which arrive at Ishigakiko port on Iriomotejima, and from there you can take a bus to other parts of the island.

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3.-Kurokawa Onsen (Kurokawa Hot Spring), Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu

This very popular hot spring town is located near the volcanic Mount Aso, and it is surrounded by the beautiful mountains and lush gorges of the Aso region. Visitors can purchase a Hot Springs Pass to enter any three hot springs of their choice

Transportation: From JR Hita train station, take the bus to Tsuetate Onsen.

From Tsuetate Onsen, take another bus to Oguniyu station. (This is a very popular destination so please make your reservation at least 2 months in advance. Weekdays are better, especially for single travelers).

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4.-Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Hokkaido

Within easy access of Sapporo is Shikotsu-Toya National Park. This is one of Hokkaido's most beautiful parks but also one of its most developed. The centerpieces of Shikotsu-Toya National Park are two volcanic lakes: Toyako (Lake Toyako) and Shikotsuko (Lake Shikotsuko). Both lakes are very pretty and have excellent hiking trails.

Transportation: From JR Sapporo train station, it is a 1 hour 47 train ride to Toyako Onsen (Lake Toyako Hot Spring) on the Limited Express "Hokuto" or "Super Hokuto."

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5.-Old Nagasendo Highway, Nagano Prefecture

Within the Kiso Valley in Nagano, this was once a popular highway used by provincial lords, samurai attendants, merchants, and salesmen during the Edo Period.

Transportation: take the JR Limited Express Shinano at JR Nagoya train station to JR Nagiso train station.

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6.-Yufuin Onsen (Yufuin Hot Spring), Oita Prefecture, Kyushu

West of the popular hot spring resort of Beppu on Kyushu Island lies the pretty and peaceful hot spring town of Yufuin. There are 12 public hot spring baths as well as a outdoor hot spring for bathers to enjoy.

Transportation: take the JR Limited Express train (Yufuin Nomori) from JR Beppu train station to JR Yufuin train station.

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