Yakushi-ji is one of the most famous imperial and ancient Buddhist temples in Japan, located in Nara. The temple is the headquarters of the Hossō school of Japanese Buddhism.

This time I was able to stay the night at the popular “Oval”.

I rode the monorail from the museum building for five minutes. The Oval is built on top of a hill, there are only 6 rooms available and has a luxurious atmosphere. It is the best location in Benesse house with the full view of the Seto Inland Sea right beneath you.

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The second day, I woke up very early in the morning; I decided to walk the sandy Gotanji Beach.

After finishing my morning walk, I had some breakfast, and checked out of Tsutsuji sou.

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Naoshima, is known as the island of art.

It is a mysterious island because only a small amount of Japanese people know of this island; a lot of foreigners come to visit.
I went there for half a day one time, but this time I had a chance to stay there and to fully enjoy it for two nights and three days, therefore I would like to introduce the island to you.

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In Kyoto, there are many famous tourist sights such as Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, and Ginkaku-ji. However, this time we will introduce another appealing spots that are close to the main sightseeing area. It will be nice to head to the other direction when the major places are crowded.

■Honen-in
The major sightseeing spot in Higashiyama are Ginkaku-ji and Kiyomizu-dera. Honen-in is within 5 minutes walk from Ginkaku-ji and has a rare thatched gate.

The entrance of Honen-in is hard to find since there are any signs. The slope in the picture leads you to the temple.

The thatched gate.

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With 109, a tower where the leading fashion of young ladies gathers, as a symbol, Shibuya is a place where fashion brands of all ages gathers and introducing the latest culture.

Hachi-ko
Hachiko status is the most famous place to meet up with friends.
This dog is the one that was featured in the movie “Hachiko: A Dog’s Story”. Many people use this spot to meet up at evening since Shibuya is a continent station where JR lines and subways stop.

Tokyu 5000 series
A train placed in front of Hachiko is the font car of Tokyu 5000 series that used to run between Shibuya and Sakuragi-cho. The loved train that was called by its nickname “Aogaeru (green frog)” has become another meeting spot in Shibuya. The driver’s seat and the handle are left the way it used to be and in inside, pictures of Shibuya from Meiji period are displayed. You can hop on the train and take a look of the interior.

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