Huge, working Zen monastery in the mountains above Fukui City. The setting itself is striking enough; deep, deep snow in the winter, but the temple is as beautiful as any I've seen here. There is a new section, added recently, which blends in perfectly with the original buildings, and there is even a dormitory where weary tourists can stay. Reservations essential. I won't go into details about the history of the place, but it is fascinating. If you only have time to visit one temple in Japan, then you could do a lot worse than this one. Highly recommended.
A huge and fascinating shrine complex, dedicated to the fox God, in the southern suburbs of Kyoto. Famous not for the main shrine itself, but for the tens of thousands of "torii" (Red shrine gates) which line every lane and path up and around the nearby mountain. Also very decent of the ancient folks of Kyoto to build the shrine so near to JR Fushimi station. One note of warning. The refreshment shop at the top charges 700 yen for a bottle of beer. Take your own.
Rather less well known than its illustrious brother Kinkakuji, the Temple of the Silver Pavilion is certainly less striking, but altogether more serene. Many, including yours truly, think that this is in its favour. Generally less crowded than its glowing golden counterpart, the pavilion is not silver at all. Brown and white, to be exact. Spacious gardens winding up the adjacent hill are also very pleasant, particularly during Kyoto's fiercely hot summer. A nice place.
Otherwise known as the "White Heron", this is the castle to see in Japan. Bigger, whiter, and better preserved than any other 300 year-old firetrap in the country, I made the mistake of visiting Himeji first. Thus, all castles since have been a disappointment. It is certainly worth at least one visit. The view from the top of the main tower is quite splendid. You can watch the Bullet Trains streaking across the countryside at 185mph. As with many other places in Japan, Early April is the best time to visit, thanks to the profusion of cherry trees in the castle grounds. Beware the old ladies, though. (see Kiyomizudera for a full warning.) Apart from the castle, however, Himeji is, er, pretty dull. A one attraction town if ever there was one.
Otherwise known as the Golden Temple, this is one of the best known landmarks of Japan. Undiscovered tribes in the Amazon Jungle probably have postcards of Kinkakuji pinned on their hut walls. If you don't mind the thousands of other people likely to be there with you, it is a stunning sight, especially on your first visit. The best time of day to visit is either early morning or evening. i.e. when the sun is low. It shines so brilliantly, you can barely turn your eyes towards it. All in all, rather a cliched place, but a must see (once), none-the-less.
Almost as famous and passe as Kinkakuji, Kiyomizudera stands out not for its colour, but for its location. Perched on wooden stilts half way up a mountain, precarious would probably be the best way to describe it. One discarded cigarette butt could potentially finish it off. Cherry blossom season (Early April) is the best time to visit, due to, er, lots of cherry trees around the main hall. Don't even think about taking any half decent photos, though. You're up against the most terrifying stratum of Japanese society: old ladies with umbrellas. You will lose. Don't think you won't. During this period, the temple is lit up, and opened for some night time viewing. Advance reservations necessary.
Even less interesting than Okayama. It doesn't even have a garden to redeem it.
A bizarre place, and no mistake. Tucked away in a remote corner of Awaji Island, the first mystery is actually how to find the place. It is a museum, set up by a retired farmer, dedicated to anything and everything to do with the sexual act. Much of the display is very thinly veiled pornography, with a few penis-shaped trees, rocks etc. thrown in for an attempt at respectability. It is baffling why someone would set up such a place, and more curious still that it hasn't been closed down yet. If you're tempted, I'd go soon before the police catch on. If the museum itself isn't weird enough for you, next door is a monkey farm and a shrine where the act of worship involves throwing a frisbee down the mountain below. Worth a visit for the novelty value if you happen to be passing, which you wouldn't be. Thanks to Chris Wood for alerting me to this little haven.
About as interesting as Aomori, but it does rather a nice garden called Korakuen. That's it.
This "town" actually covers about 2 squillion square miles of rural Nara, and, amazingly for Japan, is almost totally unspoiled. It's a bit hard to find on a map, but it is between the relatively well known areas of Gojo and Totsukawa. This area is very mountainous; the highest peaks are around 2000m, and logging trails proliferate. Cue a 250cc trail bike. We spent a idyllic weekend shattering the peace of this backwater by razzing the bike up and down every possible dirt track. Loadsafun. I even crashed it in a river. How we laughed. Oto is relatively unknown, so even at peak periods, the only people there with you are early morning fisherman. You can get camping permission at the town hall, but beware of the local ranger. He has 2 wild boars for pets. If you're desperate to "get away from it all" once in a while (who isn't?), this is a good spot. Also lots of nice dense forest for urban couples to relieve their "stress", but careful of the wildlife.
One of the best known and most stunning sights anywhere in Japan, Todaiji (Great Temple of the East) can be seen from miles away. In a land where inane superlatives are slapped on a huge range of nondescript warehouses, Todaiji's claim to fame is quite simple. The largest wooden structure anywhere on the planet. It is immense, but it's only when you get up close that you can truly appreciate the sheer magnitude of the place. It is almost impossible to photograph. I forget the exact dimensions, but nestling inside is a 50 feet tall bronze Buddha. Imposing, to say the least. For those of a childish disposition, a narrow tunnel has been cut through one of the mammoth supporting beams, through which fat tourists attempt to pass while their wives videotape the humiliation. If you are any wider round the girth than the average 14 year-old cheerleader, I suggest you pass on this.
A supposedly "rippa" (impressive) set of the cliffs on the Japan Sea Coast. I was encouraged by several people to go and stare at the boundless ocean from a great height. So I went. Pathetic. I've rarely been so disappointed with a place. The cliffs soar up from the sea to height of about 10 whole metres; the place is littered with even-more-tawdry-than-usual souvenir shops, and the cliffs themselves are awash with litter. Don't go. If you have to go to Fukui Prefecture, then I would suggest that your time (and money) would be far better spent at the magnificent Eiheiji Temple, or at one of the numerous hot springs in this area.
Sand dunes? In Japan? Ha ha ha ha. But wait, it's true, they are real, and quite sizable at that. What is more, they're almost totally litter-free, rare for Japan. Of course, it wouldn't be complete without some tackiness, so hello to about half a dozen mangy old camels, trying to fool people into thinking that they're actually in Marrakesh. Camels smell. Really bad. It's not all bad, though. On a sunny day, down by the water's edge, take a six pack and have a very mellow time.
Somebody had it in for us on this trip. After a beautiful, sunny drive along the Japan Sea coast from Tottori, we arrived at this "8th wonder of the world", climbed the hill, and cursed as nasty, spiteful rain started pouring on us. You could almost hear Him laughing. Thus, our impressions of this most revered place were rather far from completely objective. "Heaven's Bridge" is a long spit of land in Miyazu Bay, and if you bend down and look at it upside-down through your legs, it is supposed to appear to float in the sky. Hmmmm. I couldn't see it, but maybe that was my cynicism working overtime. I suspect that it is one these nowhere places, hyped-up to the point of lunacy simply because there is nothing of note at all in the surrounding area. The general opinion in our group was that it probably wouldn't have been worth the drive, even on a nice day. I'm sure many will disagree, but it didn't do anything for me at all.
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