Everybody knows about Akihabara shopping, the Tokyo Tower/Skytree, and riding a bullet train.
A cultured few might go to the Tsukiji Fish Market, the Imperial Gardens, one of the Castles or a sumo match.
But how about those things and places you bet wouldn't be on a "typical" tour of Japan?
Whenever I travel, I love going to such places. Care to share any unique experiences you had?
For me:
(Keep in mind that I am a major WWII buff)
1) Matsushiro WWII Imperial Headquarters in Nagano
Just a bus ride from the site of the Olympics, these are the unfinished underground tunnels and bunkers under the mountains in the area. With the war worsening, the military made plans to move their headquarters deep beneath the mountains of Nagano, able to withstand even the heaviest B29 Bombings. They even planned to move the Imperial place there too! The complex was never complete, but they opened one of the largest portions of the tunnels to the public and you can walk around the actual tunnels untouched since the end of the war. This place is literally "off the map"; during the Olympics every tourist map omitted this spot as they didn't want anything associated with WWII getting any attention.
As a bonus, the tunnels are just a couple minutes away from the gravesite of General Kuribayashi, the famed leader of the Iwo Jima Garrison.
2) Yushukan at the Yasukuni Shrine on August 15th
You've probably heard of Yasukuni shrine, but did you know about the museum just steps away? It's dedicated to those who fought for the Emperor, primarily the Meiji and Showa. There are some one-of-a-kind artefacts from the last Samurai wars for Kenshin fans, and as the premier war memorial of Japan it has one of the most valued collections of Japanese WWII hardware, from uniforms, guns, and of course, a complete Zero fighter. If you can go on Aug 15th, you'll hear a royal speech from the Emperor and the head priest, and maybe a brawl between the nationalists and pacifist demonstrators. It's a side a Japan that is carefully hidden from the international media and one you have to actually be there to see.
3) The Yamato Museum in Kure.
If you're going to Hiroshima to see the Atomic Memorial, you might as well take the train down to Kure (the WWII Naval Headquarters) and check out this museum of the greatest Battleship in history. Unlike other countries which kept many of their WWII battleships as "museum" ships, every Japanese navy ship that survived the war was confiscated and/or sunk. So while you won't find any actual ships, you will see a 1/10 replica (used in the movie "Otokotachi no Yamato"), and various parts salvaged from the naval ships of the time, including the shells from the legendary 18-inch guns. To my knowledge this is the only modern warship museum (aside from the Mikasa) in Japan, so they've accumulated a vast collection.
Ok, non-WWII stuff.
4) Manga-cafe
Japanese Hotels are expensive. Japanese Hostels are good, but book up pretty quickly. So where do you stay if you don't want to sleep on the street? Check in overnight at a Manga-kissa! This isn't a cafe with tables; they have private booths with sofas and massage chairs. There are free showers, vending machines that give out unlimited free drinks, free gaming console/anime rentals and free internet. And of course; A Library of Congress size collection of MANGA! Seriously, there wasn't a manga I couldn't find here. I feel I could live my life here and I couldn't be happier... Pure otaku nirvana.
5) The Supreme Court of Japan
In the heart of Tokyo, just across from the Japanese Parliament this huge, unique structure stands out. It can be hard to book a tour here, and security is TIGHT, but in contrast to the traditional Japanese buildings, this place felt like a modern Greek Acropolis. It oozes class, formality and authority all at the same time and it's really something you have to experience to describe. Just don't go when there's a murder trial going on as the grounds can become chaotic.
I could go on but I'd like to hear your thoughts on places that you feel would make your list!
A cultured few might go to the Tsukiji Fish Market, the Imperial Gardens, one of the Castles or a sumo match.
But how about those things and places you bet wouldn't be on a "typical" tour of Japan?
Whenever I travel, I love going to such places. Care to share any unique experiences you had?
For me:
(Keep in mind that I am a major WWII buff)
1) Matsushiro WWII Imperial Headquarters in Nagano
Just a bus ride from the site of the Olympics, these are the unfinished underground tunnels and bunkers under the mountains in the area. With the war worsening, the military made plans to move their headquarters deep beneath the mountains of Nagano, able to withstand even the heaviest B29 Bombings. They even planned to move the Imperial place there too! The complex was never complete, but they opened one of the largest portions of the tunnels to the public and you can walk around the actual tunnels untouched since the end of the war. This place is literally "off the map"; during the Olympics every tourist map omitted this spot as they didn't want anything associated with WWII getting any attention.
As a bonus, the tunnels are just a couple minutes away from the gravesite of General Kuribayashi, the famed leader of the Iwo Jima Garrison.
2) Yushukan at the Yasukuni Shrine on August 15th
You've probably heard of Yasukuni shrine, but did you know about the museum just steps away? It's dedicated to those who fought for the Emperor, primarily the Meiji and Showa. There are some one-of-a-kind artefacts from the last Samurai wars for Kenshin fans, and as the premier war memorial of Japan it has one of the most valued collections of Japanese WWII hardware, from uniforms, guns, and of course, a complete Zero fighter. If you can go on Aug 15th, you'll hear a royal speech from the Emperor and the head priest, and maybe a brawl between the nationalists and pacifist demonstrators. It's a side a Japan that is carefully hidden from the international media and one you have to actually be there to see.
3) The Yamato Museum in Kure.
If you're going to Hiroshima to see the Atomic Memorial, you might as well take the train down to Kure (the WWII Naval Headquarters) and check out this museum of the greatest Battleship in history. Unlike other countries which kept many of their WWII battleships as "museum" ships, every Japanese navy ship that survived the war was confiscated and/or sunk. So while you won't find any actual ships, you will see a 1/10 replica (used in the movie "Otokotachi no Yamato"), and various parts salvaged from the naval ships of the time, including the shells from the legendary 18-inch guns. To my knowledge this is the only modern warship museum (aside from the Mikasa) in Japan, so they've accumulated a vast collection.
Ok, non-WWII stuff.
4) Manga-cafe
Japanese Hotels are expensive. Japanese Hostels are good, but book up pretty quickly. So where do you stay if you don't want to sleep on the street? Check in overnight at a Manga-kissa! This isn't a cafe with tables; they have private booths with sofas and massage chairs. There are free showers, vending machines that give out unlimited free drinks, free gaming console/anime rentals and free internet. And of course; A Library of Congress size collection of MANGA! Seriously, there wasn't a manga I couldn't find here. I feel I could live my life here and I couldn't be happier... Pure otaku nirvana.
5) The Supreme Court of Japan
In the heart of Tokyo, just across from the Japanese Parliament this huge, unique structure stands out. It can be hard to book a tour here, and security is TIGHT, but in contrast to the traditional Japanese buildings, this place felt like a modern Greek Acropolis. It oozes class, formality and authority all at the same time and it's really something you have to experience to describe. Just don't go when there's a murder trial going on as the grounds can become chaotic.
I could go on but I'd like to hear your thoughts on places that you feel would make your list!
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