Hilton Yokohama
Hilton Yokohama opened in September 2023. Located across from Yokohama Bay Quarter, it offers beautiful views reflected on the water. It’s a great base for sightseeing in the Minato Mirai area and Yokohama Chinatown, with excellent access to nearby attractions like K-Arena Yokohama and the Yokohama Anpanman Children’s Museum.
It’s a bit far from JR or the main station—about a 10–15 minute walk. If you have luggage or are traveling with kids, it can feel tiring.
Sapporo Snow Festival
Ranked as one of the world's top three snow festivals, the Sapporo Snow Festival is a coveted winter extravaganza held every February in Sapporo, Hokkaido. The even kicked off in 1950 when local middle and high school students created snow sculptures in Odori Park. The event has since grown into a massive festival that draws some two million visitors from around the world each year.
Every year, the snow sculptures have a different theme, often inspired by current trends like popular anime or movie characters. There's always something new and exciting to see!
Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort
The Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort, with over 70 years of history, is one of the largest and most well-established ski resorts in the Kanto region, covering an area of 236 hectares. It has long been a favorite among skiers and snowboarders, boasting an impressive scale.
The ski resort is usually covered in powder snow, especially during peak season. The snow quality is just perfect—definitely one of the must-visit ski spots on my list.
Jigokudani Monkey Park
Located along the Yokoyugawa River flowing from the Shiga Highlands and sitting at an elevation of 850 meters, Jigokudani Monkey Park exists in a harsh environment where one-third of the year is blanketed in snow. With its rugged cliffs and steam rising from hot springs everywhere, it's no wonder the place is called Jigokudani, or "Hell's Valley."
It's a bit of a walk to get to the monkey hot spring, and the path can be icy and not so easy to walk on. But the scenery along the way is really beautiful!
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observation Deck
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, located in Shinjuku, is Tokyo’s centralized administration complex, comprised of three buildings: the First Main Office Building, the Second Main Office Building, and the Metropolitan Assembly Building. The First Main Office Building is home to a 45th floor Observation Deck, which is accessible by dedicated elevator on the 1st floor. In just 55 seconds the dedicated elevator will whisk you into the skies, to a height of 202 meters above ground and the sprawling view of Tokyo below.
From the observation deck, you can see Tokyo Tower, Skytree, and even Mt. Fuji from different angles. The views are especially stunning.
Kobe Harborland
Kobe Harborland, lined with multiple large scale multi-facility complexes, is the name of the area by the coast covering approximately 18.5 Hectares. One of the commercial complexes, “Kobe Brick Warehouse, HARBOR STORES”, was originally a cargo warehouse built in the late 1890s.
This place is so much fun to explore! You really have to stay a night here to fully enjoy it.
Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street
Osaka's representative shopping arcade. It is said to be "the longest shopping arcade in Japan" with a total length of about 2.6 km from Tenjinbashi 1-chome to 7-chome. It takes about 40 minutes to walk from one end of the arcade to the other. The arcade began to flourish when it became the main approach to Osaka Tenmangu Shrine, which is located in 2-chome and is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, the god of learning.
Not only is it great for shopping, but things are cheap too! Perfect spot to hang out with friends.