ShiZen Tea is a Japanese teahouse in Tokyo’s old neighborhood of Ningyo-cho. This cafe was established with the hope of getting more people to enjoy the flavors of Japanese tea. The shop offers an exquisite collection of Japanese teas selected from across Japan. It also runs a 13-piece tea tasting workshop (advanced booking required), which is a wonderful way to discover the world of Japanese tea. If you fancy any of the teas, they’re available for purchase too. ShiZen Tea also serves tasty Japanese lunches, such as ochazuke -- a rice bowl with Japanese tea and toppings. The teashop operates inside a renovated traditional Japanese house, and has a calming ambience that amplifies the relaxing and refreshing qualities of Japanese tea. It's a great place if you're a lover of Japanese tea, or are just looking for a place to take a break.

Monet’s Garden Marmottan is found in Kitagawa village, in western Kochi. The site is modeled after artist Claude Monet's home and garden in Giverny, France. The Japanese version closely replicates the landscapes depicted in Monet’s paintings, allowing you to walk in the world of his artwork. There is much to see at the venue’s three gardens. The colorful Flower Garden is almost like a palette of paints. The Water Garden is centered on a water lily pond, which is featured in many of Monet’s masterpieces. The Light Garden showcases Kochi’s beautiful scenery with a touch of Monet. The site also houses a cafe (Monet’s House) and a homemade bakery, as well as a gallery shop that resembles the house where Monet lived. Various events are held throughout the year, including a tulip festival in spring and a summer beer garden. In winter, the garden puts on a show of lights. One of Monet Garden’s best kept secrets is its gardening workshops held regularly.

Gabusoka Shokudo Honten (main branch) is located in Nago, Okinawa. The eatery is known as the birthplace of Okinawa’s iconic soki-soba noodles, which are served in a rich pork-bone-based soup. The thick noodles eaten in Okinawa as "Okinawa Soba" were introduced from China around 400 to 500 years ago, and are a noodle dish either using pork or chicken bone-based broth. In general, Okinawa soba is topped with tender pork belly slices, while its variant, soki-soba refers to noodles topped with soki, which means pork ribs in the local dialect. Gabusoka Shokudo operates several branches across the Okinawa main island. Their soki-soba noodles are served with pork ribs simmered in a secret homemade sauce, which goes perfectly with the thick pork bone broth. The restaurant menu includes other hearty noodle dishes such as tebichi soba(noodles served with stewed pig feet).

Nachi Falls is located in the town of Nachikatsuura, in the southeastern part of Wakayama Prefecture. These magnificent falls are known as one of Japan's three major waterfalls. The depth of the waterfall basin is 10m, and the 133m drop from the top of the waterfall is the highest in Japan. The water appears to flow down from the mountain in slow motion, disappear into the mist, and envelop the river bank. Nachi Falls is a famous waterfall that has been worshiped since ancient times as one of the holy sites of the Hitojin Shrine, a separate shrine of Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine. It is registered as a World Heritage Site, part of the Kii Mountain Range Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes. The surrounding area is dotted with historical landmarks such as Kumano Nachi Taisha and Daimonzaka, which is decorated with beautiful stone pavements. There is also a hiking course that traces the famous places in the area, with the final destination being Nachi falls.

Choanji is located in Taito-ku, Tokyo. This temple of the Rinzai Myoshinji sect of Buddhism enshrines the god Jurojin of Yanaka Shichifukujin, also known as the Seven Lucky Gods of Edo. This temple was founded in 1669, with its main deity being Senju Kanzeon Bosatsu. The grounds are also famous for the tomb of Kano Hougai, a great painter. Hougai was known for his style of painting that incorporatesd Western painting techniques. His complete book, Sorrow of Kanon, has been designated as an Important Cultural Property (Tokyo University of the Arts). It is said that Ieyasu Tokugawa paid for the wooden Jurojin statue in the main hall. You can see it at the "Yanaka Shichifukujin Tour" held every year from January 1st to 10th.

Gokokuin temple is located in Taito-ku, Tokyo. This temple of the Tendai sect was erected in 1625 as a branch institute of Higashieizan Kanei-ji Temple. The Shakado (currently the main hall), built at the time of its construction, was quite magnificent at the time and had established itself as the greatest architectural building in Higashieizan. After experiencing relocation and fires, it eventually became the current main hall. Even now, from the exterior and interior of the main hall, there still murals that recall its past days of glory. In 1639, the 25th anniversary of the fall of Osaka Castle, the image of Daikokuten was donated by Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third general of the Tokugawa shogunate. This was done in honor of the memorial service carried out to mourn the spirits of both Toyotomi and Tokugawa. Since then, it has been worshiped as a temple dedicated to the Daikokuten of Yanaka Shichifukujin. During the tour of the Seven Lucky Gods from January 1st to 10th, you can see the image of Daikokuten displayed in the main hall up close.