Imabari is a city in Ehime Prefecture that faces the Seto Inland Sea. Since olden times, it has flourished as an important location for marine traffic. It's home to a bounty of recognised national treasures and historical heritage sights, and is also famous for its production of citrus fruits such as mikan. Japanese pop star, model, and icon Kyary Pamyu Pamyu took a trip to this ancient city to discover its wonder and beauty.   A Visit to the Historical Sea Route

   

Oyamazumi Shrine

A 'power spot' revered by prominent peopleOyamazumi Shrine has been revered by prominent figures throughout history as a place dedicated to the god of the mountain, god of the ocean, and the god of war. It's home to numerous Important Cultural Properties which are available for viewing by the public such as the armour worn by the military commander Minamoto no Yoshitsune when the Minamoto clan won the Genpei War (1180-1185), armour worn by women, and more. The shrine is also a notable power spot for the ancient tree that has stood there for 2,600 years and is now recognised as a natural monument of Japan. Power spots are places in Japan where the spiritually-inclined draw energy from.   InformationOyamazumi ShrineAddress: 3327 Omishimacho Miyaura, Imabari, Ehime 794-1393, JapanTEL: 0897-82-0032Opening Hours: Sunrise to 17:00National Treasure Building: 8:30-17:00 (Last Entries 16:30)Official Website: https://oomishimagu.jp/  

Kurushima Kaikyo Service Area

Lip-smacking food aplentyIf you're one for great views, then the Kurushima Kaikyo service area is a must-visit, offering a panoramic look at the Kurushima Strait of the Seto Inland Sea. The service area is very well know particularly for the Jaguchi Mikan Juice, something of a city legend in Ehime where you can enjoy fresh mikan juice straight from a tap. You can also tuck a rice bowl dish made with tachiuo hairtail caught in the Seto Inland Sea that's made to look like Kurushima Kaikyō Bridge, or try Imabari's soul food dish: the Imabari Yakibuta Tamago Meshi, a pork, egg, and rice bowl. Don't pass up the chance to snap a photo at the designated photo spot with the Seto Inland Sea in the back either like Kyary above.   InformationKurushima Kaikyo Service AreaAddress: 3-9-68 Ohamacho, Imabari, Ehime, 794-0002, Japan Food Court: [Weekdays] 8:00-21:00 / [Weekends & Holidays] 7:00-22:00 Shops: [Weekdays] 8:00-21:00 / [Weekends & Holidays] 7:00-22:00 Outside Shopping Area & Cafes: [Weekdays] 9:00-17:00 / [Weekends & Holidays] 9:00-18:00 Official Website: https://www.jb-highway.co.jp/sapa/kurushima.php  

Murakami Suigun Museum

Dedicated to the Imabari heroes who protected the oceanMurakami Suigun Museum is dedicated to kaizoku—pirates, or lords of the sea—something which conjures to mind villainy or bad guys, but the Murakami pirates were also considered heroes who helped maintain order and protect the sea during the Sengoku warring period of Japan. The museum features many displays of Murakami family treasures including the battle surcoat which the pirate leader wore over his armour, proudly bearing the Murakami family crest. Visitors can wear replicas of this coat, which Kyary tired herself: "Now I'm sorta like a military commander too," she said.   Information Murakami Suigun MuseumAddress: 1285 Miyakubocho Miyakubo, Imabari, Ehime 794-2203, Japan TEL: 0897-74-1065Opening Hours: 9:00-17:00Closed: Mondays (or Tuesday if the Monday falls on a public holiday) / New Year Holidays (Dec 29-Jan 3)Official Website: https://www.city.imabari.ehime.jp/museum/suigun/  

Roadside Station Yoshiumi Iki-iki-kan

A bundle of fun and entertainment in one placeRoll on up to Roadside Station Yoshiumi Iki-iki-kan to enjoy a shichirin BBQ feast with fresh seafood caught in the Seto Inland Sea while gazing out across Kurushima Kaikyo. This building complex serves as a resting spot and is also the perfect place to purchase local souvenirs including Ehime specialty products. It's also famous for its offering the chance to board a boat to ride around Kurushima Kaikyo, renting out bicycles, and more. You'll also be able to meet Koro-chan, a popular fish who has lived there for 30 years.   InformationRoadside Station Yoshiumi Iki-iki-kanAddress: 4520-2 Yoshiumichomyo, Imabari, Ehime 794-2114, JapanTEL: 0897-84-3710Opening Hours: 9:00-17:00Restaurant: 10:00-16:00 (Last Orders 15:00)Closed: New Year's Day (and certain days in winter)Official Website: http://www.imabari-shimanami.jp/ikiiki/  

Dolphin Farm Shimanami

Meet the cute and friendly dolphins   Dolphin Farm Shimanami, which is connected to Hakata Beach, is the best and biggest place in Japan to interact with dolphins. Visitors can get close to them and the dolphins will show off their tricks and skills. There's even a car camping area you can stay at.   InformationDolphin Farm ShimanamiAddress: 1673 Hakatacho Kanoura, Imabari, Ehime 794-2302, JapanTEL: 0897-72-8787Opening Hours: 9:00-17:00Closed: On days with bad weathOfficial Website: https://www.df-shimanami.com/  

Hakata Beach

A white sandy beach rolling out 200-meters      Hakata Beach is located at the base of Oshima Bridge in Hakata. The beach is famous for its salt which is best tried on their popular sweet-tasting sea salt ice cream.   InformationHakata Beach Address: 1668-1 Hakatacho Kanoura, Imabari, Ehime 794-2302, Japan Sea Bathing: Early July - Late AugustOfficial Website: https://www.city.imabari.ehime.jp/kanko/spot/?a=198  

Imabari Towels

High quality towels woven with tradition and technique   Imabari is the biggest producer of towels in Japan. Even their white towels alone have countless types you can choose from, allowing you to pick which level of softness and comfort you want. The iconic brand logo is also impactful, capturing the quality, production, and enthusiasm that the makes have for the product. Kyary herself uses them all the time!   Information Imabari TowelOfficial Website: https://www.imabaritowel.jp/  

Sunrise Itoyama

Need a bike?Sunrise Itoyama, located in the Imabari Central Cycling Terminal, is a rental bicycle service that has bikes and helmets for everyone's needs. Rent out a bike and ride the Shimanami Sea Route which connects Ehime and Hiroshima with a series of bridges that hop across the islands of the Seto Inland Sea.   Information Sunrise ItoyamaAddress: 2-8-1 Sunabacho, Imabari, Ehime 794-0001, JapanTEL: 0898-41-3196Rent-a-Cycle Details: https://www.sunrise-itoyama.jp/archives/rentacycle/Official Website: https://www.sunrise-itoyama.jp/  

Marutomi

The famous restaurant known to every localIf you want the real experience of Imabari's yakitori soul food, you should visit Marutomi, a yakitori eatery. Imabari yakitori is different from the usual Japanese yakitori as it doesn't come skewered. Instead, the chicken is cut into small pieces and fried that way. One of the most popular ways to have it is with the skin on so the outside is crunchy and the inside succulent. It goes perfect with a cup of sake too.   Information Marutomi2-3-6 Katayama, Imabari, Ehime 794-0063, JapanTEL: 0898-23-2740Opening Hours: 17:30-22:00Closed: WednesdaysOfficial Website: https://maru-marutomi.jp/  

Imabari Castle

A castle by the seaImabari Castle, built by the daimyo Tōdō Takatora, is known famously as one of Japan's three "Castles on the Sea" and was also listed in Japan's Top 100 Castles. When it was first constructed, boats could enter the moat from the ocean. It's a site that breathes the prosperity that Imabari has enjoyed as a significant location for maritime traffic, the same Imabari that the Murakami pirates sought to protect. Head on up to the top of the castle to stand on the observation deck and gaze at an unbroken view of the city.   InformationImabari CastleAddress: 3-1-3 Toricho, Imabari, Ehime, 794-0036, JapanTEL: 0898-31-9233Opening Hours: 9:00-17:00Closed: December 29 - December 31Official Website: https://www.city.imabari.ehime.jp/museum/imabarijo/  

Kirosan Observatory Park

A breathtaking spectacle to rememberKirosan Observatory Park is officially recognised by Setonaikai National Park. Standing atop the observation deck fills the eyes with wonder as they gaze upon a panoramic stretch of Imabari, the Seto Inland Sea, and Kurushima Kaikyo all at once. Kyary wrapped up her time in Imabari here as the sunset coloured the sky and sea in warm evening hues.   Information Kirosan Observatory Park Address: 487-4 Yoshiumicho Minamiura, Imabari, Ehime 794-2115, JapanNo Fixed Holidays Open 24-hours a day Official Website: https://www.city.imabari.ehime.jp/kanko/spot/?a=182   Imabari Tourism Information: https://www.city.imabari.ehime.jp/kanko/   We hope you enjoyed joining Kyary on her adventures across Imabari, and perhaps she even got you a little curious in wanting to visit the city yourself. It's a treasure trove filled with vistas by the sea, in nature, and in the city itself with its Important Cultural Properties. Food is also a big part of travel for many people, so you can rest assured that your belly will be satisfied in Imabari as you try their speciality mikan, fresh seafood fished in the Seto Inland Sea, and more.

Solo Sauna Tune is a new sauna that offers "total privacy" which is set to open its first branch inside UNPLAN Kagurazaka in Tokyo this November. Most sauna facilities in Japan cater to groups, but at Solo Sauna Tune, all guests are given their own space where they can undress, bathe, and relax in their own private room. This is especially desirable during the current pandemic where social distancing is paramount, and is a great opportunity for people not wanting to travel in groups. The solo saunas are heated using sauna stoves imported from Finland. Adding water to the sauna stones lets guests control the amount of steam in the room so they can adjust as they like. There is also a Japanese white birch aroma provided to the löyly (Finnish for 'steam').   Guests can also cool off in cold water. The Chiller provides water at 15℃. There are also overhead showers for cooling down, and the showerheads can be adjusted to make the water come out like mist. The relaxation area is coloured in a stylish black where guests can kick back for a while. After using the sauna, guests can visit the powder room where there are a varieties of free amenities. There's also a café which serves craft beers, food, and other treats.

Fufu Nara is set to be the first luxury hotel to open inside Nara Park on June 5, 2020. Designed by industry-leading Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, the hotel promises a unique dining experience with food served using herbal medicines that can only be tasted here, and guest rooms that are covered in art made by Nara-based artists who use traditional techniques. Both the dining and accommodation experiences aim to immerse guests in the culture of Nara.

Witness the handiwork of Nara's artists

Nara is a city steeped with beautiful history and culture. This has been captured by the artists who have collaborated with Fufu Nara in the form of paintings, crafts, entrance decorations, and more. A stay at Fufu Nara is an opportunity to witness first hand the deep traditions and techniques of Nara's art world. There are 30 rooms in total which are split into five different types. For example, one room type is designed around the old Japanese style of sitting on the floor. Inks and woods are used in the room to enhance that feeling that you're in Nara, and the colour tones too are chosen to bring to mind the ancient city.  

Fufu Nara's dining concept

Nara Prefecture is closely tied to herbal medicines. Herbal medicine came about in the year 611 during the monarch of Empress Suiko. It is written in the Nihon Shoki that the use of herbal medicine had already been adopted by the time Prince Shōtoku was serving under the Empress. Many different traditional herbal medicines are still used in Nara today, including Angelica root, shakuyaku peonies, fennel, and so on. Traditional herbal medicines have become popular again in the prefecture in recent years.   The food prepared at Nara Fufu makes use of ingredients grown and produced in Nara, from vegetables to herbs and beyond. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner all incorporate Japanese and Chinese herbal ingredients.  

Spa by sisley

The hotel also has a spa made in collaboration with French luxury skin care brand Sisley. There, guests can enjoy Fufu Nara's medicated baths.

Japanese creative studio 1→10, Inc. opened up Singapore's first ever permanent interactive land art exhibition "Magical Shores" on January 23 this year together with Lighting Planners Associates (LPA), a lighting company based in both Tokyo and Singapore.   Magical Shores spans 400 meters of Sentosa's Siloso Beach, turning it into an immersive, multi-sensory experience of AI-operated lights and sounds which elevate the beauty of the surrounding natural environment.   Guide To Magical Shores | Siloso Beach, Sentosa:

AI technology responds to visitors on the beach, giving them a breathtaking and unique performance. Sensors are dotted around the area which use sensing data to react based on people's movement around the beach. The AI is constantly developing as it collects big data about the temperature and climate of Siloso Beach as well as that of people's movements.In two of the interactive areas, people can witness the "Circle of Life" beginning with the big bang. After that there is magma, followed by heavy rainfall and eventually flowing water which gives birth to life. Cells divide as plants begin to sprout, fish swim in the sea, and birds and insects sing in the mountains. At the end, life falls, and the process begins again.Japanese musician Masakatsu Takagi was put in charge of the music and sound design of the exhibition. Takagi is known for having written the music for Wolf Children and The Boy and the Beast. He took inspiration from his music project "Marginalia," a sound diary where he would record the sounds of birds, insects, the wind, rain, and so on from his studio window. Takagi did field recording on the beach to capture the sounds of nature to use for the art exhibition.   Kuniyuki Takahashi also offered his musicianship to the exhibition. Based in Sapporo, he is an internationally-recognised composer. He also recorded the sounds of Siloso Beach, and together with Takagi, created the perfect soundtrack for Magical Shores.   Magical Shores is currently temporarily closed as a result of the coronavirus but will resume once more as soon as the situation allows it.

Seikatsu Guide, and online website that helps support and promote local regions around Japan, has announced its Top 10 selection for "Places I Most Want To Go And See (Western Japan)" as voted for by people.   Right now, most of us are under lockdown and are prohibited from making trips deemed unnecessary. So why not make a list of places you want to visit for when we can next travel? One of those places should be the Five Bridges of Amakusa in Kumamoto Prefecture.  

"Yowamushi Pedal" Anime | Five Bridges of Amakusa in Kumamoto

Taking the number one spot on the list is Five Bridges of Amakusa which is located in Kamiamakusa, Kumamoto. As the name suggests, five bridges make up the landmark, all of which stretch from Misumimachi and connect to Oyano Island, Nagaura Island, Oike Island, and Maejima Island. The bridges are a famous sightseeing spot and have been chosen as one of Japan's "100 Best Evening Spots" and "100 Best Roads."One woman in her 30's said, "I've been there on numerous occasions. It's a really beautiful place." A man in his 30's also commented, "I love the [Yowamushi Pedal] manga. If you're going as a fan, that scene is really exciting, so I went there on my bike."  

Comment from the person in charge of the Kamiamakusa Planning Committee

"Thank you for honouring us with 1st place in this [...] ranking. Five Bridges of Amakusa features as the location for the race in the Yowamushi Pedal movie. It gets its name from its five bridges which connect the islands along National Route 266. The area is also nicknamed 'Amakusa Pearl Line' for the abundance of pearls that can be found here. It was also selected as one of Japan's 100 Roads. It's a truly beautiful bridge which is also an example of Japan's fine bridge building craftsmanship."They continue: "Amakusa is surrounded by the beautiful ocean and spectacular mountains. Most of the city is located in Unzen-Amakusa National Park. There are islands that sit atop the glistening sea, and there's the Amakusa Alps which offer a spectacular view. It hails as one of Japan's best places for nature! There are many fun outdoor activities to experience, like dolphin watching, kayaking, cycling, and more. We have incredible food like kuruma prawns, which are a speciality food here, as well as free range local chickens. You can relax your mind and body with a dip in the hot springs while gazing at the ocean. Please be sure to drop by Kamiamakusa to enjoy everything it has to offer."   Other places that ranked on the list include the following.   2nd Place - "Manpuku" TV Drama | Porto Europe, Wakayama3rd Place - STU48 Promotional Video | Chichibugahama Beach, Kagawa4th Place - "Yatsuhakamura" Movie | Makido Cave, Okayama5th Place - "Segodon" TV Drama | Tatsumonjizaka Trail (Ryumonjizaka), Kagoshima

Located in the city of Nago in Okinawa lies Kanucha Resort, a hotel resort which boasts 2.6 million square meters of land. The resort has revealed its spring and summer program which invites guests to enjoy everything Okinawa has to offerーnot just its breathtaking oceans.  

What is Kanucha Resort?

Kanucha Resort sits on the east coast of Nago on the northern part of the Okinawa mainland. It's surrounded by the vast rolling sea and mother nature, and also faces Oura Bay, which is known for its coral reefs, which includes blue coral. Guest rooms come in nine styles, all of which incorporate gorgeous wooden decor. The resort has a bounty of restaurants, its own golf course, the beach, and over 70 activities to choose from, all of which makes Kanucha Resort a little town of its own. In the past winter months just gone, it also celebrate the 20th anniversary of Okinawa's largest illumination event, Stardust Fantasia.  

Buggy Ride Tours & Buggy Adventure Tours

Experience a different side of Okinawa away from the beaches with an off-road ride through Yanbaru no Mori Forest on a quad bike. Running: All YearTime: 9:00-17:00 Meeting Locations: Buggy Ride Tour @ Dokidoki Yambarunture / Buggy Adventure Tour @ Matayoshi Coffee Farm Ages: 4 years and older  

Coral Snorkeling Tour in Banana Boats

Witness the tropical fish swimming around you, and gaze upon the gorgeous coral reefs, as you explore the waters below when you climb off the banana boat. Running: July 23, 2020 - August 31, 2020Time: 60 minutesAges: 5 to 65 years  

Mangrove Kayak Tour Along the Kesaji River

The Okinawan mainland is home to many mangroves. See them together with the expand of Yanbaru's nature with a kayak ride along the Kesaji River. Running: All YearTime: Subject to change each day depending on how busy it is - please enquire directlyCourses: 150 Minutes (5 years and older) / 90 Minutes (3 years and older)  

Star Sommelier to Space Walk

Hear about the moon and space with talks from Hoshi no Somurie® ("Star Sommeliers") and use a telescope to observe the stars at the planetarium. Running: Monday-ThursdayTime: 20:00-20:50Meeting Point: Leisure Counter  

Oura Mangrove Kayak

Enjoy a round trip kayak ride around the Oura Mangrove which has been designated as an Important Cultural Property of Nago. Running: All Year Round Time: Please enquire directly Ages: 3 years old and above (*For guests only) Meeting Point: Wansaka Oura Park   For more details on the activities available at Kanucha Resort, visit their website here.