Japan is the land of curiosity, originality, and exploration. From high tech technology to crazy festivals and unique kitchen, Japan will show you all the things imaginable. For first time visitors, Japanese culture might seem strange and even not understandable mainly because they have not been influenced by any other cultures, but you will get used to it eventually. Strange is not always a bad thing and visiting Japan will be the perfect proof of that.
1. Aoshima Island
Aoshima or also known as the Cat Island in Ehime Prefecture is a small fisherman island overtaken by cats. This island is only 1,5 kilometers long and you will not see a sight of shops, restaurants or hotels. Today the island is inhabited only by 50 people although the numbers of cats have reached over 100.
You can reach the island on a boat, there are two trips made to and from Nagahama port to the island. The tickets are around 6 euros for adults and 3 euros for children, if you have any luggage you will need to pay the luggage fee, it will depend on the weight, the fee can be up to 3 euros. In recent years the island has become so popular that the tickets are in high demand and need to be purchased in advance, some fisherman offer to give the tourists a ride to the island although this is illegal.
Make sure to bring snacks and water and remember to only feed the cats in the designated areas and most importantly be respectful and do not disturb the living life as well as the nature of the island.
2. Okinoshima Island
The sacred land of the Okinoshima island is full of history and mysterious energy. This island is inhabited by the Munakata Taisha shrine and it does not allow any visitors. Every year the island hosts a festival where for one day there are around 200 men allowed to step foot on the island in order to pray. The rest of the year there is only one inhabitant, is usually a monk from the Munakata Taisha Shrine in order to look after the Okitsu-gu Shrine from the 17th century. The island is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017. On those rare occasions when the men are allowed to visit the island, they are only allowed to step foot on the island premises after undergoing cleansing ritual, and in order to leave you are not allowed to take anything from the island, not even a pebble.
3. Festival Floats
The floats used by the celebrations and festivals in Japan are normally designed in stunning designs and colors pulled by a group of people. There are normally two types of floats used in Japan – Dashi and Mikoshi, sometimes they are called – hikiyama or yama. Dashi has been designed to look like mountains to celebrate the mountain spirits where Mikoshi is usually carried on the shoulders and represents someone from Japanese mythology. The styles and the names of the floats will differ from the region and the holiday celebrated. The floats are paraded through the city and accompanied by music and large crowds. The floats can be anywhere from one meter up to 10 meters tall and decorated in flowers, ornaments, and traditional figurines.
4. Zao Fox Village
Zao Fox Village in Shiroishi-shi is where the animals can run freely compared to life in a zoo. The fox village is mainly known for the foxes, but you can also see ponies, goats, and birds as well as a petting zoo for bunnies.
Visitors are advised to keep in mind that the foxes are not domestic animals and they must follow the safety precautions instructed by the staff.
Similarly to Cat Island in Aoshima the Fox village has gained a lot of popularity thanks to the social media and today it is one of the most visited places in Shiroishi-shi.
You can reach the Fox village by train or bus and later on switch to the shuttle or taxi. The closest city that the train goes to is Sendai from where you can take the train to Shiroishi station.
5. Yoro Park
Yoro is a theme park in Gifu, Japan it is known as one of the most unique parks in Japan. The park was created by artists Arakawa and Gins who run the Reversible Destiny Foundation. The goal of the artists is to promote their philosophy through art. The Yoro Park is full of surreal buildings, sculptures, and interactive paths that take you around. This place suits all age groups and surprises even those visitors who are normally not interested in the art field. All the buildings and items placed in the park are interactive and nothing is off-limits, you can climb, run, and take photos all around. You can get a train to Yoro station from where you can find the shuttle bus that will take you to the park.
