Tanzan Jinja, on the hillside, located in the Sakurai mountains in Nara is a shrine well-known for its brilliant autumn colors and bright red buildings.
The Kyoto Botanical Garden
Kyoto Botanical Garden, Japan’s oldest, north of Kyoto city, offers seasonal beauty with cherry blossoms in spring and colorful autumn leaves.
Kinosaki Onsen (城崎温泉) / Hyogo
Kinosaki is a pleasant historical hot spring town, allows you to have a unique Japanese experience while strolling around in Yukata, and hot springs hopping.
Rakusai Chikurin Bamboo Park/ Kyoto
Rakusai Chikurin Bamboo Park is located in south-west of Arashiyama. You can see beautiful bamboo forest without the crowds like Arashiyama’s bamboo forest.
Wakanoura Bay/ Wakayama
Wakanoura bay, in Wakayama is a good choice for escaping to a less-known part of the Kansai area with rich scenic beauty, praised in the oldest Japanese poems.
Kimii-dera Temple/ Wakayama
Kimii-dera, an impressive temple with golden Buddhas, located in Wakayama is famous for its cherry blossoms, and the magnificent view of the Wakanoura Bay.
Nonomiya-jinja Shrine/ Kyoto
Nonomiya Jinja Shrine with a unique black torii-gate has a great reputation for women. It’s an interesting stop along the Arashiyama bamboo grove walking path.
Imai-cho Preservation District/ Nara
Imai-cho,a well-preserved historical district, a temple town of Shonen-ji with 500 traditional Edo houses laid out in a 2 km grid, is located in Kashiwara,Nara.
Saiho-ji Temple/ Kyoto
Saiho-ji Temple, commonly known as Koke-dera in the Arashiyama area offers a stunning Japanese garden. It’s hard to believe that moss can be a reason to visit.
Hoshida-Enchi Park/ Osaka
Hoshida-Enchi,a national park with the largest wooden foot bridge in Japan, is located in the east side of Osaka for a day hike or a picnic.
Mount Hieizan 1day highlight trip
Mount Hieizan, Kyoto’s eastern mountain range is known for Enryaku-ji. It’s a decent 1day trip out of Kyoto to enjoy gardens, temples and shrines, and hiking.
Former Chikurin-in Temple/ Shiga
Former Chikurin-in Temple, located at the foot of Mount Hieizan in Shiga, originally a villa of Enryaku-ji monks, is famous for its huge and beautiful garden.