As someone who never a day in her life in America rode a bus, they can be intimidating. Sure, I used the subway or metro in bigger cities, but let’s face it, America’s public transportation sucks. Generally speaking, if you are using buses in Japan, you aren’t going somewhere easy (otherwise you’d be on a train, but we’ll also touch on highway buses!).  If it’s a mile away, I’ll walk, but start getting farther out, you really do need a bus. Throw in a very complicated written language, like Japanese, it’s even scarier. So here are 5 tips for using the bus that I hope helps you on your way!

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in October of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission by you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

5 tips for using buses in Japan

The key to remember is the more practice you have, the more comfortable you will become with using buses in Japan. While kanji can make it a bit more intimidating than other places, more and more buses in Japan are becoming more foreign-friendly with English (and normally Chinese) being used for the signs.

1) How to save money on buses in Japan

Remember when I talked about Pasmo and Suica pre-pay cards?  As long as you aren’t in the boonies, this is the easiest way to go.  You are receiving a small discount by using them, however, if you are somewhere that doesn’t do cards and you’re near the bus depot, pay for the roundtrip (if you are only going one place), you’ll save a few dollars depending on how far you’re going!  

When we took the 45–minute bus ride to Takayama Inari Shrine it was 900 yen one way.  Or 1500 yen round trip.  Something to check, because if you are going round trip anyway, you may as well save a bit!

In cities, often time there is flat rates or bus passes you can get.  Check at the bus station or tourist information center (my must when traveling in Japan) when you get there. A great way to get around Hirosaki and many other cities are the tourist “loop buses”.

2) How to navigate WHICH buses in Japan to use

This is the hard part.  Sometimes there is a whole army of buses at the depot heading off in different directions.  The best starting point is to look up where you are going.  If they have a website, they usually have an “access” page.  If they require a bus to get to them, you’ll be able to check which stop you are looking for, and hopefully, what bus line. 

As, like trains, there are multiple different options.  As far as knowing which stop it is, they are all actually named, and even farther out, they’ll have the name in English characters.  If you are worried about signaling to stop though (there are usually red buttons to press), it is helpful to know what the Kanji looks like as it will appear first.

Next, it’s just a matter to figure out what “platform” or bus name to look for.  Anywhere I’ve been that requires buses in Japan, I make sure to explain that in detail as I know I get stressed out by it so I want to make it as easy as possible for you! Getting to Ryusendo Caves coming to mind.

Lastly, where to get off the bus.  If there was a bus terminal, they should be able to provide you with a time schedule.  Though on roads, they are surprisingly close to the time expected. Yes, even the buses in Japan are punctual! If you have a phone with data (it would be nice if all transportation had WiFi!), you can also google map it to give you a better idea.

3) Reading bus schedules in Japan

There are apps for bus routes but best I’ve been able to find, they are all in Japanese.  Google-san (as it’s called in Japan) is your friend and is doing a better job with including bus routes as a direction option.

For routes, remember that they can differ between 休日 (kyuujitsu, “holidays”) and 平日 (heijitsu, weekdays). 休日 you will normally see listed as “休日 (土　日　祝日)” which means “Holiday (Saturday – Sunday – National Holiday)”. In this case, 土曜, Saturday, is shortened to 土, as 曜 (day) is understood.

If time tables between week days and week ends are different, you will see one of these characters at the top of the column. They normally change the color of the column as well to make it stand out.

This next graphic is a simplistic schedule. If weekday also included a 14:44 bus, for instance, there would be a “44” in the next column from the “24”. Note that not all areas will have English like this one, so it is helpful to learn the kanji or have screenshots of what you are looking for.

4) Getting on and off buses in Japan

Generally, you’ll get on from the back door of the bus but that’s not always the case. One hint, if both doors open, use the rear one.  Some queue lines are very exact and will give you an idea as well because the door will open right at the front of the line.  It’s Japan, we queue for everything.

If you are using a PASMO or other IC card (if that’s an option where you are), you’ll see a PASMO sensor to tap, just tap on and off the bus.  If you are somewhere that needs a ticket or to pay by cash, there will be a number dispenser.  This will be used to verify where you got on (though no one will actually check it). You will see a white piece of paper out of a machine, just grab one as you are getting onboard.

In this picture above, immediately next to the driver is where you pay.  Left of that is the dispenser for what stop you got on. They are in number order but don’t really refer to anything besides that. And in the overhead is the display board.

There will be a screen at the top of the buses in Japan, the price will change as you continue on the way.  Watch what it is for your number and you will drop your number and the exact amount of money in the machine when you step off the bus at your destination.  The machine in which you put your money also has the ability to change bills as necessary generally.  However, it’s a good idea to carry lots of change if you are somewhere that requires riding buses in Japan.

5) Getting back – not missing your bus

Assuming you are returning from where you departed the bus, it’s a good idea to double check the time table.  Even if you got one from the bus terminal.  I generally like to get back 5-10 minutes before the bus is expected in areas where they don’t run often.  They are punctual, but you never know if you might be the one running late!  If you’re getting on at a different location, definitely give yourself some time to locate the bus stop to save yourself some stress.

In this example, there are three bus routes that stop at this stand.  The hours are listed down the left-hand column and the minutes (in the corresponding hour) are listed in the columns per bus.

How to use Highway Buses in Japan

(At updating this article, the highway buses in Japan are currently suspended due to COVID-19 but hopefully, we can use them again soon!)

Highway buses (高速バス, kousoku bus) are often cheaper than taking the train (especially if you’d be taking the shinkansen) to your destination. They are good for medium and long distances. Many longer routes will run overnight, getting you to your destination first thing in the morning. Which works really well for getting to ski resorts, which is the instance I’ve used highway buses in Japan the most. They are also a good option if you tend to get train sick.

For long distance travel for the budget minded traveler in Japan, the overnight options can be great for you as you don’t have to worry about finding lodging – you just sleep on the bus.

You can use Kousoku Bus Net to search for highway bus routes in Japan. You can also save some money by getting one of the highway bus passes.

One of the nice things about highway buses in Japan is that there is room underneath for your luggage, but usually, you are limited to a few items. If there aren’t restrooms onboard, the bus driver will make stops along the way at the highway stations (more on those later).

To purchase your tickets, head to the bus station (normally co-located with train stations, but can have separate hubs like in Iwakuni). You can also purchase them from kiosks in convenience stores.

Pin this for later

Personally, I still don’t like buses.  I much prefer trains and walking (got to rank up my steps with my Garmin Fenix 6S after all!).  However, it’s a necessary evil sometimes. Hopefully, this helps put your mind at ease a bit while traveling around Japan.  There’s also this thing called highway buses in Japan, which I would liken to greyhound buses in the states, that will be a different topic.

What’s your experience with buses around the world?

Oh, Japan. Land of got-to-collect-them-all, including hundreds of castles in varying levels of existence.  There are thousands of ruins from almost indistinguishable mounds to castle walls with no castle structures.  Most of the castle keep structures are reconstructions but there is the crème de la crème, 12 original castles from the pre-Meiji era. The 100 Famous Castles in Japan (日本百名城, Nihon Hyaku Meijō) were chosen by the Japan Castle Foundation (日本城郭協会, Nihon Jōkaku Kyōkai) followed by another 100 after that! When you have so many to check off your list, how do you keep track of them all? Why, a castle stamp rally, of course!

[Editors Note: This post was originally published in December of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Japan and Numbered Rankings

Hundreds of years ago, a Confucian scholar created clickbait before it was even a thing! I just made that up but it’s conveniently similar. As he traveled Japan he named the three best views of Japan (日本三景, nihonsankei). Itsukushima Shrine is one of them and since then there have been countless “Best three of Japan” in various categories.

Legit. As in these are not to be contested. They are the best.

Top 3 gardens (Kairakuen in Mito, Ibaraki; Kenrokuen in Kanazawa, Ishikawa; and Kōrakuen in Okayama, Okayama); Top three big buddhas (三大大仏, sandai-daibutsu, you’ve seen me talk about Todaiji in Nara and you’ll soon hear about Kamakura and Takaoka’s as I’ve been to them as well); and so many others. Three great onsens, caves (Ryusendo is amazing), shrines of all sects (and of course Fushimi Inari in Kyoto is one), night views.

Name it. They exist.

Well, there’s also a thing with the number 100. We’ll blame that one on the Billboard Top 100 but I honestly don’t know if they are correlated. What started as the 100 top mountains in Japan (as best I can tell it was the first and of course Mount Fuji is number one) has since spread to other aspects.

Great way to make a book. An even better way to entice a massive tourism industry! Start with the peaks, move on to the 100 best shrines, 100 best spots to view cherry blossoms, 100 best parks, and then we have the 100 best castles.

Japan Castle Foundation (日本城郭協会)

The Japan Castle Foundation (日本城郭協会, Nihon jyoukaku kyoukai) was founded in 昭和31年4月 (April of Showa 31 or 1956 for the rest of the world) by a bunch of academics for knowledge sharing and cultural exchange. They aren’t just about Japan castles, they also study castles around the world. Along with the 100 Famous Castles in Japan and the Continued 100 Famous Castles in Japan, they also have a list of 100 Famous castles in Europe.

In Showa 67 (1965), the Ministry of Education acknowledged them as an organization and as such were given a budget. On their 40th anniversary as a foundation, a project to commemorate the event was started. Deciding on the top 100 Famous castles in Japan to promote.

Kochi Castle, one of the 100 Famous Castles in Japan and remaining original constructions

The 100 Famous Castles in Japan (日本百名城, Nihon Hyaku Meijō)

Don’t ask me why or when I started but I normally prefer translating “百名” as “hundred finest” as opposed to “hundred famous” (as what it literally is) but I think it has a better ring to it. But alas, you’ll see in a second why famous is a better fit.

For several months in 2005, they reached out to residents to give recommendations of one to five top castles in each prefecture. From the applications, a panel of castle experts met to decide the fate.

Honestly, I bet there was a huge debate over some of them! Only 5 max a prefecture?! By the Japan Castle Foundations prediction, there are probably somewhere in the range of 40-50 THOUSAND castle remains in Japan.

For the selection process from all of the entries, each castle had to meet one of the following three criteria to be considered one of the famous castles in Japan.

• Being an excellent cultural property or historical site (think world heritage Himeji Castle or one of the National Treasure like Hikone Castle)
• Played a prominent role in history (not all castles saw battle)
• Are representative of an era or region

That last one gets me because I’m sure they all in some way represent their regions. After all, a giant majority of Japan’s cities started as castle towns! But remember, your prefecture gets five max! The discussions of what made each better than the next must-have been fascinating.

To help make sure the rankings weren’t biased by people’s favorite castles, they brought in experts in various fields such as architecture, archeology, civil engineering, and history to level the playing field. 

Kakegawa Castle – No. 42 of the 100 Famous Castles in Japan, is an easy trip from Osaka or Tokyo! It was rebuilt using original construction methods and Kakegawa also has one of the few remaining palaces in Japan.

One thing to note, though they are labeled 1 to 100 the 100 famous castles in Japan are not in rank order but numbered according to the location from North to South and East to West. There are some slight variations to that but for the most part, it works.

Continued 100 Famous Castles in Japan (続日本100名城)

In 2017, as part of their 50th anniversary of the founding of the castle foundation, they created an additional 100 list. 続日本100名城, Zoku Nihon Hyaku-Meijō. Continuation of the 100 castles to help further promote castle, and therefore history, discovery.

Personally I think it was also a ploy to promote more tourism around the country, but I’ll take it! The conditions were the same and again, they went out to each prefecture for submissions but this time they also asked the Japan Castle Foundation members, and those that had been going to the original list of 100 castles.

So, if you like castles, you have 200 stamps to go collect. And don’t forget those other 40,000 castles (yes, thousand) potential castles in Japan. Like a third Matsuyama Castle hidden in the hills near the Yoshimi Caves in Saitama.

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program in which I may earn a small commission by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.  Price to you is not affected! It helps me do what I love, share Japan with you!

12 Pre-Meiji Era Castle Keeps in Japan

While they are often referred to as the 12 original castles in Japan, this sentiment applies to the original construction of 12 castle main keeps still in existence today. The Japanese term for them is 現存天守 (genson tenshu).

What’s with there only being 12? Well, when things are made of wood… it’s easier to burn down! Not to mention the deconstruction of many castles during the Meiji Era (more on that in a bit) and well,… bombings.

If you are seeing this list of 100 castles and thinking “Oh god, how will I ever get through that list on my trip to Japan?!”, I highly recommend you start with the 12. If you are going to call any famous castles in Japan – it’s these!

That being said, they also are spread throughout the islands of Honshu and Shikoku but that just gives you an excellent way to make the most out of your Japan Rail Pass! You’ll also get to the experience of riding on Japan’s fastest shinkansen (or bullet train) if you follow my suggestions on how to get to Aomori to see Hirosaki Castle.

As one of my must-do missions, I have focus posts on all of them so make sure to check out this post about the 12 remaining original castle keeps of Japan.

Where did all the Japanese castles go? Meiji Restoration

You may have heard of Commodore Perry taking a fleet of American warships and knocking on Japan’s door, so to speak, in 1853 to open up the borders. This was the start of the end of Japan’s isolation from the world. You see, during the Tokugawa shogunate run period of Edo, they cut off Japan near completely.

However, as their power was getting weaker, there was a movement to restore the imperial throne. There was always an emperor, the Chrysanthemum Throne is the longest-running hereditary monarchy in the world! But the shogunate was calling the shots. Anyway, Emporer Meiji (hence it being called “Meiji Restoration”) was reinstated and they had to make sure they knew who was boss.

So they systematically dismantled near all of the existing Japanese castles that acted as the dwelling place of the shogunate rulers.

There’s lots to learn about castles in Japan!

How to become a castle expert

If you are familiar with the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), this set up is going to sound similar. In order to further promote the castles in Japan and “lifelong learning”, a test was created to challenge people’s knowledge. It started in November of 2012 and has been growing in size with over 20,000 people taking it! There are now five levels of the test.

• Level 4, Beginners with an average passing rate of 96.7% has general knowledge of the famous castles in Japan
• Level 3, Elementary level with a more detailed understanding of construction, history and culture mostly focused on the 100 famous castles in Japan but also has questions from the continued list
• Level 2, Intermediate level has a deep understanding of the particulars of the 200 famous castles in Japan
• Semi-Level 1 (that’s just funny to me), Difficult level in which you are a つわもの or warrior returning to the castle (literally, that’s how they describe it!). It’s themed every year
• Level 1, Expert level. You’ve made it! You’re an expert!

It starts out with questions like “What’s the only pre-Meiji castle remaining in Tohoku?” (Answer: Hirosaki Castle) and raises in difficulty to things like “Castle X was decorated with paper lanterns to see which missionary off?” (I’m not bothering with that full question example because, what?!).

The test is administered twice a year in Fukuoka, Himeji, Nagoya, Osaka, Sendai, and Tokyo.

For some of the basics on Japanese castles, keep reading!

Types of Castles in Japan

If it looks like a castle, talks like a castle and walks like a castle… ok, maybe not walks. Japanese castle structure is very distinctive from the rest of the world.

The geography can play a big role in each design. There are three main types

• 山城 (yamashiro) or mountain castles
• 平山城 (hirayamashiro) or flat mountain castles, these are on hills on a plain
• 平城 (hirashiro) or castle on the plains

With the obvious advantage to the mountain and flat mountain castles for their defensive structures. However, castles on plains have their places as well and often would be incorporated into nearby waterways for an automatic moat.

Layout and Structures of Japanese Castles

There are many components that make up a Japanese castle. You may think when planning your trip around Japan that you don’t need much time in a castle. Believe me, some of them can take you all day! And you don’t want to miss out on some really cool features and even museums that many of them have!

Castle Keep

What most people think of as “THE CASTLE” for Japan is usually the 天守 (tenshu) or castle tower/keep (also called a donjon). There are four main types and my absolute favorite is Matsuyama Castle with its square design and center courtyard.

• 独立式天守, Independent Castle Tower.
• 複合式天守, Compound Castle Tower which has a 付櫓 or attached tower with the main tower
• 連絡式天守, Contact Type Castle Tower. That one doesn’t translate very well. It has a main castle tower with a 渡櫓 or crossing tower (think like a hallway) connecting to another 小天守 or smaller castle tower
• 連立式天守, Coalition Castle Tower. Think of this one as having a courtyard in the middle. A main castle keep with three smaller castle towers connected by hallway towers.

Looking from the outside of castles in Japan, they vary in “levels” usually from 3 to 6. The part of a Japanese castle that makes it look like a layer cake. But the amount of floors inside might be very different from what you see on the exterior!

Be cautious in the older castles, and even some of the remakes, the staircases are more like what you would see on a Navy ship. More ladder than stairs. Why is this? If the enemy made it inside it was harder to move up the floors!

It should be noted that a good majority of castles in Japan no longer have a tenshu. It was the symbol of power and usually the thing to go during the Meiji Restoration.

If you’re looking for the full effect, make sure to choose one that either from the pre-Meiji era (my recommendation if you are limited on time) or for a rebuilt one. On that note, not all rebuilds are created equal! Most are just concrete facades housing museums. Kakegawa and Kanazawa are two options for new builds using old construction techniques.

Citadels

If you aren’t as familiar with castle terminology, think of the citadels or baileys as the areas protected by the castle walls. Of which you can have multiple layers of defense.

The castle towers are located in the 本丸 (hon-maru) or inner citadel/bailey. There are generally two more baileys, 二の丸 (ni-no-maru, literally ‘second circle’) and 三の丸 (san-no-maru, third circle) in most castles but it’s not limited. They don’t always have those names either. Some times it can be the “east circle” or something similar.

Inside each would be where people lived, things like storehouses and the palaces existed – of which, you think original Japanese castle structures are rare, the palaces are even more so! Nijo Castle and Kakegawa Castles ninomaru palaces are two great options, as well as Kawagoe’s Honmaru Palace.

Overarching layouts

If you want to pay closer to any specific detail, this is the one I’d choose. Why? Because you can use it to decide on different castles to go to so you can see each style and don’t go to the same thing over and over again. Something that I feel happens a lot with shrines and temples so after a while, “they are all the same”. We don’t want that, too many awesome castles to see!

If the circle in the name didn’t give it away, one of the main overarching layouts would have them in 輪郭式 (ring fortification) or concentric circles (really squares but we’re sticking with the ‘maru” here which means circle). 二条城 (Nijo Castle) in Kyoto is this style.

There are three other styles:

• 連郭式 or a continuous string from one bailey to the next, in a row like 水戸城 (Mito Castle)
• 梯郭式 or ladder fortification, think… I honestly can’t think of how to describe this in English. Like an L-shaped staircase, I suppose. 岡山城 (Okayama Castle) is this style.
• 渦郭式 or spiral fortification, which is just like it sounds and is part of the reason 丸亀城 (Marugame Castle) is a pain to hike up to!

But of course, there are exceptions to the rule, not all topographies fit into a pretty box.

Other structures of Japanese Castles

When you are exploring castles make sure to take note of all the different aspects, they aren’t just the castle keeps! There are plenty of Important Cultural Properties mixed in – Himeji Castle has different designations on 80+ of its buildings and structures! Some things to look out for:

• 櫓 (yagura) or watchtowers that make the outer ring of citadels include the new construction at Kanazawa using old techniques. Fun fact: 櫓 (yagura) is also the kanji that is used for the structure of my favorite piece of Japanese furniture – Kotatsu!

• 門 (mon) or gates! All of the gates! Many of the castles that are just walls remaining generally have at least a gate left that dates back to other eras like the one at 鳥取城 (Totori Castle).

• 石垣 (ishigasa) or stone walls. 丸亀城 (Marugame Castle) has the highest in Japan.　There is also some really cool engineering that goes into the different styles of stone wall construction.
• 堀 (hori) or moats. Some of the most beautiful are Edo Castles in my opinion.

Defenses

Also keep an eye out for some cool defense systems! And by cool I mean I’m glad I haven’t had to come face to face on them during a battle!

What is the Stamp Rally?

Fun thing about the 100. Japan’s good for stamp rallys. All over. You can get stamps for nearly anything. It’s a way of commemorating your visit. And it’s a fun hobby to “catch them all”.  I reference Pokemon a lot. It’s just a Japan thing, let it go!

In 2007, a stamp rally was added to go along with the 100 Finest Castles in Japan list. The goal was to entice people to deepen their knowledge of the history of Japan and with the stamp book, it helped increase interest in castles.

To top it off, the stamps are very pretty so they can be used to commemorate your visit. And the Japan Castle Association also makes it clear on their website that they don’t intend for people to run around like crazy trying to get them all at once. Take your time and enjoy it!

Certifying your castle visits

Certify what? Yes, not only can you just go around Japan getting pretty stamps, you can have them certified complete and given a special recognition.

A couple of ways to get your stamp rally book, you can sign up to be a member of the foundation or you can purchase the book separately. As you are reading this on an English website, the latter option is probably best.

You have two options for books that I recommend as I have both. One has the stamp book built-in (日本100名城に行こう 公式スタンプ帳つき) and therefore will be a bit heavier to carry around. The other is a guidebook that comes with a separate stamp book pamphlet in the back (日本100名城公式ガイドブック (歴史群像シリーズ)).

Both are in Japanese but you’ll still be able to match the pictures with the castle and they are all numbered.

Only a few castles have these available in their gift shops so make sure you prepare ahead of time and order one!

Where to get your stamp?

Be watchful as there are LOTS of stamp rally’s in Japan and actually, when we were at Inuyama, there were no less than 5 stamps to get.  Side note: It’s good just to have a blank book with you while you are traveling in Japan! I’ll talk more about goshuin (shrine stamp books) later.

Each of the books as one of the facts on the castle gives you the location of the stamps. That’s not very helpful if you can’t read Japanese (and if you are looking at learning I suggest Minna no Nihongo and Wanikani to get you started).

You can normally find them at the register for those castles with a main keep or somewhere inside. Throw on Japanese pronunciation and ask for the “スタンプラリー” (stamp rally spelled in Katakana) and you’ll get there. There are also sometimes signs if they are in other buildings like this one at Inuyama Castle.

If you’re at one of the castles that don’t have a keep, often time there is a municipal building or museum on the grounds that have the stamp. The stamps are sometimes even at shrines.

I’ve definitely wandered around in circles on large castle grounds trying to find the stamps so when you read my posts about them, I will promise to try and always tell you where they are!

Making it legit

If you are eventually looking to get your certification, you MUST get the stamp in your book. Some places will have paper available and they say they will take that but best be safe and do as directed (also in Japanese, inside the books).

Each castle has a specific color ink to use so you’ll only see one of four colors, black, red, blue or green. Speaking of extra pieces of paper, it’s a good idea to have some to make sure it doesn’t bleed onto the other page.

As Inuyama is an actual National Treasure, a higher designation than even some of the original 12 castles. Don’t let it being number 43 in the 100 finest castles confuse you.  They are in order from North to South, East to West (mostly).

Oh, and make sure to mark which day you were there under the stamp! The blank spaces are year 年 – month 月 – day 日.

Should you visit castles in Japan?

If you are a history buff, or just like architecture, or have a hankering for some culture, I highly suggest you plan to see some of the 100 famous castles in Japan while you are in visiting. 

Or, why not collect them all?  My absolute favorite (and I’ve been to a lot of castles, see my current count on the homepage!) is Matsuyama Castle but it is a bit far being on Shikoku.

If it is your first trip and you haven’t been, Himeji Castle should be number one on your list.

Why? It’s one of the first UNESCO World Heritage sites. It’s also massive. You could easily spend two days and not see it all.

100 Famous Castles in Japan by Region

Ready to begin? While Japan is normally broken into more regions, the Japan Castle Association breaks it into 6, I’m assuming due to how the numbers played out or historical regions.

Without further ado, a complete list in English of the 100 famous castles in Japan as designated by the Japan Castle Foundation.

[Note: If castles interest you, I suggest checking back here often or subscribing to Kristen Abroad. As I write more I will be linking out to each individual post!]

Hokkaido and Tohoku Region

• Nemuro Peninsula Chashi Site (根室半島チャシ跡群) in Nemuro, Hokkaido
• Goryōkaku(五稜郭) in Hakodate, Hokkaido
• Matsumae Castle (松前城) in Matsumae, Hokkaido
• Hirosaki Castle (弘前城) in Hirosaki, Aomori
• Ne Castle (根城) in Hachinohe, Aomori
• Morioka Castle (盛岡城) in Morioka, Iwate
• Taga Castle (多賀城) in Tagajō , Miyagi
• Sendai Castle (仙台城) in Sendai, Miyagi
• Kubota Castle (久保田城) in Akita, Akita
• Yamagata Castle (山形城) in Yamagata, Yamagata
• Nihonmatsu Castle (二本松城) in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima
• Aizuwakamatsu Castle (会津若松城) in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima
• Shirakawa Komine Castle (白河小峰城) in Shirakawa, Fukushima

Kanto and Koshinetsu Regions

• Mito Castle (水戸城) in Mito, Ibaraki
• Ashikagashiyakata (足利氏館) now Banna Temple (鑁阿寺, Banna-ji) in Ashikaga, Tochigi
• Minowa Castle (箕輪城) in Takasaki, Gunma
• Kanayama Castle (金山城) in Ōta, Gunma
• Hachigata Castle (鉢形城) in Yorii, Saitama
• Kawagoe Castle (川越城) in Kawagoe, Saitama
• Sakura Castle (佐倉城) in Sakura, Chiba
• Edo Castle (江戸城) in Chiyoda, Tokyo
• Hachiōji Castle (八王子城) in Hachiōji, Tokyo
• Odawara Castle (小田原城) in Odawara, Kanagawa
• Tsutsujigasaki Castle (躑躅ヶ崎館) now Takeda Shrine（武田神社) in Kōfu, Yamanashi
• Kōfu Castle (甲府城) in Kōfu, Yamanashi
• Matsushiro Castle (松代城) in Nagano, Nagano
• Ueda Castle (上田城) in Ueda, Nagano
• Komoro Castle (小諸城) in Komoro, Nagano
• Matsumoto Castle (松本城) in Matsumoto, Nagano
• Takatō Castle (高遠城) in Ina, Nagano
• Shibata Castle (新発田城) in Shibata, Niigata
• Kasugayama Castle (春日山城) in Jōetsu, Niigata

Hokiriku and Tokai Region

• Takaoka Castle (高岡城) in Takaoka, Toyama
• Nanao Castle (七尾城) in Nanao, Ishikawa
• Kanazawa Castle (金沢城) in Kanazawa, Ishikawa
• Maruoka Castle (丸岡城) in Sakai, Fukui
• Ichijōdani Castle (一乗谷城) in Fukui, Fukui
• Iwamura Castle (岩村城 ) in Ena, Gifu
• Gifu Castle (岐阜城) in Gifu, Gifu
• Yamanaka Castle (山中城) in Mishima, Shizuoka
• Sunpu Castle (駿府城 ) in Shizuoka, Shizuoka
• Kakegawa Castle (掛川城) in Kakegawa, Shizuoka
• Inuyama Castle (犬山城 ) in Inuyama, Aichi
• Nagoya Castle (名古屋城) in Nagoya, Aichi
• Okazaki Castle(岡崎城) in Okazaki, Aichi
• Nagashino Castle (長篠城) in Shinshiro, Aichi
• Iga Ueno Castle (伊賀上野城) in Iga, Mie
• Matsusaka Castle (松阪城) in Matsusaka, Mie

Kansai/Kinki Region

• Odani Castle (小谷城) in Kohoku, Shiga
• Hikone Castle (彦根城) in Hikone, Shiga
• Azuchi Castle (安土城) in Ōmihachiman, Shiga
• Kannonji Castle (観音寺城) in Ōmihachiman, Shiga
• Nijō Castle (二条城) in Kyoto, Kyoto
• Osaka Castle (大坂城) in Osaka, Osaka
• Chihaya Castle (千早城) in Chihayaakasaka, Osaka
• Takeda Castle (竹田城) in Asago, Hyōgo
• Sasayama Castle (篠山城) in Sasayama, Hyōgo
• Akashi Castle (明石城) in Akashi, Hyōgo
• Himeji Castle (姫路城) in Himeji, Hyōgo
• Akō Castle (赤穂城) in Akō, Hyōgo
• Takatori Castle (高取城) in Takatori, Nara
• Wakayama Castle (和歌山城) in Wakayama, Wakayama

Chūgoku Region and Shikoku

• Tottori Castle (鳥取城) in Tottori, Tottori
• Matsue Castle (松江城) in Matsue, Shimane
• Gassantoda Castle (月山富田城 ) in Yasugi, Shimane
• Tsuwano Castle (津和野城) in Tsuwano, Shimane
• Tsuyama Castle (津山城) in Tsuyama, Okayama
• Bitchū Matsuyama Castle (備中松山城) in Takahashi, Okayama
• Kino Castle (鬼ノ城) in Sōja, Okayama
• Okayama Castle (岡山城) in Okayama, Okayama
• Fukuyama Castle (福山城) in Fukuyama, Hiroshima
• Kōriyama Castle (郡山城) in Akitakata, Hiroshima
• Hiroshima Castle (広島城) in Hiroshima, Hiroshima
• Iwakuni Castle (岩国城) in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Iwakuni
• Hagi Castle (萩城) in Hagi, Yamaguchi
• Tokushima Castle (徳島城) in Tokushima, Tokushima
• Takamatsu Castle (高松城) in Takamatsu, Kagawa
• Marugame Castle (丸亀城) in Marugame, Kagawa
• Imabari Castle (今治城) in Imabari, Ehime
• Yuzuki Castle (湯築城) in Matsuyama, Ehime
• Matsuyama Castle (松山城) in Matsuyama, Ehime
• Ōzu Castle (大洲城) in Ōzu, Ehime
• Uwajima Castle (宇和島城) in Uwajima, Ehime
• Kōchi Castle (高知城) in Kōchi, Kōchi

Kyūshū and Okinawa

• Fukuoka Castle (福岡城 ) in Fukuoka, Fukuoka
• Ōno Castle (大野城) in Daizafu, Fukuoka
• Nagoya Castle (名護屋城) in Karatsu, Saga
• Yoshinogari (吉野ヶ里) in Yoshinogari, Saga
• Saga Castle (佐賀城) in Saga, Saga
• Hirado Castle (平戸城) in Hirado, Nagasaki
• Shimabara Castle (島原城) in Shimabara, Nagasaki
• Kumamoto Castle (熊本城) in Kumamoto, Kumamoto
• Hitoyoshi Castle (人吉城) in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto
• Ōita Funai Castle (大分府内城) in Ōita, Ōita
• Oka Castle (岡城 (豊後国)) in Taketa, Ōita
• Obi Castle (飫肥城) in Nichinan, Miyazaki
• Kagoshima Castle (鹿児島城) in Kagoshima, Kagoshima
• Nakijin Castle (今帰仁城) in Nakijin, Okinawa
• Nakagusuku Castle (中城城) in Kitanakagusuku, Okinawa
• Shuri Castle (首里城) in Naha, Okinawa

Continued 100 Famous Castles in Japan by Region

In case the first 100 famous castles in Japan weren’t enough for you, the Japan Castle Association has designated 100 more!

If that wasn’t in cahoots with the tourism industry, it should have been! Between the two, you’ve got a lot of options to add to your plans in Japan.

Some of them between the two lists are close together so I wanted to mention both. Plus, as I said up above check back often or subscribe as I will be updating this as I write more posts on the castles in Japan!

And don’t worry, there’s a book with stamp rally for these too (続日本１００名城公式ガイドブック (歴史群像シリーズ特別編集)).

Hokkaido and Tohoku Region

• Shinori Site (志苔館) in Hakodate, Hokkaido
• Kaminokuni Katsuyama Site (上ノ国勝山館) in Hiyama, Hokkaido
• Namioka Castle (浪岡城) in Aomori, Aomori
• Kunohe Castle (九戸城) in Ninohe, Iwate
• Shiroishi Castle (白石城) in Shiroishi, Miyagi
• Wakimoto Castle (脇本城) in Oga, Akita
• Akita Castle (秋田城) in Akita, Akita
• Tsurugaoka Castle (鶴ヶ岡城) in Tsuruoka, Yamagata
• Yonezawa Castle (米沢城) in Yonezawa, Yamagata
• Miharu Castle (三春城) in Tamura, Fukushima
• Mukaihaguroyama Castle (向羽黒山城) in Aizumisato, Fukushima

Kanto and Kōshinetsu Regions

• Kasama Castle (笠間城) in Kasama, Ibaraki
• Tsuchiura Castle (土浦城) in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki
• Karasawa Castle (唐沢山城) in Sano, Tochigi
• Nagurumi Castle (名胡桃城) in Tone, Gunma
• Numata Castle (沼田城) in Numata, Gunma
• Iwabitsu Castle (岩櫃城) in Agatsuma, Gunma
• Oshi Castle (忍城) in Gyōda, Saitama
• Sugiyama Castle (杉山城) in Hiki, Saitama
• Sugaya Yakata (菅谷館) in Hiki, Saitama
• Moto Sakura Castle (本佐倉城) in Inba, Chiba
• Ōtaki Castle (大多喜城) in Ōtaki, Chiba
• Takiyama Castle (滝山城) in Hachiōji, Tokyo
• *Shinagawa Daiba (品川台場) in Tokyo Bay, Tokyo
• Kozukue Castle (小机城) in Kōhoku-ku, Kanagawa
• Ishigakiyama Castle (石垣山城) in Odawara, Kanagawa
• Shinpu Castle (新府城) in Nirasaki, Yamanashi
• Yōgaiyama Castle (要害山城) in Kōfu, Yamanashi
• Tatsuoka Castle (龍岡城) in Saku, Nagano
• Takashima Castle (高島城) in Suwa, Nagano
• Murakami Castle (村上城) in Murakami, Niigata
• Takada Castle (高田城) in Jōetsu, Niigata
• Samegao Castle (鮫ヶ尾城) in Myōkō, Niigata

Hokuriku and Tokai Regions

• Toyama Castle (富山城) in Toyama, Toyama
• Masuyama Castle (増山城) in Tonami, Toyama
• Torigoe Castle (鳥越城) in Hakusan, Ishikawa
• Fukui Castle (福井城) in Fukui (city), Fukui
• Echizen Ōno Castle (越前大野城) in Ōno, Fukui
• Sagaki Kuniyoshi Castle (佐柿国吉城) in Mihama, Fukui
• Genbao Castle (玄蕃尾城) in Fukui, Shiga
• Gujō Hachiman Castle (郡上八幡城) in Gujō, Gifu
• Naegi Castle (苗木城) in Nakatsugawa, Gifu
• Mino Kaneyama Castle (美濃金山城) in Kani, Gifu
• Ōgaki Castle (大垣城) in Ōgaki, Gifu
• Kōkokuji Castle (興国寺城) in Numazu, Shizuoka
• Suwahara Castle (諏訪原城) in Shimada, Shizuoka
• Takatenjin Castle (高天神城) in Kakegawa, Shizuoka
• Hamamatsu Castle (浜松城) in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka
• Komakiyama Castle (小牧山城) in Komaki, Gifu
• Furumiya Castle (古宮城) in Shinshiro, Aichi
• Yoshida Castle (吉田城) in Toyohashi, Aichi
• Tsu Castle (津城) in Tsu, Mie
• Tage Kitabatakeshi Jōkan (北畠館) in Tsu, Mie
• Tamaru Castle (田丸城) in Tamaki, Mie
• Akagi Castle (赤木城) in Kumano, Mie

Kansai/Kinki Region

• Kamaha Castle (鎌刃城) in Maibara, Shiga
• Hachimanyama Castle (八幡山城) in Yonago, Shiga
• Fukuchiyama Castle (福知山城) in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto
• Akutagawayama Castle (芥川山城) in Takatsuki, Osaka
• Iimoriyama Castle (飯盛山城) in Shijōnawate, Osaka
• Kishiwada Castle (岸和田城) in Kisiwada, Osaka
• Izushi Castle/Arikoyama Castle  (出石城・有子山城) in Toyooka, Hyōgo
• Kuroi Castle (黒井城) in Tanba, Hyōgo
• Sumoto Castle (洲本城) in Sumoto, Hyōgo
• Yamato Kōriyama Castle (大和郡山城) in Yamatokōriyama, Nara
• Uda Matsuyama Castle (宇陀松山城) in Uda, Nara
• Shingū Castle (新宮城) in Shingū, Wakayama

Chūgoku Region and Shikoku

• Wakasa Oniga Castle (若桜鬼ヶ城) in Wakasa, Tottori
• Yonago Castle (米子城) in Yonago, Tottori
• Hamada Castle (浜田城) in Hamada, Shimane
• Bitchu Takamatsu Castle (備中高松城) in Okayama, Ehime
• Mihara Castle (三原城) in Mihara, Hiroshima
• Niitakayama Castle (新高山城) in Mihara, Hiroshima
• Ōuchi-shi Yakata/Kōnomine Castle  (大内氏館・高嶺城) in Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi
• Shōzui Castle (勝瑞城) in Tokushima, Tokushima
• Ichinomiya Castle (一宮城) in Tokushima, Tokushima
• Hiketa Castle (引田城) in Higashikagawa, Kagawa
• Noshima Castle (能島城) in Imabari, Ehime
• Kagomori Castle (河後森城) in Kitauwa, Ehime
• Okō Castle (岡豊城) in Nankoku, Kōchi

Kyūshū and Okinawa

• Kokura Castle (小倉城) in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka
• Mizuki Castle (水城) in Dazaifu, Fukuoka
• Kurume Castle (久留米城) in Kurume, Fukuoka
• Kii Castle (基肄城) in Chikushino, Saga
• Karatsu Castle (唐津城) in Karatsu, Saga
• Kaneda Castle (金田城) in Tsushima, Nagasaki
• Fukue Castle(also know as Ishida Castle) (福江城・石田城) in Gotō, Nagasaki
• Hara Castle (原城) in Minamishimabara, Nagasaki
• Kikuchi Castle (鞠智城) in Kikuchi, Kumamoto
• Yatsushiro Castle (八代城) in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto
• Nakatsu Castle (中津城) in Nakatsu, Ōita
• Tsunomure Castle (角牟礼城) in Yatsushiro, Ōita
• Usuki Castle (臼杵城) in Usuki, Ōita
• Saiki Castle (佐伯城) in Saiki, Ōita
• Nobeoka Castle (延岡城) in Nobeoka, Miyazaki
• Sadowara Castle (佐土原城) in Miyazaki, Miyazaki
• Shibushi Castle (志布志城) in Shibushi, Kagoshima
• Chiran Castle (知覧城) in Minamikyūshū, Kagoshima
• Zakimi Castle (座喜味城) in Nakagami, Okinawa
• Katsuren Castle (勝連城) in Uruma, Okinawa

Other Castles in Japan

Don’t forget there used to be many more castles in Japan and while they may not have made the famous castles in Japan lists, there are still others out there. Like Chiba Castle, for instance, a quick day trip from Tokyo, and a reconstruction castle with a museum inside.

If you are looking for the list of others, I’ll eventually make one but for now, you can get this castle atlas that shows many more than just the 200 famous castles in Japan.

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Sapporo Snow Festival is the largest winter festival in Hokkaido but don’t waste a trip to Japan’s largest without seeing some of the others as well! Conveniently, there are FOUR winter festivals that all occur around the same time. Explore more of northern island’s winter wonderlands.

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission by you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

How to best enjoy Sapporo’s Snow Festival

At 71 years strong as of 2020, as well as the largest, Sapporo Snow Festival (さっぽろ雪まつり, Sapporo Yuki Matsuri) is a must, and if you only have time for one, definitely make Sapporo your priority. In 2020, it is running from February 4th to 11th for the main events. There are three main sites for the festival: Odori Park, Susukino, and Tsudome.

The event site is always open and there is plenty to see. The most magical views are after sunset. Don’t miss the projection mapping on some of the sculptures! But don’t let that deter you from the day time, there are plenty of events to keep you occupied. How about a spin on the ice rink? Or one of my favorites, the ski and snowboard jump competition. Yup, in a completely flat park they erect a make shift hill for this competition!

International Snow Sculpture Contest

At what I call the far end of Odori Park is where the International Snow Sculpture Contest takes place. Why is it the far end? It’s the end opposite the Sapporo TV Tower. Sapporo’s own baby “Eiffel tower”, built in 1957 and 147.2 m high. For reference, the real deal is just over twice that! Don’t worry, there’s an observation deck.

When they say international, they mean it. I’m particularly impressed by the countries that don’t have snow but I suppose most definitely have beaches! It’s very cool to see all the different countries work. Many culturally inspired pieces to enjoy!

Susukino Area

Where as Odori Park is meant for snow, the Susukino area is all about ice and you can see some great works of art carved. Oh, there’s usually an ice bar so watch for that!

All the food

While you are walking around in the cold, you’re definitely going to work up an appetite. Never fear, there are plenty of food stands to go around! It’s also a favorite of mine to have amezake, a warm drink made from sake lees. It’s delicious, give it a try and let me know what you think!

Don’t forget to check out some of the local favorites as well. Sapporo is the birthplace of miso-style ramen, or so they say. Don’t miss it!

Check out the romantic Otaru Snow Light Walk

Otaru is cute harbor town about 30 km from Sapporo, with a lot to do! 小樽雪あかりの路, Otaru Yuki Akari no Michi, or Otaru’s Snow Light Path is super romantic and since it coincides with Sapporo Snow Festival. Well, sort of. In 2020, it is from February 9th to 16th, it makes a great side trip if you are in Sapporo for the latter part of the festival.

This is the youngest of the four festivals in this article that started in 1999 has grown to 40 venues around the city. The most stunning being the 200 or so small candles strung across the canal waters. And this is Japan, so there is a stamp rally at each of the venues! So look out to add to your collection.

If you just walk around at night time, you’ll find the different areas all lit up. It’s truly magical.

Getting to Otaru

Otaru is the last major stop on the train line before they neck down to a “one-man” situation (read more about that here). They run about twice an hour so it’s easy to commute between Sapporo and Otaru!

See Japan’s Largest Snow Sculpture at Asahikawa Winter Festival

2020 marks the 61st Asahikawa Winter Festival (旭川冬まつり, Asahikawa Fuyu Matsuri). While China holds the Guiness World Record for largest snow sculpture in the world, Asahikawa must certainly have the largest in Japan. Fun fact: The festival that beat out Asahikawa (they held the record in the 1990s)? Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, Harbin and Asahikawa are celebrating 25 years of friendship in 2020! And perhaps a bit of competition?

The venue events revolve around the main snow sculpture that doubles as a stage next to the river in town. For 2020 the main snow sculpture is call “With one heart in mind” and features the Olympics (who’s surprised with 2020 coming up fast?!). At 140 m wide x 40 m deep x 20 m high, it will be a sight. When I last went in 2019, the main display featured a Japanese castle and doubled as not only a stage but also a slide.

Snow activities to keep you busy

Along with the slide, Asahikawa features a lot of other snow activities including a zip line, snow rafting behind a snow mobile, a snow maze and more. Probably the cutest is you can decorate your own snow man!

Don’t miss the International Ice Sculpture Competition that happens in conjunction with the winter festival. Located along Heiwa Dori near the train station, the 1 km long stretch of road has around 50 ice sculptures to check out.

Getting to the festival itself is a bit longer of a trek, but don’t worry, there is free shuttle that runs from the station during the festival.

Asahikawa side trips

You made the trek up, what’s there besides the two festivals? I recommend checking out the Asahiyama Zoo. It’s one of the best I’ve seen in Japan. The animals in the snow are super cute, you can even see a penguin march!

Getting to Asahikawa

Not as difficult as the next. Take the limited express trains that run from Sapporo Station to Asahikawa Station. They are your best bet for travelling to the festival and most efficient!

Blue ice at Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival

Reaching its 40th year in 2018, the Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival is from January 24 till February 16 for the 2020 season, in Shikotsu-Toya National Park. It’s the longest running of the festivals I’ve mentioned so you have the most time to play with it. Which is a good thing, because you’ve got to want to get to this one.

This would be one of the few times that I might suggest renting a car in Japan, and I’ve got some tips on that here. However, there are many tours offered from Sapporo and Chitose that will get you there as well as the option to take a bus. Perhaps the best option is to combine the trip with staying in a Ryokan (Japanese traditional hotel) as the area is known for its onsens. If you go with that option, many of them have shuttles from the airport which also helps with the getting there option.

The ice sculptures themselves are made by spraying water from Lake Shikotsu and have a blue tint to them called, rather unimaginatively “Lake Shikotsu Blue”. The lake was formed by a volcano and is considered some of the purest water in Japan. The sculptures are illuminated up at night time and there are ice slides, rinks and horse drawn carriages to keep you busy as well.

On Saturdays and Sundays during the event at 1830 there are firework displays and Wadaiko drum performances.

Dressing for the Snow Festival

Hokkaido is COLD. Especially during the snow festivals. You will want all of your winter gear – hat, scarf, gloves and a thick jacket. If you want to go full Japanese, I suggest some heat tech gear from Uniqlo – one of my favorite Japan shops to shop in.

Also note that the roads can definitely get slippery, especially if it was sunny all day but still wet – i.e. black ice conditions. The paths at the festivals can be slippery too – I’ve fallen my fair share of times! They don’t call me AP for no reason.

At the Tsudome area, it is also a good idea to have full snow playing gear on (think ski pants!).

Where to Stay

Sapporo is a great jumping ground for each of the above festivals, if you want to spend more time in Hokkaido’s capital. There is plenty to do besides just the snow! But that’s also valid in the other areas as well and each has hotel options available.

Other Side Trips

If you are a skier, don’t miss Niseko! It’s a great resort, while busy, there is enough terrain to keep even a crowded day not too crowded. Plus, you made it all the way to the Northern Island, you should take advantage! And don’t forget there are some of the 100 finest castles up this way too!

Access to Hokkaido

Taking the shinkansen is definitely an option (and you know how I love taking the train), especially if you’d like to hit some of northern Honshu, like Aomori. However, if time is of the essence, the best bet most likely to take a plane up to the New Chitose Airport.

From there you can take a JR train to Sapporo Station. There are local options but if you take the high-speed “Rapid Airport” train, the ride only takes about 37 minutes. Faster than a car – I love Japan’s public transportation!

That lovely cold air I was mentioning? You won’t have to deal with it right away as the JR New Chitose Airport Station is directly connected to the airport’s basement floor.

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Otaru (小樽) is a small port town located 30-45 minutes northwest of Sapporo by train. It’s a nice stopover on the way to Niseko which is how I first discovered it. If you are in Sapporo for the Snow Festival in winter, it’s a good day trip.

At the turn of the 1900s, Otaru was the biggest city in Hokkaido and the shipping industry flourished. Due to the money associated with the trade, it came to be known as the “Wall Street of the North” and many big banks were located here. It’s more known feature perhaps is its canal which was created by reclaiming the land from the sea to create more space for the industry. After it was renovated in the later 1900s, Otaru’s tourism industry boomed.

#1 There in Winter? Snow Light Path

小樽雪あかりの路, Otaru Yuki Akari no Michi, or Otaru’s Snow Light Path coincides with Sapporo Snow Festival. Well, sort of. In 2019, it ran from February 8 to 17th. So hit the last weekend at the Sapporo festival and make sure to swing over here!

The event that started in 1999 has grown to 40 venues around the city. The most stunning being the 200 or so small candles strung across the canal waters. And this is Japan, so there is a stamp rally at each of the venues! So look out to add to your collection.

If you just walk around at night time, you’ll find the different areas all lit up.

#2 Go for a rickshaw ride

Ebisuya Rickshaw Company operates all over Japan. Tours are customizable from a basic 12 minute jaunt to over an hour. It was -12C and I honestly felt bad for the guy standing out in the cold. I chose the 22 minute option when I went. They give you plenty of blankets and some heat packs but I was starting to get cold near the end!

The guides speak English and depending on where you pick them up, you’ll be able to see different areas of the city. I choose to go north and see some of the old architecture. I learned a lot from my guide and they are more than happy to take lots of pictures as you go! Another plus is they are from the area and can suggest other things for you to do as well.

#3 Get your Otaru history on

If you like historical buildings, then 小樽の歴史的建造物, おたるのれきしてきけんぞうぶつ, Otaru no rekishi teki kenzoubutsu, or Otaru’s Historic Monuments are for you. The first time I was in Otaru, I loved taking the pictures of all the buildings but didn’t realize that there are purple placards all over the place. Side note: there was mostly likely snow covering most of them, Hokkaido has tons of snow!! I learned that from my rickshaw driver actually! You can learn about the specifics of the history and the city provides a guide map and pamphlet so you can find them all. Don’t worry, the guide book is in Japanese but the placards on the buildings are in English as well!

#4 Shop along Sakaimachi Street

Sakaimachi Street (Sakaimachidori, 堺町通り) started as a merchant street and now contains many a shop in the historic buildings. I’ve seen the kanji on websites differ from this spelling but this is what the shopping districts official website spells it so can’t discount that! There are many places to eat along the 900 m stretch as well as find some famous Hokkaido Soft Cream.

#5 Kitaichi Glass (北一硝子)

If there is one thing that Otaru is known for besides being the “Wallstreet of Hokkaido” back in the day, it’s glass. Kitaichi Glass (北一硝子) is located along Sakaimachidori and can be considered “the original”. However, there are many locations for Kitaichi!

The “headquarters” can be considered at 北一硝子三号館, Kitaichi Glass Sangokan (literally, “third building”…what did I say about Japan and it’s original names!). The building was originally constructed in 1891 as a fishery and now the grand hall café with its unique oil lamps is worth it even if you aren’t interested in looking at the room-upon-room of different glassware.

The lamps are what put Kitaichi on the map in 1901 as they were used extensively before electricity.

#6 Do some glass crafts

If you have time, why not try out a glass making class?! There are many options available around town from simple glass beads, glass etching and even full on glass blowing. Go to the shop early to secure your spot and if there is a wait, spend your time enjoying the scenery around town.

#7 Music box museum

The Music Box museum is located at the end of Sakaimachidori and while it’s called a “museum”, this is much more shop than somewhere to learn. There are exhibits and many old music boxes to look at though. One unique piece on the upper floors is you can build your own music box after trying out a multitude of different tunes.

#8 Try some local beer

Otaru Beer is located right at the canal and has free tours of the facilities in English. The beers are all made to German purity laws and quite tasty. The restaurant is set like a beer hall and serves, yes, you guessed it, mostly German food. Worth the stop or if you are around town, most places seem to have Otaru beer in bottles, if not on tap.

#9 Local food scene

I’m all about trying the local food. This is a fishing port, after all, so look out for tasty sushi. Hokkaido is also known for a dish called ジンギスカン, Jingusukan. Or literally “Genghis Khan”. Yes, like the person. No idea where the name came from but if you like lamb, it’s delicious. Served on a hot iron plate, will consist of lamb and vegetables like cabbage or pumpkin and bean sprouts with a yummy sauce.

Where to stay?

Decided you love it and want to stay another day? The Smile Hotel is located conveniently to the train station and runs fairly cheap. It’s a small budget hotel room but it gets the job done!

How to get to Otaru

Your best option is the train system. A quick ride from Sapporo Station to Otaru Station has got you covered! The train ticket as of writing this cost 640 yen one-way. The airport express will get you there a little bit faster than the local liners.

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The first time I saw Yosakoi (よさこい) was when I was in Japan on a work trip in 2013. I had no idea what it was called. I couldn’t read Hiragana yet and none of the signs had anything to give it away. It was hot and balmy in the middle of Tokyo, as August tends to be. My friend and I headed up to Yoyogi Park (Pro tip, there’s always something in Yoyogi on the weekends!) to see what was going on.

And I was blown away.

These festivals have a way of getting into your soul with the upbeat music and the high energy dance style. You may think that it’s been around a while, but it has a surprisingly short history mixed in with some very old elements.

History of Yosakoi

Yosakoi began in Kochi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan. There is mention that at the 南国高知産業大博覧会 (translating organization names is hard but basically the “Kochi Industry Exhibition”) in 1950 there was a performance of the dance. It wasn’t for another few years though that he Kochi Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized the first Yosakoi Festival in 1954. A multi-faceted attempt at recovering the economy and the people of Koichi after the war.

A bit of competition?

However, if you look through the internet closer, on the Japanese side at least, there’s definitely a bit of competition between Kochi and Tokushima Prefecture, whom already had Awa Odori festival. What’s Awa Odori? Generally considered the largest dance festival in Japan, it’s been taking place since the 1580s(!!). There are quotes to the extent of “let’s make a festival better than Awa Odori!”.

Let’s go to both!

With Tokushima’s festival from August 12 to 15 and Kochi’s from August 9-12 every year, if you have the chance — go to both!. Whereas they are both centered around dancing now, they are definitely still some roots to obon as well which is given away by the time of year. However, Kochi’s claims that this was “the best weather days”.

What’s “Yosakoi” mean?

You won’t find that word translated in any dictionary that I’ve been able to find. Some say it’s a local dialect but really it’s more complicated than that. So the dance (which is based off of Awa Odori, by the way) was made in 1950 but the “official music” didn’t follow till right before the festival origination. There is an old folk song in Kochi prefecture that’s been around since Edo times that talks of a love affair between a Monk and young maiden in the castle town of Kochi. A completely taboo thing to have going on.

“よさこい節”

There’s a line in the song saying “Yosakoi”. Written in Kanji is “夜さ来い”, and though that’s not normal Japanese anymore, means “Come at night”. You see where this is going… Though I think there is some more morbid pieces to the song and I wish I understood Japanese better! Because that line is repeated a lot the song is just referred to as “よさこい節” or “Yosakoi Bushi”. That normally gets translated to as “clause” from what I’ve seen but can also mean “stanza” or “melody” which are more appropriate.

Due to the popularity of the folk song, it was one of the pieces incorporated into the composition. Most of the festivals I’ve been to are during the day BUT the original? Always starts the first day at night!

Five Necessary Requirements

There are now over 200+ festivals around the country, what are the consistent factors?

#1 Music

We kind of touched on this part with the meaning behind the word. It’s kind of similar with obon where there’s practically an “official” song. However, in this case, there legitimately is.

Be prepared to have this song stuck in your head after attending a festival: “Yosakoi Naruko Odori” (よさこい鳴子踊り) by Eisaku Takemasa. The song actually incorporates a few local folk songs into it from what I can tell. However, you HAVE to use part of the lyrics from よさこい節 for it to count.

Just the lyrics? you ask. So, there’s no copyright on it so where as the words are mandatory, many of the teams compose there own compilations to go with it. Styles range from the original “bon-type”, as I like to say, music to rock, samba, anything!

Don’t worry, the song will still get stuck in your head.

#2 Naruko (鳴子) or wooden clapper

Teams are allowed to have all sorts of props during their performances. However, you MUST have a Naruko. The kanji on this one 鳴子 can be split as “sound” and “child” which I think is hilarious. Originally, Naruko was a tool to scare birds hanging out at fields. They are small wooden panels with three wood “finger” sticks on each side so that when you twist your wrist, the sticks tap on the paddle and make a noise.

Traditionally, these are painted black and yellow. But now teams paint them all sorts of colors. Many times at festivals, you can find booths where you can make your own. I have ones with my name engraved on the handle.

There’s that competition again

Remember how I say there HAS to be a competitive factor between Kochi and Tokushima’s Awa Odori? Awa Odori is famous for its style with bare hands. So, of course, we can’t have something matching! So Yosakoi started to use instruments. Naruko was already used by the locals so they went with that.

While Naruko are “mandatory” for it to be considered Yosakoi, many teams have various other props they use as well. From parasols, to lanterns, fans, and flags.

#3 Costume

I’m not going to be able to do this justice. Sure, all dance styles have costumes. These are so amazingly unique though. When Yosakoi first started, men and women simply work Yukata. Japan’s summer traditional clothing of lighter cloth than kimonos. But now, these are works of art. Vibrant colors, different styles — though still harkening from their traditional pasts.

What gets me though? Most have “costume changes” that are built into the very fabric of the outfit. These have got to be absurdly hot as it’s summer usually when this is going after all! But it is like a game to see if you notice them mid act switching gears into something all together new.

# 4 Jikatasha 地方車（じかたしゃ）

OK, another weird local/old Japanese word. Jikatasha translates to “regional car”. These are trucks, so I guess its something like they were used regionally to move goods? Anyway, it’s basically a truck and what’s that have to do with dancing?!

Jikatasha didn’t show up until the 4th Yosakoi Festival in Kochi. They are a way to signify a new team and generally have the team logo or name on them. Think of it like a float. It also serves as mobile live stage. I actually wonder what they did for the music at first because this is how the sound systems and/or band reside now.

#5 Dance!

Where as it started as a specific dance based off Awa Odori, it’s evolved and become more fusion of basically anything you want. The best part too is this is open to everyone! You have men and women of all ages taking in on the fun. From small children to grandparents!

Main Festivals to put on your list

What started in Kochi has now turned into hundreds of Yosakoi festivals all over Japan so chances are you can find one where you are visiting. However, if you want to go to one of the “big” names, here’s your choices.

Koichi Yosakoi Festival

The original! What started with 21 teams and 750 participants, now over 60 years later, is closer to 20,000 dancers!

The Yosakoi Festival in Kochi is one of Japan’s 10 largest festivals. The festival is held from August 9 to 12 every year, starts with a fireworks display, it’s summer after all – Japan loves fireworks!

If you miss the main event, don’t worry, Kochi has you covered. Teams perform in the city’s central arcade every Sunday from May to July and in front of JR Kochi Station every Sunday from August to December.

There is also a museum you can go to which I missed when I was there for Kochi Castle.

Super Yosakoi in Harajuku, Tokyo

Since 2001, the local shopping avenue association “Harajyuku Omotesando Keyaki-kai” has organized the Harajuku Omotesando Genki-matsuri Festival or in other words Super Yosakoi! Are you seeing a pattern? These completely started as a reason to get people to shop!

Held the last weekend of August, it’s how I was originally introduced and a must see if you are in Tokyo. Performances are held at multiple venues with stage and parade performances.

Yosakoi Soran Festival in Sapporo

Yosakoi Soran Festival held in Sapporo is a combination of Yosakoi and Soran, a type of dance specific to Hokkaido. Around 1991, a student from Hokkaido happened to see the festival in Kochi and brought it back with him to Hokkaido, or so the story goes.

What started as 10 teams and 1,000 dancers in June, it is now a major event attracting some 30,000 dancers from Japan and abroad. Similar to the Snow Festival in winter, the main venue is Odori Park. There are both stage and parade performances to watch and of course, a lot of food!

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If you are in Japan in August, most likely you will stumble upon a festival in the evening time.  Obon – Japan’s Festival of the Dead, was officially from August 13th to 16th in 2018 but can vary by region.  It is a series of events that enshrines the spirits of the ancestors.   One of those ancient events that interest me as so many cultures around the world have matching things.

Every year, my work place of roughly 2000 Japanese nationals and a couple hundred American’s invite their friends and families for a celebration.  I noticed while I was talking with some of my Japanese coworkers that some paperwork they had very much did NOT say “Obon” or ” お盆” and we started discussing.  I’ve only missed one year in the past five, colloquially, the American’s call it “bon”.  What was this 納涼大会??? And this is why I love learning about different cultures and languages.  Let me set the scene…

Summer Festival: A quick Japanese lesson

Let’s break down my work’s yearly events actual name:

納涼, noryo,  summer night or literally escaping the summer heat.  The way my coworker’s explained it (and this took some work as conveying things that don’t translate quite right is a game we like to play, both from English and from Japanese), in days of old a rich man that has the money to go, would leave the city and relax in the mountains where it was cooler. Those with no money or time to escape, still obviously wanted in on the deal.  So they have cold drinks, etc. to feel cool and relax during the summer evenings.

大会 – taikai, convention or big meeting.  That ones pretty straight forward.

So the event is actually “the big summer night meeting to escape from the heat”.

Now, let’s talk about Obon – Japan’s festival of the dead.

Or bon-odori as sometimes we American’s also call this event at work.

お盆 is shortened from the Chinese 盂蘭盆會うらぼんえ（會 is the complicated version of 会 and means conference, the native Japanese speakers say you rarely see that kanji anymore) and originates with a disciple of Buddha trying to retrieve his mother who had after dying fallen into the realm of Preta which is the Sanskrit name for a supernatural being in lots of folk religions that means they are going through a huge amount of suffering.  Making offerings to monks during their summer retreats, he was able to free his mother and danced for joy.  That’s how we got bon odori, or bon dance, 盆踊り, festival of the dead dancing, and how this all happens to take place during the month of August.

盆, bon, itself means “tray”.  (See what I mean about not being directly translatable??). Add an “お” on the front of it and it’s the honorific version.  It’s shortening down from “lantern festival” and that’s why you’ll see many lanterns during obon events as well as some of them are merely lantern events like this one I mentioned in Asakusa.

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Things happening this weekend in Tokyo: There’s so many festivals in Japan. This is one of the prettiest. Every August in Asakusa on Sumida River (head towards the Asahi building), people put their wishes on a paper lantern and send them down the river. You can see it from both sides of the river. Highly recommend. I’ll be up north or I’d be headed there myself!! .

A post shared by Japan Travel Blogger (@kristen_abroad) on Aug 8, 2018 at 7:57pm PDT

Buddhist tradition has families visit ancestral homes and clean the graves.  And make offerings…. on trays.  See? Everything comes full circle.  Belief is that spirits revisit the alter, very similar to the day of the dead in Mexican tradition and I’m sure other places around the world I don’t know about yet.

All summer festivals are 納涼大会 but not all summer festivals are Obon.

See, this is what I love about learning a language. You understand subtle cultural nuances that you wouldn’t without the understanding of what’s behind them.

So, what’s the event at work?

You may be asking.  It’s the largest by far of the four we have every year (summer festival, employee recognition, Christmas, and New Years), and it’s basically a big block party, like a bon festival you may see.  There are food booths, drinks, music, games for the kids.  And this… the bon dance.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frZPZbNQH_8[/embedyt]

Now, try and get that song out of your head ;).  Very much like Yosakoi has a song that must be used in competition, this is the bon song and you won’t go to a festival without hearing it.  You’ll also find it being played on the shopping street PA systems during the summer.

It’s also an excuse for me to wear my yukata as I can’t put it on without help.  Pretty common issue in general, so I take advantage of it.

The lanterns may be one of my favorite parts.

Everyone forms a large circle around the stage for, lack of a better term, the circle dances that occur.  They are traditional steps passed on for years that are not too hard to pick up but my work offers classes during lunch leading up to the summer festival.

What’s your experience with summer festivals? My favorite will always be Yosakoi!