Awaji The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge (明石海峡大橋) & Surrounds A suspension bridge with the longest central span in the world that links Honshu to Awaji island.
Hyogo Kiseki No Hoshi Greenhouse (奇跡の星の植物館) An other-worldly, Willy Wonka-esque greenhouse displaying a variety of flowers and rare plants from around the world.
Hyogo Awaji Yumebutai (淡路夢舞台) 100 Stepped Terraced Garden (百段苑) The massive Tadao Ando, Awaji Yumebutai complex on Awaji Island holds a 100 Stepped Garden separated into three large zones for meditation, edible plants and native flora.
Osaka Truck Furniture & Bird Coffee Cafe Osaka A vintage-style, Osaka-made furniture store called Truck Furniture by designers Tokuhiko Kise and Hiromi Karatsu sits beside Bird Coffee Cafe serving delicious croque madames.
Osaka Pristine Cars, The Yodogawa Great Barrier (淀川大堰) & Ramen A cycle from Umeda to Kyoto over the Yodogawa Weir with a stop for ramen at Teru and a peek at the new, design focused capsule hotel called Nine Hours.
Osaka Sun Child (サン•チャイルド) March 11, 2012 marked the one year anniversary of the Tohoku Earthquake and became the opening date for the statue ‘Sun Child’ or ‘Taiyo no Ko’ in Japanese.
Hokkaido Niseko, Hokkaido (北海道ニセコ町) A ski town 2 hours south west of Hokkaido's largest city, Sapporo.
Hokkaido Sapporo City (札幌市) & The Sapporo Beer Museum (サッポロビール博物館) A very brief winter stopover in Japan's largest northern city, visiting the museum for one of the country's most iconic, international beer exports.
Osaka Shiba Ryotaro Memorial Museum (司馬遼太郎記念館) Architect Tadao Ando designed a museum dedicated to Shiba Ryotaro, a post WW2 author known for his novels based on historical events.
Kobe Oji Zoo, Kobe (神戸市立王子動物園) A zoo in Kobe with all the big ticket animals including a giant panda, a red panda, sloths, and a polar bear.
Kagawa Shodoshima (小豆島) The first place in Japan to successfully grow olives and the origin of the stone used to build Osaka Castle; Shodoshima is an island in the Seto Inland Sea with some great scenery and a really large Buddha.
Mie Forty-Eight Waterfalls of Akame (赤目四十八滝) Walk An unexpectedly amazing walk starting from Akameguchi Station in Mie, through a salamander museum, along a river through a valley and into a forest.
Osaka Osaka Skyline (大阪市スカイライン) A brilliant city that gets overshadowed by Japan's capital. The skyline from the Breeze Breeze Building in Umeda lets you take it all in.
Kyoto Tadao Ando Designed Oyamazaki Museum An entrepreneur's Tudor style home from the 1920s received an addition in 1995 by architect Tadao Ando for the Oyamazaki Museum.
Hiroshima Miyajima (厳島) / Itsukushima (厳島) Ikutsushima, more commonly known as Miyajima—which translates to Shrine Island—is most famous for its Torii gate in the sea.
Osaka Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan (海遊館) & Osaka Culturarium at Tempozan (大阪文化館・天保山) The Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan (海遊館), designed by Peter Chermayeff and the Culturarium (大阪文化館・天保山) by Tadao Ando sit beside each other overlooking the bay; a short stroll from Osakako station.
Osaka Mount Myoken (妙見山) A one hour train ride north of Osaka Station is Mount Myoken; a great place to observe the beauty of Autumn in Japan.
Osaka Empty City Streets, Osaka (大阪市) Central Osaka is a maze of concrete and overhead expressways. At night cars speed past metres away from apartment and office buildings.
Kagawa Naoshima (直島) Art Island 2 A small island off the coast of Okayama Prefecture in the Seto Inland Sea featuring art by James Turrell, Yayoi Kusama and architecture by Tadao Ando.
Hyogo Taiyo Park (太陽公園), Himeji (姫路) Replicas of Neuschwanstein Castle, The Great Wall, Terra Cotta Warriors and The Arc de Triomphe fill this strange theme park near Himeji City.
Hyogo Namaze To Takedao Abandoned Fukuchiyama Railway Line Walk The hike starts 10mins walk from Namaze Station in Nishinomiya along the Muko river and takes you through an old tunnel and over a rail bridge; ending at Takedao Station.
Osaka An Empty Osaka Metro Station Japan's inner city subway stations are rarely empty. This particular evening at SakaiSuji Hommachi Station in central Osaka, there wasn't a soul in sight.
Osaka Sakai Bicycle Museum (自転車博物館サイクルセンター) This museum in Sakai, south of Osaka City, showcases Japan's love of the bicycle; one of the most popular forms of transport in Japan.
Taiwan Taipei, Taiwan (台湾台北) A weekend in Taiwan's capital, sampling delicious foods in the night markets and spending time in the tea mountains.
Osaka Osaka Umeda (大阪梅田) The busiest train station in western Japan offers some great views from the rooftop, including a garden.
