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.
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 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.
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.
Hyogo Sayo (佐用町) Sunflower Farm Around July every year, the small town of Sayo (佐用町), near the Okayama prefecture border in Hyogo, is filled with fields of sunflowers (向日葵)
Osaka Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan (海遊館) Located on the port in Osaka is one of Japan's best Aquariums (second to Okinawa's even more amazing one).
Hyogo Mt Shoshazan (書写山圓教寺) Popularised by Tom Cruise in the movie The Last Samurai, Mt Shoshazan and the temple Shoshazan Engyō-ji (書写山圓教寺) are a short bus and cable car ride north of Himeji Station.
Wakayama Koyasan (高野山) A Japanese Buddhist village 800m up across 8 mountain peaks, south of Osaka in Wakayama prefecture.
Hyogo Arima Onsen Cable Car A mountainous town known for its hot springs accessible via cable car over Mount Rokko. This is the cable car ride.
Japan Arashiyama Kyoto (嵐山) A mountainous area north west of Kyoto City famous for it's beautiful river, monkeys and bamboo forest.
Osaka Osaka City Sakura (大阪市さくら) Osaka Castle is surrounded by parklands filled with cherry and plum blossoms. Each year in April, people swarm to the park for picnics while the blossoms fall.
Hyogo Ako City Sakura (赤穂市さくら) Streets throughout Japan, in big cities and small, are lined with cherry blossoms which come out in full bloom briefly, every year. Time to head out and enjoy the sunshine!