Seki City is located in Gifu Prefecture, in the center of Japan’s main island, Honshu. Seki is known for its master sword makers. Skilled craftsmen have been creating Japanese swords, knives, and tools of the highest quality here for over 800 years. At Hamonoya Sanshu / Seki Cutlery Museum you can learn about the process of forging blades and buy locally produced knives. To explore Seki’s beautiful natural surroundings, take a walk in the mountains outside Seki up to Nichiryubuji Temple. Or visit the Kabusugi Giant Cedar Forest with old trees that look like the enchanted world of Japanese anime.
Kanazawa boasts many historical attractions such as restored residences and districts is accessible in two and a half hours by the Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train began operation in 2015. Kenrokuen Garden is the most famous attraction filled with a variety of trees, ponds, and flowers that is considered one of the "three great gardens of Japan". Kanazawa boasts numerous former geisha houses in the Higashi Geisha District. wonderful cuisine including some of Japan's highest-quality seafood also attracts many tourists.
Okinawa is Japan's southernmost prefecture and is located over 600 km south of the island of Kyushu. Okinawa consists of approx. 50 islands. Some of them are developed with modern resorts, others are remote islands that boast untouched beautiful natural landscapes. Visitors can enjoy distinctive Okinawan culture in food, craft, music and architecture which originated from the Ryukyu Kingdom which ruled the islands until the late 19th century.
Hiroshima is one of the largest cities in Western Japan located on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea. Every year, millions visit its two World Heritage sites, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and Itsukushima Shrine. In 1945, Hiroshima was the target of the first atomic bomb and the Peace Memorial Park commemorates this. Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island is famous for its Torii gate that looks like it floats on the water.