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.
Nagoya is the capital of Aichi Prefecture, located in the center of Japan’s main island Honshu. In the past, Nagoya was an important castle town. On the castle grounds stand the reconstructed main keep and the palace of the ruling lords. Present day Nagoya is one of Japan’s industrial centers and home to both traditional and modern manufacturers like Toyota. Toyota’s museums focus on the development of automotive technology while the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park is all about Japan’s trains. Located on the Shinkansen Tokaido Line between Tokyo and Kyoto & Osaka, Nagoya is an excellent base for Japan travel.
Sumo has a long tradition in Japan and is the country’s national sport. There are six professional sumo grand tournaments held each year, three of them in Tokyo (January, May, and September) at the Ryogoku Kokugikan. Some sumo stables allow visitors to watch their morning practice sessions. Usually, only sumo wrestlers are allowed to step into a dohyo (sumo ring). At Raien Sumo Tokyo, you can try sumo yourself and dress and train like a sumo wrestler, a rikishi. A sumo experience lesson with former sumo wrestlers teaches sumo basics, including how to put on a mawashi belt.