Japan has prepared a series of discounts and activities for tourists, but for the majority of Miyazaki fans, the most eager thing is the Ghibli Theme Park, which will be open in November!

Totoro at the gate of the Ghibli Museum of Art in Tokyo; ©UpdateNerd, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Starting today (October 11), Japan will fully open free travel for overseas passengers , canceling the previous daily entry limit of 50,000 people, which also means that the two and a half years of border control has ended.

, which reopened Japan, has prepared a series of discounts and activities for tourists, but for the majority of Miyazaki Hayao fans , the most eager thing is the Ghibli Theme Park , which will be opened in November! It is located in Aichi Prefecture, central Honshu, and will be the first to open three areas this year, including Dondoko Forest, which reproduces the pastoral scenery in "Tongchi" . Studio Ghibli confidently stated that the theme park will be an upgraded version of the Ghibli Art Museum in Tokyo, which is definitely worth looking forward to!

Today LP invites you to travel to the two "homes" of Totoro - the historic Aichi Prefecture and the energetic Tokyo . Looking forward to the day of reunion~

Love Zhizhi Prefecture

The geographical location and the center of natural scenery

Honshu's central city Nagano Prefecture; ©Daily Travel Photos/Shutterstock

As the center of Japan's geographical location and natural scenery, the central part of Honshu extends between the vast and vast Great Tokyo and the Kansai area . The majestic and spectacular Japanese Alps towers above the border between Gifu and Nagano Prefecture. Aichi Prefecture is the gateway to the scenery, and the largest city is the simple and low-key Nagoya.

©David Quixley/Shutterstock

# Nagoya #

The lush capital of manufacturing

©f11photo/Shutterstock

Nagoya is the ancestral home of Japan's " Three Heroes of the Warring States Period " - Oda Nobunaga , Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu , and its influence was far-reaching centuries ago. The Toyota car and marble machine , which are proud of the Japanese, were also born here. Although GDP surpasses many small countries, Nagoya is still accustomed to living under the sanctuary of two elder brothers, Tokyo and Kansai.

Nagoya Toyota Industrial Technology Memorial Hall; ©f11photo/Shutterstock

In sharp contrast to the industrial core, there are well-maintained parks and green spaces in the city, which are lush and livable. Locals are proud of this simple, friendly and approachable city.

Tokugawa Art Museum

©Tomio344456, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This is a must-see place for travelers interested in Japanese culture and history. The museum has more than 0,000 collections of , including many national treasures and important cultural heritages that once belonged to Tokugawa family .

"The Story of Genji" scroll painting partly; ©Imperial court in Kyoto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A 12th century scroll painting is a priceless treasure, often locked in the shelf, and will only be displayed in the short term at the end of November.

©full moon69, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Beautiful Japanese garden Tokugawa Garden is adjacent to the Tokugawa Art Museum and was donated to Nagoya City by the Tokugawa family in 1931. Every spring, 2,000 peony and iris compete to be beautiful, while maples will ignite here in autumn.

JR Magnetic levitation·Railway Hall

©Rsa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Train enthusiasts will feel like they are in heaven in this interesting museum that can be operated manually. Real-sized maglev trains, Shinkansen trains, as well as old rolling stock and track simulators are exhibited here. This giant museum rarely shows everyone the history of Japan's development from the perspective of railway development.

World COSPLAY Conference

©KKPCW, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

If you travel to Nagoya between July and August, be sure to confirm whether your stay coincides with this visual feast. At that time, anime role-players (coser) and anime fans from all over the world will gather here and have a big party in anime costumes. 2022 is the 20th anniversary of the summit.

Nagoya Food

©fbdesigncenter/Shutterstock

This city is famous for its bold local specialty dishes: Kishimen is a handmade linguine with smooth texture; miso boiled udon is cooked in Miso soup with rich ingredients; miso fried pork chop is made by dripping miso on the pork chop and then frying it with breadcrumbs. eel rice three-eat is also a local feature.

# Inuyama #

National treasure-level monuments and scenery

©Alpsdake, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kiso-gawa of Inuyama is known as " Japanese Rhine ", located under the castle that has become a national treasure. The castle and clear water form a beautiful landscape painting. During the day, castles, strange streets, carefully renovated Youleyuan and 17th-century Ru'an tea room are all great places to hang out.

Inuyama Castle

©Nufs jpdept D3, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Inuyama Castle is the oldest surviving castle in Japan . It is said that its predecessor was a fortress in 1440. The current main fort is a building built on a 40-meter high slope next to Kisogawa in 1537. It has been destroyed by war and earthquakes, and was later rebuilt, retaining the exquisite architectural style of Japan's Momoyama era.

Inuyama Festival in April every year; ©Bariston, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

There are narrow and steep stairs and exhibitions of military items inside the castle. You can enjoy beautiful mountain and plain views from the highest level of the castle.

Youleyuan and Ru'an Tea Room

pictures are from the official website of Nagoya Tourism https://www.nagoya-info.jp

In the beautiful Youleyuan in Meitetsu Inuyama Hotel, you will find one of the best tea rooms in Japan - Ru'an Tea Room , which is also a national treasure of Inuyama City. Ru'an Tea Room was built in Kyoto in 1618 by Oda Nobunaga's younger brother Oda Yurasai , and later moved here in 1972. Pay an additional 500 yen to taste the fragrant tea here.

Ru'an tea room interior; the picture comes from Mingti official website https://www.meitetsu.co.jp

Meiji Village

©Bariston, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Very few Meiji era buildings can escape the destruction of war, earthquake or rapid development. In order to preserve these buildings that are famous for the perfect blend of Western and Japanese architectural elements, this open-air museum came into being in 1965. People dismantled more than 60 Meiji-era buildings all over Japan one by one, packed and transported them to the village museum on the lakeside and reassembled them.

Interior of St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Kyoto; ©Bariston, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The well-known exhibits include the entrance facade designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for Tokyo Imperial Hotel , St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral in Kyoto and the telephone exchange office of Sapporo .

Tokyo Empire Hotel; ©Morio, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

# Ghibli Theme Park #

Miyazaki's Fairy Tale Kingdom

From the official website https://ghibli-park.jp

Ghibli Theme Park is located in the Aichi World Expo Memorial Park in Nagakute City, Aichi Prefecture. This park was built locally to welcome the 2005 Aichi World Expo. The theme park is jointly developed by Studio Ghibli and Aichi Prefecture. On November 1 this year, three areas, namely "Hill of Youth", "Ghibli Warehouse" and "Dondoko Forest", will be opened first. The "Ghost Land" and "Witch Valley" will be completed in the fall of 2023.

Schematic diagram of "Hill of Youth" of Ghibli Theme Park, ©Studio Ghibli, https://ghibli-park.jp

East Beijing

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©Manuel Ascanio/Shutterstock

Tokyo is a city that is always facing the future. The shining neon lights and rows of tall buildings form the science fiction-like street scene here. It has been constantly transforming itself, and now it has become a destination for food and popular culture .

©Lonely Plane

At the same time, it is also a city with a profound historical heritage. You can find the historical mark left by the shogun's capital on the stage of Kabuki under the blooming tree of Ueno Park Hianghua cherry blossom . There are excellent museums and everything you hope for Japan - grand temples, shrines full of unique atmosphere, attractive contemporary buildings, beautiful gardens, and even hot springs.

©Takashi Images/Shutterstock

To understand this city, you should enjoy it like the locals: enjoy delicious sushi in Ginza , search for novel and fashionable clothing in Harajuku , or go for a walk in the blocks with a strong atmosphere, and wander in the alleys of Taniko Chihiro or Kagurazaka . You must see the unique and surprising nightlife here, which is the embodiment of Tokyo's tireless spirit.

©Lonely Plane

Akihabara

©Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Akihabara's success stems from the entry of a large number of electrical appliance stores after "World War II ". In the period of rapid economic growth in Japan in the 1960s and 1970s, it has become the most famous "electrical appliance street" in Tokyo. By the 1980s and 1990s, more popular electronic games and related products replaced the sales position of home appliances, and secondary cultures such as animation and music also poured in.

©Vassamon Anansukkasem/Shutterstock

It is precisely this kind of soil that has nurtured a unique Japanese pop culture neighborhood in the 21st century, and has emerged from idol groups like AKB48, which are originally unknown but are now popular. Now you can not only buy any electronic components you want in places like Akihabara Radio Center, but you can also find comics and figures of various types and ages.

©Ante Vukorepa/500px

Ueno Park

©bluehand/Shutterstock

Sakura is undoubtedly the most famous scenery in Ueno Park. When it comes to blooming, how many tourists are coming one after another are not for the colorful fallen flowers? But as a park that opened as early as 1876 and has a royal land of 530,000 square meters, the charm here is much more than this.

©Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

The lotus pond in summer, the red leaves in autumn, the ruins of temples that have experienced vicissitudes, the zoo with popular pandas, and the museum group with different interests and comparable qualities... With such rich landscapes and facilities, Ueno Park is not only the first park in Japan that was built in reference to Western standards, but also beyond the general sense of the park, becoming a pleasing cultural forest.

©Mauro_Repossini/Getty Images

Tokyo National Museum is in the park. If you are only planning to visit one museum in Tokyo, this is the best choice. It consists of many independent buildings from different periods: the central museum opened in 1938. It is centered on Japanese culture and exhibits Japanese Buddha statues, pottery, screens, kimono, samurai , Ukiyo-e, etc. all year round.

©Yasemin Olgunoz Berber/Shutterstock

Heesei Pavilion focuses on the achievements of Japanese archaeological excavation; architects father and son Yoshiro Taniguchi and Yoshito Taniguchi successively designed Toyota that displays artworks from many Asian countries and Haota treasure museum , which specializes in collecting masks, scrolls, gilded Buddha statues and other treasures of Nara Fatakaji Temple. The latter is a modernist building with a very oriental charm.

- Gu Gen Qian Wan Wan -

Japan, Tokyo

Hot point: Tokyo National Museum

End point: Chitamu Station

Distance: 3km

Hot point: 2 hours, excluding visit time

by Lonely Planet's "Tokyo to Kyoto" IN guide provides

If you have time, you can first visit ① Tokyo National Museum , and then start exploring temples, galleries and ancient wooden structures in the valley area.

©Image by cowardlion/Shutterstock

Or, you can also walk directly along the way to the southwest outside ②Ueno Park until Kototoi-dōri.

©Image by Manuel Ascanio/Shutterstock

③Shimachi Customs Museum attached to the exhibition hall is actually a well-preserved and century-old diner. If you need some refreshing drink, across the street is ④Kayaba Coffee.

Kayaba Coffee Shop in Yanaka © Toshihiro Gamo,CC BY-NC-ND 2.0http://dwz.date/dCTN

Not far from here is ⑤SCAI Bathroom Art Museum , this contemporary art museum is transformed from a typical old-fashioned public bathhouse. Keep going, you might as well take a detour to the painting studio of painter Alan Wester ⑥Edokoro Allan West to check it out, remember to pay attention to the ancient and stout ⑦Himalayan cedar in the corner. There will be many temples passing through this area, including ⑧Yanju-ji (Enju-ji), where the Japanese and Dutch masters (Nichikasama, にちかさま) are the "god of strong legs", so they are very popular among running enthusiasts. You can visit any temple at will; be respectful and do not make noise.

©Image by PJ_Photography/Shutterstock

Now turn back the same way and head to the entrance of ⑨ Valley Lingyuan , which is one of the most atmosphere and most prestigious cemeteries in Tokyo (many stray cats like to bask in the sun here).After leaving the Lingyuan, continue to walk up the rails on the right to reach the bridge overlooking the train tracks (a destination that is a popular destination among railway fans).

©Image by BestForLater91/Getty Images

Turn left on Main Street, pay attention to the signposts and follow the previous ⑩Asakura Sculpture Hall, which was once the residence and studio of a sculptor in the early 20th century, and has now been transformed into an attractive museum. Back on the street, walk down the ⑪Sunny Glowing Steps (Yūyake Dandan, Yukiyaけだこだこ), which is a typical commercial street in the mid-20th century, ⑫ Valley Ginza .

©Image by cowardlion/Shutterstock

You can buy a few snacks at the vendors here, and then squat on the milk box next to the road with the locals, drinking beer and enjoying the food. Go west and take the subway at Sendagi Station (Sendagi Station).

©Image by KPG Payless2/Shutterstock

Ghibli Art Museum

© Thibaut120094

In this museum designed by the animation film master Hayao Miyazaki, you can freely explore everything related to Studio Ghibli: enjoy the original drawings, take a photo with familiar animated characters on the roof... Children will definitely like the fluffy cat bus there.

©Douglaspperkins, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Tickets are fully reserved. Currently, ticket purchase websites for overseas visitors (l-tike.com/st1/ghiblien) have been opened. You can print electronic tickets directly, but the quantity is quite limited; or purchase tickets directly in the Rosen convenience store in Japan. For details, please refer to the official website. Admission is carried by a real-name system, and the appointment must bring your identity documents.

Miyazaki Hayao Big Clock

If you can't visit the Ghibli Museum, then you might as well experience his wonderful ideas through this big clock designed by Miyazaki Hayao (NTV Daitokei). The huge metal clock is like a mechanical monster coming from another world, closely attached to the exterior wall of the headquarters building of Japanese TV station . The daily scheduled time-month performances (12:00, 15:00, 18:00, 20:00, and 10:00 on weekends) are very attractive, be sure to arrive at the scene 3 minutes in advance.

Shinjuku Okuen

©Claire Takacs/Getty Images

Although Shinjuku Okuen was designed as the Imperial Family Garden (built in 1906), it has now completely become a park open to everyone. The wide lawn in the garden is the favorite place for urban people who want to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city as soon as possible.

©Josh Wilburne joshlikesdesign, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Don't miss the large greenhouse, which contains giant water lilies and carefully cultivated orchid , and you can also enjoy cherry blossoms in spring. Among the three entrances and exits, the Shinjuku Gate is the most convenient transportation; the Okido Gate faces the British landscape garden, and there is a large greenhouse full of tropical plants nearby; the Chituo Valley Gate is close to the Cherry Garden and Hongye Mountain, and the scenery is distinct in all seasons. Shinkai Makoto 's animation work " Ye Zhiting " also used this as the background.

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