We Are Tomodachi Spring / Summer 2017

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21TokyoSet among picturesque mountains in Gifu Prefecture, Takayama offers travelers an exquisite peek into life in rural Japan. Easily accessible by train, the beautifully preserved town is populated by welcoming locals and has scenic streets lined with old-style buildings housing a variety of establishments, including shops selling new and traditional items, sake breweries, and art galleries. Visitors can also take advantage of the area’s rich natural surroundings by hiking the many mountain trails. The historic village of Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Okuhida, which boasts some of Japan’s nicest outdoor hot spring pools, are also located in the area. Located inside the Towada-Hachimantai National Park, Nyuto Hot Springs in Akita Prefecture is a collection of several rustic hot spring ryokan, or traditional inns, that retain the old-fashioned comforts of days gone by. One of these establishments, the 300-year-old Tsurunoyu, still uses gas lamps and has several rooms featuring a sunken hearth called an irori, making it appear to guests as if they have stepped back into feudal times. The milky white thermal waters of Nyuto are known for their curative powers, and bathers in the area’s many outdoor baths may even discover heated artesian percolating directly beneath them as they quietly soak.Fukuoka’s profuse outdoor food stalls, called yatai, provide visitors the opportunity to rub elbows with local residents while savoring a variety of simple, tasty dishes. Spread throughout the city, the cozy stands accommodate only a few customers at a time, an arrangement that encourages friendly banter among the closely packed patrons. Yatai are generally open from the early evening until the early hours of the morning and serve up a diversity of hearty fare along with sake and other drinks. Popular menu items include such scrumptious selections as grilled chicken skewers, seafood, and pork-bone tonkotsu ramen, a local delicacy. Hida-TakayamaAmong the scores of quaint islands that dot the beautiful Seto Inland Sea, Naoshima in Kagawa Prefecture presents visitors a unique opportunity to enjoy exquisite works of modern art among charming pastoral scenery. Easily accessible by ferry, it is one of the main venues of the Setouchi Triennale art festival. Even when the event is not being held visitors can visit the island’s many museums that feature captivating works of contemporary art by internationally renowned artists. An especially intriguing element of the community is the way in which residents have combined its rural setting and art by converting traditional structures into arthouses.Naoshima IslandNyuto Hot SpringsFukuoka Outdoor Food StallsSchauwecker introduces several must-see destinationsInside a preserved traditional house in Hida Folk Village, an architectural museum. “Red Pumpkin” ©Yayoi Kusama, 2006 Naoshima Miyanoura Port Square (Photo by Daisuke Aochi)