Hiraizumi Konjikedo (Hiraizumi Golden Hall)

A castle with a National Treasure keep, nicknamed 'Crow Castle' for its striking black lacquered exterior. It houses Japan's oldest existing five-story, six-floor castle tower, and its beautiful setting against the Northern Alps backdrop attracts visitors year-round.

An art museum perched on a hilltop overlooking Sagami Bay. Housing approximately 3,500 East Asian art works including three National Treasures, it is renowned for Ogata Korin's 'Red and White Plum Blossoms' — a supreme masterpiece of Japanese art.

A National Treasure castle with an original five-story, six-floor keep. The striking black-and-white contrast against the Northern Alps backdrop makes it a beloved subject for photographers and a symbol of Japanese castle aesthetics.

One of Japan's five National Treasure castles in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. The beautiful black-and-white five-story six-floor keep is the oldest existing five-story castle tower. Set against the Northern Alps, it represents the pinnacle of Japanese castle aesthetics. Night illumination is also popular, and the keep surviving from the Sengoku period is a precious historical structure.

A shrine in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Edo Shogunate. Constructed in 1617, it exemplifies elaborate Japanese architectural design. Registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, it features famous structures including a five-story pagoda, the ornate Yomeimon Gate, and the sleeping cat carving.

An early Edo-period castle in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, completed in 1611. Its main tower is one of only twelve surviving original structures and was designated a National Treasure in 2015. The castle's elegant silhouette against Lake Shinji embodies the cultural heritage of Matsue as a historic castle town.