Esashi Town is located in the southwest Hokkaido, facing the Sea of Japan. Below the terraces that run along the coastline, a street lined with gabled-roofed buildings stretches out, and on the noren curtains, signs, and walls of these buildings are displayed shop names expressed using a combination of simple symbols. Entering the alleyway that slopes down to the sea, you will see that the buildings step down like steps along the slope of the land, and that the stone walls that form the foundations of each building also have different steps. These were created by Esashi's topography and herring industry, and they convey the prosperity that was said to surpass that of Edo. Walking through the streets, experiencing the culture, strolling around Kamome Island, which was also a dock for trading ships, and looking out over the town of Esashi that spreads out on the opposite shore, you can experience the prosperity that still remains strong today thanks to herring.

The Ainu people believe that all things surrounding humans, including nature, animals, plants, and tools, have "souls" and that gods transform from Kamuy Mosir (the land of the gods) into various things such as mountains, rivers, and bears and descend as "kamuy" to Ainu Mosir (the land of humans). The Kamikawa Ainu people believe that "rivers are living things that go up the mountains," and that Mt. Daisetsu, located at the top of the river, is the highest peak Hokkaido and the closest place to Kamuy Mosir. In the bosom of Mt. Daisetsu, the Kamikawa Ainu continue to live and spread their culture and history. The Kamikawa Ainu have also left behind many other legends and historical stories, such as "the hole to hell," "the ancient Ainu battlefield," and "the bottomless swamp and the cursed sword," which are still told in various places today.

Date Masamune, who established the Sendai Domain, attempted to create his own "capital" of Sendai with a spirit that would not lose to the Kamigata region in terms of culture. Based on the traditional culture fostered by the Date family, he absorbed the breath of the times, such as the gorgeousness influenced by the Momoyama culture of the Kamigata region, the unexpected and stylish originality that could be said to be Masamune's individuality, and the internationalism inspired by overseas culture, and allowed a new "Date" culture to blossom in the land of Sendai. Masamune's attitude towards culture was passed down to the next generation of feudal lords, and then spread throughout the country and to the common people. Sendai Festival, an annual festival of Toshogu Shrine, was succeeded by Sendai Aoba Festival, and the crafts made by the craftsmen who served Sendai Domain were passed down to the craftsmen in Sendai Castle town, and they continue to live on as traditional crafts today.

Aizu, the only place in Tohoku region whose name appears in the Kojiki, is a remote area surrounded by deep mountains on all sides, but it was a geopolitically important place where cultures from the Sea of Japan side and the Pacific side met, and also served as the gateway to Tohoku region. As there was already exchange with the central state during the Kofun period, Buddhist culture also flowed in early, as can be seen from the legend of Takadera, which was established at the same time as Buddhism was introduced. Aizu's Thirty-Three Kannon statues come in a variety of forms, from temples housing national treasures to rustic stone Buddha statues standing in the mountains, but they remain in place all over the region, protected by the Kannon faith that still lives on today. By touring the road that visits the Thirty-Three Kannon statues, taking a break at the post towns and temple towns along the way, you can relive the generous faith and entertainment of the Aizu people of the past.

After the Meiji Restoration, about 3,000 former Shonai feudal lords (estimated total number of workers: about 500,000) traded their swords for hoes, developed the wilderness, and built Japan's largest silk-raising colony at Matsugaoka Reclamation. This is the "origin of Japanese silk," which contributed to the modernization of not only the Shonai region, but also the whole of Japan. The reclamation of Matsugaoka was a major catalyst for the prosperity of the silk industry in the Shonai region, centered on Tsuruoka City, and had a major impact not only on industry but also on culture. The teachings of the Matsugaoka Reclamation Principles, "We will develop an industry based on virtue and report it to the nation, and thus become a model for the world," have been kept, and Matsugaoka Reclamation is the only region in Japan that continues to inherit the entire process of silk product production, from sericulture to silk-reeling, weaving, scouring, and printing, as an intangible cultural heritage, that is, a "living industry."

The Murayama area, located in the central part of Yamagata Prefecture, was known as the largest safflower production area in Japan during the Edo period. It is said that safflower was introduced to this area by Jikaku Daishi, who built Yamadera (Hoshuzan Risshakuji Temple), and the second Anzen Daishi. During the Edo period, the area became known as the largest safflower production area in Japan, and was transported to Kamigata (Kyoto) to be processed into gorgeous Nishijin textiles and rouge for cosmetic purposes to color Japanese people's lives. The safflower of this region, called "Mogami safflower," is a precious dye that produces a variety of shades from vermilion to crimson, bringing enormous wealth to the region and preserving its rich culture. Visitors to this area can recall the prosperity of the region, which Basho must have seen through the scenery of Yamadera, safflower fields, storehouses of wealthy safflower farmers and merchants, hina dolls, and various other artifacts originating from Kamigata, the region that prospered from safflower.

Silkworms are delicate insects and were called "O-San" (Silkworm Lady), and were raised in the home like children. Taking care of silkworms was an important job for the women who managed the household, and they worked around the clock to take care of the silkworms, do other farm work, and cook meals, playing an active role as the core of the farming workforce. Then, as silk became a major export and a trump card for earning foreign currency, sericulture, silk reeling, and weaving in the prefecture became increasingly popular, and in 1872, the Tomioka Silk Mill was founded. Girls from all over the country were gathered in Tomioka to work as silk reeling workers, and large quantities of cocoons were brought in as raw materials. Eventually, the women also honed their skills in spinning thread from the cocoons. The techniques and culture of Japanese silk weaving are still passed down in modern-day Gunma, and the kimonos that the women of the farming families made for themselves and their loved ones while working hard at production are still carefully preserved to this day.

The Hokuso region, located close to Edo, developed while supporting Edo in various ways, taking advantage of the roads leading to Edo and water transportation on the Tone River. The active exchange of people and goods brought prosperity to the region, and a distinctive urban cluster was formed. The four cities of Sakura, Narita, Sawara, and Choshi, which each prospered through close ties with Edo, have preserved their streetscapes that tell the story of Edo's past even in modern-day life. While many of Edo and its suburban cities have lost their traditional scenery and roads due to development, the castle town of Sakura, the temple town of Narita, the merchant town of Sawara, and the port town of Choshi, which remain in good condition in the Hokuso region, retain the atmosphere of Edo in the closest place to the world, and are rare examples of how you can feel Edo with four different types of streetscapes in the same region.

Mt. Daisen is also known as "Rainy Mountain," and many common people came to pray for rain, bountiful harvests, and prosperous business on the "Mt. Daisen Pilgrimage." However, it is not just the blessings of the gods and Buddha that attracted people. Mt. Daisen Oyama's mysterious appearance can be seen from all over Kanto region. At the time, pilgrimages to Fuji were also popular, but it took at least seven days to get to Fuji, and it was a long journey that required a pass to pass through Hakone checkpoint. On the other hand, pilgrimages to Mt. Daisen were short trips of about three or four days that did not require passing through the checkpoint. Mt. Daisen Pilgrimage has been passed down from generation to generation by the guides, and even today you can see Mt. Daisen Ko group dressed in white robes and various ancient festivals. When you travel through history while interacting with the rich nature that remains in the outskirts of the capital, and see the magnificent scenery that spreads out below you from the summit, you can experience the thoughts and satisfaction of our ancestors.

It has been over 800 years since Yoritomo established the Kamakura Shogunate. Kamakura is an ancient capital where you can feel the history and melancholy of the samurai who lived here. After it became the seat of government, the Shogunate rapidly developed the city, and even after the Shogunate's downfall, it prospered greatly as the base for the Muromachi Shogunate's control of the eastern provinces. During the Edo period, it was in the spotlight as a place of faith and leisure, and from the Meiji to Taisho periods, villas were built there and the town was developed into a modern city. Even in these times, the town's appearance, where historical heritage and nature are in harmony, has been preserved and passed down by many people. In the atmosphere created by the medieval shrines and temples that are one with nature, various elements such as architecture and civil engineering remains from each era, the art and culture left by Kamakura writers, livelihoods and events are combined like a mosaic, making it a special town.

There is a legend that Gyoda tabi originated in the Jokyo era when a certain Kameya established a business specializing in tabi. During its heyday in 1938-1939, Gyoda was the number one producer of tabi in Japan, producing about 80% of the country's tabi. As the lyrics of the Gyoda Ondo say, "I remember Gyoda, the tabi," Gyoda became the "number one tabi town in Japan," touting, "Gyoda, the tabi, or Gyoda's tabi." Even now, when socks are widespread, tabi production continues in Gyoda, and as the number one producer in Japan, it continues to send new products both domestically and internationally, and many people are familiar with the idea of "Gyoda is the name for tabi." There are about 80 tabi storehouses, a wide variety of which symbolize the prosperity of the tabi industry, remaining, and along with the occasional sound of sewing machines, the back streets are lined with quaint tabi storehouses. And their reuse is beginning to add new color to the town.

Nasunohara, Japan's largest alluvial fan located in northern Tochigi Prefecture, was once crowded with large farms from the Meiji to Showa periods. These "large farms and villas" were built by the so-called "nobility," including statesmen who led the Meiji Restoration and aristocrats who held important positions in the Meiji government. The establishment of these nobility farms was heavily influenced by policies promoted by the Meiji government. Located just 150km from Tokyo, this area was an uninhabitable barren wilderness until the early Meiji period. The nobility, who opened farms in the uninhabitable wilderness, also built new "towns" to attract people. Their power allowed them to draw railways and national roads into the reclaimed land, and the farms were precisely divided to welcome settlers who would work on the development.

Maeda Toshinaga, the second head of the Kaga Maeda clan, saw that Takaoka was an ideal location for not only military purposes, but also economic functions as a key point for land and water transportation, and built Takaoka Castle. However, Toshinaga passed away after only five years in the castle. It was the third head of the clan, Maeda Toshitsune, who restored Takaoka's prosperity, which was in danger of being a fleeting dream. Toshitsune promoted a policy shift to turn Takaoka into a commercial city, making use of the town layout that Toshinaga had built. The rebuilt Takaoka was a town of merchants as well as artisans, and the townspeople themselves developed while competing with each other. The townspeople themselves took the lead, returning wealth to the region and contributing to the town's development has been passed down even in modern times, and even today the unique spirit of the townspeople's footsteps is strongly evident in the town layout, roads, streetscapes, livelihoods, and traditional events.

Wakasa, overlooking the Sea of Japan and blessed with abundant nature, was one of the "Miketsukuni" (food provinces) that sent seafood, salt and other ingredients to the capital in ancient times, supporting the diet of the imperial court. Even after the era of Miketsukuni, it continued to transport "beautiful things of Wakasa" to the capital, supporting the food culture of Kyoto. In recent years, the group of roads connecting Wakasa and the capital, known as the "Mackerel Highway," was a road of exchange that transported not only ingredients but also various goods, people and culture. Exchanges with the capital that began with ties to the imperial court and aristocrats were linked to the lives of citizens through the traffic on the "Mackerel Highway," and a group of cultural heritage sites with a diversity and density rare nationwide, consisting of shrines, temples, streetscapes and folk cultural properties, have been formed along the road. By following the "Mackerel Highway," you can experience the history of traffic that has continued for 1,500 years from ancient times to the present, and the activities of people who protect and pass on traditions.

Banquets held against the backdrop of natural scenery have existed throughout Japan since before the Middle Ages, and at the root of these is the traditional Japanese value of finding beauty in blending into nature. Nobunaga found value in the beautiful scenery and cormorant fishing culture that combines Mt. Kinka, Nagara River, and the bustling castle town, and added his originality in "showing off" to the castle, a military facility, and created an unprecedented space for hospitality, where he hosted banquets. Nobunaga is often portrayed Image a cold-hearted, ruthless man, skilled in war, reformer, and destroyer, but what he did not fight in the steep Gifu Castle and its surrounding areas was surprisingly generous hospitality. The castles and towns of the Warring States period that Nobunaga created, and the cormorant fishing culture on Nagara River, were passed down even after Gifu Castle ceased to function as a castle, and are still alive in the city of Gifu today.

Saio is a special imperial female who left the capital and served Amaterasu Omikami at Ise Shrine for the long period of about 660 years for the peace and prosperity of the country. Saigu is the place where such Saio lived. Saigu, where the Saio, who is the representative of the emperor, lives, was one of the cultural centers of the region, with many visitors from the capital and various supplies coming from neighboring countries. The Saio system was abolished due to domestic wars after the period of the Northern and Southern Courts. The ancient system was buried in history, and although it remains as a place name, Saigu became a "phantom palace". It was not until the Showa era that such a phantom palace, Saigu, was revived. Excavations to identify Saigu were confirmed, and in 1979, it was designated as a national historic site, "Saigū Ruins". Excavations to investigate Saigu are still ongoing. It is expected to take more than 200 years to complete.

The Shinano River basin is alive with cultures that originated in the Jomon period. The bounty of the mountains, rivers, and seas that have nourished people since the Jomon period, and the wisdom of processing and preserving them. Local cuisine with a rich regional flavor, the manufacturing techniques and customs of fermented foods such as sake, miso, and soy sauce, and the four-pronged flame-shaped pottery. The four-pronged pottery gets in the way when you take out and put in ingredients for cooking. In other words, it is not a vessel that meets a practical purpose, but a vessel that expresses the ideas spun out of the worldview of the Jomon people. Among all pottery from around the world, past and present, only Japanese Jomon pottery, represented by flame-shaped pottery, has protrusions, and it stands out in the world. The Jomon culture is the source of Japanese culture, and in that sense, flame-shaped pottery, along with ukiyo-e and kabuki, is Japanese culture itself.

The Yayoi people of Komatsu started making beads using jasper mined in Natani, Bodai, and Takigahara. Tube beads made with amazing processing techniques, combined with magatama beads made from Itoigawa jade, were used as necklaces and head ornaments to fascinate Yayoi kings. Until ancient times, stone-cutting techniques were mainly used for building materials for special structures such as royal tombs and national buildings. In the Middle Ages, the evolution and spread of iron stonemasonry tools led to the active production of intricately crafted stone sculptures such as lanterns and stone Buddha statues, as well as everyday items such as hearths and braziers, and the use of stone closely related to life, faith, and culture became widespread. The people of Komatsu discovered the resources of stone, a gift from the earth, and refined the various techniques and knowledge that have evolved to meet the needs of the times, building a rich stone culture where people, things, and techniques interact.

After the end of the Warring States period, as new town development progressed, the demand for timber for castles and temples and shrines increased sharply, leading to deforestation nationwide. The Edo Shogunate regarded the Kiso Valley as an inexhaustible treasure trove of quality timber, but a huge amount of timber was cut down for the construction of castles and castle towns in Edo, Sunpu, and Nagoya, leading to serious depletion of forest resources. The Owari Domain, which had jurisdiction over the Kiso Valley, began restricting the felling of Kiso cypress and other trees from the early Edo period. The Kiso domain's residents, whose ability to gather in the mountains was restricted by forest conservation policies, were encouraged to produce local products rooted in the Kiso climate. The mountains and Kisoji of the Kiso Valley nurtured the lives of the people of the Kiso Valley, who "protected the mountains and lived in the mountains." This lifestyle fostered a love of protecting the forests, preserving the Kiso Road and post towns, and passing on traditional crafts, which still lives on in the Kiso Valley today.

Since the introduction of tea from China to Japan, Kyoto ・Nanzan Castle has improved tea production technology and produced "matcha" used in chanoyu (tea ceremony), "sencha" widely consumed today, and "gyokuro" widely known around the world as high-grade tea. This area has been producing a wide variety of top-quality teas for about 800 years, leading the development of Japan's tea culture in terms of production and tea production, and is the only place in Japan where the history of tea production and development is still preserved. Kyoto In 1914, the prefecture established a tea research institute to create new technology and culture in the tea industry, including tea making machinery, undercover cultivation, variety improvement, and the discovery of tea's delicious ingredients.

Tanba Sasayama once flourished as a castle town, and the Dekansho-bushi, which originated as a folk song from the Edo period, continues to sing about the local climate, human kindness, famous places, and famous products of each era. Local people love to sing this song, and it has protected and passed on the scenery of their hometown in the world of folk song, fostering a love for the area. This tradition continues to this day as new lyrics are created and efforts are made to pass on new Tanba Sasayama to future generations. Local high schools and the Dekansho-bushi preservation society are putting effort into Dekansho bands and junior competitions, and the festival is not only a place to show off the results of their daily efforts, but also a special occasion where people of all ages look forward to participating.

During the Asuka period, when Japan began to walk as a nation, women were the driving force behind this early period of Japan. Half of the emperors of this period were female, and through their hands, they were able to build new capitals, establish diplomatic relations, and establish legal systems such as the Taiho Code. In addition, in the cultural sphere, female poets recited eloquent waka poems, and in the religious sphere, nuns spread and developed the teachings of Buddhism. Women gave birth to and matured new forms of our country in various fields of politics, culture, and religion. Asuka, the birthplace of the Japanese nation, is the place in Japanese history where women played the most powerful role, and it is also a place where the traces of their efforts remain vividly. By talking about the women of Asuka, we can see Japan's beginnings as a nation and a world view that spans East Asia.

The "Creation of the Land Myth" begins the Kojiki, Japan's oldest historical book. Awaji Island is the first "special island" to be born in this magnificent myth of the creation of the world. Behind this is the existence of the sea people known as "ama", who brought a metalware culture that heralded the dawn of a new era, and later supported the royal authority and life in the capital city of Kinai with their salt production and skillful navigation. Their footprints remain on the island in good condition as valuable ruins and diverse cultural heritage, and the beautiful scenery that was written about by many Man'yo poets has been passed down to the island as a scenic spot today, and the island that has engraved its history as "Miketsu-no-kuni" continues to be blessed with rich ingredients. The largest island in the Seto Inland Sea, floating in front of Kinai, is an island that conveys the history of the "ama" who supported the core of the ancient nation's formation period.

Nara In the area of Yoshino, the birthplace of afforestation in Japan, visitors are greeted by an overwhelming landscape of the largest man-made forest in Japan, a carpet of deep green trees nurtured by afforestation techniques cultivated over 500 years, and a natural forest full of natural beauty, which the people living in the forest continue to protect as a place where Gods and Buddha reside. Yoshino There are few large settlements in the village areas, except for the town and Shimoichi Town, and small villages of houses built on housing lots on gently sloping land or Yoshino built houses are scattered in the valleys and on the mountainsides. The people who live on the slopes and in the valleys of the region have been seeking foodstuffs from the bounty of the forests or producing crops and processed foods suited to the environment to satisfy their dietary needs. The culture of food and lifestyle created by the people living here over a long period of time as they nurtured and were nurtured by the forests has been handed down to the present, and visitors can experience and enjoy it.

Whales were special beings that were worshipped by the Japanese. Although people feared their gigantic bodies swimming majestically through the ocean, they also ate the meat of whales that washed up on the shore, and used their skin, bones, and baleen to make everyday items. They were grateful for and worshipped this "gift from the sea," but eventually began to hunt whales themselves. In the Kumano coastal region, people descended from Kumano Navy established whaling techniques and distribution methods during the Edo period, and since then, the region has lived alongside whaling, grateful to the whales. Whaling continues to this day, and historic sites that recall the whaling traditions of the time are dotted around town and its surrounding areas, and the whaling culture of "living with whales" lives on, with food, festivals, traditional performing arts, and more being passed down.

In the Bantan region in central Hyogo Prefecture, there is a road that runs in a straight line from Himeji/Shikama Port to Ikuno Mine. It is called the "Silver Carriage Road."
The Ore Road continues to Akenobe Mine and Nakase Mine. This 73km road leads to some of Japan's leading mines, passing through post towns that still retain the atmosphere of the Meiji era before arriving at the mining town, and continuing on, you will reach the tranquil tunnels of each mine. The journey to the mines, which are the starting point of modernization and the end point of this road, follows the 73km tracks that run through Ban-Dan, allowing you to experience the internationalism and innovative spirit of our forefathers who pushed modernization to make Ban-Dan a mineral resource powerhouse, and to encounter the diverse lifestyles that were born from the interactions of the diverse people who traveled in search of gold, silver, and copper. It is a journey that allows you to experience how these traditions continue to live on strongly in the present day.

Wakanoura is a scenic area that surrounds Wakaura Bay, from Fujishirozaka on Kumano Kodo trail in the south to Saikazaki, which faces the Kii Channel in the west, with the tidal flats at the mouth of the Waka River at its center. During the Manyo period, this scenery that makes you want to take it home with you was sung about in waka poetry, and the god of waka poetry was enshrined there, making it a unique sacred place for waka poetry. The Ten Views of Wakanoura, where these scenes are fused into waka poetry and painting, still teach visitors today the magnificent views that have been depicted in poems and paintings, such as birds taking flight from the tidal flats as the tide comes in, the mountain ranges surrounding temples and shrines seen over the tidal flats in spring mist, and the calm waves of a cove overlooking a pass covered in autumn leaves. The magnificent scenery of Wakanoura, where nature and culture are in harmony, has fascinated people throughout the ages and nurtured various forms of art, beginning with waka poetry, which can be said to be the source of Japanese spiritual culture.

The origin of soy sauce dates back to a special type of miso introduced by a Zen monk who traveled to China to undergo ascetic training as far back as the Middle Ages. It is said that the people of Kishu-Yuasa devised a new way to use the juice that accumulated in the vats of miso, and the result was the soy sauce we know today. From ancient times, Yuasa flourished as a port town, and many goods and people gathered in the town, which was crowded with travelers who made pilgrimages to Kumano and the western part of Japan, as well as many merchants, and a town center was formed. The town thrived on the brewing of soy sauce, and the streets are lined with townhouses with massive tiled roofs and delicate lattices, as well as storehouses with white walls. Walking along the streets and alleys, the aroma of soy sauce wafting from the long-established breweries tickles the nose, and the history and tradition of soy sauce production lives on in the shapes, aromas, and tastes of people's lives.

Hirokawa Town has been nurtured by rich nature, with the rugged Kii Mountains looming over the sea, the complex coastline dotted with reefs and arc-shaped beaches, and a varied landscape of small islands offshore. The town enjoyed a period of prosperity as a key point for the shipping lanes connecting Edo and Osaka and for pilgrimage routes. Kumano However, its location in the deepest part of the bay and its lowlands meant that its prosperity was always threatened by tsunamis. At the end of the Edo period (1603-1867), the people who were hit by the tsunami recovered and the town emerged as a microcosm of Japan's culture of disaster prevention. To keep the memory of the disaster alive, the townspeople have erected stone monuments inscribed with tsunami disaster prevention tips and warnings from their predecessors. The monuments at the shrine and on the levee are passed down from generation to generation, with people being made aware of them during the Tsunami Festival and the autumn festival at the shrine.

On the spring and autumn equinoxes, the sun rises over Mt. Miwa, crosses Mt. Nijo and sets in Osaka Bay. For this reason, the 20m-wide main road (Takeuchi Kaido/Yokooji) that was laid in a straight line from east to west in the 21st year of the reign of Empress Suiko (613) is called the Road of the Sun. The road will one day be likened to the "Road of a Dragon" with Omiwa Shrine on Mt. Miwa at its head and Nagao Shrine on Mt. Nijo at its tail. In ancient times, missions from the continent visited Asuka-kyo from Namba Palace and conveyed advanced technology and Buddhist culture. In the Middle Ages, it connected economic cities, and in the early modern period, it was a bustling post town for pilgrims to Ise, with each location showing different expressions. Takeuchi Kaido/Yokooji (Main Road) is the oldest national road in Japan, where you can feel the changes in 1400 years of history through the historical heritage in the surrounding area.

Chugei once thrived on forestry, with calls echoing around for cutting down large trees. However, in the 1960s, as natural forests began to dry up, people had to find a new industry to replace forestry. That's when they started to focus on yuzu cultivation. Rediscovering the appeal and value of the yuzu that was so close to them, they turned the fields along the rivers where the Rintetu railway tracks were laid into farmland, and in the mountains where timber was transported, they built stone walls and created terraced fields on the limited land on the mountainside. Thanks to the people who have lived with the times, the landscape of Chugei has changed from "forestry" to "yuzu," and the Rintetu railway tracks that once transported timber have been transformed into the Yuzu Road, which transports yuzu. Traveling along the Yuzu Road that runs through the Chugei region, you can enjoy the colorful, scented scenery of yuzu, as well as the rich flavor of yuzu in its food culture.

Mount Mitoku, a sacred place for Shugendo, was born in Hoki Province, adjacent to the mythical homelands of Inaba and Izumo. Mount Mitoku has a unique landscape that combines steep terrain, a place of mountain asceticism, with architecture with unique designs and structures that combine Shinto and Buddhism, and its forbidding solemnity has been protected with awe for 1,000 years. Misasa Onsen, which served as the base for pilgrimages to Mount Mitoku as a place to purify the mind and body before worship, is said to have been shown to the visit by a white wolf, and 900 years after the hot spring was discovered, it is still deeply connected to the faith in Mount Mitoku. Today, pilgrimages to Mount Mitoku embody a unique world in which the six senses (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind) are purified by worshiping on the cliffs, and the six senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and heart) are healed by taking a therapeutic bath in the hot springs.

Tsuwano was formed along the beautiful Takatsu River system, and the castle town developed in a basin surrounded by mountains such as Aonoyama and Shiroyama. During the Edo period, the Tsuwano clan employed painters for successive generations to paint Tsuwano 's famous places, customs, and manners in each season on sliding doors and frames, and entertained the clan's samurai and visitors to Tsuwano along with Tsuwano 's traditional culture of sencha tea. The "Tsuwano Hyakkei Zu," which records the scenery of the Tsuwano clan at the end of the Edo period, contains 100 paintings and explanations of the famous places, nature, traditional performing arts, customs, and human feelings within the clan. Since the Meiji period, the townspeople have made tireless efforts to protect the town from many developments and have inherited the good old traditions without being swept away by the trends of the new era. It is a rare castle town where you can experience the breath of the past by comparing the state of the town depicted in the Hyakkei Zu with the state of the present.

Surrounded by the Onomichi Sanzan and the island on the opposite shore, Onomichi has prospered as the best port in the Seto Inland Sea since its opening in the Middle Ages, thanks to the blessings of the Onomichi Channel, which can be called the "river of the sea" that runs through the center of the city, and people, things, and wealth have accumulated there. As a result, many temples, shrines, gardens, and houses were built in the limited living space between the Onomichi Sanzan and the Onomichi Channel, and a miniature city that retains the charm of the Middle Ages to modern times was created with the intricate alleys and slopes that connect them. If you look at Onomichi from a boat, you can get a panoramic view of the Onomichi Sanzan and the city. The alleys that make you feel as if you have gotten lost in a maze, and the scenery that suddenly spreads out at the end of the slopes, show a truly diverse face despite the limited space, and continue to attract many people from the past and present.

Mt. Daisen is the oldest sacred mountain in the Japan that appears in literature, appearing in the myth of the country of Izumo Province as "Mt. Hijindake in the Land of Izumo". The belief in the Jizo Bodhisattva, who appeared on the summit of the mountain of Mt. Daisen and saved all things, attracted people who wished for the blessings of the cows and horses to the Mt. Daisen Temple after the end of the Heian period.
In the Edo period, the only "Mt. Daisen Cow and Horse Market" in Japan, which was protected by a Mt. Daisen temple and backed by faith, flourished, and in the Meiji era, it developed into the largest Japan cattle and horse market. Along the Mt. Daisen road, which was crowded with pilgrims from western countries and cattle and horses coming and going, there are still cobblestone streets and townscapes of posts that recall the past, rural landscapes represented by Tokoroko, unique food cultures such as "Mt. Daisen Okowa", and events and customs such as "Mohito Shinto Rituals" related to Mt. Daisen water. Here, people look up to Mt. Daisen every day with gratitude and gratitude for Mr. Mt. Daisen.

In the Izumo region in eastern Shimane Prefecture, ironmaking using iron sand and charcoal, known as "Tatara ironworking," has been popular for about 1,400 years. Izumo, the land that prospered from "Tatara ironworking," is the only place in the world where the flames of Tatara ironworking continue to burn today. Tatara ironworking not only produces high-quality iron, but also supports Japanese society as a sustainable industry in which people and nature coexist, by regenerating the land where the raw iron sand was harvested into vast rice fields and perpetually recycling the charcoal forests used for fuel. The distribution of iron also brought cultural artifacts from all over the country and fostered a glorious regional culture like that of the capital. Even today, this land continues to weave the story of a thousand years of ironmaking that our ancestors have carved out since the Age of the Gods.

The coastline, which was written as "Inasano-Obama" and "Izumo-Misakiyama" in Nara period, is now known by the names "Inasa Beach" and "Hinomisaki", respectively, and both are loved by people as areas with spectacular views of the sunset over the Sea of Japan. However, it is not widely known that this coastline is also home to two shrines named after the sunset, "Amenohisumi-no-miya" (Izumo Taisha) and "Hishizumi-no-miya" (Hinomisaki Shrine). Since ancient times, Izumo, located in the northwest of Yamato, has been recognized as a sacred place where the sun sets. In particular, it is thought that the people of Izumo regarded the sunset as sacred and had a sense of reverence for it. The beautiful sunset over the sea here tells the history of prayer in Izumo, a sacred place where the sun sets.

The southern part of Okayama Prefecture, where Kurashiki City is located, was once called "Kibi no Anaumi" (Kibi's Hollow Sea), and was a vast sea dotted with islands of various sizes. Reclamation since the early modern period expanded the areas where people lived, and the cotton and rush cultivated there supported the production of textiles such as tabi socks and flower mats. Since the Meiji period, the textile industry, which blossomed by adopting Western technology, has continued to develop by fusing "Japanese" traditions with "Western" technology, and Kurashiki is now the "textile town" with the highest annual shipment value in Japan. Among the white-walled merchant houses of the Edo period, which were born against the backdrop of the wealth of the vast reclaimed land, Western-style buildings built by people who led the town through spinning in modern times add an accent to the landscape as a symbol of development. By strolling through the beautiful townscape and touching the textile products, you can experience the history and culture of Kurashiki, which has been layered with Japanese and Western styles, and its charm.

Okayama was called Kibi in ancient times. The area is home to ruins such as an ancient mountain castle known as Oni-no-shiro and huge stones standing in huge tombs. The unique features of these ruins made it the setting for the legend of Kibitsuhiko-no-Mikoto's slaying of a demon called Ura. The ancient mountain castle, towering over a cliff, was said to be Ura's castle, as its name suggests, and the huge stone became Ura's shield. The victorious Ura was enshrined in a huge shrine, and the head of the defeated Ura was buried next to it. The legend of the slaying of the demon is set against the backdrop of ancient Kibi's history of prosperity and surrender, and is said to have been the origin of the Momotaro legend. Looking down from the cliffs of Mount Kinjo, which overlooks the Seto Inland Sea in the distance, you can see diverse heritage sites such as huge ancient tombs that have been protected since ancient times, as well as the unique world of the battle between Kibitsuhiko-no-Mikoto and Ura, inviting visitors to Kibi into a mysterious story.

Tomonoura's Joyato is one of the largest Edo-period lanterns still standing in a port in Japan. The stone Joyato, which lights up at dusk, is a symbol of Tomonoura that has been watching over the ships heading for the port and the people at the port for 160 years. Stone steps called "ganki," which appear and disappear according to the tides of the Seto Inland Sea, envelop the port like an amphitheater from the sleeve of the Joyato, and at the tip of the steps lies a stone breakwater called "hato," which blocks large waves. Tomonoura, surrounded by the beauty of the Seto Inland Sea's many islands, is the only port town in Japan where all of these Edo-period port facilities remain. The traditional culture of a modern port town lives on in the streets and people's lives, where the mansions of wealthy merchants and small townhouses from the time when it prospered as a port waiting for the tide are crowded together.

There was once a capital in Kyushu, in the west of Japan. That capital was Dazaifu. 1,300 years ago, Dazaifu, the "distant court of the great emperor," was located there and was known as "the greatest city in the world." This area, centered on the Dazaifu government office, was not only a place where culture, religion, politics, and people from East Asia flowed in and accumulated, but it was also a base for diplomacy and military with East Asia for ancient Japan, making it an ideal place to build military facilities and urban functions, taking advantage of its geographical advantage. Even today, the ruins of Dazaifu and the surrounding landscape retain the appearance of that time, and the religious facilities, guest facilities, straight roads, and grid-like land divisions make it a place where you can experience the ancient international city of "the western capital" from 1,300 years ago in the modern day.

Japan is made up of 6,852 islands, large and small, and Nagasaki Prefecture has the most islands in Japan, with 971. Located halfway between the Japanese mainland and the continent, the islands of Nagasaki Prefecture have been key points of maritime traffic connecting the two since ancient times, and have been bases of trade and exchange. They have particularly deep ties with Korea, with Iki building a royal capital through maritime trade during the Yayoi period, and Tsushima monopolizing trade and diplomatic practices with Korea since the Middle Ages, prospering as a base for transit trade and a guest house. Although the role of a transit point has since diminished, the remains of ancient houses, castle ruins, gardens, etc. tell of the prosperity of the time, and traces of exchange can be seen in specialty products such as shochu and noodles, as well as folk events. These islands, where exchanges continue uninterrupted despite repeated reconciliation and conflicts unique to border islands, are a rare region where you can feel the deep bonds between countries and between people.

The Sagara clan, lords of Hitoyoshi Kuma, took advantage of their geographical advantage surrounded by the steep Kyushu mountain range to repel invasions by foreign enemies, and ruled for a long period of time known as the "700 Years of Sagara," a rare feud in Japanese history. During this time, a spirit of town development was formed that brought together everyone from the lord to the people, and a culture of worshiping, enjoying, and protecting shrines, temples, Buddhist statues, and kagura dance was nurtured. At the same time, with an enterprising spirit, they shrewdly absorbed foreign culture, and developed their own unique food culture, pastimes, and transportation network. There is no other region where evidence of a culture sublimated from both conservative and enterprising spirits is concentrated in such a concentrated manner, and it is an area where you can see a microcosm of Japanese culture today, and Ryotaro Shiba wrote about this place as "Japan's most fertile hidden village."

The Kikuchi River Basin is an area blessed with pure, mineral-rich water that originates from Kikuchi Gorge on the outer rim of Aso. The land's memories of rice cultivation over the past 2,000 years remain here. On the plains, there are the ancient jori grids, the irrigation channels and rice terraces that made rice cultivation possible in the highlands in the mountains, and the reclaimed land that created vast arable land on the seashore. The expansion of land use by our ancestors who supported rice cultivation remains today, and you can see it all in a compact form. Furthermore, the intangible culture of lively festivals and rich food still thrives here, making the Kikuchi River Basin a microcosm of Japan's rice-growing culture from ancient times to the present, and a rare place where you can encounter the cultural landscape and the performing arts and food culture that rice cultivation has brought about.

Yabakei is a valley of strangely shaped rocks created by the Yamakuni River eroding the lava plateau deeply, and is sandwiched between the two castle towns of Nakatsu and Kusu. Stretching 32km north to south and 36km east to west, cliffs, caves, and streams create a panoramic view, and its deep and mysterious topography has become a place of legend and prayer. It has attracted literati and painters since ancient times, and is the birthplace of many paintings, poems, and literature. The people who live surrounded by the strangely shaped rocks and peaks have created excellent works of art from rocks, such as Buddhas, temples, stone bridges, and gardens, and have placed them on the land. Tunnels were dug, roads were opened, the tourist train "Yabakei Railway" was built, sightseeing trails were laid, and stone arch bridges competing for the longest length in Japan were built one after another, connecting each work with a circular route and allowing people to travel freely. At the end of the Taisho era, the unique work of art "Yabakei" was finally completed.

When Emperor Keiko, the father of Yamato Takeru, crossed the Suo-Nada Sea to conquer the Kumaso, he discovered "Kunisaki" jutting out to the east of Kyushu. For the Yamato people crossing the Seto Inland Sea, "Kunisaki" was the boundary to another world and a symbol of the "end of the world." There are demons in the temples of "Kunisaki." Demons are generally symbols of frightening things, but the demons of "Kunisaki" bring happiness to people. The "demons" that live in the caves of the terrifying rock peaks are said to have mysterious powers, and the monks who admire them have superimposed them on "Buddha (Acala)." If you visit the temples and caves built on the rock peaks of "Kunisaki," you will encounter demon masks with various expressions and kind Acala, and experience the culture of praying to the demons of "Kunisaki." In "Kunisaki," people and demons are connected like long-time friends.

From the 3rd to the 7th century AD, the culture of building mounded earth tombs, known as kofun, flourished in various parts of the Japanese archipelago. Many kofun, including the Saitobaru Tomb Group, were built in the Miyazaki Plain. The landscapes of the kofun built throughout the archipelago have changed over time, but the Miyazaki Plain still retains a landscape close to the time of its prosperity. It is the only place in Japan where the appearance of the kofun spread across the plateau is intact and there are almost no buildings around them. For people at that time, kofun were monuments, so to speak, that expressed the status and power of the people through their size and shape. If you go around them in chronological order, you can feel the rise and fall of the powerful clans of southern Kyushu, and by viewing the artifacts excavated from the kofun, such as grave goods and haniwa, you can get a real feel for life in the Kofun period.

Schools built all over the country made a great contribution to helping early modern Japanese people acquire a high level of education. The spread of schools for various classes, such as clan schools, local schools, and private schools, became the driving force behind Japan's rapid modernization after the Meiji Restoration, and even today, this emphasis on scholarship and education and respect for etiquette are passed down as part of the Japanese national character. Today, the good manners of the Japanese people are highly regarded around the world. It can be said that early modern Japanese education was truly a "world-class Japanese education" that has been passed down to the present day. At educational heritage sites that represent early modern Japan, you can still experience the same educational content of the time, such as reading the Analects of Confucius aloud and playing Iroha Karuta. These schools are not relics of the past, but living places of learning that are still alive today.

During the Warring States period, the Murakami Kaizoku (Murakami Pirates) were called "Japan's greatest pirates" by the missionary Luis Frois. In contrast to other pirates who attacked ships unreasonably and plundered their money and valuables, the Murakami Kaizoku ensured the safety of voyages by following the Image and made their living by supporting trade and distribution in the Seto Inland Sea. Although pirates are often portrayed as fierce, they were also "cultured people" who elegantly enjoyed tea and incense, just like feudal lords, and were highly cultured in literature. In their base, the Geiyo Islands, the group of sea castles they built as their base of operations, vividly remind us of the memories of the pirates. If you visit the Geiyo Islands, which connect Onomichi and Imabari, you can experience the living presence of the Murakami Kaizoku, who took advantage of the rapids of this area and dominated the Seto Inland Sea routes in the Middle Ages.

During the Edo period, the Nishimawari sea route, which connected Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Hokuriku with Western Japan, was a major economic artery, and the merchant ships that used this route were called Kitamae-bune. Port towns that incorporate the mountains into the landscape can be seen dotted along the coasts of the Sea of Japan and the Seto Inland Sea. Small lanes leading to the ports run here and there, and along the streets stand vast merchant houses and grand shipowner mansions. In addition, votive plaques and models of ships that were donated remain at shrines and temples, festivals that originated in faraway places such as Kyoto are held, and folk songs with similar tunes are sung. These port towns were ports of call and shipowner settlements for the Kitamae-bune, which crossed rough seas, generated enormous wealth as mobile general trading companies, and brought prosperity to various regions, and even today they continue to attract people as otherworldly spaces colored by the passage of time.

The pottery of Seto, Echizen, Tokoname, Shigaraki, Tamba, and Bizen are called the "Six Ancient Kilns of Japan," and are genuine pottery production areas born and raised in Japan that inherit the world-class ancient Japanese techniques that have been passed down since the Jomon period. The Six Ancient Kilns, along with the traditions and production techniques that have been nurtured in each area, represent the Japanese spirit of hospitality through the townscape and pottery that casually and warmly welcomes visitors. The town, where pottery production has continued since the Middle Ages, is a maze of narrow slopes leading to the remains of kilns and workshops of various sizes that remain on the hills. If you follow the chimney smoke as a marker and walk along the walls made of pottery fragments and kiln tools as if searching for a loved one, you will be naturally drawn into the world of "wabi-sabi" and encounter the original Japanese landscape in sepia tones that transcend time and space.

The Kanmon region has been a key point for land and sea transportation since ancient times. Following the opening of the ports of Shimonoseki and Moji following the Shimonoseki War at the end of the Edo period, twin Western-style lighthouses were installed at the entrance to the strait, and stately modern buildings were constructed one after another along the coast. In the Showa era, the Kanmon Railway Tunnel was opened and the Kanmon Bridge was built, completing a transportation network known as the "Seven Straits," and the Kanmon region became a transit point between Honshu and Kyushu. Imported culture brought by foreign ships took root in Kanmon Straits, and amid the scenery of foreign ships passing through the narrow strait, a group of retro buildings from the era when Japan was dynamic in building a modern nation are still carefully preserved to this day. Traveling between both sides by ferry or undersea tunnel, you will encounter nostalgic cityscapes that make you feel like you've wandered into a scene from a movie.

The Tokaido Hakone Hachiri is a single road that crosses Hakone from east to west, a mountain that is said to be "the steepest mountain in the world" in a song. Hakone Hachiri, a major artery in the Edo period, was laid with the most magnificent stone paving in Japan at the time to support the bustling traffic. The charm of Hakone Hachiri is that it retains the appearance of the ancient road from the distant Edo period, and that the scenery changes dramatically between the eastern slope, which is deep in the mountains and valleys, and the western slope, which offers a panoramic view of Mt. Fuji, even though it is along the same route. If you follow the path that leaves the footsteps of famous travelers in history, such as the Western feudal lords, the Dutch trading post chief, the Korean envoys, and the Nagasaki magistrate, you will see scenes of the past, such as post towns, tea houses, checkpoints, rows of trees, and mileposts, appearing one after another along the road, just as they were in the past, inviting visitors to a journey to Edo, transcending time.