AD Apr 26 (Sat) 2025-Jun 22 (Sun) 2025 48 days left Leave a rating/comment#PrintsBack to ArticlesSHARE Leave a rating/comment#Installation#Sculpture#Exhibitions to see during Winter VacationBack to ArticlesSHARE MADDIE Madayag and Jaja Santiago — now Sachi Minowa — are set to leave their respective Japan SV.League clubs at the end of the 2024-25 season The 27-year-old middle blocker and former Ateneo captain signed off on her first international stint with the Kurobe Aqua Fairies Madayag’s overseas career was underwhelming as Kurobe finished 11th out of 12 teams in the preliminary round with a 15-29 record She’d pen her parting note to the team that gave the Choco Mucho ace her first break in the Land of the Rising Sun where she was able to don ‘a different shade of blue’ than the one she grew up with as a Blue Eagle Thank you @kurobeaquafairies for the chance to live out one of my dreams,” Madayag wrote it's been a pleasure donning a blue jersey once again After going undrafted in the 2025 Korean Volleyball League (KOVO) Asian Quota Draft either a PVL return or another tour of duty overseas are on the cards for Madayag Roughly two years to the day she made the move to JT Marvelous Minowa’s time with the Japanese powerhouse club will soon come to an end Osaka announced the 29-year-old power hitter’s impending exit at the end of their ongoing playoff run With a few games left in their title chase, Minowa, wife of Akari head coach Taka Minowa looks to make the most of her last dance with gold in her sights “As I finish my last season with Osaka Marvelous I want to thank you all for your amazing support over the past two years Saying goodbye will be hard because this team has taught me so much and given me many happy moments,” she said “Let’s make this final season special and please keep supporting us until the end!" A former league-leading spiker and blocker Minowa was part of last year’s silver-winning team that won all but its knockout title game to perennial Japanese champions NEC Red Rockets Marvelous copped the regular season championship again with a 37-7 card and will begin playoff action in the quarterfinal round against No all eyes are on Minowa’s next move — whether still in the international scene or a possible PVL homecoming after almost half a decade since leading Chery Tiggo to its maiden league title in 2021 Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph Spin.ph has been granted the NPC Seal of Registration in recognition of the successful registration of its DPO and DPS We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on Spin.ph. By continued use, you agree to our privacy policy and accept our use of such cookies. Find out more here SUBSCRIBE › Fumitaka Ichimura and Katsutaka Yokoyama at the end of Day 6 on the upper pitches of the Slovak Direct on Denali in 2008 [Ten years ago, in May 2008, an unassuming group of five Japanese climbers who dubbed themselves the Giri-Giri Boys caught the world’s attention for their bold and visionary enchainments in the Alaska Range This story by Katsutaka Yokoyama about that expedition originally appeared in Alpinist 26 (Spring 2009) simply titled “The Giri-Giri Boys.” Alpinist 63–which is now available on newsstands and in our online store–features another story by Yokoyama about the enchainment of K7 West and Badal Peak in the Karakoram Range of Pakistan which he completed with Takaaki Nagato in 2017 That story is titled “The Light on the Snow.” The following is a letter from Steve House that appeared in Alpinist 26 under the title of “Kudos.” We’ve included it here as well to add some perspective about what the Giri-Giri Boys accomplished and honor the 10th Anniversary of their Alaska ascents.–Ed.] The south face of Denali dominates the view from the summit of Mt as it does from nearly every summit in the Alaska Range And despite the public reaction to the twenty-five hours in which Rolando Garibotti and I dispatched Foraker’s Infinite Spur both of us felt the ascent had been too easy Together we sensed a vague emptiness like that of a 5.12 climber who has just led a classic 5.5 crack The serpentine descent down the Sultana Ridge turned out Mark Twight and I had completed the third ascent of the Slovak Direct on Denali’s south face hard-and-dangerous mixed climbing interrupted by long gunmetal ice fields–my first world-class route I had wondered aloud if I had another one in me it’s obvious that there is no bigger steeper terrain on Denali than the striking line of the Slovak Direct This feeling brings us back to my foolishness I was in Japan in February 2008 when the Giri-Giri Boys approached me for beta on the Slovak Route Though they played their cards closely at first it wasn’t long before I knew they were up to something besides a simple repeat of that line When Jumbo (Katsutaka Yokoyama) told me of their intent to link up the Isis Face to the Slovak Direct I was forced to slap my forehead and utter a Homer-[Simpson]-esque “Doh!” In a flash I realized that it wasn’t the terrain that wasn’t big enough It was my imagination that had been too small Certain aspects of the enchainment concept originally popularized in the Alps during the ’80s the climax of the European enchainment obsession came on March 11-12 when Christophe Profit linked the three great north faces of the Grand Jorasses the need to fly between distant peaks in a chartered helicopter seems to negate the concept of a classic implies something that many climbers would–and will–repeat While mechanically dependent enchainments suffer from contrivance climbs such as the skyline traverse of the Torre group (“The Torre Traverse,” Alpinist 25) and the Isis-Slovak linkup (“The Giri-Giri Boys,” in [Alpinist 26]) seem destined to become classics for future generations The Slovak direct will always have a special place in my heart I find it remarkable that each of its four ascents serves as an exclamation point to the best idea of the time The first ascent was done capsule-style with support The second was done in alpine-style over seven stormy days it’s time to toss out your thinking caps Once we’ve trained ourselves to new levels of fitness pushed our onsight climbing skills to previously unimagined limits reduced our clothing and gear to where it can all be measured in grams It’s imagination that we need: Wide-open The future begins now; subsequent generations will be the fortunate benefactors of the creative vision of climbers such as Katsutaka Yokoyama There were five of us Giri-Giri Boys in Alaska last spring: Tatsuro “Tats” Yamada The weather had been fine since partway up our ascent of Denali’s Isis Face CLIMBING RANGER JOHN LOOMIS had taken a photo of Tats and Yuto’s route–a straight path on a snow ridge between the Kahiltna Peaks and the base of the Cassin I was at the Denali ranger station in the room set up for the search when I first saw the picture The photo showed the Cassin Ridge dropping south from Denali’s summit to Kahiltna Notch It climbs up and over the East and West Kahiltna Peaks and then comes back down to the Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier The rangers seemed to have trouble understanding the reason for Tats and Yuto’s climb “Why did they head to the Cassin from the Kahiltna Peaks?” “Because it’s beautiful.” Yet the lure of the Cassin is not an external or a rational thing: it’s the invisible claw that grabs at our hearts And the line Tats and Yuto added to it has something that makes it even more captivating Richard Cassin tried to explain his ascent: “Why did we go by a direct route up the south face I don’t know; we didn’t think about it “Most American climbers only look at the route above the notch,” he said “But the tracks Tats and Yuto left shatter that vision.” Tats and Yuto probably didn’t make it to Denali’s summit It’s likely they had some kind of accident near the top They were the first to reveal the Cassin’s true line of ascent I stared at the photograph and retraced their route Though climbers should leave no physical marks on a mountain we like to believe our passion remains on the lines we draw We want to follow the lines that only we can make out I have never encountered a line on which I could express myself fully But those two made their statement just by leaving their tracks Although the footsteps in the snow will disappear the path in the photo retains their passion It was the essence and the realization of Giri-Giri Style showing 1) the line taken by Tatsuro “Tats” Yamada and Yuto Inoue on their attempted enchainment of West Kahiltna Peak East Kahiltna Peak and the Cassin Ridge (Alaska Grade 5: 5.8 AI4 65 degrees 9,000′) (open circle indicates assumed high point) 2) The Slovak Direct (Alaska Grade 6: 5.9 100 degrees Yusuke Sato and Katsutaka “Jumbo” Yokoyama enchained the Isis Face (Alaska Grade 6: M4 5.8 A1 60 degrees 1982) and the Slovak Direct from May 11-18 descending from the top of the South Buttress via The Ramp Route (Alaska Grade 3: 55 degrees For a full description of Denali’s routes [Photo] National Park Service Photo/Jeff Pflueger The name doesn’t really mean anything I must first tell you about climbing in Japan Try wading through chest-high snow for a day to get to a 200-meter wall the rock is often fragile and covered with vegetation and it’s rare to have a panoramic view because topping out typically involves crawling into a giant thicket I like them because their innate shortcomings force a new perspective I’ve been ignoring existing anchors to figure out my own lines Some people think such climbing is unsophisticated the so-called Giri-Giri Boys–love it The quantity of climbing in Japan is still limited The author and Fumitaka Ichimura play Pachinko on the Kurobe Traverse is visible as the highpoint in the distance the climbers have to descend to the Kurobe River cross the next mountain and then keep climbing to Mt They managed the traverse in the heart of winter in fourteen days Pachinko gets its name from a popular 1970s pinball game in Japan with its erratic up-and-down movements on irregular trajectories and it helps us train for bigger mountains abroad though: we use the phrase “play” Pachinko The Kurobe Traverse is the essence of Pachinko From the end of 2007 to the beginning of 2008 The linkup entails crossing the Kurobe River and climbing Mt an intricate peak far removed from the world below with storms that can leave more than a meter of wet snow per night We descended with difficulty to the valley floor waded naked through the icy water and climbed onto the steep flanks of the mountain I began to understand our own insignificance But the more time we spent on the Kurobe Traverse and the more energy we put into it the value of climbing increases with its irrationality then repeating the process–has no rationale It could be the answer to this age of advanced equipment technical skills and information: Does our reliance on these means weaken our passion you might see that we’ve only been playing on a portion of a mountain The more you think about how to enjoy the mountain fully the more possibilities you’ll discover can begin with the first freely chosen line Many climbers clutch guidebooks as they seek their routes–but climbing’s not about climbing a topo; it’s about climbing a wall the moment Itchy and I looked at the southwest face of Huntington though we struggled in the foreign Alaskan terrain The scale of Alaskan mountains dawned on us the thought of a 2000-meter descent seemed exhausting As we down climbed the blue ice on the summit ridge We couldn’t see what was ahead of us the rope passed through my device and I almost took the plunge but I could tell from his gaze that he was holding inside himself the spirit of a warrior We reached the glacier just before daybreak all we could do was drink sake and stare at the wall Itchy showed me a book he’d brought to Alaska about Ryoma Sakamoto a nineteenth-century Japanese samurai and a Shi-Shi a “man of inner resolution.” I imagined myself as Ryoma We named our route Shi-Shi after the philosophy he shared: to live with purity you must be able to imagine your own corpse and feel no qualms about it Climbing can be that simple–you try to draw a line from the bottom to the top; if you fail Itchy and I began a line like that above the Buckskin Glacier on the east face of Alaska’s Bears Tooth: if we’d continued the only options would have been success or death Though the route seemed doable as long as we followed the ice we could not overcome one five-meter section During our retreat we became immersed in something unknown that strange air that made me feel it wouldn’t let us escape so easily I began to feel that the more important the route was to me the more important it became to climb it with style I wanted to paint my way of living with the lines I climbed Tats and I traveled with Yuki Sato to Bolivia where we played with multipitch climbs and bouldering to our hearts’ content On the south face of Nevado Illimani (6439m) the highest mountain in the Cordillera Real One we named Phajsi Face (“Moon” in the local Aymara language) and another “Our souls were raised like those objects by this adventure.” I remained preoccupied with my experience on the Buckskin For exceptional routes I decided to face them naked This is the central meaning of the phrase “Shi-Shi.” SO WHAT’S THE DEFINITION OF GIRI-GIRI it was a joke: the Giri-Giri Boys comes from the name of a Japanese celebrity group called the Giri-Giri Girls Two years ago at the Talkeetna Air Taxi of office we were waiting for the pilot Paul Roderick to fly us to the Alaska Range when a receptionist asked us the name of our expedition “Giri-Giri Boys!” Tats exclaimed “What’s up with that?” I asked Tats “It doesn’t really matter–we can name ourselves anything,” he said But when people started calling us the Giri-Giri Boys “Giri-Giri” means “barely” in Japanese and everything about us could be described by those words We’re barely young enough to call ourselves boys (perhaps we’re too old already) But we want to face the mountain with overflowing motivation and ambition would lead us to something that would let our passion take shape Ichimura leading Pitch 1 (AI4+ R) of Climbing Is Believing (Alaska Grade 6: 5.10a AI5 M7 R A1+ Yusuke and I gazed out the window of the Cessna Somehow the east face of the Bears Tooth appeared even more intimidating than it had two years earlier then our laughter echoed across the glacier Half the snow on the lower slab was missing and the exposed rock seemed impossible to climb Even if we were able to bypass this slab section nerve-wracking climbing on the tips of our picks All we could do was gape at the wall with our mouths open: we still weren’t ready to climb it During a break in the weather we headed for our backup plan: a steep and logical corner just south of The Mooses Tooth and right of The Useless Emotion that zigzagged up the northeast face for thousands of feet to the summit of the Bears Tooth I’d had my eyes on this line for years But from the glacier we couldn’t see beyond a single line of thin ice on an extremely steep slab We’d have to decide what to do on the rest of the wall when we got there Yet the line had a sense of presence to it “What do you think?” I asked Itchy and Yusuke “I think we can do it.” It was uncharacteristic of them to be indecisive but they didn’t consider switching to the chimney either I told them I wanted to extend our maximum energy toward this enormous mountain and to climb the line it drew from us “I’m psyched!” There would be no more hesitation The snow continued the following morning… and the next… and the next… and the next drank and played cards–shortcuts to geriatric diseases Our time left on the glacier was running out “To the northeast wall again!” The line was steeper than anything we’d experienced; we had to feel the pulse of the mountain in order to climb it swiftly Yusuke instinctively switched to aid in the corner so that Itchy and I would not become worried or impatient But we made sure to mock him: “Was it too hard for you?” I struggled on the pendulum traverse that followed Then Itchy led the beginning of the upper wall a delicate slab with small edges and thin ice “Awesome!” I could hear him shouting I pulled around the last dangerous cornice to the brilliant smiles of my friends Behind them lay the huge expanse of Denali IT’S EASY TO PLAY PACHINKO IN ALASKA with its many routes and possible combinations In May 2008 five of us Giri-Giri boys would play two separate games It didn’t take me long to come up with the idea of linking the Isis Face and the Slovak Direct I wanted to climb the Isis because I’d met its first ascensionist and I’d seen his clear eyes brighten as he told me its story but even though he’d been unable to climb to the summit from the end of the route And the Slovak Direct is Denali’s most difficult so of course Itchy and I wished to give it a go Ichimura (left) and Sato follow the upper section of the first rockband on Denali’s Isis Face The climbers simulclimbed the entire route in three days one of which was spent in a snow cave waiting out a storm When we talked about the plan to local climbers and say “Crazy!” We took it as a compliment They described the Isis and the Slovak as “difficult” and “routes with few repeats.” It didn’t occur to them to link the two together–nor did they give much consideration to climbing the Cassin from the Kahiltna Peaks I’d first told Tats and Yuto about the ridge that extended from the Kahiltna Peaks to the Cassin while we acclimated on the West Buttress Tats declared the project “The Real Cassin” because it would make an already classic line even better They were the kind of climbers who valued the beauty of a line more than the accomplishment We desired to immerse ourselves deeply in the mountain we remembered how simple it is just to keep on climbing and by the end of Day One we were already about halfway up We were hesitant to stake out so early in the game but the golden rule of Pachinko is to rest when you can and make solid progress when you move Ichimura follows a gully in the center of the Isis Face during the Giri-Giri Boys’ ascent we tried to down climb the Ramp Route swiftly but the slope was steep and covered with blue ice I’d dropped my sunglasses on the upper part of the Isis just when one wrong step would have cost me everything If the Isis had been easier than we expected the descent from the top of the South Buttress down the Ramp Route was a perilous maze Both were filled with my partners’ laughter And each time we had to sharpen our senses I could feel the mountain with my whole body A few days later we were on the Slovak Route I offered to do more physical work as the third Something in his voice told me they were thinking of retreat I couldn’t find a good reason not to agree Although my eyes didn’t feel too bad how could I know whether or not there would be complications Yet my desire to continue was overwhelming if you’re stuck being the third,” they said Having you guys is what makes it enjoyable If it weren’t for partners like them Itchy placed only two screws in sixty meters of 100-degree ice Yusuke rejoiced his way up the 5.9 X pitch the crux was over and we simulclimbed simpler snow We were tired by then and ended up camping again at 5600 meters The thermometer read minus 27 degrees C when we crawled into our tent That night I thought I heard Tats’ and Yuto’s voices I peeked outside many times but didn’t see anyone Itchy and Yusuke chalked it up to the altitude But I now think that Tats and Yuto spent their last night with us The next day the steepness of the Cassin gradually lessened and we saw familiar scenery We breathed a sigh of relief and headed to the top If there had been a wall beyond the summit I would have said to my friends without hesitation we saw Tats and Yuto’s tent on the Ski Hill nearly crushed by snow Footprints led toward the Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna so we assumed that they gave up the traverse of the Kahiltna Peaks and instead took the regular approach to the Cassin we learned our friends had been reported missing as we flew over the Kahiltna Peaks in the park service helicopter I could see their tracks along the dramatic five-mile Kahiltna ridgeline that ascends to 13,440 feet We saw a campsite at 17,000 feet on the Cassin and followed their trail to around 19,000 Tats and Yuto had told us they planned to take five or six days’ worth of food and fuel they may have been without food or water for days And then on May 23 the weather that had held since we were partway up the Isis Face broke down I do not want to praise someone just because he is dead They did not have as much experience or developed techniques but they had a fierce passion for climbing one that is impossible for us fully to understand We must not forget to praise them for what they did For as I look again now at the ranger’s photo I see the line Tats and Yuto attempted I can see the passion they notched in the mountain all you know for sure is what you see with your own eyes The act of climbing remains the only path a climber can trust It is only when you act that you can truly see So for the climbers and their dreams in Alaska for our dear friends who left their enormous passion on the mountain Ichimura gets busy on M6 terrain just above the Ramp Pitch (5.9 X) on the Slovak Direct during the enchainment Steve House called the Slovak Direct the “most serious” route on Denali PACHINKO STARTS WITH A DESIRE TO KEEP CLIMBING any modern climber should be able to discover his or her own Pachinko Yet there may still be problems a climber cannot solve–and you may die in the game I took a picture of Itchy on the Buckskin Glacier heading straight toward that awesome wall formed by the east faces of The Mooses Tooth and the Bears Tooth I want to keep my inner bearing always as such: head down moving toward an objective without hesitation I can head straight toward the mountain without losing my way –Translated from the Japanese by Hiko Ito [This feature story first appeared in Alpinist 26. Alpinist 63–which is now available on newsstands and in our online store–features another story by Katsutaka Yokoyama about the enchainment of Sun Patch Spur K7 West and Badal Peak in the Karakoram Range of Pakistan That story is titled “The Light on the Snow.”–.Ed.] Current IssueSubscribeAlpinist App  PodcastAboutSubmission GuidelinesContact UsPrivacy PolicyUser Agreement Find Alpinist in your local shop Tel: 802-644-6606contact@alpinist.com HEIGHT OF LAND PUBLICATIONSAlpinist • Backcountry • Cross Country Skier • Mountain Flyer Share your travel photos with us by hashtagging your images with #visitjapanjp why not explore the country’s underrated yet equally attractive destinations in the countryside particularly the Hokuriku area off the northwest especially during winter when the scenic spots are cloaked in a blanket of snow Japan’s best winter destinations can be found Witness the unique beauty of the Shiroyone Senmaida Rice Terraces in Ishikawa and the seafood-abundant Unazuki Onsen in Toyama The Hokuriku area has long experienced heavy snowfall it may be possible to get a spectacular view of Japan’s winter attractions that are off the beaten track there have been years with warmer winters and less snowfall so be sure to check the forecast in advance to get the best possible view where you can relax in a hot spring bath while admiring the snow-covered mountains The hot spring town is one of Japan’s must-see winter destinations one of the popular tourist spots in Toyama It is also the starting point for the Kurobe Gorge Railway which services a sightseeing train that offers a panoramic view of Northern Japan Alps’ virgin forest you can also enjoy a spectacular winter view which lends a sight quite different from the lush greenery during summer and the fiery leaves of autumn If you’re traveling around Toyama in winter try to catch the Unazuki Onsen Winter Story or Snow Fireworks Festival Held every Saturday from early January to mid-April the event allows you to see the magical scenery created by fireworks and snow making you appreciate the colorfully lit landscape even better After enjoying the fireworks display at night head out to enjoy the fresh seafood caught at the Kurobe fishing port and the local sake of Toyama the next day Unazuki Onsen will for sure provide you a chance to fully enjoy the charm of Toyama winter We recommend staying overnight at Unazuki Onsen if your travel itinerary allows so you can enjoy hot springs while gazing at the spectacular view of Kurobe Gorge Shirakawa-go Village in the Gifu Prefecture is a must-visit spot if you want to go sightseeing in the Tokai subregion of Chubu during winter Shirakawa-go is well known for its gassho-zukuri style houses Built by combining wood beams in an arc shape these houses’ steeply pitched thatched roofs are a recognizable feature of the village The unique architecture of the Shirakawa-go Village draws countless tourists every year but its snow-covered look is particularly breathtaking so we recommend you see Shirakawa-go in wintertime you can go on a day trip and join sightseeing bus tours that usually depart from either Hida-Takayama in Gifu or from Kanazawa City in Ishikawa There are also buses that let you explore the World Heritage Sites of Shirakawa-go and Takayama as well as ones that let you stop by at Gokayama in Toyama There are a lot of convenient transportation and tour packages to choose from so make sure to do your research before you go The cities nearby also have their own must-see winter attractions so consider exploring all that you can while you’re around the region to make the most out of your trip There is a golden route called Mitsuboshi Kaidou connecting the areas of Kanazawa conveniently allowing you to visit the top sightseeing spots in Hokuriku and Tokai region If you plan on hitting all birds with one stone, we recommend going to Kanazawa as your starting point. Stay in and travel around Kanazawa City for a day and check out the Kenrokuen Garden or the “garden that combines six characteristics,” one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. You can also head over to the Higashi Chaya District one of Japan’s few remaining geisha districts with restored teahouses and taverns Kanazawa is only about an hour and 45 minutes away from Shirakawa-go so you can easily head over the following morning to explore the thatched-roofed village after exploring the Shirakawa-go Village on your second day you can go on to Hida-Takayama by bus in the evening you can stroll along the old castle town called Sanmachi-dori with streets lined with cafes and stores that have been renovated from old houses Of course, there are tons of other landmarks that you can visit along the golden route. If you have more time to spare, don’t miss out on the old townscapes, World Heritage Sites, and National Treasures like the Matsumoto Castle Shiroyone Senmaida Rice Terraces is another of Japan’s best winter destinations the rice terraces are rice paddy fields constructed in a step formation on mountain and valley slopes offering a beautiful view during both day and night Shiroyone Senmaida has been designated as a scenic National Cultural Property an illumination event called Aze no Kirameki goes viral 25,000 solar LED lights are installed in the paddy fields and lit at night allowing us to enjoy grand illuminations in the winter season the colorful illuminations make for a mesmerizing winter attraction and it's best to see the lights between 5 p.m Delectable Treats to Enjoy in Your Luxurious Ishikawa Food Trip Browse the JNTO site in one of multiple languages until about a century ago it was the main course taken by the larger Jinzūgawa—for which a new straighter waterway was constructed to the west in the early twentieth century to prevent floods The row of cherry trees was partially destroyed in air raids during World War II Pedestrians can enjoy not only these sakuras but also 28 sculptures that have been placed along the scenic pathway Sakura 100: Japan’s Best Blossoms Banner photo © Toyama Sightseeing Cruise.) Please upgrade to a more modern version to fully experience JapanToday site and for security reasons TripAdvisor Japan runs algorithms across its site to compile a number of top 10 lists covering everything from the country’s most popular theme parks to the most beautiful places to see the autumn leaves Now they’re back with this year’s look at the top 20 best free attractions around Japan according to reviews left on their site by travellers there’s something for everyone to enjoy on the top 20 list below the Museum of Yebisu Beer opened to mark the 120th anniversary of the brand which was named after the brewery when it began operating in 1906 lovers of Yebisu come from around the country to take a free tour of the museum or soft drink for those who aren’t able to enjoy a tipple You don’t have to pay a single yen to enter this beautiful farm in Hokkaido which is famous for its fields of lavender And that means you’ll have more money to spend at their gift shops and cafes JASDF Hamamatsu Air Base Publication Centre (Hamamatsu This is the first JASDF (Japan Air Self Defense Force) theme park which lets visitors get up close and personal with some impressive aircraft There’s even a flight simulator and a huge dome-screen movie theatre for visitors to enjoy Okinawa is famous as the home of Orion beer and here at the Orion Happy Park in the north-east area of Nago visitors can enjoy free brewery tours and tastings with 20 minutes of sampling time at the end which includes a small bag of snacks in a beautifully spacious beer hall Saga Prefectural Honmaru History Museum (Saga City This museum is just as impressive on the outside as it is on the inside given that it’s designed to look like a reconstruction of the main keep (honmaru) of Saga Castle As one of the largest wooden reconstructions in Japan the building contains over 700 tatami mats where exhibits and models relating to Saga during the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Meiji Restoration are set up for visitors Naritasan Park is a large garden which spreads out below the Great Pagoda of Peace at the back of the Great Main Hall at Naritasan Shinshoji Temple. The walking course here which winds its way through plum blossoms in spring and colorful foliage in autumn Tokyo-jamii Turkish Culture Center (Shibuya-ku originally built alongside an adjoining school in 1938 by Russian immigrants Demolished in 1986 due to structural damage the mosque was rebuilt in 2000 with marble imported from Turkey Now the mosque has an adjoining Turkish culture centre which welcomes people of all faiths who have an interest in viewing the building Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observation Decks (Shinjuku-ku The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku is one of Tokyo’s most famous cheapo spots, with free observation decks providing expansive views of the city, and the staff cafeteria offering insanely cheap food and drink deals Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts (Kyoto City introduces visitors to local crafts like lacquerware Asahi Suita Brewery Tour (Osaka Suita-shi) the Asahi Suita Brewery Tour provides a behind-the-scenes look at the history and manufacturing processes behind their products What really has people singing their praises it’s quite sad to see something like a dolphin show in the top 20 list since we’d much rather see these creatures out in the ocean but the aquarium and free show at Churaumi Aquarium remains a popular destination for visitors Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center (Taito-ku This seven-story building is much more than just a tourist information centre – it also houses conference rooms and a cafe and free observation deck on the 7th floor Located just across the road from world-famous Sensoji temple the top floor has a great view of the temple grounds and Tokyo Skytree Nikka Whisky Distillery was built at Yoichi in 1934 Nikka has built a huge following around the world and the Yoichi distillery is particularly popular for its free guided tours Kurobe Dam is Japan’s tallest dam and one of the largest in the world Located in the beautiful Northern Alps region the dam releases a huge torrent of water daily from June 26 to October 15 Shugakuin Rikyu is an imperial villa built in the mid-17th century for a retired emperor the Japanese garden here becomes breathtakingly beautiful as the fall leaves change color Hotel New Otani Japanese Garden (Chiyoda-ku Tokyo) One of Tokyo’s best gardens is tucked away on the grounds of a hotel which stands on property once owned by samurai lords The 10-acre garden is open to guests and visitors alike vermillion bridges and ancient stone lanterns The Japan Maritime Self Defence Force Kure Museum (Kure City This museum contains exhibits on the history of the JMSDF and mine-sweeping techniques and is the first in Japan to display an actual giant submarine on land Visitors can climb inside the submarine and feel what it might’ve been like for the vessel’s 75-member crew under the ocean and there’s also a working periscope onboard that lets you peer out into Hiroshima Bay This wedding and banquet facility is known for its stunning traditional gardens and architecture that harks back to the Edo period (1603–1867) Once the residence of a 17th-century samurai now anyone is welcome to enter and enjoy the koi pond and centuries-old bonsai trees free of charge Due to its convenient location and status as one of Japan’s top four leading beer brands Kirin comes close to taking the number one spot on this list visitors can enjoy two beers and some snacks for free following the guided tour And at number one on the list of free activities in Japan is…a hangar tour you can view planes undergoing maintenance and safety checks and enjoy hands-on experiences like taking photos in genuine uniforms and trying out different JAL jobs making this an extremely popular tour for children and adults alike the top 20 free attractions in Japan for 2018 Proof that you don’t need to spend a single yen to enjoy some of the best sights tastes and experiences that the country has to offer -- Japan’s 30 best travel destinations, as chosen by overseas visitors -- Five uninhabited Japanese islands you can buy right now -- Love Ghibli’s Castle in the Sky? Check out these real Laputa-like locations! as five of these attractions are about drinking alcohol I'll admit they at least know how to mix business with pleasure Kurobe Dam is not free in the sense that the only access is via the Alpine Route The shortest access is from the east (Omachi) side and that costs close to 2000 yen return for the electric bus but I reckon the best free activities in Japan will all be mountains you can hike up Surprised that the Nikka Distillery tour is still free Yamazaki has a charge and mandatory booking of months in advance Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts A mix of what's trending on our other sites Mt. Tateyama, one of Japan’s Three Holy Mountains Mounds of the solid substance coat the area traveling along the road that snakes along the mountain is impossible those who do venture into the winter wonderland are greeted by a wondrous wall of solid snow It hugs the edges of a roughly quarter-mile stretch of road forming a “snow canyon” with the pavement as its base It looks like something straight out of Game of Thrones—an icy impenetrable barrier forged with something greater than human strength But this wall wasn’t forged with any sort of icy magic. Every March, fleets of bulldozers begin clearing the snow along the highway the massive machines shove the snow out of the way Once they’ve come within six feet or so of revealing the pavement buried below teams of workers bearing rotary blowers set to work blasting away the last bits of snow Driving through the cleared mountain pass is one of those rare life experiences that truly makes you feel small It’s possible to drive or hop on a tour bus that’ll take you along the cleared road You'll want to get out and join the other folk wandering along the foot of the wall and try to snap a photo that truly depicts the scale Remember to dress appropriately as the temperature in the plains and cities at this time of year is hinting at shorts weather but by the time you get to the walls it can feel like mid-winter again This twisty section of highway in the Himalayan foothills is lined with thousands of small mirrors Modern commuters still pass through this 2,000-year-old Roman archway An unexpected public exhibit showcases the diversity of Dutch street posts The worst road in Colorado is the main gateway to some of its highest peaks The road plays 30 seconds of the Marine’s Hymn when driving over the grooved pavement An Oklahoma museum that celebrates the history of the "Mother Road." A short tunnel built straight through a magmatic dike This distinctive snowfield on the slopes of a Colorado fourteener has several legendary origin stories If Japan is a popular place to visit in the fall The sight of trees in blazing shades of red and orange is simply breathtaking one that nature-loving tourists can’t afford to miss To catch the beauty of autumn in Japan with your own eyes here are three of the best autumn destinations in Japan’s Hokuriku region worth visiting These locations paint a wonderful fall scenery like no other so be sure to bring your camera along to snap some photos The usual reds and yellows aren’t the only fall colors to admire You’ll also see dark green from the Pinus pumila as well as light green from the Sasa Kurilensis No wonder Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route attracts thousands of tourists in the fall each year it’s a must to ride the ropeway that connects Daikanbo Station and Kurobedaira Station where there are no structures blocking your view you can get a clear view of the brightly colored autumn leaves that spread before your eyes like a painting look out for the three-layered autumn leaves a view of a stunning landscape that includes the snow on the high mountains and green leaves at the foot of the mountain Website: Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (English) this Japan destination is best visited in November the appearance of red and gold colors is a popular attraction for many tourists Even the mountains that surround the park are also covered in autumn leaves such as Kasumigaike Pond from the summit of the artificial Mt When you visit Kenrokuen Garden during autumn you’ll notice that the trees are tightly tied with ropes a winter practice to ensure tree branches do not break under the weight of snow The melding of two seasons beautifully together creates a sublime scene that you’ll only see in Japan and Kenrokuen Garden are illuminated at night during autumn You can gain admission to Kenrokuen Garden for free during illumination hours Kuzuryu Lake is an artificial lake created with the construction of the dam on the Kuzuryu River Due to its huge temperature difference between day and night the place encourages the growth of colorful autumn leaves creating a crimson world spread across the whole area These conditions have made Kuzuryu Lake one of the best autumn spots in Japan The best time to see the autumn leaves is from late October to mid-November but we also recommend taking your photos from the Hakogase Bridge The bridge was constructed as a prototype of the Great Seto Bridge and it elegantly blends with the splendid mountain scenery and the gigantic dam lake The park hosts a cherry blossom festival when the somei yoshino are in full bloom with 400 lanterns illuminating the yozakura The park boasts 18 sakura varieties and is particularly famous for its koshinohigan whose flowers are a slightly deeper pink than somei yoshino A new variety with rounded petals was discovered in 2009 and was named takaoka koshinohigan A moderate magnitude 4.1 earthquake hit 3 km (1.8 mi) away from Omachi, Nagano,  Japan The depth of the quake could not be determined but is assumed to be shallow.The quake was reported felt by some people near the epicenter A strong magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit 31 km (20 mi) away from Nagano, Nagano,  Japan but is assumed to be shallow.The earthquake was felt over a large region. The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would A strong magnitude 5.7 earthquake hit 52 km (32 mi) away from Nanao, Ishikawa-ken,  Japan The quake had a very shallow depth of 9 km (5.6 mi) and was felt over a large region A light magnitude 3.2 earthquake hit 26 km (16 mi) away from Nanao, Ishikawa-ken,  Japan The quake had a very shallow depth of 7.5 km (4.7 mi) and was not felt (or at least not reported so) A light magnitude 2.5 earthquake hit 4.9 km (3 mi) away from Omachi, Nagano,  Japan The quake had a very shallow depth of 11.6 km (7 mi) and was reported felt by some people near the epicenter A light magnitude 2.6 earthquake hit 4.5 km (2.8 mi) away from Omachi, Nagano,  Japan The quake had a very shallow depth of 11.4 km (7 mi) and was reported felt by some people near the epicenter A strong magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit 55 km (34 mi) away from Nanao, Ishikawa-ken,  Japan The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would.Complex event A small event is followed by a larger one about 15 seconds later.