Ten Thrilling Scenic Sites -- The Chubu Gold-Star Route 2
This gold-star route covers a selection of only the most popular sightseeing destinations in the southern Chubu region, starting in Shiga and moving on to Mie, Gifu, Aichi, and Shizuoka.. This exciting journey offers every attraction for you to enjoy: scenic natural beauty, history, hot springs, and more. You can choose between one- and two-night courses that cover the leading destinations.
Shiga Prefecture
Hieizan (Mt. Hiei) Enryaku-ji Temple
Hieizen Enryaku-ji temple is the headquarter of the Tendai sect, which has a large precinct on Mt. Hiei and is registered as a World Heritage site. At the end of the Nara period, 19 year-old Saicho (767-822) climbed Mt. Hiei and built a small hut, which is the origin of this temple. For over 1,20...
30Minute(s) 
Shiga Prefecture
Lake Biwa Cruise
Our beloved boat "Michigan" has been renovated so that visitors can now enjoy the cruise even more. Various cruising courses are available! Please rediscover the charms of Lake Biwa in the four different seasons.
60Minute(s) 
Shiga Prefecture
National Treasure Hikone Castle
Hikone Castle is counted as one of the greatest castles in Japan along with Himeji Castle. The castle looks really beautiful under the moon light - this view is counted as one of the eight scenes of Lake Biwa. The castle was never damaged by fires during wartime or by government policies and its ...
30Minute(s) 
Shiga Prefecture
Kurokabe Square
The intersection where Otemon Street (Mino-Tanigumi-Kaido Road ) extending from Nagahama Castle to the east and Kitaguni-Kaido Road cross is called "Fuda-no-tsuji." This is because the Kousatsu board (Kousatsu was a board set up by the government to inform rules, regulations and laws to the commo...
80Minute(s) 
Lodging at Gifu Nagaragawa Onsen
Gifu Prefecture
Nagara River Komran Fishing “Ukai”
Cormorant Fishing in the Nagara River in Gifu Prefecture has a long history of 1,300 years. Usho, who played the leading role in the cormorant fishing team, was protected from those in power (such as Nobunaga Oda and Ieyasu Tokugawa) in the old days. Since1890, however, Usho has moved under the p...
120Minute(s) 
Mie Prefecture
Suzuka Circuit
Suzuka Circuit is an amusement park equipped with many rides in the large ground of 145ha. Various original rides are available here, from ones suited to small children to larger ones for families and friends.
110Minute(s) 
Mie Prefecture
Ise Jingu Shrine
The Kotai Jingu (Naiku, or Inner Shrine) and Toyouke Daijingu (Geku, or Outer Shrine) are at the core of a complex of 125 shrines. Pilgrims to the Shrine start at Geku and proceed to Naiku. The graceful ancient shimmei-zukuri style of building is reserved exclusively for the core shrines at Ise. ...
10Minute(s) 
Mie Prefecture
Oharaimachi & Okage Yokocho
Okage Yokocho is a town tha reproduces the streets of Iseji Road, created in appreciation of Ise Jingu Shrine. Okage means "thanks to." Oharaimachi is a town located in front of the Torii gate to Ise Jingu where a local specialty "Akafuku" (sweets made of red bean paste and sticky rice cake) has ...
10Minute(s)
Lodging in Ise, Shima, or Toba
Mie Prefecture
Meoto Iwa (Wife and Husband Rocks)
From times long past, the two offshore rocks known as Meoto-iwa have been revered as a sacred place for welcoming the sunrise. On a clear day, you can even see Mount Fuji. The “wedded rocks ” rise from the seabed about 700 meters from Okitama Shrine and serve as a gateway for shrine. The larger ...
160Minute(s) 
Aichi Prefecture
The Tokugawa Art Museum
It houses approximately 30,000 tools that belonged to daimyo (Japanese feudal lords) in the Owari branch of the Tokugawa family. Nine works are designated as national treasures, fifty seven works as important cultural properties, and forty seven works as important art objects.
Aichi Prefecture
Okazaki Castle
This castle was built in 1455. Today, the site of the castle is opened as a park. Some remains of the castle, such as the moat and stone walls still survive. The castle tower was restored after the second world war. At the moment, only the park ground is designated as a historical site by Okazaki...
60Minute(s)
Lodging at Kanzanji Onsen
Shizuoka Prefecture
Kanzanji Hot Springs
Kanzanji Hot Springs has been famous as the foremost hot-spring town near Lake Hamana since its opening of 1958. Various leisure facilities are available, such as "Kanzanji Ropeway," "Flower Park," “Lake Hamana Pal-Pal," "Lake Hamana Museum of Music Box," etc.
90Minute(s) 
Shizuoka Prefecture
Ocha-no-Gou
Ocha-no-Gou was built in a corner of the Great Tea Garden in Makinohara as a stronghold of tea culture and tea industry promotion as well as a tourist facility. There is a museum where visitors can try rare types of tea from different parts of the world, and there is a tearoom and a tea garden re...
10Minute(s) 
Shizuoka Prefecture
ＳＬ Trains （Oi River Railway: Kanaya Station ～Senzu Station）
SL trains are operated as regular trains in Oi Railway throughout the year. This is a famous spot preserving SL. There is an archive museum in Senzu Station, as well.
60Minute(s) 100Minute(s) 
Shizuoka Prefecture
Shiraito Waterfalls
It is a limpid waterfall from which snow-water from Mount Fuji springs out of the lava rock wall. From the surface of curved cliff of about 200m wide and 20m tall, many hundreds of waterfalls (big and small) fall, which looks as if silk threads are hanging. It is a traditional scenic spot and var...
100Minute(s) 
Shizuoka Prefecture
Atami Hot Springs
Atami is a great hot-spring town where modern hotels and ryokans line the streets from the coastline to uptown. There are many tourist spots in the area. Atami also has a good reputation for a beautiful night view.
20Minute(s) 
Shizuoka Prefecture
Tokai Hall
Tokai Hall is a hot spring ryokan accommodation with a building made in 1928. Although it was closed once in 1997, it was restored and renewed as a tourism and cultural facility in order to preserve its precious wooden architecture for future generations. The original building was built by crafts...