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Guides5 min readIkebukuro for fans: shops, cafes and fan cultureIkebukuro has anime store floors, a street of romance-story shops and character cafes. Here is how to plan a fan visit and shop with good manners.Guides5 min readKamakura from Tokyo: temples, Great Buddha and coastA calm day trip from Tokyo to Kamakura: how to get there, which temples to pick, and what to check before you go.Guides5 min readKawaramachi and Pontocho: a shopping and evening walkA walk from the afternoon arcades to the Kamo riverbank and the lanes of Pontocho at dusk, with dinner, respect for the district and a plan for late nights.Guides5 min readKinkaku-ji and north-west Kyoto: the Golden Pavilion areaKinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, sits in a quiet north-west part of Kyoto. Here is how to plan a visit with other temples, and how to avoid the crowds.Guides5 min readKobe from Osaka: harbour, hills and a slow afternoonA slow day in Kobe from Osaka: the harbour, the old foreign houses on the hill, Chinatown and the food to try.Guides5 min readKoyasan: a mountain temple day or night from OsakaHow to visit Koyasan from Osaka for a day or a night: the old cemetery, the temples, the way up the mountain and what to check first.Guides5 min readKyoto's first day: Fushimi Inari, then HigashiyamaHow to spend your first day in Kyoto: an early walk up Fushimi Inari, then the temple lanes and streets of Higashiyama in the afternoon.Guides5 min readKyoto Station: a base for first-timers and day tripsKyoto Station suits late arrivals, heavy bags and day trips by train. Here is how to use it well, and what to check before you book a room.Guides4 min readNakanoshima museums and the river: a rainy-day planRain in Osaka does not have to spoil the day. Here is a Nakanoshima plan with indoor museums, a cafe stop in Nakazakicho and a river cruise if it runs.Guides5 min readNakanoshima and Nakazakicho: river walks, art and cafesNakanoshima is a river island with art museums and a red brick public hall. Nakazakicho is next door, with old houses turned into cafes. Here is how to plan both.Guides5 min readNakasu and Watanabe-dori: a Fukuoka evening by the riverNakasu is a river island of food stalls and bars in Fukuoka. Here is how to enjoy an evening by the river, eat well and stay safe and respectful after dark.Guides5 min readNakazakicho: small shops and cafes in old housesNakazakicho is a small Osaka district where old wooden houses hold cafes, small shops and studios. Here is how to walk its lanes politely and plan a slow afternoon.

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