EY Y03 L10 National Monuments

  1. Japan has many famous landmarks that are instantly recognisable when you see a photograph of them. Name one. Have you been there? If yes, tell us about it. If no, why not?
  2. If a friend from another country wanted to know which area of Japan is best to visit to get a sense of Japanese history and culture, which region would you suggest visiting? Why?
  3. Which of the following landmarks have you seen and/or visited; The Tokyo Imperial Palace (Tokyo), Tokyo Skytree (Tokyo), Kinkakuji (Kyoto), The Imperial Palace of Kyoto (Kyoto), Fushimi Inari Shrine (Kyoto), The Peace Memorial Park / Genpaku Dome (Hiroshima), Tokyo Tower (Tokyo), Mount Fuji (Shizuoka), Osaka Castle (Osaka), Himeji Castle (Hyogo), Itsukushima Shrine (Hiroshima), Shirakawa-go (Gifu), Amanohashidate (Kyoto), The Great Buddha Hall (Todaiji) (Nara), Naoshima (Kagawa), Jigokudani Monkey Park (Nagano)?
  4. Which have you visited the most recently? How was it? Why?
  5. Of those that you have never visited, which would like to see most?
  6. Which would you consider the most overrated/disappointing? Why?

Question 1

The first landmark that comes to mind is the Kyōto tower. I see this tower every day on my way to work. The first time I saw it was around 7 years ago when I first visited Kyōto with my parents.

Question 2

I would say the Kansai area is best if they want to understand a little bit about different Japanese periods and significant cultural aspects that I'm personally interested in. One of the many reasons why I chose Kansai is because Kyōto and Nara were two of Japan's previous capital. There are also numerous shrines and temples that add meaning to Kyōto, Hyōgo, and Osaka. The variety of food that one can find all over Kansai should also give them a good idea of what Japanese cuisine is all about.

Question 3

I have seen all of them except for Shirakawa-go, Naoshima, and Jigokudani Monkey Park. Most of them were absolutely stunning and made me even more interested in the country that I'm living in right now.

Question 4

I visited The Imperial Palace of Kyōto last year. It was beautiful as there were autumn leaves scattered along the trails that I usually follow. I have not been to any of them this year since it's risky to travel even to places close to your home.

Question 5

I would love to visit Shirakawa-go. I was actually supposed to visit it at the end of December of last year. However, there wasn't enough time as my exploration of Matsumoto and its neighboring cities took way longer than expected. I should have planned my trip better!

Question 6

If I had to choose one, it would have to be The Golden Pavilion of Kyōto. Every time I take my friend there, the place is always too crowded and noisy. It's the exact opposite of how I feel when looking at pictures of it - calm, peaceful, and undisturbed. The site itself is cluttered with signs saying "no drones allowed" and "no trash!" I felt disappointed as the experience that my friends had was far from what they expected.

Tough Vocabulary