Best places: Tourist attractions in Tonami, Japan

Seaside driving route popular for sightseeing, with wide beaches & surf spots along the way.

Scenic 90-km. path winding through the Japanese Alps, traversed via a variety of vehicles.

Historical village in a remote mountain area featuring traditional Gassho-style farmhouses.

Rural lookout above a valley landscape of forested hills, rice fields & village farmhouses.

Shinto shrine set among ancient cedar trees featuring a traditional sloped roof in serene environs.

Walks & viewpoints on the site of a samurai-era castle overlooking traditional thatched farmhouses.

👍👍 This spot is quite famous as you can get a picture of 3 traditional farm houses with a rice field in front in the same frame. Winter doesn't make for the best photos as there is no rice planted, however still I nice walk. The 3 houses here are well preserved and maintained. Very beautiful.

One of only 3 'perfect gardens' in Japan, this park is designed to be beautiful during every season.

Popular park by a canal offering scenic mountain views & grassy areas for leisure activities.

Long-standing Buddhist temple with 2 prayer halls & peaceful gardens dotted with statues of deities.

Strikingly designed & colored gate with twisting supporting pillars, modelled on a traditional drum.

Showcase of 500-plus phonographs & over 20,000 records, with regular sound demos & a vinyl library.

Museum dedicated to D.T. Suzuki with educational programs, a contemplation space & tranquil gardens.

👍👍 On the way back from Shirayamahime Shrine, I went to Kinkengu Shrine, which is famous for good luck with money. It took less than 10 minutes. About 10 free parking spaces can be parked next to it. When I entered the shrine, the atmosphere was different. It seems that the goshuin is not done now at...

Historic Japanese garden next to Kanazawa Castle with walking paths, a pond & night lighting.

Preserved, authentic gassho-style house on fertile farm land, open for public tours & tea.

Hilltop remains of a stone fortress destroyed in the 1570s, with a hiking path & views of Nanao Bay.

Reconstructed 16th-century castle famous for its extensive surrounding garden, with tours.

The Nomura family's restored Edo-era home features samurai artifacts, a garden & a tea room.

This quaint mountain village featuring Gassho-style houses is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.