Kawasaki Daishi, formally Heikenji, is a head temple of the Shingon Chisan school in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, known across Japan as the temple that wards off misfortune. The main hall opens 5:30-18:00 from April to September and 6:00-17:30 from October to March in the ordinary season. It is 8 minutes' walk from Kawasaki-daishi Station on the Keikyu Daishi Line, with 700 free parking spaces. Founded in 1128, it marks its 900th anniversary with a grand festival on 1-10 May 2027. Checked 2026-09-18.
The Yubari City Coal Mine Museum in Hokkaido is not just a display: you walk into a genuine mine tunnel and touch a real coal seam underground. The 2026 season runs 18 April to 3 November; admission is 1,200 yen for adults and 400 yen for primary schoolchildren; hours are 10:00-17:00 from April to September and 10:00-16:00 from October, last entry 30 minutes before closing, closed Tuesdays. The drum cutter, the only one in Japan preserved in working order, made its final run on 6 May 2026. Verified against official sources on 2026-09-18.
Fukuchiyama Castle in Kyoto Prefecture was built by Akechi Mitsuhide in 1579. Admission is 360 yen for adults and 110 yen for children; it opens 9:00-17:00 with last entry at 16:30. The keep was pulled down after the 1873 Castle Abolition Order and rebuilt in November 1986 with about 510 million yen raised from citizens at 3,000 yen a roof tile - roughly 8,500 donors, whose names are still written on the backs of the tiles. 2026 is the 40th anniversary, with a special exhibition until 30 November. Verified against official sources on 2026-09-18.
