JR Vacation Travel Talk #3 – Miyajima Torii Gate, Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza, and Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

JR Vacation says:

We embarked on an adventurous multi-cities winter trip in 2015, which brought us to Osaka-Kyoto-Hiroshima-Miyajima-Hokkaido-Tokyo-Kawazu all within 6 days!

Here we are at the famous great Torii Gate during low tide in Miyajima (the Torii Gate also signifies the entrance to Itsukushima Shrine). During high tide, the Torii Gate will be partially submerged; this scene is voted as one of the top three scenic spots in Japan.

Miyajima is approximately 2 hours journey by train and ferry, covered by JR pass. They are also famous for oysters, rice paddles and free-roaming deers. For more information:
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3450.html
http://tbone.biol.sc.edu/tide/tideshow.cgi…
http://visit-miyajima-japan.com/en/

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Taken during winter 2015 at Karuizawa. The original plan was to explore this small beautiful town and visit their main attractions. However, it was snowing so heavily that we caved in to outlet shopping (and contributing to their economy) at Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza.

This outlet is conveniently located next to JR Karuizawa Station and near to the Prince Snow Resort. They have many popular brands (Gucci outlet is big) with huge sale temptations. It also has beautiful surroundings during winter with many instagrammable spots that even the carpark shown below looks great! The pink coat that I’m wearing was an instant buy- instant wear at approximate SGD30! 

I would rate this as the second best outlet near Tokyo (no 1 is a Gotemba Premium Outlet) and you should make it the last stop before you depart from Karuizawa. More details:
http://www.karuizawa-psp.jp/en/shopguide
https://www.fun-japan.jp/my/articles/2239

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A tourist attraction not to be missed in Okinawa is the famous Churaumi Aquarium. This aquarium is the best in Japan and highly rated in South East Asia. In fact, the Kuroshio Tank featured in the pix below is one of the largest in the world. The tank is clear and showcases beautiful marine life. I was especially in awe with the huge whale sharks!

Highly recommended to visit in Okinawa. It is however located quite far from the main Naha city. Nevertheless, there are several express buses or tour groups, which you can join.
More information:
https://churaumi.okinawa/sp/en/caution/
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7109.html