{"id":7640,"date":"2015-05-05T22:59:45","date_gmt":"2015-05-05T21:59:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/insidejapanblog.com\/?p=7640"},"modified":"2020-01-28T15:35:45","modified_gmt":"2020-01-28T15:35:45","slug":"my-favourite-place-in-japan-caitlin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2015\/05\/05\/my-favourite-place-in-japan-caitlin\/","title":{"rendered":"My Favourite Place in Japan &#8211; Caitlin"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7640&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7640\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7640&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7640&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7640%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7640\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7640\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul><p><strong>What is your favourite place in Japan?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Hi, I\u2019m Caitlin, and I just started working for the US office of InsideJapan. When asked about my favourite place in Japan I can never come up with just one answer. So many jump into my head, from Asahiyama Zoo in Hokkaido to Himeji\u2019s best ramen shop, &#8216;Koba &amp; More&#8217;, and the various venues that make up the music scene in Kobe. Today, I want to talk a little about what\u2019s so great about the little town I lived in for 3 years, Aioi.<\/p>\n<p>Aioi is a little city in south western Hyogo Prefecture, just 20 minutes away from <a title=\"Himeji Revisited\" href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2015\/02\/13\/the-early-cherry-blossom-report-for-2015-is-here\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Himeji and its beautiful castle<\/a> on the JR Sanyo Line. At first glance there\u2019s not much to do in Aioi\u2014unlike many small cities, it doesn\u2019t even have a shopping arcade near the station. But day-to-day life in Aioi is very charming, and it\u2019s festivals are hidden treasures.<\/p>\n<p>In late May, when it&#8217;s starting to feel like summer without the stickiness that comes post-rainy season, dragon boats line up in the harbour in preparation for the Peron Festival. The festival is two days long, and these dragon boats will race on the mornings of both days. There&#8217;s also a fantastic parade where the locals dress up as samurai and ninjas!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7644\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7644\" style=\"width: 468px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/976842_300307226770595_2030397175_o.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7644 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/976842_300307226770595_2030397175_o.jpg?w=468\" alt=\"Caitlin and friends in a park in Aioi.\" width=\"468\" height=\"351\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/976842_300307226770595_2030397175_o.jpg 1032w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/976842_300307226770595_2030397175_o-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/976842_300307226770595_2030397175_o-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/976842_300307226770595_2030397175_o-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/976842_300307226770595_2030397175_o-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/976842_300307226770595_2030397175_o-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/976842_300307226770595_2030397175_o-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/976842_300307226770595_2030397175_o-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7644\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caitlin and friends in a park in Aioi.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7645\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7645\" style=\"width: 468px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/1425590_10151767467938517_1827905750_n1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7645 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/1425590_10151767467938517_1827905750_n1.jpg?w=468\" alt=\"Scarecrows\" width=\"468\" height=\"832\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7645\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Scarecrows<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7646\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7646\" style=\"width: 468px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/1395864_10151767466868517_1844003859_n.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7646 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/1395864_10151767466868517_1844003859_n.jpg?w=468\" alt=\"Keeping the birds away\" width=\"468\" height=\"263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/1395864_10151767466868517_1844003859_n.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/1395864_10151767466868517_1844003859_n-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/1395864_10151767466868517_1844003859_n-900x506.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/1395864_10151767466868517_1844003859_n-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/1395864_10151767466868517_1844003859_n-390x219.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/1395864_10151767466868517_1844003859_n-780x439.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/1395864_10151767466868517_1844003859_n-510x287.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7646\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Keeping the birds away<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7647\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7647\" style=\"width: 468px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10325131_10152146367048517_3607515119031357801_n1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7647 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10325131_10152146367048517_3607515119031357801_n1.jpg?w=468\" alt=\"Fireworks at the Peron Festival.\" width=\"468\" height=\"832\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10325131_10152146367048517_3607515119031357801_n1.jpg 540w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10325131_10152146367048517_3607515119031357801_n1-169x300.jpg 169w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10325131_10152146367048517_3607515119031357801_n1-390x693.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10325131_10152146367048517_3607515119031357801_n1-510x907.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7647\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fireworks at the Peron Festival.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7648\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7648\" style=\"width: 468px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10306547_10152148016583517_7779919974784520316_n1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7648 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10306547_10152148016583517_7779919974784520316_n1.jpg?w=468\" alt=\"The Peron Festival Parade.\" width=\"468\" height=\"263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10306547_10152148016583517_7779919974784520316_n1.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10306547_10152148016583517_7779919974784520316_n1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10306547_10152148016583517_7779919974784520316_n1-900x506.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10306547_10152148016583517_7779919974784520316_n1-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10306547_10152148016583517_7779919974784520316_n1-390x219.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10306547_10152148016583517_7779919974784520316_n1-780x439.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/10306547_10152148016583517_7779919974784520316_n1-510x287.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7648\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Peron Festival Parade.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But the real main event is the fireworks show, which happens on the first night. So many people gather to watch these fireworks shoot up from the harbour that some have to take their seats two miles away! As soon as the show ends, the train station is just as packed as Tokyo on a weekday morning. If you\u2019re staying in Himeji, it\u2019s a better idea to stop by a bar or an izakaya for a drink and take a later train than to brave the post-show crowds.<\/p>\n<p>Another lovely event is the Autumn Leaves festival in early November, which is more often referred to by locals as the Scarecrow Festival. In the weeks before this quiet celebration of the season, Aioi\u2019s students, workers, and farmers carefully construct scarecrows representing their favourite persons and characters from the past year. Local politicians walk around and judge the scarecrows, and the winners get a small monetary prize. It\u2019s a fascinating opportunity to see some amateur art and get a feel for what is popular in Japan!<\/p>\n<p>It may not be the most exciting place to go, but I think Aioi has a lot to offer those who are curious about real daily life in Japan.<\/p>\n<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7640&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7640\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7640&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7640&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7640%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7640\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F7640\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Like this post? Help us by sharing it! What is your favourite place in Japan? Hi, I\u2019m Caitlin, and I just started working for the US office of InsideJapan. When asked about my favourite place in Japan I can never come up with just one answer. So many jump into my head, from Asahiyama Zoo [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2360],"tags":[1272,1382,1506,1903],"class_list":["post-7640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-travellers-tales-from-japan","tag-aioi","tag-caitlin","tag-favourite-place-in-japan","tag-my-favourite-place"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/64"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7640"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7640\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25328,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7640\/revisions\/25328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}