Chubu ’†•”
The "Chubu" (literally "central part"), as its name indicates, encompasses the center of Japan's main island of Honshu. It comprises most of the Japanese Alps, and is made of the 9 prefectures of Niigata, Nagano, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Gifu, Aichi, Shizuoka and Yamanashi.
The Chubu's largest city is Nagoya, Japan's fourth most populous. Notable historical towns include Kanazawa in Ishikawa prefecture, often referred to as a "small Kyoto"; Matsumoto and its magnificent medieval castle; and the Winter Olympic town of Nagano, which Zenko-ji temple is one of the oldest and most visited nationwide.
Just a half an hour train ride from Nagoya, Inuyama is a small, laid-back castle town famous for cormorant fishing and river cruises.
The Chubu region is not very rich in sightseeing, and most towns are isolated enough to put off short-term visitors. The Chubu is perhaps best appreciated for its natural splendor, from Mount Fuji's majesty and Izu's hot springs to Karuizawa or Matsumoto's neighbouring mountains.
While Sado Island, off the coast of Niigata, is a traditional place of exile, some will find their inner peace meditating at the Soto Zen head temple at Eiheiji Temple in Fukui prefecture.
But no visit to the Chubu should be complete without seeing the well-preserved feudal town of Kanazawa or the smaller Takayama.
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