Yamato-Koriyama Castle and Goldfish Small-Group Tour from Nara

We will first visit Koriyama Castle, the pride and symbol of the city. The castle was built in the 16th century, and is known as one of the most famous cherry blossoms viewing spots in Japan. Depending on the season, here you can enjoy cherry blossoms (spring) or vivid fall colors (autumn). Koriyama Castle will wow you not only in terms of the stunning stone walls and architecture, but also in terms of the spot’s glorious harmony with nature, as well as its splendid exterior gate that was relocated from Negoriji in Wakayama. And let’s not forget - a breathtaking view from the top that overlooks the town of Yamato-Koriyama.

Pay a visit to this restored indigo dyer's house. Inside you'll find a small museum of art and antiques related to the city's heritage of goldfish breeding. You can also buy hand-dyed accessories should they take your fancy.

Just off the shopping street lies this Shinto shrine. Funnily enough, this shrine is popular with baseball fans all over Japan. When one local man donated baseball mitts for the shrine to give to the disadvantaged, it started somewhat of a trend, and more locals joined in. Eventually some famous pro-baseball players contributed, and now people visit to pray for good results in their games.

At our final stop on the tour, we explore the goldfish production center known as "Kingyoda," just outside the center of the city. Yamato-Koriyama hosts one of Japan's leading goldfish production sites, distributing approximately 60 million goldfish nationwide, or about 40% of the national share. Here on the outskirts of the city, the Kingyoda facility maintains about 50 hectares of goldfish culturing ponds, and the visuals of seeing such great numbers of goldfish swimming about in such a large area is something unforgettable. You’ll also visit "Koriyama goldfish museum" where you will find goldfish-related memorabilia and reproductions of Edo-era prints, along with a garden area with tanks of rare goldfish.