

Arab News
The new promotional video for Japan's 'Diamond Route' includes world famous Kamui Master Tetsuro Shimaguchi in a samurai choreography in front of major landmarks from Ibaraki, Tochigi and Fukushima.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVInQlO0cNs&feature=youtu.be
Three Japanese prefectures north of Tokyo have come together to form a new tourist area known as the ‘Diamond Route.’
The north of Japan is famous for its culture, tradition and samurai legacy, however domestic and international tourists do not visit it as often.
The new initiative by the three northern prefectures – Ibaraki, Tochigi and Fukushima – are promoting themselves as a unified touristic area.
The route through the three prefectures forms a diamond shape when they are joined together by lines on a map, hence it is dubbed the Diamond Route.
The route includes six key areas for tourists to visit including: Nikko in Tochigi prefecture; Iwaki; Mito in Ibaraki prefecture; Aizu / Mt. Bandai / Kitakata area; Koriyama / Shirakawa area; and Ouchijuku, which are all in the Fukushima prefecture.
The six areas are categorized into four themes such as history, outdoor, health and nature. Each of the key places is easy to travel around and provides distinct experiences to visitors.
Travelers can explore alpine towns, lakes and seas to discover more about how the Japanese history has changed throughout time. The Diamond Route can be traveled by cars, buses or local trains.