There are even futons for you to ‘sleep’ on!
If you’re planning a trip to Japan, something you should definitely include on your itinerary is a trip to a Japanese castle. With a variety of the historical landmarks dotted across the country, it might be hard to pick which ones to visit. Whether it’s the ‘Dog Mountain’ castle (where cats sometimes like to hang out too) or the literal ‘Castle in the Sky’, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to Japanese castles with over one hundred of them throughout the country.
One place that has a number of gorgeous castles is Ehime Prefecture. Taking two spots in the 2019 TripAdvisor castles ranking, Ehime boasts seven different castles for you to visit, including Ozu Castle, pictured below. Ozu castle is one of the first castles to be reconstructed using entirely wood.
And while you can’t actually stay at the castle itself, NIPPONIA Hotel is just a three minute walk away from Ozu Castle, making it the perfect place for castle fans to crash. But despite the Japanese government’s slightly ill-advised ‘Go To Campaign’, some people are still reluctant to travel too much, so NIPPONIA Hotel are now offering a virtual ‘Ozu Online Town Walk‘. Aimed at those who are unable or unwilling to travel because of coronavirus, you can walk around the castle town and enjoy the sights.
▼ You can try out the Ozu Online Town Walk here.
At first glance it might not look drastically different from a regular visit to Google Maps, but the Ozu Online Town Walk, which you can try out here, includes a virtual ‘Ozu Castle Online Stay‘. The inside of the castle has been carefully recorded using a 360° camera and uploaded so that anyone can ‘walk around’ inside. The creators recommend VR goggles for the full immersive experience, but they’re not required, and the program will work in any online browser.
▼ The Ozu Castle Online Stay layout. You can visit the castle yourself here.
▼ Sleep like a samurai in Ozu Castle. Hopefully the futons aren’t from thousands of years ago…
The company hopes that the experience will let people not just from Japan but from all over the world enjoy sightseeing safely, so no matter where you are, grab your pajamas and get ready for a virtual overnight stay!
Source: PR Times
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, Ozu Castle Virtual Stay
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