City WatchOld Town SearchNature DiscoveryEngineering & Science
Mission Briefing: You've just been named a Central Japan Special Agent. Hidden inside this handbook are 6 missions — and every one plays differently: bingo, star ratings, a field journal, trivia, and a stamp rally. Clear a mission, unlock a badge. Collect all 6, and you'll earn your Explorer's Certificate on the very last page!
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OSAKA · DAY 1
Day 1｜Osaka City Detective
Mission Complete
Mission 1 of 6 · City Detective Welcome to Osaka! Your job is to spot the details that make this city one-of-a-kind. Check or circle what you find, and see who lines up first!
Silliest vending machine you can find
Something only sold in Japan
A window display that stops you in your tracks
The coolest design detail at Osaka Station
A cute mascot character
A Japanese greeting you hear out loud
A glowing neon sign
The longest line for a shop
A snack you've never tried before
A bestseller at the drugstore
A funny sign or notice
Something in a store that actually moves
A department store food hall
Something you'd love to buy for yourself
A train or subway announcement
Your favorite photo from today
How to play: check or circle each square you find. Four in a row — across, down, or diagonal — and you win! Fill the whole card to become the Ultimate City Explorer.
Once you get a line, draw your City Detective badge right here!
The most fun Japanese word I heard, or what Osaka speech sounds like to me
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TAKAYAMA · DAY 2
Day 2｜Takayama Old Town Rating Crew
Mission Complete
Mission 2 of 6 · Old Town Rating Crew Takayama's old town is full of timber, old houses, and century-old flavors. No checkboxes this time — you're the judge. Rate every find with stars!
The red Nakabashi Bridge
The most striking old building
A wooden everyday object
A Takayama street snack
A Hida beef dish or treat
A stone-paved lane or water channel
A traditional sake brewery (look for the cedar ball)
The shop you'd recommend most
How to play: check it off, then color in the stars — 1 star means nice, 3 stars means amazing!
The thing that feels most "Takayama" to me, and why
Fun fact: Takayama's old town preserves many merchant houses (machiya) dating back to the Edo period — the local timber is one of the Hida region's proudest traditions.
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KAMIKOCHI · DAY 3
Day 3｜Kamikochi Field Journalist
Mission Complete
Mission 3 of 6 · Field Journal Step into Kamikochi and become today's nature observer. Everything you see, hear, or touch goes straight into your very own field guide!
🌋Mt. Yake
From which spot does it look best?
🌉Kappa Bridge
What do you see standing on the bridge?
🌊Azusa River
What color is the water?
🐦Birds or insects
What did you hear or see?
🌳A tree that stands out
Why did it catch your eye?
🪨Three different rocks
Sketch or describe their shapes
Sketch today's most beautiful moment
Nature rule: leave every rock, plant, and creature exactly where you found it — photos and memories make the best souvenirs.
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NAGOYA · DAY 4
Day 4｜Nagoya Engineering Detective
Mission Complete
Mission 4 of 6 · Engineering Detective The Toyota museum hides secrets from Japan's industrial history, and Osu is packed with surprises. First, take on the true-or-false challenge — then head out to gather intel!
Toyota Commemorative Museum · True or FalseOsu Shopping District · Intel Gathering
1. Toyota started out by making cars.
TF
2. Weaving looms and car factories rely on the same kind of precision machinery.
TF
3. Every part of a modern car is made entirely by hand, with no machines involved.
TF
4. The Chubu region, where Nagoya sits, is one of Japan's major car-manufacturing hubs.
TF
Engineer's Challenge
If I were an engineer, I'd want to improve
Osu Intel Gathering
Find the most distinctive shop.
Find something you've never seen in Taiwan.
Find a snack you'd like to try.
The biggest difference between Osu and Osaka's Umeda
Answers: 1. False — Toyota began with automatic looms. 2. True. 3. False — modern factories rely heavily on machines and automation. 4. True. How many did you get right?
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NAGOYA CASTLE · DAY 5
Day 5｜Nagoya Castle Festival Stamp Master
Mission Complete
Mission 5 of 6 · Festival Stamp Rally By day, Nagoya Castle sits quiet and still. By night, it transforms into a lively summer festival. Grab your passport and start collecting stamps!
The golden Kinshachi on the rooftop
The prettiest lantern you can find
Someone wearing a yukata
A snack you've never tried before
A fun-looking game stall
The castle once it's lit up at night
A taiko drum performance
Bon Odori dancing
A goldfish-scooping stall
A takoyaki or yakisoba stand
A reflection in the moat
The lights and music of the festival
How to play: for each one you find, draw a stamp, a star, or a smiley face in the circle. Fill all 12, and you're a Festival Stamp Master!
"Matsuri" (festival) is one of Japan's most important traditions — every region has its own, and some date back hundreds of years. Summer festivals once centered on praying for safety and giving thanks for a good harvest. Today they're a chance for families and friends to dress in yukata, eat festival food, and watch performances together.
Kinshachi fun fact: a pair of golden shachihoko — legendary creatures with a tiger's head and a fish's body — sit atop Nagoya Castle's main tower. They're said to guard against fire and are the city's most famous symbol, showing up everywhere from subway logos to manhole covers.
Outfit fun fact: a yukata is a lightweight cotton kimono made for summer — you'll see it most at summer festivals and fireworks shows. A jinbei is a breezy two-piece summer outfit (top and shorts) that boys and kids often wear, much easier to run around in. A kimono is the formal traditional garment, made from finer fabric with a more elaborate wrap and an obi sash. See if you can spot all three tonight — who can find the most of each?
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NAGOYA / CENTRAIR · DAY 5–6
Day 5–6｜Junior Scientist + Graduation
Mission Complete
Mission 6 of 6 · Graduation Mission Your last stop is the science museum — the perfect place to wrap up this whole trip. Finish this mission, and claim your Central Japan Special Agent Certificate!
Nagoya City Science Museum
Try out your favorite hands-on exhibit.
Check out the tornado lab, electric discharge show, or polar region exhibit.
Remember one new science fact you learned today.
The exhibit I most want to tell my classmates about
Dialect Recap
Think back to the Osaka accent and the Nagoya accent you've heard this trip — how are the speed, tone, and sentence endings different?