Perched atop a hill, the Getty Center offers visitors a remarkable art collection, including European paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts, all set within modernist architecture and surrounded by meticulously designed gardens.

Spanning over 4,000 acres, Griffith Park is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. It has served as the backdrop for numerous films, including "Batman" and "Jurassic Park." The park is home to the Griffith Observatory, the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, the Autry Museum of the American West, and the Travel Town Museum. Visitors can explore 53 miles of scenic hiking trails and enjoy swimming, biking, and horseback riding. Griffith Park is also home to the Hollywood sign, which stands on Mt. Lee.

Take a culture break in the Design Museum and Design Gallery. These cover everything from industrial and commercial to historical design, and have the visitor wondering (as happens every few minutes or so in Japan): 'Just where does this astonishing creativity come from?'

These lavish gardens were constructed in 1694 as a residential retreat for Mitsutomo, the second Lord of the Owari clan. Sadly, however, most of the garden and its buildings were destroyed during World War II. The restoration took a long time, with the garden being finally opened as a public park in 2004. If time permits, visit the adjacent Tokugawa Art Museum, the third oldest private museum in Japan, which miraculously survived the World War II air raids.