Japan is a land of extremes， of ancient history and high-tech Sushi， sake， sumo， samurai， geishas， gardens， bonsai， karate， kabuki and Zen are just some of the world-renowned icons of Japanese Ancient ritual and dynamic pop culture live and breathe side by You can spend weeks soaking up traditional culture from Japan’s many temples， kabuki theatre， tea ceremonies and extraordinary If contemporary culture and high-technology is more your thing， you’ll find futuristic wonderlands in Japan’s captivating cities of shimmering skyscrapers， pumping discos， and spirited sake and sushi Home to over 127 million people， Japan’s emerald isles float along the eastern rim of the Asian continent， spreading for over 3，000 kilometres and accumulating nearly 30，000 kilometres of Ranging all the way from sub-arctic Hokkaido to sub-tropic Okinawa， the Japanese archipelago hosts a wide variety of flora and With a land mass slightly smaller than California or equivalent to Germany， Japan’s urban areas are the most densely populated in the Japan consists of four major islands and around 3，900 smaller The main islands are Hokkaido in the north， the large central island of Honshu (home of Tokyo)， and the smaller southern islands of Shikoku and K These dramatic islands are made up of steep mountains， deep verdant valleys， lakes and winding rivers flowing into large deltas and bustling Most of the country’s mountains are volcanic causing Japan to be one of the most seismically active regions of the However， serious earthquakes and tsunamis only occur several times in a For the most part， Japan registers only small From all this geological activity， the country is blessed with an abundance of healing hot springs and spectacular Japanese is the official language of course， and many Japanese are able to understand some English to a certain extent since it is part of compulsory Trying out a few common Japanese phrases will make your trip even more A little bit goes a long However， you don't need to understand Japanese to enjoy J Japan was traditionally settled in 660 BC， by various clans of indigenous Written history began in the 5th century AD and Buddhism was introduced from China in the 6th Rivalry between Buddhism and Shinto (Japan’s traditional religion) was defused by presenting Shinto deities as manifestations of B Today the two religions co-exist and are practiced peacefully， with many festivals and During a long feudal period between the 12th and 19th centuries， military power was held by the shoguns and Japan closed its borders， forbidding its citizens to leave and foreigners to This national seclusion came to an end when shogun dominance was overthrown by the imperial power of Emperor Mutsuhito in Feudalism was abolished， and the country opened up to Western trade and industrial Today Japan is highly industrialized and noted for its advanced The capital of Japan is Tokyo， a massive dazzling city where the old and the new collide into an endless array of exotic sights and With more than 12 million people， Tokyo radiates exuberant energy， offering fascinating and unique discoveries at every Kyoto is the cultural capital of Japan presenting a treasure of enchanting temples， immaculate gardens and the ancient Nijo C If you overdose on temples， try feasting on some of the finest food in Japan or hiking through majestic mountain Kyoto makes an excellent base in which to explore the surrounding cities of Osaka， Nara and the other regions of the Kansai P Osaka is one of Japan's largest cities and lies in the great Kansai P Highly commercialized with fabulous shopping districts， Osaka is famous for its kabuki theatre， bunraku (a unique form of puppet theatre)， Osaka Castle， hearty cuisine and down-to-earth people， revealing a sophisticated and lively atmosphere， especially at Hokkaido is the second largest of the Japanese islands， but the least As Japan’s northernmost island， snowfall is abundant， making it the main winter resort and sport area in J The island’s capital of Sapporo hosted the 1972 Winter O Hokkaido's scenic beauty is preserved within several national parks， encompassing vast forests， rugged mountains and Japan’s second longest river， the I Okinawa is a group of tiny islands within the Ryukyu Island chain in south western Japan， surrounded by some of the clearest sea water in the With a welcoming subtropical climate， the Ryuku archipelago extends for over 1000 kilometres， home to an abundance of wildlife， dense forests， mountains， caves， coral reefs and the most beautiful beaches in J Having historically been a separate nation， Okinawa’s language and culture differ considerably from mainland Japan， making it a fascinating place to Nagoya is a culturally rich 16th century fortress city on the main island of H Nagoya has many universities， the magnificent Nagoya Castle and two famous shrines， one of which houses the sacred imperial Kusanagi sword， along with thousands of national The Tokugawa Art Museum， Higashiyama Park， and an art museum partnered with the Boston Museum of Fine Arts are other Yokohama is a large city 30 kilometres south of Tokyo on the shores of Tokyo B As the birth place of Japan’s first railroad， Yokohama today is connected to Tokyo by several railway lines as well as numerous Almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake and fire in 1923， it was quickly rebuilt and modernized and is now a leading port and industrial It is home to historical and tranquil Sankeien Garden， the Ramen Noodle and Curry Museum， and one of Japan’s tallest buildings， the Landmark Tower， standing at nearly 300 Fukuoka is a prosperous seaside city on the southern island of Kyushu， bordered by mountains and the Sea of G Less seismically active than other areas of Japan， Fukuoka is famous for its Hakata dolls， rich agriculture， universities， and three prominent Fukuoka Castle， Ohori Koen Park and one of the world’s tallest Ferris wheels， Sky Dream Fukuoka， are other notable landmarks of F Visiting Japan can be enjoyable in every season of the Spring and autumn bring temperate weather and colourful foliage and Wintertime is ideal for enjoying winter sports and hot springs， while summer brings a plethora of fascinating The climate varies from sub-arctic in the north to sub-tropic in the Rainfall varies across the nation but is quite regular year round and usually a bit heavier during summer and
Japan is a land of extremes， of ancient history and high-tech Sushi， sake， sumo， samurai， geishas， gardens， bonsai， karate， kabuki and Zen are just some of the world-renowned icons of Japanese Ancient ritual and dynamic pop culture live and breathe side by You can spend weeks soaking up traditional culture from Japan’s many temples， kabuki theatre， tea ceremonies and extraordinary If contemporary culture and high-technology is more your thing， you’ll find futuristic wonderlands in Japan’s captivating cities of shimmering skyscrapers， pumping discos， and spirited sake and sushi Home to over 127 million people， Japan’s emerald isles float along the eastern rim of the Asian continent， spreading for over 3，000 kilometres and accumulating nearly 30，000 kilometres of Ranging all the way from sub-arctic Hokkaido to sub-tropic Okinawa， the Japanese archipelago hosts a wide variety of flora and With a land mass slightly smaller than California or equivalent to Germany， Japan’s urban areas are the most densely populated in the Japan consists of four major islands and around 3，900 smaller The main islands are Hokkaido in the north， the large central island of Honshu (home of Tokyo)， and the smaller southern islands of Shikoku and K These dramatic islands are made up of steep mountains， deep verdant valleys， lakes and winding rivers flowing into large deltas and bustling Most of the country’s mountains are volcanic causing Japan to be one of the most seismically active regions of the However， serious earthquakes and tsunamis only occur several times in a For the most part， Japan registers only small From all this geological activity， the country is blessed with an abundance of healing hot springs and spectacular Japanese is the official language of course， and many Japanese are able to understand some English to a certain extent since it is part of compulsory Trying out a few common Japanese phrases will make your trip even more A little bit goes a long However， you don't need to understand Japanese to enjoy JJapan was traditionally settled in 660 BC， by various clans of indigenous Written history began in the 5th century AD and Buddhism was introduced from China in the 6th Rivalry between Buddhism and Shinto (Japan’s traditional religion) was defused by presenting Shinto deities as manifestations of B Today the two religions co-exist and are practiced peacefully， with many festivals and During a long feudal period between the 12th and 19th centuries， military power was held by the shoguns and Japan closed its borders， forbidding its citizens to leave and foreigners to This national seclusion came to an end when shogun dominance was overthrown by the imperial power of Emperor Mutsuhito in Feudalism was abolished， and the country opened up to Western trade and industrial Today Japan is highly industrialized and noted for its advanced The capital of Japan is Tokyo， a massive dazzling city where the old and the new collide into an endless array of exotic sights and With more than 12 million people， Tokyo radiates exuberant energy， offering fascinating and unique discoveries at every Kyoto is the cultural capital of Japan presenting a treasure of enchanting temples， immaculate gardens and the ancient Nijo C If you overdose on temples， try feasting on some of the finest food in Japan or hiking through majestic mountain Kyoto makes an excellent base in which to explore the surrounding cities of Osaka， Nara and the other regions of the Kansai POsaka is one of Japan's largest cities and lies in the great Kansai P Highly commercialized with fabulous shopping districts， Osaka is famous for its kabuki theatre， bunraku (a unique form of puppet theatre)， Osaka Castle， hearty cuisine and down-to-earth people， revealing a sophisticated and lively atmosphere， especially at Hokkaido is the second largest of the Japanese islands， but the least As Japan’s northernmost island， snowfall is abundant， making it the main winter resort and sport area in J The island’s capital of Sapporo hosted the 1972 Winter O Hokkaido's scenic beauty is preserved within several national parks， encompassing vast forests， rugged mountains and Japan’s second longest river， the IOkinawa is a group of tiny islands within the Ryukyu Island chain in south western Japan， surrounded by some of the clearest sea water in the With a welcoming subtropical climate， the Ryuku archipelago extends for over 1000 kilometres， home to an abundance of wildlife， dense forests， mountains， caves， coral reefs and the most beautiful beaches in J Having historically been a separate nation， Okinawa’s language and culture differ considerably from mainland Japan， making it a fascinating place to Nagoya is a culturally rich 16th century fortress city on the main island of H Nagoya has many universities， the magnificent Nagoya Castle and two famous shrines， one of which houses the sacred imperial Kusanagi sword， along with thousands of national The Tokugawa Art Museum， Higashiyama Park， and an art museum partnered with the Boston Museum of Fine Arts are other Yokohama is a large city 30 kilometres south of Tokyo on the shores of Tokyo B As the birth place of Japan’s first railroad， Yokohama today is connected to Tokyo by several railway lines as well as numerous Almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake and fire in 1923， it was quickly rebuilt and modernized and is now a leading port and industrial It is home to historical and tranquil Sankeien Garden， the Ramen Noodle and Curry Museum， and one of Japan’s tallest buildings， the Landmark Tower， standing at nearly 300 Fukuoka is a prosperous seaside city on the southern island of Kyushu， bordered by mountains and the Sea of G Less seismically active than other areas of Japan， Fukuoka is famous for its Hakata dolls， rich agriculture， universities， and three prominent Fukuoka Castle， Ohori Koen Park and one of the world’s tallest Ferris wheels， Sky Dream Fukuoka， are other notable landmarks of FVisiting Japan can be enjoyable in every season of the Spring and autumn bring temperate weather and colourful foliage and Wintertime is ideal for enjoying winter sports and hot springs， while summer brings a plethora of fascinating The climate varies from sub-arctic in the north to sub-tropic in the Rainfall varies across the nation but is quite regular year round and usually a bit heavier during summer and
