Okinawa
Okinawa is Japan's southernmost prefecture, consisting of a few dozen, small islands in the southern half of the Nansei Shoto, the island chain which stretches over about one thousand kilometers from Kyushu to Taiwan.


Okinawa Prefecture can be divided into three major island groups, the Okinawa Islands (Okinawa Shoto) around Okinawa Island (Okinawa Honto), the Miyako Islands (Miyako Retto) around Miyako Island and the Yaeyama Islands (Yaeyama Retto) around Ishigaki Island.

Okinawa Honto

The center of the former Ryukyu Kingdom, Okinawa Main Island (Okinawa Honto) is by far the largest and most populous island in Okinawa Prefecture and the regional transportation hub. The prefectural capital Naha and most of the US military bases are located on Okinawa Honto.

While much of the central part of Okinawa Honto is urbanized, the southern tip of the island is less densely populated, and the north remains mainly covered by forested hills and small fishing and farming villages.

Yaeyama Island

The Yaeyama Islands are both the southernmost and westernmost inhabited islands of Japan. Together with the Miyako Islands and the Okinawa Islands they make up the three main island chains of Okinawa Prefecture.

With their tropical atmosphere and laid back, rural lifestyle, the Yaeyama Islands are a popular getaway destination for those wishing to escape the hustle and bustle of Japan's metropolises. This island paradise offers beaches, snorkeling, diving and relaxation.

Of the Yaeyama Islands, Ishigaki Island is the most populated and serves as the region's transportation hub. Other islands include the jungle covered Iriomote Island and Taketomi Island, famous for its beautifully preserved, traditional Ryukyu village. Five additional islands comprise the rest of the island chain and offer beaches, snorkeling and diving.


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Kyushu
Kyushu is Japan's third largest island, located southwest of the main island Honshu. An early center of Japanese civilization, Kyushu offers many historic treasures, modern cities and natural beauty.

Fukuoka is Kyushu's largest and one of Japan's ten most populated cities.


Because of its closeness to the Asian mainland (closer to Seoul than to Tokyo), Fukuoka has been an important harbor city for many centuries and was chosen by the Mongol invasion forces as their landing point in the 12th century.

Today's Fukuoka is the product of the fusion of two cities in the year 1889, when the port city of Hakata and the former castle town of Fukuoka were united into one city called Fukuoka. Hakata remains the name of one of Fukuoka's central districts and of the main railway station.

Now a small city just outside of Fukuoka, Dazaifu used to be the administrative center of Kyushu from around the 8th to the 12th century. The most famous among Dazaifu's historic sights is the Dazaifu Tenmangu, the first of several thousands of shrines dedicated to Tenjin across Japan.




Nagasaki is an attractively situated port city on the island of Kyushu and the capital of Nagasaki Prefecture.

As one of Japan's closest port cities to the Asian mainland, Nagasaki has played a prominent role in foreign trade relations for many centuries and was the most important of only a very few ports open to restricted numbers of foreign traders during Japan's period of isolation.

In more recent history, Nagasaki became the second city after Hiroshima to be destroyed by an atomic bomb towards the end of World War II.

The Nagasaki Peace Park commemorates the atomic bombing of Nagasaki of August 9, 1945, which destroyed wide parts of the city and killed ten thousands of inhabitants.

In the park stand the massive Peace Statue as well as various other memorials. A monument around a black pillar marks the atomic explosion's epicenter in the nearby Hypocenter Park and stores the name list of bomb victims.

Above the park stands the sobering Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum.



Mount Aso (阿蘇山, Aso-san) is an active volcano in the center of Kyushu. Its ancient caldera ranks among the world's largest, with a diameter of up to 25 kilometers and a circumference of over 100 kilometers.

The huge caldera contains the town of Aso and several volcanic peaks, including Nakadake, whose spectacular, active crater is easily accessible to tourists by toll road or ropeway.

Note that the crater area is often partially and sometimes completely closed off to visitors due to poisonous volcanic gases. Gases can be intense even when the area is open, and people with respiratory problems should refrain from seeing the crater.

Yakushima is a subtropical island off the southern coast of Kyushu and part of Kagoshima Prefecture. It is covered by an extensive cedar forest that contains some of Japan's oldest living trees. Trees more than 1000 years old are affectionately called yakusugi (a combination of Yakushima and the Japanese word for cedar, sugi), the most ancient of which may be over 7000 years old.


The island's cedar forests were logged extensively throughout history. Their most common use was to make cedar shingles during the Edo Period. Today the forests are a national park and some areas were declared a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 1993.

Yakushima has become a destination for people who love nature and the outdoors, with lots of hiking, camping and nature watching all around the island. However there are many hotels and restaurants along the island's well developed coast, so you can rough it during the day yet spend your nights in comfort.

As a subtropical island, Yakushima sees lots of rain throughout the year, so much that the locals say it rains "35 days a month". While that may be an exaggeration, it does rain here often although sometimes only lightly or for short periods of time. In the island's mountainous interior, which reaches nearly 2000 m high, the rain can become heavy snow in the winter and hiking during this time is inadvisable.


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Chubu
The Chubu Region consists of nine prefectures and is located in the center of Japan's largest island Honshu.

The northern part of the Chubu Region along the Sea of Japan coast (Fukui, Ishikawa, Toyama) is also known as Hokuriku Region, while the southern part (Shizuoka, Aichi, Gifu) is also known as Tokai Region and the prefectures of Yamanashi, Nagano and Niigata as the Koshinetsu Region.

With over two million inhabitants, Nagoya is Japan's fourth most populated city. It is the capital of Aichi Prefecture and the principal city of the Nobi plain, one of Honshu's three large plains and metropolitan and industrial centers.

Nagoya developed as the castle town of the Owari, one of the three branches of the ruling Tokugawa family during the Edo Period. Much of the city, including most of its historic buildings, were destroyed in the air raids of 1945. The Toyota Motor Corporation maintains its headquarters just outside of Nagoya.
Nagoya Castle was built in the beginning of the Edo Period for one of the three Tokugawa family branches, the Owari. Consequently, Nagoya developed into an important castle town and ultimately Japan's fourth largest city.

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The castle was almost completely destroyed in the air raids of 1945. The current ferro-concrete reconstruction dates from 1959. The interior of the castle is now a modern museum displaying the castle's history. The castle park becomes a popular hanami spot during the cherry blossom season.



Mount Fuji (Fujisan) is with 3776 meters Japan's highest mountain. It is not surprising that the nearly perfectly shaped volcano has been worshipped as a sacred mountain and experienced big popularity among artists and common people.

Mount Fuji is a dormant volcano, which most recently erupted in 1708. It stands on the border between Yamanashi and Shizuoka Prefectures and can be seen from Tokyo and Yokohama on clear days.

The easiest way to view Mount Fuji is from the train on a trip along the Tokaido Line between Tokyo and Osaka. If you take the shinkansen from Tokyo in direction of Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka, the best view of Mount Fuji can be enjoyed from around Shin-Fuji Station on the right hand side of the train, about 40 to 45 minutes after leaving Tokyo.


The Fuji Five Lake region (Fujigoko) is located at the foot of Mount Fuji at an altitude of roughly 1000 meters above sea level in mountainous Yamanashi Prefecture. It is one of the best places to view Mount Fuji from a close distance and a convenient base for climbing the mountain.

Hiking, camping and fishing are among the popular outdoor activities to be enjoyed in the area. Another attraction is Fujikyu Highlands, an amusement park, featuring Fujiyama, one of the world's highest roller coasters.

The principal city in the region is Fuji-Yoshida. Lake Kawaguchi (Kawaguchiko), the most easily accessible of the five lakes, is located just next to Fuji-Yoshida in neighboring Fuji-Kawaguchiko Town.

The other four lakes are named Yamanaka, Sai, Shoji and Motosu. The latter three are less developed than Lake Kawaguchi, but more difficult to access.

Matsumoto is the second largest city in Nagano Prefecture. It is most famous for Matsumotojo, one of Japan's most beautiful original castles. The city is also a good base for trips into the Japanese Alps, e.g. to Kamikochi.

Kamikochi is a popular resort in the Japanese Alps of Nagano Prefecture, offering some of Japan's most spectacular mountain scenery. It is open from mid/late April until November 15, and shuts down during winter. In 2009, Kamikochi is open from April 23 to November 15.

Kamikochi is a roughly 15 kilometer long plateau in the Azusa River Valley, about 1500 meters above sea level. It is surrounded by tall mountains, including Nishihotakadake (2909 m), Okuhotakadake (3190 m), Maehotakadake (3090 m) and the active volcano Yakedake (2455 m).

Part of the Chubu Sangaku National Park, Kamikochi has only been moderately developed with half a dozen hotels, a few souvenir shops, mountain huts and hiking trails. Private cars are banned from Kamikochi, and access is only possible by bus or taxi.

Sado Island lies just off the coast of Niigata Prefecture, and is one of Japan's largest islands. This remote place has long been a destination for political exiles, many of whom ended up working in Sado's prosperous gold mine.

The three most prominent figures sent into exile to Sado were the former Emperor Juntoku, the Buddhist monk Nichiren and the founder of Noh, Zeami Motokiyo. While the island is no longer a place of exile, traces of the culture and religion that these figures brought with them remain today.

Sado's biggest attraction is the Earth Celebration, an annual international music festival hosted by Sado's own, world renowned Kodo taiko group. The island is also home to the endangered Toki or Japanese Ibis, extinct in the wild but planned to be reintroduced thanks to a successful breeding program.

The Shirakawa-go and neighboring Gokayama regions line the Shogawa River Valley in the remote mountains that span from Gifu to Toyama Prefectures. Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, they are famous for their traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old.

Gassho-zukuri means "constructed like hands in prayer", as the farmhouses' steep thatched roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer. The architectural style developed over many generations and is designed to withstand the large amounts of heavy snow that falls in the region during winter. The roofs, made without nails, provided a large attic space used for cultivating silkworms.

Ogimachi, Shirakawa-go's largest village and main attraction, makes a good day trip from Takayama, or a stop on the bus journey between Takayama and Kanazawa. The best way to experience the town, however, is to stay overnight at one of the farmhouses, many of which now serve as minshuku.

Gokayama is a little more difficult to access and requires a change of buses in Ogimachi. Less developed and less crowded than Shirakawa-go, its villages are smaller, more intimate and with less intrusion from modern buildings. Gokayama's nicest villages are Suganuma and Ainokura.

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Shikoku
Shikoku is Japan's fourth largest island, southwest of Japan's main island Honshu. Shikoku is divided into four prefectures.




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Kanto
The Kanto is Japan's largest plain and very densely populated. The large metropolises of Tokyo and Yokohama are located in the Kanto Region which consists of seven prefectures.



Tokyo is Japan's capital and the country's largest city.

Tokyo is also one of Japan's 47 prefectures, but is called a metropolis (to) rather than a prefecture (ken). The metropolis of Tokyo consists of 23 city wards (ku), 26 cities, 5 towns and 8 villages, including the Izu and Ogasawara Islands, several small Pacific Islands in the south of Japan's main island Honshu.

The 23 city wards (ku) are the center of Tokyo and make up about one third of the metropolis' area, while housing roughly eight of Tokyo's approximately twelve million residents.

Prior to 1868, Tokyo was known as Edo. A small castle town in the 16th century, Edo became Japan's political center in 1603 when Tokugawa Ieyasu established his feudal government there. A few decades later, Edo had grown into one of the world's most populous cities.

With the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the emperor and capital were moved from Kyoto to Edo, which was renamed Tokyo ("Eastern Capital"). Large parts of Tokyo were destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and in the air raids of 1945.


With a population of over three million people is Yokohama Japan's second largest city. Yokohama is located less than half an hour south of Tokyo by train, and is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture.

Towards the end of the Edo Period (1603-1867), during which Japan maintained a policy of self-isolation, Yokohama's port was one of the first to be opened to foreign trade in 1859. Consequently, Yokohama quickly grew from a small fishing village into one of Japan's major cities.

Until today, Yokohama remains popular among expats, has one of the world's largest chinatowns and preserves some former Western residences in the Yamate district.

Kamakura is a coastal town in Kanagawa prefecture, less than one hour south of Tokyo.

Kamakura became the political center of Japan, when Minamoto Yoritomo chose the city as the seat of his new military government in 1192. The Kamakura government continued to rule Japan for over a century, first under the Minamoto shogun and then under the Hojo regents.

After the decline of the Kamakura government in the 14th century and the establishment of its successor, the Muromachi or Ashikaga government in Kyoto, Kamakura remained the political center of Eastern Japan for some time before losing its position to other cities.

Today, Kamakura is a very popular tourist destination. Sometimes called the Kyoto of Eastern Japan, Kamakura offers numerous temples, shrines and other historical monuments. In addition, Kamakura's sand beaches attract large crowds during the summer months.



Nikko is a small city at the entrance to Nikko National Park. It is most famous for the Toshogu, Japan's most lavishly decorated shrine complex and mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Nikko has been a center of Shinto and Buddhist mountain worship for many centuries, and Nikko National Park continues to offer scenic, mountainous landscapes, lakes, waterfalls, hot springs, wild monkeys and hiking trails.

Nikko and the area around Lake Chuzenji, in particular, are well known for their beautiful autumn foliage (koyo). The best times to view the leaves depends on the elevation and year: For Yumoto and Lake Chuzenji it is usually mid October and for central Nikko early to mid November.

Nikko is located along Japan's Romantic Road.


Kinugawa Onsen is a popular hot spring resort town along the Kinugawa River in Tochigi Prefecture. The town is centered around the large hotel ryokan lining the riverbank, and offers many amusements such as the Tobu World Square and Nikko Edomura theme parks in addition to its hot spring baths.

Kinugawa was extensively developed in past decades, when many of the large ryokan complexes were built. Several of these have gone out of business over the years, leaving behind abandoned buildings on the riverbank. In response, the town has stepped up efforts in recent years to beautify the riverfront by removing some of the abandoned buildings while adding nature trails, parks and footbaths.

Kinugawa Onsen is close to Nikko, and is included in the free travel zone of many of the Tobu rail passes to the area. The town is a good place to overnight when visiting Nikko and can add a little fun and relaxation to complement the culture and nature of Nikko.


Hakone is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, less than 100 kilometers from Tokyo. Famous for hot springs, outdoor activities, natural beauty and the view of nearby Mt. Fuji, Hakone is one of the most popular destinations among Japanese and international tourists looking for a break from Tokyo.

Narita is a city in Chiba Prefecture, roughly 60 kilometers east of central Tokyo. The city is most famous as the site of Tokyo's international airport, which is commonly known as Narita Airport.

Narita's main tourist attraction is Naritasan, a popular Buddhist temple with a history of over 1000 years. Naritasan makes a great destination for transit travelers who want to get a glimpse of traditional Japan or anybody else who has some excess time at the airport.


With its main street, lined by massive kurazukuri (warehouse style) buildings, the former castle town of Kawagoe has retained a certain atmosphere reminiscent of past centuries. Consequently, the city has been nicknamed "Little Edo" (Edo is Tokyo's former name).

Kawagoe is an easy day excursion from Tokyo, only half an hour northwest of Ikebukuro.








Kusatsu Onsen is one of Japan's most famous hot spring resorts, blessed with large volumes of high quality hot spring water, said to cure every illness but lovesickness.

Well known as a hot spring resort for many centuries, Kusatsu's fame was further boasted by German doctor Erwin von Baelz, who served at the imperial court in the late 1800s and recommended Kusatsu for its water's health benefits.

Situated at an altitude of 1200 meters above sea level in the mountains of Gunma Prefecture, Kusatsu also offers skiing in winter and hiking during the rest of the year to be enjoyed in combination with hot spring bathing.

Kusatsu is located along Japan's Romantic Road.





Ikaho Onsen is one of the four most famous hot spring resorts of Gunma Prefecture. Its thermal waters are characterized by a high concentration of iron.

Located at the eastern slopes of Mount Haruna, an active volcano, Ikaho is best known for its stone stairs, which lead up through the town center and are lined by ryokan, old fashioned game arcades and shops.

Ten minutes outside of Ikaho stands Mizusawa Kannon, a popular temple, well known for the udon noodles sold at restaurants along its approach. Mount Haruna with its beautiful caldera lake can also be easily combined with a visit to Ikaho.
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Chugoku
The Chugoku Region is located in the western part of Japan's main island Honshu. It is commonly subdivided into the heavily urbanized and industrialized Sanyo region along the Seto Inland Sea coast and the much less developed, rural Sanin region along the Sea of Japan coast.



Hiroshima has been the principal city of the Chugoku Region for hundreds of years. After its construction in the 16th century, Hiroshima Castle was the most formidable fortification for miles. Today, Hiroshima is a vibrant city and home to over a million inhabitants.

When the first atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, the city became known worldwide for this unenviable distinction. The destructive power of the bomb was tremendous and obliterated nearly everything within a 2 km radius. One of the few buildings that remained standing afterwards has been preserved; known today as the A-Bomb Dome, it is a monument to the bomb's dreadful power.

After the war, great efforts were taken to rebuild the city. Predictions that the city would be uninhabitable proved false. Destroyed monuments of Hiroshima's historical heritage, like Hiroshima Castle and Shukkeien Garden, were reconstructed. In the center of the city a large park was built and given a name that would reflect the aspirations of the re-born city: Peace Memorial Park.

Despite the legacy of the bomb, Hiroshima has very much become a modern city. The downtown area is filled with places to shop, eat, and otherwise enjoy oneself. Another testament to Hiroshima's vitality is the Mazda Motor Corporation, which is based in the city. Mazda has a large factory outside the city center that offers visitors a museum as well as a look at its cars being assembled.

Miyajima is a small island less than an hour outside the city of Hiroshima. Miyajima is most famous for its giant torii gate, which at high tide seems to float on top of the water. The sight is ranked as one of Japan's three best views.

While officially named Itsukushima, the island is more commonly referred to as Miyajima, Japanese for "shrine-island". This is because the island is so closely related to its shrine, Itsukushima Shrine, in the public's mind. Like the torii gate, the shrine's main buildings are built over water.

Miyajima is a romantic place, best enjoyed by staying overnight at one of the island's ryokan. There are many day tourists, but in the evening the area becomes much quieter and peaceful. There are wild deer on the island that have become accustomed to people. In the day the deer wander around the same sites as the tourists, and in the evening they sleep along the walking paths.



Kurashiki is a city in Okayama Prefecture, a few kilometers west of Okayama City.

During the Edo Period, Kurashiki was a center for storing rice harvested in the surrounding, fertile regions. Literally meaning something like "storehouse town", Kurashiki was direcly administered by the Edo shogunate for its economically strategic importance.

Several dozens of storehouses (kura) can still be found along a picturesque, tree lined canal in the historic city district, Kurashiki's main tourist attraction.



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Tohoku
The Tohoku (lit. "North East") Region consists of six prefectures in the north of Japan's largest island Honshu. The Tohoku region is well known for its countryside, mountains, lakes, high quality rice and rough winters.




With roughly one million inhabitants, Sendai is by far the largest city in the Tohoku Region and one of the country's fifteen largest cities.

The modern city of Sendai was founded around the year 1600 by Date Masamune, one of feudal Japan's most powerful lords. Many of Sendai's tourist attractions are related to Masamune and his family.

Less than an hour northeast of the city center lies the town of Matsushima, whose bay is dotted by pine clad islets and is known for one of Japan's three most scenic views (Matsushima, Miyajima and Amanohashidate) .

Matsushima Matsushima Bay (near Sendai) is dotted by dozens of pine clad islets.







Miyajima
Miyajima (near Hiroshima) is a sacred island and site of the famous floating torii and Itsukushima Shrine.




Amanohashidate
Amanohashidate is a pine tree covered sand bar, spanning across a bay in northern Kyoto Prefecture.








HiraizumiHiraizumi's most famous attraction, Chusonji was established in 850 as a temple of the Tendai sect of Buddhism. The temple came to prominence when the northern branch of the Fujiwara clan moved their base to Hiraizumi. At its peak, the temple consisted of a large network of dozens of buildings.

With the fall of the Fujiwara at the end of the 12th century, Chusonji suffered likewise so that now only two buildings from that era remain intact. Luckily, among these is the most spectacular, the Konjikido. Similar to Kyoto's famous Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), Konjikido is a hall completely covered in gold. It dates back to 1124 and stands inside another building for protection. Photographing is prohibited.

The other building that survives from the period of prosperity under the Fujiwara is the Kyozo Hall, which served as a repository for sutra (Buddhist scripture). While not nearly as impressive as the gilded Konjikido, it nonetheless even predates that building by 16 years.

Chusonji has a number of interesting buildings apart from those dating back to the Fujiwara period. The main rituals and rites of the temple are performed at the Hondo (main hall), and there is a Treasure Hall that houses some impressive artifacts. There is also a beautiful noh theater stage. Chusonji's attractions are located along a network of paths that extend about one kilometer into the forest.









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Kinki
The Kinki Region, also commonly known as Kansai, consists of seven prefectures. It used to be the political and cultural center of Japan for many centuries. The cities of Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and Kobe are all part of the Kinki Region.

KYOTO
Kyoto was Japan's capital and the emperor's residence from 794 until 1868. It is now the country's seventh largest city with a population of 1.4 million people and a modern face.

Over the centuries, Kyoto was destroyed by many wars and fires, but due to its historic value, the city was dropped from the list of target cities for the atomic bomb and spared from air raids during World War II. Countless temples, shrines and other historically priceless structures survive in the city today.

OSAKA
With a population of 2.5 million, Osaka is Japan's third largest and second most important city. It has been the economic powerhouse of the Kansai region for many centuries.

Osaka was formerly known as Naniwa. Before the Nara Period, when the capital used to be moved with the reign of each new emperor, Naniwa was once Japan's capital city, the first one ever known.

In the 16th century, Toyotomi Hideyoshi chose Osaka as the location for his castle, and the city may have become Japan's capital if Tokugawa Ieyasu had not terminated the Toyotomi lineage after Hideyoshi's death and moved his government to distant Edo (Tokyo).

NARA

Japan's first permanent capital was established in the year 710 at Heijo, the city now known as Nara. As the influence and political ambitions of the city's powerful Buddhist monasteries grew to become a serious threat to the government, the capital was moved to Nagaoka in 784.

Nara is located in the Kinai plain, less than one hour from Kyoto and Osaka. Due to its past as the first permanent capital, it remains full of historic treasures, including some of Japan's oldest Buddhist temples.


KOBE
Kobe is the capital of Hyogo Prefecture and one of Japan's ten largest cities. Located between the sea and the Rokko mountain range, Kobe is also considered one of Japan's most attractive cities.

Kobe has been an important port city for many centuries. Kobe Port was one of the first Japanese ports to be opened to foreign trade in the late Edo Period, and the city remains one of Japan's more cosmopolitan cities.

In January 1995, Kobe was hit by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, which killed over 5000 people and destroyed tens of thousands of buildings. A decade later, the city is completely rebuilt, and few signs of the terrible event are left.
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Hokkaido
Hokkaido is the second largest, northernmost and least developed of Japan's four main islands.

Hokkaido's weather is harsh in winter with lots of snowfall, below zero temperatures and frozen seas, while in summer, it does not get as hot and humid as in the other parts of the country.

With its unspoiled nature, Hokkaido attracts many outdoor lovers, including skiers and snowboarders in the colder seasons and hikers, cyclists and campers from June to September.




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