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Ueno is a district in Tokyo's Taitō Ward, best known as the home of Ueno Station and Ueno Park. Ueno is also home to some of Tokyo's finest cultural sites, including the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, and the National Science Museum, as well as a major public concert hall. Many Buddhist temples are in the area, including the Bentendo temple dedicated to goddess Benzaiten, on an island in Shinobazu Pond. The Kan'ei-ji, a major temple of the Tokugawa shoguns, stood in this area, and its pagoda is now within the grounds of the Ueno Zoo. Nearby is the Ueno Tōshōgū, a Shinto shrine to Tokugawa Ieyasu. Near the Tokyo National Museum there's The International Library of Children's Literature. Just south of the station is the Ameyayokocho, a street market district that evolved out of an open-air black market that sprung up after World War II. Just east is the motorcycle specialty district, with English-speaking staff available in some stores. |
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Mount Fuji is Japan's highest mountain and the focal point of the sprawling Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Visible from Tokyo on a clear day, the mountain is located to the west of Tokyo on the main island Honshu. A perfectly symmetrical volcanic cone, the mountain is a near-mythical national symbol immortalized in countless works of art. For merely seeing Mt. Fuji, it's better to maintain some distance. The most popular places for sightseeing tours of Fuji and surroundings are Hakone, to the east of Mt. Fuji towards Tokyo, and the Fuji Five Lakes, located just north of the mountain. Note, however, that Fuji is notoriously shy and is wreathed in clouds most of the time: it's entirely possible to drive around the mountain and never see it. Visibility tends to be the worst in the hot, muggy summer and the best in the winter, when the air is dry and clear. |
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Maiko are young women training in arts such as Japanese dance, shamisen (a Japanese instrument), and a traditional way of singing to become geisha, whose profession is to entertain guests at traditional Japanese-style restaurants. Their hairstyle varies slightly depending on how many years they've been training. However, their unique appearance with the red collar peeking from underneath a long-sleeved kimono and long dangling obi belt is exactly the same as girls who lived in the towns at the end of the Edo period (1603-1867). Because their dance was performed in dim candle-lit rooms at the time, they colored their skin white to make it look beautiful. Makeup techniques of spreading hair oil on the face and applying special face powder remain the same today. Geta and zori sandals are traditional Japanese footwear. Geta are raised on supports, while zori are not. Both have thongs that are said to be good for the health because they stimulate acupressure points between the toes. |
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Kyōto was the capital of Japan for over a millennium, and carries a reputation as its most beautiful city. The city has much more than immediately meets the eye. This means that you can rest in the shade of Buddhist temples that have stood for over a thousand years, or stroll around ultramodern department stores. You can enjoy the time-honored tea ceremony or unwind with a cup of coffee at a fashionable cafe. Kyoto was the capital of Japan and the residence of the Emperor from 794 until the Meiji Restoration of 1868, when the capital was moved to Tokyo. During its millennium at the center of Japanese power, culture, tradition, and religion, it accumulated an unparalleled collection of palaces, temples and shrines, built for emperors, shoguns, and monks. Kyoto was among the few Japanese cities that escaped the allied bombings of World War II and as a result, Kyoto still has an abundance of prewar buildings, such as the traditional townhouses known as machiya. |
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This is one of the busiest parts of Tokyo, with its train station reportedly handling the largest number of passengers in the world. Department stores, electrical appliance megastores and huge book stores fan out around the station and are constantly filled with customers. In the underground mall, there are dozens of shops where you might find an unexpected bargain. The "Don Quixote" discount store is located along Yasukuni Dori (Ave.) at the east exit, and to the north of this store is the Kabuki-cho bright lights district, crowded with restaurants, adult entertainment spots, arcades and theaters. On the west exit side are the Tokyo Metropolitan Government buildings, super-high-rise buildings and first-class hotels. Enjoy the night view from the free observatory at the top of the Metropolitan Government building or from one of the skyscraper restaurants. |
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Near Hiroshima
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Miyajima (Itsukushima)
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Miyajima is a small island near Hiroshima, Japan. Famed for Itsukushima Shrine and its floating torii, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and officially one of Japan's Top 3 Views, Miyajima is a very popular destination for Japanese and foreign tourists alike. Miyajima has been considered a holy place for most of Japanese history. In 806 AD, the monk Kobo Daishi ascended Mt. Misen and opened the mountain as an ascetic site for the Shingon sect of Buddhism. In the years since then, Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines have maintained a close relationship on the island. Strict measures are taken to ensure that the modern town retains a classically Japanese Edo-era look. The seafront promenade is particularly attractive, especially later in the day when the stone lanterns are turned on. Deer wander freely in the streets and parks. |
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Kansai Region
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Himeji Castle
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Dating to 1609 and also graced with the name "White Egret Castle", this striking white edifice is generally considered the most beautiful of Japan's castles and is one of the few that has escaped the ravages of civil war, earthquakes and firebombings. The castle was designated as a national treasure in 1931 and was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993. It is virtually the last castle in Japan that still manages to tower over the surrounding skyscrapers and office buildings. Himeji Castle is particularly striking (and crowded) in cherry blossom season in April, when all the trees planted in and around the castle burst into white splendor. Most people visit only the Castle and the area between the castle and the station. However, the area around the castle is a great place for a refreshing walk or a picnic. The park behind Himeji castle offers ample space to sit down and have a picnic in the shadow of Japan's most famous castle. Himeji has a number of matsuri (festivals) throughout the year. |
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Located in central Ehime and in the northeastern part of Matsuyama, the Dogo-onsen Hot Spring is Japan's oldest noted spa, and is said to have been opened about 3,000 years ago. In the center of the hot-spring town where a number of inns and hotels are clustered is the main building of Dogo-onsen (Honkan), a communal bathhouse. The building was erected in 1894 and is a symbol of Dogo today. With a magnificent three-storied castle-styled wooden structure that has been designated as the first important cultural asset of public bathhouses in Japan, the bathhouse boasts a time-honored and dignified appearance amid modern hotels and shops. It has a watchtower called the Shinro-kaku on the roof, and the sound of the time-telling drum that beats three times a day, or morning, noon, and evening, reverberates all over the spa town. In the Dogo-onsen Honkan, you can make yourself comfortable in the grand hall or in a private room, even for just taking a bath. |
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Hokkaido
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National Parks & Ski Resorts
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Hokkaidō is the northernmost of Japan's four main islands. Home to Japan's aboriginal Ainu people, Hokkaido continues to represent the untamed wilderness with many great national parks. For many visitors the scenery resembles northern Europe, with rice paddies and concrete warrens replaced by rolling fields and faux-German cottages. For many visitors Hokkaido's numerous National Parks are number one on the agenda, offering near-unlimited hiking opportunities. Hokkaido's other major attractions are flower gardens, high-quality agriculture and seafood, hot springs, and powder skiing. Much of Hokkaido's population lives by the sea, and consequently seafood figures heavily in Hokkaido fare. Check out the hairy crabs, king crabs and the delicious sushi. Akkeshi's oysters, Saroma's scallops, and the northwest coast's sea urchin are considered to be among Japan's very best seafood. |
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Wakayama Prefecture
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Mount Koya
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Mount Kōya is a mountain in Wakayama prefecture to the south of Osaka, Japan, primarily known as the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. First settled in 816 by the monk Kūkai as a retreat far away from the courtly intrigues of Kyoto, Mt. Koya is located in a 800m-high valley amid the 8 peaks of the mountain. The original monastery has grown into the town of Koya, featuring a university dedicated to religious studies and over 100 temples, many of which offer lodging to pilgrims. All temple lodgings on Mt. Koya offer shōjin ryori, purely vegetarian food intended for monks. People who equate vegetarian food with blandness will be surprised - in their hundreds of years of experience with vegetarian cooking, the monks have invented amazingly tasty dishes. Many of the pilgrims visiting Mount Koya are on their way to start the 88 Temple Pilgrimage on the island of Shikoku. |
