Welcome to Japan

Japan is located in the North Pacific off the coast of Russia and the Korean peninsula. The area of Japan is 377,873km², which makes it slightly smaller in land mass than California. Japan consists of four main larger islands and more than 4000 smaller islands. The main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Honshu is the largest with an area of 231,000km². A modern railroad system connects the major islands with Japan's high-speed Shinkansen connecting major urban areas.

The climate of Japan varies considerably depending on the region and season. Summer is usually very hot and humid, known to the Japanese as "mushiatsui". From mid June there is a rainy season which lasts around one month. Winters are usually mild, with the northern areas of Japan receiving more snow. Spring and autumn are usually sunny with mild temperatures. Currency using is Yen.

Japanese is the official language of Japan. Many Japanese also have some ability in writing and speaking English as it is a mandatory part of the curriculum in the Japanese educational system. Japanese uses four different writing systems; Kanji (Chinese characters), Hiragana (phonetic alphabet for native words), Katakana (phonetic alphabet for foreign words), and Romaji (western alphabet used to write Japanese). Japanese vocabulary has been strongly influenced by loanwords from other languages, with most loanwords coming from Chinese and English.

Below are the attractive cities in Japan:

Introduction of Tokyo

Tokyo consists of the southwestern part of the Kanto region, the Izu Islands, and the Ogasawara Islands. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, and the place where over 13 million people live, making it one of the most populous cities in the world. When the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu established a government there in the early 17th century, the area started to develop, spreading out around his residence, Edo Castle. Most of the city was devastated by the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, and then again by the bombing in the WWII, however, Tokyo was able to achieve a remarkably rapid recovery both times.Tokyo is not only the political and economical center of Japan, it has also emerged as a center of the world economy and culture. There are a number of attractions in Tokyo that should not be missed. There are large-scale downtown areas, including Ginza where famous shops from around the world stand side by side, the sleepless Shinjuku that has become the "new city center of Tokyo," Asakusa which is reminiscent of the traditional Edo (the former name of Tokyo), and Shibuya that starts the trends for the young people. Other unique areas include the computer town Akihabara, a dense retail area where numerous electronic shops compete against each other, attracting many shoppers from Japan and overseas, and Tsukiji, an open-air wholesale food market catering to shops and consumers everywhere in Japan.

Below are the attractive places in Tokyo:

Kiyosumi Garden

The Kiyosumi Garden in the downtown area of Tokyo is a beautiful example of a stroll garden from the Meiji Era, mainly composed of a garden pond, artificial hills and Karesansui (gravel garden). This type of gardening technique was used for the gardens of feudal lords from the Edo Period, but also gained a great deal of popularity in the Meiji Era. The core of the garden is a pond with three islands, whose surface reflects buildings in Sukiya style (Architectural style originally used for teahouses), and trees. The Ryotei (Traditional Japanese restaurant that integrates many aspects of Japanese culture including buildings, furnishings and business entertaining) House was purposely constructed so that it would seem to hang over the pond to produce a strong Japanese atmosphere, whereas the sight of the innumerous garden stones, paving stones, and stepping stones gives a prevailing sense of a "rock garden."

Admission Fee: 150 yen

Operation: Close at 29 Dec.-1 Jan.

Access: Subway Oedo Line or Tokyo Metro Hanzoumon Line Kiyosumi Shirakawa Stn./ On foot/ 5 min.

Address: 3-3-9 Kiyosumi, Koto-ku, Tokyo

Koishikawa Korakuen Garden

Despite being situated right in the heart of Tokyo, Koishikawa Korakuen is incredibly quiet. The gardens were laid out in 1629 by a feudal lord of that time, as the gardens of his residence in Edo (now Tokyo). Originally in the Kyoto style, they were later redesigned using Chinese techniques. The unusually shaped rocks that remain today are modeled on the garden style of a region of China south of the Yangtze. The gardens are truly an urban oasis, a peaceful haven in the heart of the city.

Admission Fee: 300 yen

Operation: Close at 29 Dec.-1 Jan.

Access: JR Tokyo Stn. / Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line / 9-min. ride / Korakuen Stn. / 8-min. walk.

Address: 1-6-6 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo

Edo Castle

Edo Castle (Edo-jo) was the home castle of the line of Tokugawa shoguns who ran the Edo government which ruled Japan for roughly 260 years (from the beginning of the 17th century until 1867). It was originally built in 1457 by the daimyo Ota Dokan, who was also well-known as a poet. As it was the castle of the founding shogun of the Edo government (Tokugawa Ieyasu), it became the building that symbolized the prestige of successive shoguns, and was also the center of political power. It was the largest castle in Japan in those days, with the inner compound measuring roughly 8 km in diameter, and the outer compound measuring around 16 km. The castle donjon with a five-tiered façade was an enormously high building with a stone wall measuring 51.5 m from ground level. This was destroyed, however, in the great fire of 1657. It is currently the Imperial Palace of the Emperor of Japan.

Admission Fee: Free

Operation: Close at Mondays (if the Monday is a holiday, the following Tuesday), Fridays (except holidays), the Emperors Birthday, Dec. 28-Jan. 3'

Access: JR Tokyo Station/On foot/10 min.

Address: Chiyoda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Kyu-Furukawa-teien Garden

Kyu-Furukawa Teien (Former Furukawa Garden) covers around 30 ha of the former residence of the wealthy Furukawa Ichibei. He built a European-style mansion on a small hill at the northern end, with a cheerful Western-style garden on the slope, and a Japanese garden further down built around a pond. An Englishman, Josiah Conder, designed both the European-style mansion and garden. With the flowerbed placed in the center, the garden is arranged on a three-tiered gently sloping terrace. A flowerbed of a geometrical pattern is laid out on the middle tier. The Japanese garden was designed by Jihei Ogawa, a well-known designer in Kyoto. Deep green bushes at the entrance to the Japanese garden create an atmosphere that is in striking contrast to the brightly-colored Western garden.

Admission Fee: 150 yen

Operation: Close at 29 Dec.-1 Jan.

Access: JR Tokyo Stn./JR Keihin Tohoku Line/13-min. ride/Kami-Nakazato Stn./7-min. walk; Tokyo Metro Namboku line Nishigahara Stn./10 min.walk

Address: 1-27-39 Nisigahara, Kita-ku, Tokyo

Hie-jinja Shrine

The Hie-jinja Shrine was established in 1478 by the regional lord, Ota Dokan, to enshrine the apportioned spirit of the Kawagoe Sannou-sha Shrine as the guardian deity of the land of Edo (todays Tokyo), while he ruled it and built Edo Castle. In 1659, it was moved to the current location in the Akasaka district, south of the Imperial Palace. The shrine holds the Sanno Matsuri (festival). Along with the Kanda Matsuri, it was one of the Tenka [World's Greatest] Matsuri, which the shogun attended during the Tokugawa period, and is now counted as one of the three largest festivals in Japan, together with the Gion Matsuri in Kyoto and the Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka. The Hie Shrine preserves many important treasures, such as the "Itomaki-no-Tachi" (long sword with lacing on the scabbard) by Ichimonji Norimune (national treasure) and a sword by Bishu Osafune Nagamitsu that was owned by Emperor Meiji.'

Admission Fee: Free in the shrine precincts

Access: JR Tokyo Stn./Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line/10-min. ride/Akasakamitsuke Stn./On foot/8 min.

Address: 2-10-5 Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

  

Introduction of Okinawa

Okinawa Prefecture is made up of the Ryukyu Islands, which at their southern extremity begin at Nansei Island, and lie between Kyushu, the most southwesterly of Japan's four main islands, and Taiwan. Okinawa consists of 160 islands of various size scattered across a vast area of ocean. The temperature in winter is about the same as that of springtime in Tokyo and Osaka, making it warm and comfortable throughout the year.

With Okinawa being in the subtropical zone, you can enjoy beautiful flowers in any season. Taiwan Cherries, which bloom earlier in Okinawa than anywhere else in Japan, red Deigo flowers, colorful bougainvilleas, pure white Easter lilies, and beautiful yellow tabebuias – it is like a party of tropical flowers! Another highlight is the inhabitation of many rare species of plants and animals, such as the Iriomote wildcats (declared a protected species) on Iriomote-jima Island. The crystal blue sea, with white sand beaches and colorful fish dancing through coral, attracts vacationers as a holiday resort area with many diving spots.For about 450 years, from the 15th to the 19th century, Okinawa prospered as the Kingdom of Ryukyu, a state independent of Japan's central government. Cultural characteristics and conventions born through the relations with foreign countries in those days still survive in such interesting forms as artifacts and festivals, giving additional charm to Okinawa. Especially Shuri Castle (the castle of the King of Ryukyu) in Naha City, which reopened in 1992 after being reconstructed. It was inscribed as a World Heritage Site, and attracts many visitors.

Okinawa still preserves its traditional entertainment, such as Ryukyu-buyo, an elegant dance expressing a woman's emotions and feelings for someone special, such as her husband. It is performed by women in traditional dress made of bright-colored Bingata cloth. The Shishi-mai, a dance of 'shishi' lions with colorful manes, and Eisa, danced in groups to the sound of heroic drums and a three-stringed musical instrument called a 'sanshin,' are other traditional dances still performed today.

Various festivals and events are held in Okinawa throughout the year. You can enjoy flowers and whale watching in winter and spring, marine sports and traditional performing arts in summer, and cultural events and field sports in fall. Some traditional festivals and events include the Hari Dragon Boat Race in May, an Eisa dance competition during the summer Bon Festival period, as well as tug-of-war competitions held each summer and fall.

Below are the attractive places in Okinawa:

Ruins of Nakagusuku Castle

Nakagusuku Castle (Nakagusuku-jo) stands on the summit of a mountain with commanding views. It is considered one of the most famous castles in Okinawa. It is not known when it was first built. It is said that Gosamaru (the most prominent expert on castle building in Okinawa), who became the last governor of the castle in the middle of the 15th century, moved into Nakagusuku Castle and carried out repairs and built additions to it. The castle walls are built up high following the contours of the land, and their outlines draw gentle curves. The walls are built neatly using natural rocks, and have withstood over 400 years of wind and weather. The arched gate stone displays the beauty of stone buildings unique to Okinawa.

Admission Fee: 300 yen

Operation: Open throughout the year

Access: Naha Airport/Bus/10 min./Naha Bus Terminal/Toyo Bus No.30/50 min./Nakagusuku-Shogakko Elementary School Bus Stop/On foot/50 min.

Address: 503 Oshiro, Kitanakagusuku-son, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa

Shuri Castle

Shuri Castle (Shuri-jo) is believed to have been built in the 14th century by King Satto, who ruled here. Major repairs were subsequently carried out and it was used for many years as the castle of the kings of Ryukyu. The castle grounds measured roughly 410 m east to west and about 270 m north to south, and there were eight Chinese-style gates. Everything was destroyed in 1945 during WWII bombing. Shurei Gate, reconstructed in 1958, has red-colored tiles on the two-layered roofs, which are set in white lime, retaining a beauty unique to Okinawa. Many tourists visit the castle as one of the most important buildings in Okinawa.

Admission Fee: 800 yen

Operation: First Wednesday of July and the next day

Access: Naha Airport/Bus/30 min./Shurijo-koen-mae Bus Stop/On foot/10 min; Naha Airport/Yui rail (Mono rail)/30 min./Shuri Station/On foot/15min.

Address: 1-2, Shuri-Kinjo-cho, Naha-shi, Okinawa

Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum

Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum was opened in Omoromachi, Naha as a cultural-art complex in 2007. The cultural museum was once in Shuri and moved to the new site doubling in size. The art museum is the first prefectural art museum in Okinawa.

The cultural museum mainly intends to research, study, collect, preserve and to exhibit the materials related to the nature, history, folklore culture and arts and crafts of Okinawa. The permanent exhibition consists of “general exhibition" and “sub exhibition." Visitors approach to the general exhibition room as if they are coming ashore to an island looking at the extended coral reefs in “Ino (lagoon)" at their feet. Visitors can learn about life with nature on the islands of Okinawa with the large-scale diorama. At the sub exhibition, the collection of materials is displayed by the following categories: natural history, archeology, arts and crafts, history and folklore culture.

Centering on the works by the artists related to Okinawa, the art museum focuses on making a collection of works of modern and contemporary art from two-dimensional art to three-dimensional art as well as image art.

Okinawa is a region which has very unique history and culture. If you want to learn about Okinawa, it is recommended to first visit Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum.

Admission fee:

The Permanent Exhibition <Museum> ：400 yen、<Art Museum>：300yen

Closures: Every Monday; However, if Monday is a National Holiday, the day after a National Holiday, or Okinawa Memorial Day, the museum will be open, but will close the following Tuesday instead. New Year’s holidays (December 29th to January 3rd)

Operation: 9am-6pm (week day); 9am-8pm (Fridays and Saturdays)

Access:

Buses: Get off at Kenritsu Hakubutsukan-mae Station and then walk 1-min

Subway: Get off at Omoromachi Station, and then walk 10-min

Address: 3-1-1, Omoromachi, Naha-shi, Okinawa

Okinawa Kenritsu Heiwa Kinen Shiryokan (Okinawa Prefectural Peace Prayer Museum)

In World War II, Okinawa was the only part of Japan to experience fighting on the ground, and not only soldiers but also a great many civilians were sacrificed in the battle for the islands. Okinawa Kenritsu Heiwa Kinen Shiryokan (The Okinawa Prefectural Peace Prayer Museum) was established to perpetuate the memory of this tragic experience of war and to preserve this lesson in history properly for future generations. The Heiwa-no Ishiji (Cornerstone of Peace) is inscribed with the name of everyone who lost their lives in the battle for Okinawa. This is not just a memorial but a place designed to make visitors understand the value of peace above all else. It is also a place for children, who are to lead the next generation, to study and take an interest in peace issues.

Admission Fee: 300 yen (regular fee)

Operation: New Year holidays (Dec. 29-Jan. 3)

Access: Naha Airport / Bus / 1-hr. 15-min. / Okinawa Kinendo Stop / 5-min. walk

Address: 614-1 Mabuni, Itoman-shi, Okinawa

Miyako Traditional Crafts Research Center

Miyako-jofu is hemp cloth made by weaving flax known as choma, and is characterized by a fine weave and elaborate splashed patterns. The cloth is known to last for three generations. Some 400 years ago, a ship en route for China from the Ryukyu Kingdom (present-day Okinawa) was in imminent danger of shipwreck in a storm, when a man from the island of Miyako-jima who happened to be on the ship jumped into the sea and fixed the damaged section. The Ryukyu king rewarded the man by taking him on as a retainer, and the man’s wife, overjoyed, presented the king with the cloth. This is said to be the beginning of regular production of Miyako-jofu, which is now produced in the city of Hirara, Shimoji-cho and other locations. In 1975, Miyako-jofu was designated a traditional craft by the Japanese government.'

Access: Hirara port/10-min. walks

Address: Miyako Traditional Crafts Research Center, 3 Nishizato, Hirara-shi, Okinawa

Introduction of Kagawa

Kagawa is situated in the northeastern part of Shikoku. The Sanuki Mountain Range, a chain of 1,000-meter-high mountains including Mt. Ryuo-zan, the highest of all at some 1,060 meters above sea level, runs through the southern part of the prefecture. The Sanuki Plains stretch out to the north, and the Seto Inland Sea is dotted with 116 islands of all sizes, including Shodo-shima Island.Since early times, Kagawa has been known for the production of cotton, sugar and salt, together called "Sanuki Sanpaku," or Sanuki Three Whites. Takamatsu City, which was a castle town in the Feudal Age, prospered as an important center of transportation for these products.

The Bisan-Seto Sea area, with its 690-kilometer-long coastline fronting the Sea of Japan and a variety of islands sitting in the serene waters, boasts of natural scenery so beautiful that it was designated as Japan's first national park in 1934. Kotohira-gu Shrine, intimately nicknamed "Konpira-san" by the local people, drew many visitors as a center of worship for common people from the 17th through 19th centuries. Today, about four million people a year visit the shrine.

Shodo-shima Island, known as the place where olive cultivation started in Japan, has beautiful valleys such as Choshikei and Kankakei, Shodoshima Olive Park that resembles a location along the shore of the Mediterranean, and many other interesting places worth visiting.

Below are the attractive places in Kagawa:

Marugame Castle

Marugame Castle (Marugame-jo) was completed by the daimyo Ikoma Chikamasa, who governed the present Kagawa Prefecture at the beginning of the 17th century. The castle used to be surrounded by a double moat. The outer moat has now been filled in, but the inner moat near the donjon remains as it was in the old days, and the donjon has been designated an Important Cultural Property. Visitors are greeted by the three-tiered donjon after climbing up a steep incline with a view of the beautifully curved stone walls.

Admission Fee: 200 yen

Closed: Dec. 25-31

Access: JR Marugame Station/On foot/10 min.

Address: 1 Marugame-shi, Kagawa

Ritsurin Koen Park

Ritsurin Koen is a park located in the city of Takamatsu, and covers around 75 ha. Landscaping began in 1642 and is said to have taken 100 years to complete. In the garden are six ponds and 13 artificial hills called tsukiyama. The garden, set against the backdrop of the mountain Shiun-zan, is evocative of a Japanese painting. The technique of using scenery such as mountains in the distance in the design of a garden is known as shakkei. The garden in the southern part of the park is in a purely Japanese style. A small house known as Kikugetsu-tei used for tea ceremony and located by the pond is known as an arbor for enjoying the beauty of the full moon in autumn. The garden in the northern part of the park has undergone major restoration and is now a Western-style garden.

Admission Fee: 400 yen

Operation: Open throughout the year

Access: JR Ritsurin-koen Kitaguchi Stn./3-min. walk

Address: 1-20-16 Ritsurin-cho, Takamatsu-shi, Kagawa

Benesse Art Site Naoshima

The Benesse Art Site Naoshima is a series of art projects developed on Naoshima Island, located in the Seto Inland Sea. Its facilities includes the Benesse House, the Chichu Art Museum, the Art House Project, and Honmura Lounge & Archive; their site-specific activities and artworks focuses on contemporary art in harmony with the natural beauty and local culture of Naoshima. The Benesse House was designed by acclaimed Japanese architect Tadao Ando. The Chichu Art Museum was initially designed to display Claude Monets "Water-Lily Pond" (2m x 6m) in its unique way, and now, Monet's Room, with its white walls, is not to be missed. The works of James Turrell and Walter De Maria are also exhibited.'

Admission Fee: 1,000 yen (Benesse House), 2,000 yen (Chichu Museum)

Operation: The Benesse House is open throughout the year. The Chichu Museum is closed on Mondays (if the Monday is a national holiday, the following Tuesday), maintenance period

Access: JR Takamatsu Station/On foot/5 min./Takamatsu Port/Shikoku Kisen Ferry/50 min./Miyanoura Port/Naoshima Town Bus/20 min./Benesse House Bus Stop/On foot/1 min.

Address: Kotodanchi, Naoshima-cho, Kagawa-gun, Kagawa

Sohonzan Zentsu-ji Temple

Zentsu-ji, located in the city of Zentsuji, Kanagawa Prefecture, was built at the birthplace of the priest Kukai, who founded the Shingon sect of Buddhism, and was posthumously known as Kobo Daishi. Kukai is said to have built this temple at the residence of his father on returning from his studies in China. The temple ranks in importance alongside To-ji in Kyoto and Koya-san in Wakayama, and is regarded as one of the major memorials to Kobo Daishi. In the temple grounds is a well in which Kukai was given his first bath as a newborn baby.

Admission Fee: Houmotsu-kan (Treasury Hall): 500 yen (regular fee)

Access: JR Zentsu-ji Stn./20-min. walk

Address: 3-3-1 Zentsuji-cho, Zentsuji-shi, Kagawa

Kotohira-gu Shrine

Kotohira-gu, located in Kotohira-cho, Kagawa Prefecture, is sacred to Omononushi-no-Kami and Emperor Sutoku. While the date of its establishment is not known, the shrine is known to have been the object of veneration from early times. The guardian deity for navigation and fishing, as well as the headquarters of many branch shrines, Kotohira-gu is known affectionately across the country as "Konpira-san." The Juichimen-Kannon (an eleven-faced statue of a standing goddess of mercy) has been designated an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government.

Admission Fee:

Free in the shrine precincts

Omote-Shoin: 800 yen

Homotsu-Kan(Treasury Hall):800 yen

Access: JR Kotohira Stn./20-min. walk

Address: 892-1 Kotohira-cho, Nakatado-gun, Kagawa