Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Kanazawa

Kenrokuen

Kanazawa's importance grew in the 15th century, when the powerful and militant Ikko sect established its new headquarters there after being chased out of Kyoto by the monks of Mt.Hiei.

During the Edo Period, Kanazawa was the seat of the Maeda clan, the second most powerful clan after the Tokugawa in terms of rice production and fief size. Accordingly, Kanazawa grew to become a town of great cultural achievements, rivaling Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo).

In World War Two, Kanazawa was Japan's second largest city (after Kyoto) to escape destruction by air raids. Consequently, parts of the old castle town, such as samurai, temple and pleasure districts, have survived in pretty good condition.

Kanazawa is capital of Ishikawa Prefecture, a prefecture along the Sea of Japan.

Taken from ===<click here>===

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The Izu Peninsula (Izu Hanto)

The Izu Peninsula (Izu Hanto) is a resort area about 100 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, popular for its hot springs, beautiful coastlines, beaches, mild climate, scenic mountainous interior and views of Mount Fuji from its western coast.

The peninsula's eastern coast and the Shuzenji area are well connected with Tokyo by trains, while the less developed western coast and other areas are served by buses. Izu is also a great place to be explored by rental car, motorbike or bicyle.

On weekends and during holiday seasons, the Izu Peninsula can get quite busy, and traffic jams along the eastern coast are not unusual. However, during off-season weekdays, many parts of the peninsula can be very quiet.

Atami is a hot spring city with shinkansen station at the entrance to the Izu Peninsula. While the city is attractively located on the steep slopes along the ocean coast, it has obviously suffered from the economic downturn of the 1990s.

Ito is another hot spring city along the peninsula's eastern coast, only about 15 kilometers south of Atami. Inside Ito's municipal limits lies Izu Kogen, a pleasant resort town with more hot springs and the nearby scenic Jogasaki coast.

Further down the eastern coast, Kawazu is a town famous for its early blooming Kawazu cherry trees, which are usually in bloom as early as late February to mid March.

Shimoda near the peninsula's southern tip, was the landing place of Commodore Perry's "black ships" in 1854, an event which marked the end of Japan's era of isolation and the start of diplomatic relations between the US and Japan.

Shuzenji in central Izu is another famous hot spring resort with a pleasant and beautifully preserved resort town center. Shuzenji is named after a local temple.

Taken from ===<click here>===

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Nagoya

Nagoya Castle

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 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.

Taken from ===<click here>===

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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.



Taken from ===<click here>===

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Saturday, July 21, 2007

Yaeyama

The Yaeyama Islands are the southernmost of three major island groups making up the prefecture of Okinawa. The Miyako and Okinawa Islands are the other two.

Among 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.

Taken from ===<click here>===

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Okinawa Honto

Shuri Castle

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.



Taken from ===<click here>===

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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's climate is subtropical, with temperatures barely falling below 15 degrees in winter. The seas surrounding Okinawa's islands are considered among the world's most beautiful with coral reefs and abundant marine wildlife. Consequently, snorkeling and scuba diving are among Okinawa's top attractions.

The islands making up Okinawa Prefecture, are also known as the Ryukyu Islands, named after the native culture, which is distinctly different from that of the rest of Japan in terms of language, cuisine, arts, etc.

An independent kingdom and tributary state to China for several centuries, the Ryukyu Islands came under control of the Satsuma feudal fief (today's Kagoshima Prefecture) in the 17th century, and were made a Japanese prefecture in 1879, accompanied by efforts to assimilate the native population. But despite these past efforts, the Ryukyuan culture survived and is now Okinawa's other main attraction.

Towards the end of World War Two, Okinawa became the stage of one of the war's bloodiest battles, when American troops invaded the islands. Okinawa remained under US administration until 1972, while several thousands of US military members remain stationed on the spacious and controversial US military bases on Okinawa Main Island today.

Taken from ===<click here>===

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Friday, July 20, 2007

Beppu

Chinoike Jigoku ("Blood Pond Hell")

Beppu is one of Japan's most famous hot spring resorts, producing more hot spring water than any other resort in the country.

Beppu offers an unmatched range of baths to be enjoyed, including ordinary hot water baths, mud baths, sand baths and steam baths. In addition, the Hells of Beppu are several spectacular hot springs for viewing rather than bathing.

Taken from ===<click here>===

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Kagoshima

Sakurajima

Kagoshima is Kyushu's southernmost, major city and the capital of Kagoshima Prefecture. The city is often compared with its Italian sister city Naples due to a similarly mild climate, palm tree lined streets, relatively hot tempered inhabitants and Sakurajima, Kagoshima's Vesuvius.

Taken from ===<click here>===

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Minamata

Minamata Eco Park

Minamata City in southern Kumamoto Prefecture gained worldwide fame in the 1950s and 1960s through a mercury poisoning disaster, caused by a local factory's discharge of poisonous wastewater into Minamata Bay.

Thousands of local inhabitants fell victim to the poisoning, and the disease caused by mercury poisoning became globally known as the Minamata Disease, named after the city where it had first been discovered.

In recent decades, Minamata has been building on its negative history in a positive way and established itself as an environmental model city, promoting a wide range of recycling and environmental programs. The city is welcoming school and study tours from across Japan and the world for the study of environmental problems.

Home to about 30,000 people, Minamata is beautifully located along the coast of the Shiranui Sea with views onto the Amakusa Islands. Two hot spring resorts are located within the municipal limits of Minamata: mountainous Yunotsuru Onsen and coastal Yunoko Onsen.

Taken from ======

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Mount Aso

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.

Nakadake Crater

Not far from the Nakadake crater, Kusasenri-ga-hama is a grass covered plain with grazing cows and a few horses. Horse riding is possible from early March to mid December. On the opposite side of the road stands the Aso Volcano Museum.

Komezuka is a small, beautifully shaped volcanic cone on the northern slopes of Nakadake. There are pleasant walking trails in the vicinity (but not to the top) of Komezuka, however, easy access by public transportation is not provided.

Kusasenri-ga-hama
Komezuka

The Nakadake Crater can be reached in a 30-40 minute bus ride from JR Aso Station. There is one bus about every 1-2 hours. The one way trip costs 540 Yen, and is not covered by the Japan Rail Pass.

Buses go only as far as Asosan Nishi Station, from where it is a short ropeway ride (820 Yen round trip) to the crater. Alternatively you can walk to the crater in about 30 minutes.

Cars can drive all the way to a parking lot just next to the crater, but must pay 560 Yen for the last kilometers, which is a toll road.





Taken from ===<click here>===

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Kumamoto

Kumamoto Castle

The capital of Kumamoto Prefecture, Kumamoto is a major city on Kyushu's west coast with a population of 650,000. The city is most famous for its castle, which is one of Japan's largest.

Taken from ===<click here>===

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Nagasaki

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.

Taken from ===<click here>===

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Dazaifu

Dazaifu Tenmangu

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.

Taken from ===<click here>===

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Fukuoka

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 Fukuoka's central district and main railway station.

Taken from ===<click here>===

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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.



Taken from ===<click here>===

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Thursday, July 19, 2007

Kochi

Sunday Market

Kochi is the capital of Kochi Prefecture on the southern coast of Shikoku. The city has a nice, original castle and an attractive, southern flair.

Kochi is also the proud home town of popular Sakamoto Ryoma, who played a role in realizing the Meiji Restoration and was assassinated at a young age.

Taken from ===<Click here>===

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Matsuyama

View of the city from the castle

Matsuyama is Shikoku's largest city and capital of Ehime Prefecture. The city is most famous for Matsuyamajo, a beautiful, original castle and Dogo Hot Springs.

Taken from ===<click here>===

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Kotohira

Kompirasan

Kotohira is a small city in Kagawa Prefecture which is famous for Kompirasan, Shikoku's most popular shrine.

Taken from ==<click here>===

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Takamatsu

Ritsurin Koen

Takamatsu is the capital of Kagawa Prefecture, Japan's smallest prefecture. The Matsudaira Clan, relatives of the Tokugawa, controlled the former castle town and surrounding region, then known as Sanuki, during most of the Edo Period.

Taken from ===<Click here>===

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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.



Taken Fro ===<click here>===

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Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Narita

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.

Taken from ===<Click here>===

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Kusatsu

Yubatake

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 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.

Taken from ===<click here>===

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Monday, July 16, 2007

Kawagoe

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.

Taken from ===<Click Here>===

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Hakone

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.

Taken from ===<Click here>===

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Sunday, July 15, 2007

Nikko

Yomeimon at Toshogu

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.

Taken From ===<click here>===

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Kamakura

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.

Taken from ===<Click Here>===

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Saturday, July 14, 2007

Yokohama

With a population of over three million people, Yokohama is Japan's second largest city. It is located less than 30 minutes south of Tokyo by train, and is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture.

Towards the end of the Edo Period (1603-1867), during which Japan isolated herself from the rest of the world, Western nations forced the country to open its ports to foreign trade. In 1859, Yokohama's port became one of the first ports to be openend, and Yokohama quickly grew from a small fishing village into one of Japan's major cities.

Until today, the Yamate residential area retains a Western touch and houses many foreign residents, while Yokohama's Chinatown is one of the world's largest.

Taken from ===<click here>===

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Shibuya district

Shibuya is one of the twenty-three city wards of Tokyo, but often refers to just the popular shopping and entertainment area around Shibuya Station.

Shibuya is one of Tokyo's most colorful and busy districts and birthplace to many of Japan's fashion and entertainment trends. Most of the area's large department and fashion stores belong to either Tokyu or Seibu, two competing corporations.

A prominent landmark of Shibuya is the large intersection in front of the station (Hachiko Exit), which is heavily decorated by neon advertisements and giant video screens and gets crossed by amazingly large crowds of pedestrians each time the traffic light turns green.

Below is a map and list of some of Shibuya's other major attractions:

Points of Interest:

Hachiko Statue
A statue of a loyal dog named Hachiko. According to a famous story, the dog waited for his master every day in front of Shibuya Station, and continued to do so for years even after his master had passed away. It is one of Tokyo's most popular meeting points.
Tobacco and Salt Museum
Introducing the history of tobacco and salt in Japan and throughout the world. Information in English is limited. The museum is operated by Japan Tobacco (JT), whose predecessor used to monopolize the production and sale of tobacco and salt in Japan.
Open daily 10:00 to 18:00, except on Mondays (if Monday is a national holiday, the museum is open on Monday and closed on Tuesday) and from December 29 to January 3. Admission: 100 Yen.
Electric Power Museum (Denryokukan)
This museum by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) introduces various aspects of electric energy, such as the process of power generation and the role of electricity in society and everyday life. Information in English is limited.
Open daily 10:00 to 18:00, except on Wednesdays (if Wednesday is a national holiday, the museum is open on Wednesday and closed on Thursday). No closing days during the summer holidays (July 20 to August 31). Admission: free.
NHK Studiopark
NHK Studiopark is a part of the NHK Broadcasting Center, which is open to the public. It gives visitors a chance to look behind the scenes of television broadcasting, including the production of a live program on most days.
Open daily 10:00 to 18:00. Closed on the third Monday of each month, except in August and December and if the third Monday falls on a national holiday, in which case the Studiopark remains open on Monday but closes on Tuesday. Closed from December 25-31. Admission: 200 Yen.
National Yoyogi Stadium
Built for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics by renown architect Tange Kenzo, the stadium hosted the olympic swimming competitions. It is now also being used for ice skating and volleyball competitions, concerts and various other events.
Love Hotel Hill
This area of Shibuya has a high concentration of love hotels, which offer couples a private room for a 2-3 hour "rest" during the day (usually around 5000 Yen) or an overnight "stay" (usually around 10000 Yen).
Bunkamura
Located directly next to the Tokyu department store (main store), Bunkamura, lit. "culture village", consists of a concert hall, a theater, two cinemas, a museum with constantly changing exhibitions, and a few shops and restaurants.

Famous Streets:

Center Gai
The birthplace of many Japanese fashion trends, Center Gai is a busy pedestrian zone lined by stores, boutiques, game centers, night clubs and restaurants.
Koen Dori
Koen Dori, lit. "Park Street", is a popular shopping street leading from the Marui department store to Yoyogi Park. It was named after Parco department store (parco is Italian for park) and the fact that the street leads to Yoyogi Park.
Spain Slope
Spain Slope (Supeinzaka) is a narrow, approximately 100 meter long pedestrian street with stairs leading up the slope to the Parco department store. It is lined by boutiques, cafes and restaurants, and was nicknamed for resembling a Spanish street scene.

Tokyu Affiliated Shopping:

Tokyu
There are two Tokyu department stores in Shibuya: the main store with ten floors is located a 5-10 minute walk northwest of the station, while the Shibuya Station branch with twelve floors sits on top of the station.
The main store is open daily from 11:00 to 20:00 (some floors until 19:00, restaurants until 22:30). The Shibuya Station store is open daily from 10:00 to 21:00 (some floors until 20:00, restaurants until 22:30).
Shibuya 109
Shibuya 109 is a trend setting fashion complex for young women with more than one hundred boutiques on ten floors. Usually pronounced "Shibuya ichi maru kyu", the complex's name can also be read as "Shibuya to kyu", identifying the complex as part of the Tokyu Group.
Open daily 10:00 to 21:00 (restaurants from 11:00 to 22:30).
Shibuya Mark City
Shibuya Mark City is a small city within the city, located just next to JR Shibuya Station. It consists of a wide range of stores and restaurants, the Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu, office space, a bus terminal and the terminal station of the Keio Inokashira Line.
Shops open daily from 10:00 to 21:00. Restaurants open daily from 11:00 to 23:00. Exact opening hours depend on the individual stores.
Tokyu Hands
Promoted as "Creative Life Store", Tokyu Hands has everything from do-it-yourself, interior, hobby, crafts, outdoors to stationery and more. The Shibuya store spans eight floors.
Open daily from 10:00 to 20:30. Closed on some Wednesdays.

Seibu Affiliated Shopping:

Seibu
The Shibuya branch of the Seibu department store chain consists of nine floors, featuring mainly fashion goods and some fashion boutiques. Restaurants can be found on the top and bottom floors.
Open daily from 10:00 to 20:00 (until 21:00 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays). Occasional closing days.
Loft
Loft is Seibu's answer to Tokyu Hands, also offering a large array of products related to interior, hobby, crafts and gifts, but with a slightly less strong emphasis on do-it-yourself. The Loft Shibuya branch consists of seven floors.
Open daily from 10:00 to 21:00 (until 20:00 on Sundays and public holidays). Occasional closing days.
Parco
Parco is a shopping complex with an emphasis on fashion. The complex consists of numerous buildings in the Shibuya area: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Quattro, Zero Gate and more.
Open daily 10:00 to 21:00 (from 11:00 in case of some annex buildings). Restaurants open 11:00 to midnight. Occasional closing days.

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