About Japan

Japan has many attractions, the main highlights being castles, gardens, hot springs, shrines, temples and natural scenery.

Japan seems to have an abundance of castles. Probably the greatest castle in Japan is the Himeji-jo. Himeji-jo combines elegance and impregnability. It towers above the plain it was built on, which gave it its name "White Egret". This castle is located an easy day trip from Kyoto.

Matsumoto-jo Castle, located in Central Honshu is another fascinating Japanese castle that has withstood the march of the years remarkably well Hirosaki-jo Castle is not quite as stunning as the others, but it does have the added attraction of a well preserved samurai quarter.

Conveniently near Kyoto are the pleasant lake side Hikone-jo and the small Inuyama-jo castles. Edo Castle was once the largest castle in the World, today its huge moats and walls surround the Tokyo Imperial Palace.

Japan is famed for its beautiful gardens, and whether they are the larger Edo ‘stroll gardens’ or the small Zen gardens, there is always an intense attention to detail.

Kyoto has almost too many gardens to mention. Among the best smaller Zen gardens outside Kyoto are the beautiful Komyo-ji at Dazaifu, the Joei-ji in Yamaguchi
and the Raikyu-ji at Takahashi. Other large gardens include the Ritsurin-koen in Takamatsu, the Suizenji-koen in Kumamoto, with its miniature Mt Fuji and the
Iso-teien, in Kagoshima, that has a real smoking volcano. Hikone has the very beautiful GenkyFi-en Garden. The Sankei-en Park in Yokohama is also very fine.

Japan is a mountainous country with many areas of great natural beauty.

The three best views in Japan are the 'floating' torii of Miya-jima Island, the long sandspit of Amanoha shidate and the bay of Matsushima, with its pine-covered islands. The misty,
island-dotted waters of the Inland Sea would also have to be one of the most beautiful sights.

Some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Japan is found in
Nagano-ken (Kamikochi and Hakuba) and northern Gifu-ken (Takayama and
the Shokawa Valley region).

Mt Fuji, the much climbed symbol of Japan, is a must see. It is spectacular.

Kyushu has some wonderful volcanic scenery, such as Mt Aso, the bleak, Kirishima
National Park, and Sakurajima near Kagoshima.

The three great shrine centres are Ise, Nikko and lzurno Taisha. Izumo Thisha has the largest and, oldest shrine in Japan. Kyoto has many impressive shrines.

The most important temples in Japan are found in Kyoto and Nara and the surrounding Kansai region.

Important Kyoto temples include the Daitoku-ji, with its gardens, the ancient Kiyomizu-dera with its superb hillside site; the 13th-century Sanjusangen-do and the To-ji. Nara has the Toshodai-ji and the Todai-ji, with its Great Buddha. Also in the Kansai region is Kobo Daishi's mountaintop Koya-san, the wonderful Horyu-ji and the Byodo-in in Uji, one of the most famous buildings in Japan.

There are more than 2000 hot springs (onsen) to choose from in Japan. The baths are found almost everywhere. The most famous hot springs are probably Dogo Onsen in Shikoku and Beppu in Kyushu.

Culture

Festivals and cultural events are deeply rooted and observed in Japan. Some of the most well known festivals are the cherry blossom festival which celebrates the day of spring and the colourful "Obon" festival (Buddhist all souls' day) which marks the height of summer. 

Shinto, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and even Christianity all play a role in contemporary Japanese social life. Religions, for the most part, are not exclusive of each other. Shinto grew out of an awe for manifestations of nature such as sun, water, rocks, trees and even sounds. All such natural features were felt to have their god and shrines were erected in particularly sacred spots. Many Shinto beliefs were incorporated into Japanese Buddhist practices after Buddhism was introduced in the 6th century.

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Transport

Trains and Subway:
Several larger cities have mass transit rail systems as well as subway systems. The rail systems are usually the fastest and most convenient way of getting around the major cities. Japan also has a rail system between cities but it would be best to pre-book tickets for these trips to ensure seats are available.

Buses:
Most Japanese cities will have bus services, but it can be a difficult form of transport. The bus system is subject to the usual traffic delays and they do not always show numbers or destinations of the buses. Tour buses can also be a good way to travel, but they would have to be pre-booked. The only problem that will arise is that tours are usually spoken in Japanese and they may visit sights of little interest.

Taxis:
Taxis are a convenient way of travel but can be expensive. They can be found in some small towns and not just the major cities.

Boat and Ferry:
There are many ferry services throughout Japan and this is some times the only way to travel to some of the islands found around Japan. Booking is not essential but it might be an idea to find timetables and prices once in Japan. Boat tours around the island regions do operate and these are essential to pre-book.

Air Travel:
There is an air network through out Japan and it can be much faster than other forms of transport. It can be an effective form of travel to the smaller island regions, especially if time is of the essence. There are five major domestic airports in Japan as well as numerous local operators.

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