I lived in Japan for two years and enjoyed every minute of it. At the end, I could get by with the Japanese I had acquired which made it possible to travel around by myself. Lots of people travel Japan who don't speak the language, but I can only imagine all the trouble they find and all the things and experiences they miss out on.

I visited all the major islands: Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku and Kyushu. Kyushu is the southernmost island and has Fukuoka, and Nagasaki. Hokkaido is the northernmost island with Sapporo being the largest city. Sapporo is famous for the beer named after it and the 1972 Winter Olympics. Honshu has the most to offer as it is the biggest and most populated. Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and Hiroshima are just some of the great cities on this island. I lived in northern Honshu, in a prefecture called Fukushima in a town called Koriyama. With four seasons, a great ski resorts nearby, the ocean not far away and being not so crowded, I couldn't ask for more. Only 90 minutes from Tokyo on the Tohoku Shinkansen (Northeastern bullet train), I was near a large (slight understatement) city but had the pleasures of living in the "Sticks."

I recommend the following to anyone going to Japan:

You should spend at least four days in Kyoto. Any less would be a crime as this is the only major city in Japan not destroyed in WWII. My favorite place in Kyoto is Kinkakuji Temple. It was so beautiful, I made an entire web page about it. Kyoto was spared during WWII because of its famous temples and shrines, a temple in nearby Nara has the oldest wooden buildings in the world. Nara also has the largest wooden building in the world (Todaiji Temple pictured here) which houses the largest bronze Buddha in Japan.

At least one night in a Japanese Inn (Ryokan). Sleeping in a Japanese style room in the Japanese way will be an incredible experience for you I promise.

A trip to a natural Hot Spring (Onsen). Men and women are usually separated, don't bring your bathing suit! Just a small towel is all that is on the dress code here. There are so many kinds of Springs as well, they have a spring for every ailment I think.

The most beautiful castle in Japan (and I think the world) is Himeji Castle in Himeji city. It was built about 400 years ago and survived marauding samurai, civil wars and even though Himeji city itself was bombed, Himeji castle survived even WWII. It appears to be five stories, but there are actually six stories. It has yet to be successfully attacked in it long history. Himeji is west of Osaka and can be reached by Bullet train and express train.

If you don't climb Mt. Fuji, at least take a trip to Hakone National Park which will allow incredible views of the most famous mountain in Japan. With hot springs, and Samurai roads and houses nearby, this is a great stop for everyone. Actually, with cable cars and trains that zigzag up mountains, getting there is the best part. Get the Hakone Free Pass (available at Shinjuku station but isn't free) and all transportation and many sights are included as well as discounts at many other places.

Hiroshima was destroyed on August 6, 1945 at 8:15 in the morning. That was the day the town changed from a military manufacturing center to the Peace Mecca it is today. A trip to the museum will be difficult but incredibly rewarding. You will not see any bad feelings toward Americans, just an unbiased display of the facts. In fact, if you are an American, you may even be interviewed by very polite Japanese school children doing a school project.

Try and visit the Hiroshima feudal castle which is surrounded by a moat and a beautiful park. It was a military headquarters during WWII and was completely destroyed by the A-bomb, but the faithful reproduction is certainly worth seeing. There is a museum of the city's history inside as well.

Be sure to try the oysters and sake (rice wine, pronounced "Saw Kay"), a Hiroshima specialty. One day, a friend and I spent 8000 yen ($80) for lunch, but it was worth every penny. You can find very inexpensive lunches elsewhere, but not with the private room and the service by women wearing beautiful kimonos. We tried every oyster dish known to man and each dish was served in such a beautiful fashion. The "experience" lasted over an hour and was a most relaxing and enjoyable break.

Nagasaki would be very famous today even if it didn't have the distinction of being the second and hopefully last city to be destroyed by a Nuclear weapon. The tiny island of DeShima, now actually surrounded by reclaimed land of Nagasaki so that it isn't an island anymore, was the only place foreigners were allowed for two hundred years of Japanese history (ending in the 19th century). The mix of Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, Japanese and other cultures make Nagasaki a must see!

Make sure you take a look at the Books I recommend reading on Japan on my Booklist.

North America:

I've driven from Canada to Florida several times. The drive isn't very interesting if you don't venture off the interstate, but if you stop in Washington, D.C. and see the White House, or camp out in the Smokey Mountains as a break, it becomes much more interesting.

I've taken a long trip down the Gold Coast of Florida to do some Scuba diving and made it all the way to Key West. The drive along highway US 1 is incredible, you drive from one island to another over bridges of up to seven miles long, until you arrive in a quaint town called Key West. There, every night, hundreds gather to see the sunset and watch the "Entertainers."

Don't go to the Bahamas in the summer unless you plan to do a lot of water sports. The temperature is a constant 30 degrees Celsius (more than 90 Fahrenheit)! The diving is incredible though! If you plan to go diving at Nassau, ask about the "James Bond Wrecks" where you can see the underwater sets of scenes from many 007 classics.

My favorite city in Canada (so far) is Toronto, home of the Toronto Blue Jays, Maple Leafs, Argonauts, and Raptors. Toronto has the world's tallest freestanding structure, the CN Tower and also has the world's first retractable dome, the Sky Dome. The NHL Hockey Hall of Fame is also in Toronto as well as many great restaurants, theaters and shops. If you like shopping you will want to head to the Eaton's Center, an absolutely huge mall, I think that some chains even have more than one outlet there!

San Francisco is a really great place. There are so many places to see there. The Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, Coit Tower, the streetcars, and all the different neighborhoods that all have their own character are great places to visit. It's a big city with a small town feel to it. If you are going to California, I suggest that you skip LA and head to SanFran!

Japanese Writing System

Want to read Japanese ON-LINE with your English computer system? Check out an ON-LINE Japanese language converter so you can see the Japanese characters when you visit Japanese Web Sites written in Japanese. Written Japanese has three character sets. The first two (Hiragana and Katakana) are similar in use to letters in English, but the third set (Kanji) is made up of thousands of "Pictographs." They are supposed to look like the idea they represent, but it often takes a LOT of imagination. The Kanjis are from China so people from China can read lots of Japanese but they can't speak Japanese (and vice versa). Be sure to check out My Japanese Page.

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