Facts at a Glance
Full country name: Japan (Nippon)
Area: 377,435 sq km (234,010 sq mi)
Population: 125 million
Capital city: Tokyo (pop 8 million)
People: Japanese (including indigenous Ainu), Korean
Language: Japanese
Religion: Shinto, Buddhist, Christian
Government: Constitutional monarchy
Head of State: Emperor Akihito
Prime Minister: Keizo Obuchi
 Environment
Japan floats like a dismembered seahorse along the eastern rim of
the Asian continent. Around 10,000 years ago, during the last big melt, sea levels rose
enough to flood the land bridge connecting Japan with the mainland. Today Japan consists
of a chain of islands (four major ones and some 1000 small ones) riding a 3000km (1860mi)
arc of mountains, the tallest of which is the perfectly symmetrical Mt Fuji
(3776m/12,385ft). Many of these mountains are volcanic, blessing the islands with numerous
hot springs and spectacular scenery, but at the same time bringing the danger of
earthquakes and tsunami (tidal waves). Japan has the dubious distinction of being one of
the most seismically active regions of the world. It is calculated that the country gets
around 1000 earthquakes a year, most of them too small to notice without sophisticated
seismic equipment or a very elaborate hairstyle.
 Getting wrecked in Japan:
earthquake aftermath (23K)
Japan's latitudinal spread, ranging from subtropical in the
south to sub-arctic in the north, makes for a wide diversity of flora and fauna. Much of
what you see in Japan today isn't what was there to begin with. This is not just because
of Japan's reckless flight into modernity (deforestation, pollution and acid rain) but
also because of relatively recent large scale importation of plants from Europe and the
USA. Fortunately, the sheer inaccessibility of much of Japan's mountainous topography has
preserved areas of great natural beauty - in particular the alpine regions of central
Honshu and the natural parks of Hokkaido. Japan's largest carnivorous mammals are its
bears - a brown bear (found in Hokkaido) can grow to a height of 2m (6.5ft) and weigh up
to 400kg (884lbs). Animals unique to Japan include the macaque, a medium-sized monkey, and
the giant salamander. The Iriomote wildcat, found in the Ryukyu island group, is
classified as a 'living fossil'.
Japan is frequently cast as an environmental vandal,
slaughtering whales and dolphins, hacking down rainforests and polluting the ocean and
atmosphere, all in the name of the rising yen. There's more than a little truth to it.
Japan's low level of green consciousness means that driftnet fishing still occurs, goods
are so over-packaged that consumption turns into solo pass-the-parcel, appliances are
thrown away with alarming abandon, and the demand for rainforest timber, mostly from
Malaysia, is unabated. Government action is more decisive when the Japanese environment is
directly affected (surprise!). Industrial air and water pollution has been curbed since
the choking mid-1970s, although photochemical smog remains a problem in Tokyo and other
urban centres.
The combination of Japan's mountainous territory, the
length of the archipelago and its proximity to the continental landmass makes for a
complex climate. The north has short summers and long winters with heavy snowfalls,
whereas the southern islands are generally milder and steamier. In the winter months
(December to February) cold, dry air from Siberia crashes into moister Pacific air masses,
causing massive snowfalls in Japan's west. The summer months (June to August) are
dominated by warm, moist air from the Pacific, producing high temperatures and humidity
throughout Japan. Late summer is typhoon season, bringing torrential rains and strong
winds, particularly to coastal regions.
 History
Japan's earliest settlers were fishers, hunters and food
gatherers who traipsed over the land bridges from Korea to the west and Siberia to the
north. It's also thought that seafaring migrants from Polynesia were part of the ethnic
blend. By 300 AD, the sun-worshipping Yamato kingdom had loosely unified the nation
through conquest and alliance. Buddhism was introduced from China in the mid-6th century
and soon became the state religion. Rivalry between Buddhism and Shinto, the traditional
religion of Japan, was diffused by presenting Shinto deities as manifestations of Buddha.
With the empire more or less stable, particularly after the
conquest of the indigenous Ainu in the 9th century, Japan's emperors began to devote more
time to leisure and scholarly pursuits and less time to government. Important court posts
were dominated by the noble but corrupt Fujiwara family. Out in the provinces, a new power
was on the rise: the samurai or 'warrior class' readily turned to arms to defend
its autonomy, and began to muscle in on the capital, Heian (modern day Kyoto). The Taira
clan briefly eclipsed the Fujiwara, and were ousted in turn by the Minamoto family in
1185. After assuming the rank of shogun (military leader), Minamoto Yoritomo set up
his HQ in Kamakura, while the emperor remained the nominal ruler in Kyoto. This was the
beginning of a long period of feudal rule by successive samurai families which lingered
until imperial power was restored in 1868.
The feudal centuries can be clunkily split into five main
periods. The Kamakura Period (1185-1333) saw repeated invasions by Kublai Khan's
Mongol armies. Japan managed to stave off the Mongols, but a weakened leadership lost the
support of the warrior class. Emperor Go-Daigo presided over the beginning of the Muromachi
Period (1333-1576), until a revolt masterminded by the disgruntled warrior Ashikaga
saw him flee to the hills. Ashikaga and his descendants ruled with gradually diminishing
effectiveness and Japan slipped into civil war and chaos. The various factions were
pacified and unified during the Momoyama Period (1576-1600) by Nobunaga and his
successor Hideyoshi. The quick spread of Christianity during the Christian Century
(1543-1640) was tolerated at first, then ferociously quashed as the interloping religion
came to be seen as a threat. During the Tokugawa Period (1600-1867), Tokugawa
Ieyasu defeated Hideyoshi's young heir and set up his headquarters at Edo (now Tokyo). The
emperor continued to exercise purely nominal authority in Kyoto while the Tokugawa family
led Japan into a period of national seclusion. Japanese were forbidden to travel overseas
or to trade abroad and foreigners were placed under strict supervision. The rigid emphasis
of these times on submitting unquestioningly to rules of obedience and loyalty has lasted
to the present day.
By the turn of the 19th century, the Tokugawa government
was stagnant and corrupt. Foreign ships started to probe Japan's isolation with increasing
insistence and famine and poverty weakened support for the government. In 1867 the ruling
shogun, Keiki, resigned and Emperor Meiji resumed control of state affairs, seeing Japan
through a crash course in westernisation and industrialisation. In 1889, Japan created a
western-style constitution, the tenets of which seeped into national consciousness along
with a swing back to traditional values. Japan's growing confidence was demonstrated by
the ease with which it trounced China in the Sino-Japanese War (1894-5) and the
Russo-Japanese War (1904-5). Under Meiji's son, Yoshihito, Japan sided with the Allies in
WWI. Rather than become heavily involved in conflict, however, Japan took the opportunity,
through shipping and trade, to expand its economy at top speed. Emperor Hirohito ascended
to the throne in 1926. A rising tide of nationalism was quickened by the world economic
depression that began in 1930. Popular unrest led to a strong increase in the power of the
militarists: Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 and, in 1937, entered into full-scale
hostilities against China.
Japan signed a tripartite pact with Germany and Italy in
1940 and, when diplomatic attempts to gain US neutrality failed, the Japanese launched
themselves into WWII with a surprise attack on Pearl Harbour on 7 December 1941. At first
Japan scored rapid successes, pushing its battle fronts across to India, down to the
fringes of Australia and out into the mid-Pacific. The Battle of Midway opened the US
counterattack, puncturing Japanese naval superiority and turning the tide of war against
Japan. By August 1945, with Japan driven back on all fronts, a declaration of war by the
Soviet Union and the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it was all over.
Emperor Hirohito announced unconditional surrender. Japan was occupied until 1952 by
Allied forces who aimed to demilitarise the country and dismantle the power of the
emperor. A recovery programme enabled the economy to expand rapidly and Japan became the
world's most successful export economy, generating massive trade surpluses and dominating
such fields as electronics, robotics, computing, car production and banking.
With the arrival of the 1990s, the old certainties seemed
to vanish. Japan's legendary economic growth slowed to a virtual standstill and in 1993,
after 38 years at the helm, the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) succumbed to a
spate of scandals and was swept out of power. (The LDP was ushered back within the year.)
In January 1995 a massive earthquake struck Kobe: government reactions were slow and
confused, shattering Japan's much vaunted earthquake preparedness. To top it all off, just
a couple of months later a millennial cult with doomsday ambitions engineered a poison gas
attack on the Tokyo subway system. Observers agree that Japan is changing: international
market forces and a savvy electorate are impinging on the once cosy system of political
kickbacks and backroom deals that characterised business and government. A stalled
economy, huge losses by Japanese banks, sinking share prices and regional instability have
all taken the shine off Japan Inc - in early 1998 Japan's banks were in such a bad state
that they had to be bailed out by the US government. Voter backlash against the state of
Japan's economy severely shook the ruling LDP in mid-1998, and Prime Minister Hashimoto
stood down as a result. He was replaced by Keizo Obuchi, an LDP stalwart - observers
predict no great changes in the way the country is run.
 Economic Profile
GDP: US$3927 billion
GDP per head: US$31,451
Annual growth: 0%
Inflation: 2%
Major industries: Motor vehicles, office machinery, chemicals
Major trading partners: USA, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Germany, China
Culture
Until the last century, the main influences on Japanese art came
from China and Korea, but a distinct Japanese aesthetic was present from early on. There
is a fascination with the ephemeral (such as in ikebana, the art of flower
arrangement), with the unadorned, and with forms that echo the randomness of nature. A
gift for caricature is also present, from early Zen ink paintings right up to the manga
(comics) of contemporary Japan. There is a wildness and passion and an interest in the
grotesque or the bizarre visible in many works, from Buddhist scrolls depicting the
horrors of hell to the highly stylised renderings of body parts in the wood block
prints of the Edo period.
Trad costumes, rad style
(21K)
The Japanese aesthetic is writ large in its architecture,
from graceful Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, to elaborate castles
and practical gossamer-thin houses (built to keep cool in summer and to crumple
lightly in earthquakes). Precise physical composition is also evident in Japanese gardens,
meticulously planned no matter how haphazard they may look. The two most famous Japanese
performance traditions are kabuki (melodramatic theatre of spectacle) and no
(formal masked theatre), both of which can be seen in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Ancient
Japanese gagaku music uses drums, and Japanese instruments resembling the
lute, plucked zither, oboe and flute. Pop music is massive in Japan: indigenous groups
usually feature a gorgeous lead singer of irrelevant talents. Girl punk groups have
recently been getting a good airing in the hungry world of indie music.
Cutting loose: punky
attitude, chunky hair (25K)
Much of Japan's early literature was written by women,
partly because men wrote in imported Chinese characters while women wrote in Japanese
script. Among these early female authors is Murasaki Shikibu, who wrote perhaps Japan's
most important work of literature, The Tale of Genji, about the intrigues of early
Japanese court life. The revered poet, Matsuo Basho, invented just-so haiku poetry
in the 17th century. More modern literati include controversial Yukio Mishima, provocative
Murakami Ryu and cool cat Banana Yoshimoto.
Sumo do, sumo don't (26K)
Set aside several years if you want to learn to read
Japanese. Japan has one of the most complex writing systems in the world, using three
different scripts (four if you include the increasingly used Roman script romaji).
Fortunately, for visitors to Japan, it's not all bad news. Unlike other Asian languages,
Japanese is not tonal and the pronunciation system is fairly easy to master. In fact, with
a little effort, getting together a repertoire of travellers' phrases should be no trouble
- the only problem will be understanding what people say back to you.
Burning incense at a
Buddhist temple (21K)
Shinto (the native religion of Japan), Buddhism (a much
travelled foreign import originating in India), Confucianism (a Chinese import that is
less a religion than a code of ethics), and even Christianity all play a role in
contemporary Japanese social life, and are defining in some way of the Japanese world
view. 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
its introduction in the 6th century.
Japanese
banquet...wa-wa-wasabi! (31K)
Eating is half the fun of being in Japan, and the
adventurous eater will be delighted to know that Japanese food is far more than the sushi,
tempura and sukiyaki for which it is best known in other countries. With the exception of shokudo
(all round eateries) and izakaya (the equivalent of a pub with meals), most
Japanese restaurants specialise in one type of cuisine. In a cook-it-yourself okonomiyaki
restaurant, diners choose a mixture of meat, seafood and vegetables to fry up in a cabbage
and vegetable batter; a robatayaki is a rustic drinking restaurant specialising in
charcoal grills. There are a variety of cook-at-your-table restaurants where you'll end up
eating sukiyaki (thinly sliced beef, vegetables and tofu cooked in broth), shabu-shabu
(beef and vegies cooked by swirling them in broth and then dipped in sauces) or nabemono
(a participatory fry-up, with each diner putting in ingredients from trays of prepared raw
food). It's possible to eat relatively cheaply by sticking to humble shokudo, or eating
bento boxes (set meals) from cheaper restaurants or cafeteria-style places.
Go for the glow (23K)
Drinking is the glue that holds Japanese society together.
It is practised by almost every adult, male or female, and a good number of teenagers.
Beer is the favourite tipple of the Japanese and it's dispensed everywhere from vending
machines to temple lodgings. Sake (rice wine) is served warm or cold, with the warm
stuff especially likely to go straight to your head. Sake hangovers are memorable, so
drink carefully. Japanese green tea contains a lot of vitamin C and caffeine. It's very
healthy and refreshing and is said by some to prevent cancer.
Events
Expect a total sell-out for travel and lodging during Japan's
biggest holidays, New Year (29 December to 6 January) and Golden Week (the
lumping together of Green Day, Constitution Day and Children's Day from 27 April to 6
May). Other festivals include Adult's Day (15 January), when ceremonies are held
for boys and girls who have reached the age of majority (20). The Japanese celebrate the
end of winter in association with Adult's Day by indulging in bean throwing while chanting
'in with good fortune, out with the devils'. Hanami (Blossom Viewing) usually runs
from February to April; the romantic Tanabata Matsuri (Star Festival) is on 7 July;
and O Bon (Festival of the Dead), when lanterns are floated on rivers, lakes or the
sea to signify the return of the departed to the underworld, takes place in mid-July and
August.
Painted faces &
platform soles: Japanese festive get-up (24K)
Kyoto's Gion Matsurai (17 July) is perhaps the most
renowned of all Japanese festivals. The climax is a parade of massive man-dragged floats
decked out in incredible finery, harking back to a 9th century request to the gods to end
a plague sweeping the city. In the cute and kooky department, Niramekko Obisha (20
January; Chiba) combines a staring contest with consumption of sake - the one with
the straightest face wins. The Yah-Yah Matsuri Festival (early February; Owase) is
an argument contest: competitors yell 'yah! yah!' and try to look fearsome. Knickers
Giving Day (14 March) is a bizarre follow up to Valentine's Day: men are supposed to
give a gift of panties to their lady.
 Facts for the Traveller
Visas: US passport holders and most EU residents do not
require a visa if staying in Japan less than 90 days. Visitors from Australia and South
Africa are amongst those who are required to get a visa.
Health risks: None
Time: GMT/UTC plus nine hours
Electricity: 100V; 50 Hz (Tokyo and eastern Japan), 60 Hz (western Japan).
Weights & measures: Metric (see the conversion table.)
 Money & Costs
Currency: Yen (Š)
Relative costs:
- Budget meal: US$5-8
- Moderate restaurant meal: US$12-25
- Top-end restaurant meal: US$30-70
- Budget room: US$18-25
- Moderate hotel: US$35-70
- Top-end hotel: US$100-200
Japan is probably the most expensive country in the world to
travel, but there are ways of keeping the outlays to an almost bearable level. A skeleton
daily budget, assuming you stay in the cheapest hostels, eat modestly and travel short
distances, would work out to US$50. Add about US$10 for extras like snacks, drinks,
admission fees and entertainment. Staying in Japanese style B&Bs or business hotels
and eating in restaurants can easily have the ticker tipping US$100. Long-distance travel
is a real budget buster in Japan - if you intend travelling widely in a short space of
time, it's well worth investing in a rail pass. At the other end of the spectrum, high
rollers will have no problems off-loading their cash. Japan specialises in establishments
catering to the ostentatious flattery of business accounts - the higher the bill, the
greater the prestige of the guests.
Cash is still king in Japan, although the use of credit
cards is pretty widespread in major cities. The Japanese are used to a very low crime rate
and often carry wads of cash for the almost sacred ritual of cash payment. Foreign
travellers can safely copy the cash habit, but should still take the usual precautions.
You can change cash or travellers' cheques at an 'Authorised Foreign Exchange Bank' or at
some of the large hotels and stores. US dollars are preferred; trying to exchange
Taiwanese or Korean currency is a fruitless task.
There is little tipping or bargaining in Japan. If you want
to show your gratitude to someone, give them a gift rather than a tip. Bargaining is
largely restricted to discount electronics districts where a polite request will often
bring the price down by around 10%.
 When to Go
Spring (March to May), with its clear skies and cherry blossoms,
is probably the most celebrated Japanese season, but it's a holiday period for the
Japanese and many of the more popular travel destinations tend to be flooded with domestic
tourists. Autumn (September to November) is a great time to travel: the temperatures are
pleasant and the autumn colours in the countryside are fantastic. Mid-winter (December to
February) can be bitterly cold, while the sticky summer months (June to August) can turn
even the briefest excursion out of the air conditioning into a soup bath. On the plus
side, major tourist attractions will generally be quieter at these times of the year. It's
also worth considering peak holiday seasons when you plan your trip. Moving around and
finding accommodation during New Year, Golden Week (late April to early May) and the
mid-summer O-bon festival can be a real headache.
 Attractions
Tokyo
The sheer level of energy is the most striking aspect of Japan's
capital city. It's true the larger picture can be somewhat depressing - shoebox housing
estates and office blocks traversed by overhead expressways crowded with traffic. But this
is the Japanese success story in action. The average Tokyo suburb hasn't fallen prey to
supermarket culture though: streets are lined with tiny specialist shops and bustling
restaurants, most of which stay open late into the night. Close to the soaring office
blocks exist pockets of another Tokyo - an old wooden house, a kimono shop, a Japanese
inn, an old lady in a kimono sweeping the pavement outside her home with a straw broom.
More than anything else, Tokyo is a place where the urgent rhythms of consumer culture
collide with the quieter moments that linger from older traditions. It's a living city and
you'll never run out of things to explore.
Tokyo is a vast conurbation spreading out across the Kanto
Plain from Tokyo-wan Bay. Almost completely rebuilt after an earthquake in 1923 and again
after US air raids in WWII, Tokyo has literally risen from the ashes. It's roughly split
into the flashy commercial and business districts west of the central Ginza shopping
precinct, and the more down-to-earth residential neighbourhoods to the east. For visitors,
nearly everything of interest lies either on or within the JR Yamanote line, the rail loop
that circles central Tokyo.
Magical memories of Tokyo don't consist of regular
sightseeing as this isn't a city of architectural brilliance flooded with monuments.
Pragmatic considerations were foremost in the postwar rebuilding, which has made for some
pretty dull streetscapes. The real Tokyo experiences are soaking up the hustle and bustle
and revelling in the pockets of calm. Ginza is the most famous shopping area in
Tokyo: it's opulent, vital and popular, and is the place to be seen emptying your
wallet. Ginza is overflowing with small private galleries, too, making it a lovely place
to browse even if you're not looking to buy. Ueno-koen Park north of the centre has
some of Japan's best museums and galleries. The Tokyo National Museum holds the
world's largest selection of Japanese art; the National Science Museum is a massive
free-for-all packed with scientific goodies; and the Shitamachi History Museum is a
recreation of the plebeian downtown quarters of old Tokyo.
Box of neon nature, Tokyo
(27K)
Long considered the heart of old downtown, Asakusa,
north-east of the centre, is one of the few places where you can experience something of
the real-life flavour of old Shitamachi. The big attraction here is Senso-ji Temple,
probably the liveliest place of Buddhist worship in all Japan, but the whole area is great
for a wander: Asakusa was once an infamous 'pleasure district', a fairground of theatre,
music and the seedier side, and vestiges of gaudiness and glamour remain. Shinjuku,
west of the centre, is present-day Tokyo's rowdiest entertainment quarter. If you have
only a day in town and want to dive headfirst into the modern Japanese phenomenon, this
sprawling, relentless district is the place to go. Nearly everything that makes Tokyo
interesting bashes elbows here: high-class department stores, discount shopping arcades,
flashing neon, government offices, swarming push-and-shove crowds, streetside video
screens, stand-up noodle bars, hostess clubs, tucked-away shrines and sleazy strip bars.
Tokyo is an expensive place to bed down. There are a couple
of youth hostels west of the centre and some relatively cheap options in Ueno and
Ikebukuro. Otherwise, Shinjuku can be a good bet, if you don't mind squishing into a
capsule hotel. Shinjuku is also one of the best eating areas. Ueno and Asakusa are good
places for traditional Japanese food. Ginza is good by day, but is best avoided for
evening eating - it's invariably expensive.
Mt Fuji
Japan's highest mountain (3776m/12,385ft) is the only natural
feature most visitors to Japan are sure they want to check out. Fuji-san is a perfectly
symmetrical volcanic cone which last blew its top in 1707, covering the streets of Tokyo
100km (62mi) away with volcanic ash. On an exceptionally clear day, you can see Mt Fuji
from Tokyo, but for much of the year you'd be pushed to see it from 100m (328ft) away as
Mt Fuji is a notoriously reclusive mountain, often hidden by cloud. The views are usually
best in winter and early spring when a snow cap adds to the spectacle.
Mt Fuji, alluring when you
can see it (22K)
Officially the climbing season is July and August, and the
Japanese, who love to do things 'right', pack in during those busy months. You can
actually climb Mt Fuji at any time of year, but a mid-winter ascent is strictly for
experienced mountaineers. Whenever you tackle it, the climb should be taken seriously:
it's just high enough for altitude sickness and the weather can be viciously changeable.
The best time to reach the top is dawn - both to see the sunrise and because early morning
is the time the mountain is least likely to be shrouded in cloud. This means either
starting in the afternoon, staying overnight in a mountain hut (expensive) and continuing
early in the morning, or climbing the whole way at night.
The Fuji Five Lakes arched around the northern side
of the mountain are popular with Japanese daytrippers from Tokyo. They offer water sports,
amusement parks, ice caves and good views of Mt Fuji. The quickest way to get to the Fuji
area is by bus from Tokyo's Shinjuku terminal. There's a comprehensive bus network in the
area servicing the lower hill region and the lakes area.
Kyoto
Kyoto, with its hundreds of temples and gardens, was the imperial
capital between 794 and 1868, and it continues to function as the major cultural centre of
Japan. Although business and industry are closing in on the traditional architecture,
Kyoto still has the raked pebble gardens, the sensuous contours of a temple roof, and the
latter-day geishas that western cliché-hunters long for. The Imperial Palace is
one of the few sights in central Kyoto. The present building was constructed in 1855 and
can only be visited as part of a tour. The eastern part of Kyoto, notably the Higashiyama
district, merits top priority for a visit to its fine temples, peaceful walks and
traditional night entertainment in Gion. The Sanjusangen-do Temple is a
particular highlight. It houses 1001 statues of the Thousand-Armed Kannon (the Buddhist
goddess of mercy). There are a number of superb Zen temples in north-west Kyoto including Kinkaku-ji
Temple, which was burned to the ground by an obsessed monk in 1950, and later rebuilt
complete with gold-foil covering. The Takao District tucked away in the city's
north-west, is famed for its autumn foliage. Himeji-jo Castle, an easy day trip
from Kyoto, is the most splendid Japanese castle still standing. It's known as the 'White
Egret', a title which derives from the castle's stately white form.
Gorgeous grounds of Kyoto's
Kinkaku-ji Temple (24K)
There are hundreds of festivals in Kyoto during the year:
booking accommodation well in advance is essential. The most spectacular are Aoi
Matsuri (15 May) which commemorates the 6th century prayers of the people for the gods
to stop calamitous weather; Gion Matsuri (17 July), Japan's most renowned festival,
which climaxes with a massive parade; Damon-ji Gozan Okuribi (16 August) when
enormous fires are lit to bid farewell to the souls of ancestors; and Kurama-no-Himatsuri
Fire Festival (22 October) when portable shrines are paraded through the streets
accompanied by youths with flaming torches.
Most mid-priced accommodation is to the north and
north-west of the city although there are a couple of spiffy hostels to the east. Central
Kyoto is excellent for digging up reasonably priced Japanese and international food.
Eastern Kyoto is good for yakitori and western-style restaurants.
Daisetsuzan National Park
Japan's largest national park (2309 sq km/1432 sq mi) is in
central Hokkaido, the northernmost and second largest of Japan's islands. The park, which
consists of several mountain groups, volcanoes, lakes and forests, is spectacular hiking
and skiing territory. It's almost insanely popular in summer and early autumn when you
really need a few days to get away from the crowds. Sounkyo is the tourist hub of
the park: there's a hot-spring resort and a gorge here, and this is a good gateway for
hikes into the interior of the park. Furano is one of Japan's most famous ski
resorts - its powder skiing is considered by some to be the best in the world. A short
distance north-east of Furano are the remote hot-spring villages of Tokachidake Onsen
and Shirogane Onsen which make good crowd-free bases for hiking and skiiing.
Nagasaki
Nagasaki is a busy and colourful city but its unfortunate fate as
the second atomic bomb target obscures its fascinating early history of contact with the
Portuguese and Dutch. Ukrami, the epicentre of the atomic explosion, is today a
prosperous, peaceful suburb which encompasses the chilling A-Bomb Museum, an
evocative reminder of the horror of nuclear destruction; and the Hypocentre Park,
which has a black stone column marking the exact point above which the bomb exploded plus
relics and ruins from the blast. A bell in the turtle-shaped Fukusai-ji Zen Temple
tolls at 11.02 am daily, the time of the explosion. One of the world's biggest Foucault
Pendulums (a device which demonstrates the rotation of the earth) hangs inside the temple.
At the southern end of Nagasaki, a number of the former
homes of the city's European residents have been reassembled in the hillside Glover
Garden. Moving stairways, fountains and goldfish give it the air of a cultural
Disneyland, but the houses are attractive and the views across Nagasaki are superb. An
hour north of Nagasaki is Huis ten Bosch, an astounding recreation of a Dutch town,
complete with windmills, dykes, a replica of the Dutch royal family's residence, and a
cheese shop. Amazingly, this is a residential development with housing for 10,000 people
who want to live in a sanitised version of the Netherlands on the southernmost island of
Japan.
 Off the Beaten Track
Kirishima National Park
Kirishima, in southern Kyushu, is known for its superb mountain
scenery, hot springs, the impressive Senriga-taki Waterfall and spring wildflowers. The
day walk from Ebino-kogen Village to the summits of a string of volcanoes is one of the
finest volcanic hikes in Japan. Shorter walks include a stroll around a series of volcanic
lakes - Lake Rokkannon has the most intense colour, a deep blue-green. The southern
view from the summit of Mt Karakuni-dake is superb: on a clear day you can see
right down to Kagoshima, the nearest large city, and the smoking cone of Sakurajima,
a decidedly overactive volcano. A direct bus runs from Kagoshima to Ebino-kogen.
Noto-Hanto Peninsula
For an enjoyable combination of rugged seascapes, traditional
rural life and a light diet of cultural sights, this peninsula is highly recommended.
Poking up from northern Honshu, the wild, unsheltered western side of the peninsula is
probably of most interest, as it is less developed than the indented eastern coastline.
There are dozens of festivals in the region, including Wajima's Gojinjo Daiko Nabune
Festival (31 July to 1 August) which features wild drumming performed by demon-masked
drummers with seaweed headgear and the Ishizaki Hoto Festival (early August) which
is famed for its parade of tall lantern poles. Noto-Hanto Peninsula is easily accessible
by train from Kanazawa, Takaoka or Toyama.
Love Hotel Hill
In Tokyo's Shibuya district is a concentration of love hotels
catering to all tastes. The buildings ranges from miniature Gothic castles to Middle
Eastern temples. The rooms within can fulfil most fantasies, with themes ranging from
harem extravaganza to sci-fi. Further choices can include vibrating beds, wall-to-wall
mirrors, bondage equipment and video recorders (don't forget to take the tape with you
when you leave).
Wears the soap (25K)
Inside the entrance to a love hotel there is usually a
screen with illuminated pictures of the various rooms available. You select a room by
pressing the button underneath a room's picture and proceed to the cashier. Although the
emphasis is on discretion, customers are not necessarily engaging in some naughty nookie;
the hotels are also used by married couples who lack space at home for relaxing
together.
Seagaia
The Seagaia Ocean Dome is mind-boggling: it's a 140m (460ft)
white sand beach complete with splash of ocean under a permanently blue 'sky', all in a
completely controlled 'natural' environment. This all becomes even stranger when you
realise that the complex is just a stone's throw from bona fide surf and sandy beaches
along Kyushu's Miyazaki-ken coastline. It's the apotheosis of the Japanese obsession with
germ-free fun and amusement parks. Seagaia is accessible by bus from balmy Miyazaki, a
reasonably large city on the south-east coast of Kyushu.
 Activities
Many of Japan's national parks have hiking routes. Around
Tokyo, the popular hiking areas are Nikko and Chichibu-Tama National Park. There are good,
but isolated hikes in Gumma prefecture and in the Kansai region of Nara. To experience a
Japan that few foreigners see, head for the mountainous, less populated Central Alps. Skiing
is normally possible from December to April. The majority of resorts are on the island of
Honshu, but there's also great powder skiing on Hokkaido. The Okinawan islands in the far
south-west of Japan are popular diving destinations. Cycling is most popular
in the less hilly coastal regions, although intrepid cyclists have been known to ride up
Mt Fuji! Golf equals prestige in Japan. If you want to set foot on a green, a fat
wallet and corporate clout are handy assets. Green fees usually start at around US$100 a
day.
Getting There & Away
There are flights to Japan from all over the world, usually to
Tokyo but also to a number of other Japanese airports. Consider arriving elsewhere than in
Tokyo's impersonal Narita airport - it can be an unpleasant and tedious introduction to
Japan. There are a few sea transportation options between Japan and South Korea. The
cheapest is the Shimonoseki-Pusan ferry which runs nightly across the Sea of Japan in both
directions. Between Fukuoka and Pusan there's both an ultra-fast (3 hours) hydrofoil and a
ferry (15 hours). To China, there are ferries connecting Shanghai to Osaka, Kobe and
Nagasaki; there's also a weekly ferry from Kobe to Tanggu (near Tianjin). To Taiwan, a
weekly ferry leaves from Okinawa. For travellers intending to take the Trans-Siberian
Railway to Moscow, there's a weekly ferry service between Yokohama and the Russian port of
Nakhoda near Vladivostok.
Getting Around
Flying is an efficient way to travel from the main islands to any
of the small islands, and is often not much more expensive than going by rail. Check if
you qualify for discounts - there are some weird and wonderful ones (for example JAL
offers discounts for 3 or more women travelling together, or for a husband and wife if
their combined age totals 88 or more). Train is the way to travel in Japan. The
trains are fast, frequent, clean, comfortable and often very expensive. Services range
from small local lines to the shinkansen super-expresses or 'bullet trains' which have
become a symbol of modern Japan. Shinkansen reach speeds of up to 270km/h (167mi/h), are
spookily efficient and can be travelled on with one of Japan's few travel bargains, the
Rail Pass. Rail Passes must be pre-purchased overseas and are valid for almost all Japan
Rail services. Intercity buses are generally slower than trains, but they are markedly
cheaper. Also, unless you've got a sleeper, travelling overnight in a reclining bus seat
can be preferable to sitting upright on the train.
Driving in Japan is much more feasible than it's normally
made out to be. You wouldn't want to get behind the wheel in Tokyo, but elsewhere the
roads are fairly well signposted in English, other drivers are mostly considerate and
cautious, petrol is no more expensive than it is in Europe (which means it's about 3 times
the price it is in the US), and parking is not as difficult to find as popular mythology
suggests. Motorcycling can be a great way of getting around Japan; 50cc 'step-thrus' are
often available for local sightseeing and you don't need a motorbike licence to drive one.
Traffic in Japan moves on the left.
Exploring Japan by bicycle is perfectly feasible. The
secret of enjoyable touring is to get off the busy main highways and onto the minor
routes. Ferries are an excellent way of seeing parts of Japan you might otherwise miss.
The densest network of ferry routes connects Kyushu, Shikoku and the southern coast of
Western Honshu, across the waters of the Inland Sea. Ferries also connect the mainland
islands with the many smaller islands off the coast and those dotted down to Okinawa and
beyond to Taiwan.
Local transport is generally efficient. The largest cities
have subway systems which are the fastest and most convenient way to get around. Almost
every Japanese city will have a bus service, but it's usually the most difficult for
foreigners to use. Trams, which operate in a number of cities, are easier to negotiate.
Taxis are convenient but (quelle surprise) expensive.
Recommended Reading
- Alan Booth's The Roads to Sata traces a four month journey
on foot from the northern tip of Hokkaido to Sata, the southern tip of Kyushu.
- Japan: A Short Cultural History by George B Sansom, though
written some 40 years ago, is still among the best introductions to Japanese
history.
- The best primer on the role of religion in Japanese society is
Robert S Elwood & Richard Pilgrim's Japanese Religion: A Cultural Perspective.
- Inside Japan by Peter Tasker is an excellent wide-ranging
introduction to modern Japanese culture, society and the economy.
- Alex Kerr's Lost Japan, part of Lonely
Planet's Journeys series of travel literature, draws on the author's experiences in Japan
over 30 years.
- Karo Taro Greenfield's Speedtribes - Children of the Japanese
Bubble is an entertaining foray into the drug-peddling, computer-hacking underworld of
disaffected Japanese youth.
- Subtle and resonant works by trendy Banana Yoshimoto include N.P,
Kitchen and Lizard.
 Lonely
Planet Guides
 Travellers'
Reports
 On-line
Info
- Take the subWWWay to Japan
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