Japan offers a myriad of wonderful and appealing attractions: great cultural diversity, colorful and inspiring natural wonders beautifully interwoven by four distinctive seasonal changes, and the boundless hospitality of its people. Japan is thus gaining tremendously in popularity as a truly unique tourist destination that is easily accessible from any part of the world. It is a destination anyone can enjoy on a reasonable budget and with a sense of complete security. With its genuine and heart-warming hospitality, Japan awaits you!

Somewhere between the elegant formality of Japanese manners and the candid, sometimes boisterous exchanges that take place over a few drinks, between the sanitised shopping malls and the unexpected rural festivals, everyone finds their own vision of Japan.

Japan's earliest settlers were fishers, hunters and gatherers who slogged 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 AD 300, 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 Shint¨­, the traditional religion of Japan, was diffused by presenting Shint¨­ deities as manifestations of Buddha.

Japan is a beautiful country.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 midsummer O-Bon festival can be a real headache.

Attractions in Japan

Tokyo
The sheer level of energy is the most striking aspect of Japan's capital city. 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 hectic madness leavened by the Zennest of calms.

What makes Tokyo fascinating is the tension between mammoth scale and meticulous detail. Sightseeing in its streets can be a neon assault that leaves you elated and breathless or an encounter with the exquisite art of understatement. Jump aboard the subway and see how one city is really many.

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.

Kyoto
Kyoto, with its hundreds of temples and gardens, was the imperial capital between 794 and 1868, and remains the cultural centre of Japan. Its raked pebble gardens, sensuously contoured temple roofs and latter-day geishas fulfill the Japanese fantasy of every Western clich¨¦ hunter.

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. The chilling A-Bomb Museum and Hypocentre Park are evocative reminders of the horror of nuclear destruction.

Kirishima National Park
Kirishima, in southern Ky¨±sh¨±, is known for its superb mountain scenery, hot springs, the impressive Senriga-taki waterfall and spring wildflowers. The day walk from Ebino-k¨­gen 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 - Rokkannon Mi-ike has the most intense colour, a deep blue-green. The southern view from the summit of 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-k¨­gen.

Love Hotel Hill
In Tokyo's Shibuya district is a concentration of love hotels catering to all tastes. The buildings range 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.

Mt Fuji
Japan's highest mountain (3776m/12,385ft) 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 a clear day, you can see its volcanic cone from Tokyo, but this reclusive mountain is often mystically shrouded by cloud or, in winter, picturesquely capped off by snow.

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. The wild, unsheltered western side of the peninsula is of most interest, as it is less developed than the indented eastern coastline.

Seagaia
The Seagaia Ocean Dome is mind-boggling: it's a 140m (460ft) white-sand beach complete with a splash of ocean under a permanently blue 'sky,' all in a completely controlled 'natural' environment. It's the apotheosis of the Japanese obsession with germ-free fun and amusement parks.

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. Seagaia is accessible by bus from balmy Miyazaki, a reasonably large city on the south-east coast of Kyushu. The Ocean Dome closes during the winter months.

Japan Travel