Swagatam Tours Private Limited

Holidays of Asia

Japan Tourism

• Introduction
Whether you end up taking photos of a reproduction Eiffel Tower, surfing an indoor wave, musing in a Zen temple, shacking up in a love hotel or kipping down in a capsule, you'll do best to come with an open mind and be prepared to be surprised.

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.

The nation's list of attributes reads like a handbook of paradox, but at its heart, Japan is a warm, friendly and very easy destination to travel to. What are you waiting for?

• When to Visit Japan
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.

• Attraction in Japan
» Tokyo
The sheer level of energy is the most striking aspect of Japan's capital city. 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.

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 cliché 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.

As a solemn aniversary, a bell in the turtle-shaped Fukusai-ji, a Zen temple, tolls at 11:02am 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.

• 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 - Rokkannon Mi-ike has the most intense deep blue-green colour. The southern view from the summit of Karakuni-dake is superb: on a clear day you can see Kagoshima, the nearest large city, and the smoking cone of Sakurajima Volcano.

» 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.

Also on offer are vibrating beds, wall-to-wall mirrors, bondage equipment and video recorders. Inside the entrance 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.

» 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. It's sometimes visible from Tokyo but is more often mystically shrouded by cloud or, in winter, capped off by snow.

While you can climb Mt Fuji at any time of year, a midwinter ascent is strictly for veteran mountaineers. The climbing season is in July and August, Japansese pack in during these busy months. It's a serious climb, just high enough for altitude sickness and the weather can be viciously changeable.

• Reaching Japan
While most people fly via Tokyo, there are several other ways of getting to and from Japan. For a start, there are many other airports in Japan, some of which make better entry points than Tokyo's somewhat inconvenient new Tokyo international airport (commonly known as Narita international airport). It's also possible to arrive in Japan by sea from a number of nearby countries, particularly South Korea.

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