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For simplicity, this guide is divided in sections.

When you should go to Japan

If you would like to appreciate Japan you should visit it in April or May, during the Spring. During this period you could see the amazing Hanami – cherry blossom fest, the Golden Week (Apr 29 – May 5).

I have personally visited Japan in August, but humidity is very high and if you can’t stand it you really should consider to visit in in April or in October, with lower prices.

What bring with you in Japan

First of all take with you a large variety of clothes, better in your hand-luggage. This is useful if you lose your luggage (this happened to me!). On the other hand, weather changes frequently in Japan, expecially during spring, and you should be prepared with suitable clothes.

Be sure to have a credit card (see below) for any needs. Credit cards are appreciated and very used in Japan.

Another thing I recommend you is to check your passport or ask for a Welcome Card (see below) to your travel agency.

Customs

There are some rules you should keep in mind. When you arrive to Japan customs, while in queue, you will be asked to fill in a small module, with informations about time of stay and reason to your travel to Japan. As security measure, your fingerprints are taken by a custom employee.

There are no limits on money you can bring with you, but if you have more than 1 million Yen (about 10,000 USD) you have to declare it to immigrations.

You can’t also introduce drugs, porn material, everything that violates copyright, guns or ammo.

If you smoke, remember that you can bring in Japan no more than 400 cigarettes. Other limitations are on alcool (max 100 ounces) and parfume (2 ounces).

Entry Visa, Passport and Boarding Card

When you are on plane, before arriving, you will be asked to fill a boarding card. They will give you 2 of them: first one is for your arrive, the second should be filled when you leave.

If you plan to go to Japan as a tourist, you will not need an Entry Visa, since your passport is enough. In this case , your stay is limited to 90 day. This is applicable in case of tourism, study, sport, visiting parents or friends.

Remember that you should bring the passport with you in any moment, since you could even been arrested if you are found without it!

Welcome card

You can ask for a Welcome Card to your travel agency or, when you’re in Japan, in some tourist-information offices in Tokyo or Kyoto.

With a Welcome Card you can have a discount on hotels, ryokan, food, drinks and many tourist-related services too, like Museum and temple tickets.

Money

Japanese currency is Yen, which symbol is ￥.

Yen coins are:

￥1 (about 0.01 USD),￥5 (0.05 USD), ￥10 (0.10 USD), ￥50 (0.50 USD) , ￥100 (1 USD) and ￥500 (5.00 USD).

Paper money are:

￥1,000 (10.23 USD), ￥2,000 (20.46 USD), ￥5,000 (51.16 USD) and ￥10,000 (102.32 USD).

Remember that you can change paper money in your currency when you leave, but coins are not changed.

Photo source: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/

Banks

There are many banks in Japan, like Fuji Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui, Mizho Bank or Tokyo-Mitsubishi. Usually banks are open from 9am to 15pm from Mon to Sat. I don’t suggest travelers’ check since they are accepted only in the biggest banks.

Nippon Ginko is the government bank, but don’t change your money here, since this bank is not for tourists.

Credit cards

International credit cads are accepted. Here is a list of the most common used and accepted in Japan: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and VISA. Even if those cards are accepted in stores and hotels, you can’t always use them to withtdaw money from cashpoint machines (hole in the wall). Cashpoint cards aren’t usually accepted.

Change

You can change your currency or traveler’s check or cheques in post offices, on some big stores or in ryokan and hotels.

Medical care

Look for American Pharmacy in Tokyo, since you can find American and European medicines here.

AMDA Asian Medical Doctors Associations is the right choice if you need medical assistance, that is very professional in Japan. Alas, it is not cheap. You shold go to the hospital if you get ill or, if there are no particular problems, you should consult a pharmacist.

Electricity

photo credit japan-guide.com

Japanese voltage is 100 Volt and power outlets are 2-pin ungrounded.

Frequency of electric current is 50Hz in Eastern Japan, Tokyo, Hokkaido, Tohoku and Yokoama.

Frequency is 60Hz in Western Japan, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Shikoku, Kyushi, Nagoya, Osaka.

I suggest to buy electrical equipment in Japan if you need, since your could be damaged even if the power outlets are identical to North America ones.

Transports

There is a wide variety of transports avaible in Japan. Subways and trains are very efficient and always on time: these are the best transport choice in Japan.

Airports (Narita, Kansai)

If you want to reach Osaka or Kyoto, you should choose Kansai Airport, that is connected to Europe and North America.

Kansai Airport to Osaka: JR station is on the other side of the road near airport arrivals hall. You can just follow the marked walkway to reach the train station.
You can then choose between JR Haruka express train, that runs from Kansai Airpor to Kyoto, scaling in Tennoji and Shin-Osaka. From there you can take the Shinkansen (fastest Japanese train) to reach Osaka. Price is about 3,000 Yen (about 30 USD). This is the fastest solution, since you will reach Osaka in about 70 minutes.

Kansai Airport to Kyoto: follow the same instructions below and reach the train station and take JR train to Kyoto.

Narita Airport to Tokyo: there is a JR Station near Narita Terminals and you can go directly to Tokyo from here. If you have JR Rail Pass you can go directly to Tokyo using Narita Express (N’EX) Train.

Ship

You can choose to reach Japan by Ship. Asian seaports like Pusan in South Korea or Shangai in China provide motor vessels to reach Osaka or Kobe.

Trains

JR is the most important Rail group of Japan, and includes the famous shinkansen trains. My advice is to get a JR pass if you plan to use train to visit Japanese areas.

What is a JR pass? (Taken from our Mount Fuji Guide )

The Japan Rail Pass is a weekly, twice weekly or monthly ticket that allows you to travel by any train or bus (except the Shinkansen Nozomi and some other trains, but don’t worry: if you take one of this buses by mistake, you won’t be fined, you’ll just have to pay for the line you’re using). There are both first and second class tickets.

However, you cannot buy this pass in Japan, but only in the proper travel agencies.

You can ask for a pass in these agencies, and if you decide to buy it you’ll get all the documents you need to obtain an “actual” JR pass in Japan (it’s available in Narita and Kansai station, and in all the major stations in whole country). Just look for one of these offices with your vocheur and passport, and you’ll get your JRP, that will be active after its first use!

Be careful, only tourists (for a maximum of 90 days) can use a JRP, while it’s forbidden for Japanese citizens and people who went to Japan for job purposes.

Here’s a price list for the JRP in whole Japan and Kansai only, depending on duration and class. (more available passes are the JR East Rail Pass, JR West Rail Pass, JR Central Pass, JR Kyushu Pass, JR Hokkaido Pass e JR Shikoku Pass)

or

* Children fare: 6 to 11 (included) years old. For children from 0 to 5 years old, the ticket is free.

It is convenient to buy a pass only if you planned to travel by train everyday or you take long journeys. So think of it very carefully. You should also get a timetable to know time and durations. If you can’t speak Japanese will be difficult to ask for help about transports, since the majority of people can’t speak English.

One more benefit you’ll obtain thanks to this pass: the possibility do lodge in convention hotels belonging to the JR Hotel Group and pay less. Usually these hotels are close to the airports.

Warning! If you want to delete your reservation for the JRP before coming to Japan, you’ll have to pay a fine amount of 10% from the total, plus 46 $.

For more information about the JRP, visit the official site which is very detailed www.japanrailpass.net

Subway

Japan Subway is huge, since you can reach almost every place with it. Tokyo subway is the most widespread, but there are large subways in Kyoto, Osaka, Yokohama and Fukoka.

Every line has a different color and you can buy the ticket using the machines outsides subway entrances. For a detailed map of every subway in Tokyo and Kyoto, download the tourist information PDF below.

Taxi

Taxi are expensive in Japan, but you can use them if you are in hurry or you don’t know where to take a train or subway. Prices for taxi are similar to American ones, and doors opens automatically without the need for the driver to do that.

Etiquette

There are some etiquette rules that you should know before going to Japan. Most important ones are summarized below and could help you to be polite in social situations.

Bow

Bow is Japanese traditional way to greet. It is important to know that the lower you bow, the lower you are considered in hierarchical grade. Shaking hand is permitted for foreigners. You will notice that many personnel in shops or near elevators will bow at your passage. This is a common courtesy and you can smile or ignore it. There is no need to bow in those situations.

Shoes

Shoes are very important aspect of cultural etiquette. When you enter an house, a restaurant, a temple or an hotel take a look in the entrance. If you see other shoes nearby, you should remove yours too. If slippers are provided, you have to wear them; if not, you have to enter with socks or barefoot.

Remember that there are particular slippers on bathroom entrances, especially in ryokans, and you have to wear them when you are using the toilette, and remove them when you have finished.

Temples

If the temple has not a marble or rock floor, you have leave your shoes outside. Some temples gives you plastic bags to hold your shoes at entrance.

Inside a temple you have to be quiet, but there are no particular rules, since Japanese people are more superstitious than religious.

Queues

When you have to take the train, do as Japanese does: stay in the queue neatly. If you are stuck inside a train because there are a lot of people, say ‘orimasu’ that means ‘I need to get off’ and people will let you pass.

Japanese people are very clever in respecting queues, when you are in a restaurant, when you have to take the train or cross the road.

Giving a tip

Giving a tip is not necessary and sometimes could be offensive. Giving a tip is something you do with people you are in strict-contact, and in this case money are placed inside an envelope.

Information point

If you are in Tokyo or Kyoto you can go to a TIC (Tourist Information Center) that have very prepared and qualified personnel. Service is free. If you need more information on the web, you should visit jnto website.

More Information on the Web

• Google excerpt of Lonely Planet Japan Guide
• Japan Guides on WikiTravel
• Japan National Tourism Organization
• Tokyo on Wikipedia

Guide to Japan: the tourist guide

Places: read more about tourist aspect of Japan travel in our Japan Guide articles:

• Japan Guide: Nikko
• Japan Guide: Mount Fuji
• Tokyo Shinjuku and Shibuya guide
• Tokyo Guide
• Kyoto guide
• Japan guide: Shikoku.

Japan Guide: Download PDF

• Download this Japan Guide in PDF
• Download Japan tourist guide in PDF – 82 pages!

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Introducing Nikko – Japan guide

Nikkō (in Japanese:日光市, Nikkō-shi, literarily “light from the sun”) is situated 140km far from the North side of Tokyo, right in the middle of the National Park of Nikko, on the mountain discrict of Tochigi. It is easily reachable taking the Nikko line from the Asakusa station in Tokyo. The whole travel takes about two hours.

The JR station in Nikko is the most ancient in the Eastern Japan: it was made by the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1915. Many buses leave from here going to the most important touristic places, but take this as an advice: walk by feet the street from the station to Tosho-gu, it just takes 15-20 minutes.

On the Ote-dori Avenue you can find many artisan crafts shops, the joiners making the geta, the famous Japanese sandals, are the most popular. You can also try a famous restaurant called Hippari Dako, next to the Shinkyo bridge: you may taste the specialiy tzuku-me, chicken meatballs skewers. The first temple you’ll see while walking to Tosho-gu is the Rinno-ji, made by Shodo Shonin in the 8th century.

The legend says that over 1200 years ago the monk Shodo Shonin was stopped in his journey to mount Nantaisan because of Daiya river. He begged for a bridge and his wish came true: a giant dressed in blue wearing a skulls necklace appeared, growling “Here’s your bridge!”, and throw two snakes, blue and green, over the river. So the monk could cross the river and both the giant and the bridge disappeared as soon as he could reach the other side. Right in this spot is now placed the red Holy Shinkyo Bridge. Once it was reserved to the samurais, but today everybody may do it just paying: that’s why I suggest to cross the side road, from where you can still admire it properly!

In the temple of Rinno-ji – the biggest building in Nikko – you’ll see the Sambutsu-do, also known as the “three Buddhas hall”: it refers to the three golden statues featuring the Amida Buddha, Senju Kannon and Bato Kannon. Beyond this hall there’s the Treasure room where all the precious of the Edo age are displayed.

Behind here, a nice path crosses the garden and the small lake among little bridges and stone lanterns. Coming back to the main street you’ll see the temples group called Tosho-gu, made by Tokugawa Iemitsu (1603-1651) in 1634, to honour his grandfather Ieyasu and show the power of the Tokugawa shogun people to other daimyo (feudal lords). Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616) was a very important hostorical personality for Japan. In fact, he was the founder of the ancient capital city called Edo, now known as Tokyo. He also was the one who made the Tokugawa family powerful, starting the homonymous age. It was the two-centuries-and-a-half long samurai era, until they lost power in 1868. During his life Ieyasu was worshipped as a god, after his death he was considered a gongen (embodiment of Buddha) instead. He chose the name Tosho-Daigongen to play this role, and it’s what the temple is called after. About 15.000 craftsmen from all over the Country worked to the most beautiful temple of Japan restlessly.

Over the entrance to the Tosho-gu temple there’s a huge granite torii. On the left you can see a five-floors pagoda representing the five elements: earth, water, fire, wind, hollow. It was donated by a daimyo in 1650 and completely remade in 1818, after a fire. Going upstairs there’s the Nio Mon door, protected by two Nio statues: one of them has its mouth open like pronouncing the first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet, “ah”, the other one has it closed like saying the last letter “un”.

Walking through the Nio Mon entrance you’ll reach the first yard of the temple. Many buildings are all around, and among the decorations one in particular is very famous although many people don’t know its origin: the bassorilievo featuring the three monkeys “don’t hear, don’t see, don’t speak”. Their meaning is “Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil” and they’re assumed as the guardians of the temple.

Keeping on walking the path between the Drum Tower (left) amd the Bells Tower (right) – symbols of birth and death respectively – you’ll reach the Yomei Mon door, also known as the “sun entrance”, then the sanctuary itself. The Yomei Mon door was the ancient limit for the less important samurais, while common people were banned from the Nio Mon door. In the sanctuary two more warlords whom the temple was dedicated (1873) to can be worshipped besides Tokugawa Ieyasu: Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) and Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199). On the right of the main sanctuary there’s a path where the Sleeping Cat paint can be seen if you pay 500¥, and you may buy his talismans too! Not far from here the stairs start; walking through the vegetation you’ll reach the Treasure Tower, where Tokugawa Ieyasu’s ashes are kept.

Another very important temple in Nikko is the one dedicated to Tokugawa Iemitsu, Ieyasu’s grandson, who also wanted a sanctuary to be worshipped! It’s the Taiyuin-byo, placed in an extraordinary Japanese cedar wood. Like the former, this is a group of buildings that consists in a walk that leads to Taiyuin’s tomb (the buddhist name of Iemitsu) crossing six doors. The first door is the Nio Mon entrance with two Nio warrior gods assumed as the guardians of the temple.

Right in front of this spot there’s a granite source with a dragon reflecting in the water below, painted by Kano Yasunobu. If you keep on walking you’ll meet the Niten Mon door with four guardian statues put inside niches: in the foreground there are the gods Komoku and Jikoku, in the background the green statue represents the wind god, while the red one is the thunder god. After a few stairs up you’ll find the Drum and the Bells Towers, symbols of birth and death like the ones described formerly. Not far there’s the Yasha Mon door, also known as Botan Mon, or “peony door” because of its floral decorations. The fourth one is the Kara Mon door, which is the entrance to the main outer sanctuary called Haiden: it keeps Kano Yasunobu’ works. From now on the entrance is usually forbidden to the public.

Over the Haiden there’s the Honden, an inner sanctuary with a golden altar and a statue of Iemitsu. On the right, the Koka Mon door made in Chinese Ming style leads to the last entrance, then to Iemitsu’s tomb. While visiting Nikko you should not miss the Chuzen-ji lake and the Kegon falls, next to the holy mountain Nantaisan. They can be easily reached by the buses travelling from the train station to the East lakeside of Chusenji. Mind the travel sickness, since the road is narrow and winding!

Prices in Nikko

Visiting the sanctuaries costs about 300-400 ¥ each. At the Rinno-ji you may buy one ticket to visit them all (about 1300 ¥) and the entrance to the Sleeping Cat in Tosho-gu is included.

Hotels in Nikko

Nikko is easily reachable from Tokyo and just one day is enough to visit it, so close to the city you will only find Japanese style inns.

Pension Hillside Terrace (tel 0288 54 3235): Nice and neat place with excellent food. Pension Turtle (tel 0288 53 3168). Nice place close to the Tosho-gu temple with comfortable rooms.

Kanaya Hotel: Very elegant hotel founded in the XIX century nect to the Daiya river. From 20,000 ¥ (204 USD) to 50,000 ¥ (510 USD). Phone : +81 0288 54 0001 – fax: +81 0288 53 2487 email: nikko@kanayahotel.co.jp – web: http://www.kanayahotel.co.jp/english/nikko/

Web resources:

http://www.toshogu-koyoen.com/ - temple of Tosho-gu

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The central Honshu is the central part of Japan, of course, as you can see from the map here below, and going there in April or so would be the best, since winters are very cold and summers are sultry.

It is a very wide area, full of interesting places to be visited. Here’s the Kanto region (where the wonderful and mysterious manga called Death Note takes place, just to let you know!), so you absolutely have to visit both Tokyo and Kyoto!

The first one for its futuristic technlogies, the second one for its traditions and natural landscapes! You may also visit Nagoya, a small town with a castle built in 1610-1612, unfourtunately destroyed because of the war in 1945 but later rebuilt.

The castle is available to be visited, and its interiors offer an observatory and an exhibit concerning its story. To travel around the city, it’s better to use a rent car or bus lines. If you like archeological stuff, just can’t miss the Tokugawa Fine Arts museum, where illustrations, finds and treasures of the Edo age are displayed!

Image credit: ferrimarco.blogspot.com

I will never have enough time to list them all down, but among all of the itineraries of Japan you should absolutely take the mount Fuji (or Fujiyama) one, with its five lakes and breathtaking landscapes.

Panoramic vieto the mount Fuji

Image credit: fotoseimagens.etc.br

The Mount Fuji, as you know, is a still active volcano, but we consider it like an estinguished one since its last eruption happened in 1708, it’s about 3776m high, and that’s why it can be seen from almost whole Japan.

The best period to visit this place is summer without any doubt, about in July/August, since these are the only available months to explore the huge volcano: the paths become very dangerous during the rest of the year, so they’re forbidden to the public.

The zone is easily reachable by the Tokaido Shinkansen train, to one of these stations: kawaguchi-ko, Gotenba, Fuji-Yoshida or Mishima.(if you’ve planned a more than two weeks long journey, I suggest to buy the season ticket for the Shinkansen, this way you’ll spend less for sure! I’ll explain it better at the end of the guide).

The road to the volcano is still far from here, but you can easily take one of the many bus lines that will drive you just next to the mount. Guests usually like to start their way from Gotenba, to enjoy the nice view – especially at the sunset – and the chill air of this place.

Gotenba station (Image credit: panoramio.com)

If you want to see a preview of the mount Fuji I’ve found this Live Camera thanks to which you can see the volcano.

Pricelist for the bus tickets and travel timing starting from the stations of Tokyo, Kansai, Shinjuku and Nagoya to Mount Fuji:

- From the bus station in Tokyo: The five lakes area is easily reachable from Tokyo to any direction and the travel takes 2 hours. (the bus lines are the easiest and cheapest way to get to the kawaguchi-ko or Gotenba stations, in fact if you’d take two trains and a bus, the cost would be about 6000¥ (about 59$) and the travel takes 6 hours!)

- From Kansai to Kawaguchi-ko: this way takes many train exchanges before getting to Mishima and you’ll spend about ¥6000 for 3 hours and a half travelling.

- From Shinjuku to Kawaguchi-ko: 2 hours and a half travelling, spending 2600¥ (about 25$) for one ticket

- From Nagoya to Gotenba: you could take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Numazu, then get off and take the bus line to Gotenba (5 hours travelling and about 5,500¥ (about 54$) spent).

Click on the picture for larger size

If you’re planning to climb the mount, my only suggestion is to be ready to endure a hard, difficult, long and tiring way up! While getting to the top of the volcano temperatures will fall, so you’ll need warm clothes, sun protection, a stick to climb and a hat. When on top you may also walk the whole crater (it takes about one hour), so be ready and store some water since the one sold there costs about 500¥ (about 5$) for half a litre!

On the way to the mount you’ll also find some sanctuaries to visit, like the Sengen ones, a snack-bar open 24/24 hours, a mail office and a weather station.

Sengen Sanctuary in Nishinomiya Honden (Image credit: flickr.com)

Sengen Jinja sanctuary in Fujiyoshida (image credit: flickr.com)

If you like having fun and relaxina more, you may visit the many theme parks placed in the five lakes zone (also known Fuji-go-ko) at the feet of the Fujiyama. This place is very appreciated by Japanese people from Tokyo, because of its sport campings!

The five lakes – as a previously said – are:

The Motosu lake: it’s the less crowded lake since is the most isolated, so it’s an excellent choice if you want to stay in touch with nature in total tranquillity, moreover, it never freezes!

Image credit: flickr.com

The Shojin lake is the smallest of the five lakes and the most abounding in fish. It’s surrounded by the Aokigahara – Jukai also called “sea of trees”, a wonderful wood.

Image credit: flickr.com

Detail of Aokigahara – Jukai (the sea of trees) – Image credit: flickr.com

The Yamanaka lake is where you can water-ski! This lake is not very peculiar, unless you take the huge swan-shaped hydrofoil, by which you can visit the whole lake in about 35 minutes, spending 900¥ (about 9$).

(Does this lake remind you of something? Yeah, it’s Ino Yamanaka’s first name in the manga Naruto! It literarly means “through the mountains”)

(Image credit: flickr.com)

The swan-shaped hydrofoil (Image credit: flickr.com)

The Kawaguchi Lake: is the most easily reachable of the lakes and that’s why it’s also the most poular among tourists. In the middle of it there’s a small island with a little sanctuary dedicated to the goddess Unoshima and her beauty. In spring this lake offers a wonderful landscape known as “Sakasa Fuji”, i.e. the mirrored image of the cherry trees in bloom over the lake, from the north side of it.

Image credit: flickr.com

The Sai lake (or Ashinoko): it’s the most untouched of the lakes, from where you can see the whole Fujiyama in all its majesty. Close to the lake there are two prehistoric caves formed during one of the eruptions: the Narusawa Ice Cave and the Fugaku Wind Cave. Here’s a small village too, in the place where before 2006 there were many old buildings ruined by an hurricane. Entrance is not free, adults pay about 200¥ (2 $), children 100¥, open from 9am to 5pm. In these buildings you can find many handmade items in silk and paper.

Image credit: flickr.com

Detail of the Narusawa Ice Cave (Image credit: flickr.com)

Point of curiosity: in teory the lakes surrounding mount Fuji should be seven, the missing two are the Tanuki and the Glory one, dedicated to the princess Glory. This one is hidden in the volcano.

If your travel comprehends 26th and 27th of August, you shouldn’t miss the Yoshida no Hi Matsuri (feast of fire), at the feet of the volcano. It’s a Japanese tradition to have this feast in the city of Fuji-Yoshida, to celebrate the end of summer and propitiate the safety of the climbers.

(Image credit: flickr.com)

Where may I have a meal in this place?

If you want to have a break close to the mount Fujiyama, you’ve plenty of choices to taste typical food. On the Sai-ko for example you may try the Soba and the Konyakku (Marana starch, kind of flour made out of tropical tubers and roots).

At Fuji-Yoshida, next to the Kawaguchi-ko lake, you can eat the Teuchi Udon, kind of homemade wheat noodles, that taste nice with Tempura and Niku (beef meat). Here’s a list of some restaurants you can find in the zone of Fuji-Yoshida:

- Sakigake: open only at evening from Tuesday to Sunday. It costs about 600-800¥ (about 7-8$). You may taste Tofu salad, Sashimi, Yakitori and drink Shochu (it is a typical Japanese liquor, similar to the sake, but it has about 25% alcool and is a distilled of rice, barley and sweet potatoes).

- M2: everyday open restaurant from 11am to 10pm. Both Western and Japanese menu are available. It costs about 700-1300¥ (from 8 to 13 $). The specialties offered by this restaurant are curry rice, hamburgers and pork sautè.

- Michael’s American Pub: Restaurant open from Wednesday to Friday from 8pm to 2am (from Friday to Sunday it’s open at lunch too). This club is perfect for people who don’t want to renounce to western food, since haburgers and pizza are served too.

- Fujiyama Beer Brewery: this is a beer club where lunch and dinner are also served. It offers western menu too, including sausages, pizza, salads, cheeses and beer. It costs about 714-1300¥ (8-13 $).

- Cafè Matsuya: if you need a coffee or tea break, this is the right place for you! Open from Tuesday to Thursday 9am-7pm, on Friday 9am-10pm and on Saturday and Sunday 11am-10pm. Here you may also buy homemade souvenirs!

Closer to the Kawaguchi-ko lake, other restaurants can be found:

- Hotō Fudō: Open only at lunch time, it costs about 1050¥ (about 10$). The specialty here is the stew.

- Sanrokuen: restaurant open from Friday to Wednesday 11am-8pm, spending about 2100-4200¥ (21-42 $). This restaurant is peculiar because you’re allowed to cook your own dishes if you want, thanks to large embers on the floor next to the tables! Fish, chicken, tofu, steaks and vegetables will still be served. The restaurant is easily recognizable tank to its straw roof! (official site: sanrokuen.com)

Where could I lodge?

If you want to lodge next to the mountain paths, personally I don’t suggest so since you’ll only find expensive common places where to sleep for just a few hours in a sleeping bag (about 5000¥ / 50 $ for one night). Moreover, if you don’t buy anything, one single hour in these place will cost 500¥ (about 5 $).

The Fuji-Yoshida and Kawaguchi-ko are nice places were to lodge instead, where you can find cheap/average guest-houses, hotels and hostels.

Let’s see in detail hotels and hostels in Fuji-Yoshida: (all prices must be considered for one person and for one night)

- Fuji-Yoshida Youth Hostel: a small hostel offering both western and eastern styled rooms, only shared with other people. Excellent view on the Fujiyama. Very cheap. It costs about 2835¥ (28 $). It’s about 600m far from the Shimo-Yoshida station, so it’s easily reachable by feet too.

- Tabijiya: double and single rooms in western style. The prices are really cheap considering the place and it’s the perfect choice for resting after a long day walking around the mount. Prices may differ depending on the room, but still you’ll spend from 5750¥ to 11.600¥ (about 57-115 $). Moreover, it’s only 10 minutes far from the center of Fuji-Yoshida. (breakfast is not included, but with only 750¥ (7 $) you’ll have plenty of food!)

- Daikokuya: this is another hotel with average prizes, spending 6600¥ per person (60 $) you’ll sleep in a double traditional room, with tatami and private garden. The Doikokuya is only 10 minutes far from the Fuji-Yoshida station.

Here’s a list of the hotels in Kawaguchi-ko (from the same station to the chosen hotel, all transports are free).

- Kawaguchi-ko Youth Hostel: this hostel is open from the second half of March to the first days of November. Cheap prices, 3360¥ per person (about 33 $) but it only offers beds in common rooms. Also traditional rooms with castle beds are offered. It’s next to the Kawaguchi station, about 500m in south direction. This hostel also offers bicycles for 800¥ (about 8 $) per day and curfew is set at 9pm.

- Hotel Sunnide Village: Hotel with nice rooms and private bathroom, great view on the town and mount Fuji. Average prices. There are “Backpacker” discounts for the ones who arrive without booking (if rooms are available, of course). It costs about 6300¥ (51€), with discount 4200¥ (42 $). There’s a restaurant where you can have a breakfast (1050¥ / 10 $) and dinner (2100¥, 21 $). The dinner also is subject to the backpacker discount, so you’ll pay 1575¥ (about 15 $).

- Ashiwada Hotel: big single and double rooms available, in both japanese and western style, with private bathroom. There are also public toilets and thermal baths in open air (also known as Rotemburo). Average-high prices. A single room costs 6000¥, a double one is 12.000¥ (119 $). This hotel is placed in a residential district on the west lakeside of Kawaguchi-ko.

- Fuji Lake Hotel: seven floors hotel made in 1635, close to the center of Kawaguchi, it offers both single and double rooms with bathroom (private or public, or with external thermal bath) and meal reservation. Very expensive. You’ll pay about 8000¥ (79 $, meal not included), with lunch+dinner reservationcon you’ll spend 12.000¥ instead (about 119 $). Panoramic view of the lake and the Fujiyama.

One more place you shouldn’t miss close to the mount Fuji and the lakes is Hakone. It’s an ancient thermal village build on a extinct volcano, thanks to which many hot springs and Geysers can be found today.

This city is easily reachable by public transports. There’s a direct bus line from Shinjuku (the two hour long travel costs 1950¥, about 19 $). There are about 20 travels per day. Hakone can also be reached by train, from many stations.

Well, as I already said before, now I’ll list a few suggestions that can be useful when travelling around Japan by public transports. If you’re planning to travel a lot, you should buy a Japan Rail Pass.

What is a JR pass?

The Japan Rail Pass is a weekly, twice weekly or monthly ticket that allows you to travel by any train or bus (except the Shinkansen Nozomi and some other trains, but don’t worry: if you take one of this buses by mistake, you won’t be fined, you’ll just have to pay for the line you’re using). There are both first and second class tickets.

However, you cannot buy this pass in Japan, but only in the proper travel agencies.

You can ask for a pass in these agencies, and if you decide to buy it you’ll get all the documents you need to obtain an “actual” JR pass in Japan (it’s available in Narita and Kansai station, and in all the major stations in whole country). Just look for one of these offices with your vocheur and passport, and you’ll get your JRP, that will be active after its first use!

Be careful, only tourists (for a maximum of 90 days) can use a JRP, while it’s forbidden for Japanese citizens and people who went to Japan for job purposes.

Here’s a pricelist for the JRP in whole Japan and Kansai only, depending on duration and class. (more available passes are the JR East Rail Pass, JR West Rail Pass, JR Central Pass, JR Kyushu Pass, JR Hokkaido Pass e JR Shikoku Pass)

or

* Children fare: 6 to 11 (included) years old. For children from 0 to 5 years old, the ticket is free.

It is convenient to buy a pass only if you planned to travel by train everyday or you take long journeys. So think of it very carefully. You should also get a timetable to know time and durations. If you can’t speak Japanese will be difficult to ask for help about transports, since the majority of people can’t speak English.

One more benefit you’ll obtain thanks to this pass: the possibility do lodge in conventioned hotels belonging to the JR Hotel Group and pay less. Usually these hotels are close to the airports.

Warning! If you want to delete your reservation for the JRP before coming to Japan, you’ll have to pay a fine amount of 10% from the total, plus 46 $.

For more information about the JRP, visit the official site which is very detailed www.japanrailpass.net

Some more advices you should take: remember to bring a medical kit with you in case you get hurt, since it may be difficult for strangers to receive first aid sometimes; it’s also useful to buy an adapter for the taps, since it’s very difficult to find hotels offering European taps, and make yourself sure that your sets support 110 volts at least (in case, buy a transformer or your taps may crash).

Said all of this, what else I have to say? Have fun in Japan and enjoy your trip!

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Here all the details

In the JR station of Shinjuku there’s a blackboard where people use to post notes and announces: it became famous enough to be mentioned in many movies and manga comics (City Hunter by Tsukasa Hojo).

The most futuristic cityscape in Tokyo can be admired from the exit of this station: on the West side the magnificent Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices – an impressive group of buildings made by Tange Kenzao -stands out among many skyscrapers.

On the East side many malls, restaurants, boutiques, neon lights, hostess’ and ambiguous strip-tease clubs, and parks too – like the Shinjuku Gyoen, one of the biggest in town – give a whole different impression of the town.

The second one is probably one of the most famous crossroads in the world, and it is known for its bright and young commercial life. The cityscape is characterized by huge screens put on every building, many different restaurants, shops and love hotels. The majority of the young and fashion Japanese people can be certainly found in Shibuya, making the neighbour look more colourful and very typical. During the weekends, it almost seems that only young under 25 people walk down those crowded streets.

Shibuya – photo credit © by /\ltus

Shinjuku Itineraries East

A quiet and modest temple can be found almost by chance among the skyscrapers in Shinjuku. The Hanazono-jinja (tel:3200-3093; getting there: Marunouchi line to Shinjuku-sanchome, exits B3 and B5) is very nice to be visited at night, because of the lights inside it, but it works perfectly as escape from the squalor of Kabukichō. On Sundays, the temple hosts a flea market (open 8am – 4pm), the easiest way to find antiquities and miscellanies.

Hanazono-jinja – photo credit © by /\ltus

You may have a walk to “Shinjuku Gyoen” (tel.3350-0151;prices: adult ¥ 200, under 15 years ¥ 50, free for under 6; open: 9am – 4.30pm, Tuesday-Sunday; getting there: Marunouchi line to Shinjuku Gyoenmae, exit 1). You may also like a walk in direction South-East from the centre of Shinjuku: this zone belonged to the imperial estates before, as an agrarian research institute.
Shinjuku Gyoen is the huge park, showing an extraordinary variety of plants. If you are lucky enough to get there in the Hanami period, i.e. the cherry trees blooming, an impressive and unforgettable vision will meet your eyes. The western gardens are worth visiting too.

Shinjuku Itineraries West

If you like great heights you shouldn’t miss the skyscrapers of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices (Tokyo Tocho; tel: 5321-1111; free entrance; open: 9.30am – 11pm, Tuesday-Sunday; getting there: Toei Oedo line to Tochomae, exit A4), the highest group of buildings in Tokyo. To find this huge building you’ll have to walk a few minutes from the West exit of Shinjuku. From the free viewpoint (202m high, from the 45th floor) you can see mount Fuji in winter. Certainly you’ll witness an extraordinary landscape from such great heights, since the complex symmetry of the buildings almost reminds a microchip. Taking photos is a must!

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices – photo credit © by ertaipt

The Shinjuku NS Building interiors are beautiful too (free entrance; open 11-12am, getting there: Toei Oedo line to Tochomae, exit A2). This isn’t the highest skyscraper in Tokyo, but its architecture is very peculiar and suggestive: in fact, the interior is a huge empty space enlightened by he sunlight through the glass ceiling. In the main hall there’s the biggest pendulum of the world, a Seiko 29m tall.

Shinjuku NS Building – photo credit © by kata49

Shibuya Itineraries

You can’t miss the statue of Hachiko, a dog whose story touched so much Japanese people to make a monument to remember it. About in 1920, Hidesamuroh Ueno – professor at the Tokyo university – had an Akita dog that used to go to the station with him everyday, waiting for his return every night. In 1925 the professor died because of an heart failure, but Hachiko kept on waiting at the station every evening for eleven years, until he died too. To celebrate his bondless loyalty to his master, Japanese people made a statue for him.

Hachiko – photo credit by nanoda.com

Two important museums in Shibuya are the Tobacco and Salt Museum (tel: 3476-2041; prices: adult ¥ 100, children ¥ 50; open: 10am-6pm, Tuesday-Sunday; getting there: JR Yamanote line to Shibuya, Hachiko’s exit) and the Tepco Electric Energy Museum (tel: 3477-1191; open: 10am-6pm, Thursday-Tuesday, getting there: JR Yamanote line to Shibuya, Hachiko’s exit).

The first one displays interesting items to show how the production of tobacco and salt worked in Japan before the modern age, the second one offers a really big exhibition (seven floors) concerning every aspect of electricity.

Tepco Electric Energy Museum – photo credit © by ‘pijn

Having fun in Shinjuku

Here is where all the shopping malls Isetan are, a true appeal for the young and chic people from abroad and Japan itself. Many international brands are sold over the eight floors, that are considered like a launch spot in Japan for the new ones (getting there: Shinjuku Sanchome station, lines: Marunouchi or Shinjuku, Exits: B3-B5).

Shinjuku Neon lights – photo credit © by SBA73

And many other way of entertainment too, like clubs, restaurants and games rooms where Japanese people use to play Pachinko, the most popular game that works like an easier flipper.

In the neighbour called Kabukichō, the most famous red-light district in Tokyo, you can find many soaplands (i.e. massage centre), love hotels, peep shows, pink cabarets and strip-tease clubs, but it can be a simple walking place too; in fact, besides the entertainments concerning sex many “normal” clubs and shops can also be found, like cinemas and nice restaurants.

Kabukicho – photo credit © by lefthandrotation

If you’d like something to drink, you may explore Golden Gai alleys. This is one of the most interesting places in whole Shinjuku, often shown in anime too, with many clubs put one next to the other to create a decadent atmosphere, somehow intellectual and peculiar ways of having fun for the most uninhibited tourists. If you’re lucky, you could even meet popular journalists, writers and directors.

Anime girls – photo credit © by colodio

Having fun in Shibuya

Anime and manga lovers can’t miss the Mandrake (tel: 3477-077; site: www.mandrake.co.jp; situated on B2 floor in the Shibuya Beam Bulding; open: 12am-8pm; getting there: JR Yamanote line to Shibuya, Hachiko’s exit). Here almost the whole collection of new manga comics can be found, and also some interesting shows with baby actors featuring anime characters.

Mandarake Anime and Manga Store – photo credit © by ikuda

Not much further, that is to say next to the Shibuya station of the Ginza and Hanzomon subways, there’s the homonymous district usually known as “sakariba”, the entertainment neighbour.

The best boutiques and shopping malls have been placed in the zone between the North-West exit of the station and the Yoyoji park: the Tokyu Department Store (2-24-1, Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku – Site: www.tokyu-dept.co.jp), the Seibu with its fashion boutiques distributed over nine floors (the last one is dedicated to the restaurants) and Parco, a group of many buildings for shopping.

In this district you can’t miss the Shibuya 109 (getting there: Shibuya station, Hachiko’s exit). The 109 is a big shopping mall dedicated to fashion for girls mostly. It was opened in 1979, hosts about one hundred fashion and gadgets stores, and it’s always crowded since it is popular thanks to the medias and is situated very close to the Shibuya station.

Shibuya 109 – photo credit © by deus-ex-machina

Shibuya also offers many nocturnal attractions. The people of the night can find nice and alive clubs like the Womb disco (tel: 5459-0039; site: www.womb.co.jp; price: ¥ 1500-4000; open: 8pm-till late; getting there: JR Yamanote line, Hachiko’s exit), with House, Techno and Drum ‘n’ Bass music, and many other ones on the Dogenzaka, each one with its own style and full of life, like magic synergies. But be careful, don’t get lost in some love-hotel!

Other informations about Tokyo districts can be found in our Tokyo Guide.

Typical specialities in Shinjuku

This district offers many typical and tasteful Japanese dishes. One of the most popular, the ramen (often presented in anime and manga, and it is Naruto’s favourite too!) is offered at the Keika Kumamoto Ramen (tel: 3354-4591; meal ¥ 800; getting there: Marunouchi and Toei Shinjuku lines to Shinjuko-sanchome, C4 exit), where the chashumen can also be eaten (ramen with roast pork, ¥ 830).

You may also like a nice Sukiyaki (main ingredients are thin meat slices, tofu, ito konnyaku, negi, Chinese cabbage and enoki mushrooms slowly boiled) or a tasty Shabu-shabu (very thin veal or pork slices boiled on the customer’s table in a soft broth, usually served with special sauces): look for these dishes at the Ibuki (tel: 3352-4787; sukiyaki dish ¥ 2205; shabu-shabu dish ¥ 2970; open 5am-11.30pm; info: English written menu; getting there: JR Yamanote line to Shinjuku, East exit), you’ll find a comfy place with many foreigners.

Typical specialities in Shibuya

The majority of restaurants in Shibuya don’t offer typical Japanese menu, except for Kushinobo (tel: 3496-8978; location: 5th floor in the J&R Bldg; price: starting from ¥ 1000; open: lunch and dinner; info: English written menu; getting there: JR Yamanote line to Shibuya, Hachiko’s exit) where you’d like to taste the kushi-katsu (pork and onion fried skewers).

Hotels in Shinjuku

There are a lot of hotel in Shinjuku, from cheap ones to very luxurious ones. We have made a list of Sjinjuku hotels.

Hotels in Shibuya

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Here all the details

A lifetime of touring will never be enough to appreciate the numerous sites of Tokyo, so we have compiled a list of travel routes to help you get the best out of Tokyo;

TOKYO TRAVEL ROUTES

TOKYO TOWER is the TV antenna of Shiba Park in the Minato district. Standing at 332.6 meters well earns it the title of the highest self-standing steel structure in the world. It was built in 1958, inspired by the Eiffel Tower, from which it takes its shape.
How to get there: take the subway line E (purple) and stop at Akabanebashi.

Tokyo Tower – Image credit: jphanky08

MEIJI Jingu: one of the most famous Shinto shrines in Tokyo, opened in 1920, and renovated in 1958 after the Second World War, it is located in the district of Shibuya and is dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and his wife, from whom it takes its name. The sanctuary is divided into two zones: Naien, the main garden where there are sacred buildings, and Gaien, where there is an external gallery of paintings of the emperor.
How to get there: take two seperate train lines: the F (brown) and G (green), and disembark at Maij-Jingumae.

ASAKUSA: a famous district of Tokyo which holds the oldest temple in the city, built in 645 BC, the legend says that two fishermen built a statue of the God Kannon (Guan Yin), the head of the temple declared this a sacred statue and he transformed his house into a small temple, turning the place into a place of worship.
How to get there: disembark at either the last stop of the G (orange) that or the Asakusa line A (pink)

Asakusa Tokyo – Image credit: SBA73

TOKYO INTERNATIONAL FORUM a ship in the center of Tokyo: This building, shaped like a vessel, is used mainly for conferences but also contains a library, an art gallery, and several cafes and shops.

Tokyo International Forum – Image credit: Olly Olly Denton

Shinjuku Gyoen NATIONAL GARDEN with a total area of 58.3 hectares, it is one of the biggest parks in Tokyo and with a large variety of beautiful plant-life, most notably there are approximately 1500 cherry trees, a breathtaking sight in spring. It is open daily except Tuesday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.
How to get there: Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is within walking distance from the stops to Shinjuku-gyoemmae and Sendagaya.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden – Image credit: hamapenguin

TOKYO METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT BUILDING also known as Tokyo City Hall is the seat of the government in Tokyo and its surroundings, is the third highest tower in the city after the Tokyo Tower and the Midtown Tower.
How to get there: Located in the Shinjuku district near the metro station, is a complex of three buildings and the highest measure 243 meters, its shape recalls the Gothic style.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building – Image credit: Wikipedia

IMPERIAL PALACE TOKYO: The largest park in the neighborhood of Chiyoda (3.42 km^2) contains many buildings and the private residence of the emperor.
How to get there: This site is near the central station of Tokyo.

Tokyo Imperial Palace – Image credit: templetons

FUN IN TOKYO

And now the best places to visit if you really want to have fun in Tokyo.

Akihabara the technological district of Tokyo, a paradise for gamers and manga and anime fans! There are many shops where you can find literally anything related to electronics, from the various cables to the most sophisticated computer. Countless shops are anime and manga themed, filled with models and clothes to cosplay the character you like! To find out what the store contains you must enter and explore, even if you do not know the Japanese, the signs outside the shop will give you a good idea.
How to get there: This paradisaic place is in the eastern part of the Chiyoda district just 5 minutes walk from Tokyo Station or the JR Yamanote Line to Akihabara station.

Akihabara Tokyo – Image credit: blog-city

KABUKICHO the red light district in Shinjuku district called ‘Sleepless Town’, the city that does not sleep, ever! In this place you can find the hostess clubs, casinos, bars, hotels but also love theater and movies.
How to get there: It is to the north of Shinjuku station.

Kabukicho red-light district in the district of Shinjuku – Image credit: RichPav

TOKYO Joypolis: a huge place run by SEGA where there are several arcade games such as VR-1 Space Mission, where six people participate in an outer space mission by driving their spaceships or virtual Formula One cars to simulate driving.
How to get there: This playground is near the artificial Odaiba in Minato district, reachable via the Rainbow Bridge.

Joypolis Tokyo – Image credit: SGarin

Other useful and funny informations about  Shibuya and Shinjuku districts can be found in our other guide.

TYPICAL JAPANESE FOOD IN TOKYO

Rice is the most consumed food in Japan, it is the basis of many dishes, including the worldwide popular dish sushi. This dish can be divided generally into two main types: the nigirizushi is rice vinegar usually accompanied by sweet seafood that is often stacked accompanied with raw fish, or fried egg. Maxizushi is a typical sushi, a cylindrical rice ball wrapped together with nori (dried seaweed).

Sushi – Image credit: -Sunny-

Among the foods, that you should definitely try is the mythical ramen! It is essentially a dish of noodle soup served with a broth of meat or fish topped with vegetables, eggs, piece of chicken/pork and shellfish.

Ramen – Image credit: cuisinejaponaise

Triangles of rice that can be seen in many manga and animes are called onigiri and are in fact, rolls of rice wrapped in seaweed by typical triangular shape. There are many kinds of onigiri and fillings for you to experience.

Onigiri – Image credit: interq

It is definitely worth trying Yakitori: a skewer of chicken meat cooked on the grill, often seasoned by a sweet sauce, vegetables and eggs.

Yakitori – Image credit: Phelan

Tokyo is considered one of the most expensive cities in the world. Advice for those who do not live in luxury, and do not wish to pay the bill by washing dishes in the kitchen, is to avoid restaurants where the price is not clearly shown. Very practical are restaurants called teishoku a set menu where you usually only bring a dish consisting of meat or fish, and accompanied by a side dish of rice, soup, and pickled vegetables.

Sushi bars are a particularly interesting site – customers sit around a large table surrounded by a variety of freshly cooked dishes carried along a conveyor belt, choosing the one(s) that appeal most to the. Each dish varies in colour, this shows the price of the dish and is simply added to the overall bill. Izakaya is the name of a typical Japanese bar where you can eat everything, even here there are no surprises because the menus contain a list of the images of each dish and its price.

HOTELS IN TOKYO

Needless to say that Tokyo has a hotel on almost every corner, from the most luxurious bedsit to the cheapest. Below is a list of many hotels so you can search for the best quality/price of hotel to suit you.

RYOKAN TOKYO – THE TYPICAL JAPANESE HOUSES

Ryokan – Image credit: photobucket

If you really want to enjoy Japanese culture, you really should go into a Ryokan, the traditional Japanese hotels in town. Here are some:

Ryokan Kangetsu
It offers comfort in the form of internet and air conditioning but of an ancient and traditional Japanese culture. The prices vary by the type of room from USD 45 to USD 75 for a single room from USD 77 to USD 110 per double, triples from USD 105 to USD 154, the quad from USD 135 to USD 188 and five from USD 160 to USD 225.

Shingetsu Ryokan
It is located nearby the Asakusa temple Sensoji, its prices range from USD 81 to USD 180 for a normal single room, USD 145 for a standard room and 220 USD for the two people suite, three people are charged from USD 188 to USD 270. For four to five people the cost is USD 320 and USD 360 respectively.

Sakura Ryokan
This too is in the Asakusa district and single USD 56, double USD 95, triple USD 118, quad USD 200, five people USD 227 and six people USD 246.

Ryokan Fuji
It is located in Akihabara, and its prices are approximately USD 51 per person, USD 85 for two, USD 130 for three.

Hotel Edoya
Each room has a bathroom and a fast internet connection, the prices range from USD 65 per person, USD 85 for two, USD 130 for three, USD 150 for four USD 170 for five and USD 190 for six.

MAP OF TOKYO SUBWAY

In conclusion, I would advise you to download the subway map of Tokyo , which is essential to find your way around the complex city.
I hope you have enjoyed this article as much as I have enjoyed making it and it will inspire you to travel to Tokyo.

Sayonara ^ ^ – Article edited & checked by my good friend Huw.

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Just like Tokyo, this town is filled with wonders, from ancient Japan to things from the present. It has everything from the headquarters of nintendo to a very large variety of beautiful gardens and temples. Allow us to step in, and tell you about the best tours;

Tour itinerary to Kyoto

RYOAN-JI is the most famous zen garden of the city. Of the many gardens in Kyoto this kind of garden, in which the rocks and the gravel represent water are very popular. Numerous plants also fill these gardens. As you can see below we have the traditional cherry blossom tree. This temple is placed in the North-West of Kyoto, and it is reachable via the bus line 59, stopping at Ryoan-ji-mae.

THE KATSURA RIKYU ESTATE built at the end of the XVI century, it is one of the most important samples of the ancient Japanese residential architecture. Yet again, this attraction has another huge and peaceful garden. To get there, take the bus line 33 and stop at Katsura Rikyu-mae, the it’s a 5 minute walk.

NIJO-JO CASTLE After visiting an estate of ancient Japan, you probably want to see something more exiting, like where the shogun would have lived!!! Completed in 1626, the Nijo-jo castle, was occupied by the shogun until 1939, when it was donated to the city and opened to the public the year after. It is made up of two fortified zones, the first is the Honmaru palace, and the second is the Ninomaru palace with kitchens, the guardian’s place and some gardens. In the garden there’s a large pond with a fall and three isles linked by four bridges. TO get there, take the Karasuma line, then stop at Nijojomae.

FUSHIMI INARI-TAISHA SANCTUARY is a shintoist sanctuary dedicated to the spirito of Inari, protector of fruitfulness, agriculture, industry and foxes. The road leading to the temple really stands out, since it’s surrounded by hundreds of torii, a kind of vermillion red columns usually put next to the sacred places. Many statues representing foxes can be found here, often represented with a key in their mouth. This place is 5 minutes far from the Kyoto station and 3 minutes far from the JR line of Nara.

To-JI In a South-West direction from Kyoto station, there is the biggest wooden pagoda of Japan, as it has an enormous height of 54,8m. In its main area 21 statues are put in a circle surrounding the Dainichi Nyorai; the cosmic Buddha. To get there, take the Kintetsu underground to Toji or the bus line 42 stopping at Toji Higashimon-mae.

KINKAKU-JI literarly means “the temple of the gold pavilion”, there’s a pagoda in the middle where the relics of the Buddha are kept, it’s three floors tall and the last two are covered in gold – that’s the origin of its name – there’s also a pond called Kyoko-”chi”. From the central station of Kyoto take the bus line 101 or 205.

GINKAKU-JI is similar to the Kinkaku-Ji and literally means “silver pavilion.” The shogun Yoshimasa wanted to cover the temple with silver to honour his grandfather but he could not because of the Onin war. It’s still very important because it’s the place where the tea ceremony, the Japanese theatre called Noh, the ikebana art of arranging flowers and the ink paint style have found their best expression. The temple is placed in the North-Eastern zone of the city and it can be reached with the bus line 100 to Ginkaku-ji-mae or by taxi.

MYOSHIN-JI TEMPLE was made in 1337, and unfortunetly destroyed during the Oni war. Thankfully, it was rebuilt, but just alot bigger! There are 47 smaller temples in this area and the most important are the Keishun-in, which is known for its four gardens and its tea tree (the Taiz-in). It has an ancient garden, a modern garden and the Daishin-in – which has three gardens. To get there, take the Keifuku line and stop at the Myoshin-ji station.

DAITOKU-JI TEMPLE is a temple strongly connected with the tea ceremony, but also has many minor temples promoting the zen rituals and Chado tank to the tea ceremony and the wonderful gardens. The Daisen-in is popular for its dry garden and the Koto-in for its maple wood, offering a breathtaking view in autumn. Take the Karasuma line to Kita-Oji or the bus lines 12, 204, 205 or 206 to Daitoku-ji-mae.

SANJUSANGEN-DO TEMPLE it was made in 1164 and is the longest wooden structure in the world; in the main hall the 1001 statues of Kannon, the merciful goddess, create a magical yes mysteryous atmosphere. Getting there: take the bus lines 100, 206 and 208 crossing the Hakubutsukan Sanusangen-do-mae stop.

KYOTO IMPERIAL PALACE is 110.000m2 wide and many gardens – a nice place to have a walk – and some buildings can be found inside of it; the Shinshin-den – where the most important ceremonies took place – and the Kogosho – where the ceremonies of succession were set. It’ situated next to the Nijo Station and the Karasuma line.

NINTENDO the head office of the creator company of Mario, Luigi e Zelda; videogames-addicted shouldn’t miss it. It’s next to the Gojo stop of the Tozai line.

Geisha

Kyoto is also popular for the geisha tradition, very skilled professional hostesses who master traditional arts, have a nice speaking and can keep a secret: this is why they are very respected and honoured. They are distinguished in two groups, the geiko (expert) and the maiko (beginners).

THE TEA CEREMONY

The main purpose of this ceremony is the tasting of tea, and in Japan it has a spiritual meaning too. The maccha, a kind of powdered green tea, is mixed with water thanks to a special bamboo crop. There are many ways to set the tea ceremony but the most popular is the one invented by Sen no Rikyu: in his opinion, the tea ceremony needs harmony, respect and tranquillity.

HOTELS IN KYOTO

Cheap

Average

Luxurious

Ryokan in Kyoto

Since the main transport in Kyoto is the underground, you should download the map of kyoto underground

So Kyoto is done too, I hope this guide will be useful like the Tokyo guide. Article edited & checked by my good friend Huw, translated by lassurdoinpersona.

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Shikoku island is located in the South of Japan and is the fourth largest island of the whole Japanese archipelago. Despite of the three bridges linking it to the islands of Kyūshū and Honshū, this island did not undergo the westernization affecting Tokyo itself. As said, it has kept the ancient features of Japan, like woody hills, temples and castles.

The island comprehends 4 districts or Ken (県), that’s what its name is coming from, since Shikoku means four states, or districts (四 shi=four, 国 koku=state). These districts had different names once: Sanuki 讃岐, Awa, 阿波, Iyo 伊予, and Tosa 土佐, became con Kagawa 香川, Tokushima 徳島, Ehime 愛媛 and Kōchi 高知 after the Meiji era (1868). Generally the weather is temperate, and winters are mild.

Guide to Shikoku: Shikoku destination for tourists in Ehime-Ken

Shikoku has a very rich cultural heritage, both natural and architectonic, many woods, castles and temples can be found all over the island. In the first city of Ehime district, Matsuyama, there are two of the most important touristic destinations in whole Shikoku: the Dogo Onsen (道後温泉), the most ancient hot spring in Japan since 1000 years ago, and the Matsuyama Castle (松山城), one of the few Japanese castles that have never been rebuilt.

Dogo Onesn 道後温泉

The Dogo Onsen, that is in the capital city of Ehime district, Matsuyama, iso ne of the most ancient and famous hot springs in Japan. It is told that this sulphureous source was discovered thanks to an heron flying over it, so it became the symbol of the hot spring. 

For people who are used to traditional Onsens, the Dogo Onsen can look a bit “peculiar”. The hot spring is divided in two baths, the largest and most bright is called Kami no yu (神の湯), or god’s water, while the smallest and most private is the Tama no yu (霊の湯), or water of the spirit.

The two upper baths called East and West baths, belonging to the Kami no Yu (神の湯), are reserved to men; the lower one is reserved to women instead, and is put in the middle of a hall. All baths are made out of marble, and the rooms are decorated with precious mosaics representing the heron. Two more baths suitable for people who don’t like crowds, are the ones in the Tama no yu (霊の湯) area.

The hot springs makes offers suitable for everybody:

300 Yen allows entrance to the baths, towels and soap are not included, but you can bring them from home.

620 Yen allows entrance to the Kami no Yu (神の湯) baths and includes a Yukata (summer kimono) for rent to let you go to the tatami room upstairs in order to sip a tea and taste Senbei (rice crackers).

980 Yen allows access to Tama no yu (霊の湯) baths, a Yukata to go to the tatami room to sip tea and eat dango (sweet roulades) is included.

1240 Yen the most expensive rate, offering a private room to have a snack besides the bath.

Getting there?
It is in East direction from Matsuyama and you can get there by tram, thats stops just in the thermal gallery in which you can also find restaurants and souvenirs shops; at the end of the gallery you’ll find the Dogo Onsen building.

Hot springs lovers, can’t miss this destination, since this water is very famous for being able to heal neuralgias, nervous disturbs and rheumatism

Matsuyama Castle 松山城

Another important destinationin the Ehime district is the Matsuyama castle. It was built at 132m on the Katsuyama mount.

You can also easily get there by feet, but you may also try the 松山城ロープウェイ Matsuyamajō Rōpuwei (cableway) or the chair-lift that will bring you up to the castle; the ticket costs about 500 Yen (a little more than 5$).

The founder of the castle was Yoshiaki Kato, and its beauty was preserved thanks to Sadayuki Matsudaira (somehow linked to the Tokugawa family), who submitted himself to the emperor during the Meiji era (1868), so the caslte was not destroyed). During the WWII it was slightly damaged because of bombardments, and since 1966 the capital is working to restore it.

Spring visits are very suggested since the cherry trees in bloom give a wonderful eyesight.

Shikoku:most important destination for tourists in Kagawa-Ken

The Shikoku island is very famous for its many temples, in particular the one called Kompira-san that can be found in the district of Kagawa in  Kotohira 琴平. In the chief town of Kagawa-ken, in Takamatsu, the Ritsurin park is very popular.

Kompira-san Temple

This temple was built on the top of Zōzu mount at 521m, dedicated to the spiritual guardian of the sea wanderers Kompira-san. To get there you have to go up 1368 steps, while the main temple (本宮 hon-gū) is “only” 785 steps

If you’re not planning to go up by feet, you may still pay chairmen that will carry you to the top with all the comforts.

For those who love to walk, the Kompira-san is absolutely recommended since the view they’ll enjoy on the top will make any effort worth it.

Getting there?
To get to Kotohira you can use the JR line to Takamatsu, and stop at Kotohira Eki

Takamatsu: Ritsurin Park

The Ritsurin park is completely artificial, one of the many artificial parks made in Japan, consisting in 6 small lakes and 13 hills, wonderfully placed in contrast with the pines of the Shiunzan mount that’s not far from there; this park offers many different plants and also stone compositions in Tokugawa style

You’ll find a nice surprise in the Ritsurin park: the plants have been selected in order to have something in bloom at any period of the year: pink cherry trees in spring, elegant lotus in summer, red maples in autumn and white camelia in winter

Also the lakes are full of life, since they’re inhabited by carps that swim next to the edges looking for food from the guests

You’ll find 30 view points in this park, all listed on the maps to let you enjoy your visit better.

Getting there?
JR line Takamatsu, stop at Ritsurin eki, the  park is 3 minutes far from the north exit of the Ritsurin-eki station.

Shikoku: most important destination for tourists in Tokushima-Ken

The Tokushima district is on the East side of the Shikoku island and is very famous for its whirlpools in Naruto City, also known as Naruto no Uzushio” 鳴門の渦潮

Naruto city, Naruto no Uzushio 鳴門の渦潮 鳴門の渦潮

Close to Shikoku island, just next to the district of Tokushima, there’s a wedge-shaped small island called Awaji, put in the middle way among the internal sea (on the north side of the island), the Honshu, the Osaka bay, and the Pacific Ocean.

The tides pushing from different directions generates such terrifying whirlpools and strong streams, that the tumultuous waters of Shikoku island have been designed as protagonists of many legends. Sometimes these never stopping whirlpools get really spectacular yet disturbing.

Through the years a system of bridges was built to link Shikoku and Honshu; one of these bridges is the hanging bridge of Naruto from which you can enjoy the sigh of these whirlpools of Naruto, but the most courageous may also try to see them closer on boats (at the speed of 20km/h): a truly amazing experience.

Getting there
Naruto station, then take the bus to Naruto Park and the ferry called Uzushio.

Shikoku: most important destination for tourists in Kochi-Ken

The district of Kochi is the widest of the four districts of Shikoku, and comprehends the whole pacific part from East of Muroto-Misaki to the west of Ashizuri-Misaki. This area is separeted from the resto f the island by high mountains, so it kept its “wild” side somehow and is very appreciated for open air sports like Surf, canoeing, rafting, whales watching and so on. The surfers usually love Ikumi beach 郁美ビーチ. You shouldn’t miss the wonderful calcareous caves Ryūga dō 龍河洞 neither.

Ikumi Beach 郁美ビーチ

The Ikumi beach is in the most Eastern zone of the Kochi district, it’s very popular among surfers willing to defy big waves and you can camp there for free.

Otherwise, there’s a nice lodging at the Minami Kaze, close to the beach, that’s also very popular for surfers and offers 10 rooms in Japanese style, with common showers and baths.

Ryūga dō 龍河洞

The Ryūga dō 龍河洞 caves are wonderful calcareous caves that are worth visiting if you want to have a trip around Japan, in particolar Shikoku. One of the caves has been awarded as National Natural Monument and in its interiors thousands years old stalactites and stalagmites can be admired.

From the entrance, it leads to tunnels full of natural wonders, the visit usually overs after 1km although it continues till 4km.

If you reserve a visit in advance, you may choose a more interesting way thanks to a guide and special overcoats, necessary to explore the caves deeper.

This adventurous travel costs about 3000 Yen per person (30$) and is recommended to speleologist who want to discover the most hidden places of Japan.

Getting There
The Ryūga dō caves can be reached by bus lines from the Tosa Yamada station; one bus per hour and the travel takes about 20 minutes, it costs about 440 Yen (4,5$).

Shikoku: Pilgrimage of the 88 Temples 四国八十八箇所

As previously said, the Shikoku island is characterized by many temples spread al lover the 4 districts; that’s why since much time the tradition of the Pilgrimage of the 88 sacred temples, Shikoku hachijuuhachi kasho (四国八十八箇所), still exists. It consists in visiting all the 88 temples in a definite order.

The first one who made the pilgrimage was the monk Kukai, also known as Kobo Daishi after his death, who travelled through Cansai, Hunoshu and Shikoku to visit these temples. Since that, his travel is emulated by many pilgrims.

Kobo Daishi was buried in the templar complex of Koya-san, and it is defined by tradition to start and over the pilgrimage right there. In fact, before starting the journey they go asking for protection, then come back thanking the Saint for making them travel safe and sound.

It all starts with the temple number one, the Ryōzenji, where you can also buy all the items you need for the pilgrimage. The pilgrims are easily recognizable by the white vest, the bamboo hat and the staff.

The good pilgrim’s set, a listo f stuff to buy before leaving:

1) Bamboo Hat 菅笠(Sugegasa)

2) White Vest 白衣(Hakue)

3) The pilgrim staff 金剛杖 (Kongouzue)

4) Buddihst stole 輪袈裟 (Wagesa)

5) Travel Bag 山谷袋 (Sanyabukuro)

6) Bag of prayers 巡拝バック (Junpai bakku)

7) Rosary 念珠 (Nenju)

Little bell 持鈴 (Jirei)

After buying all this stuff, you can start your journey and have this long walk, many still do it by feet, and depending on your physical strenght it may took from 30 to 60 days. By the way, you can also choose the less tiring way and travel by car, tram and so on, but you’ll miss the actual spirit of pilgrimage.

The temples must be visited in the following order:

Next to every temple there a refreshment service called Shukubō is offered. It offers board and night lodging to pilgrims, it costs about 7000 Yen per night (70$). Pilgrimage is a different way to visit Shikoku, you really should try it!

Typical dishes of Shikoku island

To fully enjoy your trip to Shikoku island, you should not miss its typical dishes, that are many and different. The soil is not good for intensive rice cultivation there, so the wheat is the main food source, so many kinds of Udon (soft wheat noodles) and Soba (saracen wheat noodles), served both hot and cold. A bright green seaweed, typical of the Naruto zone, can usually been found in the broth in which udons and sobas are served.

かけうどん Kake Udon, Udon made out of soft wheat (similar to noodles), served in hot broth, very soft but still not too much cooked.

ざるうどん Zaru Udon typically summer dish, but still tasteful in every season, consisting in cold Udon with sauce.

かけそば Kake Soba saracen wheat noodles, served in hot broth usually with Iya Dofu 祖谷豆腐 (tofu cheese of Iya).

ざるそば Zaru Soba saracen wheat noodles, served cold with sauce, also are a typical summer dish.

鯛 Tai red porgy fish served with Sudachi (type of citrus fruit) and Sancho (hot spice)

かつおのたたき Katsuo no Tataki sliced tuna, somehow grilled but still underdone at the core, served with soy and vinegar sauce, it’s really delicious!

酒盗 Shutō tuna offal slightly fried, usually served after the Katsuo no Tataki and with Sake, with which creates such a lovely combination that also non-drinkers are tempted.

天然鮎の塩焼き grilled trout, very popular in the south side of Kōchi district.

Shikoku: Hotel e Ryokan

Cheap (8.000-15.000 Yen) (80 $ – 150 $)

Takamatsu: Hotel N.o 1 Takamatsu
2-4-1 Kanko dori Tel: (088) 812-2222 Fax: (087) 812-0002

Takamatsu: Rihga Hotel Zest Takamatsu
9-1 Furujin-Machi Tel: (087) 822-3555 Fax: (087) 822-7516

Naruto: Ryokan Sanukiya
39 Aza Mitsuicho Tel: (088) 686-3301 Fax: (088) 686-3347

Naruto: Naruto Hotel Hama
65 Aza-maehama Tel: (088) 685-2600 Fax: (088) 686-4800

Matsuyama: Minshuku Miyoshi
3-7-23 Ishite Tel: (089) 977-2581 Fax: (089) 977-2581

Kotohira: Kotohira Riverside Hotel
246-1 Kotohiracho Tel: (0877) 75-1800 Fax: (0877) 73-5669

Zona di Capo Ashizuri: Bellreef Otsuki
Otsukicho, Hatagun Tel: (0880) 74-0222 Fax: (0880) 74-0080

Expensive (15.000 – 35.000 Yen) (150 $ – 350 $)

Matsuyama: Dogokan
7-26 Dogotakocho Tel: (089) 941-7777 Fax: (089) 941-7707

Kotohira: Kotohira Kadan
Kotohira Tel: (0877) 75-3232 Fax: (087) 75-3235

Kochi: Joseikan
2-chome, Kanimachi Tel: (088) 75-0111 Fax: (088) 24-0557

Cost side of Anan: Hotel Riviera Shishikui
Matsubara, nearby Shishikui station Tel: (0884) 76-3300 Fax: (0884) 76-3910

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