Japan

Japan, also known as ‘the land of the rising sun’, is a country comprising of a group of islands. Japan offers a variety of tourist destinations, from temples, shrines and world heritage sites to cultural events, festivals and theme parks.

To know about Japan’s history, art and culture a visit to some of the beautiful museums and galleries is a must. The prominent ones are the Tokyo National Museum, Nezu Institute of Fine Arts, Fuji Art Museum, National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto National Museum, Arts Initiative Tokyo (AIT), DNP Galleries, Tokyo Gallery and Youkobo Art Space.

Japan has a high concentration of UNESCO World Heritage sites, eight of which can be found in Nara. They include Shiretoko, Himegi-jo castle, Iwami Ginzan silver mine, Hiroshima peace memorial (Genbaku Dome) / Itsukushima Shinto shrine, just to name a few.

Japan hosts many cultural events and festivals as well like the Summer Rock Festival, Christmas Illuminations, Kyoto Gion Festival, Tanabata Festival, Obon Festival, Nara Todaiji Temple Omizutori Festival, Sapporo Snow Festival, Aomori Nebuta Festival and Tokyo Motor Show.

If you wish to venture outdoors then visiting the Eco Assets in Hakkaido and sightseeing at Mt. Fuji are two of the most popular options. Hokkaido offers wetlands, unique natural heritage, bird watching sites, huge rotating wind turbines and a chance to experience Ainu culture. There are many beautiful sightseeing venues at Mt. Fuji like Safari park, Miho no Matsubara, Shiraito Falls, Lake Motosu-ko, Hongu- Sengen shrine and Ganyudo no watashi-bune.

Japan also boasts many theme parks ( Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea, Nagashima Spa Land), as well as hot springs ( Atami Onsen, Dogo Onsen,Gero Onsen, Kusatsu Onsen, Shirahama Onsen) and entertainment attractions like Kabuki, musicals, movie theaters, summer rock concerts and Yose theaters. Then there is the famous national sport – sumo- which is entertaining for all age groups.

Japan has a complex climate with four distinct seasons. Summers can be extremely hot, with cooler temperatures only in the higher altitudes and northern region. Winters up north are very cold and prone to heavy snowfall, whereas the southern half of the country has milder winters. The most pleasant time to visit Japan is during fall, when the main attractions aren’t too crowded, temperatures are moderate and the colors of the leaves turn to many different shades of red. Although visiting Japan in the spring can be very nice thanks to the blooming cherry blossom trees, this is also the main holiday season for the Japanese.

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