Insight Guides - Insight Guides Japan

How To Use This E-Book

Getting around the e-book

This Insight Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration for your visit to Japan, as well as comprehensive planning advice to make sure you have the best travel experience. The guide begins with our selection of Top Attractions, as well as our Editors Choice categories of activities and experiences. Detailed features on history, people and culture paint a vivid portrait of contemporary life in Japan. The extensive Places chapters give a complete guide to all the sights and areas worth visiting. The Travel Tips provide full information on getting around, activities from culture to shopping to sport, plus a wealth of practical information to help you plan your trip.

In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights in Japan are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map] just tap this to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

Youll find hundreds of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Japan. Simply double-tap on an image to see it full-screen.

About Insight Guides

Insight Guides have more than 40 years experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce 400 full-colour titles, in both print and digital form, covering more than 200 destinations across the globe, in a variety of formats to meet your different needs.

Insight Guides are written by local authors, whose expertise is evident in the extensive historical and cultural background features. Each destination is carefully researched by regional experts to ensure our guides provide the very latest information. All the reviews in Insight Guides are independent; we strive to maintain an impartial view. Our reviews are carefully selected to guide you to the best places to eat, go out and shop, so you can be confident that when we say a place is special, we really mean it.

2016 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

Japans Top 10 Attractions

The Land of the Rising Sun is a country of great contrasts between ancient and ultra-modern, and the natural and high-tech; its main attractions reflect this fascinating dichotomy.

Top Attraction 1

Ginkaku-ji temple and Gardens, Kyoto . This temple is a wonderful place to see 15th-century Japanese architecture at its finest. For more information, .

Chris Stowers/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 2

Mount Fuji . Japans most iconic mountain dominates the skyline west of Tokyo, and is an Unesco World Heritage Site. Whether you climb it or gaze upon it from afar, its easy to see why Fuji-san has captivated the Japanese for centuries. For more information, .

JNTO

Top Attraction 3

Nikko . Buried deep in forested mountains to the north of Tokyo, the outrageously lavish Tosho-gu Shrine complex in Nikko offers some of Japans most spectacular architecture. If you just have time for one overnight trip from Tokyo, make it here. For more information, .

Chris Stowers/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 4

Ryokan . A night at a traditional inn ( ryokan ) is a quintessentially Japanese experience, combining refined luxury, elegance and the ultimate in relaxation. For more information, .

Chris Stowers/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 5

Hiroshimas Peace Memorial Park . Built in memory of the victims of the 1945 A-bomb attack that devastated Hiroshima, the Peace Park is a moving and poignant monument to the horrors of nuclear armament. For more information, .

Chris Stowers/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 6

Naoshima Island . With cutting-edge galleries and a host of outdoor art installations, this tranquil island in the Seto Inland Sea is a bright star in Japans contemporary art scene. For more information, .

Chris Stowers/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 7

Japanese cuisine . From refined Kyoto cuisine to steaming hot bowls of cheap ramen , and so much in between, Japan is a foodies paradise. Dont go home without having your fill. For more information, .

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Top Attraction 8

Roppongi at night . Raucous nightclubs, cool bars and some of the chicest restaurants in Tokyo make a night out in Roppongi a must-do. It wont be cheap, but it will be very memorable. For more information, .

Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 9

Hiking the Northern Alps . Breathtaking mountain scenery and hikes to suit all levels make the Northern Alps Japans premier hiking ground. The pretty village of Kamikochi is the perfect base from which to explore the area. For more information, .

Yasufumi Nishi/JNTO

Top Attraction 10

Yaeyama Islands, Okinawa . With pristine beaches, prime dive spots, a refreshingly laid-back pace of life and a distinctive local culture, its sometimes hard to believe these islands are actually part of Japan. For more information, .