Rough Guides - Rough Guide to Japan (Travel Guide eBook)

Christian Kober/John Warburton-Lee Photography

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Contents

KUMANO NACHI TAISHA

Dreamstime

Introduction to

Japan

Youd be hard pressed to find a country as intrinsically unique as Japan. From the snow-capped mountains of Hokkaid to the subtropical beaches of Okinawa, via the worlds biggest city and more volcanoes than you can count, theres simply something special about the place. Whether its sushi or sumo, anime or karate, ramen or robots, chances are that you already know plenty about this East Asian island nation, but even a short visit will make it abundantly clear that this is mere surface matter in a land boasting an unparalleled depth of tradition.

The sheer diversity and intensity of experiences on offer to visitors in the cities or the countryside can be overwhelming. Whether browsing trendy fashion boutiques, electronics stores buzzing with the latest gadgets or a centuries-old shop, you are sure to find something strikingly unusual or innovative. Take a turn down a side street and it wont be long before you stumble upon an exquisite Buddhist temple or Shint shrine, or perhaps a boisterous local matsuri parade. Head to the countryside , and you might glimpse a high-speed train reflected in the waters of emerald-green rice paddies.

Seeing the ancient and contemporary waltzing around hand in hand may appear incongruous, but its important to remember the reasons behind it few other countries have ever changed so fast in so short a period of time. Industrialized at lightning speed in the late nineteenth century, Japan shed its feudal trappings to become the most powerful and outwardly aggressive country in Asia in a matter of decades. After defeat in World War II, the nation transformed itself from atom-bomb victim to economic giant , the envy of the world. Having weathered a decade-long recession from the mid-1990s, Japan is now relishing its soft power status as the worlds pre-eminent purveyor of pop culture, with the visual media of manga and anime leading the way.

The bubble years of 1980s Japan scared many international visitors away in the belief that the country was hideously expensive. The truth is that its no more costly to travel around than Western Europe or the US, and in many ways a fair bit cheaper. Hotel rooms can be on the small side but are often reasonably priced, and food is so cheap that many travellers find themselves eating out three times a day. Public transport in Japans cities is surprisingly good value, while recent price-cutting means that airline tickets now rival the famed bargain rail passes as a means to get to far-flung corners of the country.

In the cities , youll first be struck by the massive number of people constantly on the move. These dense, hyperactive metropolises are the places to catch the latest trend, the hippest fashions and must-have gadgets before they hit the rest of the world. Yet its not all about modernity: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Kanazawa, for example, also provide the best opportunities to view traditional performance arts, such as kabuki and n plays, as well as a wealth of Japanese visual arts in major museums. Outside the cities , theres a vast range of travel options, from the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Shiretoko National Park in Hokkaid to the balmy subtropical islands of Okinawa.

Japan reveals numerous contradictions. The Japanese are experts at focusing on detail (the exquisite wrapping of gifts and the mouthwatering presentation of food are just two examples) but often miss the broader picture. Rampant development and sometimes appalling pollution are difficult to square with a country also renowned for cleanliness and the appreciation of nature. Part of the problem is that natural cataclysms , such as earthquakes and typhoons, regularly hit Japan, so few people expect things to last for long anyway. And theres no denying the pernicious impact of tourism , with ranks of gift shops, ugly hotels, ear-splitting announcements and crowds often ruining potentially idyllic spots.

Alamy

SUKUJI BEACH, ISHIGAKI-JIMA

Fact file

• Japan is made up of around 6800 islands in descending order of size, the main five are Honsh, the boomerang-shaped mainland; Hokkaid, way up north; Kysh, down south; Shikoku, sitting under Honsh; and Okinawa, part of an archipelago way out southwest, towards the tropics.
• Despite many Japanese telling you what a small country they live in, Japan is in fact twice the size of the UK. This sense of smallness originates in the fact that around 75 percent of the country is covered by densely forested mountains; some 126.3 million people are thus squished into the remaining quarter of Japans land surface, making the southern coastal plain of Honsh from Tokyo down to Osaka one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
• The population is 98.5 percent Japanese, making this one of the worlds most ethnically homogeneous societies. The most significant non-Japanese groups living in the country are Chinese and Koreans, together representing more than half of the total. Indigenous people officially account for no more than 100,000 people, though more than double that number are said to have native blood. Japan is also a rapidly ageing society, with a very low birth rate and long life expectancy.
• Japans economy is the third largest in the world, after those of the US and China, though it has been moribund since the early 1990s the prices of certain goods have barely changed in all that time.
• Emperor Naruhito is the head of state, having assumed the throne in 2019, after the abdication of his father, Akihito.
• Japan is famed for its many post-war inventions , several of which have had major impacts on global society. These include: instant noodles (1958); high-speed rail travel (1964); quartz wristwatches (1967); the pocket calculator (1970); the Walkman (1979); and the worlds first android (2003).

And yet, time and again, Japan redeems itself with unexpectedly beautiful landscapes, charmingly courteous people and its tangible sense of history and cherished traditions few will be able to resist the chance to get to grips with this endlessly fascinating culture.

Where to go

Two weeks is the minimum needed to skim the surface of what Japan can offer. The capital, Tokyo, and the former imperial city and thriving cultural centre of Kyoto, will be top of most visitors itineraries, and justifiably so, but you could avoid the cities entirely and head to the mountains or smaller islands to discover an alternative side of the country, away from the most heavily beaten tourist tracks.

It would be easy enough to spend a fortnight just in Tokyo . The metropolis is home to some of the worlds most ambitious architecture, stylish shops and internationally celebrated restaurants and bars as well as glimpses of traditional Japan at scores of temples, shrines and imperial gardens. Consider also taking in a couple of the citys surrounding attractions, in particular the historic towns of Nikk , home to the amazing Tsh-g shrine complex, and Kamakura , with its giant Buddha statue and tranquil woodland walks.