Rough Guide to Japan (Travel Guide eBook)

Rough Guides

Description

The Rough Guide to Japan

Make the most of your time on Earth with the ultimate travel guides.
World-renowned 'tell it like it is' travel guide.

Get Olympic ready with this practical 'tell it like it is' guidebook to Japan. Featuring extensive listings and maps, this is packed with information to help travellers make the most of their Tokyo 2020 Olympic adventure.    

Discover Japan with this comprehensive and entertaining travel guide, packed with practical information and honest recommendations by our independent experts. Whether you plan to make the tough but rewarding hike up Mount Fuji, wander through neon-drenched Tokyo or take a tour around the numerous sake breweries, The Rough Guide to Japan will help you discover the best places to explore, eat, drink, shop and sleep along the way.

Features of this travel guide to Japan:
- Detailed regional coverage: provides practical information for every kind of trip, from off-the-beaten-track adventures to chilled-out breaks in popular tourist areas
- Honest and independent reviews: written with Rough Guides' trademark blend of humour, honesty and expertise, our writers will help you make the most from your trip to Japan
- Meticulous mapping: practical full-colour maps, with clearly numbered, colour-coded keys. Find your way around Osaka, Fukuoka and many more locations without needing to get online
- Fabulous full-colour photography: features inspirational colour photography, including the tranquil, moss-covered temples of Kyoto and an abundance of delicious sushi that will leave you salivating.
- Time-saving itineraries: carefully planned routes will help inspire and inform your on-the-road experiences
- Things not to miss: Rough Guides' rundown of Naoshima, Yakushima, Hiroshima and Nikko's best sights and top experiences
- Travel tips and info: packed with essential pre-departure information including getting around, accommodation, food and drink, health, the media, festivals, sports and outdoor activities, culture and etiquette, shopping and more
- Background information: comprehensive 'Contexts' chapter provides fascinating insights into Japan, with coverage of history, religion, ethnic groups, environment, wildlife and books, plus a handy language section and glossary
- Covers: Tokyo (and around); Northern Honshu; Hokkaido; Central Honshu; Kyoto and Nara; Kansai; Western Honshu; Shikoku; Kyushu; Okinawa

You may also be interested in: Pocket Rough Guide Tokyo, Rough Guide Tokyo, Rough Guide Phrasebook: Japanese

About Rough Guides: Rough Guides have been inspiring travellers for over 35 years, with over 30 million copies sold globally. Synonymous with practical travel tips, quality writing and a trustworthy 'tell it like it is' ethos, the Rough Guides list includes more than 260 travel guides to 120+ destinations, gift-books and phrasebooks.

Sujets

• Travel
• Japan
• East
• Asia

Informations

• Publié par: Apa Publications
• Date de parution: 01 juillet 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781789196658
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 25 Mo

Extrait

Christian Kober/John Warburton-Lee Photography
Michele Falzone/AWL Images
Contents
INTRODUCTION
Where to go
When to go
Author picks
things not to miss
Tailor-made trips
BASICS
Getting there
Visas and entry requirements
Getting around
Accommodation
Food and drink
The media
Festivals
Sports and outdoor activities
Culture and etiquette
Shopping
Travelling with children
Travel essentials
THE GUIDE
1 Tokyo
2 Around Tokyo
3 Northern Honshū
4 Hokkaidō
5 Central Honshū
6 Kyoto and Nara
7 Kansai
8 Western Honshū
9 Shikoku
10 Kyūshū
11 Okinawa
CONTEXTS
History
Religion
Japanese arts
Music
The environment
Film
Books
Japanese
Glossary
SMALL PRINT AND INDEX
KUMANO NACHI TAISHA
Dreamstime
Introduction to
Japan
You’d be hard pressed to find a country as intrinsically unique as Japan. From the snow-capped mountains of Hokkaidō to the subtropical beaches of Okinawa, via the world’s biggest city and more volcanoes than you can count, there’s simply something special about the place. Whether it’s 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 won’t be long before you stumble upon an exquisite Buddhist temple or Shintō 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 it’s 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 world’s 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 it’s 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 Japan’s 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 , you’ll 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 it’s 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 nō plays, as well as a wealth of Japanese visual arts in major museums. Outside the cities , there’s a vast range of travel options, from the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Shiretoko National Park in Hokkaidō 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 there’s 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 Honshū, the boomerang-shaped mainland; Hokkaidō, way up north; Kyūshū, down south; Shikoku, sitting under Honshū; 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 Japan’s land surface, making the southern coastal plain of Honshū 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 world’s 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. Japan’s 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 world’s 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 world’s 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 city’s surrounding attractions, in particular the historic towns of Nikkō , home to the amazing Tōshō-gū shrine complex, and Kamakura , with its giant Buddha statue and tranquil woodland walks.
Northern Honshū sees surprisingly few overseas visitors, but its sleepy villages and relaxed cities deserve to be better known. The Golden Hall of Hiraizumi more than warrants the journey, and can be easily combined with the islet-sprinkled Matsushima Bay or rural Tōno . The region is also known for its vibrant summer festivals , notably those at Sendai, Aomori, Hirosaki and Akita, and for its sacred mountains, including Dewa-sanzan , home to a sect of ascetic mountain priests, and the eerie, remote wastelands of Osore-zan .

Alamy
TOKYO CITYSCAPE

JOURNEYS WITH FOOD
Eating is undoubtedly one of the highlights of travelling in Japan – a fair amount of domestic tourism is geared this way, with locals heading all over the country to sample subtle nuances of taste. Food not only changes by the season, but is also produced for certain activities – from train journeys to street festivals – and for maximum convenience available instantly or served quickly. Here are a few delicious recommendations to look out for as you journey around Japan:
Ekiben No major train journey in Japan is complete without an ekiben – a type of boxed lunch only sold at train stations. It’s intended to showcase local cuisine and is often presented in interestingly quirky containers.
Kare-pan A good example of how Japan adapts foreign cuisines, kare-pan or curry bread is deep-fried sweet dough filled with curry. A great spicy snack if you need a break from rice and noodles.
Mitarashi dango Usually sold outside Shintō shrines, mitarashi dango are small pieces of grilled mochi (rice cake) on skewers and slathered in a delicious sweet and salty sauce. Best enjoyed with a steaming cup of green tea.
Sōmen Japan is home to a variety of noodles, but sōmen are the most delicate. Long, th