Insight Guides Japan (Travel Guide eBook)

Insight Guides

Description

Insight Guides Japan

Travel made easy. Ask local experts. 
Comprehensive travel guide packed with inspirational photography and fascinating cultural insights.

Get Olympic ready with this inspirational full-colour guidebook to Japan. It's all a traveller needs to explore Japan in-depth during their Tokyo 2020 Olympic adventure.

From deciding when to go, to choosing what to see when you arrive, this guide to Japan is all you need to plan your perfect trip, with insider information on must-see, top attractions like Tokyo, Kyoto and Mount Fuji, and cultural gems like watching a thrilling sumo match, feeling at peace in spiritual temples and being amazed by Japan's high-tech society.

Features of this travel guide to Japan:
- Inspirational colour photography: discover the best destinations, sights and excursions, and be inspired by stunning imagery
- Historical and cultural insights: immerse yourself in Japan's rich history and culture, and learn all about its people, art and traditions
- Practical full-colour maps: with every major sight and listing highlighted, the full-colour maps make on-the-ground navigation easy
- Editor's Choice: uncover the best of Japan with our pick of the region's top destinations
- Key tips and essential information: packed full of important travel information, from transport and tipping to etiquette and hours of operation
- Covers: Kanto Plain and Chubu; Tokyo; the north; Kansai region; the south 

Looking for a specific guide to Tokyo? Check out Insight Guides Explore Tokyo for a detailed and entertaining look at all the city has to offer.

About Insight Guides: Insight Guides is a pioneer of full-colour guide books, with almost 50 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides with user-friendly, modern design. We produce around 400 full-colour print guide books and maps, as well as phrase books, picture-packed eBooks and apps to meet different travellers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.

Sujets

• Travel
• Japan
• East
• Asia

Informations

• Publié par: Apa Publications
• Date de parution: 01 février 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9781839052231
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 9 Mo

Extrait

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 Editor’s 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
You’ll 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.

© 2020 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd




Table of Contents
Japan’s Top 10 Attractions
Editor’s Choice
Introduction: A Singular Place
A Nation of Islands
Decisive Dates
Japan’s Early Centuries
The Edo Period
The Modern Era
Living in Modern Japan
Religion
Insight: Undercurrents of Life and Ritual
Art, Crafts and Literature
The Performing Arts
The Cinema of Japan
Architecture
Insight: The Art of Landscaping
Sport and Leisure
Insight: Rikishi: Life on the Bottom and on Top
Food and Drink
Insight: Japanese Food
Introduction: Places
Introduction: Kanto Plain and Chubu
Tokyo
Insight: Japan’s Trains
Around Tokyo
Central Honshu
Introduction: The North
Tohoku
Hokkaido
Insight: The Great Outdoors
Introduction: The Kansai Region
Kyoto
Around Kyoto
Nara
Southern Kansai
Osaka and Kobe
Insight: Kimonos for all Seasons and Styles
Introduction: The South
Chugoku
Shikoku
Kyushu
Okinawa
Travel Tips: Transport
Travel Tips: A–Z
Travel Tips: Language
Travel Tips: Further Reading


Japan’s Top 10 Attractions



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, click here .
iStock


Top Attraction 2



Mount Fuji. Japan’s most iconic mountain dominates the skyline west of Tokyo, and is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Whether you climb it or gaze upon it from afar, it’s easy to see why Fuji-san has captivated the Japanese for centuries. For more information, click here .
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 Japan’s most spectacular architecture. If you just have time for one overnight trip from Tokyo, make it here. For more information, click here .
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, click here .
Chris Stowers/Apa Publications


Top Attraction 5



Hiroshima’s 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, click here .
iStock


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 Japan’s contemporary art scene. For more information, click here .
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 foodie’s paradise. Don’t go home without having your fill. For more information, click here .
Fotolia


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 won’t be cheap, but it will be very memorable. For more information, click here .
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 Japan’s premier hiking ground. The pretty village of Kamikochi is the perfect base from which to explore the area. For more information, click here .
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, it’s sometimes hard to believe these islands are actually part of Japan. For more information, click here .
Fotolia


Editor’s Choice




Universal Studios Japan.
Shutterstock


Best For Families

Kaiyukan Aquarium. Located in Osaka Bay, visitors can see aquatic species from various regions across the globe. Get up close in the feeling area and don’t miss the chance to see giant whale sharks. For more information, click here .
DisneySea. An addition to Tokyo Disneyland but requiring a separate ticket. The themes here are all connected to water and a full day is recommended. For more information, click here .
Ghibli Museum . This museum-cum-amusement park in Tokyo’s suburbs showcases the work of the renowned Studio Ghibli, including Miyazaki Hayao’s famous anime. For more information, click here .
Universal Studios Japan. Hollywood special effects and fun rides, Osaka’s theme park replicates its Los Angeles prototype. For more information, click here .
Miraikan. This museum in Odaiba has lots of hands-on activities for older kids to learn about cutting-edge robotics, space exploration and much more. For more information, click here .



Japanese vending machines.
Chris Stowers/Apa Publications


Only In Japan

Department terminals. A fascinating consumer concept – train platforms feeding passengers straight into department stores. Accessible station-store interfaces are found in Nihombashi, Ikebukuro and Shibuya in Tokyo.
High-tech toilets. At the other end of the spectrum to the squat toilet, many hotels, department stores and homes have washlets , toilets that will clean, dry and warm you, and on occasions make noises to cover any embarrassing sounds. For more information, click here .
Capsule hotels. Seal your door and fall into a contented sleep in these cosy, weightless cells – or sweat with claustrophobia. You either love or hate Japan’s capsule hotels. For more information, click here .
Vending machines. It’s the number and range that are unique to Japan: over 5 million on the last count, dispensing everything from disposable underwear to noodles. For more information, click here .



Ritsurin-koen, Kagawa.
JNTO


Best Parks and Gardens

Koishikawa Botanical Garden. Although landscaped, the grounds of this fine Edo Period green haven have a natural and informal feel. The oldest garden in Tokyo. For more information, click here .
Shinjuku Gyoen. Enjoy the many species of plants, trees and flowers in a Tokyo park divided into different garden styles. There is a large botanical greenhouse for chilly days. For more information, click here .
Daitoku-ji. A complex of immeasurably beautiful Kyoto gardens. The most famous is Daisen-in, reminiscent of a Chinese pai