JAPAN

JAPAN

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun".Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands. The four largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for 97% of Japan's land area. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for example, Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. Japan has the world's tenth-largest population, with about 128 million people.

Its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, at the juncture of three tectonic plates, gives Japan frequent low-intensity tremors and occasional volcanic activity. Destructive earthquakes, often resulting in tsunamis, occur several times each century.

A major power, Japan has the world's third-largest economy by nominal GDP and the third largest in purchasing power parity. It is also the world's fourth largest exporter and fifth largest importer. It is also the only Asian country in the G8 and is currently serving as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Although Japan has officially renounced its right to declare war, it maintains a modern and extensive military force which is employed in self-defense and peacekeeping roles. It is a developed country with very high living standards (10th highest HDI). Japan has the highest life expectancy of any country in the world (according to both the UN and WHO estimates) and the third lowest infant mortality rate. 

Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people". Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan

Tourism in Japan

Tourism in Japan has a vibrant domestic sector and eight million foreign visitors each year. It has sites such as Kyoto World Historical Site, attractions in Tokyo and Nara, Mount Fuji, ski resorts such as Niseko in Hokkaidō, Okinawa, the shinkansen and a well-developed hotel and onsen network.

Tourism is a vital part of the Japanese economy and society.. The extensive rail network together with domestic flights sometimes in planes with modifications to favor the relatively short distances involved in intra-Japan travel allows efficient and speedy transport. In inbound tourism, Japan was ranked 28th in the world in 2007.

Major tourist destinations of Japan

• Tokyo  

• Kyoto 

• Nara 

• Nikkō 

• Mount Fuji 

• Hakone 

Tokyo

Tokyo is the capital city of the parliamentary democratic monarchy of Japan, the Imperial Residence with the Emperor's Palace and the seat of Government and of Parliament. Tokyo is situated in East-Central Honshu, the largest of Japan's main islands. The city lies north of the Bay of Tokyo, between the River Arakawa to the east and the River Tama to the west.

The cityscape in Tokyo has been changed twice in history - the 1923 earthquake and the extensive bombings during World War II. Due to this devastation, the architecture in Tokyo is mainly modern and contemporary.

Tokyo is a major international centre of finance with the the largest metropolitan gross domestic product for a city as well as the title - the world's most expensive city! It is also the largest hub for rail, ground, and air transportation in Japan. With the most extensive urban railway network in the world, Tokyo residents rely on rail for their main mode of transportation.

The cultural side of Tokyo include numerous museums, theaters, festivals, internationally noted cuisine and a number of sports. Sports clubs include baseball, sumo, football or soccer, tennis and gymnastics. The theaters feature Japanese and modern dramas, symphony orchestras, and pop and rock events.

Tokyo Disney Resort is a theme park and vacation resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, just east of Tokyo). It is owned and operated by the Oriental Land Company with a license from The Walt Disney Company. The resort opened on April 15, 1983, as a single theme park (Tokyo Disneyland), but developed into a resort with two theme parks, three (Disney) hotels and a shopping complex. Tokyo Disneyland was the first Disney theme park opened outside the United States.

Tokyo Disney Resort has three main entertainment sections: Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Sea and Ikspiari, which is a variation of the Downtown Disney shopping, dining and entertainment area found at the Disney resorts in California and Florida. It also contains Bon Voyage!, which is the official Disney goods specialty shop of Tokyo Disney Resort. In October 2008, the resort opened a new theater housing an original Cirque du Soleil production named Zed.

Akihabara

Akihabara also known as Akihabara Electric Town is an area of Tokyo, Japan. It is located less than five minutes by rail from Tokyo Station. Its name is frequently shortened to Akiba in Japan. While there is an official locality named Akihabara nearby, part of Taitō-ku, the area known to most people as Akihabara (including the railway station of the same name) is actually Soto-Kanda, a part of Chiyoda-ku. 

Akihabara is a major shopping area for electronic, computer, anime, and otaku goods, including new and used items. New items are mostly to be found on the main street, Chūōdōri, with many kinds of used items found in the back streets of Soto Kanda 3-chōme. First-hand parts for PC-building are readily available from a variety of stores. Tools, electrical parts, wires, microsized cameras and similar items are found in the cramped passageways of Soto Kanda 1-chōme (near the station). Foreign tourists tend to visit the big name shops like Laox or other speciality shops near the station, though there is more variety and lower prices at locales a little further away. Akihabara gained some fame through being home to one of the first stores devoted to personal robots and robotics.

Ginza  is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi. It is known as an upscale area of Tokyo with numerous department stores, boutiques, restaurants and coffeehouses. It is recognized as one of the most luxurious shopping districts in the world. Many upscale fashion clothing flagship stores are located here. Prominent are Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci. A recent addition is the 12-story Abercrombie & Fitch flagship. 

Kyoto

The city of Kyoto lies, surrounded by hills, in central Honshu, near the southwest end of Lake Biwa. Occupying an area of more than 230sq.mi/ 600sq.km in the south facing basin between the rivers Katsura to the west and Kamo to the east, it is Japan's fifth largest city, chief town of Kyoto prefecture and the educational 

hub of western Japan, with several universities and higher educational establishments. Although it is one of Japan's great tourist Meccas, attracting more than ten million visitors every year, it has preserved much of the atmosphere of the past, having been the only one of Japan's major cities to escape damage during the Second World War. The climate of the Kyoto area shows marked differences between the seasons, with hot dry summers and relatively cold winters.

Fushimi-Inari Shrine is much frequented by merchants and tradesmen who pray for prosperity. One of the greatest shrines in Japan, founded in 711, is dedicated to the goddess of rice-growing, Ukanomitama-no-mikoto. The main building (1499) is in typical Momoyama style. A notable feature is the 21/2 mi/ 4km long avenue of red torii presented by worshippers. Here, too, are many sculptures of foxes.

Nijo Castle has belonged to the city of Kyoto since 1939. The castle was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1603. The castle is surrounded by a moat and stone walls with corner towers. It is entered by the East Gate (Higashi Otemon) and an inner gate, Karamon, which has fine carving by Hidari Jingoro and decorated metalwork. This gate originally came from Fushimi Castle. Beyond it is still another gate, the Mikuruma-yose, also decorated  by  Hidari Jingoro, which gave access to the Ninomaru Palace. This consists of five separate buildings linked by corridors. The interiors are decorated with paintings by Kano Tanyu and his pupils. The principal apartment is the Jodan-no-ma (Hall of the Imperial Emissary); in the adjoining rooms, Ni-no-ma and Tozamurai-no-ma, are pictures of tigers. 

The Ginkakuji (or Silver Pavilion) Temple lies in the northeast part of the city. In contrast to the Kinkakuji (or Golden Pavilion) Temple, this was never decorated with a covering of silver. It was built in 1482 by the eighth Ashikaga Shogun as a country residence. On his death it was converted into a Zen temple. It stands by a pool in which the two-story building is reflected. In its upper story it houses a gilded statue of Kannon. Behind it is the main hall with an important statue of Buddha. There is a tearoom adjacent.

Nara

The city of Nara, celebrated as the cradle of Japanese culture, lies in central Honshu, to the south of Lake Biwa, surrounded by hills, forests and fields, with the Nara Basin extending to the south. With its wealth of ancient and historic buildings and its treasures of art, it attracts more than a million visitors every year 

Nara's historic old buildings lie in a particularly beautiful setting of which there are fine views from Mount Mikasayama. The climate varies over the year but in general is mild. The city retains something of the atmosphere of a small town, and has practically no industry. Its best-known craft products are carved wooden dolls (Nara-ningyo), lacquerware (Nara-shikki), fans (Nara-uchiwa) and ceramics (Akahada-yaki).

The National Museum (built 1895, extended 1972), which contains major works of art, particularly of the Nara period. There are periodically temporary displays of exhibits selected from the museum's large reserves. The western gallery features archeological finds and the eastern gallery has displays of sculpture, paintings and calligraphy. 

Nara Park is the largest of its kind in Japan (1300ac). Within the park, finely wooded with ancient trees, are many historic old buildings, and a further attraction is provided by the large numbers of tame roe deer which live here. To the right of the entrance is Sarusawa Pond (circumference 1200ft/ 360m), with the five-story pagoda of the Kofukuji Temple reflected in its waters. At the northwest corner is the Uneme Shrine.

The Kasuga Shrine, founded by Fujiwara Nagate (714-771), consists of four separate buildings and is dedicated to the divinities Takemikazuchi and Futsunushi and the ancestral gods of the Fujiwara family, Amenokoyane and his consort Hime-okami. The buildings are characteristic examples of the Kasuga-zukuri style, differing from early timber buildings in the red painting of the beams, the white facing of the walls and the curving roofline. Until 1863 the buildings were pulled down every 20 years and re-erected in their original form, as is still the practice at the Ise Shrines; nowadays this process of renewal is confined to the roofs.

Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776 m  Along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku, it is one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains" An active volcano[3] that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji is just west of Tokyo, and can be seen on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and photographs, as well as visited by sightseers and climbers.

Nikko National Park

Nikko National Park (543sq.mi/ 1407sq.km) with its mighty peaks, ancient forests, wide expanses of moorland, lakes and waterfalls is one of the most beautiful and most visited regions in Japan.

Nikko National Park has a number of spas that yield a plentiful supply of hot mineral water and have become a favorite resting place for visitors. Recreational and sports facilities include hiking, camping, mountain climbing, boating, fishing, skiing and skating.

Among the Nikko mountains are Mt Okushirane (2,578m), Mt Nantai, Mt Nasu, and Mt Hiuchi.