Table of Contents
1 Experience Japan 9
25 Ultimate Experiences 10
What's Where 20
What to Eat and Drink in Japan 24
10 Quirky Souvenir Stores in Tokyo 26
Traditional Crafts to Buy 28
Japan's Top Temples and Shrines 30
Japan with Kids 32
What to Watch and Read 34
Japan Today 36
2 Travel Smart 45
Know Before You Go 46
Getting Here and Around 48
Transportation Planner 56
Essentials 58
Helpful Japanese Phrases 66
Contacts 68
Japanese Etiquette 70
Great Itineraries 72
On the Calendar 80
Money-Saving Tips 82
3 A Japanese Culture Primer 83
Japanese Fine Arts 94
Performing Arts 98
Onsen and Bathing 102
The Ryokan 106
Japanese Pop Culture 108
Baseball in Japan 110
Japanese Martial Arts 112
Sumo 114
The Geisha 116
The Tea Ceremony 118
Japanese Gardens 120
Religion in Japan 122
4 Tokyo 127
Welcome to Tokyo 128
Tokyo's Vending Machines and Convenience Stores 130
Planning 132
Imperial Palace ($$$) 138
Marunouchi ($$$) 142
Nihonbashi ($$$) 150
Ginza ($$$) 153
Tsukiji ($$$) 164
Shiodome ($$$) 165
Aoyama ($$$) and Harajuku ($$$) 169
Shibuya ($$$) 178
Roppongi ($$$) 187
Shinjuku ($$$) 196
Akihabara ($$$) 207
Ueno ($$$) 211
Asakusa ($$$) 218
Greater Tokyo 226
5 Side Trips from Tokyo 233
Welcome to Side Trips from Tokyo 234
Planning 237
Yokohama ($$$) 238
Kamakura ($$$) 250
Mt. Fuji ($$$ Fuji-san) 263
Fuji Five Lakes ($$$ Fuji Go-ko) 265
Hakone ($$$) 275
Izu Peninsula ($$$) 280
Mt. Takao ($$$) 289
Nikko ($$$) 290
6 Nagoya, Ise-Shima, and the Kii Peninsula 303
Welcome to Nagoya, Ise-Shima, and the Kii Peninsula 304
Planning 307
Nagoya ($$$) 310
Gifu ($$$) 319
Inuyama ($$$) 322
Iga Ueno ($$$) 324
Ise ($$$) 324
Kashikojima ($$$) 328
Shingu ($$$) 329
Doro-kyo ($$$) 330
Nachi ($$$) 330
Shirahama ($$$) 331
Koya-san ($$$) 331
7 The Japan Alps and the North Chubu Coast 335
Welcome to the Japan Alps and the North Chubu Coast 336
Gassho-zukuri Farmhouses 338
Planning 341
Karuizawa ($$$) 343
Kusatsu ($$$) 344
Nagano ($$$) 345
Matsumota ($$$) 349
Hakuba ($$$) 354
Kiso Valley ($$$) 357
Kamikochi ($$$) 358
Takayama ($$$) 360
Shirakawa-go ($$$) 363
Kanazawa ($$$) 364
Noto Peninsula ($$$) 372
Toyama ($$$) 374
Niigata ($$$) 375
Sado Island ($$$; Sado-ga-shima) 377
8 Kyoto 381
Welcome to Kyoto 382
Planning 384
Eastern Kyoto 391
Central Kyoto 417
Southern Kyoto 434
Western Kyoto 438
Arashiyama 443
Northern Kyoto 449
9 The Kansas Region 455
Welcome to the Kansai Region 456
Nara's Sacred Deer 458
Sake, the Japanese Drink 460
Planning 463
Osaka ($$$) 465
Nara ($$$) 488
Kobe ($$$) 502
Himeji ($$$) 520
10 Western Honshu 523
Welcome to Western Honshu 524
Planning 526
Okayama ($$$) 528
Kurashiki ($$$) 530
Hiroshima ($$$) 532
Miyajima ($$$) 544
Iwakuni ($$$) 547
Hagi ($$$) 548
Tsuwano ($$$) 550
Matsue ($$$) 553
Izumo Taisha ($$$) 557
11 Skikoku 559
Welcome to Shikoku 560
Planning 563
Takamatsu ($$$) 565
Naoshima ($$$) 576
Kotohira ($$$) 579
Tokushima 580
Iya Valley and Oboke-Koboke Gorges ($$$) 583
Kochi ($$$) 586
Matsuyama ($$$) 591
Uchiko ($$$) 596
Uwajima ($$$) 597
Shimanami Kaido ($$$) 598
12 Kyushu 601
Welcome to Kyushu 602
Planning 605
Fukuoka ($$$) 606
Nagasaki ($$$) 610
Kumamoto ($$$) 616
Mt. Aso ($$$ Aso-san) 619
Kurokawa Onsen ($$$) 621
Yufuin ($$$) 622
Takachiho ($$$) 625
Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park ($$$) 627
Kagoshima ($$$) 628
13 Okinawa 631
Welcome to Okinawa 632
Okinawa's World War II Sights 634
Planning 637
Okinawa Main Island ($$$) 638
Kerama Islands ($$$) 652
Miyako Islands ($$$) 653
Yaeyama Islands ($$$) 657
4 Tohoku 665
Welcome to Tohoku 666
Planning 669
Sendai ($$$) 672
Morioka ($$$) 678
Matsushima ($$$) 682
Yamadera ($$$) 684
Hiraizumi ($$$) 685
Yamagata ($$$) 687
Tazawa-ko ($$$) 689
Kakunodate 692
Towada-Hachimantai National Park ($$$) 694
Hirosaki ($$$) 695
Aomori ($$$) 698
Akita ($$$) 701
Tsuruoka and Dewa-Sanzan ($$$) 704
5 Hokkaido 707
Welcome to Hokkaido 708
Winter Sports in Hokkaido 710
Planning 714
Hakodate ($$$) 718
Sapporo ($$$) 722
Teine ($$$) 732
Otaru ($$$) 733
Niseko ($$$) 737
Rusutsu ($$$) 740
Toyako ($$$) 741
Noboribetsu Onsen ($$$) 743
Shiraoi ($$$) 744
Daisetsuzan National Park ($$$) 744
Furano ($$$) 746
Abashiri ($$$) 747
Shiretoko National Park ($$$) 749
Akan National Park ($$$) 753
Kushiro-Shitsugen National Park ($$$) 756
Index 757
About Our Writers 784
Maps
Tokyo Metro 134
Imperial Palace, Marunouchi and Nihonbashi 146
Ginza and Tsukiji 154
Shiodome 167
Aoyama and Harajuku 172
Shibuya 180
Roppongi 192
Shinjuku 198
Akihabara 208
Ueno 214
Asakusa 220
Greater Tokyo 228
Yokohama 244
Kamakura 254
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park 264
Nikko 294
Nagoya 312
Ise 326
Matsumoto 352
Takayama 361
Kanazawa 365
Eastern Kyoto 392
Central Kyoto 418
Southern Kyoto 436
Western Kyoto 439
Arashiyama 444
Northern Kyoto 450
Osaka, Kits Ward 474
Osaka, Minami 480
Nara 490
Kobe 505
Hiroshima 534
Takamatsu 566
Nagasaki 612
Naha 641
Miyako Islands 653
Yaeyama Islands 658
Sendai 676
Hakodate 720
Sapporo 723
Isolation and Engagement: A History of Japan 39
A Taste of Japan 85
Shop Tokyo 159
Peerless Fuji 266
The Philosopher's Path 398
The Art of Monozukuri 509
A Walkthrough Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park 536
The Henro: Shikoku's 88-Temple Pilgrimage 569
