Car Rentals Compact cars from around 4,000 Yen/day!

Online Ticket Bookings Special fares for domestic air tickets

Online Hostel Bookings Hostels and inexpensive ryokan from $10 per night!

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Recommended Travel Guide Books

Lonely Planet Japan is the best and most complete travel guide on Japan for independent low budget travelers. Gateway to Japan is out of date (1998), but by far the best travel guide with respect to historical and cultural background information.

Japan Sightseeing Guide

Hokkaido Sapporo Otaru Hakodate Asahikawa Furano Abashiri Noboribetsu Niseko Lake Toya Daisetsuzan Shiretoko Rishiri Rebun Akan Tohoku Sendai Matsushima Hiraizumi Akita Kakunodate Hachimantai Aomori Hirosaki Lake Towada Shimokita Hanto Dewa Sanzan Yamadera Aizu Bandai Kanto Tokyo Yokohama Kamakura Nikko Kinugawa Hakone Kawagoe Kusatsu Ikaho Minakami Oze Narita Ogasawara Chubu Nagoya Inuyama Mt.Fuji Fujigoko Izu Peninsula Shizuoka Hamanako Nagano Bessho Onsen Matsumoto Kamikochi Kiso Valley Hakuba Yamanouchi Sado Island Takayama Okuhida Shirakawa-go Gujo Gero Onsen Kanazawa Kaga Onsen Noto Peninsula Kansai Kyoto Osaka Nara Kobe Himeji Kinosaki Mount Koya Kumano Asuka Yoshino Amanohashidate Hikone Iga Ueno Ise Shima Chugoku Hiroshima Miyajima Onomichi Okayama Kurashiki Takahashi Inujima Tottori Daisen Matsue Iwami Ginzan Iwakuni Yamaguchi Hagi Shikoku Takamatsu Kotohira Naoshima Shodoshima Matsuyama Uchiko Kochi Tokushima Naruto Kyushu Fukuoka Dazaifu Arita Nagasaki Shimabara Kumamoto Mount Aso Kurokawa Minamata Beppu Yufuin Mount Kuju Miyazaki Takachiho Kagoshima Kirishima Satsuma Hanto Yakushima Okinawa Honto Kume Miyako Yaeyama

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best of the best    best of Japan    outstanding (1) - (99)   ranking of most visited destinations Hokkaido Daisetsuzan (73) Hokkaido's largest and wildest national park. Shiretoko (78) National park on an unspoiled peninsula. Rishiri and Rebun (119) Small islands near Hokkaido's northern tip. Furano (38) Town with beautiful lavender and flower fields. Niseko (75) Leading snow resort with lots of powder snow. Sapporo (16) The largest city on the island of Hokkaido. Noboribetsu (51) Hokkaido's most famous hot spring resort. Hakodate (25) Southernmost city on Hokkaido. Onuma Park (117) National park 20 kilometers north of Hakodate. Akan National Park (54) National park with beautiful lakes. Lake Toya (59) Site of Mount Usu, an active volcano. Lake Shikotsu (101) Picturesque caldera lake near Sapporo. Kushiro Marshlands (84) Marshlands populated by Japanese cranes. Otaru (28) Harbor city near Sapporo with a canal. Asahikawa (71) City in central Hokkaido famous for its zoo. Rusutsu (112) Attractive ski resort near Niseko. Jozankei Onsen (100) Popular hot spring resort near Sapporo. Abashiri (56) Known for its prison and drift ice in winter. Tohoku Dewa Sanzan (122) Three sacred mountains with shrines. Yamadera (111) Scenic temple on a steep mountainside. Hachimantai (110) Mountainous region with rustic hot springs. Shimokita Hanto (121) Remote peninsula famed for Fear Mountain. Lake Towada (68) Caldera lake famous for autumn colors. Hiraizumi (69) Tohoku's former cultural and political capital. Zao Onsen (86) Hot spring and ski resort with snow monsters. Kakunodate (82) City with nicely preserved samurai district. Matsushima (36) Scenic bay dotted by pine clad islets. Hirosaki (63) Former castle town in Northern Tohoku. Kitakami (135) Popular cherry blossom spot in the Tohoku Region. Mount Bandai (140) Volcano with beautiful highlands near Aizu. Shirakami Sanchi (124) Mountain range with virgin beech forests. Aizu (53) Small city known for its samurai history. Aomori (50) City best known for its Nebuta Matsuri. Sendai (22) Largest city in the Tohoku Region. Akita (66) Prefectural capital best known for its festival. Kanto Tokyo (1) Japan's capital and largest city. Nikko (11) Site of Nikko Toshogu, Ieyasu's mausoleum. Kamakura (7) Small city full of historic treasures. Ogasawara Islands (138) Remote islands 1000 kilometers south of Tokyo. Hakone (10) National park with views of Mount Fuji. Yokohama (5) Japan's second largest city. Kusatsu Onsen (55) One of Japan's best hot spring resorts. Oze National Park (107) Popular hiking destination with a marshland. Minakami (91) Popular hot spring and outdoor resort. Kairakuen Garden (94) Spacious garden famous for plum trees. Kawagoe (35) Former castle town known as the Little Edo. Kinugawa Onsen (65) Hot spring resort with theme parks near Nikko. Ikaho Onsen (82) Hot spring resort famous for its stone stairs. Narita (17) Site of Tokyo's international airport. Chubu Takayama (23) Preserves one of Japan's nicest old towns. Kanazawa (20) City rich in culture and history. Alpine Route (76) Spectacular route through the Northern Alps. Shirakawa-go (42) Mountainous region, known for its farmhouses. Kamikochi (64) Popular mountain resort in the Japanese Alps. Yamanouchi (102) Home of hot spring bathing monkeys. Kiso Valley (61) Valley with nicely preserved post towns. Sado Island (90) Large island off the coast of Niigata. Okuhida (106) Hot springs in the mountains above Takayama. Fuji Five Lakes (14) Lake resort at the foot of Mount Fuji. Hakuba (46) One of Japan's best ski resorts. Izu Peninsula (31) Hot springs and natural scenery. Matsumoto (30) City famous for its beautiful original castle. Furukawa (105) Small town 15 minutes north of Takayama. Echigo Tsumari (125) Idyllic countryside staging modern art. Gujo-Hachiman (96) Small town in rural Japan with castle. Yuzawa (80) One of Japan's leading ski resort towns. Nagano (21) Former olympic city famous for its temple. Nozawa Onsen (107) Pleasant hot spring and ski resort. Inuyama (46) Former castle town north of Nagoya. Nagoya (8) Japan's third largest economic center. Shosenkyo Gorge (114) Nice gorge famous for autumn colors. Noto Peninsula (91) Rural peninsula with beautiful coastlines. Gero Onsen (77) Famous hot spring resort south of Takayama. Karuizawa (40) Upmarket mountain resort town. Shizuoka (95) Prefectural capital with views of Mount Fuji. Kaga Onsen (122) A collection of four historic hot spring towns. Lake Hamanako (102) A seaside lake with hot spring baths. Fukui (89) Prefectural capital nearby Eiheiji Temple. Bessho Onsen (131) Small hot spring town with beautiful temples. Kansai Kyoto (2) For over 1000 years the capital of Japan. Mount Koya (37) Atmospheric temple mountain. Nara (4) Japan's first permanent capital. Himeji (12) Site of Japan's most beautiful feudal castle. Osaka (3) Largest city of the Kinki Region. Ise Shima (29) Site of Japan's most sacred Shinto shrines. Miho Museum (116) Unique art museum in the mountains. Yoshino (79) Japan's most famous cherry blossom spot. Kumano (88) Pilgrimage destination on the Kii Peninsula. Kinosaki (74) Pleasant, old-fashioned hot spring resort. Amanohashidate (58) One of Japan's three most scenic views. Kobe (9) Harbor city, recovered from 1995 earthquake. Iga Ueno (44) Former castle town famous for ninja. Asuka (85) The cradle of the Japanese civilization. Hikone (49) Castle town at the shores of Lake Biwa. Chugoku Miyajima (13) Island known for its shrine and large torii gate. Hiroshima (6) Regional capital with a tragic history. Bitchu-Takahashi (132) Pretty town with original mountaintop castle. Matsue (52) Former castle town near Izumo Taisha. Onomichi (81) Port town with many slopes and temples. Kurashiki (34) City with a picturesque, historic canal area. Hagi (61) Castle town with preserved samurai district. Iwami Ginzan (113) Former silver mine with world heritage status. Yamaguchi (48) Pleasant city at the western end of Honshu. Inujima Island (138) Small island turned into a modern art site. Okayama (26) Famous for one of Japan's three best gardens. Iwakuni (57) Site of the picturesque Kintai-kyo Bridge. Tottori (109) Prefectural capital known for its sand dunes. Mount Daisen (125) Tallest mountain in the Chugoku Region. Shikoku Naoshima (99) Small island with a lot of modern art. Uchiko (128) Countryside town formerly known for its wax. Matsuyama (43) Largest city of Shikoku with a beautiful castle. Kotohira (72) Site of Shikoku's most popular shrine. Shodoshima (115) Island in the Seto Inland Sea know for olives. Kochi (45) Nice city with a southern flair. Takamatsu (41) Capital of Kagawa Prefecture. Naruto (69) City well known for its whirlpools. Tokushima (67) A city best known for its dance festival. Kyushu Yakushima (97) Subtropical island with ancient cedar forest. Kurokawa Onsen (120) Hot spring town with attractive town and baths. Nagasaki (18) Attractive port city with a moving history. Yufuin (87) Rural yet trendy hot spring town near Beppu. Takachiho (104) Mountain town steeped in mythology. Aso (33) Active volcano with a huge ancient caldera. Kirishima (93) National Park with volcanic mountain range. Kagoshima (32) Southernmost of Kyushu's major cities. Beppu (24) Japan's capital city of hot springs. Fukuoka (15) Kyushu's largest and most vibrant city. Dazaifu (39) Historic town south of Fukuoka. Kumamoto (27) Modern city most famous for its castle. Satsuma Peninsula (135) Rural peninsula with hot springs in southern Kyushu. Udo Shrine (129) Shrine constructed in a cliff side cave. Miyazaki (60) City in southeastern Kyushu. Kuju Mountains (130) Volcanic mountain range in Kyushu. Minamata (125) From pollution site to environmental model city. Arita (132) One of Japan's most famous pottery towns. Shimabara Peninsula (137) Peninsula with active volcano near Nagasaki City. Okinawa Yaeyama Islands (98) Okinawa's southernmost island group. Okinawa Island (19) Okinawa Prefecture's main island. Miyako Island (117) Subtropical island with excellent beaches. Kume Island (132) Small island west of Okinawa Honto. best of the best    best of Japan    outstanding (1) - (99)   ranking of most visited destinations

By Attraction

Temples A list of Japan's most famous temples. Shrines A list of Japan's most famous shrines. Gardens A list of Japan's most famous gardens. Castles A list of Japan's most famous castles. Historic districts Japan's best historic districts and towns. Open Air Museums Exhibiting Japan's architectural heritage. Hot Springs Hot springs can be found all over Japan. Cherry Blossoms During March, April or May in most of Japan. Autumn Leaves During October or November in most of Japan. Winter Sports Skiing and snowboarding in Japan. Where to find snow A list of places with snow during winter. Festivals Every municipality has at least one. Christmas Illuminations Popular in cities across Japan. Under Construction A list of sights affected by renovation or construction works.

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