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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 Gateway to Japan is out of date (1998), but by far the best travel guide with respect to historical and cultural background information.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 Furano Abashiri Noboribetsu Niseko Lake Toya Daisetsuzan Shiretoko Rishiri Rebun Akan Tohoku Sendai Matsushima Hiraizumi Akita Kakunodate Nyuto Onsen Aomori Hirosaki Lake Towada Shimokita Hanto Dewa Sanzan Aizu Kanto Tokyo Yokohama Kamakura Nikko Kinugawa Hakone Kawagoe Kusatsu Ikaho Minakami Narita Chubu Nagoya Inuyama Mt.Fuji Fujigoko Izu Peninsula Nagano Matsumoto Kamikochi Kiso Valley Hakuba Yudanaka Sado Island Takayama Shirakawa-go Gujo Gero Onsen Kanazawa Kansai Kyoto Osaka Nara Kobe Himeji Kinosaki Mount Koya Kumano Yoshino Amanohashidate Hikone Iga Ueno Ise Shima Chugoku Hiroshima Miyajima Onomichi Okayama Kurashiki Matsue Iwami Ginzan Iwakuni Yamaguchi Hagi Shikoku Takamatsu Kotohira Naoshima Matsuyama Uchiko Kochi Tokushima Naruto Kyushu Fukuoka Dazaifu Nagasaki Kumamoto Mount Aso Minamata Beppu Miyazaki Takachiho Kagoshima Kirishima Yakushima Okinawa Honto Miyako Yaeyama

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best of the best    best of Japan    outstanding (1) - (99)   ranking of most visited destinations Hokkaido Rishiri and Rebun (93) Small islands near Hokkaido's northern tip. Shiretoko (60) National park on an unspoiled peninsula. Daisetsuzan (60) Hokkaido's largest and wildest national park. Onuma Park (96) National park 20 kilometers north of Hakodate. Niseko (65) Leading snow resort with lots of powder snow. Sapporo (16) The largest city on the island of Hokkaido. Furano (39) Town with beautiful lavender and flower fields. Noboribetsu (46) Hokkaido's most famous hot spring resort. Lake Shikotsu (89) Picturesque caldera lake near Sapporo. Akan National Park (48) National park with beautiful lakes. Hakodate (27) Southernmost city on Hokkaido. Lake Toya (53) Site of Mount Usu, an active volcano. Kushiro Marshlands (76) Marshlands populated by Japanese cranes. Otaru (29) Harbor city near Sapporo with a canal. Jozankei Onsen (93) Popular hot spring resort near Sapporo. Abashiri (55) Known for its prison and drift ice in winter. Rusutsu (107) Attractive ski resort near Niseko. Tohoku Nyuto Onsen (109) Rustic hot spring resort. Hiraizumi (72) Tohoku's former cultural and political capital. Lake Towada (74) Caldera lake famous for autumn colors. Matsushima (37) Scenic bay dotted by pine clad islets. Kakunodate (69) City with nicely preserved samurai district. Hirosaki (58) Former castle town in Northern Tohoku. Dewa Sanzan (97) Three sacred mountains with shrines. Shimokita Hanto (108) Remote peninsula famed for Fear Mountain. Aizu (65) Small city known for its samurai history. Akita (100) Prefectural capital best known for its festival. Sendai (25) Largest city in the Tohoku Region. Aomori (111) City best known for its Nebuta Matsuri. Kanto Tokyo (1) Japan's capital and largest city. Nikko (12) Site of Nikko Toshogu, Ieyasu's mausoleum. Kamakura (7) Small city full of historic treasures. Hakone (9) National park with views of Mount Fuji. Yokohama (5) Japan's second largest city. Kusatsu Onsen (59) One of Japan's best hot spring resorts. Kairakuen Garden (87) Spacious garden famous for plum trees. Kawagoe (38) Former castle town known as the Little Edo. Kinugawa Onsen (101) Hot spring resort with theme parks near Nikko. Minakami (105) Popular hot spring and outdoor resort. Ikaho Onsen (80) Hot spring resort famous for its stone stairs. Narita (17) Site of Tokyo's international airport. Chubu Kanazawa (19) City rich in culture and history. Takayama (20) Preserves one of Japan's nicest old towns. Alpine Route (67) Spectacular route through the Northern Alps. Shirakawa-go (43) Mountainous region, known for its farmhouses. Yudanaka Onsen (81) Hot spring resort famous for bathing monkeys. Kamikochi (62) Popular mountain resort in the Japanese Alps. Kiso Valley (55) Valley with nicely preserved post towns. Sado Island (81) Large island off the coast of Niigata. Hakuba (57) One of Japan's best ski resorts. Fuji Five Lakes (14) Resort at the foot of Mount Fuji. Eiheiji Temple (74) A center of Japanese Zen Buddhism. Yuzawa (78) One of Japan's leading ski resort towns. Nozawa Onsen (92) Pleasant hot spring and ski resort. Izu Peninsula (33) Hot springs and natural scenery. Matsumoto (28) City famous for its beautiful original castle. Furukawa (77) Small town 15 minutes north of Takayama. Nagano (23) Former olympic city famous for its temple. Inuyama (44) Former castle town north of Nagoya. Echigo Tsumari (101) Idyllic countryside staging modern art. Nagoya (10) Japan's third largest economic center. Gujo-Hachiman (85) Small town in rural Japan with castle. Shosenkyo Gorge (104) Nice gorge famous for autumn colors. Gero Onsen (69) Famous hot spring resort south of Takayama. Karuizawa (45) Upmarket mountain resort town. Kansai Kyoto (2) For over 1000 years the capital of Japan. Mount Koya (34) Atmospheric temple mountain. Nara (4) Japan's first permanent capital. Himeji (8) Site of Japan's most beautiful feudal castle. Osaka (3) Largest city of the Kinki Region. Ise Shima (30) Site of Japan's most sacred Shinto shrines. Miho Museum (97) Unique art museum in the mountains. Yoshino (63) Japan's most famous cherry blossom spot. Kinosaki (69) Pleasant, old-fashioned hot spring resort. Kumano (81) Pilgrimage destination on the Kii Peninsula. Amanohashidate (53) One of Japan's three most scenic views. Kobe (11) Harbor city, recovered from 1995 earthquake. Iga Ueno (42) Former castle town famous for ninja. Hikone (48) 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. Matsue (51) Former castle town near Izumo Taisha. Onomichi (97) Port town with many slopes and temples. Kurashiki (35) City with a picturesque, historic canal area. Hagi (52) Castle town with preserved samurai district. Yamaguchi (47) Pleasant city at the western end of Honshu. Okayama (24) Famous for one of Japan's three best gardens. Iwami Ginzan (95) Former silver mine with world heritage status. Iwakuni (73) Site of the picturesque Kintai-kyo Bridge. Shikoku Naoshima (89) Small island with a lot of modern art. Kochi (50) Nice city with a southern flair. Matsuyama (36) Largest city of Shikoku with a beautiful castle. Takamatsu (40) Capital of Kagawa Prefecture. Kotohira (64) Site of Shikoku's most popular shrine. Uchiko (105) Countryside town formerly known for its wax. Naruto (88) City well known for its whirlpools. Tokushima (68) A city best known for its dance festival. Kyushu Yakushima (84) Subtropical island with ancient cedar forest. Nagasaki (18) Attractive port city with a moved history. Kirishima (89) National Park with volcanic mountain range. Mount Aso (32) Active volcano with a huge ancient caldera. Kagoshima (31) Southernmost of Kyushu's major cities. Fukuoka (15) Kyushu's largest and most vibrant city. Dazaifu (40) Historic town south of Fukuoka. Beppu (22) Japan's capital city of hot springs. Kumamoto (26) Modern city most famous for its castle. Takachiho (109) Mountain town steeped in mythology. Udo Shrine (111) Shrine constructed in a cliff side cave. Minamata (103) From pollution site to environmental model city. Miyazaki (85) City in southeastern Kyushu. Okinawa Yaeyama Islands (79) Okinawa's southernmost island group. Okinawa Island (21) Okinawa Prefecture's main island. Miyako Island (113) Subtropical island with excellent beaches. 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.