Have The Holiday Of A Lifetime In Japan

Japan offers something for everyone!

(Credit for images copyrighted by JNTO)

Japan has once again shown the world how hard-working and determined it is with a super speedy recovery following the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March. Popular holiday destinations such as Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, Mt. Fuji, Nagasaki, Hokkaido and Okinawa are safe and well and waiting to welcome you.

In Japan you can eat sushi while cheering on sumo wrestlers and meet robots in Tokyo’s electronics district. Travel just an hour from Tokyo on the bullet train to stay in a traditional ryokan inn and soak in onsen hot spring spas with views of Mt. Fuji. In Kyoto you can enjoy sake while watching geisha perform ancient dances and the next day step back to the samurai times with a visit to Himeji Castle. Ski in Hokkaido or laze on the gorgeous beaches in the Okinawa islands. Japan offers endless discoveries.

Japan is a great value destination. In Tokyo you can get conveyor belt sushi from just 60 pence per plate and hotel rooms can currently be found with up to 50% discount.

A TASTE OF JAPAN

kaiseki (Credit for images copyrighted by JNTO)

Lovers of fine cuisine will revel in Japan’s varied styles of cooking, from tempura, sushi and teppanyaki to the feast of all feasts, kaiseki. Many visitors to Japan will have already sampled the pleasures of raw fish or batter-fried shrimp. But few first-time visitors to Japan are prepared for the variety and sumptuousness of Japanese food, as it is traditionally prepared. Eating in Japan is an experience to be enjoyed and remembered fondly for the rest of your life.

• > Eating & drinking etiquette
• > Find a restaurant in Japan

COOL JAPAN

Akihabara (Credit for images copyrighted by JNTO)

One of Japan’s unique charms is its dynamic blend of old and new.  In a holiday to Japan you can experience ancient temples, gardens and cultural traditions at the same time as enjoying some of the world’s most futuristic and technologically advanced cities. Tokyo is now one of the world’s leading cities when it comes to trends in food, art, architecture, fashion and pop culture.

TRADITIONAL

Gotokuji temple (Credit for images copyrighted by JNTO)

Japan’s history is evident at every turn, whether it’s a venerable Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine, a museum housing samurai swords, or one of Japan’s many festivals with their incredible costumes and ancient rituals. Feudal-era castles still rise from their massive stone foundations, while Japan’s exquisite gardens  are visual commentaries of what nature can achieve under generations of skilled master gardeners.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Scuba Diving in Okinawa (Credit for images copyrighted by JNTO)

Japan is famous for its bustling modern cities – but it’s also home to some of the world’s most stunning areas of natural beauty. The thrill of seeing Mt. Fuji for the first time, its perfect, cone-shaped symmetry rising majestically against a blue sky, is a travel memory you are sure never to forget. Mountains beckon with hiking trails in summer and top-rated skiing in winter, while the islands of Okinawa offer stunning diving and snorkelling. For those who want to kick back and relax, Japan’s onsen hot-spring spas have been soothing aches and pains for more than 1,000 years.

• > Mt. Fuji
• > Hiking
• > Snow monkey hot springs
  

Special thanks to JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization)

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