Hiroshima

It was a sunny morning in Hiroshima on August 6^th 1945, when the Atomic bomb dropped out of the sky, obliterated the city, and changed the course of world history forever. The atomic flash and the eventual loss of over 200,000 lives have forever linked the city of Hiroshima with the utter ferocity and ultimate tragedy of nuclear holocaust. Today this beautiful city of nearly 3 million, located in Japan's southwestern Chugoku region, offers some of the most somber and moving sightseeing in Japan.

Though the event will no doubt be seared on the Japanese consciousness forever, the Heiwa Kinen-koen (Peace Memorial Park) located at ground zero of the Atomic bomb's explosion is a reminder and moving memorial to those who lost their lives. The Peace Memorial Park is southwest of the Hiroshima Castle between the Motoyasu and Ota rivers. Across from the Peace Memorial Park is the Genbaku Domu (Atomic Dome). 

Ironically, this structure once housed the Industrial Promotional Hall. Today its crumbled façade, and the skeletal remains of its main dome, are among the only vertical structures that withstood the bomb's initial shock wave. The Atomic Dome and Peace Memorial Park combine to form some of the most reflective and moving sightseeing in Japan.

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Hokkaido, the Beautiful Japan Island

Hokkaido, Japan is one of the least developed islands in Japan, a major draw for many intrepid travelers trying to get away from the chaos of areas like Tokyo. It is both the northernmost and the second largest Japanese island. Hokkaido skiing is one of the top reasons for a stopover during vacations. Hokkaido weather in the winter months is some of the harshest in the country, with below-zero temperatures, tons of snow, and frozen water. The beauty of this city's weather pattern is that the summer months do not bring humidity and heat with them, unlike most parts of Japan.

Since Hokkaido sees little tourism compared to top tourist spots in Japan, a beautiful and unspoiled natural environment is the award for making the journey north, but there are also dense cities to explore here such as Sapporo. Hokkaido's popularity is growing though, and this pristine area will likely eventually become another tourist hub. Nature lovers have much to do in all seasons from cycling, hiking, and camping in the fall to snowboarding and skiing in the winter. The many outdoor things to do in Hokkaido Japan make it a distinct region.

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Japanese Alps near Kamikochi

If you are looking to explore rural Japanese mountain life, while also hitting the slopes at some of the world's best ski areas, head for the Japan Alps National Park in Central Honshu. In the Japan Alps high alpine adventure meets old world living and the result is a travel tour that pleases the young and the old, the history buff, and the ski bum. Most recently, Nagano (near Matsumoto) played host to the XVIII Winter Olympics in 1998. Besides hiking and skiing, a tour through the region will take you to the town of Ogimachi and a series of old farmhouses that have been converted into authentic Japanese lodgings. Also on your tour you can explore the imposing Matsumoto Castle, or take part in the puppetry and pageantry during the colorful Takayama festival. 

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Japanese Hot Spring

The Japanese do a wonderful job of taking a glass-half-full approach to all the geological activity that their archipelago, with its location on the morbidly named "Pacific Ring of Fire", is subject to. Rather than dwell on a history of debilitating earthquakes, or the possibility of cataclysmic volcanic eruptions, they just take off all their clothes and let their cares evaporate in the steam of a Japanese hot spring. Known as onsen, these hot springs in Japan can be found in almost every corner of the country, and constitute some of the best things to do in Japan. 

All puns aside, onsen are a great way to relax after climbing Mount Fuji, or at the end of a hectic week of business meetings. A result of the massive quantities of heat released underground near fault convergences and volcanoes, the onsen have become a national pastime, and any tourists visiting the country shouldn't miss a chance to soak their tired tourist bones in a Japanese hot spring.

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The Kasuga Shrine

The Kasuga Shrine is popular tourist attraction in Japan. Found in the Kyoto area, it has a history that dates back to 768, and though it has been demolished and rebuilt numerous times according to Shinto tradition, it supposedly retains its original form. The current structure was completed in 1863 and is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The city of Nara is where you will find the Kasuga Shrine. Also known as the Kasuga Grand Shrine, this sacred structure falls under the classification of a Shinto shrine and was a favorite place of worship for members of the powerful Fujiwara family. Centuries after this clan came and went, the Kasuga Grand Shrine in Nara was awarded with a government rank of the first order, and to this day, it maintains a high level of respect both within Japan and outside the country.

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Kinkakuji

Just a 30-minute train ride from Osaka, Kyoto is steeped in a thousand years of history and is filled with many things to do. If you only have a few days, make sure to top your list with a visit to the Kyoto Kinkakuji Temple. An awe-inspiring sight should not be missed when visiting Japan.

According to the history of the Golden Pavilion, the building was originally constructed for shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in 1397 as a retirement home, Kinkakuji became a Zen temple upon his death. People visit its grounds to enjoy its peaceful surroundings and delight in the dramatic architecture of the Golden Pavilion. 

Seeing Kinkakuji for the first time is truly breathtaking. The three-story building, which stands 42 feet high, is actually composed of three very different styles of architecture. The first-floor, known as the Chamber of Dharma waters, was constructed in traditional palace-style design. Containing one spacious room and a veranda, it was used by the Shogun as a reception hall. The Hall of Roaring Waves, on the second floor of the Japanese Golden Pavilion, is built in the Buke-zukuri style commonly used for Samurai houses. The second floor of the Golden Pavilion was used for private appointments with dignitaries. Firmament Top, the small upper floor, was inspired by the architecture found in Chinese Zen temples. The tiny space was used by the Shogun for tea ceremonies and meetings with friends. 

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Kurashiki Region

A city of half a million located in the Okayama Prefecture of Chugoku region, Kurashiki is the perfect stop for travelers looking to explore the architecture and lifestyle of 17^th century Japan. Kurashiki is just a few kilometers east of Okayama City, and though at first glance seems to offer little for the tourist, a trip through the city's Bikan Historical Quarter plunges you back into a picturesque seventeenth-century Japanese city. So if you've traveled to Okayama Prefecture, make sure to visit Kurashiki. 

During the Tokugawa period, Kurashiki was a farming town renowned for its high-quality Bizen-mai Rice. More importantly, however, Kurashiki served as a storage center for rice harvested throughout the Okayama Prefecture. The name Kurashiki literally means "storehouse floor," and the area where most of the wooden warehouses, or kura, are located is known as the Bikan Historical Quarter. 

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Kyushu Japan

Steeped in tradition and covered with rugged mountains, the island of Kyushu-Japan"s third largest and most southerly island-mixes ancient history and quaint rural towns, with ultra modern wonders like the world"s largest indoor water Park, Ocean Dome, and the meticulously recreated Dutch village of Huis Ten Bosch. 

The Kyushu region is composed of seven prefectures, including the outlying island of Okinawa. In addition to Ocean Dome and Huis Ten Bosch, travelers visit Kyushu to see Japan"s largest active volcano, the 5,223 foot Mt. Aso, or relax in the soothing waters of the Beppu hot springs. Another important stop on a tour of Kyushu is the Peace Memorial in remembrance of those who died after the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki. 

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Matsumoto Castle

Matsumoto Castle is located in Matsumoto City in Nagano Prefecture on the country's main island of Honshu. It is easily reached from Tokyo in about three hours by train. The castle has many unusual elements surrounding it, the most obvious is the location—a swampy area in the plains rather than high upon a hill or set between fast-moving rivers like most of Japan's historic castles. Matsumoto Castle was originally named Fukashi Castle. It was greatly reinforced within because of its vulnerable location. The structure itself is one of the most carefully built and fortified so inhabitants were well protected. There is a ternary moat encircling the castle and high-reaching stone walls.

The castle's fortification is threefold, balanced with the concentric moat surrounding it. The outermost wall spans two miles, built to reduce the affects of cannon fire. The inner stone ring was occupied by samurai who kept their residences there, as close as possible to the castle. The third and last wall is that of the original castle walls. The entire castle was built in 1504 in a city then called Nagano, north of Nagoya. The castle in Nagano is considered one of the top three Japanese castles along with Himeji Castle (an easy half-day excursion from Kyoto) and Kumamoto Castle, east of Nagasaki.

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Miyajima Island

The small island (only twelve square miles) of Miyajima Japan is located in the inland Seto Sea off the coast of Hiroshima, about an hour's ferry ride away. While there are several notable Japanese temples on the island, it is the Itsukushima Shrine that is the most famous, and it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Jima means island in the Japanese language, and miya, means temple or shrine.

Sacred in both Shintoism and Buddhism, the land of the island was considered so hallowed, that the main structures of the Itsukushima Shrine as well as its beautiful torii gate were built over the water. A torii gate is the signature traditional Japanese gate generally set at the entrance to Japanese temples and Shinto (and often Buddhist) shrines. The Itsikushima torii gate seems to float ethereally in the mists on top of the water at high tides. The present gate was built in 1875, and was the eighth erected. It is more than 50 feet high and nearly 80 feet long. If you're deciding when to go, consider the colorful Kangensai Festival in mid-July, when elaborately decorated boats carrying traditionally dressed dancers performing sacred classical dances ply the waters in front of the shrine

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