Discover Japan

Japan ~日本 Nippon or Nihon to the locals

meaning “land of the rising sun” is

an island country in East Asia .Japan is one
of the most popular travel destinations in the
world . it is a unique blend of traditional
and modern culture with many temples and
buildings from the past co~existing with
modern achievements in architecture and
technology. Visitors can be immersed in
Japanese history and culture and also get a
glimpse of the future through technological
developments. Almost all of the historical sites
are still used for their original purposes while
remaining are open to the public. The natural
beauty of japan can be seen all year round. In
addition,japan has one of the worlds lowest
crime rates which makes it ideal for travellers.

A quick overview

Traditional Culture

Food

Outdoors

Japan is a long and slender, highly volcanic archipelago. It's
over two-thirds mountains, with bubbling hot springs at
every turn. In the warmer months there is excellent hiking,
through cedar groves and fields of wildflowers, up to
soaring peaks and ancient shrines (the latter founded by
wandering ascetics). In the winter, all this is covered with
snow and the skiing is world class. (And if you've never
paired hiking or skiing with soaking in onsen, you don't
know what you've been missing.) Meanwhile in the
southern reaches, there are tropical beaches for sunning,
snorkelling and diving.

Ease of Travel

Japan is incredibly easy to get around: you can do a whole
trip using nothing but its immaculate, efficient public
transport. The shinkansen (bullet train) network now runs
all the way from the southern tip of Kyūshū (the
southernmost of Japan's major islands) up to Hokkaidō (its
northernmost), and reasonably priced rail passes make it
affordable. Major cities have subway networks that are
signposted in English and these days we're seeing and
hearing more English all over. But if getting off the beaten
track and outside your comfort zone is what you're after,
you can have that experience, too.

FAST FACTS
• OFFICIAL NAME: Japan
• FORM OF GOVERNMENT:

Parliamentary government with a

constitutional monarchy
• CAPITAL: Tokyo
• POPULATION: 126,168,156
• OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Japanese
• MONEY: Japanese yen
• AREA: 145,883 square miles

(377,835 square kilometers)
• MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES:

Japanese Alps
• MAJOR RIVERS: Biwa, Inawashiro,

Kasumigaura

GEOGRAPHY

Japan is an archipelago, or string of islands, on the eastern
edge of Asia. There are four main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu,
Shikoku, and Kyushu. There are also nearly 4,000 smaller
islands! Japan's nearest mainland neighbors are the Siberian
region of Russia in the north and Korea and China farther
south.
Almost four-fifths of Japan is covered with mountains. The
Japanese Alps run down the center of the largest island,
Honshu. The highest peak is Mount Fuji, a cone-
shaped volcano considered sacred by many Japanese.
In Japan ,three of the tectonic plates that form Earth's crust
meet nearby and often move against each other, causing
earthquakes. More than a thousand earthquakes hit Japan
every year. Japan also has about 200 volcanoes, 60 of which
are active.

How to Reaching Japan by Air
reach Narita Airport, Osaka
International Airport, Kansai

Japan Airport and Haneda Airport of
Tokyo are the major airports of

Japan. Ibaraki Airport, north of Tokyo

also sees a number of flights landing

and taking off. The major carriers of Japan

are All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines. You

can also fly in via Seoul on Korean Air or Asiana

Airlines. Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and

American Airlines have flights catering to

many destinations in the US and Asia.

Reaching Japan from India

The airlines that go from India to Japan are
Jet Airways, Air India, Korean Air,
Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Jet Star,
Cathay Pacific and China Airlines. There
aren't any non-stops. The most common
ones are 1 stops or 2 stops.

People And Culture

The Japanese are famous for their
willingness to work very hard. Children
are taught to show respect for others,
especially parents and bosses. They learn
to do what's best for their family or
company and worry less about their own
needs.
Japanese food is very different from food
in Western countries. There is lots of
rice, fish, and vegetables, but little meat.
With little fat or dairy, this diet is
very healthy, which helps Japanese
people live, on average, longer than any
other people in the world.

Nature

The Japanese people have a deep
affection for the beauty of the landscape.
The ancient Shinto religion says natural
features like mountains, waterfalls, and
forests have their own spirits, like souls.
Most of Japan is covered by countryside
with more than 100 million people living
in such a small place.Pollution is now
tightly controlled.

The warm Tsushima Current flows from
the south into the Sea of Japan, where it
meets a colder current from the north.
The mixing of waters makes the seas
around Japan very rich in fish and other
sea life.

Climate and Weather

Japan has four distinct seasons with a climate
ranging from subarctic in the north to
subtropical in the south. Conditions are
different between the Pacific side and the Sea
of Japan side.
Northern Japan has warm summers and very
cold winters with heavy snow on the Sea of
Japan side and in mountainous areas.
Eastern Japan has hot and humid summers and
cold winters with very heavy snow on the Sea
of Japan side and in mountainous areas.
Western Japan has very hot and humid
summers (with temperatures sometimes
reaching 35 oC or above) and moderate cold
winters.
Okinawa and Amami have a subtropical oceanic
climate. These areas have hot and humid
summers (with temperatures rarely reaching
35 oC or above) and mild winters.

tourist spots

1. Mount Fuji

Without a doubt Japan's most recognizable landmark,
majestic Mount Fuji (Fuji-san) is also the country's highest
mountain peak, towering 3,776 meters over an otherwise
largely flat landscape to the south and east, and tall enough to
be seen from Tokyo more than 100 kilometers away. Mount
Fuji has for centuries been celebrated in art and literature and
is now considered so important an icon that UNESCO
recognized its world cultural significance in 2013. Part of
the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Mount Fuji is climbed by
more than a million people each summer as an act of
pilgrimage, which culminates in watching the sunrise from its
summit.

2. Imperial Tokyo

Tokyo's most famous landmark, the Imperial Palace with its
beautiful 17th-century parks surrounded by walls and moats,
is a must-see when visiting the nation's capital. n addition to
the many fine views of the palace from numerous points in the
surrounding parkland - including the famous Nijubashi
Bridge, or "double bridge," so named for its watery reflection -
visitors are permitted into the East Higashi-Gyoen
Garden and other areas that are opened to the public as part
of an organized tour.

3. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park (Hiroshima Heiwa Kinen
Kōen) lies at the epicenter of the atomic blast in what was
once a bustling part of the city and includes a number of
important monuments, memorials, and museums relating to
the events of that fateful day. In addition to the grounds and
gardens with their colorful cherry blossoms, the park's
highlights include the Peace Memorial Museum with its
numerous exhibits dealing with the issue of world peace, and
the Memorial Cenotaph and the Flame of Peace, as well as
the Atom Bomb Dome, the ruins of an administrative building
that lay at the center of the explosion.

4. Historic Kyoto

One of Japan's most visited cities, Kyoto -attracts more than
10 million visitors annually to explore its fine old streets and
architecture, much of it unchanged since the Imperial family
took up residence here more than 1,000 years ago.
Highlights of Kyoto's Buddhist-influenced architecture
include its many well-preserved temples, 30 of which are
still in use, and important structures such as the 14th-
century Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji), famous for its
exquisite gold-leaf-clad exterior. Also worth a visit is the
original Kyoto Imperial Palace (Kyoto-gosho), built in AD
794 and one of the city's most visited historic sites. Finally,
no visit to Kyoto is complete without spending time
exploring the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, a beautiful area
of tall bamboo just a few minutes' walk from the town
center.

5. The Island Shrine of Itsukushima

Just a short ferry ride from mainland Hiroshima is the island
of Miyajima, famous over the world as Japan's Shrine Island.
Covering an area of 30 square kilometers in Hiroshima Bay,
Miyajima is best known as the home of the Itsukushima
Shrine, a Shinto temple dedicated to the Princess daughters
of the wind god Susanoo. Dating from the eighth century, the
majority of the shrine's buildings rise out of the waters The
effect at high tide is simply stunning, making these structures
- including the famous Great Floating Gate (O-Torii) - appear
as if they're floating on water. Linked together by walkways
and bridges, it's a fascinating place to explore.

6. Osaka Castle

Built in 1586 by famous Japanese warrior and
politician Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Osaka Castle (Ōsaka-jō)
was at the time the largest and most important fortress in
the country. Although destroyed and rebuilt a number of
times since, the present structure, built in 1931, remains
true to the original…

7. Chūbu-Sangaku National Park and the Japanese Alps

Japan boasts a number of outstanding areas of natural beauty,
many of them designated as national parks or, in some cases,
UNESCO World Heritage Sites. One of the country's most
spectacular parks is Chūbu-Sangaku National Park in the
center of Honshu, incorporating in its northern and central
regions the group of mountains collectively referred to as
the Hida Mountains, or Japanese Alps. The region contains
some of the highest peaks in the country, including Hotaka at
3,190 meters, and Yari at 3,180 meters. the Japanese Alps
attract large numbers of walkers and climbers in summer and
skiers in winter.

8. Sapporo, Hokkaido

As the island's largest city, it's a hub of cultural activity,
hosting many excellent events and festivals; a distinctive
culinary style; a rich theatrical history; and plenty of
museums, galleries, and parks. The focal point here is
very much the city's attractive downtown area, the center
of which is Odori Park, a large swath of green that's very
pleasant to explore. From here, you can also access
points of interest such as the Sapporo TV Tower, as well
as the city's famous aerial tramway, an easy walk away.

Cuisine

Across the nation, the Japanese are primarily fish
eaters. Japan is the number one fish importer in
the world, consuming around 12% of the world’s
caught fish.
The most well-known Japanese dish is probably
sushi, a dish that includes fresh fish, seaweed and
lightly-seasoned rice. Japanese also eat all kinds of
meat as part of their daily diets.

Some traditional dishes are:
• Sushi.
• Sashimi.
• Unagi.
• Tempura.
• Soba.
• Udon.
• Onigiri.
• Yakitori.

Some additional information

about Japan

• Language
The national language is Japanese, which is the
primary spoken language across the country. Old
Japanese, or “Kanbun”, originated from China and the
earliest Japanese text, the “Kojiki,” was written in the
early 8th century and was written primarily in ancient
Chinese characters. Modern Japanese developed
during the Edo period, between 1603 and 1868.

• Sports
Sports play a significant role in Japanese culture.
Sumo, judo and karate are traditional Japanese sports
and baseball, soccer and rugby have been adopted
from other cultures.
Sumo is the national sport of Japan and to this day is
primarily practiced only in Japan. Modern sumo was
formed during the Edo era and little has changed
since. Baseball is the most-watched sport in the
country. It was first introduced to the country in 1872
and has grown in popularity ever since.

“A place truly frozen in time yet
constantly evolving, japan will leave you
breathless , inspired and astounded”