Hokkaido Hokkaido is the second largest island in Japan after Honshu, and is connected to Honshu by rail via the Seikan Tunnel. It is located at the northern part of…
Tohoku
Tohoku Region (Northern part of Honshu) The Tohoku region, an area of about 400 km north-south and about 170 km east-west, is located in the northern part of Honshu and…
Surrounding Area of Tokyo (Kanto)
Nikko Nikko, a World Heritage Site, is where Toshogu is located, along with other shrines, temples, and historic sites. You can make a one- or two-day trip from Tokyo to…
Tokyo
Tokyo Tokyo, the capital of Japan and the political, economic, cultural and educational center of the country, has continued to grow rapidly since Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Edo shogunate in…
Central Japan (Chubu)
Central Japan (Chubu) Located in the central region of the Japanese archipelago are the Japan Alps that are composed of mountains over 3,000 meters in height, and stretching from north…
Osaka
Osaka Osaka has a population of about 8.8 million, second only to Tokyo and Kanagawa, and plays a central role in the Kansai region. Since ancient times, it has prospered as the center of Japan’s politics, economy, and culture at…
Surrounding Area of Osaka (Kansai)
Kansai This region is also known as Kinki, and is located slightly west of the center of Japan. Since it was the birthplace of the ancient nation of Japan, and…
Kyoto
Kyoto With a long 1,200-year history, Kyoto is a beautiful and sophisticated ancient city with famous temples and shrines located throughout. It is the highlight destination of a trip to…
Nara
Nara Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 794, when Buddhism was introduced and developed in Japan. It has the largest number of national treasures and special historic sites in Japan. Many important historical buildings and cultural properties…
Western Honshu (Chugoku)
Western Honshu (Chugoku) The western part of Honshu consists of five prefectures, Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima, and Yamaguchi, and is also called the Chugoku region. The Chugoku Mountains, that run…
Shikoku
Shikoku The Shikoku region consists of four prefectures: Kagawa, Tokushima, Ehime, and Kochi, with the Seto Inland Sea to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The Seto…
Kyushu
Kyushu The Kyushu region is located in the southwestern part of Japan and consists of seven prefectures: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Oita, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima. There are smaller islands, such…
Okinawa
Okinawa Okinawa is located in the southwestern part of Japan, about 1,000 km from east to west, and 400 km from north to south. It consists of 160 islands of…