Visiting Japan For many of us, Japan is the home of anime, electronics and sushi. We know very little about its culture and less about its history before World War II. Our perception is that it is a distant place where people work hard, cities are filled with millions of people and things are expensive. I arrived in Japan expecting high prices and polluted skies only to find a beautiful country with clean air and green fields where people were friendly and helpful. This website is designed to help you plan a wonderful trip through Japan without spending too many yen, to travel to the most interest places in the island nation and to understand people who are generous and happy to have you visit their nation. As a tourist, you can visit stereotypical Japan--shop in the Ginza, stay in expensive hotels and visit the main tourist shrines. Or you can slow down, get off the beaten path and get to know a country that plays as hard as it works and appreciates foreigners who have come to learn about their country. As an industrial nation of more than 121 million people in an area about the size of California, Japan has its big cities. They are generally found on the coastal plains along the eastern side of Honshu, the biggest island in Japan. But only a short ride from any major city you find yourself in verdant hills and forests or in small communities where rice grows like our front lawns.

If you are not an experienced world traveler, Japan is a great starting point to experience Asia. The culture of Japan is an interesting mix of Buddhism and Shintoism with celebrations and shrines throughout the country, and for good measure, lots of European holidays are celebrated with a unique Japanese approach. The warmth of the people is genuine and issues of safety and security are virtually non-existant. While you are keenly aware that you are visiting a country with a different culture, you will feel comfortable and at ease in most parts of Japan. If you are traveling with school age children, you'll find the country has much to teach them and will leave them with great memories. If you are looking for adventure or want to experience life in a primitive society, a vacation in Japan will not fit the bill. But if you want to sample what life in a very developed, technologically efficient society can be, Japan is the place to visit. While it is a country with great scenic beauty, the best part of Japan is its people. The graciousness and generousity of our Japanese hosts made me realize that if we develop the right attitude we can live happily and cooperatively on a crowded planet.

International flights from North and South America arrive at either Narita Airport, just northeast of Tokyo, Nagoya Airport near the city of Nagoya which is between Tokyo and Osaka or Kansai Airport near the city of Osaka. From any of these airports you can get connecting flights to the other major cities in Japan.

For travel information about specific locations in Japan, click on the map. For general travel advice, select from the list on the left.