©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Japan
Sapporo & Hokkaidō
p540

Northern
Honshū
p474
The Japan Alps &
Central Honshū Tokyo
p199 p66
#
_
Hiroshima & Kyoto Mt Fuji &
Western Honshū ^
# p276 Around Tokyo
p411 p146
Shikoku Kansai
p606 p336
Kyūshū
p647

Okinawa & the

Southwest Islands
p721

THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY

Chris Rowthorn,
Andrew Bender, Laura Crawford, Trent Holden, Craig McLachlan,
Rebecca Milner, Kate Morgan, Benedict Walker, Wendy Yanagihara
 PLAN ON THE ROAD
YOUR TRIP

Welcome to Japan . . . . . . . 6 TOKYO. . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Yokohama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

Japan Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Kamakura . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
MT FUJI & East of Tokyo. . . . . . . . . . 195
Japan’s Top 25 . . . . . . . . . 10
AROUND TOKYO. . . . 146 Narita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Need to Know. . . . . . . . . . 24 Ogasawara
Mt Fuji Area . . . . . . . . . . 147
First Time Japan. . . . . . . . 26 Archipelago. . . . . . . . . . . 196
Mt Fuji . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Chichi-jima . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
What’s New. . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Fuji Five Lakes . . . . . . . . . . 153
Haha-jima . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
If You Like…. . . . . . . . . . . . 29 North of Tokyo . . . . . . . . 157
Nikkō . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Month by Month. . . . . . . . 32 THE JAPAN ALPS &
Gunma Prefecture . . . . . . 164
Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 CENTRAL
Mito . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 HONSHŪ . . . . . . . . . . 199
Skiing in Japan. . . . . . . . . 48 West of Tokyo. . . . . . . . . 168
Nagoya. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Travel with Children. . . . . 53 Takao-san . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Around Nagoya. . . . . . . . 211
Oku-Tama Region . . . . . . . 168
Eat & Drink Like a Local. 55 Tokoname . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Hakone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Japan on a Budget. . . . . . 60 Inuyama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Izu Peninsula . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Gifu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Regions at a Glance. . . . . 62 South of Tokyo. . . . . . . . 184
TAKESHI.K / GETTY IMAGES ©

JASON ARNEY / GETTY IMAGES ©

MT FUJI P147
WIBOWO RUSLI / GETTY IMAGES ©

PONTO-CHŌ, KYOTO P284 NACHI TAISHA P402


Gujō-Hachiman . . . . . . . . . 217
Hida District. . . . . . . . . . 218
Takayama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Hida-Furukawa . . . . . . . . . 226
Shirakawa-gō &
Gokayama . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Northern
Japan Alps. . . . . . . . . . . 230
Kamikōchi . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Shirahone Onsen . . . . . . . 233
Hirayu Onsen . . . . . . . . . . 233
Fukuchi Onsen . . . . . . . . . 234
Shin-Hotaka Onsen . . . . . 234
Nagano
Prefecture. . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Nagano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Togakushi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Karuizawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Obuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Yudanaka . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Shiga Kōgen . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Nozawa Onsen . . . . . . . . . 245
Hakuba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Bessho Onsen . . . . . . . . . 249
Matsumoto . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Kiso Valley
Nakasendō . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Azumino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Toyama
Prefecture. . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Toyama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Ishikawa
Prefecture. . . . . . . . . . . 260
Kanazawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Noto Peninsula . . . . . . . . 269
Kaga Onsen . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Hakusan
National Park . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Fukui Prefecture. . . . . . . 274
Fukui . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Eihei-ji . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Tōjinbō . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Tsuruga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Contents
KYOTO. . . . . . . . . . . . 276
KANSAI . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Osaka. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Kōbe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Himeji. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Shiga Prefecture. . . . . . . 373
Ōtsu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Ishiyama-dera. . . . . . . . . . . 375
Miho Museum. . . . . . . . . . . 375
Hikone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Nagahama . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Nara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
Around Nara . . . . . . . . . . 387
Temples
Southwest of Nara. . . . . . 387
Around Yamato-Yagi . . . . 390
Asuka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Around Sakurai . . . . . . . . . 391
Yoshino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
Kii Peninsula. . . . . . . . . . 393
Kōya-san . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
Tanabe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Shirahama . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Kushimoto,
Shiono-misaki &
Kii-Ōshima . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
Nachi & Kii-Katsuura . . . 402
Shingū . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
Hongū . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
Yunomine,
Watarase &
Kawa-yu Onsen. . . . . . . . . 403
Ise. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
Northern
Kansai. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
Moroyose . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
Takeno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
Kinosaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
Tango Peninsula . . . . . . . 409
Amanohashidate . . . . . . . . 410
Maizuru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
HIROSHIMA &
WESTERN
HONSHŪ . . . . . . . . . . 411
Hiroshima & Around . . . 414
Hiroshima . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
Miyajima . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
Iwakuni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426
Tomo-no-ura . . . . . . . . . . 427
Onomichi . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
Islands on the
Shimanami Kaidō. . . . . . . 430
Okayama & Around . . . . 431
Okayama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
Bizen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436
Kibiji . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .436
Kurashiki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
Shōdo-shima . . . . . . . . . . 440
Naoshima . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443
Kasaoka Islands . . . . . . . 446
Yamaguchi & Around. . . 447
Yamaguchi . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
Akiyoshi-dai . . . . . . . . . . . 450
Tsuwano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
Shimonoseki . . . . . . . . . . 454
Hagi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
Matsue & Around. . . . . 462
Matsue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Oki Islands . . . . . . . . . . . . 466
Izumo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467
Iwami Ginzan . . . . . . . . . . 468
Yunotsu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469
Tottori & Around. . . . . . . 470
Tottori . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470
Daisen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472
San-in Coast
National Park . . . . . . . . . . 473
NORTHERN
HONSHŪ
(TŌHOKU). . . . . . . . . . 474
Fukushima
Prefecture. . . . . . . . . . . . 477
 ON THE ROAD
FRANK CARTER / GETTY IMAGES ©

FRANK DEIM / GETTY IMAGES ©

DAIGO-JI, KYOTO P304 IMPERIAL PALACE,

TOKYO P69

Aizu-Wakamatsu . . . . . . . . 477 Niigata Prefecture. . . . . 528 Abashiri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 590

Bandai Plateau . . . . . . . . 480 Niigata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529 Shari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593
Miyagi Prefecture. . . . . 482 Sado-ga-shima . . . . . . . . 530 Shiretoko National Park . . 593
Sendai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483 Echigo-Yuzawa Onsen . . . 536 Akan National Park . . . . . 597
Matsushima . . . . . . . . . . . 489 Naeba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537 Kushiro Wetlands
Ishinomaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491 Myōkō Kōgen . . . . . . . . . . 538 National Park . . . . . . . . . . 602
Naruko Onsen . . . . . . . . . 492 Kushiro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 602
Tokachi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 603
Iwate Prefecture . . . . . 493 SAPPORO &
Hiraizumi . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494 HOKKAIDŌ . . . . . . . 540 Obihiro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 604
Tōno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496 Ikeda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 604
Sapporo. . . . . . . . . . . . . 546
Morioka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500 Erimo-misaki . . . . . . . . . . 604
Southern Hokkaidō . . . . 557
Aomori Prefecture. . . . 502 Poroshiri-dake . . . . . . . . . 605
Hakodate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557
Aomori . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502 Ōnuma Quasi-National
Hakkōda-san . . . . . . . . . . 505 Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561 SHIKOKU. . . . . . . . . 606
Towada-ko . . . . . . . . . . . . 506 Central Hokkaidō. . . . . . 562 Tokushima Prefecture. . 607
Shimokita Peninsula . . . . 508 Otaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562 Tokushima . . . . . . . . . . . . 607
Hirosaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509 Niseko . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 564 Iya Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 616
Akita Prefecture. . . . . . . 512 Shikotsu-Tōya Tsurugi-san . . . . . . . . . . . . 621
National Park . . . . . . . . . . 568 Southern Tokushima
Tazawa-ko . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512
Tomakomai. . . . . . . . . . . . . 573 Prefecture. . . . . . . . . . . . 621
Nyūtō Onsen . . . . . . . . . . . 515
Northern Hokkaidō . . . . 573 Hiwasa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 621
Kakunodate . . . . . . . . . . . . 516
Asahikawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . 573 South to Muroto-misaki. . 622
Akita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518
Furano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 575 Kōchi Prefecture. . . . . . . 623
Yamagata Prefecture. . 520
Daisetsuzan Tokushima to Kōchi. . . . . 623
Tsuruoka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 520
National Park . . . . . . . . . . 578 Kōchi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 624
Dewa Sanzan . . . . . . . . . . 522
Wakkanai . . . . . . . . . . . . . 583 Kōchi to Ashizuri-misaki. 628
Yamagata . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524
Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu Nakamura . . . . . . . . . . . . . 628
Yamadera . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526 National Park . . . . . . . . . . 585
Zaō Onsen . . . . . . . . . . . . 527 Ashizuri Cape . . . . . . . . . .628
Eastern Hokkaidō. . . . . 590

Ehime Prefecture. . . . . 629
Uwajima . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 629
Matsuyama . . . . . . . . . . . .634
Ishizuchi-san . . . . . . . . . . 640
Kagawa Prefecture. . . . 640
Matsuyama to Takamatsu. . 640
Takamatsu . . . . . . . . . . . . 643
Around Takamatsu. . . . . . 646
KYŪSHŪ. . . . . . . . . . . 647
Fukuoka Prefecture. . . 650
Fukuoka. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 650
Dazaifu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 660
Saga Prefecture. . . . . . 662
Karatsu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 662
Imari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 664
Arita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 664
Nagasaki Prefecture . . 665
Nagasaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 665
Hirado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 677
Shimabara Peninsula. . . 679
Unzen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 679
Shimabara . . . . . . . . . . . . 680
Kumamoto Prefecture. . . 682
Kumamoto . . . . . . . . . . . . 682
Aso-san Area . . . . . . . . . . 687
Kurokawa Onsen . . . . . . . . 691
Kagoshima Prefecture. . 691
Kagoshima . . . . . . . . . . . . 692
SPECIAL FEATURES
Off the Beaten Track. . . . 46
Skiing in Japan Map . . . . 50
3D Tokyo National
Museum Illustration . . . . 94
3D Tōdai-ji
Illustration . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Contents
Kirishima-Yaku
National Park . . . . . . . . . . 700
Satsuma Peninsula . . . . . . 701
Miyazaki Prefecture. . . . 704
Miyazaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704
Aoshima & Kaeda . . . . . . 708
Udo-jingū . . . . . . . . . . . . . 709
Obi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 709
Nichinan-kaigan &
Cape Toi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 710
Saitobaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 710
Takachiho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 710
Ōita Prefecture. . . . . . . . 712
Beppu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 712
Yufuin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 718
Usuki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 719
Kunisaki Peninsula . . . . . 720
OKINAWA & THE
SOUTHWEST
ISLANDS. . . . . . . . . . 721
Kagoshima Prefecture. .724
Ōsumi Islands . . . . . . . . . . 724
Amami Islands . . . . . . . . . . 731
Okinawa Prefecture. . . . 736
Okinawa-hontō . . . . . . . . . 737
Islands Near
Okinawa-hontō. . . . . . . . . 744
Miyako Islands . . . . . . . . . . 747
Yaeyama Islands . . . . . . . 750
Restaurant Types &
Sample Menus . . . . . . . . 787
Sake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 796
Onsen Etiquette. . . . . . . 817
Honshū Blossom &
Foliage Seasons. . . . . . . 821
UNDERSTAND
Japan Today. . . . . . . . . . . 762
History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 764
The People of Japan . . . 781
Japanese Cuisine. . . . . . 786
Arts & Architecture. . . . 800
Traditional Japanese
Accommodation. . . . . . . 812
Onsen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 815
Living Art
of the Geisha. . . . . . . . . . 818
Environment. . . . . . . . . . 820
SURVIVAL
GUIDE
Directory A–Z. . . . . . . . . 826
Transport. . . . . . . . . . . . . 840
Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . 852
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 862
Map Legend. . . . . . . . . . . 878
Tōdai-ji Komokuten
JEFFREY FRIEDL ©
JEFFREY FRIEDL ©
Standing to the left of the Daibutsu is Komokuten
(Lord of Limitless Vision), who serves as a
guardian of the Buddha. He stands upon a demon
The Daibutsu (Great Buddha) at Nara’s (jaki), which symbolises ignorance, and wields a
Tōdai-ji is one of the most arresting sights brush and scroll, which symbolises wisdom.
in Japan. The awe-inspiring physical
presence of the vast image is striking. It’s
one of the largest bronze Buddha images
in the world and it’s contained in an Buddhas Around Dainichi
Sixteen smaller Buddhas are arranged in a halo
equally huge building, the Daibutsu-den around the Daibutsu’s head, each of which sym-
Hall, which is among the largest wooden Kokuzo Bosatsu bolises one of the Daibutsu’s different manifesta-
buildings on earth. Seated to the left of the Daibutsu is tions. They are graduated in size to appear the
Kokuzo Bosatsu, the bodhisattva same size when viewed from the ground.
Tōdai-ji was built by order of Emperor
of memory and wisdom, to whom
Shōmu during the Nara period (710–784)
students pray for help in their
and the complex was nally completed studies and the faithful pray
in 798, after the capital had been moved for help on the path to
enlightenment.
from Nara to Kyoto. Most historians agree
that the temple was built to consolidate
the country and serve as its spiritual
focus. Legend has it that over two million
labourers worked on the temple, but this
is probably apocryphal. What’s certain is
that its construction brought the country
to the brink of bankruptcy.
The original Daibutsu was cast in
bronze in eight castings over a period Tamonten
of three years. The Daibutsu, or certain To the right of the
parts of it, has been recast several times Daibutsu stands
over the centuries. The original Daibutsu Tamonten (Lord Who
Hears All), another of
was covered in gold leaf and one can only the Buddha’s guard-
imagine its impact on Japanese visitors ians. He holds a
during the eighth century AD. pagoda, which is said
to represent a divine
The temple belongs to the Kegon school storehouse of wisdom.
of Buddhism, one of the six schools of
Buddhism popular in Japan during the Nara
period. Kegon Buddhism, which comes from
the Chinese Huayan Buddhist sect, is based
on the Flower Garland Sutra. This sutra
expresses the idea of worlds within worlds,
all manifested by the Cosmic Buddha
(Vairocana or Dainichi Nyorai). The Great
JEFFREY FRIEDL ©
Buddha and the gures that surround him
in the Daibutsu-den Hall are the perfect The Daibutsu (Great Buddha)
Known in Sanskrit as 'Vairocana' and in Japanese as the
physical symbol of this cosmological map. 'Daibutsu', this is the Cosmic Buddha that gives rise to all other
Buddhas, according to Kegon doctrine. The Buddha’s hands
send the messages 'fear not' and 'welcome'.
FACT FILE
Hole in Pillar
The Daibutsu Behind the Daibutsu you will nd a pillar with a
50cm hole through its base (the size of one of the
» Height: 14.98m Daibutsu’s nostrils). It’s said that if you can crawl
through this, you are assured of enlightenment.
» Weight: 500 tonnes
» Nostril width: 50cm
The Daibutsu-den Hall Nyoirin Kannon
JEFFREY FRIEDL ©
JEFFREY FRIEDL ©
» Height: 48.74m Seated to the right of the Daibutsu is Nyoirin
Kannon, one of the esoteric forms of Kannon
» Length: 57m Bodhisattva. This is one of the bodhisattva that
» Number of roof tiles: 112,589 preside over the six different realms of karmic
rebirth.
 On the
Road

Sapporo & Hokkaidō

p540

Northern
Honshū
p474
The Japan Alps &
Central Honshū Tokyo
p199 p66
#
_
Hiroshima & Kyoto Mt Fuji &
Western Honshū ^
# p276 Around Tokyo
p411 p146
Shikoku Kansai
p606 p336
Kyūshū
p647

Okinawa & the

Southwest Islands
p721
 Japan
HĒILÓNGJIĀNGAmakusa Islands Kyūshū
# Shànghăi
^
(Sunga
Tao’er ghua ri) Kagoshima ^

125°E
#
]

Son^
#
Yueliang #
RUSSIA

130°E
Pao
Qagan Nur
Hā'ěrbīn M u li n g
Níngbō Tanegashima

a
Pǔtuóshān

ch
#
] #
]
Di Hēilóngjiāng \
# Jixi
’er #
]

’a
Yakushima 30°N

ng
CHINA So PRIMOR'YE
So

Mǔdānjiāng
nghua

Tokara Islands
]
#

Lake Khanka
Chángchūn

Ussuri
(Xingkai Hu,
^
# Jílín #
]
Songhua Hu Ozero Khanka)
#
]

JÍLÍN Jìngpò Hú Amami

Sìpíng
#
\
Di’er

#
]
Amami Islands
#
] Liáoyán # Vladivostok
^
Songhu

E Yánjí ]
# Russia
Russia
Tu
rdao

Okinawa City Nago

en
#
\
Shěnyáng
a

Tōnghuà ^
#
#
]
Okinawa-hontō
Naha
#
\

Taipei

135°E
HAMGYŎNG-
#
_ BUKTO
RYANGGANG
Miyako Islands
25°N
lu

130°E

Ya
# Hirara
\

TAIWAN # Ishigaki
\

a l u CHAGANG-DO
Yaeyama Islands
#
]
Y
P'YŎNGAN- HAMGYŎNG-
BUKTO NAMDO 40°N
Tropic of Cancer e 0 40°N 400 km
#0 200 miles

PYONGYANG _
#
NORTH KOREA Sea of Japan

_ SEOUL
#
Kyoto
Shintō and Buddhist
Arashiyama architectural wonders (p276)
Explore a magical
bamboo grove (p301) Toyama
^
#
Kanazawa ^
#
Takayama
Oki Islands Fukui ^
#
\
#

SOUTH KOREA Matsue Tottori Gifu

^
# ^
#
Izumo \
# ^
#
Kyoto ^
#
Hiroshima ^
# Nagoya
Vibrant city with a Tsu-shima
Hamada \
#
Okayama Himeji
#
\
Osaka
^
# ^
# Tsu
tragic history (p414) Hiroshima ^
#
Kōbe
^
# #
\
Hagi \
# Nara #
\ Ise
^
# ^
#
Shimonoseki Takamatsu ^ # Wakayama
^
#
Kitakyūshū ]
#
]
Tokushima
#
^
#
Fukuoka ^
# Matsuyama ^ # Shingū
\
# Shikoku
Kōya-san Beppu Kōchi
#Oita
#]
\
Mysterious Buddhist graveyard Aso-san #
\
at Oku-no-in (p394) (1592m)R Usuki
Nagasaki ^
# ^
#
Kumamoto
See Inset
Kyūshū Miyazaki
^
#
130°E
125°E

135°E

# Kagoshima
^
 Russia
e
# 0
0 250 miles
500 km

Sea of RUSSIA

150°E
Okhotsk
45°N

145°E
Rebun-tō
140°E

ELEVATION
Rishiri-tō Shiretoko
National 3000m
Park
Kunashiri-tō 2000m
÷
# Shikotan-tō 1500m
Daisetsuzan #
\ Abashiri 1000m
National 750m
ri Akan
a Biei Park
÷
# # National
÷ 500m
Ishik

#
\
#
\ Park 250m
Takikawa Hokkaidō
Otaru 0
#
\
# Sapporo \
^ #
#
\
Kushiro
Obihiro
# Shikotsu-tōya
÷
National Park

Okushiri-tō Hokkaidō
#
]
Hakodate
Awesome peaks and
northern wilderness (p540)

Aomori ^
# 40°N
Hachinohe
#
\
÷
# Towada-Hachimantai
National Park
The Japan Alps
Tazawa-ko The roof
# Morioka
Akita ^
# #
\
^
of Japan (p199)
Kakunodate
Oshu \
#
\ Hiraizumi
#
Sakata \
# Shinjō
#
\
Tsuruoka \
#
i

#Sendai
Mogam

Sado-ga-shima ^
# ^
Yamagata
^
# Kamikōchi
Niigata # Fukushima
^ Mountain-ringed
sanctuary (p230)
Honshū

Nagano Nikkō
#Utsunomiya
#
\
# Maebashi ^
^
^# Mito Tokyo
Matsumoto ^
#
Limitless shopping and
#
\
#
\
Kamikōchi Urawa Tone astonishing cuisine (p66)
^
#
Kōfu ^ #
_ 35°N
# ^
#
Mt Fuji R TOKYO Chiba
(3776m) ^
#
Yokohama
# Shizuoka
^ Mt Fuji
Japan’s eternal
symbol (p147)
PACIFIC
OCEAN
Nara
Home to the greatest Buddha
image in Japan (p381)

Kumano Kodō
Japan’s ancient
pilgrimage route (p398)

Ogasawara Archipelago
D

(500km)
 Craig McLachlan
Sapporo & Hokkaidō Craig has walked the length of Japan (3200km in 99 days!),
climbed Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains, hiked the 88 Temples of Shikoku, cycled
the 33 Temples of Saigoku, and walked from the Sea of Japan to the Pacific scaling
all of Japan’s 3000m peaks! Books on these adventures have been published in
English and Japanese. A ‘freelance anything’, Craig has an MBA from the University
of Hawaii and is also a pilot, hiking guide, karate instructor and Japanese inter-
preter. See www.craigmclachlan.com. Craig also wrote the Skiing in Japan chapter of this guide.

Rebecca Milner
Tokyo; Northern Honshū (Tōhoku) Rebecca moved to Tokyo from California in
2002 for ‘one year’ that turned into 10. She’s since lived west of Shinjuku, east of
the Sumida-gawa and now calls Meguro home. Even when not on assignment,
you can find her cycling around the city in search of new cafes or tracking down
obscure onsen in the countryside. She also writes a dining column for the Japan
Times and has written about travel in Japan for the Guardian and CNN Travel.

Kate Morgan
Mt Fuji & Around Tokyo Kate’s first encounter with Japan was back in 2005 when she
moved to Osaka to teach English to kindergarten kids. Since returning to Australia,
she manages to find her way back to her ‘second home’ every couple of years to eat
tako-yaki, soak in onsen and watch punk bands in basement live houses. Kate lives
in Melbourne, Australia, as a freelance writer and editor and has worked on other
Lonely Planet books such as Phuket and Southern Africa.

Benedict Walker
The Japan Alps & Central Honshū Inspired by a primary school teacher, or the
memory of a past life, Ben’s love of Japan blossomed early. At 17 he was runner-
up in the Australian finals of the Japan Foundation Japanese Speech Contest,
and had made two solo trips to Japan. In 1998, with a degree in communications
under his belt, Ben hit the road in earnest. After long stints in Canada and Europe,
he found himself teaching English in Osaka until his tattered Lonely Planet guide
led him to the mountains of Matsumoto, where he found work as a translator and lived like a local.
Dividing his time between Canada, Australia and Japan, Ben has also been known to manage the
travel for rockstars and dabble in the arts. For the latest, check out: www.wordsandjourneys.com.

Wendy Yanagihara
Shikoku; Okinawa & the Southwestern Islands As the daughter of an Issei (first-
generation Japanese-American) in California, Wendy grew up summering in Ja-
pan with her mother. It wasn’t until this book, however, that she had the pleasure
of exploring the 88-temple pilgrimage, the diversity of Ryukyuan dialects and an
affinity for jiimami-dōfu. Previously, she has worked on several editions of the
Japan, Tokyo and Tokyo Encounter guidebooks for Lonely Planet.
 OUR STORY
A beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of
adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed
for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to
Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but
inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling
together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap.
Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.
Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Melbourne, London and
Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook
should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.

OUR WRITERS
Chris Rowthorn
Coordinating Author; Kyoto; Kansai Born in England and raised in the USA,
Chris has lived in Kyoto since 1992. Soon after his arrival in Kyoto, Chris started
studying the Japanese language and culture. In 1995 he became a regional cor-
respondent for the Japan Times. He joined Lonely Planet in 1996 and has worked
on guides to Kyoto, Tokyo, Japan and hiking in Japan. When not on the road, he
spends his time seeking out Kyoto’s best restaurants, temples, hiking trails and
gardens. Chris wrote a book in Japanese with professional guide Koko Ijuin, called Pro ga Oshieru:
Genba no Eigo Tsuyaku Gaido Skiru (Pro English Guide Skills), for Japanese guides who want to
explain the country to Western tourists. Chris also conducts walking tours of Kyoto, Nara and Tokyo.
For more on Chris, check out his website at www.chrisrowthorn.com.

Andrew Bender
Kyūshū France was closed, so after college Andy left his native New England
for Japan. It was a life-changing journey, as visits to Japan often are. He’s since
mastered chopsticks, the language, karaoke and shoe etiquette. Now based in
Los Angeles, Andy writes about Japan for the Los Angeles Times, in-flight maga-
zines and about a dozen Lonely Planet titles, as well as the Seat 1A travel blog
for Forbes. He also does cross-cultural consulting for Japanese businesses and
escorts visitors around Japan. Check out his website: www.wheres-andy-now.com.

Laura Crawford
Osaka; Hiroshima & Western Honshū English born and Australian raised, Laura
first arrived in Japan as an undergraduate studying Japanese at a university in
Kansai. She later travelled up and down the country, set up home in Osaka for two
years, returned to Oz to write a thesis on Japanese English, and eventually landed
a job as an editor in Lonely Planet’s Melbourne office. Her favourite on-the-road
task: touring the Kuniga coast and seeing incredibly old trees on the Oki Islands.

Trent Holden
Mt Fuji & Around Tokyo After several trips to Japan, Trent jumped at the
opportunity to head back to discover its coastal beaches and conquer Fuji.
A champion of budget travel, he’s a connoisseur of combini store bentō and
vending-machine booze, and a lover of Japanese punk and okonomiyaki. Trent
has co-authored more than a dozen books for Lonely Planet including guides to
India, Nepal and the Philippines.

OVER MORE
PAGE WRITERS
Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
ABN 36 005 607 983 Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason-
13th edition – Sep 2013 able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about
ISBN 978 1 74220 414 7 the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi-
© Lonely Planet 2013 Photographs © as indicated 2013 mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in China
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic,
mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the
written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent
and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such
as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.
36
Plan Your Trip
Itineraries
É _ TOKYO
É
R
Mt Fuji
(3776m)
1 K Tokyo, Mt Fuji & Around
WEE
With air connections to most of the
world, as well as some of the world’s
best restaurants, shops and nightlife,
Tokyo makes a great introduction to
Japan. And you don’t have to travel far
outside the city to see some of Japan’s
great natural and traditional wonders.
To make the most of your stay in Tokyo,
try to base yourself in an area that’s inter-
esting and also well served by transport
connections, such as Shinjuku, Shibuya,
Ginza, Roppongi or Marunouchi (Tokyo
Station area). In any of these places, you
FRANK DEIM / GETTY IMAGES ©
Nikkō •
#
É
É
#
É
É
•
#
Kamakura
can walk to a huge variety of restaurants
and shops, and train/subway stations are
always nearby. Of course, it’s also perfectly
possible to stay in slightly less convenient
but cheaper areas like Asakusa or Ueno.
On your first morning in town, visit
Tsukiji Fish Market – if you’re jetlagged
and up early anyway, make the best of it
with a market tour. After the obligatory su-
shi breakfast, head up to Asakusa to visit
the temple of Sensō-ji, then over to nearby
Ueno for the Tokyo National Museum. The
next day, take the loop line to Harajuku
and walk to Meiji-jingū, the city’s finest
Shintō shrine, then take a stroll down chic

Omote-sandō. From there, head to Shibuya
to soak up some of modern Tokyo. Make
sure you spend an evening wandering
east Shinjuku, where you’ll get the full
experience of Tokyo’s neon madness. Other
urban areas to check out include Ginza, for
high-end shopping; Akihabara, for elec-
tronics and geek culture; and Roppongi,
for international nightlife.
Break up your time in Tokyo with day
trips to nearby attractions. The temples
and shrines at Nikkō are among the most
spectacular in Japan. For a taste of old
Japan, a day poking among the Zen tem-
ples at Kamakura is a brilliant way to
37
PL AN YOUR TRIP I tineraries
View over Tokyo from the Sky Deck (p77)
escape the crowds of the capital. Finally,
it would be a shame to come all the way
to Japan and not see Mt Fuji. You can get
to the base of the mountain and back in
a day from Tokyo, but climbing it will in-
volve spending the night on the mountain.
Either way, we recommend checking the
weather first – the mountain is socked in
by clouds much of the year, so try to wait
for a break in the weather to make the trip.
38
PL AN YOUR TRIP I tineraries

Noto
Peninsula

Tateyama-Kurobe Northern Japan Alps

Alpine Route
Kanazawa •
# •
#
•#
Shin-Hotaka
É Onsen
É # Kamikōchi
•
É

•
#
•
# Gokayama
É

Shirakawa- É É
gō •
#
Takayama
É

Honshū
TOKYO #
_
É

Mt Fuji
(3776m)
R É
É
É

# Nagoya
•
Kyoto •
É

#
Izu
Peninsula
É
Ō-shima
 39

MIXA / GETTY IMAGES ©

1A0YS Tokyo, the Japan Alps
D
& Kyoto

The Tokyo–Japan Alps–Kyoto route is the

PL AN YOUR TRIP I tineraries

classic Japan itinerary and the best way
to get a quick taste of the country. You’ll
experience three faces of Japan: the modern
wonders of Tokyo, the traditional culture of
Kyoto and the natural beauty of the Japan
Alps.

While you can do this itinerary in any season,

keep in mind that the Japan Alps can be snow
covered any time from early November to late
March – this rules out hiking unless you’re
an experienced winter mountaineer – but you
can visit the attractive cities of Takayama and
Kanazawa any time of year.
Let’s assume that you’ll fly into Tokyo, where
you can spend a few days experiencing the best
that the capital has to offer. Don’t worry about
skipping some of the traditional sights in that
itinerary, because you’ll be heading to Kyoto,
and you’ll get your fill of shrines and temples
there.
From Tokyo, take the shinkansen (bullet
train) to Nagoya, then an express to Takaya-
ma. Spend a day here checking out the restored
Sanmachi-suji, then head into the Japan Alps
via Kamikōchi or nearby Shin-Hotaka
Onsen. Return to Takayama and rent a car
so you can visit the thatched-roof villages of
FRANK CARTER / GETTY IMAGES ©

Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama. From there,

if you feel like some more alpine scenery, drive
northeast and head back into the Japan Alps
via the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route
(the route is open from late spring to early
autumn). Next, travel to Kanazawa (some
rental agencies will allow you to drop the car
in Kanazawa). Otherwise, you can also go from
Takayama to Kanazawa by bus with a stop in
Shirakawa-gō en route. In Kanazawa, check
out the famous garden of Kenroku-en, the 21st
Century Museum of Contemporary Art and the
Nagamachi district.
From Kanazawa, there are several daily
express trains that will get you to Kyoto in a
little over two hours. In Kyoto, take some time
to visit the sights, then jump on the shinkansen
and get yourself back to Tokyo in time for your
flight home.

Top: Gasshō-zukuri style houses, Shirakawa-gō (p227)

Bottom: Carp streamers at a festival, Kanazawa (p260)
40

JUDY BELLAH / GETTY IMAGES ©

2 KS Kansai & Points West
WEE

While many people fly into Tokyo and base

PL AN YOUR TRIP I tineraries

themselves there, Kansai, which is home to

the ancient capital of Kyoto, is an equally
appealing place to stay, especially if you’re
a fan of traditional culture. And with a Japan
Rail Pass, you can easily head west to see
Hiroshima, Miyajima and Naoshima.

Served by Kansai International Airport, which

has connections to many parts of the world,
Kyoto is the obvious place to stay: it’s roughly
in the middle of Kansai and it’s got a wide range
of excellent accommodation, not to mention the
nation’s finest temples, gardens and shrines.
Spend a day exploring the Higashiyama area
(both southern and northern), followed by an-
other day strolling through the bamboo groves
of Arashiyama. Then, hop on a train for a day
trip to Nara to see the sights of Nara-kōen,
including Tōdai-ji, with its enormous Buddha
figure.
If you want to see a modern Japanese me-
tropolis in high gear, then Osaka is only about
30 minutes by train from Kyoto. You can easily
explore the city, grab some dinner and a drink
and make it back to Kyoto before the trains stop
running.
For those with a spiritual bent, a trip to the
mountaintop Buddhist retreat of Kōya-san is
PETER ADAMS / GETTY IMAGES ©

highly recommended. Spend the night on one of

the many temple lodgings there before return-
ing to Kyoto. More adventurous travellers will
also want to check out Japan’s ancient pilgrim-
age route, the Kumano Kodō, in southern
Kansai.
Kyoto also makes a good base for explor-
ing some of the important sights in Western
Honshū and the Inland Sea, especially if you’ve
got a Japan Rail Pass. Hiroshima can be
visited as a day trip from Kyoto if you use the
shinkansen (bullet train) and get an early start.
However, it’s more relaxing to spend the night
in nearby Miyajima, home of the iconic ‘float-
ing torii’ (Shintō shrine gate) of Itsukushima-
jinja. Art lovers might also consider stopping for
a night or two at Naoshima, the island-turned-
art museum in the Inland Sea.
Finally, if all this bouncing around makes
you tired, finish off your adventure with an
overnight trip up to Kinosaki, where you can Top: Itsukushima-jinja (p422), Miyajima
soak away your cares in some of Japan’s best hot Bottom: Geisha, Kyoto (p328)
springs.
 41

PL AN YOUR TRIP I tineraries

Kinosaki •
#

É
Honshū Kyoto
•
#
É

É É Osaka
É

•
#
•
#
É

É Nara
É

Hiroshima É É # Naoshima
•
É
•
#

# Miyajima
• Kōya-san •
#
É
É

Shikoku Kumano Kodō •

#
42
PL AN YOUR TRIP I tineraries

# Sōya-misaki
•
#
Rebun-tō • # • SEA OF
# Wakkanai
• OK H OT S K
RUSSIA Rishiri-tō
É

Shiretoko
National Park
É

RUSSIA
Hokkaidō Shari # ÷
•
#
Asahikawa •
#
É É
# Asahidake Onsen
# Biei •
•
É
Otaru • •
# ÷
#
#
•
# Furano Daisetsuzan
É Sapporo National Park
É
É

•
# Noboribetsu
É

Onsen
É

# Hakodate
•
É

SEA OF Towada-ko •
#
J A PA N
PA C I F I C
Tazawa-ko •
# OCEAN
Honshū
É

Dewa Sanzan •
#

Sado-ga-shima •
# É
 43

PEERAPAT TANDAVANITJ / GETTY IMAGES ©

3 KS The Wilds of Hokkaidō
WEE
& Tōhoku

If you want to step off the main Tokyo–Kyoto

PL AN YOUR TRIP I tineraries

tourist trail, head to Hokkaidō, Japan’s
northernmost major island, and Northern
Honshū, the northern tip of Japan’s main
island. In summer these areas are usually
relatively cool, while in winter you can
expect cold and snowy weather.

Whether you’re on a Japan Rail Pass or fly-

ing directly, Sapporo makes a good hub for
Hokkaidō excursions. If you’re here in February,
your prize for enduring the arctic cold is a front-
row seat at the Sapporo Snow Festival, high-
lighted by life-size carvings of everything from
European cityscapes to elaborate ice mazes.
On a day trip from Sapporo, see romantic
Otaru, with its Victorian brick warehouses and
fresh sushi spreads. If you have more time, a
couple of nights in Hakodate will recall the era
of European colonisation. On the way back to
Sapporo, hot-springs fans can take a dip in the
waters of Noboribetsu Onsen.
Head out again, making a brief stop in Asa-
hikawa for a few rounds of Otokoyama sake, be-
fore pressing on to Wakkanai. From here, take
the ferry to Rishiri-tō and Rebun-tō in search
of annual wildflower blooms. On the return, see
Sōya-misaki, Hokkaidō’s northernmost point,
from which you might catch a glance of Russia’s
TOSHITAKA MORITA / GETTY IMAGES ©

Sakhalin Island on a clear day.

Travel back to Asahikawa to plan your next
move. Make your way to Asahidake Onsen,
and hike Daisetsuzan National Park. Get
behind the wheel of a rental car and explore the
lavender fields and gourmet attractions around
Furano and Biei. If you really want to leave
it all behind, head east to Shari, the jumping-
off point for Shiretoko National Park. Don’t
forget your bear bells; humans aren’t the only
creatures that call this remote peninsula home.
If you haven’t yet had your fill of natural won-
ders, take the train south through the Seikan
Tunnel (the world’s longest underwater tunnel)
to Northern Honshū. Visit Towada-ko, a crater
lake that’s home to the Nyūtō Onsen. Then con-
tinue south to lovely Tazawa-ko, Japan’s deep-
est lake. If you’re a hiker, you’ll want to make the
famed pilgrimage across the three sacred peaks
of Dewa Sanzan. Finally, if you really want to
Top: Otaru (p562)
get off the beaten track, take the ferry to Sado-
Bottom: View of Rishiri-zan from Rebun-tō (p588) ga-shima and rent a car to explore this beguil-
ing island (home of the Kodo Drummers).
44

ANTONY GIBLIN / GETTY IMAGES ©

2 KS Kyūshū & Shikoku
WEE

Relatively few tourists make the journey

PL AN YOUR TRIP I tineraries

southwest to the islands of Shikoku and

Kyūshū, which is a shame, since these two
islands are home to some of the country’s
most beautiful scenery, welcoming people
and great food. They’re also good options
for escaping the bitter cold of winter,
particularly southern Kyūshū.

While there are some international flights to

Fukuoka in Kyūshū, it’s likely that you’ll ap-
proach this area from Kansai or Tokyo. Take a
shinkansen to the city of Okayama in Western
Honshū. Here, catch a special Nampū express
train across the Inland Sea right down into
the mountainous heart of Shikoku and spend
a night or two in one of the Chiiori Trust’s
thatched-roof cottages in Iya Valley (note that
it’s also possible to drive here and this gives
you more freedom to explore the area). From
here, you can head south to do some surfing at
Ohkihama, or head west to climb Ishizuchi-
san. Finally, take a dip in the wonderful Dōgo
Onsen in the castle town of Matsuyama.
From Matsuyama you can recross the Inland
Sea and join the Sanyō Shinkansen line that
will take you southwest to the island of Kyūshū
(consider a stop at Hiroshima en route). Your
first stop in Kyūshū should be Fukuoka,
SHAYNE HILL XTREME VISUALS / GETTY IMAGES ©

Kyūshū’s largest city, which is crammed with

spirited dining and nightlife in the lanes of
Tenjin and Daimyō. From here, you can head
southeast to the hot spring resort of Beppu, or
southwest to Nagasaki. While Nagasaki is best
known to Westerners for its tragic history, most
visitors are surprised to find a vibrant city with
great food and lots of opportunities to learn
about Japan’s early contacts with the West.
From either Beppu or Nagasaki, head south,
possibly stopping en route at the semiactive
volcano of Aso-san, which offers superb hiking,
then make your way to Kagoshima, a city with
a laid-back almost tropical vibe which contrasts
sharply with the rest of Japan. Sengan-en
garden and Sakurajima volcano are must-sees
before going south for a sand bath in the seaside
town of Ibusuki.
Finally, if you have time and enjoy hiking,
take a ferry south from Kagoshima to the island
of Yakushima for some hiking and onsens Top: Rotemburo (outdoor bath), Iya Valley (p616)
before making your way north and homeward. Bottom: Takachiho-kyō (p711)
 45

SOUTH KOREA Honshū PL AN YOUR TRIP I tineraries

É

Ishizuchi-
san # Iya Valley
•
É

Matsuyama •
# R É
Shikoku
Fukuoka •
#
É
É

É # Beppu
•
É
É

É
É

R Aso-san # Ohkihama
•
Nagasaki •
#

Kyūshū
É

PA C I F I C
OCEAN

Kagoshima •
#

Ibusuki •
#

f
#
É

# Yakushima
•
46

Off the Beaten Track: Japan

Shànghăi
0 400 km Kyūshū
•
#
•
# 0 200 miles Amakusa
# Hā'ěrbīn
• Islands # Kagoshima
•
CHINA
PL AN YOUR TRIP I tineraries

Jixi
YONAGUNI-JIMA
•
# # Pǔtuóshān
• # Hēilóngjiāng
• #
• Tanegashima
Yakushima
OnNíngbō
really clear days you can see
Mǔdānjiāng
Taiwan from Yonaguni-jima,
CHINA Japan’s #
• Tokara
westernmost
Chángchūn inhabited island. Divers Islands
come here to swim
#
• with hammerhead
# Jílín
•
# Jìngpò Hú
•
sharks and explore the mysterious # Amami
•
•
# Sìpíng of the Pacific’ ruins. (p759)
‘Atlantis Amami
# Liáoyán
• Islands
# Vladivostok
•
Yánjí •
#
PACIFIC
East China
Sea OCEAN
# Nago
Okinawa City •
•
#
Tōnghuà # Okinawa-hontō
Naha •
•
#
TAIPEI
# YONAGUNI-
_ IRIOMOTE-JIMA
Hirara
JIMA Yaeyama
Islands
•
# Fringed by healthy coral reefs and
TAIWAN •
#
Miyako
#•
• # covered with dense tropical jungle,
IRIOMOTE- Ishigaki Islands the island of Iriomote-jima is one of
Dāndōng JIMA
Japan’s wildest places. (p756)

KUMANO KODŌ
# PYONGYANG
_ OKI ISLANDS
Trek through the
NORTHmountains of Once a place of exile, these cliff-lined
KOREA
southern Kansai to reach three of the islands offer some spectacular
country’s most sacred Shintō shrines scenery and a real feeling of getting
SOUTH
on this ancient pilgrimage route. away from it all. Very few foreigners
(p398) SEOUL _ # KOREA ever make it here. (p466)

IYA VALLEY
A few hours and a world away from
the big cities of Kansai, Iya Valley has OKI
ISLANDS Fukui •
#
been called the ‘Shangri La of Japan’.
Stay in a restored thatched-roof Matsue Tottori
•
# •
#
farmhouse and get a taste of Izumo •
#
Kyoto
traditional village life. (p616) Himeji •
#
Hamada •
# Osaka
Okayama • •
#
#•# •
Tsu-shima # • #
Hagi •
#
Kōbe Nara
•
#
Hiroshima Tokushima •
#
Shimonoseki •
# •
# Wakayama
Matsuyama •
# •
#
Fukuoka • Kōchi KUMANO
# IYA
#
Shikoku •
Aso-san #Oita KODŌ
(1592m) • # Usuki
•
VALLEY
R
Nagasaki •
# •
#
Kumamoto
Kyūshū See Inset

# Miyazaki
•
# Kagoshima
•

Yakushima
 47
e
#
0
0 250 miles
500 km

RUSSIA
Sea of

PL AN YOUR TRIP I tineraries

Okhotsk RUSSIA
RISHIRI-TŌ &
REBUN-TŌ SHIRETOKO
NATIONAL PARK
Abashiri ÷
#
Daisetsuzan •
#
National
Park Akan
Takikawa •
# •
# ÷
# # National
÷
Biei Park
Hokkaidō
Otaru •
#
# Sapporo
•
# Kushiro
•
#
•
Obihiro
Shikotsu-tōya
# National Park
÷ SHIRETOKO
NATIONAL PARK
With no sealed roads and a healthy
Okushiri-tō # Hakodate
•
population of brown bears, Shiretoko
earns the title of Japan’s last true
wilderness. The reward for tackling
# Aomori
• the tough trails here are long soaks in
Towada- # Hachinohe
• plentiful hot springs. (p593)
Hachimantai ÷ #
National Park

Sea of
Akita •
# •
#
# Morioka
•
RISHIRI-TŌ & REBUN-TŌ
Japan Kakunodate
# Oshu
• Almost as far north as you can go in
Sakata •
# Japan, these two islands burst into
# Shinjō
•
Tsuruoka •
# riotous blooms of wildflowers each
# Sendai
• year from May to August. They’re a
SADO-GA- #
•
Yamagata true delight for hikers and
SHIMA •
#
# Fukushima
• photographers. (p585)
Niigata
Noto
Peninsula
Toyama Nagano Nikkō SADO-GA-SHIMA
•
# Utsunomiya
#
• #
• #
•
#
•
#
• # Mito
• A wild outpost of rugged mountains
Kanazawa Maebashi and coastline, each August this island
Honshū Urawa • rocks to the sound of the famous
# TOKYO
Kōfu •
# #
_ # Chiba
• Kodo Drummers during the fabulous
Gifu
#
• R
Mt Fuji
# Yokohama
• Earth Celebration. (p530)
# Nagoya
•
# (3776m)
•
# Tsu
•
Shizuoka
# Ise
• OGASAWARA
ARCHIPELAGO
PACIFIC This is as far off the beaten track as
OCEAN
you can get in Japan. A full 25½-hour
ferry ride from Tokyo, these
semitropical islands – complete with
whales, sharks and dolphins – feel
like a different world. (p196)

Ogasawara Archipelago
D

(500km)
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