Japan - $section - Countries Guide

Click images to enlarge

Cities & Regions: Tokyo | Kyoto | Hiroshima | Fukuoka | Sapporo

It is only comparatively recently that Japan came out of the shell of its isolation, but the country of genteel geisha girls and pink cherry blossom has made up for lost time. There are few people in the western world who have not driven a Japanese car, eaten sushi or played on a GameBoy or Sony Playstation.

The nation of Japan consists of an island archipelago stretching from northeast to southwest off the coast of mainland China, Russia and Korea, separated from its Asian neighbours by the Sea of Japan. Between 1639 and 1859 Japan elected to cut itself off from trade or traffic with the rest of the world, except for some marginal contact through the southern Kyushu island ports. Since opening up its doors once more, just 150 years ago, the densely populated islands have developed in leaps and bounds and much of the country is now covered by sprawling neon-lit cities and the world's most sophisticated public transport networks.

Modern it may be, but Japan still retains plenty of its mystical oriental charm. From the etiquette demanded in social situations, to the minimalist décor behind rice paper screens, Japanese culture is alive and well and cannot be ignored, which makes a visit to Japan a fascinating experience.

The modern metropolises are dotted with a myriad of ancient shrines and temples; the countryside is riddled with hundreds of volcanoes and hot springs overlooking pastoral paddy fields; parks are festooned with rigidly raked white gravel Zen gardens or coated with layers of lilac and cherry blossom.