JAPAN

❖ Business destination
❖ Unique, exotic ancient culture
● Sumo, Japanese
● Gardens
● Tea ceremony
● Geisha
❖ Art & architecture
❖ High levels of service
● efficiency, comfort
❖ Beautiful countryside
❖ Safe & secure
❖ Very helpful & hospitable people

BEFORE YOU GO…

❖ Passport required
❖ Japanese Yen www.xe.com
❖ Peak travel
● Dec 27 – Jan 4
● Golden Week
● Bon festival – Aug 15 week

HOW TRAVELLERS GET THERE

❖ JAL – Japan Air Lines - JL

❖ ANA All Nippon Airways - NH
❖ Tokyo Narita - NRT
❖ Osaka Kansai - KIX
❖ Cruise ports
● Yokohama
● Nagasaki

WHEN TO GO
 ❖ Summers
● Warm humid
❖ Winters
● Chilly, cold
❖ Rainy
● Mar – Oct
❖ Spring
● Cherry blossoms
● Warm & some drizzle
❖ Avoid major holidays
❖ No low season

GETTING AROUND

❖ Air
● Between major cities
❖ Rail
● Shinkansen – Bullet Train
➢ Hikari & Kadama
● Japan Rail Passes
➢ www.japanrailpass.net
❖ Road
● Car with driver
❖ Subway
● Excellent in Tokyo & Osaka
➢ Pushers !

TOKYO

❖ Capital
❖ Largest city in Japan
❖ Marunouchi
● Headquarters of many large companies
❖ Shinjuka & Roppongi
● Nightlife, neon lit
● Karaoke booths, pachinko parlours
● Younger crowd
❖ Asakusa
● Theme bars
● Restaurants
 ● Old downtown
❖ Asakusa Kannon
● Also known as Sensoji
● Buddhist temple
● Nakamise - shopping lane
❖ Ginza
● Famous upmarket shopping
● Dining and entertainment district
● Department stores, boutiques, galleries, restaurants & cafes
❖ Ueno Park
● Museums
● 1882 – first zoo – pandas
● Toshogu Shrine

TOKYO ATTRACTION

❖ Imperial Palace
● Located in centre of Tokyo
❖ Tokyo Tower
● 333 m. tall steel tower
❖ Meiji Shrine
● Shinto shrine
❖ Tokyo Disneyland
❖ DisneySea
● www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp

OUTSIDE TOKYO

❖ Nikko
● Toshogu Shrine
● Made with 2.4 million
● Sheets of gold leaf
● Set in cedar forest
❖ Kamakura
● Daibutsu
❖ Lake Hakone
● Hot springs spas
● Tram, cable cars
❖ Mt. Fuji
● Highest Mtn
● Climbing to 5th station
KYOTO
 ❖ Imperial Palace
● Gosho
● Public park
❖ Heian Shrine
● 1895
● Vermillion & green
● Shinen Gardens
❖ Nizo Nijo Castle
● 1626
● Paintings and carvings

OUTSIDE KYOTO

❖ Nara
● Ancient capital
● Todaiji Temple
➢ Largest bronze Buddha
➢ Largest wooden structure
● Kasuga Shrine
● Deer Park
❖ Hiroshima
● Peace Park
➢ Houses the Peace Memorial Museum and monuments related to the A
bomb.

OSAKA

❖ 2nd largest metropolis

❖ Major port
❖ Commercial & industrialcentre
❖ Nakanoshima district
● Middle Island
● Corporate centre
● City Hall
● Museums
❖ Osaka castle
● Oldest inhabited area of Osaka
● 13 structures

❖ Cultural Performances
❖ Kabuki
 ● Dances by women 17th C
● Now men only
● Lavish costumes & sets
❖ Noh
● Drama
● Oldest theatre art
● Masks and ancient dialogue
❖ Bunraku
● 300 year old tradition
● puppet theatre

OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST

❖ Sapporo
● 1972 Winter Olympics
● Capital of Hokkaido
● Beer brewery
❖ Nagano
● 1998 Winter Olympics
● Zenkoji temple
➢ Founded 1400 years ago

ACCOMMODATIONS

❖ Deluxe chains
● Okura, Akasaka, New Otani, Rihga
● VERY expensive
❖ Hotel vouchers suggested
● Through airlines & tour operators
❖ Business class hotels
● Economical, small, very basic

ACCOMMODATIONS - RYOKANS
❖ Unique accommodations of Japan
❖ www.japaneseguesthouses.com
❖ Old fashioned inn
● Take off shoes
● Sliding paper doors
● Tatami mat flooring
 ● Futon for bedding
● Some with hot spring baths

CUISINE

❖ Rice
❖ Sushi
● Rice, seaweed and fish
❖ Sashimi
● Thinly sliced raw seafood
❖ Yakitori
● Grilled chicken on sticks
❖ Tempura
● deep-fried vegetables and seafood in batter
❖ Tea
❖ Sake