Japan 16 - Preview (Chapter)

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1 Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Japan Sapporo & Hokkaidō p589 The Japan Alps & Central Honshū p224 Northern Honshū (Tōhoku) p521 Hiroshima & Western Honshū p454 Kyūshū p712 Shikoku p662 Kyoto p313 #^ Kansai p367 #_ Tokyo p88 Mt Fuji & Around Tokyo p167 Okinawa & the Southwest Islands p783 Rebecca Milner, Ray Bartlett, Andrew Bender, Stephanie d Arc Taylor, Samantha Forge, Craig McLachlan, Kate Morgan, Thomas O Malley, Simon Richmond, Phillip Tang, Benedict Walker.

2 PLAN YOUR TRIP ON THE ROAD Welcome to Japan... 6 Japan s Top Need to Know First Time Japan What s New If You Like Month by Month Itineraries...36 Off the Beaten Track Japan by the Seasons Activities Eat & Drink Like a Local Travel with Children Japan on a Budget Regions at a Glance TOKYO...88 History Sights Activities Courses Tours Festivals & Events Sleeping Eating Drinking & Nightlife Entertainment Shopping Information Getting There & Away Getting Around Ō-shima Nii-jima Shikine-jima Hachijō-jima Chichibu & Oku-Tama Takao-san Oku-Tama Nikkō & Around Nikkō Chūzen-ji Onsen Yumoto Onsen Narita Ogasawara Archipelago Chichi-jima Haha-jima RICHIE CHAN/SHUTTERSTOCK GUITAR PHOTOGRAPHER/SHUTTERSTOCK CHERRY BLOSSOMS, TOKYO P88 FUSHIMI INARI-TAISHA P315 MT FUJI & AROUND TOKYO Mt Fuji & Fuji Five Lakes Mt Fuji Yokohama Kamakura Hakone Hakone-Yumoto Miyanoshita & Kowakidani Chōkoku-no-Mori & Gōra Sōun-zan & Sengokuhara Hakone-machi & Moto-Hakone Izu Peninsula Atami Itō Shimoda Shirahama Kisami Dōgashima Shuzen-ji Onsen Izu Islands THE JAPAN ALPS & CENTRAL HONSHŪ Nagoya & Around Nagoya Inuyama Gifu Gujō-Hachiman Kiso Valley Nakasendō Magome Tsumago Kiso Narai Hida Region Takayama Hida-Furukawa Okuhida Onsen-gō Shirakawa-gō & Gokayama Kanazawa & the Hokuriku Coast Kanazawa Noto Peninsula Kaga Onsen Fukui...275

3 Contents Toyama Takaoka The Northern Japan Alps Matsumoto Azumino Shirahone Onsen Kamikōchi Hakuba Nagano & Around Nagano Togakushi Obuse Nozawa Onsen Myōkō Kōgen Shiga Kōgen Bessho Onsen Karuizawa Gunma Prefecture Takasaki Minakami Onsen-kyo Kusatsu Onsen KYOTO History Sights Activities Courses & Tours Festivals & Events Sleeping Eating Drinking & Nightlife Entertainment Shopping Information Getting There & Away Getting Around KANSAI Osaka Kōbe Himeji Nara Prefecture Nara Asuka Yoshino Kii Peninsula Kōya-san Kumano Kodō Ise-Shima Shiga Prefecture Ōtsu Hikone Northern Kansai Ōhara Kurama & Kibune Miyama Amanohashidate Kinosaki Onsen HIROSHIMA & WESTERN HONSHŪ Hiroshima Miyajima Saijō Iwakuni Onomichi & the Shimanami Kaidō Onomichi Inno-shima Ikuchi-jima Ōmi-shima Okayama & the Inland Sea Okayama Naoshima Teshima Shōdo-shima Kurashiki Kasaoka Islands Tomo-no-ura Tottori, Shimane & the San in Coast Tottori San-in Coast National Park Daisen Sakaiminato Oki Islands Matsue Izumo Iwami Ginzan Yamaguchi & Around Yamaguchi Tsuwano Hagi Shimonoseki NORTHERN HONSHŪ (TŌHOKU) Miyagi Prefecture Sendai Matsushima Ishinomaki Naruko Onsen Iwate Prefecture Morioka Hiraizumi Tōno Sanriku Kaigan Minami-Sanriku & Kesennuma Rikuzen-takata & Ōfunato Kamaishi & Ōtsuchi Miyako Aomori Prefecture Aomori Hirosaki Towada-ko Hakkōda-san Shimokita Peninsula Akita Prefecture Akita Kakunodate

4 ON THE ROAD Tazawa-ko Nyūtō Onsen Yamagata Prefecture Yamagata Yamadera Zaō Onsen Ginzan Onsen Tsuruoka Dewa Sanzan Sakata Niigata Prefecture Niigata Sado-ga-shima Echigo-Yuzawa Onsen Naeba Fukushima Prefecture Aizu-Wakamatsu Bandai Plateau SAPPORO & HOKKAIDŌ Sapporo Central Hokkaidō Niseko Otaru Shikotsu-Tōya National Park Tomakomai Hakodate Northern Hokkaidō Asahikawa Biei Furano Daisetsuzan National Park Wakkanai Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park Eastern Hokkaidō Abashiri Shari GOWITHSTOCK/SHUTTERSTOCK Shiretoko National Park Akan National Park Kushiro Kushiro-shitsugen National Park Tokachi SHIKOKU Tokushima Prefecture Tokushima Naruto The Anan Coast Iya Valley Kōchi Prefecture Kōchi Shimanto City Ashizuri-misaki Ehime Prefecture Matsuyama Ishizuchi-san Uchiko Uwajima Kagawa Prefecture Takamatsu Yashima Marugame Zentsuji OSAKA P370 Kotohira Kanonji KYŪSHŪ Fukuoka & Around Fukuoka Dazaifu Karatsu Imari Arita Hirado Nagasaki & Around Nagasaki Shimabara Peninsula Kumamoto & Around Kumamoto Aso-san Kurokawa Onsen Takachiho Oita Prefecture Beppu Yufuin Kunisaki Peninsula Usuki Southern Kyūshū Kagoshima Sakurajima Satsuma Peninsula...772

5 Contents UNDERSTAND Kirishima-Kinkōwan National Park Miyazaki Aoshima Nichinan Coast Obi OKINAWA & THE SOUTHWEST ISLANDS Ōsumi Islands Yakushima Tanegashima Amami Islands Amami-Ōshima Yoron-tō Okinawa-hontō Naha Southern Okinawa-hontō Motobu Peninsula Kerama Islands Aka-jima Zamami-jima Kume-jima Miyako Islands Miyako-jima Irabu-jima & Shimoji-jima Yaeyama Islands Ishigaki-jima Iriomote-jima Taketomi-jima Hateruma-jima Yonaguni-jima Japan Today History The People of Japan Arts Architecture & Gardens Environment Sport Traditional Accommodation SURVIVAL GUIDE Directory A Z Transport Language Index Map Legend SPECIAL FEATURES Komokuten 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 (jaki), which symbolises ignorance, and wields a brush and scroll, which symbolises wisdom. Buddhas Around Dainichi Sixteen smaller Buddhas are arranged in a halo around the Daibutsu s head, each of which symbolises one of the Daibutsu s different manifestations. They are graduated in size to appear the same size when viewed from the ground. Kokuzo Bosatsu Seated to the left of the Daibutsu is Kokuzo Bosatsu, the bodhisattva of memory and wisdom, to whom students pray for help in their studies and the faithful pray for help on the path to enlightenment. Tōdai-ji was built by order of Emperor Shōmu during the Nara period ( ) and the complex was finally completed in 798, after the capital had been moved from Nara to Kyoto. Most historians agree 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 of three years. It has been recast several times over the centuries. The original Daibutsu was covered in gold leaf and one can only imagine its impact on Japanese visitors during the eighth century AD. Tamonten To the right of the Daibutsu stands Tamonten (Lord Who Hears All), another of the Buddha s guardians. He holds a pagoda, which is said to represent a divine storehouse of wisdom. The temple belongs to the Kegon school 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 Buddha and the figures that surround him in the Daibutsu-den Hall are the perfect physical symbol of this cosmological map. COWARDLION/SHUTTERSTOCK 3 D Tō d a i - j i I l l u s t ra t i o n VISIT THE GREAT BUDDHA The Daibutsu (Great Buddha) at Nara s Tōdai-ji is one of the most arresting sights 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 equally huge building, the Daibutsu-den Hall, which is among the largest wooden buildings on earth. PATTILABELLE/GETTY IMAGES 3 D To k yo National Museum I l l u s t ra t i o n Tōdai-ji COWARDLION/SHUTTERSTOCK Off the B e a t e n Tra c k The Daibutsu (Great Buddha) Known in Sanskrit as 'Vairocana' and in Japanese as the '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 Daibutsu s nostrils). It s said that if you can crawl through this, you are assured of enlightenment. Height 14.98m Height 48.74m Length 57m Number of roof tiles 112,589 Nyoirin Kannon Seated to the right of the Daibutsu is Nyoirin Kannon, one of the esoteric forms of Kannon Bodhisattva. This is one of the bodhisattva that preside over the six different realms of karmic rebirth. PIUS99/GETTY IMAGES THE DAIBUTSU-DEN HALL B-HIDE THE SCENE/SHUTTERSTOCK Weight 500 tonnes Nostril width 50cm

6 36 Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Plan Your Trip Itineraries S E A O F J A PA N Honshū TOKYO #_ Hiroshima Miyajima Kyoto Himeji Osaka Nara Hakone Shikoku 10 DAYS Tokyo, Kyoto & Hiroshima This classic route for first-time visitors hits many of Japan s star attractions, can be done year-round and takes advantage of the excellent value and seamless travel offered by a Japan Rail Pass. Start with a couple of days in Tokyo, getting your bearings and a taste of big-city Japan the skyscrapers, the bustle and all those lights. Then hop on the bullet train for Kyoto. (If you wait until now to activate your rail pass, you can get by with a seven-day pass.) You ll need two or three days to sample the best of Kyoto s temples and gardens. From here you can make side trips to Nara, home of the Daibutsu (Great Buddha), and Osaka, famous for its vivid nightscape and street food. Then head west on to Himeji to see Japan s best castle, Himeji-jō. Next stop is Hiroshima, for the moving Peace Memorial Park. Further down the coast is Miyajima, with its photogenic floating shrine. You can spend the night in a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) here before making the train journey back to Tokyo. On your way back there, drop into the mountain hot-spring resort of Hakone to get your onsen fix.

7 37 PLAN YOUR TRIP Itineraries ARCHITECT NIKKEN SEKKEI; SEAN PAVONE/SHUTTERSTOCK Top: Tokyo Skytree (p106) Bottom: Kinkaku-ji, (p334), Kyoto MARCOCIANNAREL/SHUTTERSTOCK

8 38 PLAN YOUR TRIP Itineraries Northern Japan Alps Obuse Kanazawa Nagano Shin- Gokayama Hotaka Onsen Matsumoto Takayama Kamikōchi Shirakawa-gō Honshū Mt Fuji (3776m) R Kyoto Nara

9 Top: Matsumoto-jō (p281) Bottom: Zenkō-ji (p294) PIUS LEE/SHUTTERSTOCK PHUONG D. NGUYEN/SHUTTERSTOCK 2 WEEKS Kyoto, Kanazawa & the Japan Alps This route highlights Japan s traditional culture and its natural beauty. As snow can close mountain passes in winter, it is best undertaken in spring, summer or autumn. Spend the first few days in Kyoto exploring the city s famous temples, shrines and gardens. Be sure to budget some time for the less-famous ones too, which are more peaceful, and for a day trip to Nara. Both Kyoto and Nara have excellent national museums with classical art and artefacts. In the evenings, stroll Kyoto s historic geisha district. Next take the train to Kanazawa, a city that, in its heyday, rivalled Kyoto in its contributions to the arts. As befitting its location near the Sea of Japan, Kanazawa is known for excellent seafood, but also for its lasting artisan tradition and its strolling garden, Kenroku-en. Both Kyoto and Kanazawa are excellent places to shop for traditional crafts. Now get a car and head for the mountains of Hida. The villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama are famed for their farmhouses with dramatically angled thatched roofs. Continue to Takayama, a charming old post town with well-preserved wooden buildings (now housing galleries, sake breweries and craft shops) and narrow streets. Then head to Shin-Hotaka Onsen for outstanding rustic onsen (hot springs) and ryokan (traditional Japanese inns), followed by a visit to Kamikōchi for alpine scenery and hiking (closed from 15 November to 22 April). You ll eat well travelling in the mountains: local specialities include soba (buckwheat noodles), beef, hoba-miso (sweet miso paste grilled on a magnolia leaf) and foraged mushrooms and shoots. From here drive east to the castle town of Matsumoto, home to one of Japan s best original castles, Matsumoto-jō. Near Nagano, pretty Obuse, another well-preserved mountain town, is home to the Hokusai Museum. End your trip in Nagano with a visit to the city s impressive temple, Zenkō-ji. Nagano has a shinkansen (bullet train) station, so you can catch a train onward or drive straight on to Narita Airport. 39 PLAN YOUR TRIP Itineraries

10 40 PLAN YOUR TRIP Itineraries 1 WEEK Tokyo, Mt Fuji & Around Japan often feels like a destination that requires a long trip and advance planning, but it needn t be. In and around Tokyo you can cover a lot of varied terrain, taking in both contemporary and traditional Japan. Base yourself in Tokyo and do day trips or hop around. In three or four days you can take in the capital s highlights, eating well, and still have time to explore some of its less touristy neighbourhoods, like Shimo-Kitazawa and Kōenji. Mt Fuji is open to hikers from June through mid-september; you can do it as one long overnight climb to hit the summit for sunrise or stay a night in a mountain hut. Year-round, visit the Fuji Five Lakes region for views of the iconic volcano. For temples and shrines head north to Nikkō, with 17th-century structures set among cedars, or south to Kamakura, a one-time medieval capital with many Zen temples. On the Pacific coast, Kamakura is also a hip beach town with cafes and surf shops. Round off your trip with a visit to the hotspring resort Hakone. There are spa complexes here for day trippers, or you can splurge on a night in a ryokan. BLANSCAPE/SHUTTERSTOCK OMJAI CHALARD/SHUTTERSTOCK Top: Mt Fuji (p170) Bottom: Kamakura (p184)

11 41 PLAN YOUR TRIP Itineraries Nikkō # #_ TOKYO Mt FujiR (3776m) Hakone Kamakura

12 42 PLAN YOUR TRIP Itineraries Kyoto Honshū Osaka Nara Kansai International # Airport Sakurai Asuka Kōya-san Kumano Kodō Hongū Shingū Nachi-Katsuura

13 43 NIKADA/SHUTTERSTOCK COWARDLION/SHUTTERSTOCK 2 WEEKS Kansai In Depth Take a slow, deep dive into Japanese history and culture; you ll cover a lot without having to travel far. Arranged with public transport in mind, this itinerary is possible year-round, though Kōya-san will be cold and possibly snowy in winter. Fly in and out of Kansai International Airport. Start with Kyoto, Japan s cultural storehouse, and spend several leisurely days exploring. Then head to Nara not for the typical day trip but for a few days trip. Beyond the city there are fascinating historic temples, very old shrines and country rambles around Sakurai and pre- Buddhist burial mounds around Asuka. Then pop over to Osaka for a jolt of city life, before taking the train to Kōya-san. This mountain monastery was founded in the 8th century and is still active today; spend the night in a temple for a taste of monk life. Buses run April through November to your next destination, the ancient pilgrim trails of the Kumano Kodō. Outside of these months you ll need to do some backtracking via train. Spend a few days walking through woods and rural hamlets, to temples, shrines and some of Kansai s best onsen between Hongū, Shingū and Nachi-Katsuura. PLAN YOUR TRIP Itineraries Top: Dōtombori (p373), Osaka Bottom: Garan temple, Kōya-san (p422)

14 44 PLAN YOUR TRIP Itineraries 2 WEEKS The Wilds of Hokkaidō Japan s northernmost island, Hokkaidō, has much of what you want out of Japan: steaming onsen and rugged, volcanic peaks, city lights and foodie cred, as well as something you wouldn t expect the opportunity for an epic road trip. Snow falls early in Hokkaidō, so this is a summer trip. Start in Hakodate, Hokkaidō s southernmost port, which has a charming 19th-century city centre. The journey here by shinkansen (bullet train) takes four hours from Tokyo (though it s probably cheaper to fly). After a fresh seafood breakfast at Hakodate s fish market, pick up a rental car and drive to Shikotsu-Tōya National Park, home to caldera lakes and an active volcano. Budget time to soak in the springs of Noboribetsu Onsen inside the park. Next stop: Sapporo, Hokkaidō s capital city (and Japan s fifth-largest). Get your city fix here, basking in the bright lights of the Susukino district. Then head to Hokkaidō s second city, Asahikawa, deep in the interior; also a famous ramen town. It s also the gateway for Daisetsuzan National Park, Japan s largest national park and a mostly untouched wilderness of dense forest high in the mountains. There are three villages on the perimeter of the park: Tokachidake Onsen, Asahidake Onsen and Sōunkyō Onsen. All have hot springs, lodging and good day treks. Don t miss Fukiage Roten-no-yu, near Tokachidake Onsen, one of Japan s best in-the-wild onsen. It s also worth spending a night at Daisetsu Kōgen Sansō, a truly remote mountain lodge. Continue east to the World Heritage listed Shiretoko National Park, a spit of land that Hokkaidō s indigenous people, the Ainu, referred to as the end of the world. There are hikes here through primeval woods and more hidden hot springs. Akan National Park is most famous for its startlingly clear blue caldera lakes, Kussharoko and Mashū-ko. This is also the best place on Hokkaidō to connect with Ainu culture, starting with a visit to the village, Akan Kotan. Finally head down to Kushiro-shitsugen National Park, home to the endangered Japanese red-crowned crane. From Kushiro it s easy work on the expressway back to New Chitose Airport, south of Sapporo. VARANDAH/SHUTTERSTOCK VASSAMON ANANSUKKASEM/SHUTTERSTOCK Top: Hiking, Asahi-dake (p631) Bottom: Ganso Ramen Yokochō (p601), Sapporo

15 45 PLAN YOUR TRIP Itineraries Sapporo Hokkaidō Asahidake Onsen Sōunkyō Asahikawa Onsen Fukiage Roten-no-yu Shiretoko National Park # Akan Daisetsu # National Park Kōgen Sansō # Daisetsuzan National Park # Kushiro-shitsugen Tokachidake National Park Onsen Kushiro russia # Shikotsu-Toya National Park Hakodate

16 46 PLAN YOUR TRIP Itineraries south KOrea Karatsu Fukuoka Hirado Arita R # Kurokawa Onsen Aso-san Kumamoto Nagasaki Kyūshū Kagoshima Ibusuki f# Yakushima Ōsumi Islands PA C I F I C O C E A N East China Sea Amami Islands Kerama Islands Naha Okinawa Islands

17 Top: Waterfall, Yakushima (p787) Bottom: Kurokawa onsen (p750) AIDO/SHUTTERSTOCK DRYADPHOTOS/SHUTTERSTOCK 2 WEEKS Kyūshū & Okinawa Considered off the beaten track, Kyūshū really delivers: it s got vibrant cities, layers of history, excellent onsen and smoking volcanoes. If you ve been to Japan before, or want to see something totally different, this trip is for you. Fly into Fukuoka from Tokyo and spend a day getting to know this hip young city, famous for its ramen. You can tour Kyūshū easily enough by train there s a rail pass just for the island but it helps to have a car. This will come in handy for working your way down the coast to Nagasaki through the pottery towns, Karatsu and Arita, with a detour to Hirado. History, of course, weighs heavily on Nagasaki, the second Japanese city destroyed by an atomic bomb. But as Japan s only truly open port during the 200-year period of isolation in the 17th to 19th centuries, Nagasaki has cosmopolitan legacy that predates its historic tragedy and lives on today in its food and architecture. From Nagasaki cut into the heartland to Kurokawa Onsen, one of Japan s best onsen towns, where you can stay in a ryokan. Continue south, past the active volcano Aso-san (if it s calm, you can get close) and the castle town Kumamoto (still recovering from a 2016 earthquake) to Kagoshima. This city at the tip of the Shimabara Peninsula is known for tonkatsu (breaded and fried pork cutlets), shōchū (strong distilled liquor) and Sakurajima the smoking volcano that lords over the skyline. South of Kagoshima are the hot sand baths of Ibusuki. Return the car and catch a speedboat from Kagoshima to magical Yakushima, an island with primeval, moss-strewn forests and seaside onsen. Make it an overnight trip (or longer there are great hiking options here). Back in Kagoshima, take the slow ferry for an epic overnight ride to Okinawa-hontō, the largest of the Okinawa Islands. Spend a day or two exploring the capital city Naha, the former seat of the Ryūkyū Empire, sipping fresh juice from the market and getting your fill of island delicacies. From Naha, it s a one-hour jet-foil ride to the idyllic, palm-fringed Kerama Islands where you can get your beach fix. Then catch a flight back to Tokyo from Naha. 47 PLAN YOUR TRIP Itineraries

18 48 Off the Beaten Track: Japan PLAN YOUR TRIP OFF THE BEATEN TRACK #_ Southwest Islands km miles YONAGUNI-JIMA On really clear days you can see Taiwan from Yonaguni-jima, Japan s westernmost inhabited island. Divers come here to swim with hammerhead sharks and explore the mysterious Atlantis of the Pacific ruins. (p827) # YONAGUNI- JIMA IRIOMOTE- JIMA East China Sea Hirara Yaeyama Islands # Miyako Ishigaki Islands Amakusa Islands Yakushima Okinawa City Nago Naha # Okinawa-hontō Tokara Islands Amami Amami Islands IRIOMOTE-JIMA Kyūshū Miyazaki Kagoshima Tanegashima P A C I F I C O C E A N Fringed by healthy coral reefs and covered with dense tropical jungle, the island of Iriomote-jima is one of Japan s wildest places. (p823) OKI ISLANDS Once a place of exile, these cliff-lined islands offer some spectacular scenery and a real feeling of getting away from it all. (p496) SHIMOKITA PENINSULA A windblown spit of land once believed to be the end of this world, with a haunting temple and a pock-marked, volcanic landscape. (p557) IYA VALLEY Matsue Tottori A few hours and a world away from Izumo Kyoto the big cities of Kansai, Iya Valley has Hamada Himeji Osaka been called the Shangri La of Japan. Okayama Tsu-shima Stay in a restored thatched-roof Hagi Kōbe Nara farmhouse and get a taste of Hiroshima Tokushima Shimonoseki Wakayama traditional village life. (p679) Matsuyama # Fukuoka Kōchi Shikoku Aso-san Oita (1592m) Nagasaki Usuki R Kumamoto See Southwest Islands Inset Kyūshū # TAKACHIHO Miyazaki Kagoshima TAKACHIHO OKI ISLANDS IYA VALLEY Sacred dances to the sun goddess are performed at an ancient shrine here deep in rural Kyūshū. (p751) Fukui

19 D 49 #e miles km RUSSIA Sea of Japan Aomori Towada- Hachinohe Hachimantai # National Park SADO-GA- SHIMA RISHIRI-TŌ & REBUN-TŌ Okushiri-tō Akita Morioka Kakunodate Oshu Sakata Tsuruoka Shinjō Niigata Hakodate Sendai Yamagata Fukushima Abashiri # Daisetsuzan National Park Akan # # National Takikawa Park Biei Hokkaidō Otaru Kushiro Sapporo Obihiro # Shikotsu-tōya National Park SHIMOKITA PENINSULA # DEWA SANZAN Noto Peninsula Toyama Nikkō Nagano Utsunomiya Kanazawa Mito Maebashi Honshū Urawa TOKYO _ Gifu Kōfu Chiba R Yokohama Nagoya Mt Fuji (3776m) Tsu Shizuoka Ise P A C I F I C O C E A N Sea of Okhotsk SHIRETOKO NATIONAL PARK RUSSIA SHIRETOKO NATIONAL PARK With no sealed roads and a healthy population of brown bears, Shiretoko is true wilderness. The rewards for tackling the tough trails here are long soaks in hot springs. (p648) RISHIRI-TŌ & REBUN-TŌ Almost as far north as you can go in Japan, these two islands burst into riotous blooms of wildflowers each year from May to August. They re a true delight for hikers and photographers. (p639) DEWA SANZAN Complete the three-mountain hike that makes up this trail through the wilds of Yamagata, a favourite pilgrimage for the yamabushi (mountain priests). (p572) PLAN YOUR TRIP OFF THE BEATEN TRACK SADO-GA-SHIMA An outpost of rugged mountains and coastline, each August this island rocks to the sound of the famous Kodō Drummers during the fabulous Earth Celebration. (p578) Ogasawara Archipelago (500km) OGASAWARA ARCHIPELAGO This is as far off the beaten track as you can get in Japan. A full 25½-hour ferry ride from Tokyo, these semitropical islands complete with white sand beaches feel like a different world. (p220)

20 Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 911 Behind the Scenes SEND US YOUR FEEDBACK We love to hear from travellers your comments keep us on our toes and help make our books better. Our well-travelled team reads every word on what you loved or loathed about this book. Although we cannot reply individually to your submissions, we always guarantee that your feedback goes straight to the appropriate authors, in time for the next edition. Each person who sends us information is thanked in the next edition the most useful submissions are rewarded with a selection of digital PDF chapters. Visit lonelyplanet.com/contact to submit your updates and suggestions or to ask for help. Our award-winning website also features inspirational travel stories, news and discussions. Note: We may edit, reproduce and incorporate your comments in Lonely Planet products such as guidebooks, websites and digital products, so let us know if you don t want your comments reproduced or your name acknowledged. For a copy of our privacy policy visit lonelyplanet.com/ privacy. OUR READERS Many thanks to the travellers who used the last edition and wrote to us with helpful hints, useful advice and interesting anecdotes: Alexander Debkaliuk, Andrew Edwards, Ann Clancy, Benjamin Laine, Bernhard Leube, Chris Morgan, Christina Andersen, Jean-Francois Gilbert, Joris Coenen, Julie Landau, Margaret Chappell, Morgan Giles, Niall Christie, Nick Stevens, Nicolas Pouppart, Paul Gully, Petra O Neill, Ray Dahlhoff, Sigrun Kölle, Travis Nelson, Tsuyoshi Jona. WRITER THANKS Rebecca Milner Thank you to my family and friends, who are there for me through all the ups and downs and late nights; to my indefatigable co-author Simon, for his inspiration and guidance; to LP for standing by me; and to all the chefs, curators, professors, baristas and total strangers who knowingly or unknowingly provided me with new insight into this city, which I must also thank, for always keeping me on my toes. Ray Bartlett Thanks first and always to my family and amazing friends, for letting me go on these adventures and still remembering me when I get back. To the great editorial staff at LP for their wisdom and advice. To all people I met or who helped me along the way. Tamura- さん, Airi, Kurumi and Aya, Yamaguchi- さん, Ishikawa- さん, Saeki, Saika, Minori, Emi, Ōtani- さん, Sakiko- さん, the lovely Linh, Watanabe Ayaka- さん... and so many other great people I met along the way. Thanks so much. Can t wait to be back again soon. Andrew Bender Thanks to my excellent Kyushu spirit guides Yohko Scott, Sakaguchi Riho, Jeremy Chen, Fujiyoshi Jun, Horichi Shiori, Ide Masahiro, Kai Hiroshi, Kamimoto Eiko, Kono Shintaro, Kuroki Shinya, Matsukawa Akihiro, Sasaki Takeshi, Shibata Kayoko, Cameron Stadin, Takae Tomoko, Takatori Aki, Taniguchi Yukiko, Yamasaki Keiko and Yoshida Kenji, and LP staff members Laura Crawford, James Smart and Sarah Bailey, without whom none of this would have been possible. Stephanie d Arc Taylor Thank you to the charming, clever and indefatigable Christine, who fed me soba as a child and gave me my first copy of the Inland Sea. Without your help I couldn t have done this, or anything. Thank you to Chieko, Hidemasa, and to Teruko for saying that I use chopsticks better than Christine. Thank you to my LP mentors Lauren Keith, Laura Crawford, Rebecca Milner, Craig McLachlan and James Smart. Thank you to Bethan, who helped me prematurely celebrate this assignment. Samantha Forge Thank you to the wonderful people I met throughout Tōhoku for your knowledge, patience and boundless kindness. I have never drunk so many cups of tea in my life. Huge thanks also to the other Team Japan authors for their generosity and friendship, and to

21 912 BEHIND THE SCENES everyone at LP who has had a hand in this project, especially the lovely Laura Crawford. Craig McLachlan A hearty thanks to all those who helped out on the road, but most of all, to my living kanji dictionary and exceptionally beautiful wife, Yuriko. Kate Morgan Thank you again to Laura Crawford for the opportunity to work on Osaka and Kyoto, and to Jen Carey for your help throughout. Huge thanks to Kengo Nakao from the Kyoto Tourist Information office for your assistance. Thanks to my parents for joining me in Kyoto and keeping up the research pace in the extreme heat! And to my friend Yuki and my fiancé Trent for great nights out, loads of food and rock bar shenanigans. Thanks also to all the inhouse staff at LP who make this book happen. Thomas O Malley Thanks to my esteemed fellow authors Simon and Rebecca for assisting this Japan Guide noob in the ways of the road warrior. Thanks to Family Mart and its konbini cohorts for all those cut-price caffeine hits on the road. Thanks to Mt Fuji for finally showing your beautiful face after days cloaked in cloud (I almost wept). Thanks to the two Ō-shima Island Aussies, Chloe and Caitlin. And thanks, as ever, to Ophelia. Simon Richmond Many thanks to co-writer Rebecca and to the following: Will Andrews, Toshiko Ishii, Kenichi, Giles Murray, Chris Kirkland, Shoji Kobayashi, Jun Onuma, Sabrina Suljevic, Ken Gail Kato, Toyokuni Honda, Tim Hornyak and Tomoko Yoshizawa. Phillip Tang Warm thanks to patient tourism staffers and travellers who shared their experiences. Thanks Laura Crawford for having me again; Japan will miss you. Thanks to David Tong Wai Chung for skewers and whiskey highballs in Okayama, and tips on Izumo. Huge thanks to Chizu Otsuka at Tomato in Hiroshima. In Tokyo, arigato Nic for craft beers and life talks; and Ayako for incredible chicken, weird waiters and Korean husbands. Thanks in spirit to Vek Lewis for running guidance. Benedict Walker Big thanks as always to my Japanese family the Shimizus for their continued friendship and fun, to Laura Crawford for keeping me on the team, to James Smart for his patience at submission time, to Taku Yamada and Kei Nakamura for your guidance and advice; to Cheryl, Bruce, Jess and Casey for being very sticky soul-glue; to Mum and the Walkers for watching over me from afar, and to my brother Andy for coming through with the goods and shining like a beacon of inspiration when I least expected it. To the resilient people of these remote island communities, where mother nature rules: you ve forever won a place in my heart: ganbarō! ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Climate map data adapted from Peel MC, Finlayson BL & McMahon TA (2007) Updated World Map of the Köppen-Geiger Climate Classification, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 11, Cover photograph: Red-crowned cranes (p660), Hokkaido, Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock. THIS BOOK This 16th edition of Lonely Planet s Japan guidebook was researched and written by Rebecca Milner, Ray Bartlett, Andrew Bender, Samantha Forge, Thomas O Malley, Craig McLachlan, Kate Morgan, Simon Richmond, Phillip Tang, Stephanie d Arc Taylor, Benedict Walker. The previous edition was written by Rebecca Milner, Ray Bartlett, Andrew Bender, Craig McLachlan, Kate Morgan, Simon Richmond, Tom Spurling, Phillip Tang, Benedict Walker and Wendy Yanagihara. This guidebook was produced by the following: Destination Editors Laura Crawford, James Smart Senior Product Editor Kate Chapman Product Editor Shona Gray Senior Cartographer Diana Von Holdt Assisting Cartographers Michael Garrett, Alison Lyall Book Designer Mazzy Prinsep Assisting Editors Sarah Bailey, Andrew Bain, James Bainbridge, Judith Bamber, Heather Champion, Samantha Cook, Lucy Cowie, Emma Gibbs, Carly Hall, Victoria Harrison, Lauren O Connell, Kristin Odijk, Gabrielle Stefanos, Ross Taylor, Simon Williamson Cover Researcher Brendan Dempsey-Spencer Thanks to Naoko Akamatsu, William Allen, Jennifer Carey, Gwen Cotter, Liz Heynes, Kate James, Elizabeth Jones, Campbell McKenzie, Virginia Moreno, Wayne Murphy, Kirsten Rawlings, Brad Smith

22 Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 913 Index 88 Temples of Shikoku 670, A Abashiri Abeno Harukas 375 accessible travel 880 accommodation 26, 59, 880-2, see also individual locations etiquette language 904 ryokan 13, 876 shukubō 425, 877 traditional accommodation activities 55-65, see also individual activities, individual locations Age of Courtiers Aikawa 578 aikido 875 Ainokura 259 Ainu language 606 Ainu museums Ainu Folklore Museum 654 Hakodate Museum of Northern Peoples 620 Hokkaidō Museum of Northern Peoples 646 Kawamura Kaneto Ainu Memorial Hall Museum of Ainu Folklore 658 Ainu people 653 Ainu villages 654 air travel airports passes & discounts to/from Japan within Japan Aizu-Wakamatsu Map Pages 000 Photo Pages 000 Aka-jima Akan National Park , Akanko Onsen Akita , 561 Akita Komaga-take 564 Akita Prefecture , 559 Allied occupation 846 ama 438 Amami Islands Amami-Ōshima 794-7, 795 Amanohashidate Amaterasu 755 Amerika-Mura amusement parks 81 Fuji-Q Highland 174 Kawasaki Warehouse 181 Sky Circus Tokyo Disney Resort 120 Tokyo Joypolis 121 Universal Studios Japan Anan Coast ancient Japan ancient sites 787 animals, see wildlife anime Ghibli Museum 110 Mandarake Complex 97 Miyazaki Hayao 110 Annupuri 605 Aomori , 549 Aomori Prefecture , 548 Aoshima aquariums 376-7, 807 archaeological sites & museums Hagi-jō 514 Ichijōdani Asakura Clan Ruins 275 Saitobaru Archaeological Museum 775 Saitobaru Burial Mounds Park 775 Sannai Maruyama Sendai Castle ruins 525 Takayama-jō 247 The Museum, Archaeological Institute of Kashihara 415 Tokushima-jō 666 Tsukuriyama-kofun 478 Tsuwano-jō 511 Uegusuku Castle Ruins Uenohara Jōmon no Mori 775 architects Ando, Tadao 99, 112, 390, 481, 560, 866 Itō Toyō 112, 473, 474, 526 Kuma, Kengo 99, 111, 112, 138, 197, 733, 866 Kurokawa Kishō 99, 696 Pei, IM 440 Ryue Nishizawa 112, 484 Sejima Kazuyo 112 Tange Kenzō 109, 458, Wright, Frank Lloyd 147, 236, 866 architecture gasshō-zukuri 258 machiya 355 Matsumoto Open-Air Architectural Museum 281 Meiji-mura 236 museums 473 Tokyo 112 area codes 887 Arita arriving in Japan 25 art festivals 858 art galleries & art museums, see also craft & folk art museums, design museums 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art 264 Adachi Museum of Art 504 Akita Museum of Art 560 Anno Art Museum 511 Aomori Museum of Art 547 Art House Project Asakura Museum of Sculpture, Taitō 101 Benesse House Museum 481 Chichū Art Museum 481 Chihiro Art Museum Azumino 286 Enoura Observatory 190 Fujiyama Art Museum 174 Fukuoka Asian Art Museum 716 Ghibli Museum 110 Ginza Graphic Gallery 97 Ginza Maison Hermès Le Forum 97 Hagi Uragami Museum 514 Hagi-jō Kiln 514 Hakone Museum of Art 193 Hakone Open-Air Museum 193 Hida Takayama Museum of Art 247 Higashiyama Kaii Setouchi Art Museum 707 Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art 459 Hokkaidō Museum of Modern Art 597 Hokusai Museum 299 Ikuo Hirayama Museum of Art 473 Inujima Seirensho Art Museum 483 Ishikawa Wajima Urushi Art Museum Ishinomori Mangattan Museum 532 Japan Ukiyo-e Museum 281 Kamakura National Treasure Museum 187 Kubota Itchiku Art Museum 175

23 914 INDEX A-B art galleries & art museums, continued Kutaniyaki Porcelain Art Museum 274 Kyoto International Manga Museum Kyoto Ukiyo-e Museum 320 Kyūshū Ceramic Museum 726 Lee Ufan Museum 481 Matsumoto City Museum of Art 281 Miho Museum 440 Mizuki Shigeru Museum 496 MOA Museum of Art 197 Mori Art Museum 98-9 Morijuku Museum 510 Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum 733 Nagoya/Boston Museum of Fine Arts 229 Narukawa Art Museum 196 National Art Center Tokyo 99 National Museum of Modern Art 327 National Museum of Modern Art (MOMAT) 95-6 Neiraku Art Museum 408 Niigata City Art Museum 575 Ōhara Museum of Art 488 Okada Museum of Art 192 Otsuka Museum of Art 675 Pola Museum of Art Reihōkan 424 RIAS Ark Museum of Art 543 Rokuzan Bijutsukan 286 Sado Hanga-mura Museum 578 SCAI the Bathhouse 105 Shimane Prefectural Art Museum 500 Shiseido Gallery 97 Shoko Kanazawa Museum 206 Suntory Museum of Art 99 Map Pages 000 Photo Pages 000 Takai Kōzan Kinenkan 300 Takamatsu City Museum of Art 703 Takayama Museum of History & Art 249 teamlab Borderless Teshima Art Museum 484 Teshima Yokoo House 484 Tokoro Museum 473 Tokugawa Art Museum 228 Tokushima Modern Art Museum 668 Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum 115 Tokyo National Museum 100 TOP Museum 115 Tsuboya Pottery Museum 801 Ukiyo-e Ōta Memorial Museum of Art 111 Umi Museum of Contemporary Art 306 Utsukushi-ga-hara Open Air Museum 282 Yamaguchi Prefectural Art Museum 508 Yayoi Kusama Museum 109 Yokohama Museum of Art 179 artists Asakura Fumio 101 Iwasaki Chihiro 286 Hokusai 299 Kusama Yayoi 109 Miyazaki Hayao 110 Noguchi Isamu 598 Sugimoto Hiroshi 190 arts bunraku 388, 667, 862 butō 860 calligraphy 855, 857 haiku 855 ikebana 858 kabuki 153, 699, 709, 862 nō 154, painting shikki 855 shodō 855, 857 ukiyo-e Asahidake Onsen Asahikawa Ashikaga Shoguns Ashizuri-misaki 690 Aso-san , 748 Asuka Atami ATMs 886 Atomic Bomb Dome 458 atomic bombs Hiroshima Nagasaki 730, 731 autumn leaves 52, 53 awamori 805 Azumino B baggage forwarding 890 Bandai Plateau 587-8, 588 baseball 81, 155, 388, 602, 874 Bashō, Matsuo 567 bathhouses 64, 121, 122, 497, see also onsen bathrooms 888 beaches Boraga Beach 814 Chichi-jima 221 Eef Beach 811 Furuzamami Beach 810 Fusaki Beach Aqua Garden 820 Goishi Kaigan 544 Hate-no-hama 811 Higashi-hama 494 Hoshisuna-no-hama 823 Ida-no-hama 823 Iso-hama 765 Jodogahama Beach Kabira Bay 820 Kaiji-hama 825 Koigaura-hama 781 Kondoi Beach 826 Makidani 494 Nagahama-kaigan 792 Nagamahama 814 Nagata Inaka-hama 788 Nagomi-no-tō 826 Nakanoshima Beach 816 Nishibama Beach 809 Nishihama 826 Oganeku-kaigan 797 Sakibaru Beach 794 Shinri-hama 811 Sunayama Beach 813 Sunset Beach 817 Takezaki-kaigan 792 Tatami-ishi 811 Terasaki-kaigan 797 Toguchi-no-hama 816 Tomori-kaigan 794 Tsuki-ga-hama 824 Uradome 494 Yonaha-Maehama Beach 814 Yonehara Beach 820 beer 77, 398, 669, see also breweries Beppu , 756, 758, 760 accommodation activities 755 drinking & nightlife food shopping 759 sights tourist information 759 travel to/from 759 travel within Bessho Onsen bicycle travel 892, see cycling, mountain biking Biei 628-9, 632 Bihoro Pass 658 Blakiston Line 645 boat tours Abashiri 646 Chūzen-ji Onsen 218 Dōgashima 205 Geibi Gorge 538 Hozu-gawa river 349 Ine 450 Iriomote-jima 824 Kagoshima 765 Kumano Kodō 431 Kume-jima 811 Matsue 501 Matsushima 531 Naruto Whirlpool Sightseeing Boats 675 Osaka 380 Otaru 611 Shimanto City 689 Shimokita Peninsula 557 Shiretoko National Park 652 Tokushima 668 boat travel 892-3, see also boat tours, ferry travel Akita 561 Amami-Ōshima 796 Aomori 550 Beppu 759 Fukuoka 722 Hakodate 624 Hiroshima 464 Hokkaidō 594 Ishigaki-jima 823 Izu Islands 207 Kagoshima 770 Kasaoka Islands 490

24 915 Kerama Islands 808 Kii Peninsula 419 Kōbe 398, 399 Kumamoto 746 Matsushima 532 Matsuyama 698 Miyajima 468 Miyazaki 780 Nagoya 235 Naha 805 Naoshima 483 Niigata 577 Oki Islands 497 Okinawa & the Southwest Islands 786 Onomichi 471 Osaka 391 Otaru 612 Sendai 530 Shikoku 668 Shimoda 203 Shimokita Peninsula 558 Shimonoseki 520 to/from Japan 891 Takamatsu 705 Tokushima 671 Wakkanai 638 within Japan Yakushima 791 books 459, 830 breweries A-Factory Andō Brewery 562 Hakubotan 468 Ide Sake Brewery 176 Kamotsuru 468 Kirin Beer Yokohama Factory 181 Kyoto Brewing Company Oriental Brewing 267 Sapporo Biergarten 602 bridges Kazura-bashi 680 Megane-bashi 733 Nakashima-gawa Bridges 733 Oku Iya Ni-jū Kazura-bashi 682 Ōnaruto-hashi 675 Buddhist sites Daibutsu (Kamakura) Daibutsu (Nara) 14, 403, 14 Kumano Magaibutsu 762 Buddhist temples, see also Kyoto temples, individual temples 88 Temples of Shikoku 670, Amanohashidate 449 Bessho Onsen 305 Butsumoku-ji 702 Byōdō-in 319 Chikurin-ji 687 Chion-in 322 Chūzen-ji Onsen 218 Dainichi-ji 671 Daitoku-ji Eikan-dō 326 Fuki-ji 763 Fukui Futago-ji Garan 422, 43 Gifu 239 Ginkaku-ji Giō-ji 338 Gokuraku-ji 671 Gōshō-ji 706 Hagi 514 Higashi Hongan-ji 318 Hiraizumi 537 Hōnen-in 327 Hongū 430 Hōryū-ji Hotsumisaki-ji Ikuchi-jima 473 Ishite-ji 691 Iwato Kannon-dō 613 Iwaya-ji 691 Jinne-in 711 Jizō-ji 671 Kaga Onsen 274 Kamakura 185-6, 187 Kanazawa 264 Kanon-ji 711 Kennin-ji 325 Kimpusen-ji Kinkaku-ji 334, 37, 54 Kiyomizu-dera Kōdai-ji 323 Konchi-in 327 Kongōfuku-ji 690 Konsen-ji 671 Kōtō-in 330 Kōya-san Kurama 445 Maki Ōdō 763 Mano 582 Matsushima 531 Miyajima 465 Myōshin-ji Nachi-Katsuura 434 Nagano 294 Nagoya 229 Nanzen-ji 326 Nara 403, Narita 219 Nishi Hongan-ji 318 Noto Peninsula 271 Noto-kongō Coast 271 Ōhara Ōkubo-ji 708 Oku-no-in 422 Osaka Ōtsu 440 Ryōan-ji 334 Ryōzen-ji 671 Ryūkō-ji 702 Saihō-ji Sanjūsangen-dō Temple 323 Sensō-ji 105, 130 Shikoku 679 Shimoda 201 Shimokita Peninsula 557 Shōfuku-ji 716 Shōren-in Shusshaka-ji 708 Shuzen-ji 206 Sōfuku-ji 733 Tairyū-ji 678 Taizō-ji 763 Takaoka 278 Takao-san 210 Tenryū-ji 337 Tō-ji 318 Tōdai-ji 403, Tomo-no-ura 491 Tōshōdai-ji Unpen-ji 711 Yakuō-ji 676 Yakuri-ji 706 Yakushi-ji 414 Yamadera 569 Yamaguchi 507 Yashima-ji 706 Zenkō-ji 294, 257 Zentsū-ji 708 budget 25, 82-3, 884 Bujō-ji 444 bullet trains 897 bungy jumping 310 bunraku 388, 667, 862 bus travel 893 passes 894 business hours 886, 896 butō 860 Byōdō-in 319 C cable cars & ropeways Asahi-dake Ropeway Bijodaira 277 Bizan Ropeway 666 Furano 629 Gifu 239 Hakkōda-san 556 Hakone Ropeway 195 Ishizuchi-san 698 Kachi-Kachi Yama Ropeway 176 Kanka Gorge 485 Kanonji 711 Kitanomine Gondola 629 Kōbe 394 Komagatake Ropeway 242 Kuro-dake Matsuyama 691 Misen 465 Nagasaki Ropeway 736 Oku-Tama 211 Ontake-san 245 Sapporo 597 Shimonoseki 518 Shin-Hotaka Ropeway 254 Tairyū-ji 678 Tanigawa-dake Ropeway 309 Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route 277, 256 Tsurugi-san 684 Unzen 742 Usu-zan 618 Yashima 706 Zaō Onsen calligraphy 855, 857 canyoning Iya Valley 683 Niseko 606 Uwajima car & motorcycle travel car hire hitch-hiking 896 insurance 895 language 894 castles & palaces 22 Gifu-jō 239 Gujō Hachiman-jō 241 Himeji-jō , 23 Hirosaki-jō 551 Hiroshima-jō 458 Imperial Palace 93-5 Inuyama-jō 236 Karatsu-jō Kōchi-jō 685 Kumamoto-jō 743 Kyoto Imperial Palace 330-1, 335 Marugame-jō 707 INDEX B-C

25 916 INDEX C-E castles & palaces, continued Matsue-jō Matsumoto-jō 281 Matsuyama-jō 691 Nagoya-jō Nijō-jō 319 Okayama-jō 475 Osaka-jō 371 Sendai Castle Ruins 525 Sentō Imperial Palace 331 Shimabara-jō 740 Shuri-jō 799 Takamatsu-jō 703 Tsuwano-jō 511 Tsurumaru-jō 765 Uwajima-jō 701 cathedrals, see churches & cathedrals caves Ama-no-Yasukawara 752 Dōgashima 205 Fugaku Fuketsu 177 Genbudō 451 Gohyakurakan 506 Goishi Kaigan 544 Ikuchi-jima 473 Kamakura 186 Matsuyama 691 Megijima 483 Miyako 546 Narusawa Hyōketsu 177 Oki Islands 498 Sai-ko Kōmoriana 177 Jōzankei 613 Tōri-ike 816 cell phones 24, cemeteries 101 Central Hokkaidō Central Honshū , accommodation 224 climate 224, 225 food 224 highlights 226 travel seasons 224 Central Japan Alps 242 ceramics 726 cherry-blossom viewing 14, 33, 51, 2, 14 Chiburi-jima 498 Chichibu Chichi-jima Chiiori 682 Map Pages 000 Photo Pages 000 children, travel with 80-1 Kyoto 326 Tokyo 127 China occupation Chion-in 322 Chiran Chōkoku-no-Mori Chōmon Gōrge 511 Christianity 839 churches & cathedrals Orthodox Church (Hakodate) 620 Ōura Cathedral 735 St Francis Xavier Memorial Church 507 Tsuwano Catholic Church 510 Urakami Cathedral 730 Chūson-ji 537 Chūzen-ji Onsen cinema 859 climate 24, climbing, see also hiking Ishizuchi-san 698 Kamikōchi 289 Mt Fuji 170, 171 Ontake-san 245 Tanigawa-dake 310 Yōtei-zan 607 consulates contemporary art cormorant fishing 238 costs 25, 82-3, 884 courses cooking 124-6, 249, 340, 342, 709 crafts 124, 125, 815 ikebana 125 wagashi 125 craft & folk art museums Ainokura Minzoku-kan 260 Amuse Museum 106 Beppu Traditional Bamboo Crafts Centre 754 Crafts Gallery 96 Fureai-Kan Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts 327 Hida Folk Village 247 Ino Japanese Paper Museum 687 Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Traditional Products & Crafts 268 Kayabuki Art Museum & Folk Museum 448 Kinosaki Strawcraft Museum 451 Kusakabe Folk Museum 247 Nakazato Tarōemon 724 Ogi Folk Museum Sanuki Folkcraft Museum 703 Uchiwa-no-Minato Museum 707 crafts, see also individual crafts Ainu people 653 courses 815 Kanazawa 268 Kyūshū 726 museums 196, 451, 562, 703 shopping 240, 251, 285, 362, 364 cranes 660 credit cards 886 culture currency 24 customs regulations 883 cycling 65, 81, 892, 64 Aso-san 747 Kibi 478 Osaka 380 Shimanami Kaidō 470, 696 Shimanto City 689 Tokyo 123, 126 Tōno 540 D Daibutsu (Nara) 14, 403, 14 Daimonji-yama 340 Daisen 495 Daisetsu Kōgen Onsen 636 Daisetsuzan National Park 631-7, 632-3, Daitoku-ji dance awa odori 126, 668 butō 860 geisha 361 kagura 752, 754 tetsuya odori 240 dangers, see safety Dazaifu demographics 831, design museums 21_21 Design Sight d47 Museum 113 Design Festa 113 International Design Centre Nagoya 229 Dewa Sanzan disabilities, travellers with 880 discount cards 883 distilleries 576 diving 64 Anan Coast 676 Dōzen Islands 498 Haha-jima 223 Ishigaki-jima 820 Itō 200 Miyako-jima 815 Motobu Peninsula 807 Naha 801 Southwest Islands 798 Yonaguni-jima 827 Dōgashima Dōgo Dōtombori 373 Dōyama-chō 387 Dōzen Islands drinking & nightlife 77-8, see also individual locations drinks 76-9 awamori 805 beer 77, 398, 669 language 906 sake 54, 76-7, 576, 578 shōchū 770 tea 77 driving, see car & motorcycle travel driving licenses 894 E earthquakes Great East Japan Earthquake 533, 586 Great Kantō Earthquake 179 Kōbe Earthquake 393 eastern Hokkaidō Echigo-Yuzawa Onsen eco tourism 682 economy Edo period Ehime Prefecture Eikan-dō 326 electricity 883 embassies emergencies 25 language 906 Emperor Akihito 830 Enoshima 186 Enoura Observatory 190 environment etiquette 27, 67 events, see festivals & events exchange rates 25

26 917 F female travellers 889 Ferris wheels 379, 804 ferry travel 393, 520, 594, 639 festivals & events 22, 32-5, see also individual events Abashiri 646 Akita 560 Aomori 548 Asahikawa 627 Dewa Sanzan 573 Fuji-Yoshida 174 Fukuoka 716 Hagi 515 Haguro-san 573 Hakodate 621 Hida-Furukawa 252 Hirosaki 551 Hiroshima 459 Inuyama 237 Ise-shima Izumo Kakunodate 562 Kanazawa 265 Kōbe 394 Kōchi 687 Kōya-san 424 Kyoto 342 Matsue 501 Matsumoto 283 Miyajima 466 Mt Fuji 174 Nachi-Katsuura 434 Naeba 584 Nagasaki 736 Nagoya Naha 801 Naoshima 481 Nara 408 Narita 219 Nikkō 215 Noto Peninsula 272 Nozawa Onsen 301 Osaka 380 Ōtsu Sado-ga-shima 579 Saijō 468 Sapporo 599 Sendai Shimonoseki Takachiho 752 Takayama 249 Tōhoku 546 Tokushima 668 Tokyo 126 Tsuwano 511 Wajima 272 Yokohama films 830, 859 fishing Akan National Park 655 Amami-Ōshima 794 cormorant fishing 238 Matsushima 531 Sado-ga-Shima 579 Yonaguni-jima 827 folk art museums, see craft & folk art museums folk tales 542 food 13, 66-76, 68 etiquette 67 Hokkaidō specialities 625 izakaya 69 jingisukan 609 kaiseki 70 kaiten-sushi 385 Kanazawa specialities 267 kappō-ryōri 385 kushikatsu 385 Kyoto specialities 351 language 67, 70, Matsue specialities 503 Nagoya specialities 233 okonomiyaki 74, 385, 75 onsen cooking 759 onsen tamago 742 Osaka specialities 385 ramen 71, 600, 78 seasonal specialities 66 Shinshū 295 shōjin-ryōri 70, soba 72, 73 sushi 71 Takamatsu specialities 703 takoyaki 385 teishoku 69 Tōhoku specialities 530 tonkatsu 72 tempura 72 tuna 558 udon 72 uni 639 wagashi 74, 351, 353 whale 433 yakitori 71 yatai 720 food markets Aomori 549 Hakodate 620 Kamaishi 545 Kanazawa Kuromon Ichiba 374 Niigata 576 Nishiki Market Osaka 389 Shimonoseki 517 Takayama 251 Tokyo 96, , 141 Tsukiji Market 96 free attractions 83 Fuji Five Lakes Fuji-Yoshida Fukui Fukuji Onsen 254 Fukuoka , 718 accommodation baseball 721 discount cards 722 drinking & nightlife 720 entertainment festivals & events 716 food shopping 721 sights tourist information 721 transport to/from 721 travel within 722 Fukushima nuclear incident 586 Fukushima Prefecture Fuku-ura-jima 531 Furano , 632 Fushimi Inari-Taisha 315, 2 G galleries, see art galleries & art museums Garan gardens 866-7, see also parks Fukuoka 716 Himeji 400 Hiraizumi Hirosaki Hiroshima Inuyama 236 Kagoshima Kanazawa 264 Kōbe 394 Kumamoto 744 Kyoto 331 Matsuyama 691 Nagasaki 735 Nagoya 228 Naha 801 Nara 408 Okayama Sapporo 598 Tokyo 95, 96, 98 gasshō-zukuri 258 gay travellers 153, 387, 885 Geibi Gorge 538 geisha 361, 863, 346, 854 Genpei War Gifu Ginkaku-ji Ginzan Onsen 571 Giō-ji 338 Gion 322 Gion Matsuri 33 go-karting 125 Gokayama 255-8, gold leaf 268 Gōra gorges 747, 752, 695 Gujō-Hachiman Gunkanjima 738 Gunma Prefecture H Hachijō-jima Hagi , 515 Haha-jima haiku 855 Hakkōda-san Hakodate , 621, Hakone , 194 Hakone-machi Hakone-Yumoto Hakuba Hakui 270 hanami 14, 33, 51, 2, 14 Hanazono 605 Haneda Airport 892 Hashima (Gunkanjima) 738 Hateruma-jima health 884 Hearn, Patrick Lafcadio 502 Heian-kyō Heisei era 847 Hida region Hida-Furukawa 252 hiking 59-61, see also climbing 88 Temple Pilgrimage 670 Akita Komaga-take 564 Aokigahara Forest Asahi-dake 631-2, 44-5 Aso-san 749 Bandai Plateau 587 Central Japan Alps 242 Daibutsu Hiking Course 187 Daimonji-yama 340 INDEX F-H

27 918 INDEX H-I hiking, continued Daisen 495 Daisetsuzan National Park 634, 635 Hakkōda-san 556 Hakodate-yama 620 Hakuba 291 Iriomote-jima 824 Ishizuchi-san 698 Iwaki-san 551 Jōgasaki-kaigan 199 Kamakura 187 Kamikōchi 289, 257 Kanka Gorge 485 Kirishima-Kinkō-wan National Park 776 Kitayamazaki Cliffs 546 Kōgen-numa Meguri Hike 636 Kumano Kodō 428 Kuro-dake Kyūshū 728 Magome 243 Mano 582 Mashū-dake Trail 658 Me-Akan-dake 655 Michinoku Coastal Trail 544 Minami-zaki Momoiwa Course 643 Motosu-ko 178 Mt Fuji Naruko Gorge Niseko Circuit 606 O-Akan-dake 655 Oirase Keiryū 554 Old Hakone Highway 196 Ōtake-san 211 Pon-yama 641 Rausu-dake 649 Rebun-dake 643 Rebun-tō Traverse 643 Rishiri-zan Senjōgahara Shizenkenkyu-rō Shari-dake 647 Shikoku 684 Shirakami-sanchi 551 Shiretoko National Park 649 Sōun-zan 195 Takao-san 210 Tarumae-zan 616 Ten-en Hiking Course 187 Map Pages 000 Photo Pages 000 Tokachi-dake 637 Tsumago 243 Yakushima Yama-no-be-no-michi 413 Yōtei-zan 607 Hikone 442 Himeji , 401, 23 Himi 270 Hirado 727-9, 694 Hirafu 605 Hiraizumi 537-9, 538 Hirosaki 550-4, 552 Hiroshima 18, 19, 21, 456, 460 accommodation 454, books 459 climate 454 drinking & nightlife 463 entertainment festivals & events 459 food 454, highlights 456 information 464 sights tours 459 travel seasons 454 travel to/from 464 travel within 464 historic buildings Aizu Bukeyashiki 585 Alt House 735 Bukeyashiki Ishiguro-ke 562 Buke Yashiki Samurai Residence Co-machi-no-ie 706 Former Uezu Residence 810 Glover House 735 Historical Abumiya Residence 574 Kami-tokikuni-ke Katsura Rikyū 338 Kikuya Residence 514 Kita-ke Kumagai Residence 506 Kyū-Takatori-tei 724 Mitsubishi No 2 Dock building 735 Murakami-ke 259 Ōhashi House 488 Ōkōchi Sansō Old British Consulate Oranda Shōkan Ōta Residence 491 Ringer House 735 Sapporo Clock Tower 598 Takayama-jinya 247 Togawa-ke Oshi-no-ie Restored Pilgrim s Inn 173 Tōkaikan 199 Tokyo Station 96 Tomioka Silk Mill 308 Tsumagojuku-honjin 243 Walker House 735 Zuihō-den Mausoleum 525 historic sites Dutch Slopes Iimori-yama 585 Koi no Uyogu Machi 740 Nikkō Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park 213 Samurai Houses 740, 774 Shin-kyō 215 Yōkaichi Historic District 699 history hitching 896 Hiwasa 676 Hokkaidō 18, , accommodation 589, 593 climate 589, food 589, 593 highlights 590 history 592 national parks 593 road trips 605 safety 593 travel seasons 589 travel to/from travel within Hokuriku Coast holidays 887 Hōnen-in 327 Hongū Hōryū-ji hoshisuna (star sand) 823, 826 hot springs, see also onsen Beppu Unzen 742 Hozu-gawa river 349 I Ibusuki IC cards 897 ikebana 858 Ikuchi-jima Ikumi Imari 725 immigration Imperialist Japan 844 important numbers 25 Ine 450 Inno-shima 472 insurance 884, 895 internet access 885 Inujima 483 Inuyama 236-8, 237 Irabu-jima Iriomote-jima Ise-Shima 435-9, 436 Ishigaki-jima , 821 Ishinomaki Ishizuchi-san islands Aka-jima Amami-Ōshima 794-7, 795 Aoshima Chiringashima 772 Hashima 738 Hateruma-jima Ikema-jima 814 Irabu-jima Iriomote-jima Ishigaki-jima Kōri-jima 807 Kume-jima Miyako-jima Okinawa-hontō 798 Shimoji-jima Taketomi-jima Tanegashima Yakushima Yonaguni-jima Yoron-tō Zamami-jima isolationist policy 841 itineraries Kyoto 322 Osaka 379 Tokyo 93 Itō Itsukushima-jinja 465 Iwaki-san 551 Iwakuni 469 Iwami Ginzan Iwate Prefecture , 535 Iya Valley , 680 izakaya 69 Izu Islands Izu Peninsula , 168, 198 Izumo Izumo Taisha 504

28 919 J Japan Alps , accommodation 224 climate 224, 225 food 224 highlights 226 travel seasons 224 Japanese language 27, 894, Japanese modernisation Japanese myths 833 Japanese reunification wars Jigokudani Monkey Park 293 Jingo-ji 337 Jōzankei judo 875 K kabuki 153, 699, 709, 862 Kaga Onsen Kaga Yūzen silk dyeing 268 Kagawa Prefecture Kagoshima , accommodation activities 765 drinking & nightlife food history 764 sights tourist information 770 tours 765 travel to/from travel within 771 kagura dance 752, 754 kaiseki 70 kaiten-sushi 385 Kakunodate Kamaishi Kamakura 184-9, 185, 40 Kamakura Shoguns 837 Kamikatsu 669 Kamikōchi 19, 288-9, 61 Kanazawa 17, 261-9, Kanka Gorge 485 Kanonji 711 Kansai , accommodation 367 climate 367 food 367 highlights 368 travel seasons 367 kappō-ryōri 385 karaoke 78, karate 875 Karatsu Karuizawa Kasaoka Islands Kasuga Taisha 407 Katsura Rikyū 338, 30 Kawaguchi-ko Kawayu Onsen Kayabuki-no-sato kayaking Anan Coast 677 Chichi-jima 221 Dōzen Islands 498 Iriomote-jima 824 Motosu-ko 178 Tokyo 124 kendō 875 Kerama Islands Kesennuma 543 Kibi 478 Kibune 445-7, 446 Kii Peninsula , 421 kimono 853 dyeing 268 maiko 323 museums 102, 175 shopping 156, 159, 362, 363, 721 wearing 507, 728, 731 Kimpusen-ji Kinkaku-ji 334, 37, 54 Kinosaki Onsen 450-3, 62 Kisami Kiso Kiso Valley Nakasendō kissaten 69 Kitano-chō Kitayamazaki Cliffs 546 Kiyomizu-dera Kōbe 393-9, 396 Kōbō Daishi 662, 670 Koboke Kōchi 685-9, 686 Kōchi Prefecture Kōdai-ji 323 Konchi-in 327 Kotohira , 710 Kōtō-in 330 Kowakidani 192 Kōya-san 20, 420-6, 423 Kumamoto 743-6, 745 Kumano Kodō 15, , 15 Kume-jima Kunisaki Peninsula Kurama 445-7, 446 Kurama-dera 445 Kurashiki 487-9, 489 Kuril Islands 649 Kurobe Gorge Railway 279 Kurokawa Onsen Kusatsu Onsen Kushiro 660 Kushiro-shitsugen National Park Kussharo-ko 658 Kutani porcelain 268 Kutchan 605 Kuttara-ko 617 Kyoto 11, , 314, , 320, 324, 328, 332-3, 336, 339, 2, 10, 30, 37, 53, 54, 346, 347 accommodation 313, activities children 326 climate 313 courses drinking & nightlife entertainment festivals & events 342 food 313, 350-8, 73 highlights 314 internet resources 364 itineraries 322 medical services 364 shopping sights tourist information 364 tours travel seasons 313 travel to/from travel within walks 341, 357, 341, 357 Kyoto temples Byōdō-in 319 Chion-in 322 Daitoku-ji Eikan-dō 326 Ginkaku-ji Giō-ji 338 Higashi Hongan-ji 318 Hōnen-in 327 Kennin-ji 325 Kinkaku-ji 334 Kiyomizu-dera Kōdai-ji 323 Konchi-in 327 Kōtō-in 330 Myōshin-ji Nanzen-ji 326 Nishi Hongan-ji 318 Ryōan-ji 334 Saihō-ji Sanjūsangen-dō Temple 323 Shōren-in Tenryū-ji 337 Tō-ji 318 Kyoto Ukiyo-e Museum 28, 320 Kyūshū , accommodation 712 climate 712 food 712, 769 highlights history 713 travel to/from 713 travel within 713 L lacquerware 268 lakes Akan-ko 654 Ashino-ko 190 Biwa-ko 439 Chūzenji-ko 217 Five Colours Lakes 587 Kawaguchi-ko Ikeda-ko 773 Kussharo-ko 658 Mashū-ko 658 Motosu-ko 178 Naka-dake Crater 746 Okama 569 Ōnami-ike 776 Onneto-ko 655 Panketō-ko 655 Penketō-ko 655 Sai-ko Shikotsu-ko 616 Shinji-ko 499 Shiretoko-go-ko Tarō-ko 655 Tazawa-ko Towada-ko Tōya-ko 618 Usori 557 Yuno-ko 218 landmarks Botchan Karakuri Clock 691 Buried Torii Irizaki 827 Japan s Southernmost Point 826 Kanazawa Castle Park 265 Nakayama Rice Fields 485 Peeing Boy Statue 679 Senmaida Rice Terraces 273 INDEX J-L

29 920 INDEX L- M landmarks, continued Takaoka Great Buddha 278 Zenigata 711 language 27, 894, legal matters 885 lesbian travellers 153, 387, 885 legends 542 LGBTIQ+ travellers 153, 387, 885 libraries 459, 526 lighthouses Agarizaki 827 Ashizuri-misaki 690 Higashi Henna-zaki 814 Kadowaki Lighthouse 199 Noroshi 273 local transport Lower Noto Peninsula luggage forwarding 890 M machiya 355 Magome 16, 242-3, 16 maiko 323 Manabe-shima 490 manga 496, 532, Mano 578, 582 marimo 655 markets Kōchi 687 Kyoto , 363, 347 Nagoya 234 Naha 800 Tokyo 141, 157 Wajima 271 Wakkanai 637 Yobuko 725 martial arts Marugame Mashū-ko 658 Matsue , 500 Matsumoto 281-6, 282 Matsuo Bashō 567 Matsushima Matsuyama measures 880 media medical services 884 meditation 276, 340, 573 Megijima 483 Map Pages 000 Photo Pages 000 Meguro-gawa 115 Meiji Restoration Meiji-jingū 111 Michinoku Coastal Trail 28 military bases 800 military museums 806 Minakami Onsen-kyo Minami-Sanriku 543 minshuku 877 Miyagi Prefecture , 526 Miyajima 465-8, 466 Miyako Miyako Islands , 814 Miyako-jima Miyama Miyanoshita 192 Miyazaki , 778 Miyazaki, Hayao 110 mobile phones 24, momiji 52, 53 money 24, 25, 82-3, 884, 886 Morioka 534-7, 536 Motobu Peninsula Moto-Hakone motorcycle travel, see car & motorcycle travel Motosu-ko 178 mountain biking 205 mountains, see also Mt Fuji Asahi-dake 631-4, 44-5 Aso-gogaku 747 Aso-san , 748 Bizan 666 Daisen 495 Fugen-dake 742 Gas-san 573 Haguro-san 572 Hakodate-yama 620 Heisei Shinzan 742 Iimori-yama 585 Inasa-yama 736 Iwaki-san 551 Kaimon-dake 773 Kasa-yama 514 Kujū-san 751 Kunimi-dake 742 Misen 465, 698 Mt Chibusa 222 Mt Ōmuro Myōken-dake 742 O-yama 277 Rausu-dake 649 Rishiri-zan Shiun-zan 703 Sōun-zan 195 Tengu-dake 699 Tsurugi-san 684 Usu-zan 618 Yōtei-zan 607, 622 Yudono-san 573 Mt Fuji 170-2, 168, 172, 16, 40 accommodation climbing 171 rental gear 174 safety 171 trails 170 viewpoints 175 Murō-ji 414 Muroto-misaki museums, see also art galleries & art museums, archaeological sites & museums, craft & folk art museums, design museums, military museums, peace memorials & museums, railway museums Abashiri Prison Museum Advertising Museum Tokyo 96 Akan Kohan Eco- Museum Centre Amami-no-Sato 794 Aoyagi Samurai Manor Museum 562 Aso Volcano Museum 747 Awa Deko Ningyō Kaikan 668 Awa Odori Kaikan 666 Beer Museum Yebisu 114 Chikurin-ji Treasure House 687 Cup Noodles Museum 179 Dazaifu Tenman-gū Museum 723 Dondenkan 236 DT Suzuki Museum 264 Edo-Tokyo Museum 106 Fujisan World Heritage Center 175 Fukui Dinosaur Museum 276 Fukuoka City Museum 716 Fukushima Checkpoint Site 244 Gifu City History Museum 239 Gokayama Minzoku-kan 260 Gunkanjima Digital Museum 738 Hakata Machiya Furusato-kan 716 Hara Model Railway Museum 179 Himeyuri Peace Museum 806 Hiraizumi Cultural Heritage Center 538 Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum 455 Hokkaidō Museum Hōmotsu-kan 709 Intermediatheque 93 Inuyama Artifacts Museum/Castle & Town Museum 236 Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum 706 Ishigaki City Yaeyama Museum 820 Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Centre 506 Japanese Sword Museum 106 Kaikarō 264 Kankō Historical Museum 723 Karakuri Museum 247 Kiriko Kaikan 271 Kōbe City Museum 394 Kōchi Castle Museum of History 686 Koizumi Yakumo (Lafcadio Hearn) Memorial Museum 502 Ko-shashin-shiryōkan Kumano Hongū Heritage Centre 430 Kyoto National Museum Kyūshū National Museum 722 Les Archives du Cœur 484 Liberty Osaka Maizō-shiryōkan 736 Marukin Soy Sauce Historical Museum 485 Matsue History Museum 500 Matsuura Historical Museum 728 Meiji-mura 236 Momofuku Andō Instant Ramen Museum 379 Muroto Unesco Global Geopark Center 679 Museum of Commerce & Domestic Life 699 Museum of Oriental Ceramics 371-2

30 921 Museum of the Meiji Restoration 765 Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum 730 Nagasaki Museum of History & Culture 731, 733 Nagasaki Traditional Performing Arts Museum 735 Nara National Museum National Museum of Ethnology 377 Nawa Insect Museum 239 Neburi Nagashi Kan 560 Nebuta no Ie Wa Rasse 548 Neputa Mura 551 Nezu Museum Nikkō Tōshō-gū Museum 215 Nippon Maru Sailing Ship 179 Nishin Goten 610 NYK Hikawa Maru 179 Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum 800 Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum 806 Ōkura-yama Ski Jump Stadium 598 Osaka Museum of History Otaru General Museum 611 Reimeikan 765 Sand Museum Sapporo Beer Museum 595 Satsuma Denshōkan 772 Sea Turtle Museum Caretta 676 Sendai City Museum 526 Shikoku-mura 706 Shima 265 Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo 504 Shin-Yokohama Rāmen Museum 179 Shitamachi Museum 105 Shōko Shūseikan 765 Tachiarai Heiwa Kinenkan Taga-jinja Sex Museum 701 Takao 599 Museum 210 Takayama Festival Floats Exhibition Hall 247 Takayama Shōwa-kan 247 Togakushi 299 Tokyo National Museum 100-1, Tōno Folktale & Storytelling Center 539 Toyo Ito Museum of Architecture 473 Toyota Exhibition Hall 231 Umigame-kan 788 Waki-honjin (Okuya) & Local History Museum 243 Yakusugi Museum 787 Yokohama Archives of History 181 Yoron Minzoku-mura 797 Yuzawa Town History Museum 583 music Myōkō Kōgen 303 Myōshin-ji myths 833 N Nachi-Katsuura Naeba Nagano 294-8, 298 Nagano Prefecture , 296 Nagasaki , 732, 734, 737 accommodation 736 drinking & nightlife Dutch history festivals & events 736 food 736-8, 739 history sights tourist information 739 travel to/from travel within 740 Nagoya , 230 Naha , 802 accommodation activities 801 drinking & nightlife 804 festivals & events 801 food 803 shopping sights tourist information 805 travel to/from 805 travel within Nankin-machi 394 Nanzen-ji 326 Naoshima 14, , 480, 15 Nara , 406, 416 accommodation drinking & nightlife 410 festivals & events 408 food 410 information 412 shopping sights tours 408 travel around 412 travel to/from 412 walks 411, 411 Nara Prefecture Narai Naramachi 409 Narita Naruko Onsen Naruto national parks 870 Akan National Park , Bandai-Asahi National Park 524 Daisetsuzan National Park 631-7, 632-3, Hakusan National Park 270 Hokkaidō 593 Kirishima-Kinkō-wan National Park Kushiro-shitsugen National Park Northern Honshū (Tōhoku) 524 Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park , 640 San-in Coast National Park Sanriku Fukkō National Park 524 Shikotsu-Tōya National Park , Shirakami-sanchi 524, 551 Shiretoko National Park , 623 Towada-Hachimantai National Park 524 Unzen-Amakusa National Park 742 nature centres 776 Nebuta Matsuri 34 newspapers 885 Nichinan Coast 781 nightlife 77-8, see also individual locations Niigata Niigata Prefecture , 577 Nii-jima 209 Nijō-jō 319 Nikkō 28, , 214 Ninen-zaka 325 Niseko , 614, 58 Nishi-Iya Nishiki Market , 347 nō Noboribetsu Onsen Nonbei-yokochō 139 Noroshi 273 northern Hokkaidō Northern Honshū (Tōhoku) , accommodation 521 climate 521 food 521 highlights history 524 national parks 524 travel seasons 521 travel to/from Northern Japan Alps Northern Kansai Noto-chō 273 Noto-kongō Coast 271 Noto Peninsula , 272 Nozawa Onsen Nyūtō Onsen O Obi Ōboke Obuse Oda Nobunaga 238, 239, 838 Ofunato Ogasawara Archipelago Ogi 578 Ogijima 483 Ogimachi Ōhara Ōhi pottery 268 Ōita Prefecture Ōkawachiyama 725, 694 Okayama 474-9, 476 Oki Islands Okinawa 20, accommodation 783 climate 783 food 783, 804 highlights 784 Okinawa-hontō INDEX M-O

31 922 INDEX O-P Ōkinohama 685 okonomiyaki 74, 385, 75 Okuhida Onsen-gō Oku-no-in 422 Oku-Tama Ōma 558 Ōmi-shima Omoide-yokochō 139 Ōmori 505 Onomichi onsen 11, 62-5 Akanko Onsen 655 Akiu Onsen 527 Anan Coast 676 Aoni Onsen 554 Arita 727 Atami 197 Azumino Beppu 755 Bessho Onsen 305 Chūzen-ji Onsen 218 Daisetsu Kōgen Onsen 636 Dōgashima 205, 206 Dōgo 497 Fukuji Onsen 254 Ginzan Onsen 571 Gokayama 260 Hachijō-jima Hakkōda-san Hakone-Yumoto 191, Hirayu Onsen 253 Hongū 430 Ibusuki 773 Inuyama Itō 200 Iya Valley 681, Jōzankei Kaga Onsen 274 Kagoshima 765 Kamaishi 545 Kanazawa 266 Kaniyu Onsen 220 Kinosaki Onsen Kirishima-Kinkō-wan National Park 776 Kotan-yu 658 Kume-jima 811 Kurama Kurokawa Onsen Kurosaki Senkyo Onsen 544 Kusatsu Onsen 311 Kyoto 340, 350 Map Pages 000 Photo Pages 000 Kyūshū 743 Matsumoto 285 Matsushima 531 Matsuyama 693 Minakami Onsen-kyo 309 Miyajima Miyako-jima 814 Mizunashi Kaihin Onsen 620 Morioka 535 Nagoya 232 Naoshima 481 Nara 409 Naruko Onsen Nii-jima 209 Niseko 606 Noboribetsu Onsen 617 Nozawa Onsen 302 Nyūtō Onsen 565, 566 Ogimachi 258 Oku-Tama 211 Osaka 379 Ō-shima 208 Rebun-tō 643 Rishiri-tō Ryūjin 427 Shikine-jima 209 Shikotsu-ko 616 Shin-Hotaka Onsen Shirahone Onsen 287 Shiretoko National Park 649, 650 Shōdo-shima 486 Shuzen-ji Onsen 206, Sōunkyō Onsen 635 Takayama Tanegashima 792 Tokachidake Onsen 636 Tokyo Tomo-no-ura 492 Tsuwano 511 Usu-zan 618 Wakkanai 637 Yakushima Yamaguchi Yufuin Yumoto Onsen 219 Yunessun 192 Zaō Onsen 570 onsen cooking 759 Ontake-san 245 opening hours 886, 896 Osaka 21, , 372, 374, 376, 4, 21, 43 accommodation activities Banpaku-kinen-kōen drinking & nightlife entertainment festivals & events 380 food history 370 Honmachi internet resources 390 itineraries 379 Kita 370-1, 381, 383-4, 374 LGBTIQ+ travellers 387 medical services 390 Minami 373-5, 381-3, 384-6, 387, 376 Naka-no-shima 371-3, 381, 384, postal services 390 safety 390 shopping sights Tempōzan Tennōji 375-6, 383, 386 tourist information 390 tours 380 travel to/from travel within 392 walks 378, 378 Osaka-jō 371 Ō-shima Osorezan-bodaiji 557 Ōsumi Islands Otaru , 612 Ōtsu Otsuchi P paddleboarding Miyako Islands 813, 814 Motosu-ko 178 Shirahama 204 Tokushima 668 Yaeyama Islands 820 Yokohama 178 painting palaces, see castles & palaces parks, see also gardens Akita 560 Amami-Ōshima 794 Chūzen-ji Onsen 218 Hagi 514 Hakodate 620 Himeji 400 Hiraizumi Hirosaki 550-1, 50 Hiroshima 455, 458, Inuyama 236 Itō 200 Iwakuni 469 Kanazawa 264 Karuizawa 306 Kōbe 394 Kyoto 323-4, 330, 331, 335, 338 Miyazaki 777 Morioka Moto-Hakone 196 Nagasaki 730 Nagoya 228 Nara 408 Nikkō 213 Okayama Okinawa-hontō 806 Sakata 574 Sapporo 596, 598 passports 888 peace memorials & museums Atomic Bomb Dome 458 Atomic Bomb Hypocentre Park 730 Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound 458 Children s Peace Monument 458 Chiran Peace Museum 774 Flame of Peace 458 Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum 455 Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims 458 Korean Atomic Bomb Victims Memorial 458 Nagai Takashi Memorial Museum 731 Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims 730 Nagasaki Peace Statue 730 Peace Tower 777 pilgrimage routes , 572-4, 670, planning 26-7 budgeting 25, 82-3, 884 calendar of events 32-5 costs 25, 82-3, 884 family travel 80-1 highlights 10-23, 8-9 internet resources 25 itineraries 36-49, 93, 322, 379 Japan basics 24-5

32 923 Japan s regions 84-6 repeat visitors 28 travel seasons 24 Ponto-chō 320 population 830-1, 848 postal services 886 post-war Japan pottery 479, 726 public art Echigo-Tsumari Art Field 583 Godzilla Head 109 Maman spider sculpture 98 Myth of Tomorrow 113 Nagoro 682 NI-Tele Really Big Clock 97-8 Shinjuku I-Land 110 Tower of the Sun 377 Unicorn Gundam 119 Yellow Pumpkin public holidays 887 R rafting Iya Valley 683 Furano 629 Hakuba 290 Minamaki 310 Niseko 606 Yu-gawa 218 rail passes railway museums 229, 231, 308, 318 railways 682, 752 Rairai Gorge 527 ramen 71, 600, 78 Rausu 648 Rebun-tō religion rickshaws 101 Rikuzen-takata Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park , Rishiri-tō Risshaku-ji 569 Rokō-zaki 273 ropeways, see cable cars & ropeways Roppongi Hills 98 Ryōan-ji 334 ryokan 13, 876 Ryōtsu 578 Ryōzen-ji Ryūjin 427 Ryūkyū Empire 785 S Sado-ga-shima , 580 safety 171, 593, 887 Saihō-ji Saijō Sai-ko Sakaiminato Sakata sake 54, 76-7, 576, 578 sakura, see hanami Sakurajima samurai 840 Sandan-kyō 463 San in coast San-in Coast National Park Sanja Matsuri 33 Sannen-zaka 325 Sanriku Kaigan Sanriku Kaigan Railway 28 sanshin 812 Sanzen-in Sapporo 589, , 590-1, 596 accommodation 589, activities 599 climate 589 drinking & nightlife 602 entertainment 602 festivals & events 599 food 589, 601-2, 44 highlights 590 medical services 603 orientation sights tourist information 603 travel seasons 589 travel to/from travel within 604 Sarobetsu Wetlands 639 Satsuma Peninsula science & technology museums Mazda Museum 459 Miyazaki Science Centre 777 Nagoya City Science Museum 228 National Museum of Emerging Science & Innovation (Miraikan) 119 Space Science & Technology Museum 792 TeNQ 100 Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry & Technology 231 Volcano Science Museum 618 Sea of Okhotsk 647 sea turtles 676 seafood 54 Seikan Tunnel 594 Sendai , 528 Sengokuhara Senmaida 273 Sensō-ji 105-6, 130 Sensui-jima 491 sentō, see bathhouses shabu-shabu 74 Shari Shibuya Crossing 113, 131, 850 Shiga Kōgen Shiga Prefecture , 441 Shigeru, Mizuki 496 shiisā 806 Shikine-jima 209 Shikoku , 664-5, accommodation 662 climate 662 food 662, 663 highlights 664 travel to/from 663 travel within 663, 666 Shikotsu-ko 616 Shikotsu-Tōya National Park , Shimabara 740-2, 741 Shimabara Peninsula Shimanami Kaidō , 64 Shimane Shimanto City Shimoda 201-4, 202 Shimoji-jima Shimokita Peninsula Shimo-Kitazawa 151 Shimonoseki , Shingū Shin-Hotaka Onsen shinkansen Shin-Sekai 375 Shinto shrines Ama-no-Iwato-jinja Aoshima-jinja 780 Asahi-no-Yashiro 709 Aso-jinja 747 Dazaifu Tenman-gū 722 Dewa Sanzan 573 Fuji-Yoshida 173 Fushimi Inari-taisha 315, 2 Hongū Ikuchi-jima 474 Inuyama Ise-Shima Ishizuchi-jinja 698 Izumo 504 Kamakura 186 Kamishikimi- Kumanoimasu-jinja 747 Kirishima-jingū 776 Kitano Tenman-gū 346 Kōbe 394 Konpira-san Kushida-jinja 716 Kyoto 315, 323, 324, 327, 331, 335 Miyajima 465 Miyazaki-jingū 777 Moto-Hakone 196 Nachi-Katsuura 434 Nagoya 228 Nara 407 Nikkō Oku-Tama 211 Osaka 371, 375 Shimonoseki 518 Shingū 433 Suwa-jinja 733 Taga-jinja 701 Takasaki 308 Togakushi Tokyo 100, 101, 105, 111 Tsuwano 510 Udo-jingū 781 Usa-jingū 762 Yoshino 418 Shirahama 204 Shirahone Onsen 287 Shiraishi-jima Shirakami-sanchi 524, 551 Shirakawa-gō Shiretoko National Park , 650, 623 Shiretoko Pass 649 Shishikui shōchū 770 Shōdo-shima 485-7, 486 shōjin-ryōri 76 shokudō 67, 69 shopping, see individual locations language 906 Shōren-in shrines, see Shinto shrines, individual shrines shukubō 425, 877 Shuzen-ji Onsen INDEX P-S

33 924 INDEX S-T skiing 55-9, 17, 57 see also snow sports Asahi-dake Skiing 633 Daisetsuzan National Park 634 Hakuba 290 Kuro-dake Skiing 635 Moiwa 606 Myōkō Kōgen 303 Niseko 604-6, 58 Nozawa Onsen 301 Rebun-tō 643 Shiga Kōgen 304 smoking 880 snorkelling 221, 222 snow sports Furano Ski Area 629 Gala Yuzawa 583 Hakkōda-san 556 Kagura Ski Resort 584 Myōkō Kōgen 303 Naeba Ski Resort 584 Niseko United 606 Nozawa Onsen 301 Rusutsu 610 Sapporo Teine 599 Snow Paradise Inawashiro 587 Tazawako Ski Park 564 Zaō Onsen 569 soba 72, 73 soccer 875 Sosogi 273 Sotokaifu 578 Sōunkyō Onsen Sōun-zan Southern Okinawa-hontō Southwest Islands 20, accommodation 783 climate 783, 785 food 783 highlights 784 history 785 itineraries 793 language 785 tourist information 785 travel to/from 786 travel within sport 873-5, see individual sports statistics 831 street food, see yatai subway 897 Map Pages 000 Photo Pages 000 Sugawara-no-Michizane 723 Suica card 897 sukiyaki 74 sumo 18, 18, 131 Fukuoka Nagoya 232 Osaka 388 Tokyo 155 surfing Anan Coast 676, 677 Kisami 204 Rebun-tō 643 Shikoku 675 Shimoda 201 Shirahama 204 sushi 71 sustainable travel 872 Suzu 273 T Taikodani-Inari-jinja 510 Takachiho 751-4, 753 Takamatsu 703-6, 704 Takao 337 Takaoka Takao-san 210 Takasaki Takayama , 248 Takeshita-dōri 113 Taketomi-jima tako-yaki 385 Tanabe Tanegashima Tango Peninsula 450 taxes & refunds 887 taxis 896 Tazawa-ko tea 77 tea ceremonies 338-9, 340, teahouses Fukuoka 716 Gujō-Hachiman 241 Hakone 196 Kamakura 186 Kanazawa 264 Kikugetsu-tei 703 Nagoya 229 Nikkō 217 Shimabara 742 Yoyogi-koen 113 Yumoto Onsen 218 teamlab Borderless 28, 117, 7, 131 telephone services temples, see Buddhist temples, Kyoto temples, individual temples tempura 72 Tenman Tenjin 723 Tenryū-ji 337 Teshima theatres Awa Jūrobe Yashiki Puppet Theatre 667 Gion Corner 362 Ishikawa Prefectural Nō Theatre 267 Kabukiza 153-4, 861 Kanamaru-za 709 Minamiza 361 National Nō Theatre 154 National Theatre 154 New National Theatre 154 ROHM Theatre Kyoto 361 Suigian 154 Uchiko-za 699 time 24, 888 language 907 Tōdai-ji 403, Tōfuku-ji 315 Togakushi Tōhoku, see Northern Honshū (Tōhoku) toilets 888 Tokachi 661 Tokachidake Onsen Tokugawa shogunate Tokushima , 667 Tokushima Prefecture Tokyo 13, , 89, 90-1, 94, 98-9, 104, 108, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122-3, 124, 2, 7, 13, 14, 30, 37, 68, 102, 103, 130, 131, 850, 861 accommodation 88, activities Akihabara 97, 104 Aoyama , 133, 142-3, 150, 159, 112, 118 Asakusa 105-9, , , 149, 158, 108 children 127 climate 88 courses drinking & nightlife Ebisu , 144-5, 151-2, 160-1, 122 entertainment festivals & events 126 food 88, , 68 Ginza 96-7, 127, 135-6, 146-8, 156-7, 94 Harajuku , 133, 142-3, 150, 159, 118 highlights 89 history 92 internet resources 162 itineraries 93 Kanda 100, 128-9, 137-8, 148, 104 Kōrakuen 100, 128-9, 137-8, 148, 104 LGTIQ+ travellers 153 Marunouchi 92-6, 126-7, 134-5, 146, 155-6, 94 Meguro , 144-5, 151-2, 160-1, Nihombashi 92-6, 126-7, 134-5, 146, 155-6, 94 Odaiba , 145-6, 152, 124 orientation 161 Roppongi 97-9, 127-8, 136-7, 148, 157, 98-9 Ryōgoku , , 149, 158 safety 161 Shibuya , 133-4, 143-4, 150-1, , 120 Shinjuku , 132-3, 140-1, , 158-9, 116 shopping sights Sumida River Tokyo Bay , 145-6, 152, 124 Tomigaya 145 tourist information 106, 161 tours 126 travel seasons 88 travel to/from 162 travel within Tsukiji 96-7, 127, 135-6, 146-8, Ueno 100-5, 129, 138-9, 148, 157-8, 114 walks 107, 112, 107, 112 Yanesen 100-5, 129, 138-9, 157-8, 107, 114 Tokyo Metropolitcan Government Building 109, 30 Tokyo National Museum 100-1, Tokyo Sky Tree 106, 37 Tomakomai 619 Tomigaya 145 Tomo-no-ura 491-2

34 925 tonkatsu 72, 74 Tōno , 541 Tottori Tottori-sakyū 493 tourism 831 tourist information 888, see also individual locations tours, see boat tours, train travel, individual locations Towada-ko 554-6, 555 Tōya-ko Toyama Toyosu Market 28, train travel 28, language 898 passes reservations 899 shinkansen tours 682, 752 transport language 907 travel seasons 32-5, 50-4 travel to/from Japan travel within Japan 25, trekking, see hiking Tsukiji Market 96 Tsumago 16, 243-4, 256 Tsurugi-san Tsuruoka Tsuwano , 512 tuna 558 U Uchiko udon 72 ukai 238 ukiyo-e Unzen Upper Noto Peninsula Uradome Kaigan 494 Ura-Namba 386 Usuki Utazu 706 Utoro 648 Utsukushi-ga-hara Onsen 282 Uwajima V vegan & vegetarian food 75-6 viewpoints Agarizaki 827 Arimura Lava Observatory 771 Karasujima Observation Point 772 Mt Fuji 175 Tokyo Sky Tree Uzu-no-michi Viewing Walkway 674 Yunohira Lookout 772 vine bridges 680, 681, 682 visas 24, volcanoes Arimura Lava Observatory 771 Aso-san , 748 Hachijō-Fuji 209 Iō-zan 658 Me-Akan-dake 655 Mihara-san 208 Mihara-yama 209 Naka-dake Crater O-Akan-dake 655 Ontake-san 245 Ōwakudani 195 Sakurajima 765 Shari-dake 647 Tarumae-zan 616 Tokachi-dake 637 Yōtei-zan 607 volunteering 889 W wagashi 74, 146, 353, 624 courses 125 Wajima Wakkanai 637-8, 638, 640 walking, see hiking walks Kyoto 341, 357, 341, 357 Nara 411, 411 Onomichi 471 Osaka 378, 378 Tokyo 101, 107, 101, 107 wars 836-7, , waterfalls Akiu Falls 527 Anmon Falls 551 Jōren-no-taki 206 Kanpire-no-taki 824 Kegon-no-taki 218 Mariyudō-no-taki 824 Nachi-no-taki 434 Nunobiki Falls 393 Ōko-no-taki Pinaisāra-no-taki 823 Senriga-taki 775 water sports 668 weather 24, 882-3, see also individual regions websites 882, 887 weights 880 Western Honshū 454, 456 accommodation 454 climate 454 food 454 highlights 456 travel seasons 454 Westernisation 843 whaling white-water rafting 310 wildlife bears 279, 310, 428, 593, 645, , 652, 869, 623 red-crowned cranes 660 sea turtles 790 wildlife centres & reserves 660, 823 wildlife-watching Chichi-jima 221 Haha-jima 222 Kushiro-shitsugen National Park 660 Shiretoko National Park 652 Zamami-jima 810 women in Japan women travellers 889 work 889 World War II Y Yaeyama Islands , yakitori 71-2, 73 Yakushima 21, , 788, 21, 46-7 accommodation activities food 791 sights tourist information 791 travel to/from 791 travel within Yamadera Yamagata Yamagata Prefecture , 568 Yamaguchi , 508 Yama-no-be-no-michi 413 Yanaka Ginza 101 Yashima yatai 69-70, 720, 769, 694 Yayoi Kusama Museum 28 Yokohama , 180 Yonaguni-jima Yoron-tō 797 Yoshino Yōtei-zan 607, 622 Yufuin Yuki Matsuri 32 Yumoto Onsen Z Zamami-jima Zaō Onsen zazen 188 Zenkō-ji 300 Zentsuji 708 ziplining 681 zoos 101 INDEX T-Z

35 926 Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Map Legend Sights Beach Bird Sanctuary Buddhist Castle/Palace Christian Confucian Hindu Islamic Jain Jewish Monument Museum/Gallery/Historic Building Ruin Shinto Sikh Taoist Winery/Vineyard Zoo/Wildlife Sanctuary Other Sight Activities, Courses & Tours Bodysurfing Diving Canoeing/Kayaking Course/Tour Sento Hot Baths/Onsen Skiing Snorkelling Surfing Swimming/Pool Walking Windsurfing Other Activity Sleeping Eating Sleeping Camping Hut/Shelter Eating Drinking & Nightlife Drinking & Nightlife Cafe Entertainment Entertainment Shopping Shopping Information Bank Embassy/Consulate Hospital/Medical Internet Police Post Office Telephone Toilet Tourist Information Other Information Geographic Beach Gate Hut/Shelter Lighthouse Lookout Mountain/Volcano Oasis Park Pass Picnic Area Waterfall Population Capital (National) Capital (State/Province) City/Large Town Town/Village Transport Airport Border crossing Bus Cable car/funicular Cycling Ferry Metro/MTR/MRT station Monorail Parking Petrol station Skytrain/Subway station Taxi Train station/railway Tram Underground station Other Transport Routes Tollway Freeway Primary Secondary Tertiary Lane Unsealed road Road under construction Plaza/Mall Steps Tunnel Pedestrian overpass Walking Tour Walking Tour detour Path/Walking Trail Boundaries International State/Province Disputed Regional/Suburb Marine Park Cliff Wall Hydrography River, Creek Intermittent River Canal Water Dry/Salt/Intermittent Lake Reef Areas Airport/Runway Beach/Desert Cemetery (Christian) Cemetery (Other) Glacier Mudflat Park/Forest Sight (Building) Sportsground Swamp/Mangrove Note: Not all symbols displayed above appear on the maps in this book

36 Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Craig McLachlan Japan Alps & Central Honshū, Shikkoku Craig has covered destinations all over the globe for Lonely Planet for two decades. Based in Queenstown, New Zealand for half the year, he runs an outdoor activities company and a sake brewery, then moonlights overseas for the other half, leading tours and writing for Lonely Planet. Craig has completed a number of adventures in Japan and his books are available on Amazon. Check out Kate Morgan Kansai, Kyoto Having worked for Lonely Planet for over a decade now, Kate has worked as a travel writer on destinations such as Shanghai, Japan, India, Russia, Zimbabwe, the Philippines and Phuket. She has done stints living in London, Paris and Osaka but these days is based in one of her favourite regions in the world Victoria, Australia. In between travelling the world and writing about it, Kate enjoys spending time at home working as a freelance editor. Thomas O Malley Mt Fuji & Around Tokyo A British writer based in Beijing, Tom is a world-leading connoisseur of cheap eats, dive bars, dark alleyways and hangovers. He has contributed travel stories to everyone from the BBC to Playboy, and reviews hotels for the Telegraph. Under another guise, he is a comedy scriptwriter. Follow him by walking behind at a distance. Simon Richmond Tokyo Journalist and photographer Simon Richmond has specialised as a travel writer since the early 1990s and first worked for Lonely Planet in 1999 on their Central Asia guide. He s long since stopped counting the number of guidebooks he s researched and written for the company, but countries covered include Australia, China, India, Iran, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma), Russia, Singapore, South Africa and Turkey. Phillip Tang Hiroshima & Western Honshū Phillip Tang grew up on a typically Australian diet of pho and fish n chips before moving to Mexico City. A degree in Chinese and Latin-American cultures launched him into travel and then writing about it for Lonely Planet s Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Peru and Vietnam guides. Writing at hellophillip.com, and Benedict Walker Okinawa & the Southwest Islands A beach baby from Newcastle, Australia, Benedict turned 40 in 2017 and decided to start a new life in Leipzig, Germany. Writing for LP was a childhood dream and he has covered big chunks of Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, USA, Switzerland, Sweden and Japan. Follow him on

37 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 Franklin, London, Melbourne, Oakland, Dublin, Beijing and Delhi, 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 Rebecca Milner Tokyo, Kansai California-born, living in Tokyo since Co-author of Lonely Planet guides to Tokyo and Japan. Freelance writer covering travel, food & culture. Published in the Guardian, the Independent, the Sunday Times Travel Magazine, the Japan Times and more. Ray Bartlett Hokkaidō Ray Bartlett has been travel writing for nearly two decades, bringing Japan, Korea, Mexico, Tanzania, Guatemala, Indonesia and many parts of the United States to life in rich detail for top-industry publishers, newspapers and magazines. Ray currently divides his time between homes in the USA, Japan and Mexico. Andrew Bender Kyūshū Award-winning travel and food writer Andrew Bender has written three dozen Lonely Planet guidebooks (from Amsterdam to Los Angeles, Germany to Taiwan and over a dozen titles about Japan), plus numerous articles for lonely planet.com. Speaking of Japan, Andy also is a tour leader and tour planner for visits to Japan. Follow him on Stephanie d Arc Taylor Japan Alps & Central Honshū, Hokkaidō A native Angeleno, Stephanie grew up with the west LA weekend ritual of going for Iranian sweets after ten zaru soba in Little Osaka. Later, she quit her PhD to move to Beirut and become a writer. Since then, she has published work with the New York Times, Guardian, Roads & Kingdoms, and Kinfolk Magazine, and co-founded Jaleesa, a venture-capitally funded social impact business in Beirut. Follow her on Samantha Forge Northern Honshū Samantha became hooked on travel at the age of 17, when she arrived in London with an overstuffed backpack and a copy of LP s Europe on a Shoestring. After a stint in Paris, she moved back to Australia to work as an editor in LP s Melbourne office. Eventually her wanderlust got the better of her, and she now works as a freelance writer and editor. OVER MORE PAGE WRITERS Published by Lonely Planet Global Limited CRN th edition August 2019 ISBN Lonely Planet 2019 Photographs as indicated Printed in Singapore Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reasonable care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maximum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use. 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.