Visit Japan: The UN-Official Guide

Introduction to Japan

For a country that lived in self-imposed isolation until 150 years ago, Japan has not hesitated in making up for lost time. Anyone who’s eaten sushi, or used a Sony Playstation feels they know something about this slinky archipelago of some 6800 volcanic islands and yet, from the moment of arrival in Japan, it’s almost as if you’ve touched down on another planet.

Japan is a place of ancient gods and customs, but is also the cutting edge of cool modernity. High-speed trains whisk you from one end of the country to another with awe-inspiring punctuality. In the suburbs of a sprawling metropolis, you can catch sight of a farmer tending his paddy field, then turn the corner and find yourself next to a neon-festooned electronic games parlour. One day you could be picking through fashion in the biggest department store on earth, the next relaxing in an outdoor hot-spring pool, watching cherry blossom or snowflakes fall, depending on the season.
Few other countries have, in the space of a few generations, experienced so much or made such an impact. Industrialized at lightning speed, Japan shed its feudal trappings to become the most powerful and outwardly aggressive country in Asia in a matter of decades. After defeat in World War II, it transformed itself from atom bomb victim to wonder economy, the envy of the globe. Having weathered a decade-long recession from the mid-1990s, it is now a far more affordable place to visit than ever before, and the country’s latest guise is as the pre-eminent purveyor of pop culture, in particular the visual mediums of anime and manga.

The vast majority of the population live on the crowded coastal plains of the main island of Honshū. The three other main islands, running north to south, are Hokkaidō, Shikoku and Kyūshū; they are all linked to Honshū by bridges and tunnels that are part of one of Japan’s modern wonders – its super-efficient transport network of trains and highways. In the cities you’ll first be struck by the mass of people. These hyperactive metropolises are the place to catch the latest trend, the hippest fashions and most cutting-edge technologies before they hit the rest of the world. It’s not all about modernity, however: Tokyo, Kyoto, Ōsaka and Kanazawa, for example, also provide the best opportunities to view traditional performance arts, such as Kabuki and Nō plays, as well as a wealth of Japanese visual arts in major museums. Outside the cities there’s a vast range of travel options, from the wide open spaces and deep volcanic lakes of Hokkaidō to the balmy subtropical islands of Okinawa, and you’ll seldom have to go far to catch sight of a lofty castle, ancient temple or shrine, or locals celebrating at a colourful street festival.

In common with all developed countries, Japan is not a cheap place to travel, but there’s no reason why it should be wildly expensive either. Some of the most atmospheric and traditionally Japanese places to stay and eat are often those that are the best value. There’s been significant price-cutting in some areas in recent years, particularly airline tickets which now rival the famed bargain rail passes as a means to get to far-flung corners of the country.

It’s not all perfect. The Japanese are experts at focusing on detail (the exquisite wrapping of gifts and the tantalizing presentation of food are just two examples) but often miss the broader picture. Rampant development and sometimes appalling pollution are difficult to square with a country also renowned for cleanliness and appreciation of nature. Part of the problem is that natural cataclysms, such as earthquakes and typhoons, regularly hit Japan, so few people expect things to last for long anyway. There’s also a blindness to the pernicious impact of mass tourism, with ranks of gift shops, ugly hotels and crowds often ruining potentially idyllic spots.

And yet, time and again, Japan redeems itself with unexpectedly beautiful landscapes, charmingly courteous people, and its tangible sense of history and cherished traditions. Most fascinating of all is the opaqueness at the heart of this mysterious “hidden” culture that stems from a blurring of traditional boundaries between East and West – Japan is unique, neither wholly one nor the other.

Fact file

• Japan is made up of around 6800 islands, the main five being (in descending order of size) Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū, Shikoku and Okinawa. Travelling from Sōya Misaki, Japan’s northernmost point, to Hateruma-jima, the southernmost island in Okinawa, you’ll cover over 3000km. Despite many Japanese telling you what a small country they live in, Japan is in fact twice the size of the UK. This sense of smallness is due to the fact that much of the country is covered by forested mountains, with the result that some 127.5 million people are squished into the flat quarter of the country, making the southern coastal plain of Honshū from Tokyo down to Ōsaka one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

• Among this population Japanese predominate, making this one of the world’s most ethnically homogeneous societies. Around 900,000 Koreans live in Japan, making them the most significant non-Japanese group. Indigenous people such as the Ainu account for no more than 100,000 people. Japan is also a rapidly ageing society, with a very low birth rate and long life expectancy.

• Though not the economic powerhouse it once was, Japan’s economy still has a very respectable GDP of US$4.91 trillion. It remains driven by manufacturing, with the electronic, machine tools and automobile industries dominating. After a long period of price deflation, inflation is now hovering at around 0.3% while unemployment has fallen below four percent.

• Emperor Akihito is the head of state. It’s a ceremonial position but one that is still greatly respected.

Tokyo
One of the world’s most exciting cities, TOKYO (東京) is a fuel-injected adrenaline rush into a neon-bright future. But for all its cutting edge modernity, this ceaseless metropolis remains fiercely proud of its ancient heritage. Lively neighbourhood festivals are held virtually every day of the year, people regularly visit their local shrine or temple and scrupulously observe the passing seasons in lovingly tended gardens. And at this hyperactive city’s centre lies the serene and mysterious Imperial Palace – the inviolate home of the emperor and a tangible link to the past.
But at first glance the city’s beauty and traditions are not readily apparent. Filled with eyeball-searing neon and messy overhead cables, plagued by incessant noise, its freeways often clogged with bumper-to-bumper traffic, this concrete-and-steel sardine can – the heart of which is home to at least eight million people – can come across as the stereotypical urban nightmare. Yet step back from the frenetic main roads and chances are you’ll find yourself in a world of tranquil backstreets, where dinky wooden houses are fronted by neatly clipped bonsai trees; wander beyond the hi-tech emporia, and you’ll discover temples and shrines where the trappings of contemporary Japan dissolve in wisps of smoking incense.

Centuries-long experience of organizing itself to cope with the daily demands of millions of inhabitants has made Tokyo something of a model urban environment. Trains run on time and to practically every corner of the city, crime is hardly worth worrying about, and shops and vending machines provide everything you could need (and many things you never thought you did) 24 hours a day.

With so much going on, first-time visitors should be prepared for a massive assault on the senses, but not necessarily on the wallet. Tokyo’s reputation as an expensive city is ill-deserved and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how affordable many things are. Cheap-and-cheerful izakaya (bars that serve food) and casual cafés serving noodles and rice dishes are plentiful, the metro is a bargain, and tickets for a sumo tournament or a Kabuki play can be bought for the price of a few drinks. Many of the city’s highlights are free; among these you can choose from a stroll through Asakusa and the major Buddhist temple Sensō-ji; a visit to the tranquil wooded grounds of Tokyo’s premier shrine Meiji-Jingū and the adjacent fashion Mecca of Harajuku; the frenetic fish market at Tsukiji; or the crackling, neon-saturated atmosphere of Shinjuku or Shibuya. Simply walking the streets of this hyperactive city can be an energizing experience.

Even if you don’t arrive in Tokyo, chances are you will end up here or pass through on your way to other parts of Japan, since the capital is the major transport hub. Every day, scores of Shinkansen (bullet trains) speed up to the far north of Honshū or south to Kyūshū, while flights, buses and ferries connect Tokyo to the far-flung corners and islands of the Japanese archipelago.
The only time Tokyo is best avoided is during the steamy height of summer in August and early September, when the city’s humidity sees its citizens scurrying from one air-conditioned haven to another. October and November, by contrast, are great months to take in the spectacular fireburst of autumn leaves in Tokyo’s parks and gardens. Temperatures dip to freezing in the winter months, though the crisp blue skies are rarely disturbed by rain or snow. April is the month when Tokyoites love to party beneath the flurries of falling cherry blossoms – one of the best months to visit the capital. Carrying an umbrella is a good idea during tsuyu, the rainy season in June and September, when typhoons occasionally strike the coast.

Highlights

Akihabara Get a glimpse of the future among the gadgets on sale in Tokyo’s non-stop “electric town”, now also establishing itself as a must-see for manga and anime fans.

Roppongi The hedonists’ playground is reinventing itself as a centre for contemporary arts and sophisticated urban living.

Asakusa The city’s most colourful and evocative district, full of old craft shops, traditional inns, restaurants and the bustling Sensō-ji temple.

Shinjuku Tokyo in a microcosm, from the bright lights of Kabukichō to the Gotham-city-like Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

Meiji-jingū Escape the clamour of the city amid the verdant grounds of Tokyo’s most venerable Shinto shrine.

Japan Folk Crafts Museum One of the country’s most impressive collections of crafts, from giant pots to exquisitely designed kimono.

Happōen One of Tokyo’s loveliest traditional gardens, with a delightful teahouse.

Tsukiji Get up early to see the nation’s top fish market in full flight and to enjoy a fresh sushi breakfast.

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