Japan

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Japan Sapporo & Hokkaidō p540

Northern Honshū p474

The Japan Alps & Central Honshū p199

Hiroshima & Western Honshū p411

Shikoku

Kyūshū

p606

Kyoto

Tokyo p66

# _

# p276 ^

Kansai

Mt Fuji & Around Tokyo p146

p336

p647

Okinawa & the Southwest Islands p721

THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY

Chris Rowthorn, Andrew Bender, Laura Crawford, Trent Holden, Craig McLachlan, Rebecca Milner, Kate Morgan, Benedict Walker, Wendy Yanagihara

PLAN YOUR TRIP

ON THE ROAD TOKYO. . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Welcome to Japan . . . . . . . 6 Japan Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

MT FUJI & AROUND TOKYO. . . . 146

Japan’s Top 25 . . . . . . . . . 10 Need to Know. . . . . . . . . . 24

Mt Fuji Area . . . . . . . . . . 147 Mt Fuji . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Fuji Five Lakes . . . . . . . . . . 153 North of Tokyo . . . . . . . . 157 Nikkō . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Gunma Prefecture . . . . . . 164 Mito . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 West of Tokyo. . . . . . . . . 168 Takao-san . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Oku-Tama Region . . . . . . . 168 Hakone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 Izu Peninsula . . . . . . . . . . . 174 South of Tokyo. . . . . . . . 184

First Time Japan. . . . . . . . 26 What’s New. . . . . . . . . . . . 28 If You Like…. . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Month by Month. . . . . . . . 32 Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Skiing in Japan. . . . . . . . . 48 Travel with Children. . . . . 53 Eat & Drink Like a Local. 55 Japan on a Budget. . . . . . 60 Regions at a Glance. . . . . 62

Yokohama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Kamakura . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 East of Tokyo. . . . . . . . . . 195 Narita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Ogasawara Archipelago. . . . . . . . . . . 196 Chichi-jima . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Haha-jima . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

THE JAPAN ALPS & CENTRAL HONSHŪ . . . . . . . . . . 199 Nagoya. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Around Nagoya. . . . . . . . 211 Tokoname . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Inuyama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Gifu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

JASON ARNEY / GETTY IMAGES ©

TAKESHI.K / GETTY IMAGES ©

MT FUJI P147

WIBOWO RUSLI / GETTY IMAGES ©

PONTO-CHŌ, KYOTO P284

NACHI TAISHA P402

Contents Gujō-Hachiman . . . . . . . . . 217 Hida District. . . . . . . . . . 218 Takayama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Hida-Furukawa . . . . . . . . . 226 Shirakawa-gō & Gokayama . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227 Northern Japan Alps. . . . . . . . . . . 230 Kamikōchi . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 Shirahone Onsen . . . . . . . 233 Hirayu Onsen . . . . . . . . . . 233 Fukuchi Onsen . . . . . . . . . 234 Shin-Hotaka Onsen . . . . . 234 Nagano Prefecture. . . . . . . . . . . . 235 Nagano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 Togakushi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 Karuizawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 Obuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 Yudanaka . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 Shiga Kōgen . . . . . . . . . . . 244 Nozawa Onsen . . . . . . . . . 245 Hakuba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 Bessho Onsen . . . . . . . . . 249 Matsumoto . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 Kiso Valley Nakasendō . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 Azumino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 Toyama Prefecture. . . . . . . . . . . . 258 Toyama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 Ishikawa Prefecture. . . . . . . . . . . 260 Kanazawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 Noto Peninsula . . . . . . . . 269 Kaga Onsen . . . . . . . . . . . . 273 Hakusan National Park . . . . . . . . . . . 274 Fukui Prefecture. . . . . . . 274 Fukui . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 Eihei-ji . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 Tōjinbō . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 Tsuruga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275

KYOTO. . . . . . . . . . . . 276 KANSAI . . . . . . . . . . . 336 Osaka. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338 Kōbe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364 Himeji. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370 Shiga Prefecture. . . . . . . 373 Ōtsu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373 Ishiyama-dera. . . . . . . . . . . 375 Miho Museum. . . . . . . . . . . 375 Hikone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375 Nagahama . . . . . . . . . . . . 376 Nara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377 Around Nara . . . . . . . . . . 387 Temples Southwest of Nara. . . . . . 387 Around Yamato-Yagi . . . . 390 Asuka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391 Around Sakurai . . . . . . . . . 391 Yoshino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392 Kii Peninsula. . . . . . . . . . 393 Kōya-san . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394 Tanabe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 Shirahama . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 Kushimoto, Shiono-misaki & Kii-Ōshima . . . . . . . . . . . . 401 Nachi & Kii-Katsuura . . . 402 Shingū . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402 Hongū . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402 Yunomine, Watarase & Kawa-yu Onsen. . . . . . . . . 403 Ise. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404 Northern Kansai. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407 Moroyose . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407 Takeno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407 Kinosaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408 Tango Peninsula . . . . . . . 409 Amanohashidate . . . . . . . . 410 Maizuru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410

HIROSHIMA & WESTERN HONSHŪ . . . . . . . . . . 411 Hiroshima & Around . . . 414 Hiroshima . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414 Miyajima . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422 Iwakuni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426 Tomo-no-ura . . . . . . . . . . 427 Onomichi . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428 Islands on the Shimanami Kaidō. . . . . . . 430 Okayama & Around . . . . 431 Okayama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431 Bizen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436 Kibiji . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .436 Kurashiki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438 Shōdo-shima . . . . . . . . . . 440 Naoshima . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 Kasaoka Islands . . . . . . . 446 Yamaguchi & Around. . . 447 Yamaguchi . . . . . . . . . . . . 447 Akiyoshi-dai . . . . . . . . . . . 450 Tsuwano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451 Shimonoseki . . . . . . . . . . 454 Hagi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458 Matsue & Around. . . . . 462 Matsue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463 Oki Islands . . . . . . . . . . . . 466 Izumo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467 Iwami Ginzan . . . . . . . . . . 468 Yunotsu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469 Tottori & Around. . . . . . . 470 Tottori . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470 Daisen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472 San-in Coast National Park . . . . . . . . . . 473

NORTHERN HONSHŪ (TŌHOKU). . . . . . . . . . 474 Fukushima Prefecture. . . . . . . . . . . . 477

ON THE ROAD

FRANK DEIM / GETTY IMAGES ©

FRANK CARTER / GETTY IMAGES ©

DAIGO-JI, KYOTO P304

Aizu-Wakamatsu . . . . . . . . 477 Bandai Plateau . . . . . . . . 480 Miyagi Prefecture. . . . . 482 Sendai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483 Matsushima . . . . . . . . . . . 489 Ishinomaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491 Naruko Onsen . . . . . . . . . 492 Iwate Prefecture . . . . . 493 Hiraizumi . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494 Tōno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496 Morioka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500 Aomori Prefecture. . . . 502 Aomori . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502 Hakkōda-san . . . . . . . . . . 505 Towada-ko . . . . . . . . . . . . 506 Shimokita Peninsula . . . . 508 Hirosaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509 Akita Prefecture. . . . . . . 512 Tazawa-ko . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512 Nyūtō Onsen . . . . . . . . . . . 515 Kakunodate . . . . . . . . . . . . 516 Akita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518 Yamagata Prefecture. . 520 Tsuruoka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 520 Dewa Sanzan . . . . . . . . . . 522 Yamagata . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524 Yamadera . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526 Zaō Onsen . . . . . . . . . . . . 527

IMPERIAL PALACE, TOKYO P69

Niigata Prefecture. . . . . 528 Niigata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529 Sado-ga-shima . . . . . . . . 530 Echigo-Yuzawa Onsen . . . 536 Naeba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537 Myōkō Kōgen . . . . . . . . . . 538

SAPPORO & HOKKAIDŌ . . . . . . . 540 Sapporo. . . . . . . . . . . . . 546 Southern Hokkaidō . . . . 557 Hakodate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557 Ōnuma Quasi-National Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561 Central Hokkaidō. . . . . . 562 Otaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562 Niseko . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 564 Shikotsu-Tōya National Park . . . . . . . . . . 568 Tomakomai. . . . . . . . . . . . . 573 Northern Hokkaidō . . . . 573 Asahikawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . 573 Furano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 575 Daisetsuzan National Park . . . . . . . . . . 578 Wakkanai . . . . . . . . . . . . . 583 Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park . . . . . . . . . . 585 Eastern Hokkaidō. . . . . 590

Abashiri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 590 Shari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593 Shiretoko National Park . . 593 Akan National Park . . . . . 597 Kushiro Wetlands National Park . . . . . . . . . . 602 Kushiro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 602 Tokachi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 603 Obihiro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 604 Ikeda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 604 Erimo-misaki . . . . . . . . . . 604 Poroshiri-dake . . . . . . . . . 605

SHIKOKU. . . . . . . . . 606 Tokushima Prefecture. . 607 Tokushima . . . . . . . . . . . . 607 Iya Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 616 Tsurugi-san . . . . . . . . . . . . 621 Southern Tokushima Prefecture. . . . . . . . . . . . 621 Hiwasa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 621 South to Muroto-misaki. . 622 Kōchi Prefecture. . . . . . . 623 Tokushima to Kōchi. . . . . 623 Kōchi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 624 Kōchi to Ashizuri-misaki. 628 Nakamura . . . . . . . . . . . . . 628 Ashizuri Cape . . . . . . . . . .628

Contents UNDERSTAND Ehime Prefecture. . . . . 629 Uwajima . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 629 Matsuyama . . . . . . . . . . . .634 Ishizuchi-san . . . . . . . . . . 640 Kagawa Prefecture. . . . 640 Matsuyama to Takamatsu. . 640 Takamatsu . . . . . . . . . . . . 643 Around Takamatsu. . . . . . 646

KYŪSHŪ. . . . . . . . . . . 647 Fukuoka Prefecture. . . 650 Fukuoka. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 650 Dazaifu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 660 Saga Prefecture. . . . . . 662 Karatsu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 662 Imari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 664 Arita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 664 Nagasaki Prefecture . . 665 Nagasaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 665 Hirado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 677 Shimabara Peninsula. . . 679 Unzen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 679 Shimabara . . . . . . . . . . . . 680 Kumamoto Prefecture. . . 682 Kumamoto . . . . . . . . . . . . 682 Aso-san Area . . . . . . . . . . 687 Kurokawa Onsen . . . . . . . . 691 Kagoshima Prefecture. . 691 Kagoshima . . . . . . . . . . . . 692

Kirishima-Yaku National Park . . . . . . . . . . 700 Satsuma Peninsula . . . . . . 701 Miyazaki Prefecture. . . . 704 Miyazaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704 Aoshima & Kaeda . . . . . . 708 Udo-jingū . . . . . . . . . . . . . 709 Obi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 709 Nichinan-kaigan & Cape Toi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 710 Saitobaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 710 Takachiho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 710 Ōita Prefecture. . . . . . . . 712 Beppu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 712 Yufuin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 718 Usuki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 719 Kunisaki Peninsula . . . . . 720

Japan Today. . . . . . . . . . . 762

OKINAWA & THE SOUTHWEST ISLANDS. . . . . . . . . . 721

Directory A–Z. . . . . . . . . 826

Kagoshima Prefecture. .724 Ōsumi Islands . . . . . . . . . . 724 Amami Islands . . . . . . . . . . 731 Okinawa Prefecture. . . . 736 Okinawa-hontō . . . . . . . . . 737 Islands Near Okinawa-hontō. . . . . . . . . 744 Miyako Islands . . . . . . . . . . 747

History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 764 The People of Japan . . . 781 Japanese Cuisine. . . . . . 786 Arts & Architecture. . . . 800 Traditional Japanese Accommodation. . . . . . . 812 Onsen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 815 Living Art of the Geisha. . . . . . . . . . 818 Environment. . . . . . . . . . 820

SURVIVAL GUIDE Transport. . . . . . . . . . . . . 840 Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . 852 Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 862 Map Legend. . . . . . . . . . . 878

Yaeyama Islands . . . . . . . 750

SPECIAL FEATURES

3D Tokyo National Museum Illustration . . . . 94

Onsen Etiquette. . . . . . . 817 Honshū Blossom & Foliage Seasons. . . . . . . 821

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. Tōdai-ji was built by order of Emperor Shōmu during the Nara period (710–784) and the complex was nally completed in 798, after the capital had been moved from Nara to Kyoto. Most historians agree that the temple was built to consolidate the country and serve as its spiritual focus. Legend has it that over two million labourers worked on the temple, but this is probably apocryphal. What’s certain is that its construction brought the country to the brink of bankruptcy. The original Daibutsu was cast in bronze in eight castings over a period of three years. The Daibutsu, or certain parts of 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. 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 gures that surround him in the Daibutsu-den Hall are the perfect physical symbol of this cosmological map.

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.

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.

JEFFREY FRIEDL ©

3D Tōdai-ji Illustration . . . . . . . . . . . . 382

Sake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 796

Tōdai-ji

JEFFREY FRIEDL ©

Skiing in Japan Map . . . . 50

Restaurant Types & Sample Menus . . . . . . . . 787

JEFFREY FRIEDL ©

Off the Beaten Track. . . . 46

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

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.

The Daibutsu » Height: 14.98m » Weight: 500 tonnes » Nostril width: 50cm The Daibutsu-den Hall

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.

JEFFREY FRIEDL ©

JEFFREY FRIEDL ©

» Height: 48.74m » Length: 57m » Number of roof tiles: 112,589

On the Road Sapporo & Hokkaidō p540

Northern Honshū p474

The Japan Alps & Central Honshū p199

Hiroshima & Western Honshū p411

Shikoku

Kyūshū

p606

p647

Okinawa & the Southwest Islands p721

Kyoto

# p276 ^

Kansai p336

Tokyo p66

# _

Mt Fuji & Around Tokyo p146

Japan HĒILÓNGJIĀNGAmakusa Islands

(Sunga ri) ghua Son^ #

^ #

] Jílín #

# ]

# ]

ch

# \

E

# Yánjí ]

Amami ^ # Vladivostok

# \

# ]

^ #

Naha

Taipei

Nago Okinawa-hontō

en

Okinawa City

# \

Russia Russia

m Tu

a

Tōnghuà

Tokara Islands Lake Khanka (Xingkai Hu, Ozero Khanka) Amami Islands

rdao

Shěnyáng

Jìngpò Hú

Songhu

Liáoyán

30°N Yakushima So PRIMOR'YE

] #

Di’er

# ]

Jixi

\ #

Mǔdānjiāng

Songhua Hu

JÍLÍN

Sìpíng

Hēilóngjiāng

135°E

Chángchūn

# ]

nghua So

CHINA

Pǔtuóshān Di ’er

RUSSIA

Tanegashima

’a

# ]

M u li n g

ng

# ]

Hā'ěrbīn

Ussuri

Níngbō

130°E

Yueliang Pao Qagan Nur

Kyūshū

# Kagoshima ^

125°E

Tao’er

a

^ # Shànghăi

# ]

HAMGYŎNGBUKTO RYANGGANG Miyako Islands # Hirara \ Ya TAIWAN # Ishigaki \ u CHAGANG-DO l Yaeyama Islands # ] a

Y

P'YŎNGANBUKTO

25°N

130°E

lu

# _

HAMGYŎNGNAMDO 40°N Tropic of Cancer

# PYONGYANG _

0 e #0

400 km 200 miles

40°N

NORTH KOREA

_ SEOUL #

Sea of Japan

Kyoto Shintō and Buddhist architectural wonders (p276)

Arashiyama Explore a magical bamboo grove (p301)

Toyama ^ # # Kanazawa ^ Takayama

# Fukui ^

Oki Islands

SOUTH KOREA

Matsue Tottori

# Izumo \

^ #

Kyoto ^ # ^ # Nagoya # Hamada \ Osaka Okayama Himeji # \ Tsu-shima ^ # ^ # # \ Tsu ^ # ^ # Hiroshima Kōbe Hagi \ # \ Nara # ^ #

# Fukuoka ^

Kōya-san Mysterious Buddhist graveyard at Oku-no-in (p394) # Nagasaki ^

Aso-san (1592m)R

# \

Usuki

^ #

Kumamoto Kyūshū

130°E

Ise

^ #

^ # Wakayama Takamatsu ^ # ^ # Tokushima # Shingū \ Matsuyama ^ # Shikoku Beppu Kōchi #] \ #Oita

Shimonoseki # ] # Kitakyūshū ]

125°E

Gifu

^ #

See Inset

Miyazaki

^ #

^ # Kagoshima

135°E

Hiroshima Vibrant city with a tragic history (p414)

^ #

# \

e # 0 0

Russia

Sea of Okhotsk

250 miles

150°E

RUSSIA

145°E

140°E

Rebun-tō

Shiretoko National Park

Rishiri-tō

÷ #

Daisetsuzan National i r a Biei Park

# \

Abashiri

45°N

ELEVATION 3000m

Kunashiri-tō Shikotan-tō

2000m 1500m 1000m 750m

Akan ÷ # National # \ ÷ # # \ Park Takikawa Hokkaidō Otaru # \ # \ Kushiro ^ # Sapporo \ # Obihiro ÷ # Shikotsu-tōya National Park

Ishik

500m

Okushiri-tō

# ]

0

Hokkaidō Awesome peaks and northern wilderness (p540)

Hakodate

# Aomori ^

250m

40°N

Hachinohe ÷ # Towada-Hachimantai National Park # \

Tazawa-ko

# Akita ^

Sado-ga-shima ^ #

Kakunodate Oshu \ # \ Hiraizumi # Shinjō # \

Mogam i

# Sakata \ # Tsuruoka \

# \

The Japan Alps The roof of Japan (p199)

^ # Morioka

^ #

Niigata

^ #Sendai

Yamagata

^ # Fukushima

Honshū

Kamikōchi Mountain-ringed sanctuary (p230)

Nikkō Nagano # \ ^ # Maebashi ^ #Utsunomiya ^ # Mito # Matsumoto ^ # \ # \ Urawa Tone Kamikōchi

Kōfu ^ #

Tokyo Limitless shopping and astonishing cuisine (p66)

^ #

# _

^ #

Mt Fuji R TOKYO Chiba ^ # (3776m)

Yokohama

^ # Shizuoka

Mt Fuji Japan’s eternal symbol (p147)

Nara Home to the greatest Buddha image in Japan (p381) Kumano Kodō Japan’s ancient pilgrimage route (p398)

D

Ogasawara Archipelago (500km)

35°N

PACIFIC OCEAN

500 km

Craig McLachlan Sapporo & Hokkaidō Craig has walked the length of Japan (3200km in 99 days!), climbed Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains, hiked the 88 Temples of Shikoku, cycled the 33 Temples of Saigoku, and walked from the Sea of Japan to the Pacific scaling all of Japan’s 3000m peaks! Books on these adventures have been published in English and Japanese. A ‘freelance anything’, Craig has an MBA from the University of Hawaii and is also a pilot, hiking guide, karate instructor and Japanese interpreter. See www.craigmclachlan.com. Craig also wrote the Skiing in Japan chapter of this guide. Rebecca Milner Tokyo; Northern Honshū (Tōhoku) Rebecca moved to Tokyo from California in 2002 for ‘one year’ that turned into 10. She’s since lived west of Shinjuku, east of the Sumida-gawa and now calls Meguro home. Even when not on assignment, you can find her cycling around the city in search of new cafes or tracking down obscure onsen in the countryside. She also writes a dining column for the Japan Times and has written about travel in Japan for the Guardian and CNN Travel. Kate Morgan Mt Fuji & Around Tokyo Kate’s first encounter with Japan was back in 2005 when she moved to Osaka to teach English to kindergarten kids. Since returning to Australia, she manages to find her way back to her ‘second home’ every couple of years to eat tako-yaki, soak in onsen and watch punk bands in basement live houses. Kate lives in Melbourne, Australia, as a freelance writer and editor and has worked on other Lonely Planet books such as Phuket and Southern Africa. Benedict Walker The Japan Alps & Central Honshū Inspired by a primary school teacher, or the memory of a past life, Ben’s love of Japan blossomed early. At 17 he was runnerup in the Australian finals of the Japan Foundation Japanese Speech Contest, and had made two solo trips to Japan. In 1998, with a degree in communications under his belt, Ben hit the road in earnest. After long stints in Canada and Europe, he found himself teaching English in Osaka until his tattered Lonely Planet guide led him to the mountains of Matsumoto, where he found work as a translator and lived like a local. Dividing his time between Canada, Australia and Japan, Ben has also been known to manage the travel for rockstars and dabble in the arts. For the latest, check out: www.wordsandjourneys.com. Wendy Yanagihara Shikoku; Okinawa & the Southwestern Islands As the daughter of an Issei (firstgeneration Japanese-American) in California, Wendy grew up summering in Japan with her mother. It wasn’t until this book, however, that she had the pleasure of exploring the 88-temple pilgrimage, the diversity of Ryukyuan dialects and an affinity for jiimami-dōfu. Previously, she has worked on several editions of the Japan, Tokyo and Tokyo Encounter guidebooks for Lonely Planet.

OUR STORY

A beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born. Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.

OUR WRITERS Chris Rowthorn Coordinating Author; Kyoto; Kansai Born in England and raised in the USA, Chris has lived in Kyoto since 1992. Soon after his arrival in Kyoto, Chris started studying the Japanese language and culture. In 1995 he became a regional correspondent for the Japan Times. He joined Lonely Planet in 1996 and has worked on guides to Kyoto, Tokyo, Japan and hiking in Japan. When not on the road, he spends his time seeking out Kyoto’s best restaurants, temples, hiking trails and gardens. Chris wrote a book in Japanese with professional guide Koko Ijuin, called Pro ga Oshieru: Genba no Eigo Tsuyaku Gaido Skiru (Pro English Guide Skills), for Japanese guides who want to explain the country to Western tourists. Chris also conducts walking tours of Kyoto, Nara and Tokyo. For more on Chris, check out his website at www.chrisrowthorn.com. Andrew Bender Kyūshū France was closed, so after college Andy left his native New England for Japan. It was a life-changing journey, as visits to Japan often are. He’s since mastered chopsticks, the language, karaoke and shoe etiquette. Now based in Los Angeles, Andy writes about Japan for the Los Angeles Times, in-flight magazines and about a dozen Lonely Planet titles, as well as the Seat 1A travel blog for Forbes. He also does cross-cultural consulting for Japanese businesses and escorts visitors around Japan. Check out his website: www.wheres-andy-now.com. Laura Crawford Osaka; Hiroshima & Western Honshū English born and Australian raised, Laura first arrived in Japan as an undergraduate studying Japanese at a university in Kansai. She later travelled up and down the country, set up home in Osaka for two years, returned to Oz to write a thesis on Japanese English, and eventually landed a job as an editor in Lonely Planet’s Melbourne office. Her favourite on-the-road task: touring the Kuniga coast and seeing incredibly old trees on the Oki Islands. Trent Holden Mt Fuji & Around Tokyo After several trips to Japan, Trent jumped at the opportunity to head back to discover its coastal beaches and conquer Fuji. A champion of budget travel, he’s a connoisseur of combini store bentō and vending-machine booze, and a lover of Japanese punk and okonomiyaki. Trent has co-authored more than a dozen books for Lonely Planet including guides to India, Nepal and the Philippines.

OVER MORE PAGE WRITERS Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

ABN 36 005 607 983 Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reasonable care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about 13th edition – Sep 2013 the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxiISBN 978 1 74220 414 7 mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use. © Lonely Planet 2013 Photographs © as indicated 2013 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in China All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.

36 FRANK DEIM / GETTY IMAGES ©

Plan Your Trip

Itineraries # Nikkō •

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Tokyo, Mt Fuji & Around

With air connections to most of the world, as well as some of the world’s best restaurants, shops and nightlife, Tokyo makes a great introduction to Japan. And you don’t have to travel far outside the city to see some of Japan’s great natural and traditional wonders.

To make the most of your stay in Tokyo, try to base yourself in an area that’s interesting and also well served by transport connections, such as Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza, Roppongi or Marunouchi (Tokyo Station area). In any of these places, you

can walk to a huge variety of restaurants and shops, and train/subway stations are always nearby. Of course, it’s also perfectly possible to stay in slightly less convenient but cheaper areas like Asakusa or Ueno. On your first morning in town, visit Tsukiji Fish Market – if you’re jetlagged and up early anyway, make the best of it with a market tour. After the obligatory sushi breakfast, head up to Asakusa to visit the temple of Sensō-ji, then over to nearby Ueno for the Tokyo National Museum. The next day, take the loop line to Harajuku and walk to Meiji-jingū, the city’s finest Shintō shrine, then take a stroll down chic

37

PL AN YOUR TRIP I tineraries View over Tokyo from the Sky Deck (p77)

Omote-sandō. From there, head to Shibuya to soak up some of modern Tokyo. Make sure you spend an evening wandering east Shinjuku, where you’ll get the full experience of Tokyo’s neon madness. Other urban areas to check out include Ginza, for high-end shopping; Akihabara, for electronics and geek culture; and Roppongi, for international nightlife. Break up your time in Tokyo with day trips to nearby attractions. The temples and shrines at Nikkō are among the most spectacular in Japan. For a taste of old Japan, a day poking among the Zen temples at Kamakura is a brilliant way to

escape the crowds of the capital. Finally, it would be a shame to come all the way to Japan and not see Mt Fuji. You can get to the base of the mountain and back in a day from Tokyo, but climbing it will involve spending the night on the mountain. Either way, we recommend checking the weather first – the mountain is socked in by clouds much of the year, so try to wait for a break in the weather to make the trip.

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39 MIXA / GETTY IMAGES ©

1A0YS Tokyo, the Japan Alps D & Kyoto

FRANK CARTER / GETTY IMAGES ©

Top: Gasshō-zukuri style houses, Shirakawa-gō (p227) Bottom: Carp streamers at a festival, Kanazawa (p260)

While you can do this itinerary in any season, keep in mind that the Japan Alps can be snow covered any time from early November to late March – this rules out hiking unless you’re an experienced winter mountaineer – but you can visit the attractive cities of Takayama and Kanazawa any time of year. Let’s assume that you’ll fly into Tokyo, where you can spend a few days experiencing the best that the capital has to offer. Don’t worry about skipping some of the traditional sights in that itinerary, because you’ll be heading to Kyoto, and you’ll get your fill of shrines and temples there. From Tokyo, take the shinkansen (bullet train) to Nagoya, then an express to Takayama. Spend a day here checking out the restored Sanmachi-suji, then head into the Japan Alps via Kamikōchi or nearby Shin-Hotaka Onsen. Return to Takayama and rent a car so you can visit the thatched-roof villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama. From there, if you feel like some more alpine scenery, drive northeast and head back into the Japan Alps via the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route (the route is open from late spring to early autumn). Next, travel to Kanazawa (some rental agencies will allow you to drop the car in Kanazawa). Otherwise, you can also go from Takayama to Kanazawa by bus with a stop in Shirakawa-gō en route. In Kanazawa, check out the famous garden of Kenroku-en, the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art and the Nagamachi district. From Kanazawa, there are several daily express trains that will get you to Kyoto in a little over two hours. In Kyoto, take some time to visit the sights, then jump on the shinkansen and get yourself back to Tokyo in time for your flight home.

PL AN YOUR TRIP I tineraries

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

40


While many people fly into Tokyo and base themselves there, Kansai, which is home to the ancient capital of Kyoto, is an equally appealing place to stay, especially if you’re a fan of traditional culture. And with a Japan Rail Pass, you can easily head west to see Hiroshima, Miyajima and Naoshima.

PETER ADAMS / GETTY IMAGES ©

Served by Kansai International Airport, which has connections to many parts of the world, Kyoto is the obvious place to stay: it’s roughly in the middle of Kansai and it’s got a wide range of excellent accommodation, not to mention the nation’s finest temples, gardens and shrines. Spend a day exploring the Higashiyama area (both southern and northern), followed by another day strolling through the bamboo groves of Arashiyama. Then, hop on a train for a day trip to Nara to see the sights of Nara-kōen, including Tōdai-ji, with its enormous Buddha figure. If you want to see a modern Japanese metropolis in high gear, then Osaka is only about 30 minutes by train from Kyoto. You can easily explore the city, grab some dinner and a drink and make it back to Kyoto before the trains stop running. For those with a spiritual bent, a trip to the mountaintop Buddhist retreat of Kōya-san is highly recommended. Spend the night on one of the many temple lodgings there before returning to Kyoto. More adventurous travellers will also want to check out Japan’s ancient pilgrimage route, the Kumano Kodō, in southern Kansai. Kyoto also makes a good base for exploring some of the important sights in Western Honshū and the Inland Sea, especially if you’ve got a Japan Rail Pass. Hiroshima can be visited as a day trip from Kyoto if you use the shinkansen (bullet train) and get an early start. However, it’s more relaxing to spend the night in nearby Miyajima, home of the iconic ‘floating torii’ (Shintō shrine gate) of Itsukushimajinja. Art lovers might also consider stopping for a night or two at Naoshima, the island-turnedart museum in the Inland Sea. Finally, if all this bouncing around makes you tired, finish off your adventure with an overnight trip up to Kinosaki, where you can soak away your cares in some of Japan’s best hot springs.

JUDY BELLAH / GETTY IMAGES ©

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

TOSHITAKA MORITA / GETTY IMAGES ©

Whether you’re on a Japan Rail Pass or flying directly, Sapporo makes a good hub for Hokkaidō excursions. If you’re here in February, your prize for enduring the arctic cold is a frontrow seat at the Sapporo Snow Festival, highlighted by life-size carvings of everything from European cityscapes to elaborate ice mazes. On a day trip from Sapporo, see romantic Otaru, with its Victorian brick warehouses and fresh sushi spreads. If you have more time, a couple of nights in Hakodate will recall the era of European colonisation. On the way back to Sapporo, hot-springs fans can take a dip in the waters of Noboribetsu Onsen. Head out again, making a brief stop in Asahikawa for a few rounds of Otokoyama sake, before pressing on to Wakkanai. From here, take the ferry to Rishiri-tō and Rebun-tō in search of annual wildflower blooms. On the return, see Sōya-misaki, Hokkaidō’s northernmost point, from which you might catch a glance of Russia’s Sakhalin Island on a clear day. Travel back to Asahikawa to plan your next move. Make your way to Asahidake Onsen, and hike Daisetsuzan National Park. Get behind the wheel of a rental car and explore the lavender fields and gourmet attractions around Furano and Biei. If you really want to leave it all behind, head east to Shari, the jumpingoff point for Shiretoko National Park. Don’t forget your bear bells; humans aren’t the only creatures that call this remote peninsula home. If you haven’t yet had your fill of natural wonders, take the train south through the Seikan Tunnel (the world’s longest underwater tunnel) to Northern Honshū. Visit Towada-ko, a crater lake that’s home to the Nyūtō Onsen. Then continue south to lovely Tazawa-ko, Japan’s deepest lake. If you’re a hiker, you’ll want to make the famed pilgrimage across the three sacred peaks of Dewa Sanzan. Finally, if you really want to get off the beaten track, take the ferry to Sadoga-shima and rent a car to explore this beguiling island (home of the Kodo Drummers).


PEERAPAT TANDAVANITJ / GETTY IMAGES ©

Top: Otaru (p562) Bottom: View of Rishiri-zan from Rebun-tō (p588)

3 KS The Wilds of Hokkaidō & Tōhoku

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

SHAYNE HILL XTREME VISUALS / GETTY IMAGES ©

While there are some international flights to Fukuoka in Kyūshū, it’s likely that you’ll approach this area from Kansai or Tokyo. Take a shinkansen to the city of Okayama in Western Honshū. Here, catch a special Nampū express train across the Inland Sea right down into the mountainous heart of Shikoku and spend a night or two in one of the Chiiori Trust’s thatched-roof cottages in Iya Valley (note that it’s also possible to drive here and this gives you more freedom to explore the area). From here, you can head south to do some surfing at Ohkihama, or head west to climb Ishizuchisan. Finally, take a dip in the wonderful Dōgo Onsen in the castle town of Matsuyama. From Matsuyama you can recross the Inland Sea and join the Sanyō Shinkansen line that will take you southwest to the island of Kyūshū (consider a stop at Hiroshima en route). Your first stop in Kyūshū should be Fukuoka, Kyūshū’s largest city, which is crammed with spirited dining and nightlife in the lanes of Tenjin and Daimyō. From here, you can head southeast to the hot spring resort of Beppu, or southwest to Nagasaki. While Nagasaki is best known to Westerners for its tragic history, most visitors are surprised to find a vibrant city with great food and lots of opportunities to learn about Japan’s early contacts with the West. From either Beppu or Nagasaki, head south, possibly stopping en route at the semiactive volcano of Aso-san, which offers superb hiking, then make your way to Kagoshima, a city with a laid-back almost tropical vibe which contrasts sharply with the rest of Japan. Sengan-en garden and Sakurajima volcano are must-sees before going south for a sand bath in the seaside town of Ibusuki. Finally, if you have time and enjoy hiking, take a ferry south from Kagoshima to the island of Yakushima for some hiking and onsens before making your way north and homeward.

ANTONY GIBLIN / GETTY IMAGES ©

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OnNíngbō really clear days you can see Mǔdānjiāng Taiwan from Yonaguni-jima, # • CHINA Japan’s westernmost Chángchūn inhabited island. Divers # • # Jílín • come here to swim with hammerhead • # Jìngpò Hú sharks and explore the mysterious Sìpíng of the Pacific’ ruins. (p759) • # ‘Atlantis East China Sea

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Fringed by healthy coral reefs and covered with dense tropical jungle, the island of Iriomote-jima is one of Japan’s wildest places. (p756)

IRIOMOTE- Ishigaki Islands Dāndōng JIMA

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Trek through the mountains of NORTH KOREA southern Kansai to reach three of the country’s most sacred Shintō shrines SOUTH on this ancient pilgrimage route. KOREA # (p398) SEOUL _

Once a place of exile, these cliff-lined islands offer some spectacular scenery and a real feeling of getting away from it all. Very few foreigners ever make it here. (p466)

IYA VALLEY A few hours and a world away from the big cities of Kansai, Iya Valley has been called the ‘Shangri La of Japan’. Stay in a restored thatched-roof farmhouse and get a taste of traditional village life. (p616)

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SHIRETOKO NATIONAL PARK With no sealed roads and a healthy population of brown bears, Shiretoko earns the title of Japan’s last true wilderness. The reward for tackling the tough trails here are long soaks in plentiful hot springs. (p593)

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. (p585)

SADO-GA-SHIMA A wild outpost of rugged mountains and coastline, each August this island rocks to the sound of the famous Kodo Drummers during the fabulous Earth Celebration. (p530)

OGASAWARA ARCHIPELAGO

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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 whales, sharks and dolphins – feel like a different world. (p196)


Sea of Okhotsk

RISHIRI-TŌ & REBUN-TŌ

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