Japan sightseeing. Travel guide - attractions, sights, nature and touristic places

This is a magnificent country, a travel to which will leave many unforgettable memories. While describing numerous excursions and entertainment, it’s simply impossible to fail to mention Tokyo. In this wonderful city, shiny skyscrapers border with various museums, temples and memorials. Naturally, there are many modern entertainment complexes and parks in the capital of Japan.

When and where to 'hang out' in Japan - festivals and celebrations

Most of the Japanese islands are located in a temperate climate zone, characterized by a clear division of seasons. This feature gives residents and …
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The Emperor’s Palace is an important historic and architectural sight of the capital. The palace is also known under the name Edo Castle. Elegant towers, heavy wooden doors and foss on the perimeter show how solid and impenetrable the building is. The Kokyo Palace, which was built in the 15th century, is located among beautiful parks. Once you observe spacious halls and corridors of the palace, take a walk in Kitanomaru Park to enjoy the view of centuries old trees and ancient statues.

There are more than thirty museums in the city, the most popular of which are Bridgestone Museum, Tenri Gallery, the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo Underground Museum, Kite Museum, Idemitsu Museum, and Ota Museum. These museums are mostly dedicated to collections of art and historic artefacts. However, in Tokyo there are more unusual museums, for example, the Museum of Spectacles, the Museum of Water Pipes, the Museum of Underground, the Museum of Bags and the Museum of Bicycles. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

For active traveler - national parks, landscapes and nature of Japan

Japan is a state located on the islands. More than half the country’s territory is covered with mountains. The length from north to south, as well …
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Many interesting places can be found in Tokyo suburbs. Travellers with kids will enjoy a visit to Tokyo Disneyland that was open in 1983 and looks close to the original amusement park in the United States. Fans of nature landmarks will fall in love with Nikko National Park, where they will find beautiful lakes, waterfalls, ancient temples and forests.

Yokohama is known as the most modern city in the country, but its main landmark is, however, a historic one. It’s Sankeien Garden, which has become home to numerous ancient wooden buildings, houses and temples that were brought to the park from different parts of the country. Fans of active rest will find much fun in Hakkeijima Sea Paradise. The complex includes an aqua park and a big Marine Museum. The city of Nara is rich in ancient temples. Many temples keep precious relics, and local museums exhibit collections of unique historic artefacts.

Best visiting periods - the climate of Japan

Due to the fact that Japan extends from north to south, the climatic conditions on the various islands differ very much from each other. Therefore, a …
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History and Entertainment

The first country at the site of modern Japan is mentioned in the Chronicles of Hanshu dating back to the 3rd century BC. At that time, the country was called Wa. In the 6th century AD, Buddhism started to be preached in the country, exactly at that period, the first centralized state was formed. Already in the 8th century, in the islands, there was a powerful and rapidly developing country, the capital of which was Heizei-kyo. The country borrowed many religious and cultural aspects from neighboring China.

The first centuries of its existence were full of multiple internecine wars. In the 13th century, the country saw the Mongolian invasion. The turning points in the history of the country were the events taking place in 1543. At that time, Portuguese navigators first reached the Japanese coasts. By the middle of the 16th century, Japan started to establish trade relations with many other European countries, which facilitated its rapid development. Japan is one of a few countries that have been maintaining its independence for almost all years of its existence.

Overview of the optimal transportation means in Japan

Japan has a highly developed transport infrastructure. Here, there is a high-quality road network, railway junction, and air transportation service. …
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It is interesting to vacation in Japan in any season. On its territory, there are popular and famous beaches, famous ski resorts and several upscale wellness resorts. Some of the most landscaped and most beautiful beaches are located in Okinawa. In the city, there are also multiple water parks, an oceanarium and a dolphinarium. In Okinawa, there is a large thalassotherapy center where you can have different types of massage as an important component of your health recreation.

The most popular resorts for winter recreation is Sapporo and Niseko. They are distinguished by a high level of the routes and a wide variety of hotels. At these resorts, there are excellent conditions for skiing and snowboarding. You can also visit here several thermal springs. The majority of winter resorts are suitable for family holiday. There are ski schools not only for adults, but also for kids.

State construction and political life of Japan

Japan is a country with a constitutional monarchy. The head of state is the Emperor, but his functions are more ceremonial than legislative. The …
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During the year, over 200 holidays are celebrated in Japan. Most of them are connected with old religious traditions. Each region of the country has its unique festive traditions. One of the most interesting and beautiful holidays is the Cherry Blossom Festival. It starts to be celebrated in the middle of March. In Japan, cherry blossoms stop blooming in the middle of April.

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Famous and uniques places in Japan from our review series

Shigeru Ban House

From the series “Extravagant houses and apartments of designers”

The famous architect Shigeru Ban has arranged an original apartment in the Hanegi Forest Housing. This unusual apartment building is located in one of the quietest and cozy areas of Tokyo. It was built by the architect himself in 1997. Many trees grew in the proposed construction site when the house was at the design stage. The main difficulty of the project was that none of the trees were damaged during construction. Shigeru Ban managed to complete this task completely.

The building has an original cylindrical shape. Trees grow in its courtyard. The owners of the apartments can admire them from their windows. The apartments of the architect himself may resemble a modest monk's cell for someone. There are practically no furniture and interior decorations in the apartment. It is … Read all

AGASA Lab

From the series “Incredible Labs for Space and Physics Research”

The AGASA Lab is located in Japan. It was launched almost simultaneously with the installation in Yakutia. The two stations serve similar purposes. The main feature of the AGASA Lab is considered to be a huge scale. It covers an area of about 100 square kilometers. A network of detectors was installed in this huge area. The distance between them is 1,000 meters.

These detectors allow evaluating the energy of primary storm particles. The Lab in Japan exceeds the area of the Russian installation by more than five times. A large-scale polygon was formed on a spacious foothill plateau in the Akeno area. Dozens of detectors were installed by researchers here. They are connected by special optical cables. They served as the main link between the detectors and the data center.

The formation … Read all

Kanagawa Institute of Technology

From the series “Glass Architecture - Impressive Villas and Buildings from Glass”

In Tokyo in a student quarter, you can see an unusual glass building. It is a campus of the Kanagawa Institute of Technology. Junya Ishigami has graduated from the institute and became an author of this building. He with a help of modern architects brought to life this unique project. This building in Tokyo is one of the most transparent in the world.

The unique building has only one room in 2 000 square meters. The basis of the building is made from the white metal columns. The architect got BSI Swiss Architectural Award for this glass building. The university campus has a number of peculiarities. The main is a variety of plants, which decorate the institute inside. The hall has a lot of large pots with different flowers and adornment plants. The room also has some areas with a roofed … Read all

All unique sightseeing Japan

Japan sightseeing. Travel guide - attractions, sights, nature and touristic places

History and Entertainment

Shigeru Ban House

AGASA Lab

Kanagawa Institute of Technology

Sightseeing in popular cities of Japan