| Japan |
| Japan is an island nation about the size of California, and is one of the most populated countries in the world. I've gone to Japan more times than any other country, right now I'm at 6 trips. Japan is mostly known around the world for it's technology and for its safe and clean cities. Also famous with the younger generations are the cartoons, commonly referred to as Japanimation that are also watched all over the world. Aside from the high tech side of Japan, the country has some of the most interesting and best recorded history in the world. Many Japanese citizens are able to trace their roots back hundreds of years if not more, and their culture and history stands in many memorials and temples. |
| Here are two random pictures of some natural beauty from Japan. The natural bridge on the left that crosses over a street is located in Yamanashi prefecture. The bamboo forest on the right is close to Hiroshima Japan, on the west side of the island Honsho. |
| Last are four pictures from Japan's Shosenkyo Gorge. It is said to be Japan's most scenic gorge, and it is very popular to visit in the fall time when the leaves are changing color. Shosenkyo Gorge is located near the city of Kofu which is about a 2 hour ride from Tokyo's downtown area. There are some impressive sheer cliffs in Shosenkyo as well as several waterfalls and streams that pass through. The bottom left photo is of the impressive Shosenkyo face, what this park is named after. |
| Japan Travel - For more information on Japan please visit http://www.willgoto.com/299/1/categories.aspx |
| Japan's original capital was Kyoto, but it was moved to Tokyo in the 19th century by the emperor. Today Tokyo has grown to one of the largest cities in the world, and currently holds the record for the largest metropolitan area. With tens of millions of peoples in a relative small area, space can be hard to find, and a hotel room or apartment can be extremely expensive. There are even some hotels called capsule hotels that have $35 rooms a night. These tiny 'rooms' are nothing more than bunks stacked up on top of each other with just a single bed and small TV. |
| Japan Links |
| The city of Hiroshima became famous after the United States dropped the atomic bomb here during world war 2. On the upper left is one of two buildings to survive the atomic bomb. The eternal flame on the right is located in Peace Park, and is going to be extinguished when all nuclear weapons in the world are destroyed. |
| The above picture is Hiroshima castle which had been destroyed during war but is now rebuilt to its original design. The bridge you see is called Kintai Bridge and is built without nails. Hundreds of years ago, only samurai were allowed to cross this bridge so it is also known as Samurai Bridge. Below is a picture of Miyajima which is a unique island in Japan that is visited by many Japanese tourists. The right picture shows some more of the unique architecture of Japan. This building is also on the island of Miyajima. I'm not sure what the people are looking for in the ocean below. |
| For years Hiroshima had radioactive problems as a result of the atomic bomb. You might expect Hiroshima to be deserted due to long term radiation, but today it is a thriving city that has fully recovered from the attack. Above are two pictures of Hiroshima, one in a crowded shopping mall and the other of the city's downtown area. |
| Japan's southwestern part is made of up the large island of Kyushu. The very southern part of the island has the city Kagoshima, which is home to one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The volcano Sakurajima is constantly smoking and has erupted within the past few years. Some still think it's a good idea to build a house on the volcano, as there are many shops and homes here. |
| Also on the island of Kyushu is Mt. Takasaki, a place where monkeys are free to live and roam around. On the left you can see them taking over one of the temple structures, and on the right is a monkey holding its baby. The monkeys are nice but can attack if you get too close. |
| These are some photos of Takachiho Gorge found in eastern Kyushu. You can rent a small canoe and go through the gorge like the Japanese man on the right. The water is a very nice color, and the waterfalls around you make the trip very worthwhile. I think Takachiho Gorge has some of the most interesting and breathtaking scenery in the island of Kyushu. From what I understand it is also a very popular place to visit during the fall time, when the trees are changing colors making the views even more dramatic. |
| Like Central Park in New York City, Tokyo has a few acres of forest right in the middle of the city. This place is known as the Meiji Jingu Palace which was dedicated to the emperor Meiji and his wife Shoken in 1920. The area is about 175 acres with around 365 species of trees that were donated from people around all parts of Japan. Looking at the forest it almost looks like you are far from civilization, but sky scrapers and crowds of people are only a few blocks away. Above is also a photo of a wedding taking place at Meiji Jingu Palace. The other three photos show some of the natural beauty of Meiji Jingu, which surely is a nice break for Japanese who want a quick escape from Tokyo. |
| Beer and seafood is plenty in Japan. On the left is a friend of mine drinking from a huge mug of Japanese Kirin beer. On the right is maguro, which is the Japanese word for tuna. The tuna here is raw, which we tried along with raw horse meat later on in the night. Our traditional style dinner also included, fish, pork, beef, and the Japanese liquor Sake which is served extremely hot. |
| I've spent a lot of time in the small city of Kofu which is a few hours west of Tokyo. From Kofu you can see Mt. Fuji on a clear day, but in the summer months those are hard to find. On the left is Kofu city taken from a higher elevation. On the right is a garden that belongs to Kofu castle. For the specific group I'm in with my company, their main location is right outside the city of Kofu, so hopefully I'll return here again. |
| On the left is a praying mantis that was found on the side of a building. Even though most of Japan has been heavily developed, many animals have learned to adapt to their new environment. On the right is a very big spider that was found up in the mountainous near the Kofu area. The scientific name is nephila clavata, known as Joro Gumo in Japan. I'm not sure if its poisonous but a normally that's what yellow indicates. |
| Many Japanese and tourists also visit Mt. Fuji just to go hiking and to enjoy the scenic views around the mountain. As you can see when I actually visited Mt. Fuji it was very cloudy so I couldn't get any photos of the peak. Above you can see Mt. Fuji's slopes during the fall time, notice the slope of the left has no trees, I'm not sure if this was due to a recent fire or some other explanation. The lower left photo show some type of Japanese shrine located on Mt. Fuji. On the lower right is the beginning of a great hike I did on the lower parts of the mountain. |
| At 3776 meters or 12,388 feet, Mt Fuji is Japan's highest mountain and its most famous. For hundreds of years Mt. Fuji has been depicted in Japanese art and stories; a tradition that is carried on today through paintings and photographs. Climbing Mt. Fuji is relatively easy and can be done in a single day during the summer, something that is popular with both Japanese and foreigners. On the left is Mt. Fuji, you can see the snow covered summit easier than the base due to the high humidity. On the right is a flower at the bottom of Fuji. |
| When I was in elementary and middle school my life revolved around video games, sometimes I even wonder if some of them influenced my desire for adventure. The past times I visited Tokyo it never occurred to me to try to visit one of the company headquarters. I tried to visit Square Enix who is responsible for many popular games such as the Final Fantasy series. Unfortunately they do not offer any kind of tours, but I did get to briefly meet one of the game designers. Sony does offer tours and has a museum in their headquarters in Tokyo. |
| As most electronics and video games are designed in Japan, of course Tokyo offers some great deals and all the latest gadgets and toys. On the left is an electronics store in Tokyo selling cameras, laptops, TVs etc. On the right is a video game store, displaying Nintendo's Wii and their new Mario Brothers. |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Post a question or comment about traveling in Japan |
| With most Japanese people not owning cars, the train is the most convenient and common way for people to travel. Even a smaller town like Kofu will have a train system with several local stops that make it easy to get just about anywhere. Above is an uncrowded station. |
| My last photos are some random scenery of Japan. On the left is a cable car taking me through a cloudy forest at high elevations in the summer. The photo on the right is of a tree during a rain storm in January. Strange to see some fall colors that have survived that long. |
| I didn't get a good photo of the entire Kofu castle, but on the left is one of the castle walls that was once used to defend this region. The walls are pretty impressive and the castle looks almost impossible to take over due to their height and steep angle. The obelisk on the right was some type of memorial also located within Kofu castle. I'm not sure why the Japanese used a non traditional design for this or what it's for, but it must be important due to it's enormous size. |