Akasaki/Roppongi Area

This area has a great night life. You can shop and dine here too. Tokyo Midtown and Roppongi Hills are major landmarks in this area.

Asakusa/Ueno Area

Get a feel of the old Japan in this area. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions. Enjoy shopping at the ameyoko streets, visit Ueno Park and surrounding museums and shopping malls here.

Ginza Area

Here you can find luxurious shops, hotels, theaters, restaurants, clubs and department stores. It is a high end area where adults can shop and dine.

Shinagawa Area

It is the shopping and entertainment central in Tokyo. Here you can find many hotels situated nearby the JR Shinagawa station. The railway hub can also be found here.

Shinjuku Area

Shinjuku is considered as one of the busiest areas in Tokyo. There are many convenient hotels in the area and it is a good spot to shop and enjoy.

Ikebukuro Area

This is another busy Tokyo district where you can find great entertainment. It has a railway hub, shopping malls, restaurants and theaters to name a few.

Shibuya Area

Just like Shinjuku and Ikebukuro, this busy district is great for shopping and entertainment especially for the younger crowd.

With these descriptions, it is easier to choose what to do and where to stay while you are in Tokyo. Enjoy!

The Tokyo Metropolis is Japan’s capital. It is the set of the Japanese government. Here you can find the Imperial Palace where the Royal Family resides. The now developed city was once a small fishing village named Edo. Its whole area is a little over 2 million square kilometers, with a population of over 13 million people as of August 2011.

There are various airports within Tokyo and its islands. Getting around is also not a problem because they have a reliable public transport system. You can take the Metro, bus or taxis easily. Ferries are also available in case you want to visit neighboring islands.

Tokyo houses many museums and theatres all over for you to appreciate art and music. You can visit the Imperial Palace or check the Asakusa Shrine for sightseeing too. You can also enjoy the many festivals they have throughout the year or enjoy the cherry blossoms at bloom in spring. During this time, many people go for walks or have picnics at the Ueno Park, Inokashira Park or the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.

If you are fond of cosplays and modern fashion, Shibuya’s Harajuku is the place to be. Walking around this area is definitely an interesting experience. As for food, there are many fine dining and izakayas all over for you to choose from. Most of them serve traditional Japanese food which you will surely enjoy. You can never go wrong with ramen, tempura, grilled meats/seafood and sushi.

Japan is definitely on the top of the list of worldwide tourist destinations and what better place to experience its culture than Kyoto? This city is arguably the best place to experience the real Japan. Jane Singer actually wrote a very inspiring article about this. She shares:

For these travelers, visiting Kyoto, the 1,200-year-old cultural heart of Japan, without experiencing the culture is too much of a virtual experience. Why restrict yourself to the sights alone when you can feel the smooth embrace of silk kimono, taste the bitter froth after whisking up a cup of powdered green tea, or hear the reverberation when you pound on a taiko drum?

For these experiential travelers, Kyoto offers a growing menu of taiken hands-on tours in English, and I recently sampled a few. The first was at Shunkoin temple, one of 48 sub-temples in the sprawling Myoshinji Buddhist temple complex in western Kyoto, where the affable young English-speaking vice abbot, Takafumi Kawakami, leads a tour of the temple and gardens and two 15-minute sessions of Rinzai Zen meditation.

The next time you plan on going to this part of the world, you should try what she tried. Even if it is not your first visit, you just might return home with something new.

They have over 25 water attractions which will definitely give visitors what they want. The main attraction is called The Godâ’s Aegean Sea and it is composed of three islands with relaxing spa waters. The God’s Aegean Sea also includes a variety of water massaging devices. Also, experience the wonder and drama of dynamic special effects by a fully illuminated water screen high above on the ceiling.

What appeals more to me, though, is the Wine Spa. The Spa’s web site describes it as:

A unique spa containing real red wine. The huge wine bottle is 3.6m tall and is very remarkable. Bathing in wine is a rejuvenation treatment for the body, and it has been said that the Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra loved to bath in wine. There are regular performances of pouring real wine into the spa a few times a day.

Ok, I thought Cleopatra bathed in milk but oh well, a bath in wine is something that any wine-loving person should experience, don’t you think?

Another interesting feature is the Coffee Spa. Caffeine junkies should not miss out on this. Naturally, the bath is made of coffee in hot spring water. I think I shall spend some time dipping in wine and then wake myself up with a dip at the Coffee Spa.

Take your pick!

Tesla Motors Inc. has announced its plans to launch one of their electric sports cars in Japan! Tesla is an American car maker that specializes in electric vehicles. According to their official statement, they are launching the Roadster early next month. That’s pretty soon, especially since we’re almost at the end of April!

This is a big move by the American car maker, as Japan is well known to protect its domestic industries, and Mitsubishi and July are also releasing their own electric vehicles this year. While it means stiff competition for the car makers, it means more choices for the Japanese people.

The Roadster is a high-end sports car – a two-seater right-hand drive. Its rate of acceleration is 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 3.7 seconds. For an electric vehicle, that is not bad. Not bad at all!

The only drawback to Tesla’s Roadster is that the price will be about double the selling price in the United States. It’s currently selling for USD 101,500 (9.4 million yen) in the United States, and it will go for about 18 million yen when released in Japan. That is quite a considerable sum, ensuring that the Roadster will probably not be a common sight on the roads.

This is really a no brainer as we all know that Japan is a major tourist destination for many people. Aside from the ever popular Japanese food (sushi!), the country has so much to offer in terms of culture and art. More so, Japan is quite modern, assuring visitors of the utmost comfort and convenience during their visit. It is a matter of fact thing to find an excellent Japan restaurant or a Japan hotel around the corner, especially in the major cities.

Part of the plan to boost the country’s tourism sector is the creation of the Japan Tourism Agency, which was established in October of last year. Headed by Yoshiaki Hompo, this agency is tasked with organizing the different sectors to contribute to the development of the tourism sector. While they are quick to acknowledge that the going won’t be as easy as one would like it to be, they are quite optimistic about their efforts.

For travelers, this means one thing: you are going to be in for a lot of wonderful experiences, great deals, and perhaps the best vacation of your life.

For those of you who experienced the Kyoto Winter Special last year, you can do so again this year. After a successful run, the organizers have decided to have a go at it once again but this time, they are offering more and better deals for their visitors. For those who are not aware, the Kyoto Winter Special is akin to a festival – 3 months’ worth of cultural activities. This year’s Winter Special runs from 1 December 2008 to 31 March 2009. Easier.com has this feature:

In addition, special admission will be granted to normally restricted heritage sites, and there will be unique winter events and chances to receive special offers from world-famous hotels. With Kyoto Winter Special, the breathtaking beauty of winter in Kyoto awaits you!

Special Events Kyoto’s cherry blossoms and fall leaves are a sight to see, but Kyoto’s magical winter is something special. There will be various events showcasing winter.

Information on events from December to March are listed by month on the Kyoto Winter Special website. The main event during the Kyoto Winter Special is called “Hanatoro”. This event beautifies Kyoto’s nights, with elegant lanterns lighting up Kyoto’s famous spots. Adding a winter event into a visit to Kyoto is a great way to make your trip that extra bit memorable.

Ask anyone who has been to Kyoto and other Japanese cities and they will probably tell you the same thing – there is nothing like Kyoto if you really want to get a hands on experience of what the Japanese culture is like.

MCOT has this report:

The Japanese government has picked five more places as candidates for cultural heritage sites to be registered on the World Heritage list by UNESCO, bringing the number of such candidates to 13, the Cultural Affairs Agency said Friday.

The five candidates were picked out of the 32 places recommended by local governments across the country, agency officials said.

Can you imagine that? Thirty two more sites! It is no wonder that Japan is such a popular tourist destination.

According to reports, a lot of educational benefits are being seen from students who actually experience nature first hand. The villages and towns, on the other hand, see a business opportunity in the said tours. This is something that they also need because of the dwindling population in these areas.

The practice of making nature excursions has increased over the last five years and this has spread mainly by just word of mouth. I am just hoping that these immersion programs also bring to light the plight of less fortunate people in Japanese society and not just focus on nature.

A capsule hotel is a type of hotel accommodation popular mostly among travelers stranded for the night and those who are on a tight budget. Capsules are usually about 2m by 1m by 1.5m in dimension and so is unsuitable for those above six feet tall and, of course, for a claustrophobic. Despite the very limited space you will be surprised at how well equipped these hotels are. Each capsule usually comes with a built in mini TV, radio, and alarm clock, plus fresh bedding of course. You can also use the hotel’s lockers, shower rooms, laundry facilities, restaurants, vending machines, and clothes shop. An overnight stay costs Â¥2000-4000 while an afternoon nap is usually even cheaper.

Capsule hotels have been around since 1979 and is pretty common in Japan. However the concept still hasn’t spread to other countries despite the convenience they bring.