Traveller's Tales: Places to go and see in Japan

Take a tour of the top places to go in Japan. You may read about must see places and activities in the area. Also, you might want to read our city guide.

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S Louie	01 September 2005
Stayed at Mansions at Roppongi, The - Tokyo, Japan.
We went to the Tsukiji fish market two days in a row (my boyfriend is a chef). The place is fascinating, and has the best sushi in the world (if you like sushi, this is the place to go). That was one of our highlights. We visited friends in Kagurazaka, which is in NE Shinjuku. This is a little known, but wonderful section, full of fantastic restaurants, bakeries, and great shopping areas, but with very few tourists and crowds. It is an ex-pat area with a lot of French and German people living amongst the locals. They all speak Japanese fluently as well. I highly recommend it.
Guest has requested to remain anonymous	31 July 2005
Stayed at New Otani Tokyo - Tokyo, Japan.
We visited Kyoto during the last week of July. Enjoyed visiting the Temples, Shrines, and the Emperor's Palace, but the place is very hot during summer. We found Taxi to be the most convenient way to see the sites in a relatively short time. Don't miss the evening show of watching fishermen using diving birds to catch fish. Tokyo was tolerable in heat, but humidity was not very comfortable. Metro system is truly outstanding and one doesn't need to know Japanese to quickly figure it out. Get the 1000 Yen Passnet which almost serves all Metros and makes life a lot easier. It is like having a Metro debit card, thus one does not need to buy tickets every time. During our one week stay, we experienced a 6.1 earthquake, a typhoon, and another 4.7 earthquake, but that is nothing unusual in Japan. Visiting Japan is an amazing cultural experience.
A Gers	15 June 2005
Stayed at Mansions at Roppongi, The - Tokyo, Japan.
Good location. Just 5 walking minutes from Roppongi Station. Japanese restaurants and international cusine are within walking distance ( 5 - 10 minutes ). For those who look for the Hard Rock Café, it's 10 Minutes from the Mansion. The only thing is: Have the phone number ready when you come with a taxi. Even though they have GPS they couldn't find it. They had to call. Take the "Friendly Limousine" Bus Service from Narita Airport to ANA Hotel Tokyo and then take a cap. It's 3000 Yen for an adult and 1500 for a child (Airport transfer) and the taxi from ANA Hotel Tokyo to the Mansions is about 740 Yen (depends on how quick he finds the hotel - lol). Tokyo Tower one of Tokyo's attractions is within walking distance. But when you come there, I would recommend that you do one of these day tours to see the highlights. For all families: Disneyland and Disney Sea are very easy to reach from the Mansions. It just takes 30 Minutes. The waterpark "Summerland - Water Adventure" is two hrs. away. But in the summertime a blast for kids. And the train ride is fun anyway.
M Sussman	26 May 2005
Stayed at Sunroute Hiroshima, Hotel - Hiroshima, Japan.
We visited the A-Bomb Dome and spent several hours at the visitor center at the Peace Park. We went to a Hiroshima Carp baseball game, a movie, and ate at a Chinese Restaurant on Peace Avenue. There were always taxis waiting outside the door.
M Mulder	18 May 2005
Stayed at Park Hotel Tokyo - Tokyo, Japan.
When in Tokyo, at least visit Tokyo National Museum, Asakusa temple, Meji shrine and Ginza. And always try and visit the beautiful and much smaller cities of Kamakura and Nikko.
H Suh	10 May 2005
Stayed at Nagoya Marunouchi Tokyu Inn - Nagoya, Japan.
I visited the World Expo in Nagoya. It was a fascinating experience. However, I felt that the whole experience was very commercialized and the organizers could have been better organized. At times the Expo seemed a little bit chaotic. If you are going to the Expo, I would recommend that you go for more than a day. The waiting lines for the various exhibits are tremendously long. Wait times greater than 30 minutes are the norm and they give out reserved tickets for exhibits at designated times which you must obtain if you want to visit them. Nagoya Castle is a destination you must visit if you are in Nagoya. It's an impressive destination and there's a lot to see and experience. Nighlife in Nagoya is pretty quiet. Don't expect late night drinking sessions and much frenzied action like you would find in Tokyo. Compared to Tokyo, Westerners and foreigners are not that many and visible in Nagoya. I'm not sure if this is a benefit to you or not, but I found it refreshing not having so many Westerners and foreigners around.
M Chalkley	05 May 2005
Stayed at Hiroshima Hotel Central - Hiroshima, Japan.
Hiroshima is a place that any traveler to Japan should visit. Experiencing the tragic history of Hiroshima is an important experience, and one the Peace Memorial Park with its chilling Atomic Bomb Dome and sobering Peace Museum will make sure you never forget. The city itself is very affordable and easy to get around. It is an easy walk from Hiroshima Station to anywhere in the city you would like to go, and if you don't feel like walking the tram system will take you anywhere you want to go for a flat rate of 150 yen: a steal if you are familiar with the costs of traveling in Japan. Hiroshima is also a day-trip away from several must-see sights in Japan. One of the more popular destinations is Miyajima Island where Itsukushima Shrine and its famous floating torii can be found. The boat ride out and back to the island is amazing. Also, a Shinkansen stop down, is Iwakuni: a town that to me captures the old-time essence of Japan. Kintai Bridge, the oldest standing of its kind in Japan, leads the way to Iwakuni Castle which is well worth the hike. A few more stops down on the Shinkansen line is Shimonoseki. Little known to the guidebooks, Shimonoseki is home to one of Japan's most famous, and reportedly haunted, shrines: Akama Shine. The view of Dan no Ura, the Inland Sea, and even Kyushu are breathtaking, and the fresh fish from the market on the beach are well worth the wait in line. The best thing to remember about visiting Hiroshima and Southern Honshu is to pace yourself. There is a lot to see, even if most guidebooks only devote a few pages to the area. Try to devote a day to each major sight, and it might be wise to plan a second stop to places like the Peace Museum, which can be hard to take the first time through.
L Loi	05 April 2005
Stayed at Park Hotel Tokyo - Tokyo, Japan.
To find food near the hotel, take the lift that serves directly to B2, walk a short distance to nearby buildings such as Shiodome City Center or Caretta Shiodome and be spoit for choice by the extensive range of restaurants and cafes. At lunch time, you can easily find a great set meal for about US$10. There are many shops, cafes, restaurants located along the linkway between the hotel and Shimbashi Station. For a nice day trip, visit Yokohama and see the reputed world's biggest Chinatown. The place is really buzzing with activities. Take the subway from Shimbashi to Shibuya (Ginza Line) and transfer directly to Yokohama line. It takes about 40 minutes on the express train.
G Straight	04 April 2005
Stayed at Dai-Ichi - Osaka, Japan.
Visited Osaka Castle, the Osaka Aquarium (fantastic), Kyoto (about 25 minutes by train), went to Gion district and saw a Geisha show, tea ceremony, there are over 1,500 temples to see in Kyoto. The cherry blossoms in April are something you should not miss. Nara is a remarkable city, bring food to feed the deer that walk around free. Plenty of museums, shopping. Wear your walking shoes as you do plenty of walking. In Kyoto, get an all day bus pass so you can get on and off the bus at different locations for one price. Trains and subways are pretty easy to learn. Food is great almost everywhere. Don't miss the shopping underneath the Hanshin Dept store. The pastries made each day are beautiful. Fun to see all the different food.
S Olofsson	29 March 2005
Stayed at Sunroute Hiroshima, Hotel - Hiroshima, Japan.
We didn't have a lot of time in Hiroshima so decided to visit Miyajima on the afternoon we arrived and save the Memorial Park and museum for the following morning. Would definitely recommend Miyajima, so quite and peaceful after the hustle and bustle of many of the cities we visited...the tame deer, the temples, the wooden buildings and the atmosphere. Unfortunately we didn't have time to take the forest walk as well. The following morning we visited the Hiroshima Memorial Park, Hall of Rememberance and the A-bomb Museum. Also, consider using a JR railpass if you intend to travel around. Our children had a great couple of hours at 'Edo Movie Land' in Kyoto, 10mins by JR from Kyoto main railway station. It is a smaller japanese version of Universal Studios, with lots of traditional houses and sets used in japanese costume dramas, soap operas, films etc. The children really enjoyed the stunt show featuring the samuri and the ninja. You can also dress up as a geisha or a samurai warrior and have your photo taken (for a fee!). Could be an excellent bribe if the younger ones are all 'templed out'! Universal Studios Osaka is wonderful but the queues are long, you need a full day or try to go on a weekday which is not a school holiday and remember to check the information boards in the park for attraction queue times...Also I would recommend Himeji Castle...we were lucky and had an english speaking guide who explained the history of the castle including all the secret defense mechanisms much to the delight of our sons who couldn't wait to discover the whereabouts of the next 'booby trap! For me, strolling around Kyoto's Gion district at dusk and catching a glimpse of the Geishas/Meikos on their way to their engagements was definately one of the highlights of my stay. I was reading Memoirs of a Geisha at the time and it was literally as though the novel was brought to life in front of me. Oh and don't forget Nara, full of history,culture and easy to walk around.