Facts About Japan
Japan Official Name: Nihon.
Capital and Largest City: Tokyo.
Japan Population: 126,974,628 (July 2002 est.)
Area: Total, 145,870 square miles (377,801 square kilometers)
Form of Government: Constitutional monarchy (chief of state emperor; head of government prime minister).
Major Political Subdivisions: 47 prefectures.
Japan Highest Elevation: Mount Fuji, 12,389 feet (3,776 meters).
Japan Climate: North short, cool summers and long, cold, snowy winters; southwest warm, humid summers and mild, humid winters.
National Anthem: 'Kimigayo'.
Monetary Unit: Yen.
Major Language. Japanese.
Major Religions. Shintoism, Buddhism.

Mt. Fuji, gardens, shopping, cherry blossoms, cultural attractions (from palaces and historic sites to sumo wrestling and Kabuki theater), bullet trains, beaches, war (and peace) memorials, traditional crafts and religious shrines and temples are among the chief attractions of Japan.

Japan is a wonderful, fascinating and, unless you're very careful, expensive destination. Don't go if you are on a tight budget or are uncomfortable among dense crowds or in confining spaces. Be aware that you'll have to do a lot of walking to explore most attractions. Avoid traveling to Japan the first week of January, last week of April/first week of May, in late July or early August. These are major holiday periods when there are many closings and public transportation is fully booked.

In Japan there are many fascinating places that you can enjoy for free. These include such diverse attractions as beer museums, food galleries, hi-tech consumer electronics showrooms, cosmetics factories and television studios. With so many different places to visit there’s bound to be something of interest for everyone.

Like a giant sponge soaked with hot water, Japan literally leaks from thousands of hot springs right across the country. And at some 1,800 of these hot spring areas, a large number of special hot spring resorts have sprung up over the 2,000 years or so that the Japanese have being enjoying a good, hot bath. Japan's hot spring resorts, known as onsens in Japanese, are among its most enjoyable destinations for visitors, and offer a mind-boggling array of variations on the seemingly simple act of soaking in hot mineral waters.

In a country that manufactures a large percentage of the entire world's consumer goods, and that structures its entire national existence around the marketplace, it is no surprise that shopping takes up a good proportion of most visitors' time.

The Japanese themselves love shopping, and look upon a visit to big department stores in the major cities as recreation. The stores encourage this by offering child-care service, giving away free food samples in their grocery markets and delicatessens, holding art shows and demonstrating native and foreign crafts.

Among the valued items sought as souvenirs are digital cameras, DVD players, portable MD players, watches, kimonos, pearls, ceramics, bamboo ware, woodblock prints and curios. All of which are available in specialty shops or department stores.

• Hiroshima: When the first atomic bomb exploded over Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, the city became an immediate symbol for the horrors of war. Today, Hiroshima has several moving reminders of that day of devastation. The centerpiece is called the A-Bomb Dome. The A-Bomb Dome is the skeleton of a domed building that survived the blast. Across the street is Peace Park, where you'll find the Cenotaph for the Victims (it contains all of their names) and the Atomic Bomb Museum. The island of Miyajima lies just off the coast from Hiroshima. It is a short ferry ride from the end of the streetcar line. The main reason to go there are the solitude, the view and the Shrine of Itsukushima, which is built on wooden piers over the water.
• Kamakura: The impressive site in this ancient city and religious center is the photogenic Daibutsu, a giant 90-ton bronze statue of the Buddha. The statue has an amazing history that everyone should look into.
• Kanazawa: This classic castle town (though only the gate still stands) offers streets of samurai houses and two geisha quarters.
• Koyasan: This ancient town is full of acres of religious architecture. This wonderful town perched high atop sacred Mt. Koya in southwestern Honshu. It's well known to the Japanese - thousands of Buddhist pilgrims make the rounds of its wealth of temples - but few Western visitors ever see it.
• Kyoto: If you are planning a trip to Japan and can't decide which cities to vist, mark Kyoto down as a must see. This ancient city was the capital of Japan for more than a thousand years and still is considered the country's spiritual capital. Kyoto is graced with an abundance of temples, palaces, gardens and museums.
• Mt. Fuji: This well-known snowcapped symbol of Japan is 12,388 ft/3,774 m high, but it does not require any special mountain-climbing skills or equipment to ascend. Five trails lead to the summit; each has 10 rest stops along the way. The vast majority of climbers take a bus halfway to the top and begin hiking from the fifth station (the climb from there to the summit takes 5-6 hours).
• Nagoya: Japan's fourth-largest city was almost completely destroyed during the war.
• Tokyo: Tokyo is vibrant and alive. One of the world's main economic centers - and most populous metropolitan areas - Tokyo is a city that presents a different view of itself at every turn. Several times in history, Tokyo has been almost destroyed - by fires, earthquakes, floods and war - but it has always rebuilt itself. Because of the expense and the language barrier, most travelers to Tokyo have gone there for business. It has been a place to do things, not to see things. But prices of hotels have dropped making the city more attractive.

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