Lonely Planet Japan (Travel Guide)

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Begin your taste-testing at the Kamotsuru Sake Brewing Company, where you can watch the brewing process. Having visited there they came to the conclusion that, nice as it was, it was a waste of one of their few free evenings. One of the most famous and joy-filled is the Yayoi Kusama Yellow Pumpkin sculpture waiting for you at the end of a jetty. Winter in Japan's north peaks in January, and February is the perfect time for skiing and hiking across powdery snow in the wilds of Hokkaidō. Lonely Planet Japanis your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you.In classic LP fashion, there are sections on culture, history, et cetera, and it will tell you much of what you should know before setting out. I have more than 5 Lonelyplanet Phrasebooks and it’s impressive to see how much they cover and how accurate the phrases are for each situation. Or trust the chef at omakase restaurants, where your personal chef will prepare in-season and classic sushi and sashimi in front of you based on your tastes. Read more about the condition New: A new, unread, unused book in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages.

And the territory of Japan is diverse, stretching from northern forests in Hokkaido to tropical islands in the southwest, and mountainous areas scattered around the country. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves. Even if you are unfamiliar with Spirited Away or their other films, you will love the fairy tale atmosphere and the climbable Cat Bus. Detour: Visit a Nintendo-themed cafe, Pokémon-themed café or Tokyo Character Street if you're visiting Tokyo with kids. Local tip: A teishoku (set menu) lets you try a bit of everything (rice and miso soup included) and is a popular choice for lunch or at casual restaurants.Adjacent to the Atomic Bomb Museum and completed in 2003, this minimalist memorial by Kuryū Akira is a profoundly moving place. Detour: When you're not hiking, stop by the Yakusugi Museum to learn more about the importance of yakusugi to the islanders of Yakushima. He specialises in travelling off the beaten track, whether on remote atolls or in the hidden streets of major cities. To me the Lonely Planet guide seemed possibly better suited to those who had never been to Japan and who like to have a lot of detail and specifics around the logistics of booking accommodation, flights, sites, etc. It's fine for last minute reference or confirming details on the plane, but worked poorly as a primary reference.

But, having been there several times before, I knew that in the evening the area can be quite desolate and that the only real reason people do go there at night is to go to a restaurant or the multiplex cinema. I imagined that if I was somewhere in Japan I'd never been to before, and had The Rough Guide maps in front of me, they wouldn't have been much help on the ground.

If I were to indulge my whim of visiting Northern Japan, and other sights important to Japanese Authors such as Yukio Mishima, Junichiro Tanizaki, Soseki Natsume, and Ryunosuke Atkutagawa, this guidebook would be indispensable. Japan’s public transport system is among the best in the world, its jewel the high-tech, high-speed bullet-train network, which is continuously expanding. If you forget to pack one, it’s easy enough to find a surgical-style disposable face mask in airports and pharmacies all over Japan. When ready, change into your yukata (traditional cotton robe) and head to the dining room for a multi-course kaiseki meal of the region’s cuisine.