Trip IdeasFodor's Japan, 19th Edition
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About This Book
Fodor’s. For Choice Travel Experiences.
Fodor’s helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. Although you’re at the helm, Fodor’s offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. It’s like having a friend in Japan!
•Updated frequently, Fodor’s Japan provides the most accurate and up-to-date information available in a guidebook.
•Fodor’s Japan features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime.
•If it’s not worth your time, it’s not in this book. Fodor’s discriminating ratings, including our top tier Fodor’s Choice designations, ensure that you’ll know about the most interesting and enjoyable places in Japan.
•Experience Japan like a local! Fodor’s Japan includes choices for every traveler, from visiting ancient temples and shrines to taking in Tokyo's futuristic department stores or Okinawa's war memorials, and much more!
•Indispensable, customized trip planning tools include “Top Reasons to Go,” “Word of Mouth” advice from other travelers, and tips to help save money, bypass lines, and avoid common travel pitfalls.
•Full-color pullout map
Visit Fodors.com for more ideas and information, travel deals, vacation planning tips, reviews and to exchange travel advice with other travelers.
Fodor’s helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. Although you’re at the helm, Fodor’s offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. It’s like having a friend in Japan!
•Updated frequently, Fodor’s Japan provides the most accurate and up-to-date information available in a guidebook.
•Fodor’s Japan features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime.
•If it’s not worth your time, it’s not in this book. Fodor’s discriminating ratings, including our top tier Fodor’s Choice designations, ensure that you’ll know about the most interesting and enjoyable places in Japan.
•Experience Japan like a local! Fodor’s Japan includes choices for every traveler, from visiting ancient temples and shrines to taking in Tokyo's futuristic department stores or Okinawa's war memorials, and much more!
•Indispensable, customized trip planning tools include “Top Reasons to Go,” “Word of Mouth” advice from other travelers, and tips to help save money, bypass lines, and avoid common travel pitfalls.
•Full-color pullout map
Visit Fodors.com for more ideas and information, travel deals, vacation planning tips, reviews and to exchange travel advice with other travelers.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Experience Japan............9
What’s Where............10
Japan Planner............14
Japan Top Attractions............16
Top Experiences............18
If You Like............20
Great Itineraries............22
Japanese Etiquette............26
Japanese Cuisine............28
Ritual and Religion............30
Budget Travel Tips............32
Chapter 2: Tōkyō............33
Orientation and Planning............34
Exploring Tōkyō............40
Elsewhere in Tōkyō............83
Where to Eat............89
Best Bets for Tōkyō Dining............92
Where to Stay............113
Best Bets for Tōkyō Lodging............115
Nightlife and the Arts............138
Shopping............158
Chapter 3: Side Trips from Tōkyō............181
Orientation and Planning............182
Nikkō 日光............185
Kamakura 鎌倉............198
Yokohama 横浜............212
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park 富士箱根伊豆国立公園............224
Chapter 4: Nagoya, Ise-Shima, and the Kii Peninsula............245
Orientation and Planning............246
Nagoya 名古屋............251
South Gifu-ken............260
Ise-Shima National Park 伊勢志摩国立公園............265
Kii Peninsula 紀伊半島............270
Kōa-san 高野山............272
Chapter 5: The Japan Alps and the North Chūu Coast............275
Orientation and Planning............276
The Japan Alps............283
Kanazawa and the North Chūu Coast............302
Sado Island (Sado-ga-shima) 佐渡島............316
Chapter 6: Kyōo............321
Orientation and Planning............322
Exploring Kyōo............328
Where to Eat............355
Where to Stay............367
Nightlife and the Arts............377
Shopping............379
Chapter 7: Nara............385
Orientation and Planning............386
Exploring Nara............391
Where To Eat............399
Where to Stay............405
Chapter 8: Ōaka............409
Orientation and Planning............410
Shopping............424
Sports............426
Where to Eat............426
Where to Stay............430
Nightlife and the Arts............435
Chapter 9: Kōe............439
Orientation and Planning............440
Exploring Kōe............444
Shopping............449
Where to Eat............450
Where to Stay............453
Nightlife............455
Chapter 10: Western Honshū...........457
Orientation and Planning............458
The San-yōRegion 山陽地方............463
The San-in Region 山陰地方............472
Chapter 11: Shikoku............489
Orientation and Planning............490
Takamatsu and Eastern Shikoku............495
Central Shikoku............507
Matsuyama and Western Shikoku............514
Chapter 12: Kyūhū...........523
Orientation and Planning............525
Fukuoka 福岡............530
Nagasaki 長崎............535
Kumamoto 熊本............542
Aso-san 阿蘇山 (Mt. Aso)............547
Kagoshima 鹿児島............549
Yufuin 湯布院............552
Chapter 13: Okinnawa............555
Orientation and Planning............557
Okinawa Hontō沖縄本島............561
Kerama Islands 慶良間諸島...........571
Miyako Islands 宮古諸島............573
Yaeyama-shotō八重山諸島............578
Chapter 14: Tōoku............585
Orientation and Planning............587
Sendai 仙台............592
Side Trips from Sendai............598
Northern Tōoku 北東北............604
Tōoku West Coast............616
Chapter 15: Hokkaidō...........623
Orientation and Planning............625
Hakodate 函館............634
Sapporo 札幌............637
Otaru and Niseko 小樽とニセコ............648
Shikotsu-Tōa National Park 支笏洞爺国立公園............656
Central Hokkaidō...........663
Eastern Hokkaidō道東............668
Northern Hokkaidō道北............676
Understanding Japan............679
Kanpai............680
Japanese Gardens............681
The Tea Ceremony............682
Pottery and Lacquerware............683
Bathing: An Immersion Course...........684
Films and Literature............685
Japan at a Glance............689
Chronology............691
About Japanese............696
Essential Phrases............698
Menu Guide............704
Travel Smart Japan............717
Getting Here & Around............718
Essentials............725
Index............742
About our Writers............760
MAPS
Imperial Palace............42-43
Akihabara and Jimbo-cho............46
Ueno............50
Asakusa............53
Tsukiki & Shiodome............58
Nihombashi, Ginza, and Yuraku-cho............63
Aoyama, Harajuku and Shibuya............68-69
Roppongi and Azabu Jžban............73
Shinjuku............77
Odaiba............81
Where to Eat in Tokyo............94-95
Where to Stay in Tokyo............118-119
Side Trips from Tōyō...........183
NikkōArea............189
Kamakura............202
Yokohama............217
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park............226
Nagoya............253
South Gifu-ken, Ise-Shima, and the Kii Peninsula...........261
Ise-Shima National Park............266
The Japan Alps............278-279
Takayama............298
Kanazawa............303
Kyōo............324-325
Eastern Kyōo............331
Central Kyōo............340
Western Kyōo and Arashiyama............347
Where to Eat in Kyōo............362-363
Where to Stay in Kyōo............373
Nara............388-389
Where to Stay & Eat in Nara............402-403
Ōaka............413
Where to Eat in Ōaka............429
Where to Stay in Ōaka............432
Kōe............442
Where to Stay & Eat in Kōe............451
Western Honshū...........459
Hiroshima............465
Shikoku............493
Takamatsu............496
Kyūhū...........526
Nagasaki............538
Okinawa............558
Miyako-shotō...........575
Yaeyama-shotō...........579
Tōoku............588
Hokkaidō...........628-629
Sapporo............641
Shikotsu-Toya National Park............657
What’s Where............10
Japan Planner............14
Japan Top Attractions............16
Top Experiences............18
If You Like............20
Great Itineraries............22
Japanese Etiquette............26
Japanese Cuisine............28
Ritual and Religion............30
Budget Travel Tips............32
Chapter 2: Tōkyō............33
Orientation and Planning............34
Exploring Tōkyō............40
Elsewhere in Tōkyō............83
Where to Eat............89
Best Bets for Tōkyō Dining............92
Where to Stay............113
Best Bets for Tōkyō Lodging............115
Nightlife and the Arts............138
Shopping............158
Chapter 3: Side Trips from Tōkyō............181
Orientation and Planning............182
Nikkō 日光............185
Kamakura 鎌倉............198
Yokohama 横浜............212
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park 富士箱根伊豆国立公園............224
Chapter 4: Nagoya, Ise-Shima, and the Kii Peninsula............245
Orientation and Planning............246
Nagoya 名古屋............251
South Gifu-ken............260
Ise-Shima National Park 伊勢志摩国立公園............265
Kii Peninsula 紀伊半島............270
Kōa-san 高野山............272
Chapter 5: The Japan Alps and the North Chūu Coast............275
Orientation and Planning............276
The Japan Alps............283
Kanazawa and the North Chūu Coast............302
Sado Island (Sado-ga-shima) 佐渡島............316
Chapter 6: Kyōo............321
Orientation and Planning............322
Exploring Kyōo............328
Where to Eat............355
Where to Stay............367
Nightlife and the Arts............377
Shopping............379
Chapter 7: Nara............385
Orientation and Planning............386
Exploring Nara............391
Where To Eat............399
Where to Stay............405
Chapter 8: Ōaka............409
Orientation and Planning............410
Shopping............424
Sports............426
Where to Eat............426
Where to Stay............430
Nightlife and the Arts............435
Chapter 9: Kōe............439
Orientation and Planning............440
Exploring Kōe............444
Shopping............449
Where to Eat............450
Where to Stay............453
Nightlife............455
Chapter 10: Western Honshū...........457
Orientation and Planning............458
The San-yōRegion 山陽地方............463
The San-in Region 山陰地方............472
Chapter 11: Shikoku............489
Orientation and Planning............490
Takamatsu and Eastern Shikoku............495
Central Shikoku............507
Matsuyama and Western Shikoku............514
Chapter 12: Kyūhū...........523
Orientation and Planning............525
Fukuoka 福岡............530
Nagasaki 長崎............535
Kumamoto 熊本............542
Aso-san 阿蘇山 (Mt. Aso)............547
Kagoshima 鹿児島............549
Yufuin 湯布院............552
Chapter 13: Okinnawa............555
Orientation and Planning............557
Okinawa Hontō沖縄本島............561
Kerama Islands 慶良間諸島...........571
Miyako Islands 宮古諸島............573
Yaeyama-shotō八重山諸島............578
Chapter 14: Tōoku............585
Orientation and Planning............587
Sendai 仙台............592
Side Trips from Sendai............598
Northern Tōoku 北東北............604
Tōoku West Coast............616
Chapter 15: Hokkaidō...........623
Orientation and Planning............625
Hakodate 函館............634
Sapporo 札幌............637
Otaru and Niseko 小樽とニセコ............648
Shikotsu-Tōa National Park 支笏洞爺国立公園............656
Central Hokkaidō...........663
Eastern Hokkaidō道東............668
Northern Hokkaidō道北............676
Understanding Japan............679
Kanpai............680
Japanese Gardens............681
The Tea Ceremony............682
Pottery and Lacquerware............683
Bathing: An Immersion Course...........684
Films and Literature............685
Japan at a Glance............689
Chronology............691
About Japanese............696
Essential Phrases............698
Menu Guide............704
Travel Smart Japan............717
Getting Here & Around............718
Essentials............725
Index............742
About our Writers............760
MAPS
Imperial Palace............42-43
Akihabara and Jimbo-cho............46
Ueno............50
Asakusa............53
Tsukiki & Shiodome............58
Nihombashi, Ginza, and Yuraku-cho............63
Aoyama, Harajuku and Shibuya............68-69
Roppongi and Azabu Jžban............73
Shinjuku............77
Odaiba............81
Where to Eat in Tokyo............94-95
Where to Stay in Tokyo............118-119
Side Trips from Tōyō...........183
NikkōArea............189
Kamakura............202
Yokohama............217
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park............226
Nagoya............253
South Gifu-ken, Ise-Shima, and the Kii Peninsula...........261
Ise-Shima National Park............266
The Japan Alps............278-279
Takayama............298
Kanazawa............303
Kyōo............324-325
Eastern Kyōo............331
Central Kyōo............340
Western Kyōo and Arashiyama............347
Where to Eat in Kyōo............362-363
Where to Stay in Kyōo............373
Nara............388-389
Where to Stay & Eat in Nara............402-403
Ōaka............413
Where to Eat in Ōaka............429
Where to Stay in Ōaka............432
Kōe............442
Where to Stay & Eat in Kōe............451
Western Honshū...........459
Hiroshima............465
Shikoku............493
Takamatsu............496
Kyūhū...........526
Nagasaki............538
Okinawa............558
Miyako-shotō...........575
Yaeyama-shotō...........579
Tōoku............588
Hokkaidō...........628-629
Sapporo............641
Shikotsu-Toya National Park............657
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