If you are planning a trip to the area be sure to review these itinerary suggestions and internet resources.

Tottori Prefecture

Ride a camel, take a horse-drawn carriage or explore to Tottori-sakyu Sand Dunes on foot.  Formed by volcanic ash from Mt. Daisen, the dunes stretch almost 16 kilometers and are 2 kilometers wide. 

Explore the prefectural capital of Tottori City to vist the Tottori Folk Craft Museum or take in the ruins of Tottori Castle (now known as Kyusho-koen Park) and the old samurai residences that are scattered about the city.  (Tottori City Sightseeing Map)

Camp on one of seven islets in Koyama-ike Pond, the largest pond in Japan.

Visit Tottori Prefectural Museum to see exhibits of Jomon pottery, Yayoi metalwork, and haniwa (grave mound) artifacts as well as exhibits about life as a samurai and area folk crafts.

Take a Yokai (Ghost/Spirit) tour of Sakaiminato, hometown of cartoonist Mizuki Shigeru, creator of the famous manga comic “GeGeGe no Kitaro”.

Explore the area around the Misasa Onsen where the god Myoken pointed a samurai warrior named Okubo Samanosuke after he spared the life of a white wolf over 800 years ago.  A statue of the the samurai and the wolf sit under the Misasa bridge in this picturesque open air onsen (hot springs).

In August, take in the 4,000 umbrella wielding dances at the Shan Shan Festival or check the Tottori Festival Schedule for other festivals throughout the year.

Explore Mt. Daisen, the highest peak in Chigoku, and part of Daisen-Oki National Park.  The mountain is considered sacred and is on the list of the 100 best mountains in Japan.

For more trip planning resources visit the Tottori Prefecture website or the Japan National Tourism Organization’s Tottori pages.

Yamaguchi Prefecture

Visit Chougen no Sato, a reproduction of a traditional mountain village, where you can experience making paper and other traditional Japanese crafts.

Relax with a stop at one of five Ashiyu (foot baths) in Yamaguchi City, the prefectural capital.

Visit the five story pagoda at Rurikoji Temple, a national treasure that was erected in 1442.

Try your hand at making traditional lacquer ware.

Tour Hagi to see historical buildings and castle ruins dating back to the 17th century, learn about Hagi pottery and see impressive collection of ukiyo-e prints in local museums. (Hagi Sightseeing Map)

Explore the karst topography of Akiyoshi-dai plateu and the largest limestone cavern in Asia, Akiyoshi-do, that is 100 meters underground and extends for about 10 kilometers.

Take a self guided walking tour of historic Shimonoseki.

Explore the Japan National Tourism Organization’s Yamaguchi pages or Yamaguchi City Tourist Information Site for more trip planning ideas and resources.

Articles in the Japan: A Closer Look series:

• Japan: A Closer Look at Hokkaido
• Japan: A Closer Look at Tohoku – Part 1 & Part 2
• Japan: A Closer Look at Chubu – Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kanto – Part 1 & Part 2
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kanto – Kanagawa
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kanto – Tokyo Practicalities
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kanto – Tokyo – Part 1 & Part 2
• Japan: A Closer Look At Tokyo:Lesser Known Facts And Figures
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kansai – Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3
• Japan: A Closer Look at Chugoku – Part 1

Image Credit:  Flickr, Tottori, Sand Dunes, Mizuki Shigeru Memorial Museum & Ashi-Yu

Oh, and did I mention that Honor interviewed me as part of her Tokyo People Series?  Check it out after she tells you about some of the practicalities about visiting Tokyo.

Take it away Honor…

The Kanto region of Japan, located in the middle of Japan’s main island of Honshu, is host to one of the busiest and most populous capital cities in the world: Tokyo. In part 1 of this series we’ll take a look at the practicalities of visiting Tokyo and cover what you need to know and be prepared for before you arrive.

Packing Your Bags

First things first, what do you need to bring with you? Despite being one of the largest cities in the world, Tokyo still lacks some of the necessities that you may take for granted at home.

Some things that you should bring with you when you come:

• Toiletries & Medicine – Not all the brands you use may be readily available in Japan so make sure you have enough to cover you during your stay or be prepared to experiment.
• Deodorant – It may sound crazy but don’t expect to buy this after you’ve landed. You need to bring it with you. There are a couple of Japanese brands here but I’ve tried them and trust me, they don’t work.
• Plug Converters – If you are bringing along electronics that have three prongs make sure to pick up some inexpensive converters as Japaneses sockets only accept two prongs.

For more information about what to pack in your bags see these Tokyo packing tips.

You also need to consider the time of year you will be traveling as the weather changes considerably between summer and winter. Should you pack light cotton clothes or a fleece and winter coat? Some of your answers will also depend on whether you are just staying in Tokyo or plan on visiting other parts of Japan such as Hokkaido or Tohoku as well. I’ve found Wunderground is a great resource to help decide what you will need to pack. Find out what the Tokyo weather is doing right now at Wunderground.

Show Me The Money!

If you are a regular traveler you might be surprised at how difficult it can sometimes be to access your cash in Tokyo. It’s not impossible but it’s definitely better to be prepared. So what’s the deal?

The banking system in Japan is still largely domestic and many Japanese banks still do not recognize international Visa or Mastercard options. American Express gets even less of a look in and if you have anything like Maestro or Cirrus the odds get even worse.

Thankfully, there are work-a-rounds available. Shinsei Bank has recently made the move to accept international Visa Plus cards and their ATMs are open 24 hours, 365 days a year. Seven Eleven convenience stores – which you can find in almost all areas of the city – also operate Seven Bank. Their ATMs accept any of the options that I mentioned above and again, as convenience stores are open 24 hours, so are the ATMs. For locations and accessibility follow the link to Seven Bank.

If you want to know more about costs in Tokyo and get access to a handy currency converter, see this guide to Tokyo prices.

Getting Around

Last but not least, it’s a good idea to start planning how you will get around before you land at Narita or Haneda airport.

The easiest and least expensive way to travel in Tokyo is by train. Once you get your head around it you can navigate your way to just about anywhere you want to go with just a short walk once you arrive at your closest station. Learning a little about the lines available and layout of the city, however, will really help to lessen the chance that you’ll end up standing in the middle of a station scratching your head, as you try and figure out which way you’re supposed to go. This is particularly true if you’re dealing with some of the bigger stations such as Shinjuku, Tokyo or Shibuya.

So which Tokyo train map do you need? There are three that I regularly use to plot my routes. Follow the link to download them all and start planning where you will go and how you will get there during your Tokyo vacation.

Need help to figure out which is the fastest or cheapest route? Jorudan or Hyperdia let you type in your start station and desired end station and they’ll figure out the rest for you. Perfect!

Next week, we’ll be taking a look at some of the must see places in Tokyo and what you can expect to find there.  In the meantime, if you just can’t wait to get started, visit Tokyo Toursim Information or drop by my site, Tokyotopia, to learn about lots of great things to do and see in Tokyo.

See you next week.

Other Articles in the Japan: A Closer Look series:

• Japan: A Closer Look at Hokkaido
• Japan: A Closer Look at Tohoku – Part 1 & Part 2
• Japan: A Closer Look at Chubu – Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kanto – Part 1 & Part 2
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kanto – Kanagawa

Image Credit:  Flickr, suitcase, Shane Sakata, personal collection

I am not suggesting that you throw away your guidebook – use it as a resource, along with others, to create yourself a personal “cut & paste” guidebook that is relevant to your interests and the goals that you have for your trip.  Start by going through your guidebook and highlighting or flagging items of interest – must see sights, restaurants, museums and potential accommodations.  That’s a great start but you aren’t finished yet – now it’s time to set aside your traditional guidebook and look to some other resources for information.

One often overlooked way to prepare for a trip to Japan, or anywhere else for that matter, is to read about it in advance of your trip.  But do yourself a favor and don’t limit yourself to travel articles and reviews – read about some of the events in Japan’s long history, read local newspapers and magazines, and even pick up a novel written by a Japanese author.  By reading about Japan you will gain a better understanding of this country and it’s people and your trip will be enhanced immeasurably.  You will notice and understand many little things that you might have otherwise overlooked and these little things will make for great travel memories.

Browse through the new, but constantly expanding Japan Reading Room or look through the Japan related books featured at The Nihon Sun to find some great Japan reading material and print, cut, paste, rip and tear out pages from some of the following resources (and your traditional guidebook) to create a highly personal and relevant “cut & paste” guidebook for YOUR trip to Japan.

The Nihon Sun Japan: A Closer Look series:

• Japan: A Closer Look at Hokkaido
• Japan: A Closer Look at Tohoku – Part 1 & Part 2
• Japan: A Closer Look at Chubu – Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kanto – Part 1 & Part 2
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kanto – Kanagawa
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kanto – Tokyo Practicalities
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kanto – Tokyo – Part 1 & Part 2
• Japan: A Closer Look At Tokyo:Lesser Known Facts And Figures
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kansai – Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3
• Japan: A Closer Look at Chugoku – Part 1 & Part 2
• Japan: A Closer Look at Shikoku
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kyushu – Part 1
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kyushu – Part 2

Japan Tourism Websites

• Read Traveling to Japan? Look Beyond The Usual to find links to tourism websites from the different regions of Japan.
• Yokoso Japan! is Japan’s official tourism website.  Get travel planning tips and information about sightseeing destinations and the history and culture of Japan.

Japan in Traditional Media

• New York Times Travel Section – Japan
• The Japan Times Travel Section
• The Japan Times Festival Listings

Regional Magazines in Japan

• Metropolis – travel articles and event listings for visitors and residents.
• WEB att.JAPAN – a magazine for visitors and residents of Japan.
• Kateigaho International Edition (KIE) – Japanese Art & Culture Magazine and the first item featured in The Nihon Sun Reading Room.

Associations

• Traditional Crafts of Japan by area.
• Friends of the Earth Japan – monthly hikes in the Tokyo area and other events around Japan
• Japan Museum Information – A searchable data base of museums in various areas in Japan.

Work in Japan

• WWOOF Japan – work exchange program in Japan. (Tip from Honor at Tokyotopia, an ever growing repository for all things Tokyo related)
• JET Program – Teach English in Japan

Blogs and Other Online Resources

• UNESCO World Heritage destinations in Japan
• Big In Japan by Gadling
• National Geographic – Intelligent Travel Blog offers sustainable travel tips for Japan and other destinations and recently followed the Jenss family as they traveled across Japan on a worldwide trip.
• Budget Travel Destination Asia – scroll down the page to find articles about Japan.
• Bento.com – restaurant guide for major cities in Japan.
• Ping Mag Make -  Coverage of traditional artists and craftspeople working in Japan today.
• JapanSoc – A Social Networking Site covering Japan with links to news articles and many great blogs about Japan.

You probably will invest a fair amount of money to get yourself to Japan and it only makes sense to take some time and use a variety of resources to plan your perfect trip. Subscribe to The Nihon Sun and some of the resources above to create that one of a kind, personal, “cut & paste” guidebook to Japan – the investment in time will ensure a great return on the money you spent to get here.

Can you suggest other Japan Trip planning resources?  Leave them in the comments and together we will create a comprehensive guide so everyone can make the most of their trip.

Image Credit: Personal Collection

Hokkaido (red)

A popular desitnation year round this island in northern Japan offers great skiing in the winter and beautifull pastoral greenery in summer.  The world famous Sapporo Snow Festival is held annually and UNESCO World Heritage added Shiretoko in Hokkaido to its list of natural sights in 2005.

Learn more about this region at the Visit Hokkaido website.

Tohoku (dark green)

Home to the Shirakami-Sanchi, another UNESCO World Heritage site famous for it’s beech tree forest and the 87 species of birds that can be found there.  See many of the areas sight by following the Apple Route in the fall or spring when the colors of the area are at their peak. Or take some time to explore the city of Sendai.

Chubu (tan)

Visit the villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama famous for their houses traditional thatched roofs and also UNESCO World Heritage sites.  Visit the Chubu Tourism Site or explore the Nagoya and Kanazawa two major cities in the region.

Kanto (blue)

Home to Tokyo and Yokohama with an abundance of things to do and see for the visitor.  If you can’t get to Kyoto or Nara, be sure to make some time to visit the temples, shrines and big Buhhda of Kamakura.

Kansai or Kinki (teal)

The historic monuments of Nara and Kyoto are also among the UNESCO World Heritage sites.  The major city in the region is Osaka and the tourist information sites for both Nara & Kyoto are worth clicking through.  Another great resource is the list of 100 carefully selected sightseeing spots in Kansai.

Chugoku (light green)

Home to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial,  yet another UNESCO World Heritage site and the city of Hiroshima itself.

Shikoku (pink)

The Japan National Tourist Board has put together a great three day itinerary through this area of whirlpools, ancient shrines, valleys and historic towns.  Take three days to enjoy the nature and traditions that Shikoku has to offer.

Kyushu-Okinawa (yellow)

Okinawa is Japan’s tropical paradise and a poplar vacation destination for citizens and international travelers. Also worth exploring are the cities of  Fukuoka & Kagoshima.

Visit Web Japan to learn more about the regions of Japan or visit the Japan National Tourist Organization for more trip planning inspiration.

Image Credit: Wikimedia, Regionen japans