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Sample the site
Some highlights of Japan for the impatient visitors
Below is an incomplete list of albums and articles to shake up your interest,
some of the most famous places in Japan that casual travelers or people
interested in culture, religion, architecture, shopping, pop culture or
fashion may have heard of.
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Tokyo - Albums by districts and sights
some of the most famous places in Tokyo
( ...click here for a list of all Tokyo photo
albums )
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Shinjuku Gyoen
in downtown Tokyo
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Parks and gardens ( from the Tokyo
Guide )
places to rest, play, study or admire the beauty of
As opposed to the popular misrepresentation of
Tokyo - again based on downtown scenes - there's quite a lot of
green in the city. Which not only goes well with gray, but also
serves as a great option if you're not up to leaving the city to
lose the buildings out of sight. And with parks mentioned, the areas
maintained to be closer to nature are in fact as large if not bigger
than the surrounding districts of business or entertainment, and
are mostly of great historic origin, preserving ancient buildings,
historic treasures and of course age old trees and gardens that
all have a story of their own. But the best part is that such places
are never too far away from where you are. Shinjuku Gyoen, probably
the largest of all such parks is in fact right next to Shinjuku
Station. Yoyogi koen and the Meiji Jingu gardens ( around the Meiji
Jingu Shrine ) are in between Shibuya, Yoyogi and Harajuku. Only
ten minutes away by foot from the liveliest places in the entire
city, you'll find a contrast big enough to chill you to proper temperature
and revitalize you for the rest of the day... or even week... (
click to read on the Tokyo
Park and Garden guide )
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 Asakusa,
Azumabashi, Tokyo 
Home of Senso-ji temple, Asakusa shrine and the Azumabashi bridge,
the most famous historic views of Tokyo. Also the ideal place to buy
classic souvenirs and see a wide variety of tourists. |
 Ginza,
Tokyo
Elite and somewhat snobbish shopping and entertainment district, mainly
for wealthier audience. Hidden in the smaller streets you will find
all the necessary scenes and stars for a movie about a never-existed
Tokyo. |
 Shibuya,
Tokyo 
Young and energetic entertainment, shopping and fashion district with
views everyone has seen at least once. Often the world debut stage
for music, movies, and games, vibrant and never boring. |
 Tokyo
Tower
The most famous icon of Tokyo, overlooking the city in all directions,
offering a perfect view on how vast it actually is. |
 Akihabara,
Tokyo 
For those whom this name rings a bell no introduction is needed. For
those who don't know, they probably shouldn't go there. The world
center of Anime, Manga, Games and electronics with a strong pushover
style. |
 Shinjuku,
Tokyo
The heart of Tokyo, Japan, and probably one of the most famous cities
in the world. A more adult version of Shibuya, shopping, dining and
entertainment district, and home of the gigantic and calm imperial
park. |
 Harajuku,
Tokyo
Trendy and cult fashion district for everyone who likes to be stylish.
World famous for extravagance in people and even food, and the number
of boutiques per square meters is matched nowhere else in the world. |
 Ueno,
Tokyo 
Travel back to the 20th century to see more relaxed but somewhat late
scenes of Tokyo. Ueno park is home to many museums, galleries and
a zoo, while the Ameya Yokocho shopping arcade gives you an idea of
the old fashioned downtown markets. |
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Kanto region - Albums by cities
a few examples of unforgettable places |
 Nikko
The nicest place to get faraway yet stay close. Two hours north of
Tokyo, with world heritage Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines surrounded
by breathtaking mountain views and the forests of the Nikko national
park. |
 Yokohama
South of Tokyo, with a population of 3 million people. A huge port
city with a gigantic collection of 21st century architecture at the
Minato Mirai complex. Also hosts many museums and parks by the bay,
and the main attraction, a sparkling gold, red and blue chinatown
catering to the entire Kanto region. Literally. |
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Kansai region - Albums by cities
If you had only 2 days in the Kansai region |
 Kyoto,
Arashiyama
The northwestern area of Kyoto, with its own train lines leading to
an unbelievable district of Buddhist temples, bamboo groves, hillside
gardens, Shinto shrines and the colorful atmospheric facilities around
the stations catering to the visitors who arrive from all over Japan.
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 Osaka
The heart of Kansai, and probably the second most important city of
Japan, Osaka is a one-of-a-kind modern merchant city with an attitude.
People speak kansaiben ( kansai dialect ) which somehow has the same
ring as their lifestyle... they are friendly, loud, upfront, and like
to live out things. Osaka is also the proof of the fact that if you
eat a lot of healthy food and don't stress yourself, you'll grow up
to be tall, cheerful and healthy. |
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Hokkaido and Tohoku - Albums by
cities
An island of landscapes and sceneries |
 Noboribetsu
Japan is world famous for its bathing culture and spas, and within
Japan the most famous attraction is definitely Noboribetsu Onsen.
Located deep within a volcanic mountain range is the tourist center
with nothing but hotels, spas, restaurants and shops catering to the
people arriving from all over the country. The water is supplied from
the nearby natural hot springs, visiting its origin is an attraction
itself. Only about ten minutes away from the center you are already
deep within Jigokudani ( Hell valley ), and not much further you can
see the active volcano Hiyoriyama and its lakes, Oyunuma and Okunoyu,
all of them offering views on nature you'll never forget.
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 Otaru
Only half an hour away from Sapporo, an ideal place to go out hunting
for ( interesting ) food. Its main attraction apart of a large number
of kani ( crab ) and fresh sushi restaurants is the seaside where
a colonization-era scene is photographed by thousands of tourists
each day. The canal and its surrounding buildings bring up a feeling
of the 19th century... Germany. |
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Q-Front Starbucks
in Shibuya, Tokyo
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Cafe life in the city ( from the Tokyo
Guide )
if you haven't already, discover their real values
You can't say you didn't find any. The only
thing that is even more frequent to come by than a vending machine
are downtown cafes... all of them more or less hermetically sealing
you away from the street ... most of the time with a panoramic window
with a view to where you just came from. An ideal place to take
a break from... whatever you were doing, and look back from a different
perspective... in many ways. You can stay for hours if you
want to, just order the cheapest cafe latte, find a place to sit
down comfortably and... wait for that mail on your keitai, pop up
your books to study, wait with or for your friends or read the magazine
you just bought. Amazingly no one will ask you to either buy something
more or leave. Perhaps this is the reason why all drinks and pastry
cost two times as much as normally but even so they won't exceed
a couple of hundred yens. It's probably not a good idea to try to
fill your stomach with the sandwiches either, but is a good measure
for emergencies, for there's no problem in the taste department.
With real wood tables circling around real plants and bossanova
ringing in the background, no one ever raising a voice any louder
than as of a laughter, regardless of what color their hair is dyed.
If you can find a good seat you can open your laptop and even go
online for most of them are hotspots for wireless net connection.
Count the record time in which the girls can type a mail message
in their mobiles or just gaze out the window and if you hadn't done
already, plan your next move before you descend back to the maze.
But in fact... it's the seat that you value the most at that point.
( click to read the full Tokyo
Cafe life guide )
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Some
Photo Albums by theme
in no particular order ( ...click here for a list of all themes such
as modern Japan, Historic Japan and more.) |
 Japanese
People
Slice of life snapshot portraits on the streets, in the parks, at
the markets, waiting for the train, posing for... turning from...
smiling for... and laughing at the camera... |
 Buddhist
temple, Shinto Shrine
Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples nested deep in the city, or sitting
at the top of a mountain... always ready to fill people who care for
them up with some energy, places of worship and festives... |
 Japanese
Fashion
The theme of the album is... the same as the title suggests. Things
that probably everyone likes... only that some live in denial. Regardless
of location and sometimes even quantity, the idea is to have fun finding
things you can pack your memories and emotions into. Sometimes without
noticing what you're doing. |
 Japanese
Architecture
A more general album ( thus probably overlapping many previous ones
) that gathers many scenes from places that still give off the ( more
than ) thousand-years old traditions of human meddled stone and wood.
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 Jitensha,
bicycles in Japan
Bicycles. Infiltrated human society for ages and keep on prospering.
Advice for people who don't ride one, don't try to evade them, they'll
evade you. |
 Japanese
Garden
Some are wonderfully well maintained little escapes within the city,
some are several hundred years old places of worship. But in fact
most of them are both. |
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More thumbnail mugshot
in addition to the rest... and in no particular order |
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Tokyo - Kitanomaru
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Kyoto - Higashiyama
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Tokyo - Shinagawa
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Tokyo - Yoyogi
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Kamakura
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Osaka - Ebisubashi
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Kyoto Station
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Tokyo - Jinbocho
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Aomori
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Tokyo - Yurakucho
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Tokyo - Shinjuku
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Tokyo - Shinbashi
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Tokyo - Ebisu
another option if you don't know where
to start is to
Just Click
on any thumbnail and view selected photos from the
region or city
Tokyo - Ochanomizu
Kyoto - Arashiyama
Tokyo - Shinjuku
Tokyo - Ueno
Tokyo - Harajuku
City Description
Icon legend
- Our favorites
- Modern Japan
- Historic Japan
Nikko
Kyoto - Arashiyama
Tokyo - Shinjuku
Tokyo - Shinjuku
Tokyo - Shibuya
Tokyo - Shibuya
Osaka - Shinsekai
Narita
Tokyo - Akasaka
Tokyo - Akihabara
Tokyo - Aoyama
Tokyo - Asakusa
Otaru. Hokkaido
Kyoto - Kibune
Tokyo - Ginza
Kyoto - Higashiyama
Yokohama
Tokyo - Yoyogi
Nikko
Nara
Sapporo
Osaka - Osakajo
Otaru, Hokkaido
Tokyo - Shimokita
Tokyo - Yurakucho
Tokyo Tower
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Travel
Tokyo and Japan in Pictures
