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Universal Studios Japan®

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The Three Mountains of Dewa / Yamagata PrefectureThe Three Mountains of Dewa, which form part of the Dewa Mountain Range in the center of Yamagata Prefecture, have been considered sacred. The colonnade of cedar trees on Mt. Haguro, which is one of those three mountains, has been awarded three stars by the Michelin Green Guide, and also has been designated by the government as a Special Natural Monument. Giant cedar trees, over 350 years old, line the 2,466 stone steps that lead right to the peak.

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Sendai

Colonnade of cedar trees at Mt. Haguro

Risshaku-ji Temple

Rice Crop Art

Inakadate Village, Tsugaru /Aomori PrefectureRice crop art is created every year in Inakadate Village on the Tsugaru Plain which is known for its rice production. Using the rice paddies as their canvas, locals use different colored varieties of grain to skillfully depict giant images. From late May, farmers plant r ice seedlings in the traditional way, by hand, and nurture the rice until autumn when the crop art is complete. They also conduct rice planting and rice harvesting tours.

Sendai / Miyagi PrefectureSendai is a former castle town that is so leafy-green that it is known as “Mori no miyako” or Forest City. The great Chinese writer Lu Xun spent his student years there. The Sendai Tanabata Festival, which is one of the Three Major Festivals of the Tohoku region, is held every year in early August. It attracts over 2 million visitors who throng the streets decorated with as many as 3000 streamers of various sizes made of bamboo and multi-colored Japanese washi paper .

Risshaku-ji Temple /Yamagata Prefecture This is a famous temple with over 1,150 years of history, situated in the city of Yamagata. The temple grounds consist of a whole mountain covered with unusual rock formations. Scores of temples are dotted around the hillsides, including small shrines that appear to jut out from the cliff tops. It is well known as the temple where the renowned haiku poet Matsuo Basho wrote a poem about the silence in his travelogue “Oku no Hosomichi” (The Narrow Road to the Deep North).

KANSAI

関西

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The heart of this area is Osaka, the largest city in western Japan. This is a region where you can enjoy diverse travel experiences everywhere you visit,from the gastronomic culture of Osaka to countlesshistorical heritage sitesand exotic port towns.

Dotonbori, Shinsaibashi and Tsutenkaku Tower / Osaka PrefectureThe precinct that straddles Osaka City’s Chuo Ward and Naniwa Ward is home to the entertainment district that symbolizes Osaka. Dotonbori is a shopping street thronged with people visiting its many eateries and shops alongside the canal which was built in the 17th century. Extending alongside major st reets is the shopping district of Shinsaibashi which features many famous brand reta i l s tores. In the v ic in i ty of Osaka’ s symbolic Tsutenkaku Tower is Shinsekai where you can enjoy inexpensive but delicious food.

An Urban

Symphony of People

and Culture

Tsutenkaku Tower

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CHUGOKU

中国

The Chugoku region broadly divides into two areas,one on the Sea of Japanand the other on the Seto Inland Sea, where climate and natural scenery differ significantly. The pleasures of unique traditional culture andfood await the visitorin both areas.

Water Fireworks Festival

Traditions and Legacies,

Both Human

and Divine

Miyajima, Itsukushima Shrine and Water Fireworks Festival /Hiroshima PrefectureMiyaj ima, located in the Bay of Hiroshima, is a beauti ful island considered to be one of the Three best Views of Japan. The symbol of the i s l a n d i s t h e h e r i t a g e l i s t e d Itsukushima Shrine.The building, which extends out into the sea, looks as if it is floating on the ocean at high tide. Its massive torii (shrine gate) that stands in the sea is 16 meters high. In summer, a water fireworks festival is held where the fireworks are set off into the sea from boats located offshore, accentuating the silhouette of the huge shrine gate.

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SHIKOKU

四国

Shikoku is linked to Honshuvia three bridge routes.It is also easily accessedfrom Kansai and Chugoku. Its many local festivals, ocean and mountain scenery make each prefecturea richly diverse and appealing tourist destination.

Naruto Whirlpools and Awa Dance / Tokushima PrefectureThe Awa Odori Folk Dance Festival is a summer festival with a 400 year tradition. The scale of this festival held in the city of Tokushima is especially large, attracting as many as 100,000 dancers and 1.3 million visitors. Not far from Tokushima, in the Naruto Strait, visitors can see the huge Uzushio Whirlpools which present one of the most unusual sights in the world. The largest whirlpool has a diameter of 30 meters and can be observed up close from pleasure cruisers or from the Onaruto Bridge which spans the strait.

Awa Dance

The Vigor of People

Living in Harmony

with Nature

KYUSHU

九州

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Having been in contact with foreign lands since ancient times, Kyushu has nurturedits own distinctive culture.Apart from its characteristic natural features like volcanoes and hot springs, it abounds with unique appeal for the traveler, from regional taste sensations, to unusual streetscapesand festivals.

Yufuin /Oita PrefectureYufuin, situated at the foot of Mt. Yufu in central Oita Prefecture, is an onsen (hot springs) area noted for having the third largest volume of spring water in the whole of Japan. Its stylish streets where art galleries, restaurants and souvenir shops jostle for space are very popular with female visitors. Visitors can ride in sightseeing horse-drawn carriages around the rural countryside as well as visit shrines in the vicinity of Yufuin Station, or gain hands-on experience of tradit ional washi papermaking and dyeing.

A Land of

Romance Concealing

Eternal Memories

Yufuin

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KYUSHU

Dazaifu Tenman-gu Shrine and Kyushu National Museum /Fukuoka PrefectureDazaifu, to the south-west of Fukuoka City, was the seat of local government in the latter half of the 7th century, now noted for its many historical relics. One of over 10,000 Tenman shrines nationwide, Dazaifu Tenman-gu venerates the god of scholarship or education. Being considered something of a head shrine it attracts over 6 million visitors annually. Nearby is the Kyushu National Museum where visitors can learn about Japanese culture and the history of Japan’s contact with various Asian nations.

Arita, Karatsu Castle and Yobuko /Saga PrefectureLocated in the west of Saga Prefecture, Ar i ta and neighboring Imari comprise a world renowned porcelain producing area. The town is lined with pottery kilns and bustling with tourists seeking to buy ceramics. Facing the Sea of Japan to the north, Karatsu is a castle town built around Karatsu Castle which enjoys a commanding view over the ocean. Tourists are also attracted to the morning market at Yobuko which abounds with fresh seafood like squid, a local specialty.

Mt. Aso / Kumamoto PrefectureMt. Aso is actually a group of volcanic mountains which includes the largest caldera in the world. Visitors can access the crater of Mt. Naka, at an altitude of 1,506 meters, by car or ropeway and observe an active volcanic crater close at hand. This area is also home to picturesque grassy plains extending across the former crater remains, and famous springs.

Kurokawa Hot Springs /Kumamoto PrefectureThis hot spring area situated to the north of Mt. Aso is one o f the most popu la r in Japan. Dozens o f ryokan (Japanese-style inns), souvenir shops and eateries line the secluded valley, and create a relaxed hot spring town atmosphere. Many ryokan have their own unique bathing areas like roten-buro, or outdoor hot spring baths, and tourists can purchase a multi-use ticket which allows them to enjoy bathing at up to three ryokans of their choice.

Train Journeys /All regions of KyushuKyushu has numerous quirky sightseeing trains, and tours that take tourists to various regions by train are very popular. Visitors can enjoy new travel encounters on trains that include Japan’s first cruise train, “Seven Stars in Kyushu” which tours all seven Kyushu prefectures, take leisurely enjoyment in Aso’s majestic natural beauty on the “Minami-Aso Railway Takamori Line”, or board a luxurious rail car equipped with a bar, known as “A-train”.

Yobuko

Minami-Aso Railway in Kumamoto PrefectureTenman-gu Shrine

Komezuka Volcanic Cone, Mt. Aso

Kurokawa Hot Springs

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KYUSHU

Yakushima Island /Kagoshima PrefectureYakushima is a World Heritage l isted island with a range of mountains each exceeding 1,000 meters known as “Alps on the Ocean”. The verdant forests are home to cedar trees over 1,000 years old which are unique to th is is land. Yakushima is a popu la r tour is t des t ina t ion renowned for eco tours that include trekking to locations like the 7,200 year old Jomon Cedar tree, reputed to be the oldest in the world, as well as climbing up mountain streams and diving.

Sakurajima Volcano and Sengan-enGarden / Kagoshima PrefectureTo the present day, Sakurajima, a volcano that still emits smoke, is symbolic of Kagoshima. Sengan-en, which has a commanding view of that majestic sight, is the garden of a former feudal lord who ruled over the Kagoshima region. This famous garden exploits traditional landscaping techniques where the Bay of Kagoshima becomes a pond and even Sakurajima, which can be seen in the distance, is incorporated into the garden. This is close to the city of Kagoshima where visitors can enjoy gourmet treats and shopping.

The streets of Hakata andHakata Gion Yamakasa Festival /Fukuoka PrefectureThe city of Fukuoka is the largest in Kyushu best known by the name of Hakata. The township is noted for one of the hottest entertainment districts in the country, called Tenjin, and offers numerous shopping and culinary delights with food stalls selling Hakata ramen and yakitori under bright neon lights at night. In July, the city hosts the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival where the air resounds with the rallying cries of men hauling ornately decorated floats through the streets.

Ibusuki Hot Springs /Kagoshima PrefectureIbusuki Onsen (hot springs), overlooking Kagoshima Bay, is a tourist attraction where visitors can enjoy very unusual hot springs. It is famous for its Suna Mushi bath where people lie on the sandy beach and are covered in sand that has been warmed in underground springs. Bathers wearing a yukata (summer kimono) derive health benefits from the natural hot springs by having their whole body buried in the sand. Mt. Kaimondake which presents a silhouette very similar to Mt. Fuji is just part of the local scenery that makes up a fabulous driving route.

Beppu Hot Springs / Oita PrefectureOn the central eastern seaboard of Oita Prefecture is Japan’s foremost hot spring area in terms of water volume and number of springs. While bathing in the springs is an obvious attraction, another is making the rounds of what are called “hells”. Geysers, and springs that change color from red to blue depending on their constituent minerals are likened to hell. There is a sightseeing route that takes tourists to each of these, including the bright red Chinoike Jigoku (blood pond hell) and the cobalt blue Umi Jigoku (sea hell).

Ibusuki Hot Springs

Sakurajima and Sengan-en Garden

Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival

Chinoike Jigoku

The Jomon Cedar

OKINAWA

沖縄

Okinawa was once an independent kingdom called Ryukyu. Its distinctive culture that was nurtured within that historical context, combined with some of the most beautiful ocean in the world, make this a wonderfully appealing resort where visitors can savor an exotic tropical atmosphere.

Shurijo CastleThe Ryukyu K ingdom ex i s ted between the 15th and 19th centuries, predominantly on the main island of Okinawa. Shurijo Castle was built between the 15th and 16th centuries as a royal palace. With several castle gates and stone walls, it is the largest building of the Kingdom of Ryukyu. Its architectural style and stonework techniques reveal a fusion between the castle construction cultures of China and Japan, and serve as a reminder of a long history and cultural interaction. The Shurijo Castle and its surroundings have been designated as World Heritage Sites.

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Echoes of

a Magnificent

Regal Culture

Shureimon Gate of the Shurijo Castle and women wearing Ryukyu dancing costumes