Japan Top 10
Experience the madness and intimacy of Tokyo. The capital of Japan feels more like a collection of small cities, rather than one big metropolis; and although the expanse of the Tokyo feels overwhelming, the Japanese are masters of creating intimate spaces amid the chaos.
1. Get your tech on and visit Shinjuku neighborhood. Filled with an overabundance of electronics stores and gaming parlors, a one-time visit here allows you to take in "big Tokyo." My favorite: playing a drum version of dance-dance revolution.
2. Take in a Sumo match. The actual rules are hard to understand, but English commentary is provided via a short wave radio earpiece.
After a few days, trade in Toyko for Kyoto and environs. The city of Kyoto, itself, is not terribly interesting to visitors. The sites are at the periphery of the city and in nearby smaller cities and towns.
3. Visit the worlds largest wooden building, containing the largest bronze Buddha in the world: Todai-Ji.
5. Visit the Golden Temple
6. Contemplate the meaning of life at a zen rock garden.
7. Get lost in a bamboo forest.
Hiroshima is a living story of triumph and reinvention. It is a city dedicated to peace, and its main attraction is life affirming and thought-provoking.
8. Wander through the Hiroshima Peace Park and Museum.
9. See the "floating gate," the Itsukushima shrine (when the water level rises).
Catch it if you can. The last entry on this top 10 list can prove challenging, as it rarely reveals itself. But a visit here is beautiful nonetheless. In addition, surrounding natural hot springs enhance the traditional Japanese spa experience.
10. Mt Fuji
