Japan, Nihon or Nippon as they say there, is a fantastic country in the far east of Asia. Its Kanji characters mean Origin of the Sun, hence the name Country of the Rising Sun.
Surrounded by the Seas of Japan to the west, Sea of Okhotsk to the north, China Sea to the south, and the Pacific to the east, this archipelago of 6852 islands is the 4th largest in the world.
With a population of about 128 million people in an area of 377,973 km2, where the majority are volcanic mountains, it is one of the countries with the highest population density, especially in the cities where 90% of the people live. Only the metropolitan area of Tokyo, the capital, has about 38 million people, making it the metropolitan area with the most inhabitants in the world.
Japan has the longest unbroken imperial dynasty in the world. Currently the emperor is Naruhito son of Akihito, the emperor emeritus.
The current Japanese people originated on the island of Kyushu, with possible migrations of Korean and Chinese peoples who later went to the island of Honshu where they formed the Yamato empire with the beginning of the dynasty with Emperor Jimmu Tenno, descendant of the goddess Amaterasu by around 660BC. Since then Japan has gone through a period of wars until around the twelfth century it began to be ruled by Shoguns on behalf of the emperor.
At the beginning of the 17th century there was a long period of peace and isolation, until in 1853 Commodore Perry and his naval squadron forced Japan to open up to international trade. At that time, the Meiji Restoration began, which returned power to the emperor and ended the shogunate. It was also the beginning of Japan's modernisation.
During the following years, Japan was involved in several wars and conquests of territories culminating in the Pacific War against the United States of America, in which Japan surrendered after the detonation of two atomic bombs in its territory. The emperor renounced his divine ancestry, and Japan created a peace-building constitution that remains to this day.
Since then, Japan has developed to become a world power. In the 1980s it was even the richest country in the world, but in the 1990s the economic bubble burst and Japan has since gone through a long period of deflation.
“What to visit in Japan?” is a question I get asked constantly and my answer is always the same: it depends on what you like. Japan is a country full of cultural and natural diversity, so it's hard to say what to visit.
For those with little time and going for the first time, I definitely recommend Tokyo and Kyoto. In these two cities you can see the cultural and natural diversity that so characterises Japan.
Tokyo is a metropolis full of energy and novelties that reveal a more technological and energetic side of the Japanese people, however you can find corners where it seems that time has stopped where you can relax and travel to another era in the middle of one of the busiest cities in the world.
Kyoto, on the other hand, is where you can breathe culture and history. Full of temples and palaces, Kyoto shows us the cultural essence of ancient Japan. Tradition is sometimes surprised by some neighbourhoods full of energy and technology.
If we have more time and curiosity, then Japan offers everything for every taste. Winter or summer sports, cuisine of all kinds (local or international) and varied nature, from subtropical forests to a “mini desert”.
If you are thinking of going to Japan, and want to have an unforgettable trip, answer the questionnaire on this website and we will plan the ideal getaway according to your profile.
On the map of Japan, we can count about 6852 Japanese islands, but we can reduce them to 5 large groups of islands:
Being Hokkaido, the northernmost island and, in Japanese history, the island that was discovered later, Hokkaido is an island with a very low population density compared to the rest of Japan. In contrast to its natural beauty and animal life is immense.
Due to its location and the fact that the shinkansen only arrived there in 2016, this island is only now in vogue. Its mild summers and winters conducive to winter sports and snow lovers bring many tourists to this island.
Honshu is Japan's main and largest island and the seventh largest island in the world. Here lives the majority of the Japanese population (the second island with the most population in the world) and it is the island that has the most diversity of culture, nature and climate, due to its extension.
In Honshu we find the current capital Tokyo and the previous ones, such as Nara and Kyoto. Due to its size, it is unique in that it is divided into five regions and contains 34 of Japan's 47 prefectures.
The regions are (from North to South): Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku.
Shikoku is the mysterious island. Few tourists go to this island. Not only because for many years access was difficult, you could only go by boat, but also because the island is mostly known for religious reasons.
There are 88 temples on this island that are part of an ancient pilgrimage. But there are many other reasons that make a Shikoku getaway unique. Find out which ones with us.
Kyushu is the “Warm” island. It has the warmest people in Japan, has the most Onsen per square meter in Japan, and has a more subtropical climate.
It's the island where it all started and they're proud of it. Every warm corner of this island is worth discovering, from Fukuoka in the north to Kagoshima in the south.
Once the Ryukyu reign, Okinawa is an archipelago in the south of Japan that transports us to another reality. Here you can see the difference between the hustle and bustle of the main islands and the relaxed style of Okinawa. Full of islands with wonderful subtropical beaches, we can compare with our Madeira and Porto Santo in the south, and the Azores in the north.
Anyone who wants to get a completely different idea of Japan, I advise you not to miss a trip to one of these islands with its relaxed and friendly people.