DISCOVER JAPAN
DISCOVER JAPAN=” Land of the Rising Sun.”
A spectacular setting in the Asia-Pacific region set on four major islands: Hokkaido, in the northern region where heavy snows, and
snow monkeys are found along with great skiing and winter sports of every strip; Honshu, the main island where historic sites cover the landscape and where the major cities of the country lie including the nation’s capital, Tokyo; Shikoku, the smallest island, where ancient monasteries and shrines are located along with a remote setting, numerous hiking trails, inlets and centuries old wood-framed houses; Kyushu, in the southern part of region where you’ll come across remote villages and settlements, a photographer’s choice. All together JAPAN is made up of 68952 islands, between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, and is one of the longest archipelagos in the world, in fact. It is made up of deep rivers, dense forests, volcanic peaks, and mountainous terrain, with major cities in between. JAPAN is also known for its parks both big and small. Over 30 national parks and over 50 quasi parks in total. And three of the world’s most popular theme parks are in JAPAN, according to CLSA. Disney theme parks factor in here. While JAPAN’s land mass is small, less than 150,000 square miles holding a population of over 125 million residents, it’s been a popular draw for tourism. In March of 2018, the JNTO counted 2.6 million visitors in March, an 18% jump over the same month in 2017. Moreover, 7.6 million were counted in the first quarter of 2018 overall. Projections for 2020, the year of the Tokyo Olympics is pegged for 40 million, a city of over 13 million residents. Note, JAPAN boasts the world’s third largest economy after China and the U.S.
There’s lots to see and do in JAPAN in 2018. Top half-dozen sites include Mt.Fuji, Todai-Ji, Monkey Park, Himeji Castle, Tokyo’s Imperial Castle and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial in Hiroshima.
We recommend you try their website: www.us.jnto.go.jp for more info. JNTO is an acronym for the Japanese National Tourist Office which has outposts in major cities across the U.S. and Canada. In New York the Japan Society can fill you in on the cultural offerings that the country provides. Try www.japansociety.org. For travel from the U.S. the leading carriers are Japan Airlines/ www.ar.jal.com and ANA/ www.fly-ana.com
For info on the capital city of Tokyo-gototokyo.org and for the leading hotels in that city there’s Tokyo Hotels-www.tokyuhotelsjapan.com. You can also contact NTA, the largest and oldest travel agency in JAPAN or www.ntaamerica.com in the U.S. For travel ease in JAPAN
J.A.P.A.N, the Japan America Public Affairs Network can fill you on at what to expect while you’re there. In the U.S.contact Pat Kinney at [email protected] for this.
Michael Zufolo, Ed., LTR! Radio reporting
