Take a look around Japan from your desktop, starting with Japan generally, then on to Tokyo and finally the cities and regions of Japan from Hokkaido down to Okinawa. Don't forget there is more information on travel and life in Japan in the Organizations and Japanese News pages.

Japan and Tokyo
The following links are to web sites offering guides to Japan in general and to the capital city of Tokyo, both for tourists and for those planning a longer stay.

From-Hanna
A practical and useful guide from Sony Marketing (Japan) to travelling, living and working in Japan. It includes categories such as daily living, travel, language learning, shops, restaurants and a Japan Profile.

See Japan
The Japan National Tourist Organization's site for the British market. Visitor information on transport, accommodation, food, culture, tours, Japan Rail passes, climate and more.

Real Japan
An individual look at Japan through the eyes of Alisa Sanada, a young Japanese-American who moved from the USA to live in Japan. As well as some great pictures, you can read her views on a variety of topics including fashion, Japanese toilets, slang and life in Japanese high schools.

Japan Ryokan Association
Organization of ryokan owners (the ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn) which sets guaranteed standards of accommodation. List of inns around Japan with descriptions and prices; tips on the etiquette of dining and communal bathing in this uniquely Japanese environment.

Access Japan
Site run by the Japan Travel Bureau with information on tours, accommodation, air fares and rail passes.

Inside Japan Tours
An independent company offering small group tours and tailored packages to suit individual interests and budgets. The group tours include all transport, accommodation, breakfast and the services of a Japanese-speaking "tour buddy", which should provide an easy introduction to Japan without the communication problems some tourists encounter.

Hike Japan
A new venture offering fully escorted and guided walking holidays in areas of Japan outside the normal tourist trail. The itineraries include half-day walks in areas of outstanding cultural or natural interest and a 4-day, 50 mile hike through the Wakayama mountains on an old pilgrimage trail.

Japanese Engrish
Any visitor to Japan will soon come across the mangled English (often known as Engrish or Japlish) appearing on T-shirts, advertisements and packaging. This site is a collection of hundreds of examples, ranging from the popular drink named "Pocari Sweat refreshment water" and "hi-sensible taste" clothing to Snot toothpaste and the print-roll paper exquisitely named "My Fannie".

Window of Japan
See live scenes from Japan on this webcam site, with links to over 40 web sites of online cameras in Japan. There are mountains, lakes, city views and indoor locations including a bar and even a barber shop.  

Wendy's Life In Japan
Entertaining tales of gaijin life in Japan from an American who spent over 8 years there.

Japan Railways Group
American site (but most of the information is relevant to UK and other countries as well) with details of Japanese rail routes, schedules and fares. Includes information on rail passes, airport shuttles and the Shinkansen bullet trains.

Tokyo Q
Sponsored by the Nokia company, this is a guide to life in Tokyo including restaurants, izakaya, music, art, nightlife, news and a photo gallery.

Made In Tokyo
A new slant on Tokyo's architecture. Pan across the map, click on some buildings and flags and wait to see what happens...

Tokyo Tower
This "imitation Eiffel Tower", constructed in 1958, is actually slightly taller than its Paris counterpart and houses a wax museum and other attractions. The web site has statistics, pictures and panoramic views.

Neo-Tokyo.com
Stylish online magazine of Japanese pop culture with sections on music, books, travel, television and weird tales. Requires Flash 5 which is downloadable from the site. This site is sometimes "temporarily" unavailable for long periods but seems to reappear eventually.

Yes! Tokyo
This tourist guide to Tokyo, run by Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau, is packed with information. Tokyo by area with search and clickable map, photo gallery, museum guide, excursions, accommodation guide and recommendations.

Tokyo Disneyland
The official guide to the theme park's attractions, rides, shops, restaurants and live entertainment.

Roger & Marilyn's Photo Tour of Tokyo
Forgive the corny title and references to "Tokyo, Japan" (presumably to distinguish it from  all the other cities called Tokyo) and enjoy more than 200 photographs taken on this American couple's 1998 trip. There are maps, video, sound and detailed tourist information and the site is slickly produced by a professional web designer.

Harajuku Digital World
Information in Japanese and English on the youth-dominated district of Harajuku in Tokyo. Guide to the area, history, maps, news and live web cams on Takeshita Street, bustling with young Tokyoites. 

Tokyo Tales
Chris Jennings, a British IT professional working in Tokyo, describes his site as "a chronicle of modern-day Japanese weirdness" and "the daily journal of a twenty-something Brit living in Tokyo".

Photokyo
Photo galleries of Tokyo featuring people, places and virtual walks. The site also has chat and message board sections.

Cities and Regions
Japan comprises the 4 main islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku together with many hundreds of smaller islands. They are divided into 47 administrative areas known as prefectures (or "ken" in Japanese). These are links to web sites which feature an individual city, prefecture or area of Japan and consequently go into much greater detail than the general guides to Japan. Most of these sites can be viewed in English or Japanese.

City of Yokohama
Although the port of Yokohama is now regarded as part of Greater Tokyo, it is a city with its own character and a population greater than that of Japan's "second city", Osaka. Here is a profile with statistics, living guide, culture, events and sightseeing.

Okinawa Prefecture
Okinawa is part of the Ryukyu island chain in the far south of Japan. This site has information on tourism, events, travel, crafts and the US military bases.

Nara Prefecture
The city of Nara was Japan's capital for about 70 years during the 8th century. As well as the prefecture's popular sightseeing attractions, this site features Nara's history, events, statistics and commerce.

Hiroshima City Homepage
History, statistics, tourism and industry, together with extensive information on the atomic bomb of 1945 and Hiroshima's famous Peace Park. For a What's On guide to Hiroshima including events, cinema, restaurants, sport, museums and travel, see Get Hiroshima.

Web City Sapporo
The northern island of Hokkaido only became part of Japan in the 19th century. Sapporo, famous for its snow festival, is its largest city. Here you can find Sapporo's history, statistics, events, sightseeing and live camera links.

Fukuoka City Online
Situated on the northwest coast of Kyushu, Fukuoka is the island's main port of entry. This site contains news, statistics, information on traditional arts and crafts and tourist facilities.

City of Kitakyushu
With a population of over a million, Kitakyushu competes with Fukuoka for the status of Kyushu's largest city. The site has information on tourism (including the Space World theme park), transport, festivals, trade and the Bridges magazine.

Hakone
Set against the backdrop of Mount Fuji, Hakone National Park is visited by over 20 million tourists every year. This site has a profile of the park and city of Hakone, maps, QuickTime panoramas, live cameras and a rundown on accommodation, festivals, crafts and history.

Sendai City Home Page
The "Green City" of Sendai is capital of the Miyagi prefecture and the main city of the Tohoku region of Honshu island. Information on life in Sendai, transport, accommodation, news, sightseeing and the famous Tanabata festival.

Digital City Kyoto
The capital of Japan until the late 19th century, Kyoto is everyone's idea of traditional Japan, with temples, shrines and historic sites by the hundred but at the same time it manages to be a modern and vibrant city. This site links to many others, providing maps, pictures, city tours, tourist information, shopping and personal pages. From the end of September 2001 there is no further updating - a shame, but the links should remain useful for some time. As an alternative, try Kyoto City Web.

Cities & Regions continued on next page - Explore Japan 2