Osaka City Wave
History, news, living guide and extensive tourist guide for the huge city of Osaka in Japan's Kansai area. The local people have a reputation for sharp business sense and good humour. Osaka Castle (pictured right) is said to be the single most visited site in the whole country.

City of Kobe
The port of Kobe, near Osaka, is probably most famous for its top quality beef (massaged with beer on the hoof) and for the devastation caused there by the 1995 earthquake. This site includes civic and tourist information, statistics and earthquake archives.

Kansai Scene
Online magazine of the Kansai area, covering Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto and the surrounding area. The site features news, events, what's on, music reviews and a restaurant and bar guide.

Iwate Prefecture
In the Tohoku region in the north east of Honshu island, Iwate is an area of forests, hot springs and rugged, unspoilt coast with an economy dominated by agriculture, forestry and fishing. The site includes its history, traditional crafts, food specialities, transport and tourism.

City of Nagoya
Situated in central Honshu, Nagoya is Japan's fourth biggest city, the capital of Aichi prefecture and known chiefly as an industrial centre. There is a well known castle and this, together with other tourist attractions, news and statistics are featured on this web site.

Kanagawa Now!
The prefecture of Kanagawa, west of Tokyo, includes Japan's second biggest city, Yokohama as well as Kawasaki, Hakone and Kamakura. This is an extensive and impressive tourist guide and even includes registration for festival and event news by e-mail.

Kamakura Green Net
Popular with tourists for its historic sites, shrines and temples, Kamakura also attracts many Tokyo residents to its beaches in the summer. This site features walking tours, live cameras and a guide to living in Kamakura. For an in-depth look at Kamakura's history and guide to the temples and shrines, see A Guide to Kamakura.

Nagano Prefecture
Nagano, in central Honshu, hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics. Take an introductory tour with cartoon characters and music, listen to the prefectural song, read an illustrated guide with history and links to the towns and villages around the Japan Alps.

City of Niigata
Profile of the largest city on the Sea of Japan coast with maps, photographs, travel and tourist facilities and regional food specialities.

Matsuyama City
Shikoku is the least developed of Japan's four main islands. Matsuyama is its biggest town and this web site has statistics, news, culture, food and sightseeing details.

Magical Islands
Tourist information on the island of Shikoku and Setouchi including the Seto Inland Sea national park, the biggest in Japan. Guide to travel, sightseeing, beaches and hot springs in English and Japanese. The Japanese section includes a business guide and shopping mall.

Hida-Takayama
The mountain town of Takayama in Gifu prefecture is known as "little Kyoto" and although it is off the beaten track, it is rich in culture with much to offer the sightseer. This site in English and Japanese has detailed information on its temples, museums, parks, festivals, markets and local cuisine.

Chiba Prefecture
The Chiba prefecture just east of Tokyo has a population of about 6 million and is home to Narita International Airport and Tokyo Disneyland. This site has information on daily life, events, festivals and local products.

Aomori City Homepage
Aomori is a smallish city by Japanese standards, with a population of about 300,000. Sitting at the northern tip of Honshu, it was devastated by a great fire in 1910 and then again by US bombing raids in 1945. This site has a profile of the city with history, a photo gallery and details of the Nebuta Festival, which attracts over 3 million tourists every August.

Shizuoka City
On the Pacific coast, about mid-way between Tokyo and Nagoya, the city of Shizuoka has a population of approximately half a million. This site, in English and Japanese, covers the city's history, lifestyle and culture with details of its temples, shrines, museums and hot springs.

Saga Prefecture
Occupying a rural area of north west Kyushu, Saga Prefecture has a population of less than a million people. There are six prefectural parks and the region's strong point is its natural beauty. The web site includes travel, tourism and sightseeing information as well as a business guide.

Japan's Heartland
Tourist guide to the Tokai region, which comprises the Aichi, Gifu, Mie and Shizuoka prefectures. Sightseeing, culture, hotels, restaurants and travel information, together with videos introducing highlights of the region.

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