SUZUKA 

Tourist Tips:

Located in the centre of Japan, Mie has prospered as a corridor between eastern and western Japan since ancient times. Blessed with a mild climate and spectacular setting between mountains and the sea, Mie features many sites that reflect the rich historical legacy of the region.

The Northern Area is bounded by the Yoro mountains to the north and the towering Suzuka range to the west. During the Edo Period this area was the location of part of the Tokaido Road, the most important trade route from eastern to western Japan, and was crowded with travellers.

Ueno Castle: (Birthplace of the Ninjas)

Ueno Castle boasts the highest stone walls of any castle in Japan at some thirty metres in height. The castle is the main landmark of Ueno, the central city of the Iga region. The third floor of the castle donjon (tower) provides an excellent view of the city. Adjacent Ueno Park is famous for its cherry blossoms in spring, and the Iga-ryu Ninja Museum and Haiseiden Basho Museum are also within easy walking distance of the castle. The castle is a five minute walk from Kintetsu Ueno-shi station.

Mount Gozaisho-Dake / Yunoyama Spa: (Komono-town)

Mt. Gozaisho is the highest peak in the Suzuka range. An aerial rope-way allows visitors to climb to the peak from Yunoyama spa, at the foot of the mountain. Mt. Gozaisho-Dake is noted for its splendid autumn colors, which can be viewed from the facilities at the summit. The visitor will also find the Antelope Centre, featuring antelope from around the world. Yunoyama Spa is a great place to relax and unwind, once you have returned from the mountain. It is eight minutes by bus from Kintetsu Yunoyama station-onsen to Yunoyama Onsen stop.

Ise Shrines:

Ise is located on the Shima Peninsula in Mie Prefecture. The city is home to the Ise Shrines, Japan's most sacred Shinto shrines.

The Ise Jingu consists of two shrines: the Outer Shrine (Geku), which is dedicated to Toyouke, the kami of clothing, food and housing, and the Inner Shrine (Naiku), which enshrines Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. They are Shinto's most sacred shrines.

Naiku and Geku are located several kilometres apart from each other at the foot of densely wooded hills. Unlike most other Shinto shrines, the Ise Shrines are built in a purely Japanese architecture style which shows no influence from the Asian mainland. Naiku is believed to have been established in the 3rd century and Geku in the 5th century.

The shrines fascinate through their extreme simplicity. There is nothing but green trees, broad gravel lanes and the wooden, barely painted shrine structures.

The Naiku and Geku are both rebuilt every 20 years according to an ancient Shinto tradition. For that matter, an empty lot is located besides every shrine building as the site for its next rebuilding. Ise Shrine's 62nd rebuilding will take place in 2013.

Kuwana District:

In the Edo Period, Kuwana prospered as one of forty-two lodging stations along the historical Tokaido Road that extended from Kyoto to Tokyo. At the time, travelers crossed from Atsuta in Nagoya to Kuwana by boat at a point known as Shichiri-no-Watashi. Kyuka Park, where the ruin of Kuwana Castle are situated, is now a popular spot to view cherry blossoms and azaleas, but the surrounding district bears only faint traces of its former history. Near JR and Kintetsu Kuwana station.

Senju-ji Temple: (Tsu-city)

The largest temple in Mie Prefecture, this is the head temple of the Shinshu Takada sect. The temple complex features many beautiful buildings, including the Miei-do, and a museum housing the temple's national treasures and valuable cultural artifacts. Three minute walk from JR Ishinden, Kintetsu Takada Honzan, or Twenty-minutes by bus from JR or Kintetsu Tsu stations to Honzon-mae bus stop.

Golf:

You can't mention sports in Japan without talking about golf.  Japan is full of of golf enthusiasts and it is one of the country's most popular pastimes.  Although it can be expensive, prices have come down significantly in the past five years and there are lots of great courses to choose from all across the country as well as countless driving ranges if you want to practice your swing. 

Gotemba Golf Club:

The Gotemba Golf Club is situated in one of Japan's most famous country retreat areas. The area known as Gotemba is located at the base of Mt Fuji. The Gotemba golf course is a true hillside Japanese Golf Club that offers both the foreign and Japanese golfer a unique playing experience. Established in 1971, it is one of the original courses in the region.

Easy access to a golf course close to Tokyo. Many key activities within close proximity to the golf course including onsen, micro brewery, shopping (Gotemba Factory Outlets) and Fuji Speedway.

Other outdoor activities in the locality:

• Mountain Biking
• Tennis
• Hiking (Mt. Fuji & Hakone)
• Bird Watching
• Horseback riding (5 min. from clubhouse)
• Fishing
• Skiing (on Mt. Fuji, night skiing as well)

Mount Fuji:

Japan's highest mountain (3776m/12,385ft) is a perfectly symmetrical volcanic cone which last blew its top in 1707.

Mount Fuji (Fujisan) is with 3776 meters Japan's highest mountain. It is not surprising that the nearly perfectly shaped volcano has been worshipped as a sacred mountain and experienced big popularity among artists and common people.

Mount Fuji is a dormant volcano, which most recently erupted in 1708. It stands on the border between Yamanashi and Shizuoka Prefectures and can be seen from Tokyo and Yokohama on clear days.

The easiest way to view Mount Fuji is from the train on a trip along the Tokaido Line between Tokyo and Osaka. If you take the shinkansen from Tokyo in direction of Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka, the best view of Mount Fuji can be enjoyed from around Shin-Fuji Station on the right hand side of the train, about 40 to 45 minutes after leaving Tokyo.

Note however, that clouds and poor visibility often block the view of Mount Fuji, and you have to consider yourself lucky if you get a clear view of the mountain. Visibility tends to be better during the colder seasons of the year than in summer, and in the early morning and late evening hours.

If you want to enjoy Mount Fuji at a more leisurely pace and from a nice natural surrounding, you should head to the Fuji Five Lake (Fujigoko) region at the northern foot of the mountain, or to Hakone, a nearby hot spring resort.

Kyoto:

If you only have a few days to spend in Japan, spend them in Kyoto. Admittedly, the first impression you get as you leave Kyoto station is that this is just another concrete jungle. But dotted around the city are some 1,600 temples, 250 shrines, 60 gardens, 24 museums, 2 Imperial villas and some of the best photo opportunities that Japan has to offer.

Many of the temples were founded over a thousand years ago but have been destroyed by earthquakes, fires and wars, only to be rebuilt time and time again. Due to its historical importance, the city was spared from bombing attacks during World War II. Kyoto can be roughly divided into five areas: Rakuhoku (north), Rakusei (west), Rakuchu (central), Rakuto/Higashiyama (east) and Rakunan (south).

Osaka:

With a population of 2.5 million, Osaka is Japan's third largest and second most important city. It has been the economic powerhouse of the Kansai region for many centuries.

Osaka was formerly known as Naniwa. Before the Nara Period, when the capital used to be moved with the reign of each new emperor, Naniwa was once Japan's capital city, the first one ever known.

In the 16th century, Toyotomi Hideyoshi chose Osaka as the location for his castle, and the city may have become Japan's capital if Tokugawa Ieyasu had not terminated the Toyotomi lineage after Hideyoshi's death and moved his government to distant Edo (Tokyo).

Worthy attractions in the city include:

• Osaka Castle
• Osaka Aquarium
• Umeda Sky Building
• National Bunraku Theatre
• Peace Osaka (ww II museum)
• Sumiyoshi Taisha (Osaka's most prominent shrine)
• Minami Famous entertainment and shopping district

Okinawa Island:

Okinawa Prefecture is Japan's southernmost prefecture, and consists of hundreds of islands known as The Ryukyu Islands, in an island chain over 1,000 km long, which extends southwest from Kyushu (the southwesternmost of Japan's main four islands) to Taiwan, although the northern islands in the chain are part of Kagoshima Prefecture.

Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of the largest and most populous island, Okinawa Honto, which is approximately half-way between Kyushu and Taiwan.

The island has many places of historical interest as well as its natural beauty, coral reefs and white-sand beaches. There are remnants of castles from the days of the Ryukyu kingdom, which was ruled from Naha for 400 years, although most were destroyed during the war. The prefectural capital of Naha is in the south, and is the business and transport hub of the region. Naminoue shrine is located on the site of one of the old castles.

Tokyo:

It's crowded and expensive - but it's also one of the most exciting places on earth.  Tokyo is a city where deep seated Eastern culture meets up to the minute Western style modernity, and it creates an interesting mix.

The main gateway is Narita Airport, but it's a way into the city and taxis are expensive and time consuming.  The best option to get to downtown is by limousine bus (about a tenth of the price of a taxi),  which run every ten to fifteen minutes between Narita and the Tokyo City Air Terminal (TCAT) as well as a number of the major hotels. 

Alternatively you can take the Narita Express, operated by Japan Railways, which makes the trip into Tokyo station in an hour.  Nearly everything of interest lies either on or within the JR Yamanote line, the rail loop that circles central Tokyo.

The subway is an efficient and convenient way to travel around the city centre, with colour coded services and bilingual signs that make it relatively easy to navigate.  Head for the Ginza for some of the best shopping you will have come across anywhere. It's a glitzy district attracting affluent Japanese and tourists alike, offering expensive nightclubs and some of the biggest and best department stores in Tokyo.

Other sightseeing suggestions for a whistle-stop visit:

• Mitsukoshi
• Takashimaya
• Tobu Emporium
• Shinjuku
• Roppongi
• Tokyo Tower
• Imperial Palace
• Oriental Bazaar
• Sumo Museum
• Sony Building
• National Museum of Modern Art
• Shinjuku Gyoen Park
• Tokyo Disney Resort
• Toshogu Shrine
• Yoyogi Park

The city is well known for its technological goods, especially if you want the latest models before release in the West, and jewellery gifts such as pearls which are native to Japan.

There are no fewer than 80,000 restaurants in Tokyo, including the hotel restaurants, but be prepared for high prices, and an all night party atmosphere in the traditional night life areas.

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