Until 1868, Kyoto was the capital of Japan since the end of the 8th century, it is one of the most popular destinations amongst overseas tourists to Japan. With a variety of historically valuable structures such as temples, shrines and Japanese gardens the city draws over 50 million visitors annually from all over the world.
Osaka is an exciting city for visitors and the town becomes more vibrant after sunset. Large neon billboards along the Dotonbori River in the Minami (southern) area is the most iconic landscape of the town. There are dizzying arrays of restaurants, food stalls, and shops in Dotonbori, Hozenji Yokocho and Shinsekai. The traditional atmosphere in the busy quarters of the town have not changed for decades.
Kamakura is one of the most popular day trip destinations from Tokyo. It is located about 60 km southwest of Tokyo and accessible by one-hour train ride. It used to be the seat of the Kamakura Government lead by Minamoto Yoritomo and his successors around the 13th century. Kamakura has an old town atmosphere similar to Kyoto with dozens of traditional temples and shrines. The Great Buddha at Kotoku-in is over 11-meters tall and is one of the most renowned landmarks in the town.