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.
Aizu is the westernmost region of Fukushima Prefecture. In the past, feudal lords ruled the area with their samurai warriors from Tsuruga Castle in Aizu Wakamatsu. The museum inside the reconstructed castle explains Aizu’s history. In Ouchi-juku you can feel like a traveller in old Japan. This post town was a stop on the route to Edo (Tokyo). In Kitakata, try local sake and the city’s famous ramen noodles. Lake Inawashiro near Aizu Wakamatsu is one of the largest lakes in Japan. It belongs to the Bandai Asahi National Park where you can enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, and watersports.
Kamaishi is located on the Pacific coast in the northern part of Japan’s main island, Honshu. It lies in the Sanriku Fukko National Park in Iwate Prefecture, a region that was hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011. Kamaishi is a fishing port, but also known as a steel town and a rugby Town. It has one of the UNESCO World Heritage “Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining”. Kamaishi has a very successful rugby team and the Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium was one of the 12 Rugby World Cup 2019 venues.