Grand Circle Japan with Fall Foliage

Yokohama and Edo began life as sleepy fishing villages. That changed in the early 17th century after Tokugawa Ieyasu became Shogun. Edo became the center of political power in Japan, a position the city retained even after the restoration of Imperial rule in 1866.

Contemporary Tokyo may be the most astonishing city on earth. It’s a paradoxical mix of ancient tradition and postmodern culture. The Ginza – an international shopping mecca – stands near the serene grounds of the Imperial Palace, and the hyper-speed of 21st century consumerism is mysteriously reconciled with the elegance and serenity of traditional culture. Tokyo provides the traveler with a dizzying experience.

With the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Edo was renamed Tokyo, the “Eastern Capital,” to distinguish it from the old imperial capital at Kyoto, the “Western Capital.”

Hitachinaka is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 July 2020, the city had an estimated population of 154,663 in 64,900 households and a population density of 1547 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 26.1%. The total area of the city is 99.96 square kilometres.

It took Commodore Perry and American gunboat diplomacy to open Japan to the outside world after two centuries of self-imposed isolation. In 1859, the port of Hakodate became the first Japanese city fully opened to Westerners under the Treaty of Amity and Commerce. Foreigners soon flocked to Hakodate, and today visitors wandering the cobblestone streets of the city’s Motomachi District can view their Western-style frame houses. Hakodate, once a fishing port famed for its high quality fish and shellfish, quickly became Hokkaido’s largest city and one of Japan’s most important ports. The Great Hakodate Fire of 1934 dealt the city a near fatal blow – a blow from which Hakodate was slow to recover. Today the city is Hokkaido’s third largest – surpassed by Sapporo and Asahikawa – but retains its foremost position as the finest Japanese producer of sushi’s raw product: the high quality seafood caught in Hokkaido’s cold waters.

It may not compare to Tokyo’s Tsukiji’s Fish Market, but at Hakodate’s four-block-long Morning Market, vendors offer a stunning array of fresh fish and shellfish prized for sushi including salmon roe, sea urchin, scallops and crab. Restaurants and food stands prepare a wide arrange of dishes including domburi topped with fresh seafood.

There is a celebratory air in Akita, where year round festivals and street parades are colorfully integrated into daily life. A key city in the Tohoku region since medieval times, Akita was once a castle town of the Satake clan, but today is a vibrant, prosperous city that seamlessly honors its past but embraces its young energetic spirit. Noted for its burgeoning art community, there are several fine museums to explore including The Hirano Masakichi Art Musuem housing a collection of work by Western and Japanese artists, the Akita City Folklore Museum and the Kakunodate Samurai District, a living museum that showcases the samurai way of life. In the neighboring Oga Peninsula, the region’s most famous icon, the terrifying Namahage, has it’s won cultural center and festival ritual performed in his name. Surrounding the city, fertile farmland and rice fields produce some of the best sake in the country and nature lovers won’t know which way to turn – to the west is the picturesque Sea of Japan and to the north, south and east, majestic mountain ranges including the UNESCO World Heritage sight of Shirakami-Sanchi proudly stand. A trip to the revolving observation center Mt. Kanpuzan Observatory solves the dilemma.

Traditionally famous for rice making and sake production, Niigata is the place for gourmet aficionados. It is also well known for the seafood caught from the Sea of Japan. With this variety of the commodity produced locally, Niigata developed from the wealth gained through shipping and trade by Kitamae-bune, which were cargo ships operated along the Sea of Japan between Hokkaido and Osaka from mid-18th century to the end of the 19th century.
To the south of Niigata is the Tsubame-Sanjo area famous today for metalworking. This derives from the production of Japanese nails used for Japanese traditional architecture. To discover Japanese craftsmanship, you will have the chance to visit the Suwada Open Factory. Also nearby is the religious center of Niigata in Yahiko. The Yahiko Shrine has gathered the devotion of the locals for more than a millennium.

Kanazawa is the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture, on Japan’s central Honshu Island. It’s known for well-preserved Edo-era districts, art museums and regional handicrafts. Kenrokuen Garden, begun in the 17th century, is celebrated for its classic landscape designs incorporating ponds and streams.

Wedged between sea, sky and mountains, this small fishing port has been esteemed for centuries for its superb seafood. Here, the Sea of Japan yields up both crab and hon-maguro, the prized Bluefin tuna esteemed by gourmets around the world. Sakaiminato is also your gateway to a very ancient region of Honshu. West of the city lies Izumo-taisha, one of the oldest and holiest shrines in Shinto. This area is dotted with burial mounds from Japan’s Bronze Age. The town of Matsue boasts the celebrated “Black Castle,” a six-story, black-walled castle that home to a clan of the mighty Tokugawa dynasty that ruled Japan for over 250 years. And to the east rises the great snow-capped summit of Mt. Daisen, considered one of the four most scenic mountains in all Japan.

The second largest city in South Korea, Busan is your gateway to a fascinating land whose culture is a unique amalgam of old and new. Modern high-rise towers dwarf ancient Buddhist temples. The city’s bustling business district offers a stark contrast to the serene grounds of Yongdusan Park. In short, Busan is a microcosm of South Korea, a nation whose startling economic success often obscures one of Asia’s most sophisticated and venerable cultures.

Busan was the scene of bitter fighting during the Korean War. The United Nations Memorial Cemetery marks the final resting place for the troops from 16 nations who gave their lives during the conflict.

For most travelers, Nagasaki is a symbol of the horror and the inhumanity of war. An estimated 75,000 people perished in 1945 when the city became the second target of a nuclear attack. Today, Nagasaki’s Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum draw visitors from around the world.

But this beautiful city on Kyushu offers other sights. Often described as the San Francisco of Japan, the city occupies verdant hills surrounded by a deep-water bay. For three centuries, Nagasaki was Japan’s sole window on the world. The city is also celebrated as the setting for Puccini’s opera “Madame Butterfly.”

Boasting the second warmest temperatures in Japan, Miyazaki offers a playground of outdoor activities that take full advantage of its balmy breezes and aquamarine waters. A resort atmosphere permeates Miyazaki, fragranced by blooms from local botanical gardens. Emerald green golf courses, some of the best surfing in Japan, and a zoo with the largest number of flamingos in captivity in all of Japan add to the festive atmosphere. A Peace Tower, built with stones from throughout Asia anchors the city and Heiwadai Park and is one of the most noted landmarks. Visit Haniwa Gardens where over 400 replica haniwa (burial statues) make for wonderful photo opportunities, and see Miyazaki’s history and culture on display at The Miyazaki Prefectural Museum of Nature and History, located on the same grounds as the picturesque Miyazaki Shrine. For a change of pace, stop into the Miyazaki Science Center where an animatronics “Dr. Cosmo” welcomes you to this hands-on museum. Looking for a little adventure? Try a side trip to Aoshima, a small island just off the coast of Miyazaki City, and enjoy the charming Aoshima Shrine and over 400 species of subtropical plants. The options are endless in Miyazaki to soak up local color…or just soak up the sun!

Kochi sits on the broad alluvial plain facing Urado Bay. This city in Shikoku takes its name from the great feudal castle that sits at its very heart. Completed in 1611, Kochi Castle was the seat of Yamauchi Kazutoyo, a noted warrior who supported Tokugawa Ieyasu in his successful quest to become Shogun. Tosa Province and Kochi Castle were Yamauchi’s reward for faithful service. There is an historical irony here: 250 years later, a Kochi native son – a former low-ranked samurai and now ronin named Sakamoto Ryoma – played a pivotal role in bringing the Tokugawa Shogunate to an end and restoring the Emperor of Japan to political prominence. The prize once awarded for faithful service had become a hotbed of support for the Meiji Restoration.

Kochi is one of the wettest places in Japan – and a frequent target for cyclonic storms or typhoons. Southeast of the city, warm oceans currents washing against the Aki Mountains create a subtropical landscape of hibiscus, palm and ficus at Muroto-Anan Quasi-National Park.

A mesmerizing landscape, a revered cultural history, and Japan’s most sacred volcano are just a few of the many delights beckoning you to come and explore this ancient city. While Shimizu may have the reputation as being bustling and modern, its cultural and spiritual side is on display in the form of ancient and enthralling shrines. Of course, it may be the sacred and snow-capped Mount Fuji that garners the most attention. Towering over the region at approximately 12,388 feet above sea level, the active volcano, designated a “place and source of artistic inspiration” by UNESCO is just one of the many unforgettable adventures Shimizu inspires.

Yokohama and Edo began life as sleepy fishing villages. That changed in the early 17th century after Tokugawa Ieyasu became Shogun. Edo became the center of political power in Japan, a position the city retained even after the restoration of Imperial rule in 1866.

Contemporary Tokyo may be the most astonishing city on earth. It’s a paradoxical mix of ancient tradition and postmodern culture. The Ginza – an international shopping mecca – stands near the serene grounds of the Imperial Palace, and the hyper-speed of 21st century consumerism is mysteriously reconciled with the elegance and serenity of traditional culture. Tokyo provides the traveler with a dizzying experience.

With the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Edo was renamed Tokyo, the “Eastern Capital,” to distinguish it from the old imperial capital at Kyoto, the “Western Capital.”