Japan

You don't have to look far in Beppu (別府) to see the reason for its popularity: steam rising from vents in the earth means there are onsen-bathing opportunities galore. Beppu is by turns quaint and touristy, modern and traditional, solid and rickety, but the charm of this hilly, hospitable city grows on visitors as sure as the waters are balmy. Winter visitors get the seasonal treat of seeing the entire town filled with warm escaping steam.

It's both unfortunate and important that the name Nagasaki (長崎) is synonymous with the dropping of the second atomic bomb. This history undeniably overshadows everything else, yet if that's all you experience during your visit you'll be missing the point. As paradoxical as it may seem, Nagasaki is vibrant and charming, and it begs to be explored far beyond the bomb museums, monuments and memorials.

Kumamoto (熊本) is deeply proud of its greatest landmark, Kumamoto-jō, the castle around which the city radiates. Even though the castle suffered significant damage in the April 2016 earthquake, it remains a focal point of the city. There's a lively and tempting collection of restaurants, bars and shops in the busy arcades east of the castle.

Kyoto is old Japan writ large: atmospheric temples, sublime gardens, traditional teahouses and geisha scurrying to secret liaisons.

The starting point for pilgrims over the past 1200 years, Tokushima Prefecture (徳島県), formerly known as Awa, is home to the first 23 of Shikoku's 88 Sacred Temples. Ryōzen-ji is Temple One as it is the first temple pilgrims came to after visiting Kōya-san in Wakayama Prefecture and asking for Kōbō Daishi's support on their journey. To henro (pilgrims), Tokushima is known as Hosshin-no-dōjō, the 'place to determine to achieve enlightenment'. If you haven't got time to walk the 88, the first five temples sit in an east–west line spanning about 15km to the north of the Yoshino River and make a worthy mini-pilgrimage.

Formerly known as Shinshū and often referred to as the 'Roof of Japan', Nagano Prefecture (長野県) is a wonderful place to visit for its regal mountains, rich cultural history, fine architecture and cuisine.

The vibrant city of Matsumoto (松本) sits in a fertile valley, with the magnificent northern Japan Alps, in all their splendour, to the west. Formerly known as Fukashi, Nagano Prefecture's second-largest city has been here since the 8th century. In the 14th and 15th centuries it was the castle town of the Ogasawara clan and it continued to prosper through the Edo period to the present.

Skirting the west coast of Tōhoku, Niigata Prefecture (新潟県; Niigata-ken) is known for its snow-covered mountains, rocky coastal stretches and established onsen villages. In summer thousands descend on the small mountain hamlet of Naeba for the famed Fuji Rock Festival, while in winter city slickers carve up the slopes around Naeba and nearby Echigo-Yuzawa Onsen. The prefecture's sprawling capital city, Niigata, is an industrial and transport hub, with excellent transport connections, and is the gateway to quiet Sado-ga-shima, a working island with an interesting history and a rugged natural beauty.

Det är över 30 år sedan Arlanda hade en direktförbindelse till Tokyo. Men till sommaren 2020 startar Japans största 5-Star flygbolag All Nippon Airways en direktlinje mellan Stockholm och Tokyo.

The Ōsumi Islands (大隈諸島) comprise the two main islands of Yakushima and Tanegashima and the seldom-visited triumvirate of islands known as Mishima-mura. The all-star attraction in the group is World Heritage–protected Yakushima, known in Japan as a 'power-spot' (パワースポット, paawaa supotto) for its ancient cedar trees. The island, most easily accessed from Kagoshima city, is a paradise for hikers and nature lovers, enticing large numbers of domestic and international visitors every year.