Japan

Kyūshū (九州), Japan's southern- and westernmost main island, is arguably its warmest and most beautiful, with active volcanic peaks, rocky, lush and near-tropical coastlines, and great onsen (hot springs) virtually everywhere. History and legend were made here: Jōmon ruins, Shintō's sun goddess, wealthy trading ports, cloistered foreigners, samurai rebels and one of the earth's greatest wartime tragedies all loom large.

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.

At the northern end of the Higashiyama Mountains, this area is packed with first-rate attractions and soothing greenery, making it one of the best parts of the city for relaxed sightseeing. The main area stretches from Nanzen-ji in the south to Ginkaku-ji in the north, two temples linked by the lovely Path of Philosophy (Tetsugaku-no-Michi). Other attractions include Hōnen-in, a quiet temple overlooked by the crowds, the superb Eikan-dō temple with city views, and the museums around Okazaki-kōen.

Det är svenska SAS som öppnar en ny direktlinje till Haneda International Airport i Tokyo från Kastrup, Köpenhamn. Det är en den andra nya direktlinjen från Skandinavien på kort tid som lanserats till den populära metropolen.

Tokyo's eastern neighborhoods, on the banks of the Sumida-gawa, have an old-Tokyo (shitamachi) feel, with venerable temples and shrines, lovely gardens, traditional restaurants and artisan shops. Zone in on Asakusa's atmospheric Buddhist temple complex Sensō-ji and the sumo hot spot of Ryōgoku, home to the ancient sport's Tokyo stadium and a top-class history museum.

Formerly known as Sanuki, Kagawa Prefecture (香川県) is the smallest of Shikoku's four regions and the smallest of the country's 47 prefectures. The region's hospitable weather and welcoming people have always been a comfort to pilgrims as they come to the end of their journey. To henro, Kagawa is known as Nehan-no-dōjō, the 'place of completion', as it has the last 22 of the 88 pilgrimage temples.

In central Tokyo it’s easy to forget that the city started as a seaside town. Not so on Odaiba, a collection of artificial islands on Tokyo Bay. It's a family-oriented entertainment district, with interactive museums, shopping malls, arcades and even an onsen theme park. On adjacent island Toyosu is the city's new wholesale market (which replaced Tsukiji in 2018). 

Himeji (姫路), in Hyōgo Prefecture west of Kōbe, is on the map for one particular reason: it's home to Japan's biggest and best-preserved feudal-era castle, Himeji-jō. It's an easy day trip or stopover and well worth a visit.

A natural sanctuary that enshrines the glories of the Edo period (1603–1868), Nikkō (日光) is one of Japan's major attractions and a World Heritage Site. Pristine forests of towering cedars enclose a wealth of Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples that blend harmoniously with the topography of the setting, and reflect in their artistic splendour the awesome power of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Hokkaidō (北海道) is the Japan of wide-open spaces, with 20% of the country's land area but only 5% of its population. There are large swathes of wilderness here, with primeval forests, tropical-blue caldera lakes, fields of alpine wildflowers and bubbling, in-the-rough hot springs. In the summer, all this (plus the cooler, drier weather) draws hikers, cyclists and strollers.