Japan Introduction

The island of Japan lies in the Pacific Ocean in East Asia east of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia. Japan is also referred to as "Land of the Rising Sun" as the characters' name, that makes up the name of Japan, means "sun-origin". With over 127 million people, Japan has the tenth-largest population in the world and the world's third-largest economy.

Tourism

Airport

Airlines

• British Airways (from Johannesburg)
• Cathay Pacific Airways (from Johannesburg & Cape Town)
• Emirates (from Johannesburg, Cape Town & Durban
• Jet Airways (from Johannesburg,
• KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (from Johannesburg)
• Malaysia Airlines (from Johannesburg & Cape Town)
• South African Airways (from Johannesburg, Cap Town & Durban)
• Singapore Airlines (from Johannesburg, Cape Town & Durban)
• Thai Airways (from Johannesburg)
• Virgin Atlantic (from Johannesburg, Cape Town & Durban)

What to See

• Edo Tokyo Museum
• Ghibli Museum
• Gion
• Himeji Castle
• Imperial Palace
• Katsura Imperial Villa
• Maruyama Park
• Matsumoto Castle
• The Temple of the Golden Pavilion
• Tokoyo Tower
• Tokyo Dome
• Tokyo National Museum
• Usa Shrine
• Yasaka Shrine
• Yasuda Auditorium

What to Do

• Aomori Nebuta Festival
• Bon Festival
• Cherry Blossom Festival
• Doll Festival
• Hadaka Matsuri
• Nango Summer Jazz Festival
• Sapporo Snow Festival
• Setsubun
• Tanabata

General Info

Japan, with its 6 852 islands, is located between the 24˚ and 46˚N latitudes and the 122˚ and 146˚E longitudes. Forests and mountains consists of about 70 to 80 percent of Japan and therefore the habitable zones are so densely populated. Japan was the second-largest economy in the world but due to a major recession in the mid-1990's and a gradual growth, the country is the third-largest economy in the world. The currency used in Japan is the Yen (¥).

Weather

Japan's weather varies from north to south although the temperature is temperate. The country can be divided into six (6) climate zones such as Hokkaido, Sea of Japan, Central Highland, Seto Inland Sea, Pacific Ocean and Ryukyu Islands. The norternmost zone, Hakkaido, has long, cold winters and cool summers. The Sea of Japan experiences heavy snowfall in the winter and can experience hot summers with the foehn wind while the Central Highland has typical weather. The difference between winter and summer temperatures varies greatly. The Seto Inland Sea has mild weather all year due to the Chūgoku and Shikoku that shelters this area. The Pacific Ocean experience cold winters with little snowfall while experiencing hot, humid summers. The Ryukyu Islands experience a subtropical climate with warm winters and hot summers.

Flights to Tokyo

Tokyo is not a single city, but a constellation of cities that have grown together. With a total population exceeding 13 million in the official metropolitan area alone, it is the most populated urban area in the world. Greater Tokyo has a population of 35 million people. The city, being over 400 years old, grew from a modest fishing village of Edo.

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