“Land of the Rising Sun”

There are four major Islands of Japan Hokkaido Honshu Shikoku Kyushu

The capital of Japan, Tokyo, is located on Honshu

Attractions The Himeji-Jo Castle

is one of three famous Japanese castles. Matsumoto &

Kumamoto are the other two castles.

It is also known as “White Heron” for its bright white exterior

Himeji Castle in the spring accompanied

by the famous Japanese cherry

blossoms

Sensoji TempleTokyo’s oldest temple foundation dating back to 628 A.D. It was built to honor Kannon, the goddess of mercy. It was rebuilt after it burnt down in WWII, and then became independent.

Matsumoto Castle

The castle surrounded in ice and snow in a very cold winter on the island on Honshu. The castle is within driving distance from Tokyo.

Kanda Myojin ShrineKanda Myojin was built 1270 years ago at Otemachi, and was moved to it’s present site at Akinhabara. It has been rebuilt several times due to fire, eathquakes, and WWII.

Imperial PalaceImperial Palace is located right outside of Tokyo and is also known as Kokyo. It is home to Japan’s Imperial family. In 1888, construction was completed but then was destroyed by WWII. It was rebuilt in the same style. Imperial Palace is just minutes from Tokyo Station.

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Ryogoku Sumo Museum is the official repository for sumo history for the last several hundred years. Admission is free. It’s also just a two minute walk from Ryogoku Station.

Goryokaku Koen Garden

This beautiful blooming Japanese Cherry Blossom park has more than 1500 Sakura trees. It is star shaped and all the trees are illuminated at night. This garden is located on the island Hokkaido.

Kiyomizu TempleKiyomizu is a Buddhist temple in Eastern Tokyo. It is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (UNESCO) World Heritage.

Mount FujiMt. Fuji is an active volcano just west of Tokyo. It stands about 12,388 feet high. This amazing attraction, along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku, is one of Japan’s three holy mountains.

Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea

ParadiseYokohama Sea Paradise is so amazing it was built on a man made island. It is known as the best aquarium in Japan, and possibly the best in the entire world. Some people say it’s “better than the Bahamas.”

Koraku-en GardenThis beautiful garden is located in Okayama. It is one of Japan’s official three great gardens. Although Koraku-en was built in 1700, they have changed it to modern form to keep up with times.

Disneyland-Tokyo

This 115 acre theme park is located near Tokyo. It is the only park not owned by the Walt Disney Company. The hotel alone can hold about 13.9 million guests. It is also the third most visited theme park in the world next to Disneyland Orlando and Disneyland in California.

A Few Helpful Words When Traveling

Useful Japanese Phrases:

Japanese < > English

Ohayou gozaimasu Good morning

Kon'nichiwa Good afternoon

Kon'banwa Good evening

Oyasumi nasai Good night

Sayounara Good-bye

Sumimasen Excuse me

Gomen nasai I am sorry

Wakarimasen I don't understand

Arigatou Thank you

Hai Yes

Iie No

National AnthemKimigayo(The Emperor’s Reign)

Japanese: Kimi ga yo wa , Chiyo ni yachiyo ni , Sazare ishi no ,  Iwao to nari te , Koke no musu made.

English Translation: May the reign of the Emperor continue for a thousand, nay, eight thousand generations and for the eternity that it takes for small pebbles to grow into a great rock and become covered with moss.