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Eating | Sleeping | Getting around | Top things to do
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Spot geisha and maiko on the streets | Kyoto
Once the capital of Japan and home to the emperor (794-1868), Kyoto is where to find the mysterious Geisha, countless temples and shrines, gardens, and historic districts.
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Zen out in a rock garden | Kyoto
Karesansui is the Japanese word for rock garden – there are several located in the temples of Kyoto. Pictured here: Ryoan-ji Temple
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Visit the Nishiki Food Market | Kyoto
A narrow lane jam packed with more than one hundred food shops and stalls, come here to experience the hustle and bustle of shoppers purchasing seafood, pickles, vegetables, sweets, and anything else you can imagine eating.
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Go back in time | Nara
The capital of Japan from 710 to 784, Nara was considered the cradle of Japanese culture, arts, and crafts. Today it's many treasures are registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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Walk the halls of an ancient castle | Himeji Castle, Himeji
Called the 'White Heron' for its white exterior (plaster), this castle is considered the best preserved in Japan, and is listed as a World Heritage site.
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Visit the Meiji-jingu Shrine | Tokyo
Located in the youth-culture district of Harajuku, Meiji-jingu is Tokyo's most historically genuine shrine. |
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Have drinks 52 stories above the city | Tokyo
Drop a pretty penny on a cocktail at the Park Hyatt Hotel's New York Bar in Shinjuku (this bar was the setting for many scenes in the film Lost in Translation). Get there before 8 pm to avoid a $20 cover charge–unless you're interested in live music. |
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Stay in a traditional ryokan
Ryokan give you an intimate glimpse into Japanese customs: communal baths, peaceful gardens, the ability to wear a robe (yukata) in public any time of the day. Dwelling in a traditional building with
simple rooms with sliding rice-paper doors, in-room shrines, tatami-matted floors, and futons is a highlight of Japan travel. |
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Take a bath, Japanese-style
Put fears of public nudity aside and dip into a steaming-hot pool at a communal bath known as sento or onsen (the latter uses water from hot springs). Communal bathing is a tradition that goes all the way back to AD 700. |
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Eat fish for breakfast
Food is the most elemental expression of a culture, so while in Japan be sure to try a traditional Japanese breakfast (if you’re staying at a ryokan, it’s often included). A traditional breakfast includes grilled fish, a ‘rolled omelet’ called tamagoyaki, salad, rice, miso soup, fermented soy beans called natto, dried seaweed, and tea. |
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Ride a bullet train
With 12,400 miles of track, high-speed bullet trains called Shinkansen can take you pretty much anywhere you want in Japan at speeds close to 186 mph (300 km/h). The trip between Kyoto and Tokyo takes a mere 2 hours. |
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