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Japan

Tokyo is Japan’s capital and the world’s most populous metropolis. It is also one of Japan’s 47 prefectures, consisting of 23 central city wards and multiple cities, towns and villages west of the city center. The Izu and Ogasawara Islands are also part of Tokyo.



Prior to 1868, Tokyo was known as Edo. A small castle town in the 16th century, Edo became Japan’s political center in 1603 when Tokugawa Ieyasu established his feudal government there. A few decades later, Edo had grown into one of the world’s most populous cities. With the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the emperor and capital moved from Kyoto to Edo, which was renamed Tokyo (“Eastern Capital”). Large parts of Tokyo were destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and in the air raids of 1945.



Today, Tokyo offers a seemingly unlimited choice of shopping, entertainment, culture and dining to its visitors. The city’s history can be appreciated in districts such as Asakusa, and in many excellent museums, historic temples and gardens. Contrary to common perception, Tokyo also offers a number of attractive green spaces in the city center and within relatively short train rides at its outskirts.

Top things to do

• Meiji Shrine: Famed Shinto shrine with a garden
• Odaiba: a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo
• Ueno Park: Large park with a zoo, a lake & museums
• Shinjuku Gyoen: Sizable park with gardens & a greenhouse
• Tokyo Imperial Palace: Emperor’s residence with gardens & tours
• Tokyo Disneyland: Theme park with rides & shows
• Tokyo Tower: Well-known tower with observation areas
• Sanrio Puroland: Gift shop & Hello Kitty specialist
• Kabukicho, Tokyo: Nightlife and walking

Osaka is Japan’s second largest metropolitan area after Tokyo. It has been the economic powerhouse of the Kansai region for many centuries. Osaka was formerly known as Naniwa. Before the Nara Period, when the capital used to be moved with the reign of each new emperor, Naniwa was once Japan’s capital city, the first one ever known.



In the 16th century, Toyotomi Hideyoshi chose Osaka as the location for his castle, and the city may have become Japan’s political capital if Tokugawa Ieyasu had not terminated the Toyotomi lineage after Hideyoshi’s death and moved his government to distant Edo (Tokyo).

Top things to do

• Universal Studios Japan: Movie-themed amusement park with rides
• Osaka Castle: Renowned, historic castle with a museum
• Umeda Sky Building: Architecture and garden
• Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan: Huge landmark for marine-life exhibits
• Dotonbori: Dotonbori or Dotombori is one of the principal tourist destinations in Osaka, Japan. Running along the Dotonbori canal from Dotonboribashi Bridge to Nipponbashi Bridge in the Namba district of the city’s Chuo ward