Major Tourist Attractions Of Japan

Japan is perhaps one of the most beautiful countries on earth, and, inevitably, many of its most well known sights are natural beauties in themselves: mountains, lakes, rivers and valleys. Add to these the beauty of the local gardens and temples, and you have a country definitely worth seeing.

Mount Fujiyama, towering to a height of 3766 m, is perhaps Japan’s most beloved and best known sight. Tall, majestic and perfectly symmetrical, it’s been featured on many postcards, calendars and books.  

Fuji, or Fuji-san, as it’s known, is a dormant volcano (the last eruption happened in 1707), and it lies southwest of Tokyo, within the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. The mountain itself rises above the Fuji Go-Ko (the Fuji Five Lakes), the place is the base camp for most climbs to the summit of the legendary mountain. A very large number of people- tourists and locals climb Fuji during the official season (July-August), and it certainly requires stamina. There are stops along the way up (where you can buy food, and even sleep), but it makes more sense to go on without too many stops- also works out cheaper, as the food is usually frightfully expensive. Go well clad as Fuji can get bitterly cold and aim to see the sunrise from the mountain- it’s unforgettable. There are direct buses from Tokyo to Kawaguchi-ko, which is the main point for the trek up Fuji.

Situated in the prefecture of Nara, the temple of Horyu-ji is one of the oldest Buddhist places of worship in the world. The original structure,  a wooden building, was put up in 607 A.D by Prince Shotoku, although parts of the temple have been rebuilt since. The temple, like most Japanese temples, consists of not one, but many structures- a beautiful five tiered pagoda, a lecture hall, a miniature shrine (all of two-and-a-half feet tall) and a royal meditation hall. Within the compound of the temple is a hall housing some excellent statues, brocades and religious articles.  

Probably one of the loveliest gardens in Japan, the Shinjuku Gyo-en is, surprisingly enough, situated in the heart of one of Tokyo’s most busy and bustling areas.  The gardens sprawl over 150 acres, and incorporate not just a traditional Japanese garden, but also English and French-style gardens and a greenhouse bursting with tropical flowers. Originally the gardens of a family of feudal lords, the Shinjuku Gyo-en was taken over by the imperial family after the Meiji Restoration, and became a public park after the Second World War. It’s a medley of pathways, artificial hills, ponds and bridges, with close to 3000 types of plants, trees and shrubs. The gardens are at their best in April and October, in spring, with its cherry blossoms- and the flowers of around 1900 other trees; and autumn, when the chrysanthemum exhibition is held.

 In Nara, the Daibutsu (Great Buddha) is part of the temple complex of Todai-ji, which in itself is a sight worth seeing. Todai-ji was constructed by the Emperor Shomu as part of a grand plan for Buddhist Japan.. 

Todai-ji was supposed to be the seat of power; the original complex later burnt down and the current building is a reconstruction dating back to 1709. The hall houses the Daibutsu , the Great Buddha is a wooden one, reputedly the largest wooden building in the world (it’s only two-thirds of its original size, so you can well imagine how impressive the actual building must have been). The Daibutsu itself is impressive- 153 ft tall, cast in bronze, and dating back to 752 A.D, when it was unveiled by the Emperor Shomu. Behind the statue is a wooden pillar with a hole in it, and devotees believe that if you crawl through it, you can reach paradise in the afterlife- attempt it only if you’re thin enough; getting stuck can be a humiliating experience.

The city of Kanazawa, northeast of Nagoya, has to its credit one of Japan’s finest gardens, the Kenroku-en. The garden was initially part of the complex of the Kanazawa-jo castle (few remnants of which now remain) and is an exquisite example of the art of designing Japanese gardens. The landscaped Kenroku-en spreads over 25 acres and is supposed to be an amalgamation of the qualities required in a well-designed garden: space, majesty, lots of water, artistic excellence, panoramic views, and seclusion- six qualities in all, which give the garden its name (kenroku means `integrated six’). It’s a beautiful garden, but tends to get very crowded, especially in the spring in cherry blossom season. During the day- it’s best to visit it early in the morning, when few people are around.

That isn’t all there is to see in Japan- there are hundreds of other gardens, temples, and wildlife preserves; there are monuments to the history of the nation -the best known and most touching is the Peace Flame in Hiroshima, which will keep on burning till all the nuclear weapons on earth have been destroyed-, and there are the cities, the towns and the villages of Japan