Authentic Japan

Osaka, the heart of the Greater Osaka Area, is located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, and is the third largest city in Japan. Historically it is also regarded as the commercial capital of Japan, as evidenced by its daytime population being over a million greater than its night time population. From above ground and underground shopping malls and specialised shopping complexes, to the unusual America Mura which offers both new and used clothing, as well as flea markets, and the Asia Pacific Trade Centre with its international wholesale market, shopping here truly is a fascinating experience. Read more about Osaka, Japan

Toba, population 19,000, is located on the Shima Peninsula facing Ise Bay and the Pacific Ocean. It lies on the central east coast of Homshu Island. Much of the city is within the borders of the Ise-Shima National Park. Read more about Toba, Japan

Shingu is a small city (pop. 29,000) located in the Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. It is located on the largest of Japan’s islands, Honshu. Read more about Shingu, Japan

Himeji, population 535,000, is the second largest city of Hyogo Prefecture after Kobe. It lies on Honshu Island facing the Inland Sea of Japan. One of the local sites worth visiting is Mount Shosha, 30 minutes from the city by bus and ropeway. Read more about Himeji, Japan

The modern Japanese city of Takamatsu, facing the Seto Inland Sea, is the main gateway to Shikoku Island. While the downtown is relatively easy to navigate on foot, many visitors choose to rent a bicycle. Takamatsu has a number of long arcade-style shopping streets, giving the city's shopping a more traditional feel. Read more about Takamatsu, Japan

Popularly known as Miyajima, the Shrine Island, Itsukushima is an island in the western part of the Inland Sea of Japan, located in the NW of Hiroshima Bay. The island lies 12 km WSW of the port of Hiroshima, and is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The gigantic red gate to the shrine can be reached at low tide off the north side of the island. Read more about Miyajima, Japan

The capital of the prefecture of the same name, Hiroshima, situated at the centre of the Chugoku region in western Honshu – Japan’s largest island – is possibly best known for being the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon. Today, though, it is a modern cosmopolitan city with wide boulevards and criss-crossing rivers. Many of the famous attractions are connected to the horrific split second of the bomb blast on August 6, 1945, and are truly well worth visiting. Read more about Hiroshima, Japan

Beppu, a city that overlooks Beppu Bay and is backed by mountains, is located in the Oita Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It is considered to be Japan’s hot springs capital as it has the second largest volume of hot water in the world - after Yellowstone in the United States - and the largest number of hot spring sources in Japan. This tourist town has nine spectacular geothermal hot springs that are referred to as the ‘nine hells of Beppu’, certainly the major attraction for visitors. Read more about Beppu, Japan

Miyazaki lies on the east coast of Japan’s fourth largest island Kyushu, looking out to the Pacific Ocean. To the west lie the verdant mountains rising to 1150m. This is a tourist city, known for shopping, many public baths, and the Phoenix Seagaia Resort. Read more about Miyazaki , Japan

Kagoshima lies on the southern tip of the island of Kyushu in Japan. It is the picturesque capital of the Prefecture of the same name. Due to its active stratovolcano Sakurajima – Kagoshima's Vesuvius, seen east of the port – and its 'excitable' inhabitants, it is often compared to its Italian sister city, Naples. Read more about Kagoshima, Japan

Nagasaki City, on the island of Kyushu in Japan, lies at the heart of Nagasaki-hanto Peninsula. As one of Japan's closest port cities to the Asian mainland, Nagasaki has played a prominent role in foreign trade relations for many centuries. This is a port city that developed up the steep slope of a mountain, while also stretching horizontally to hug the Nagasaki Gulf. Read more about Nagasaki, Japan

Karatsu (pop.120,000) is a city in Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. The port is a quiet port facing the Genkai Sea that flows into the Sea of Japan, and historically has flourished as a trading hub with the China and Korea. The eastern part of the port forms a section of the Genkai Quasi-National Park, that also is the site of Niji-no-matsubara pine grove and Karatsu Castle. Read more about Karatsu, Japan

Busan (formerly Pusan), the second largest city and principal port of South Korea, is situated in the SE of the peninsula on the Korea Strait. The city has many steep hills, creating a delightful mix of mountains and ocean. While Busan was relatively untouched during the Korean War, the flood of refugees has shaped the city. Read more about Busan, South Korea