Plan ahead with our routes and itineraries, including the best places to discover Japan while traveling by rail, how to get there and getting around with the JR Pass.
The Narita Airport is Tokyo’s primary gateway for inbound and outbound international travel. You might be surprised to learn, however, that Narita Airport is not located within the city itself. Instead, it can be found in a rural area, rich with beautiful landscapes and rice paddies.
How far is it from Narita Airport to Tokyo? Narita’s international terminal is a distance of just over 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) from downtown Tokyo.
Woodland birds call to one another as you ascend the mountain trail – flat stones like cobblestones in the rich earth. Trees that appear too narrow to uphold their own great height mingle with verdant green undergrowth.
This is just one of the peaceful scenes that the Nakasendo Trail has to offer. Other portions pass alongside the fields and homes of local residents, intersecting with modern roads. Each end of the trail is capped with a charming historic village. Use this handy travel guide to begin planning your adventure today.
What is a pagoda? It is a towerlike, tiered structure traditionally associated with Buddhist temple complexes. Pagodas are common sights throughout eastern and southeast Asia, including Japan. Pagodas are meant to symbolize sacred mountains and often shelter religious relics.
The Chureito Pagoda, also called the Chastain Tower and officially named the Fujiyoshida Cenotaph Monument, is a shrine located in the Fuji Five Lakes region at Mount Fuji’s northern base. The Pagoda has five stories; it is situated on a mountainside overlooking Fuji Yoshida City, with Mount Fuji itself visible in the distance. You have probably seen pictures of a beautiful pagoda with Mount Fuji in the background, this is the Chureito Pagoda.
Tokyo and Osaka are Japan’s two biggest cities and are both fascinating places to visit. Tokyo is Japan’s capital and most popular tourist destination and Osaka has its own unique charm. It is renowned for its modern architecture, incredible restaurants, lively nightlife, and its 16th-century castle.
Traveling from Osaka to Tokyo (and vice versa) is simple. The two cities are very well-connected and there is a range of options when deciding how to make the journey. The fastest way is the Shinkansen bullet trains which are covered by the JR Pass.
Kanazawa is known as ‘Little Kyoto’, though it is a unique destination in its own right. The capital of Ishikawa Prefecture, it offers a huge number of historical attractions, Buddhist temples, and interesting museums, as well as fascinating samurai and geisha districts.
Kanazawa’s best-known attraction is the 17th-century Kenrokuen Castle. This impressive piece of historic architecture boasts one of the country’s very best landscape gardens and it draws visitors from both across Japan and abroad.
Traveling between Osaka and Kyoto is easier than ever. The two cities are well-connected and there are numerous ways of making the journey.
The fastest way to travel from Osaka to Kyoto is by rail. Using your JR pass you can catch a Shinkansen bullet train which only takes around 15 minutes to travel a distance of 56.4km. There are also bus routes but they can’t match the trains for time or comfort.
