Okinawa prefecture, Japan’s tropical paradise, consists of 160 islands stretching across the ocean, 49 of which are inhabited. Some of these islands lie closer to Taiwan than they are to the mainland of Japan and the distribution of the islands is vast and they stretch 1000km across the ocean
Cape Town is a port city on South Africa’s southwest coast, on a peninsula beneath the imposing Table Mountain. Slowly rotating cable cars climb to the mountain’s flat top, from which there are sweeping views of the city, the busy harbor and boats heading for Robben Island, the notorious prison that once held Nelson Mandela, which is now a living museum.
Bellagio is a village on a promontory jutting out into Lake Como, in Italy. It’s known for its cobbled lanes, elegant buildings and Villa Serbelloni Park, an 18th-century terraced garden with lake views. Nearby are the Tower of the Arts, a venue for exhibitions and performances, and the Romanesque San Giacomo Church. Close to rocky Loppia Beach, the Museum of Navigational Instruments displays sundials and compasses.
The Chubu region in Central Japan features some of Japan’s most mountainous territory, containing not just Mount Fuji, but also the Southern, Central, and the Northern Japanese Alps. Passing through the area by bullet train alone leaves most travelers unaware of the natural beauty and cultural heritage that lies in Japan’s central belt.
Tohoku consists of the 6 prefectures in the northeast of the main island of Honshu. This lesser-visited region of Japan has a rich history. Geographically, three mountain ranges extend in the area from North to South which are interspersed with lowlands. The Ou mountain range running roughly down the center of Tohoku marks a climactic divide
Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan's islands. The island is far less densely populated than the rest of Japan, and vast reaches of the island remain unspoiled and wild, protected in part by the changeable climate and in part by a network of National Parks and quasi National parks. Bordered by the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Ohotsk, and the Pacific Ocean, Hokkaido's climate is cold and snowy in winter months, and warmer and relatively dry in summer.
The third-largest island, Kyushu, which is located in the southwestern part of the country, takes its name from the nine regions that formed the area in the 8th century. Now, the Island consists of seven prefectures Kyushu is the Westernmost of Japan’s four main islands, lying to the west of Honshu and separated from Honshu by the Kanmon Straits. Kyushu is bordered by the East China Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east.
Shikoku is the smallest of Japan's 4 main islands. It takes its name, the ‘four provinces’ from the original Awa, Tosa, Sanuki, and Iyo provinces making up the island – but the island is now divided into the four modern-day prefectures of Tokushima, Kochi, Ehime, and Kagawa.
Chugoku is known for its coastlines, bordered on one side by the Seto Inland Sea, and the other by the Sea of Japan. A westward journey in Chugoku ends at the far western end of the main Honshu Island, at the Shimonoseki Straits, which separate Japan’s main island of Honshu, from the island of Kyushu. Much of Chugoku falls off the usual tourist route, making it a wonderful area to discover the ‘hidden’ Japan off the beaten path.
The Kansai region of Japan, lying in the West of the main Japanese island of Honshu, is considered to be the heartland of Japan’s culture and civilization. The population of the region is second only to the Kanto area. Kansai also lies at the crossroads of where spiritual, intellectual, and cultural influences entered Japan from broader Asia.
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