Japan

Kyoto’s Imperial Palace neighborhood is the greenest area in the city centre; perfect if you’re looking to take a break from pounding the pavement. Dominating the area is the expansive grounds of the Imperial Palace and its park, while to the northwest sits Daitoku-ji – a self-contained world of Zen temples, lovely gardens and lanes. Head north where the greenery continues at the Kyoto Botanical Gardens and the forest setting of the Shimogamo-jinja. This area is also home to Kyoto's traditional textile district, Nishijin.

The vibrant city of Matsumoto (松本) sits in a fertile valley, with the magnificent northern Japan Alps, in all their splendour, to the west. Formerly known as Fukashi, Nagano Prefecture's second-largest city has been here since the 8th century. In the 14th and 15th centuries it was the castle town of the Ogasawara clan and it continued to prosper through the Edo period to the present.

I Japan finns snö som fått världens skidåkare att vallfärda till landet. Kombinera skidsemestern med kultur, mat och varma onsen.

Hur fungerar det att åka shinkansen, eller snabbtåg i Japan? Och vilket tågpass ska jag välja? Här kommer Vagabonds bästa tips för tågresor i Japan.

Japan upplevs bäst med tåg. Sedan 2016 trafikerar Shinkansen världens längsta undervattenstunnel till Hokkaido. Nu kan landets samtliga tre huvudöar nås med snabbtåg.

Japan's first permanent capital, Nara (奈良) is one of the country's most rewarding destinations. The biggest draw is the awe-inspiring Daibutsu (Great Buddha), a towering effigy first cast in the 8th century. Historically important temples and shrines house treasures of Buddhist art, and more can be found in the excellent Nara National Museum. All of this occupies a compact area in and around Nara-kōen, a large, grassy park home to many (somewhat) tame deer.

At the far southwestern end of the Southwest Islands are the gorgeous Yaeyama Islands (八重山諸島; Yaeyama-shotō), which include the main islands of Ishigaki-jima and Iriomote-jima as well as a spread of 17 isles. Located near the Tropic of Cancer, they are renowned for their lovely beaches, superb diving and lush landscapes.

Occupying the west of Shikoku and formerly known as Iyo, Ehime Prefecture (愛媛県) is home to Shikoku's largest city, Matsuyama, and has the greatest number of the 88 pilgrimage temples – 27, to be precise. Like Tosa (Kōchi Prefecture), the southern part of the prefecture has always been considered wild and remote; by the time pilgrims arrive in Matsuyama, they know that the hard work has been done and they are well on their way to completing their goal. To pilgrims, Ehime is known as Bodai-no-dōjō, the 'place for attainment of wisdom'. There are large clusters of temples around Matsuyama and Imabari, at the southern end of the Shimanami Kaidō bridge system, which links Shikoku with Honshū and makes for a spectacular bike ride.

Formerly known as Sanuki, Kagawa Prefecture (香川県) is the smallest of Shikoku's four regions and the smallest of the country's 47 prefectures. The region's hospitable weather and welcoming people have always been a comfort to pilgrims as they come to the end of their journey. To henro, Kagawa is known as Nehan-no-dōjō, the 'place of completion', as it has the last 22 of the 88 pilgrimage temples.

Roadtrips är kanske inte det första man tänker på när man hör "Japan", särskilt inte eftersom det finns ett sådant välutvecklat tågnät här. Men för den som känner sig sugen kommer nu goda nyheter: Ett nytt expresskort ger utländska turister obegränsade resor genom landets, annars dyra, tullar.