Miyajima (宮島町, Miyajima-chō) was a town located on the island of Itsukushima (often referred to, incorrectly, as Miyajima Island in English—’jima’ and ’shima’ both mean ‘island’) in Saeki District, Hiroshima, Japan. On November 3, 2005, it was amalgamated into the city of Hatsukaichi.

The name Miyajima literally translates to Shrine Island, which is exactly what the place is known for. With a red torii standing alone in the waters during the high tides belonging to Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima is one of Japan’s 3 most scenic spots.

The island is a beautiful as it is natural. You will find deers strolling about the island’s parks and as well as monkeys roaming around freely. It is a perfect place for couples in the evening because the place oozes romanticism. The glow of the temple and shrines and the stroll on the beach, what can be more perfect than that? :)

Or you can take a hiking trip up Misen, Miyajima’s highest peak if you’re feeling a little adventurous.

How to get to Miyajima?
Click on this link: How to get around Miyaima

A good place to stay in for the night in Miyajima is at Benten No Yado. You can enjoy their onsens as well as have the perfect view of the Torii. Price ranges from 27,000 Yen to 71, 400 yen per night depending on the season.

There is a picturesque resort at the foot of the infamous Mount Fuji. The Fuji Five Lakes (富士五湖, Fuji goko) are located in an arc around the northern half of Mount Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. They are:

* Lake Kawaguchi (Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi)
* Lake Motosu (Kamikuishiki, Yamanashi)
* West Lake (Saiko, Yamanashi)
* Lake Shoji (Kamikuishiki, Yamanashi)
* Lake Yamanaka (Yamanakako, Yamanashi)

All five feature beautiful views of the mountain, especially in the spring and autumn, when the snow partially covers the peak. These lakes are in the countryside, and many resorts offer camping, boating, fishing, and similar rustic recreation. The comforts of civilization are also available.

Apart from the obvious activity, that is climbing mount Fuji, hiking, camping and fishing, you can also visit Sengen Shrine; an important shrine in the area dedicated to Princess Konohanasakuya, the Shinto deity of Mount Fuji.

This place is one of the most picturesque spots in Japan, it is definitely worth the visit. The resort provides several accommodation options for visitors to visit – camping is of course not the only form of accommodation at the Fuji Five Lakes.

Source: Japan Guide; Wikipedia

If you’re visiting Sapporo, Hokkaido and are at loss with where to stay, I’d recommend Ino’s Place.It’s backpacker’s haven as the place is clean, friendly and warm. Oh and not to mention the price is pretty good too from $31 per night. On Yahoo! Travel, Ino’s place was rated 5 stars out of 5 too.

The location of this guesthouse makes it a great place as well as it is about 12 minutes away from the city center (7 Minutes by subway and 5 minutes of walk). Hey, if you’re backpacking, that’s like the walking to your neighbour’s house in Australia, Zone D.

Accommodation at Ino’s Place includes:
- Good Location for sightseeing
- Helpful & English speaking Staff
- No Curfew
- Private Shower Rooms (24hrs Free)
- Fully Equipped Self-Catering Kitchen
- Laundry Facilities
- Central Heating
- TV Lounge
- Internet service
- Wired and Wireless(11b/g) LAN available
- Tourist Information
- Free coffee & tea
- Clean & Cozy Lounge Room
- Western style facilities
- VISA & Master Cards accepted

And we musn’t forget the type of rooms and rates:

- Dormitory bed 3,400 Yen
(co-ed room is available)

- Private room from 4,300 Yen/Person
Family/Group room 3,800 Yen/Person

- Special Rate for long-term stay.
(from 2,800 Yen/night)

- Supplemental heating charge
200 yen per night (nov.-Apr.)

So if you’re every visiting Sapporo and is looking for a place with great value and warmth (as well as meeting folks for all over the world), drop in to Ino’s Place.

Beppu is known for its hot springs resorts. There seems to be a variety of hot springs for your try out there, i.e. the sand baths. The hot springs are divided into two kinds – the onsen (for bathing) and the Jigoku or directly translated to Hell (for viewing). I guess if you were to bath in a Jigoku you’d die cos it’s too hot?

Anyway, the most popular nine (also the most touristy) hells are as followed:

* Umi Jigoku
The “sea hell” features a pond of hot, blue water.
* Oniishibozu Jigoku
This hell is named after the mud bubbles which emerge from boiling mud pools and look like the shaven heads of monks.
* Shiraike Jigoku
This hell features a pond of hot, milky water.
* Chinoike Jigoku
The “blood pond hell” features a pond of hot, red water.
* Tatsumaki Jigoku
This hell features a boiling hot geyser which erupts every 25-30 minutes for about five minutes.

The most famous Onsen in Beppu is the Takegawara Onsen. It offers a variety of hot springs and pool that will satisfy patrons of all taste.

Beppu is best accessed from Kokura Station, which is the last station on the Sanyo Shinkansen before the Hakata terminal in Fukuoka (about 5 1/2 hours from Tokyo by hikari shinkansen). From Kokura Station, there are two direct limited express trains to Beppu per hour. The one way trip takes about 75 minutes and costs 4,090 Yen.

It is also possible to use slower local trains to reach Beppu from Kokura, however, one transfer of trains is necessary, and there are only about three good connections per day. The one way trip by local trains takes twice to three times longer than by limited express, but it costs only 2,420 Yen.

Source: Japan-Guide

There are many beautiful things around Japan, it’s history, culture and nature but there certain things that Japan has to offer that beats the ordinary. Love Hotels.

It’ll stuck out like a little sore thumb in the conventional concrete land of Japan because of it psychedelic colors and weird themes in each of its room. And this, ladies and gentle, is one of Japan’s famous tourist attraction despite it being categorized under the bizarre section.

Nearly every foreigner has a Love Hotel story to tell – for every reasons possible: “There is no other accommodation available”, “It’s the cheapest and it looks funky”,” I had a date and we had no where else to go” etc. Love hotels are often used by young couples, since many young Japanese people live with their parents. They are also commonly used for prostitution. The areas around love hotels are often littered with posters advertising “delivery health” (a euphemism for call girls).

Love hotels usually offer a room rate for a “rest”, kyūkei (休憩, kyūkei?) as well as a night’s “stay.” The period of a “rest” varies from one establishment to the next, typically ranging from one to three hours. Very cheap daytime (off-peak) rates are also common. In general, reservations are not possible, leaving the hotel will forfeit access to the room, and overnight stay rates only become available after 10pm.

Entrances are discreet and interaction with staff is minimized, with rooms often selected from a panel of buttons and the bill settled by pneumatic tube, automatic cash machines, or a pair of hands behind a pane of frosted glass. While cheaper love hotels are utilitarian, higher-end hotels may feature fanciful rooms decorated with cartoon characters, equipped with vibrating beds, or decked out like dungeons complete with S&M gear.

Yee haw, peeps!

Love hotels are typically either concentrated in certain city districts like Dōgenzaka (道玄坂, Dōgenzaka?) in Shibuya, Tokyo, near highways on the city outskirts, or in industrial districts. Very few Japanese people wish to have a love hotel in their neighbourhood, and often oppose construction in residential areas.

Love hotel architecture is sometimes garish, with buildings shaped like castles, boats or UFOs and lit up with lurid pink and purple neon lighting. However, many love hotels are very ordinary looking buildings, distinguished mainly by having small or covered windows.

You can find a love hotel almost anywhere in Japan. Just lookout for funny names like Hotel Elmer, Hotel Carrot, Hotel Charm, Hotel Princess, Hotel Chrystal and also look out for garish colored neon lights. In the likes of this picture:

Source: wikipedia

When you are traveling to Japan, whether you’re with friends or family or even alone, knowing where to stay is important. Location, location, location. Or to some, it’s more about the budget. But you can almost find anything that fits your budget in Japan.

Like for example this article written previously on K’s house which is basically a backpacker’s place. Nothing fancy like the Ritz but it’s clean, and well facilitated to accommodate travelers traveling on a shoe string budget. However, today we’re gonna look at the various types of accommodation available in Japan.

Types of Accommodation:

Ryokan – is a traditional Japanese inn and needless to say, it is different from a western style hotel. One of the main difference is everyone walks around in slippers and then you are given a Yukata, a kimono-like robe that is both your nightwear and what you wear outside of your room in the ryokan. Every room is covered with tatami mats, you will sleep on the floor with a futon mattress, and you will share a large public toilet with the rest of the residents in the ryokan. Meals are usually Japanese style which include rice and soup. A typical Japanese-style breakfast served in ryokan consists of rice, miso (bean paste) soup and Japanese style pickles.

• Japanese inns in Hokkaido
• Japanese inns in Tohoku
• Japanese inns in Kanto
• Japanese inns in Chubu
• Japanese inns in Kinki
• Japanese inns in Chugoku/Shikoku
• Japanese inns in Kyushu/Okinawa

Apartments/ Guest Houses – a very viable option for those who are planning to stay for a long period of time. The guest house provides a fully furnished place and tenants share some facilities like the bathroom/kitchen/living room. It’s basically like flatting with people during university. It’s definitely a great way to meet people. This type of accommodation is also called a gaijin house (foreigner’s house).

• Sakura House – provides guest houses in Tokyo for foreign people.
• Nichio Koyu Kikaku – provides private rooms in Tokyo.
• The Wind Site – offers guest house search in Tokyo.
• Gaijin House – offers vacant guest house room seach in Tokyo.
• Tokyo Cozy House – provides guest houses in Tokyo.
• Fuji Hakone Guest House – Japanese-style family inn (B&B).
• Osaka English House – provides rooms for foreigners in Osaka.
• Uno House – guesthouse in central Kyoto.

Homestays – If you want to live like a Japanese in Japan, homestays are the answer to your trip’s quest. You can find host families in Japan who are more than willing to accommodate you for a sum. And there are programs currently for student exchange. This is the best way to learn about Japanese culture and language. There is also a home visit system in Japan. It offers foreign visitors a chance to visit a Japanese family at their home. If your visit to Japan is brief, arranging a home visit might be a good idea.

• Homestay in Chiba-city, Japan
• Japanese Host Family List
• PPF Homestay

Hotels – there are the expensive kind, the moderate kind, and the budget friendly kind (with a slightly different name: hostel). You can find a hotel whether it is local or international chains anywhere in Japan. Capsule hotels are cheap (only USD25-35 per night) and you sleep in a capsule, share a common toilet and bathroom. Some capsule hotels do not allow female tenants. Youth Hostel are also available if you don’t mind sharing a room with others and is in fact the cheapest accommodation you can find in Japan.

• Budget Tokyo Hotels – reasonable hotels in Tokyo
• Moderate Priced Tokyo Hotels
• Luxurious Tokyo Hotels

Images taken off here and here.

K’s House is a chain of backpacker hostels in Japan. They started out in November, 2003 in Kyoto (which has perhaps the highest concentration of backpacker hostels anywhere in Japan) and have since opened hostels in Nagano prefecture and Tokyo.

The prices are cheap (starting at 2500 yen for a dorm bed in Kyoto, 2800 in Tokyo and Nagano) and the entire hostel has a very modern and welcoming atmosphere. Features in all hostels include:

• Communal living and dining room
• A well-equipped communal kitchen
• Internet, laundry and bicycle hire
• Separate bathrooms and toilets
• No curfew, English speaking staff and air conditioning in all rooms
• No YHA membership required

After staying at the Kyoto hostel numerous times, I can tell you that the place is clean, airy, modern, comfortable and best of all – cheap! The staff are all very friendly and will always try to be helpful. They all speak English reasonably well.

One thing that I found very useful was how the hostel has a room availablity chart online for three months in advance. This is updated daily, and bookings can be made via email.

I highly recommend this place. While I haven’t been to the Tokyo hostel, if it’s anything like Kyoto’s (which was, by the way, voted best hostel in Asia by Hostelworld, an online booking service) then you won’t be disappointed. Besides, 2800 yen for a bed is probably unheard of in Tokyo.

Link:
K’s House – in English