The Hakuba region is just hours away from Tokyo. It is the best place to ski because 1) excellent powdery snow 2) it’s close to the city 3)internationally renowned. I guess winter can’t be that bad if you can ski :)

THere are several resorts to choose from in Hakuba but a popular one is Happo-one, which is also the biggest resort in Hakone. However we know that skiing is really a rich man’s sport. Equipment rentals and season passes are not exactly cheap. But I have some good news for you. If you read Metropolis, if you don’t you better start now, SnowJapan.com is giving out free lift passes to its readers.

Seisonkaku Villa is one of the very few remaining samurai villas in Japan. It’s beautiful architecture and rich history marks this place as a touristic spot for all. The villa was built by a Maeda lord out of filial piety for his mother.

The villa stands right next to Kenrokuen but a different admissions fee apply.

At a glance, Izu Peninsula looked like a picturesque Hawaii during the summer. The peninsula is a resort area about 100 kilometres away from the Southwest of Tokyo. The mild climate at Izu makes it a popular spot for the locals and tourists. And with the palm trees, it really does look like Hawaii.

Izu Peninsular is a popular recreational as it is known for its onsen hot springs, including Atami and Mishima. The peninsula abuts Mt. Fuji and is a part of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.

It is also a popular destination for scuba diving. Historically the top three diving destinations are:

* Izu Ocean Park (IOP) (伊豆海洋公園 Izu Kaiyō Kōen)
* Yawatano (八幡野)
* Osezaki (大瀬崎 Ōsezaki)

Further south, there is a tropical plant conservatory called Banana Crocodile Park (バナナワニ園 Banana Wani-en) near Itō.

Izu being one of Japan’s biggest producers of wasabi, the local cuisine offers many wasabi-flavored dishes. Some famous towns and popular tourist attractions include old Shuzenji with its temples, onsens, waterfalls, and ryokans, and Shimoda, the landing site of Commodore Perry’s infamous fleet of black ships. Your chances of tasting a REAL wasabi is probably higher in Izu than anywhere else in Japan.

How to get there?
Visit this website for a concise guide on getting to Izu Peninsula.

Nishizawa Keikoku is easily the most beautiful valley and waterfall sight in the whole of Japan. It’s turquoise colored water and lush falls is definitely a sight to behold. It is part of the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, a park which covers more than 1250 square kilometers of forested mountains, hills, gorges and some rural towns in the prefectures of Yamanashi, Saitama, Nagano and Tokyo.

The waterfall is a 5 tiered one, it’s as picturesque as it can be actually. If i were you, i’d take the day off and hike up there just to enjoy the scenery. And with that, please bring your proper attire and sturdy shoes.

How do you get to Nishizawa Keikoku?

Take the JR Chuo Line to Enzan Station. From Tokyo’s Shinjuku Station, Enzan Station can be reached in 90 minutes by direct limited express train (3190 Yen, covered by the Japan Rail Pass) or in 150 minutes by local trains (1460 Yen, at least one transfer of trains is required along the way).

From Enzan Station, there are six buses per day to the Nishizawa Keikoku (only four buses per day from December to April). The bus ride takes about one hour and costs 1020 Yen one way. Alternatively, a taxi costs about 6000 Yen one way and may be worth considering if you are traveling in a group.

Source: Japan Guide

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

Karuizawa (軽井沢町, -machi?) is a town located in Kitasaku District, Nagano, Japan.

Karuizawa is known throughout Japan as a popular tourist spot. Many couples and families from Tokyo will travel to Karuizawa to get away from the city especially in summer. There is a Shinkansen station as well as a large outlet store shopping mall. It is also known for its historic shopping street known as “Ginza dōri” or “Kyū-dō” (Ginza Street, or the Old Road).

Karuizawa hosted equestrian events in the 1964 Summer Olympics. The town also hosted curling in the 1998 Winter Olympics. To date, it is the only city in the world having hosted both Summer and Winter Olympic events.

The hilly spot used to a highland resort endorsed by western residents in Japan in the late 1800s. Today, it’s apart from being getaway place for the summer, Karuizawa is a land affordable only by the rich. It’s sort of like a resort where the rich kids go during the summer to spend their summer vacation, except, instead of the usual beach getaway, this is a hilly and cool getaway from the burning sun. There are various outdoor activities to look forward to in Karuizawa, such as tennis, hiking, cycling, golfing in summer and skiing and skating in winter. There are ample of shopping opportunities as well.

Karuizawa is located along the Romantic Road – Japanese version of the German’s Romantic Road.

You can get to Karuizawa by bus or by train.

By train from Tokyo:

Karuizawa can be reached from Tokyo Station in 65-80 minutes by Nagano Shinkansen. The one way journey costs about 5500 Yen.

By bus from Tokyo:

There are four highway buses per day between Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district (stopping at Sunshine City Prince Hotel and Ikebukuro Station) and Karuizawa. The one way journey takes three hours and costs 2910 Yen.

Source: Japan-Guide

The Nakasendo was one of Japan’s main “highways” during the Edo Period, connecting Kyoto with Edo over an inland route.

Sections of the highway and post stations, towns which used to offer food and lodging to travelers, survive in the Kiso Valley of Nagano Prefecture. Magome and Tsumago are the two most beautifully preserved post towns and are connected with each other by an attractive walking course along the old highway.

You can travel to two beautiful old preserved towns to check out how Japan lived centuries back.

How to get there?
From Tokyo, the quickest way to get into the Kiso Valley is by JR Tokaido Shinkansen to Nagoya, and then by JR Shinano limited express into the valley. The one way trip takes about three hours and costs about 12,000 Yen.

The alternative by Matsumoto bound JR Azusa limited express from Tokyo’s Shinjuku Station to Shiojiri where you transfer to the JR Shinano limited express, takes about four hours and 9,000 Yen.

Source: Japan Guide

Kamikochi is a remote mountainous highland in Nagano Prefecture, Japan which has been preserved in its natural state. It is sometimes referred to as the “Japanese Yosemite.”

Kamikochi is located in the Hida Mountains, the northern part of the Japan Alps. Kamikochi is bordered on its northern end by Mt. Hotakadake, and on its southern end by Mt. Yakedake, an active volcano. The Azusa river flows the length of the valley, filling Lake Taisho at the base of Mt. Yakedake. Lake Taisho was formed by the eruption of Mr. Yakedake in the 1920s, also know as the Taisho period in Japan. The entire highland is protected as part of the Chubu Sangaku National Park. Entry by private vehicles without a permit is prohibited.

The Kamikochi area was logged very extensively until the mid-19th Century. Walter Weston, a British missionary, is credited with sparking Japanese interest in mountaineering, and also with lobbying to preserve the Kamikochi area.

Kamikochi is very beautiful during the autumn months. A stroll along Azusa River from Taisho Pond to Myojin Bridge is the simplest way to enjoy the beautiful scenery at Kamikochi. You’ll also be able to catch some of its natural wildlife there on your way. It’s definitely a place you should visit and especially so if you’re into hiking and mountaineering.

Here’s a trail map to help you out when you’re there:

Source: Japan Guide

Zenkō-ji (善光寺, Zenkō-ji) is a 7th century Buddhist temple in Nagano, Japan. The city, established in 1897, was once a town built around the temple. Zenkō-ji is perhaps most famous for its involvement in the battles between Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen in the 16th century, when it served as one of Kenshin’s bases of operations.

Zenkō-ji belongs to both the Tendai and Jodo Shu schools of Buddhism, and is co-managed by 25 priests from the former School and 14 from the latter. It enshrines images of the Amida Buddha, the primary one of which is a hibutsu, a hidden Buddha, which is not normally shown to the public. This hibutsu is rumored to be the first Buddha statue to ever be brought to Japan. There is also a passage under the temple where worshippers, in complete darkness, try to touch a key hanging on the wall in order to gain enlightenment. The key represents the Key to the Western Paradise of the Amida Buddha.

The hidden Buddha statue, or hibutsu, is shown once every six or seven years, and attracts many worshippers. The last time it was on display, in 2003, Zenkō-ji joined with Motozenkō-ji and the Zenkō-ji of Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, in discussions. The hibutsu will be on display next in 2010.

Zenkō-ji was originally built during the reign of Emperor Kimmei, in the 6th century, but was moved several times before coming to its present location. The current site, in what was then Motozen village, was originally called Motozenkoji.

At the end of the Kamakura period (1185-1333), many temples copied Zenkō-ji’s famous Buddha statue, and many new temples were built around the country calling themselves ‘Zenkō-ji’ or ‘Shin-Zenkō-ji’ (New Zenkō-ji).

In the Sengoku period, when Zenkō-ji became involved in the struggles between Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen, the chief abbot was afraid it would be burnt to the ground. He built a new Zenkō-ji in what is now Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, which still stands. In 1598, Toyotomi Hideyoshi moved the hibutsu to Kyoto, and then to Shinano. The hibutsu and the Zenkoji temple itself have since been moved once more back to Nagano.

How to get there?
Zenkoji is a 10 minute bus ride from the JR Nagano Station.

Source: wikipedia; Japan Guide

Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is one of the most magnificent routes that takes you through Japan’s Northern Alps. You can expect to feast your eyes here. The route is easily accessible by buses and cars. The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route was completed in 1971, and connects Toyama City in Toyama Prefecture with Omachi Town in Nagano Prefecture. The section between Tateyama Station and Ogizawa is closed to private vehicles. The route is open from mid April through November. This year of 2007, the entire route is open from April 17 to November 30.

The main attraction of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is the magnificent scenery of the Tateyama Mountain Range, part of the Chubu Sangaku National Park. An up to 20 meter high snow corridor is a highlight during spring, while summer and autumn attract visitors with beautiful hiking trails and alpine flowers.

Transportation along the Alpine Route is not covered by the Japan Rail Pass. A one way journey along the entire route costs roughly 10,000 Yen. A luggage forwarding service is provided between stations and hotels along the route. The typical cost is 1500 yen per piece of luggage.

Note that the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route gets very busy during holidays, such as the Golden Week, summer holidays and weekends during the autumn leaf season.

Go to this page for more info on how to get there: Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route