A Visitors' Cultural Guide to Japan Your land of rising sun, Nihon or Nippon or Japan is an island nation in East Asia.

Located within the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of China, Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk within the north to the East China Sea in the south, Japan is an Archipelago that is comprised of over 3 thousand islands. Honsh, Hokkaid, Kysh and Shikoku are the largest islands. The islands are primarily mountainous and volcanic; Mount Fuji is Japans highest peak. Tokyo will be the capital, and Hiroshima, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Nagasaki, Nara, Osaka, Sapporo, and Sendai are essential cities of Japan. Japan will be the nation full of scenic beauties and tourist attractions such as mesmeric mountains, captivating websites, temples, castles, hot springs, etc. Japan has total population of 128,085,000 (2005 Estimate). The Japanese society is homogeneous with nonJapanese, mostly Koreans, just making up less than 1% of the population. Shinto and Buddhism are the principal religions, but varieties of Buddhism, such as Jodo, Shingon, and Nichiren, and Christianity is followed by some Japanese individuals. Spring is among the best times to visit Japan; it is warm, but not hot and it doesnt rain too much throughout this time of year. Famous cherry blossoms (sakura) bloom in March-April; the Japan Meteorological Agency in early March, announces predictions about when the blooming will start. Its a time of revelry and festivals. Japanese celebrate Hanami, a festival of outdoors picnics and drunken revelry in parks in March or April. Hinamatsuri, the Doll Festival is celebrated on 3 March. The Golden Week (April 27 to May 6) thats the longest holiday in Japan is not great time to visit Japan, as you will find four public holidays and people go on for vacation, and trains are crowded, flight and hotel prices go extremely up, but you might strategy you tour a couple of weeks instantly before or after the Golden Week. Summer brings a dreary rainy season in June and Japan turns into a steambath in July-August, with extreme humidity and also the temperature heading as high as 40C. During this time northern Hokkaido or the mountains of Chubu and Tohoku are some of the places to visit. Summer brings number festivals that include several large and small local festivals and impressive fireworks competitions. On July 7th or early August in some places, Tanabata is really a star festival commemorating a story of star-crossed lovers who could only meet on this day. Celebrated in mid-July in eastern Japan (Kanto) and mid-August in western Japan (Kansai), Obon is the largest summer festival that honors the departed spirits of ones ancestors. Beginning in September, autumn is also the best time to go to Japan. Temperature and humidity is tolerable, days are fair, and colors of fall are mesmerizing. Winter is cold and snowy, which is good time for skiing or hot-spring hopping. Matsuri are nearby festivals, generally related towards the rice harvest, celebrated in late summer/early autumn. Matsuri are celebrated nearly every region of

Japan. Gion Matsuri (Kyoto), Tenjin Matsuri (Osaka), and Kanda and Sann Matsuri (Tokyo) are some of the most popular. Shichi-Go-San will be the festival day for kids aged three, 5 and seven, celebrated on 15 November. misoka New Year is celebrated with fantastic fervor and festivity. Its holiday that shuts down the country between December 29 and January three. People eat festive foods and collect at temple at midnight to wish within the New Year. Second Monday of January is Seijin Shiki, which is really a nation wide festival of Coming of Age Day. Japanese national holidays consist of January 1 (New Years Day), 2nd Monday of January (Coming-of-Age Day), February 11 (National Foundation Day), March 21 (Vernal Equinox Day), April 29 (Showa Day), May three (Constitution Day), May 4 (Greenery Day), May five (Childrens Day), 3rd Monday of July (Marine Day), 3rd Monday of September (Respect-for-the-Aged Day), September 23 (Autumnal Equinox Day), 2nd Monday of October (Sports Day), November three (Culture Day), November 23 (Labor Thanksgiving Day), and December 23 (The Emperors Birthday). By on books