Search less and discover more. Unlock the very best of Japan with this compact, easy-to-use travel guide - perfect for planning your Japanese adventure. Skip the neon tourist traps of Shinjuku and the overcrowded Kyoto highlights at midday. This local expert guide reveals the popular sights and the hidden gems. Discover which shrines are quiet at dawn, which alleyway ramen counters stay open past midnight and which onsen towns still feel untouched. Discover rural ryokan where time slows, mountain trails known only to hikers, and neighbourhood cafes where regulars greet each other by name. Navigate Japan's layered cities and landscapes with Marco Polo's signature pull-out maps, designed for seamless exploration. From Tokyo's intricate rail networks to quiet countryside roads, move confidently between ancient castles, forested shrines, alpine villages, and island shores. Experience Japan at its most authentic - precise, poetic, and deeply human. What You'll Discover: Secret Japan experiences - Crowd-free shrines, hidden izakaya, coastal walks, and neighbourhoods untouched by mass tourism Japan's top sights - Explore the must-see highlights from Tokyo's buzzing streets, to Kyoto's timeless temples, with iconic experiences including Mount Fuji views and journeys on the Shinkansen Japan navigation mastery - Marco Polo's pull-out maps covering cities, transport hubs, and scenic routes Authentic Japanese food culture - Local ramen shops, regional specialties, market breakfasts, and seasonal dining customs including fresh sushi, crispy tempura and traditional Kaiseki Japan cultural confidence - Etiquette, customs, and essential phrases for meaningful connections Smart travel in Japan - transport passes, budget tips, free viewpoints, and money-saving wisdom Perfect for couples, families, and culture seekers wanting the real Japan, this guide explains why locals treasure small moments, from quiet tea rituals to evening strolls through lantern-lit streets. From sunrise temple bells to late-night noodle stops, discover a country where beauty lives in the detail. Japan is more than bullet trains and cherry blossoms - it's the rhythm of daily life, the warmth of shared meals, the stillness of mountain paths, and the grace found in ordinary moments. Find your way with Marco Polo.
Marco Polo One of the leading and most trusted travel publishing brands in Europe, Marco Polo has been guiding travellers around the world since 1991. All titles are researched on location and written by locals or authors who have spent the majority of their time living and travelling in the destination. With nearly 35 years of travel guide publishing under our belts and approaching 100million copies sold, you can rely on our experience to ensure you have a wonderful trip. What do we do? We create well-researched, high-quality guides to guarantee you have a wealth of detailed, reliable information about places to visit and how to get there. We print on high-quality, environmentally-friendly paper which ensures all the lovely colour photographs, maps and attractions are presented in the best way possible to bring your destination to life. What makes our guides and maps different? Marco Polo's renowned 'Insider Tips' ensure you enjoy an authentic local experience, creating travel memories that will last a lifetime. Our guides and maps are regularly updated by local experts who live, work and travel in the destination, ensuring current, first-hand information is included. We focus on the best selection of attractions and experiences saving you precious time so that you can search less and discover more.
36 Regional Overview 38 The North 42 Sapporo & around 46 Shiretoko National Park & around 47 Hakodate 48 Aomori & around 50 Morioka & around 52 Sendai & around 56 Aizu-Wakamatsu & around 58 Tokyo & The East 62 Tokyo & around 72 Nikko National Park 73 Yokohama 74 Kamakura 75 Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park 78 Central Japan 82 Matsumoto & around 83 Nagano & around 84 Kanazawa & around 87 Takayama & around 87 Nagoya & around 88 Kyoto & around 93 Nara 94 Osaka & around 98 Kobe & around 100 The West 104 Okayama & around 105 Shikoku 106 Hiroshima & around 109 Matsue & around 113 Omori 114 Hagi & around 116 The South 120 Fukuoka 122 Beppu & around 123 Kumamoto & around 126 Nagasaki & around 129 Kagoshima & around 132 Yakushima 133 Okinawa
