Japan (Eyewitness Travel Guides) (Dk Eyewitness Travel Guides) Flexibound – September 1, 2003

We are going to Japan in a few months. This information will be invaluable information for our trip! It is a must have!

The Eyewitness Travel Guide for Japan is a very good publication. I used the guide on a recent trip to Kyoto and therefore I will only be able to comment on the use of the guide in Kyoto.In general the guide prepares you for Japan fairly well. I found Japan to be a land of contradictions in regard to dress. The youth of Japan show their rebellion by coloring their dark hair with red highlights and wear wild teased up hair styles. They wear gothic styles with a touch of S&M leather. The clothing selections and combinations are striking. However on the same bus or subway that you see youths with wild clothing, you will also see older women wearing the traditional kimono with obi sash. Take a careful look at these ladies and you will see how beautiful the clothes are matched and patterned. You may also see the beautiful Geisha and Maiko in Kyoto, visiting historic sites or traveling in hand pulled carriages.In the 5 days I was in Japan I never saw the first piece of trash or garbage on the ground. I never even saw a cigarette butt on the ground. I was amazed at the cleanliness. One morning on an early walk, I found a monk carefully sweeping a public bridge of early autumn leaves.Downtown Kyoto was full of high end stores and amazing displays of neon. The corner of Shijo and Kawaramachi is the Kyoto version of Times Square with the magnificent Takashimaya flagship store. However as you walk downtown Kyoto you will see small Shinto or Buddhist shrines hidden between buildings. At the gate there is a frequent water fountain and tin cups so that you can wash and purify your hands before entering the shrine. Many have incense and candles burning. Some contain amazing antique Buddhist statues. There is often a thick rope tied to an antique bell high above your head. Pull the bellcord, ring the bell and say a short prayer. Kyoto is a city of palaces, castles, fortresses, shrines, and temples. Most of the palaces, castles, and fortresses have wonderful gardens to explore. Many of the shrines and temples also have superbly beautiful gardens. Some of the gardens are called Paradise Gardens because they are meant to evoke the Pure Land or Buddhist paradise. The private gardens of the Emperor,which are located ajacent to his residence in the Imperial Compound, are such gardens. However, some of the temples have the dry-landscape gardens with carefully rakes gravel. The Japanese are major tourists in their own country and appreciate the careful garden landscape designs, especially the reflection of temples or a stand of autumn red trees reflected in a pool. The florists of Kyoto are experts in Ikebana, with stunning asymetrical arrangements of flowers. Go into florists shops while traveling in Kyoto to see the artistic arrangements of the owners. Garden shops often had impressive examples of Bonsai. The antique shops in Kyoto contain interesting ceramics and bronze castings. The prices were a bit steep especially in light of the fact that contemporary potters create similar work to the old masters of 400 years ago.The Eyewitness Guide has a short history of Japan. Of interest is the odd pattern of the Emperor abdicating to become a reclusive monk and allowing a son or grandson to become Emperor. Interstingly the new young Emperor is charged with all the boring rituals of court ceremony while the reclusive retired Emperor rules the land without having to waste time on formal ceremonies. Also, at times in Japan's history, the country was actually run by a Shogun, a military dictator, while the Imperial family was concerned with ceremony without any real power.Kyoto is a fantastic city to visit. The subway system is easy to understand once you take your first trip. The subway stops are convenient to every part of town and to many of the historic sites. The Gion district is gret fun to explore with its narrow stone roads and tiny shops. The Eyewitness map covered the central 80% of the city but there was no subway map in the guide. This would have been a nice feature.Kyoto station, where all trains, subways, and buses meet, can be a bit confusing. Give yourself plenty of time since most of the signs are in Japanese and English signs are not available for every line, train track, or bus stop.The Sanjusangen-do Temple is a 'must see' item. It contains 1000 Kannon statues, all lined up in rows. In front of these 1000 statues are a series of goddesses, gods, demons, spirits that guard the 1000 Kannon statues. These works are superb. In the center is one very large Kannon carved 750 years ago that is impressive. The statues are housed in the longest wooden structure in the world.Nijo Castle is also a 'must see' item. It is a fortress within a fortress. The massive Karamon Gate marks the entrance into the area where the Shogun held court and lived. You are allowed to see his meeting rooms, residential rooms, study, and the large hall where he holds court (the Ohiroma Ichi-no-ma). The gardens surrounding the buildings are incredible with orchards of cherry and plum trees. Like every historic building or shrine or temple, you must take off your shoes to enter. Of note is the nightingale floors in the Castle which were built to squeak to alert of a sneak attack.The Gion district is great fun. Shijo street ends at the Yasaka Shrine, a compound that should be visited. The grounds of the Shrine link to Maruyama Park. From here, it is a short walk to the historic Kodaiji Temple which is superbly landscaped. The strolling paths are fun and will take you to the Yasakanoto Pagoda that stands high above the downtown area. The homes and inns in this region are exquisite with wonderful tea gardens leading into the entrances.The Higashihonganji Temple is massive is reported to be the largest wooden structure in the world.The Imperial residence within the Imperial Park is a fascinating group of buildings with residential and ceremonial buildings. I certainly enjoyed seeing the palace compound and fantastic gardens.Shopping in Kyoto is very interesting. Pickle stores abound with pickled turnips, radishes, mustard greens, cherrys, plums, and other delicasies that we rarely see in the United States. The restaurants in the Pontocho region are good. We ate at Wontana and had the 9 course chef's meal (called Kaiseki) with a range of Saki selections. Expect many fish and duck dishes in Kyoto restaurants. Because I was in Kyoto for business we had Bento Boxes for lunch. They are a real treat with many tasty items. The sushi and sashimi was fantastic in Kyoto. The Maguro (tuna) and Snapper was excellent. When running around town, you may see Pocari Sweat, an oddly named soft drink. Be careful around tipping since it is not customary and may be offensive. Restrooms are frequent and well marked. Western style toilets in hotels and restaurants may be high tech with seat warmers and water sprayers and noise makers to disquise bathroom sounds. Some of these toilets start a slow trickle flush when you sit down to disquise noise.I did not give the guide 5 points because there were a few things that were needed that could have been provided. A subway map of Kyoto would have been nice in the Kyoto section. However the major ommission in the book was a warning that ATMs are hard to find and may not take US banks or credit unions. I found that post offices had ATMs that would take Western cards but there were not many ATMs in Kyoto - so be prepared.However, overall this is a good product, with beautiful pictures and basic good information.

Excellent guide to Japan. My wife and I just spent two weeks in Japan and frequently used this book during our trip. We spent 5 days in Tokyo, 6 in Kyoto, and 1 in Hiroshima.Pros:Easy to carry size and lightweight.Pictures of a large number of sights.Accurate information reference opening times, travel directions, locations, and phone numbers.Book is not an overkill of info. Provides a brief intro for each sight.Well orgnaized and easy to use.Shopping and entertainment section at the end of each section.Chapters on Tokyo, Kyoto, and regional chapters.Also includes the dates of special events at each sight.Cons:No walking routes, tour routes, or prioritation of sights.If you travel to Japan, we also recommend you bring another tour book to doubletap two sources. We used another Kyoto book for Kyoto since there was so much to see in the city.Enjoy your trip,A. Cerella

This little book was a fantastic guide through Tokyo on my recent first trip to Japan. It got us to all the important sites and explained their significance. I love having all the pictures in the book - it is often the only way I can tell if I am in the right location.However, I must admit that it was more fun to use this book as a general guide and wander around, discovering the interesting sights off of the beaten path after you have seen the major tourist attraction in a location. This guide seems to cover the major tourist sites only (which is typically what I want to see on my first visit to a new country).Also, this appears to be a very popular book with tourists - there were many times when we could spot fellow tourists because they were carrying this same book, often in spanish, italian, or one of the other many languages that this guide is translated into.

I love these DK travel books. I buy them sometimes even when I’m not planning to go there just because I love the art so much.

Its one of many travel books I have looked at over the years that i found worth keeping and replaceing