ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Mydeepestgratitudegoesout toallofmy familymembersand friendsfortheirsupportduringthisproject.

Very special thanks go out toMatt Loux, Yuuko Koyama, FusamiOgi,Yuji Nakagawa, Mika Sakki, Rodney Greenblat, Kate Williamson, RieMcClenny, Raina Telgemeier, Dave Roman, Kaneko Atsushi, YokoOikawa,YouriMorinaga,ChrisButcher,MasakazuKigure,XavierLancel,JeffSuon,MinaMondenandthecountlessotherswhohavehelpedmefeelwelcomeonmytravelsandofferedvaluableinputforthisbook.

CONTENTS

PrepareforTakeoff!

WeHaveArrived!

WhatWillWeEat?

HomeSweetHomestay!

Let’sHaveSomeFun!

SoMuchtoSee!

DidSomebodySay“Shopping"?

MangaandAnimeandVideoGames—OhMy!

DoWeHavetoLeave?

TravelResources

HandyJapanApps

SomeotherRecommendedDestinations

ImportantInfoInCaseOfEmergencies

FeaturedAndRecommendedPlacesToVisit

FestivalsofJapan

Copyright

MapofJapan

INTRODUCTION

Hello!

Let me be your tour guide on a fun-filled journey to Japan! I'm anAmerican cartoonist who has had a fascination with Japan for years.Animeandmangabecamepartofmy lifewhenIwasa teen.Acomicsfanalready,Iwasinstantlydrawntothediverseandexcitingstoriesandart Japan's comics offered. Then, during my college years at ParsonsSchoolofDesigninNewYork,IhadagreatopportunitytotraveltoJapanandcompleteasummersessionatSophiaUniversity inTokyo,where IstudiedJapaneseartandreligion.

I adored my stay in Japan and collaborated on comics there with myfriend Yuuko Koyama, a pen pal I had been corresponding with longbeforeIevermadethatfirsttrip.Tothisday(overfifteenyearslater)weare still collaborating, and I try to visit Japan every year to haveadventureswithher.Withmeonmy travels ismyhusband,MattLoux,whoisalsoanavidJapantravelerandverytalentedcartoonist!

Matt, Yuuko, and Iwill take you on a trip through someof our favoriteplaces to go and things to do. Another character you'll meet is KittySweetTooth,mycartooncatalteregowholikestosharenewwordsandtravelpointers.

IlovevisitingJapansomuchthatit'slikeanotherhometome.I'dliketoshare some of the things I love doing there, aswell as some tips I'vepickedupalongtheway,withpeoplewhowanttomakethetrek,orjustwanttohavealittlearmchairadventureinoneofthecoolestcountriesinthe world. I hope this book will come in handy for you when you'replanningyourtriporrelaxinginyourfavoritechair.

Let’sgo!

PRONUNCIATIONGUIDE

AtthestartofeachchapterKittySweetToothwillteachyouhowtosaysome useful words and phrases. Here are a few basic rules ofpronunciation.

InJapanese:aispronouncedasinthewordfathereispronouncedasinthewordsetiispronouncedeeasinthewordseedoispronouncedasinthewordtoteuispronouncedoo,asinthewordsoon

MostconsonantsarepronouncedasinEnglish.Gisalwayshard,as ingoat.FisasoftersoundthaninEnglish,sotrynottoletyourteethtouchyourbottomlipwhenpronouncingit.Risalsoasoftersound,likeagentlecurl/rollofthetongue.Thereisnol,q,vorxsoundinJapanese.

TRAVELRESOURCES

WEBSITES:

http://www.japan-guide.comThis is my favorite Japan travel site for planning, especially from alogisticalstandpoint!Ithasalotofgreatinformationaboutdestinationswith details about rates, routes and train fares. The site is regularlyupdatedwith informationanddates forspecificseasonsand festivals,includingcherryblossomseasonand fall color tracking.There'seveninformation alerting visitors when a given area will be undergoingmaintenanceornewconstruction.

http://www.jnto.go.jp/engThisistheofficialsiteoftheJapanNationalTourismOrganization.Thiscomprehensive site is a great resource for information on whatevermight interest you in and about Japan. The site sometimes featurespromotionsandcontestsaswell.

http://www.hyperdia.comHyperdia'ssiteshowstheroutesandthetimetablesoftherailwayandaviationofJapan. Ihighly recommendusing thissite tocheckout thetimetablesforShinkanseninadvanceofyourtrip,especiallyifyouareusingaJapanRailpass.

Hotels.comI find iteasy tobookandsearch forhotelson thissite.Also,youcangetafreenightforevery10nightsyoubookwiththem!

Tripadvisor.comThisisagreatplacetodosomemorein-depthresearchonhotelsandrestaurantsbeforeyoubook.Theyposttonsofreviews.

Kayak.comThissite letsyoucompare thepricesofferedbydifferentonline travelsites, so it'sagoodway toshopusingasinglesearch.Thesitealsohas a page (Click MORE on the main menu) for more general

information,soyoucancompareairlinebaggagecostsandgetasenseofflightcostsyourareatootherpartsofthecountry/world.

HANDYJAPANAPPS

ForGettingAround:

trains.jpThis isa lifesaver forridingtrains in theTokyoarea.Just type inyouroriginanddestinationstations,thenyougetachoiceofroutes,withrideduration,fares,andtransferseasilyoutlined—allinEnglish.

HyperdiaThissiteandappincludesShinkansenandtrainroutesalloverJapan.Theapphasa30-dayfreetrial,afterwhichyoucanbuyasubscription.Handyifyouaredoingmorecountrywidetravel.

GoogleMapsMapappsaregreat,andaphonewithGPSisindispensibleespeciallyinJapan,wheredirectionscanbeveryconfusing.

Forspeakingthelanguage:

KotabaAbasicJapaneselanguagestudyapp,helpfulforbeginners.

HumanJapaneseThis is a popular, friendly app for learning the written and spokenlanguage.

LearnJapaneseIfyou'retravelingwithaniPhone,theLearnJapaneseapp(thisseriesisavailableforotherlanguagesaswell)isgreatforfindingthephrasesyou need and learning how to say them. There's even an option forhearingthephrasespokenslowly,tomakethemeasiertorepeat.

SOMEOTHERRECOMMENDEDDESTINATIONS

This book focuses on destinations in Japan that I've traveled topersonally,soitisbynomeansacompleteguide.EverytimeIreturnIgosomewherenew!HereareafewoftheplacesIvisitedaftertheartforthisbookwascompleted.

HiroshimaRebuilt after the aftermath ofWorldWar II, this city hasmonuments,museumsandparksdedicatedtothepursuitofpeace.IfyouhaveaJRPass,youcanuseitontheMapleLooptourbus.Handy!

MiyajimaHomeof the iconicredtoriigateof ItsukushimaShrinethatstandsupoutofthewaterathightide,Miyajimaisamust-see,andit isaneasyday trip fromHiroshima.Miyajima also has deer (similar toNara, butvisitorsareforbiddentofeedthem)andMountMisenforfansofhikingaswellasgorgeousmountainviews.

OnomichiOnomichi is a charming town in Hiroshima Prefecture. The mainattractionisthe25-templewalk,ascenicroutethatgoesupanddownwindinghillsonapathconnecting25temples.

YokohamaChinatownJapan'slargestChinatownisborderedbyornateandlovelygates.Thecolorful Kanteibyo temple is a must-see and there are plenty ofinteresting food stands with dumplings and other delicacies! Pandasareamajorthemehere,soremembertopickupacutepandasouvenir.

IMPORTANTINFOINCASEOFEMERGENCIES

PoliceBoxes are stationed inmajormetropolitan areas and they canoftenassistwithdirections.InJapaneseapoliceboxiscalled“Koban".

In emergencies, the numbers to call are 110 (police) or 119(ambulance/fire).

TheU.S.EmbassyinTokyo'sTelephone#*is81-3-3224-5000.

Earthquakesarea fairly commonoccurrence in Japan.Typically theyarenotsevere.Whencheckingintoyourhotelmakesuretotakenoteoftheemergencyexitsandinstructionsinthehotel'sroomguide.Herearesomemoretips:1)Don'tpanic.2)Wheninside,stayinsideandtakecover.Getunderadesk,table,ordoorjambtoavoidfallingobjects.3)When outside, take cover if you can. If you can't find anything tocover you, drop to the ground and cover your head and neck until itpasses.4)Keepawayfromwindowsanddon'tuseelevators.5)Ifinapublicbuilding,followtheleadoftheemployees.

FEATUREDANDRECOMMENDEDPLACESTOVISIT

SHRINES&TEMPLES

SensojiTemple2-3-4AsakusaTaito,Tokyo111-0032+81-3-3842-0181

Tokudaiji4-6-2Ueno,Taito-kuUenoandYanaka,Tokyo,110-0005+81-3-3831-7926

KiyomizuderaTemple94Kiyomizu1-chome,HigashiyamaWard,Kyoto605-0862+81-7-5551-1234

YasakaShrine625GionKitagawa,Higashiyama-ku,Kyoto605-0073+81-7-5561-6155

DazaifuTenmangu4-7-1SaifuDazaifu,FukuokaPrefecture818-0195+81-9-2922-8225

MUSEUMS&ATTRACTIONS

GhibliMuseum1-1-83ShimorenjakuMitaka,Tokyo181-0013+81-5-7005-5777

ShinyokohamaRamenMuseum2-14-21Shinyokohama,KohokuWard,Yokohama,KanagawaPrefecture222-0033+81-4-5471-0503

OoedoOnsenMonogatari2-6-3Aomi,Koto-ku,TokyoPrefecture135-0064+81-3-5500-1126TokyoSkyTree1-1-2OshiageSumida,Tokyo131-0045+81-3-5302-3470

OsakaAquarium(Kaiyukan)1-1-10KaigandoriMinatoWard,Osaka552-0022+81-6-6576-5501

OsamuTezukaMangaMuseum7-65Mukogawacho,Takarazuka,HyogoPrefecture665-0844+81797-81-2970

TsutenkakuTower1186Ebisuhigashi,Naniwaku,Osaka,5560002

+81-6-6641-9555

KyotoInternationalMangaMuseumKarasuma-doriOike-agaruKyoto604-0846+81-7-5254-7414or+81-797-81-2970

SHOPPING

AmeyokoShoppingArea(Ueno,Taito-ku)andNakanoBroadway(5-52-15Nakano,Nakano-ku)aretwomajorTokyoshoppingareas

Animate*Ikebukuro(Flagship)1-20-7EastIkebukuro,ToshimaWard,Tokyo+81-3-3988-1351

Daiso(Harajuku)*Village1071-19-24Jingumae,Shibuya-ku,Tokyo+81-3-5775-9641

Mandarake*(Akihabara)Sotokanda,Chiyoda-kuTokyo3-11-12MandarakeBldg.6F+81-3-3350-1701

RetroGameCampKowaElectricBldg.1FSotokanda,Chiyoda-ku,Tokyo4-4-2

+81-3-3253-7778

YodobashiCamera*1-11-1Nishi-shinjuku,Shinjuku,Tokyo+81-3-3346-1010

*Theseshopshavemultiplelocations

RESTAURANTS

8BitCafé3-8-9QBuilding5FShinjuku,Tokyo160-0022+81-3358-0407Retro video game-themed bar.Nostalgic fun for grown-up children ofthe‘80s!

ButlersCaféUdagawaKKBldg5/F11-6Udagawacho,Shibuya,Tokyo150-0042,+813-3780-6883A treat for the ladies! Charming English-speaking butlers will wait onyouhandandfoot.Reservationsrecommended.

CafédeCopain16-12UdagawachoShibuya,Tokyo150-0042+81-3-3496-5001OurfavoritebreakfastspotShibuya.featuringa huge selection of fresh scones in interesting flavors (like MapleCreamCheese),allservedwithcream!

Cambiare

1-1-72FKabukicho,Shinjukuko,TokyoShinjuku,GoldenGaiHanazono3rdLane+81-3-3208-9461Horrorfanswill lovethistinybarinspiredbythefilmsofdirectorDarioArgento!

Kushiwakamaru1-19-2Kamimeguro,Meguro,Tokyo+813-3715-9292Apopular izakayaopenafter5pm..Theirmeatskewersandpotatoesaregreat!

ShunsaiShibuyaExcelHotelTokyuintheShibuyaMarkCityBuilding1-12-2Dogenzaka,Shibuya,Tokyo150-0043,+813-5457-0131Afantasticplacetohaveakaiseki lunch.Reservationsrecommended.Besuretorequestatablewithaview!

Togaden87KyotoChukyo-ku,KyotoNakajima-cho,604-8004+81075-212-1209Atofurestaurantwithwonderfulsetmealoptions.

Warai1-5-6DotonboriChuo-KuOsaka542-0071+816-6214-8513AgreatOkonomiyakispotinOsakarightbytheCanal!

FukuronoYakataHigashi-Tsuchido-cho15-17CityOnomichiHigashi-Tsuchido-cho14-17+818-4823-4169Adorablemountainsidecafénearthecatalleyonthe25templetrailin

Onomichi. A magical place covered with owl knickknacks, it’s like aGhiblimovieset!

Matsuya2Chome-6-12SaifuDazaifu,FukuokaPrefecture818-0117+8192-922-6125A lovely teahouse in theDazaifu shrine area that hasa hugegardenandUmegaemochi(plumblossom-themedsweetbeancakes).

MAPOFJAPAN

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Copyright©2014AbbyDenson

Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedorutilizedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronicormechanical, includingphotocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrievalsystem,withoutpriorwrittenpermissionfromthepublisher.

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TheTuttleStory:“BookstoSpantheEastandWest”

Manypeopleare surprised to learn that theworld’s largestpublisherofbooksonAsiahad itshumblebeginningsinthetinyAmericanstateofVermont.Thecompany’sfounder,CharlesE.Tuttle,belongedtoaNewEnglandfamilysteepedinpublishing.

ImmediatelyafterWWII,TuttleservedinTokyounderGeneralDouglasMacArthurandwastaskedwith reviving the Japanese publishing industry. He later founded the Charles E. Tuttle PublishingCompany,whichthrivestodayasoneoftheworld’sleadingindependentpublishers.Thoughawesterner,TuttlewashugelyinstrumentalinbringingaknowledgeofJapanandAsiatoaworldhungryforinformationabouttheEast.Bythetimeofhisdeathin1993,Tuttlehadpublishedover6,000 books on Asian culture, history and art—a legacy honored by the Japanese emperor with the“OrderoftheSacredTreasure,”thehighesttributeJapancanbestowuponanon-Japanese. Withabacklistof1,500titles,TuttlePublishingismoreactive todaythanatanytimein itspast—inspiredbyCharlesTuttle’scoremissiontopublishfinebookstospantheEastandWestandprovideagreaterunderstandingofeach.