•Hokkaido has a different feel from the rest of Japan.
•The weather is cooler with less humidity in the summer and the region escapes the earlier monsoon.
•Winters are cold and long, stretching from November to March,
but are ideal for winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding,
the celebrated snow festival (Yuki Matsuri) in Sapporo and the frozen
northern seas off the coast of Wakkanai and the islands of Rebun and Rishiri.

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Local Delicacies
Famous foods you will find in Hokkaido:
•Jingisukan (Lamb BBQ)
•Hokkaido Dairy and Ramen
•Seafood
•Soup Curry

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Cities and Resort Towns
•Niseko
•Sapporo
•Furano
•Otaru
•Hakodate
•Noboribetsu

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Favorite Destinations
Good locations to visit in Hokkaido include:
•Shiretoko National Park
•Lake Toya
•Tomamu - the large ski resort in hokkaido
•Matsumae Castle

•The Tohoku region consists of the north east part of the main island of Honshu.
•Tohoku includes the six prefectures of Aomori
Akita, Iwate, Yamagata, Miyagi and Fukushima.
•The Tohoku area has from historical times been one of the
relatively less developed parts of Japan.
•Tohoku was historically occupied by the Emishi, before they were defeated by the Yamato during the Nara and Heian periods and driven north into Hokkaido or subjugated where they were.
•The region is marked by long and severe winter weather with cooler and more pleasant temperatures in summer.

Local Delicacies
Famous foods you will find in Tohoku:
•Wanko Soba
•Gyutan
•Reimen
•Kiritanpo

Cities and Resort Towns
•Aomori
•Shirakami Sanchi
•Hirosaki
•Shimokita Hanto
•Towada

Favorite Destinations
Good locations to visit in Tohoku include:
•Hachimantai Hot Springs
•Kakunodate Samurai District
•Kamakura Festival
•Shimokita Hanto

•The Kanto region is located in the north central region of the main island of Honshu.
•The area includes the seven prefectures of Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Saitama, Tochigi and Tokyo.
•Chiba, Kanagawa and Tokyo have access to the Pacific Coast; the other prefectures are landlocked.
•The area has a slightly more temperate climate than Kansai and Kyushu to the south.
•The weather in the greater Tokyo area is generally cooler and less humid than Osaka and Kyoto in summer.
•Winters can be cold but snow in Tokyo is a rare occurrence.

Local Delicacies
Famous foods you will find in Kanto:
•Monjayaki (Tokyo)
•Yuba (Tochigi)
•Yaki Manju (Gumna)
•Namero (Chiba)

Cities and Resort Towns
•Yokohama
•Izu Oshima
•Ogasawara Islands
•Tokyo
•Hakodate

Favorite Destinations
Good locations to visit in Kanto include:
•Yokohama Park
•Kawagoe Castle
•Oze National Park
•Manza Onsen

•The Chubu region has very different climates and landscapes.
•The weather on the Japan Sea coast is cooler than the baking southern Pacific coast around Nagoya in summer with heavy snow along the north coast in winter.
•Winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding are possible in Nagano, Niigata and Gifu, three prefectures whose mountains make up the majestic Japan Alps.
• The Winter Olympics were successfully held in Nagano in 1998 and the prefecture is a favorite with skiers and snow-boarders, who flock to resorts such as Hakuba.

Local Delicacies
Famous foods you will find in Chubu:
•Takayama ramen
•Uirō
•Kishimen
•Buri daikon

Cities and Resort Towns
•Niigata
•Gifu
•Shizuoka
•Aichi

Favorite Destinations
Good locations to visit in Chubu include:
•Gero Onsen
•Shizuoka City
•Lake Hamanako
•Kiso Valley

•Kansai, also known as the Kinki region is located in the south central region of the main island of Honshu, about 400 km (250 miles) west of the Kanto region.
•The Kansai region includes both the Japan Sea and Pacific Ocean coastal areas and the seven prefectures of Hyogo, Kyoto, Mie, Nara, Osaka, Shiga and Wakayama.
•The Kansai area has very different climates and landscapes. The weather on the Japan Sea coast is cooler than the hot southern Pacific coast around Osaka and Kyoto in summer with heavy snow along the north coast in winter.
• The Kii Peninsula (Wakayama, Nara, Osaka and Mie Prefectures) south east of Osaka has higher mountains, onsen and lower temperatures in summer than the urban areas.

Local Delicacies
Famous foods you will find in Kansai:
•Kushiage
•Yuba
•Okonomiyaki
•Takoyaki

Cities and Resort Towns
•Hyogo
•Nara
•Kyoto
•Osaka
•Shiga

Favorite Destinations
Good locations to visit in Kansai include:
•Uji Temple
•Miyama Rural Town
•Asuka and Sakurai Yorikago
•Mount Koya

•The Chugoku region consists of the south west part of Honshu Island.
An alternative name for the region is the San-in San'yo Chiho. Chugoku includes five prefectures: Okayama Prefecture, Shimane Prefecture, Hiroshima Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture and Yamaguchi Prefecture.
•Chugoku is heavily industrialized along its Pacific Coast but much more rural in its mountainous interior and along the Sea of Japan Coast.
•The weather in the region is similar to that in Kansai and Kanto with heavy snowfall in the winters along the Sea of Japan Coast and hot and humid days in summer.

Local Delicacies
Famous foods you will find in Chugoku:
•Tofu Chikuwa
•Fugu (Pufferfish) Dishes
•Ehime Mikan
•Izumo Soba Noodles

Cities and Resort Towns
•Tottori
•Yamaguchi
•Hiroshima
•Okayama
•Hakodate

Favorite Destinations
Good locations to visit in Chugoku include:
•Izumo Shrine
•Matsue Castle
•Mount Daisen
•Inujima Island

•Shikoku is probably the least visited of Japan's main islands, but this tranquil region has much to offer
•Highlights are the 88 Sacred Temples pilgrimage following in the footsteps of the Buddhist priest Kobo Daishi, the castles in Kochi and Matsuyama, the Awa Odori street dance in Tokushima, the 1346 steps of the Kompira-san shrine and the mountains of the Iya Valley and the Oboke Gorge
•The island lies southeast of Honshu and northwest of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Strait.

Local Delicacies
Famous foods you will find in Shikoku:
•Hiroshima Oysters
•White Peach
•Katsuo no Tataki (Seared Bonito)
•Kawara Soba

Cities and Resort Towns
•Tokushima
•Kochi
•Ehime
•Kagawa

Favorite Destinations
Good locations to visit in Shikoku include:
•Uchiko Countryside
•Matsuyama City
•Naoshima Island
•Marugame Port City

•Kyushu is the most southerly of Japan's main islands.
•Okinawa is part of a chain of sub-tropical islands (Nansei Shoto).
•Kyushu known for its volcanoes and onsen.
•evidence of early civilization found in Kyushu.
•marine sports heaven on the beaches of Okinawa.
•population of Kyushu around 15 million; Okinawa 1.3 million.
•traditional Ryukyu culture still survives in music, food and dress on Okinawa
•many popular, bizarre and spectacular festivals throughout the year.

Local Delicacies
Famous foods you will find in Kyushu-Okinawa:
•Kumamoto ramen
•Basashi
•Kagoshima ramen
•Chanpuru

Cities and Resort Towns
•Kumamoto
•Nagasaki
•Saga
•Fukuoka

Favorite Destinations
Good locations to visit in Kyushu-Okinawa include:
•Kumamoto City
•Aso Volcano
•Kurokawa Onsen