VACATION DETAILS

Mt. Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan and one of the most magnificent in the world. Points along the climbing trail are called “stations” and the fifth station is the highest point to which you can travel by road, located about halfway up the mountain. Here, weather permitting, you’ll have a magnificent panoramic view.

Sapporo is one of Japan's newest and largest cities and is laid out in a grid pattern of uniform blocks similar to those of American cities. The Winter Olympics were held here in 1972, and its ski slopes continue to attract winter vacationers, as do the Sapporo Snow Festival held every February and the pleasantly cool temperatures in the summer. Muroran is located on the Oshima Peninsula in Iburi, and is the port for Sapporo, Hokkaido.

Tokyo, Japan, presents a different view at every turn. It's one of the world's main economic centers and its most populous agglomeration. The business of Tokyo is business, but you can still find harmony and small-scale gardens on back streets. Around the corner from neon and concrete, you may find the bonsai-lined courtyard of a traditional inn.

Tokyo was nearly destroyed by bombs and fires during World War II, and by earthquakes at other times, but it has always rebuilt itself. As a result, there is little left of Old Japan in the city, but there's plenty of New Japan to take its place.

The streets are a confusing maze, so a map is essential. The transit system is excellent, however, and there are kobans (police boxes) throughout the metropolis, as well as a populace generally willing to answer questions.

Visitors to Tokyo represent both business and leisure travelers. And despite its past reputation, Tokyo is no longer fearsomely expensive. It's relatively easy to visit Tokyo on a budget.

Excursions