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Hokkaido |
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[Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu
National Park] |
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 Rishiri
and Rebun Islands |
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A large part of Rishiri Island is occupied
by Mt. Rishiri, a beautiful mountain with a vast expanse of gentle slopes.
Many tourists visit to climb Mt. Rishiri. The surface of Rebun Island
is mostly undulating, but the coastline is made up of steep cliffs. Northern
alpine plants grow in abundance on both islands. During the short summer,
lovely flowers welcome visitors. Another attraction is abundant fresh
seafood such as sea urchins and abalone. |
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The
four northern islands |
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 Kunashiri,
Etorofu, Shikotan and Habomai
In the late Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate began exploring the northern
islands and essentially controlled them on the basis of a treaty with
Russia. Today, the Japanese government maintains they are its territories
from a historical point of view. Tourists cannot visit the islands, but
can enjoy their view from a distance aboard a ship in international waters.
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Kanto region |
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[Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park] |
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Izu
Islands |
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Izu
Oshima |
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There is a walking path around
the crater of Mt. Mihara. A magnificent view can be enjoyed on the mountaintop.
At the port of Habu, which appeared in novelist Kawabata Yasunari's famous
novel The Izu Dancer, girls of the island welcome tourists carrying camellia
flowers . The camellia of Oshima is the flower of love, says a popular
Japanese song. How about a visit to a workshop of camellia dyeing, or
of kusaya, marinated and dried fish?
The Izu Islands also include such islands as Toshima, Niijima, Kozushima
, Miyakejima, Mikurajima, Aogashima and Hachijojima, scattered to the
sourth of Tokyo Bay. They can be seen from a ship cruising in the area.
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[Ogasawara National Park] |
| Ogasawara
Islands |
| Chichijima |
 An
island some 1,000 kilometers southeast of Tokyo, with a subtropical and
oceanic climate and rich natural features. In early spring, many tourists
enjoy whale watching as humpback whales stay in the surrounding waters
to raise their offspring. There are also many bottle-nose dolphins, charming
creatures which sometimes swim with divers. |
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Kinki,
Chugoku and Shikoku regions |
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Setonaikai
National Park |
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Awaji
Island |
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The largest island in the Inland
Sea (Setonaikai) with an area of about 590 square kilometers, which is
larger than the city of Kobe. Some 160,000 people live on the island.
It is connected to Honshu by the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge and to Shikoku by
the Great Naruto Bridge. The Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway runs right across
the island. It is known for a traditional 400 year old puppet show, called
ningyo joruri. Shows are performed every day at the Awaji Ningyo Joruri
Kan. Surrounded by the sea, Awaji Island is abundant in fresh seafood
throughout the year. Somen, thin wheat noodles, is a popular souvenir.
The great whirling current of the Naruto Strait, 30 meters in diameter,
can be observed from a sightseeing boat. You can learn about the mechanism
of whirling currents at the Uzushio Kagaku Kan (whirling current science
museum). |
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Shodo
Island |
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 An
island with an area of 153.2 square kilometers. Mt. Hoshigajo is the highest
peak on the islands of the Inland Sea. There was a castle of Sasaki Nobutane
during the period of the North and South Dynasties, which followed the
overthrow of the Kamakura shogunate. The island was one of the bases of
local pirates. Shodo Island came to be known nationwide when Nijushi no
Hitomi (Twenty-Four Eyes), a novel by Tsuboi Sakae set on the island,
was filmed. A location set of the film, a small branch school ?on the
headland, is open to sightseers.
The National Park also includes the Bisan Islands, Shiwaku Islands, Innoshima,
Geiyo Islands, Boyo Islands and other small islands, which form the unique
beauty of the Inland Sea. It is also an unforgettable cruise experience
to pass under the colossal bridges connecting Honshu and Shikoku by way
of islands. |
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Daisen-Oki
National Park |
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Oki
Islands, Shimane Prefecture |
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Oki used to be a place of exile
for political prisoners, such as Emperor Godaigo in the 14th century.
There are many historical remains and a legendary spot where Amaterasu
Omikami, the principal goddess of Shinto mythology, is said to have appeared.
People in Oki enjoy long lives, partly because of their healthy diet of
fresh seafood and soybean. Kojomiso, fermented paste of soybean and wheat,
is made at home and each family has its own flavor. |
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Kyushu region and
Okinawa |
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Iki-Tsushima Quasi-National
Park |
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The Tsushima leopard cat, found only on
the island of Tsushima, is a protected animal and designated an endangered
species. The Ministry of the Environment has established the Tsushima
Wildlife Conservation Center to protect and return them to nature. The
center also organizes nature observation tours and other events. |
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Iki |
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 Shrine
dancing, Sumiyoshi Iwato kagura which dates from the Muromachi period,
is performed at Sumiyoshi Shrine in December. Iruka (dolphin) Park in
Katsumoto Town has a pool of 7,000 square meters, and visitors can reach
out their hands and touch the dolphins from the floating pier. Iki is
also said to be the birthplace of mugi shochu, a clear distilled liquor
made from barley, and also makes many good types of shochu. At Yunomoto
Hot Spring, bathers can view the ocean from an open-air bath. |
| Saikai National Park |
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Goto
Islands |
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Fukue Island, Nagasaki
Prefecture |
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Located 100 kilometers west
of the city of Nagasaki, Fukue Island, one ofthe Goto Islands has many
interesting spots. About 47,000 people live on the island of 32.68 square
kilometers. On May 23, 2004, the 16th Iron Man Triathlon Meet will be
held here. The 90-kilometer race, in which contestants swim two kilometers,
cycle 71 kilometers and run 17 kilometers, will attract many participants
from various countries. The island prospered as a stop-over place for
trade with China, and many relics from Asia as well as stories about Christians
remain.
The Goto Islands comprise about 140 islands, and their heavily indented
coastline has a unique scenic beauty. Why not savor fresh local seafood
and participate in unaffected traditional festivals? |
| Kirishima-Yaku National Park |
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| Osumi
Islands |
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| Tanegashima |
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| An island of 453 square kilometers, located
40 kilometers southeast of Satamisaki, the southern tip of Kagoshima Prefecture.
In 1543, the first musket was introduced to Japan by a Portuguese who
landed on this island. The Tanegashima Space Center located on this island
is known as the largest rocket-launching base in Japan. Mehirugi, a kind
of tropical tree, grows in the lower reaches of the Minato River in the
north. Some trees are more than 100 ?? years old and as tall as eight
???meters. |
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Yakushima |
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With an area of 501.6 square kilometers, this island
is larger than you might imagine. Mt. Miyanoura is 1,935 meters above
sea level and other mountains over 1,000 meters are located on Yakushima.
The flora ranges from subtropical to sub-alpine distributed vertically.
With huge yakusugi (Japanese cedar) trees thousands of years old and other
unique natural features, the island is registered as a World Heritage
Site. Okawa no Taki with a height of 88 meters is the largest waterfall
in the southern Kyushu region. Special products of the island include
fresh seafood and ponkan and tankan oranges. You can also enjoy scuba
diving and other marine sports. |
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| Amami Islands Quasi-National Park |
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Amami
Oshima |
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 With
an area of 719.5 square kilometers, Amami Oshima is the third largest
island in Japan after Okinawa and Sado. Its valued natural features include
the Amami rabbit, a protected animal, and rurikakesu (Lidth's jay), the
bird of Kagoshima Prefecture. Sugarcane and fruit are widely grown, and
in addition to fishing, prawns are farmed. Other scenic attractions include
beautiful white beaches and virgin forests over 100 years old. There are
also potteries using local clay. Amami Kanko Habu Center presents a habu
(poisonous snake) and mongoose show. It is also enchanting just to view
the setting sun while listening to local island songs. |
| Okinawa Seashore (??) Quasi-National
Park |
| Okinawa
Islands |
| Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost and
westernmost prefecture of Japan, is made up of about 160 islands scattered
over a distance of 1,000 kilometers from east to west and 400 kilometers
from north to south. The islands, all in the subtropical zone, are grouped
into the Okinawa Islands, Miyakojima Islands and Yaeyama Islands. Surrounded
by coral reefs and the beautiful sea, the islands are rich in subtropical
plants. Trade with China and Southeast Asia since ancient times has created
a unique cultural region. It is also well known worldwide as an international
tourist resort. |
| Okinawa
Island |
 The
largest island of the Nansei Islands. Naha, the largest city, has a population
of 1 million (??). The island offers diverse historical and natural attractions.
A variety of mammals, birds and reptiles inhabit the island, including
many found only here. Okinawa once prospered as the Ryukyu Kingdom. The
castles of Okinawa are called gusuku, and Shurijo Castle is the largest
among them. Shurijo, the symbol of Okinawa, was destroyed during the Second
World War and has been under reconstruction for many years. After the
restoration of the Shureimon Gate and the main building of the castle,
Shurijo Castle was registered as the 11th World Heritage Site in Japan
in December 2000.
Another attraction is folk entertainment, such as eisa, a traditional
dance, Ryukyu dance, sanshin, a three-stringed musical instrument of Okinawa,
and local songs. Okinawan people enjoy long lives thanks to their healthy
diet , it is believed. Okinawa offers a wide variety of food, from everyday
dishes such as champuru and rafute to those served at Court in olden days.
Okinawa is also known for awamori, a local distilled liquor. Dachibin,
a portable liquor bottle, is a popular souvenir. |
| Sakishima
Islands |
| Miyako
Islands |
| [Iriomote
National Park] |
| Ishigaki
Island |
  Ishigaki
Island has an international airport and the largest population among the
Yaeyama Islands. It attracts many tourists as a southern resort. The coral
reefs of Kawahira Bay are famous worldwide, and there are many good dive
sites in the clear emerald waters.
Ishigaki is also a base for tourists to visit Hateruma, the westernmost
island of Japan, Iriomote Island with primeval mangrove forests and other
rich natural features, and Taketomi Island where the traditional customs
of Okinawa are preserved. |
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