Destination: Japan
LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION
Itinerary: Wonders of Nature
Few travellers realize that Japan has some fine natural attractions to rival the cultural and technological attractions. Unless you have almost unlimited time, choose between attractions in the north (northern Honshu and Hokkaido) and those in the south (Kyushu and Okinawa).
A great place to start is in the Japan Alps of central Honshu. Kamikochi is an excellent base for hikes and is easily reached from both Kansai and Tokyo. After checking out the Alps, you must decide: north or south.
First, the northern route: from central Honshu make a beeline for Hokkaido. If you've only three or four days in Hokkaido, visit Shiretoko National Park and Akan National Park. If you've more time, head to Daisetsuzan National Park and the scenic islands of Rebun-to and Rishiri-to. If you've time on your return to Tokyo or Kansai, stop off at some of northern Honshu's scenic attractions like Osore-zan, Hachimantai National Park, Tazawa-ko and Kinkasan.
The southern route involves heading south from central Honshu to Kyushu by shinkansen to check out Aso-san and Kirishima-Yaku National Park. Hop on a ferry from Kagoshima to Yakushima, a World Heritage site, famous for its giant yaku-sugi (cryptomeria trees). From there, you'll have to return to Kagoshima in order to hop onto another ferry or take an aeroplane further south. The one really unmissable spot lies at the very southern end of the island chain: Iriomote-jima, which has some pristine jungle, mangrove swamps and fine coral reefs.
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