If there is an unexpected landscape in Japan, it would be the sand dunes of Tottori. The huge sand deposits are an accumulation of sediments from hundreds of thousands of years ago, in the form of dunes. These dunes reach up to 90 meters in height.
The sand dunes of Tottori attract over two million visitors a year. However, the dunes are threatened by reforestation and landscape alteration. They are located in the coastal city of Tottori.
For travelers, Japan could be a complex place to travel because the country presents to you two contrasting sides. There is one Japan which is modern and it has a megalopolis with skyscrapers in the clouds where thousands of people walk briskly through the streets. Then there’s another Japan with smaller towns and smaller cities, where tradition resists, giving them a unique charm. Takayama is a such a nice a place that’s rich of history.
This region has been occupied by man for centuries, giving a very beautiful mountain environment in which nearly 100,000 people inhabit today—enjoying its exuberant nature . Travelers who come here get to see the ancient Japan. If you happen to be here, you can also visit the “typical Hida village” where are the views of the mountain villages of Shirakawa Valley. These typical houses of the XVII, XVIII and XIX century have these ceilings that are so striking.
There is a walled alpine route of up to 20 feet of snow in Japan. This is the Tateyama Kurobe. The views are nothing but surreal. This road became operational at the beginning of the 1970s.
To be able to travel all the way, you can use 5 different public transports: cable car, bus, trolleybus, aerial tramway and pedestrian path. The route has been constructed in such a way that it does not harm the surrounding natural environment.
If you want to make stops along the way, there are hotels close to the station, where you can take tours of trekking through the mountains.
Without doubt, walking among the ice is something worth it if you’re in Japan.
The Masyuko is a volcanic crater that is formed in a lake in the Akan National Park on the island of Hokkaido, Japan.
The Masyuko is surrounded by steep walls up to 200 meters high, and is one of the deepest in Japan, as well as one of the clearest in the world.
Although it is believed that the transparency has varied in recent years, it is the most transparent lake in the world, beating the Lake Baikal.
Just 300 meters from a natural beach, the Japanese have built a beautiful artificial beach. Imagine a beach with the sky that’s always blue, the temperature stable for 365 days a year without storms that ruin your weekend, no pollution, no pesky jellyfish.
It lies on the Pacific island of Kyushu and is called Seagaia Ocean Dome. It is, if I remember correctly, the only indoor beach in the world. However, it is no longer open to the public.
Paying about 35 euros, you can enjoy the beach. The surface of the beach itself is about 300 meters by 50 meters wide on average. There is always summer with an average temperature of 30 degrees and the water is maintained at about at an enviable 28 degrees.
The constant temperature, humidity and wind were constant and guaranteed perfect conditions for surfing. There are also small but perfect waves. All under the gaze of an “authentic” volcano.
In 2007, it closed its doors for a deep structural and economic restructuring as operating costs were enormous.
In Ichihara City, about 70 kilometers from Tokyo (across the bay), opened the world’s largest public restroom, with the specific intent of creating a tourist attraction.
The $125,000 toilet is made for women only. The toilet is just outside the train station, which was designed by Sou Fujimoto, a noted architect, who said he had fun designing this attraction.
The structure, which occupies a total area of 200 square meters, was constructed to give the toilet user, a 360 degree view of a garden filled with vases of flowers. Then, to protect the privacy of the user, a wall of two meters high was erected, for protection from prying eyes.
The district of Shibuya is one of the most famous neighborhoods of the capital. It is known for the great mass of young boys and girls who crowd the streets for its trendy shops. The district of Shibuya is also a crossroads for the world’s most photographed, and a the perfect place for hotels and night clubs that animate the nightlife.
Shibuya Crossing, across the station of the same name , is a “scramble crossing”, where it stops traffic vehicle, stops coming from any direction, and pedestrians can cross the streets in any direction, even diagonally. Shibuya has developed especially in the last 30 years, in the wake of some shopping malls and fashion stores. Perhaps the most famous of all is the 109, where there are about 100 fashion stores in all of its 10 floors. This served as the backdrop to the emergence of some urban culture, such as Kogal.
Also known by the Japanese themselves as the Fuji San, the Fuji is one of the most universal images of Japan. It is located in a nature reserve next to Mount Hakone and the Izu Peninsula. Its origin, according to legend, it was suddenly born in land on a warm June night in the year 286 BC .
Between December of the year 1707 and January of 1708 was its last eruption. After that, there was no eruptive life. Since then, it has been one of the greatest symbols of the country.
Japan is a country in which even the 75% of the total area is occupied by huge mountain ranges and volcanoes . The characteristic silhouette of Mount Fuji is different from the rest of the topographic features of Japan. With 3,776 meters of altitude, it is the highest mountain in Japan.
Its top cropped with snow, and slopes covered in forests with a melting pot of colors, have been an inspiration to many Japanese painters and poets.
Japan is an island nation in the Far East which consists of a long archipelago that stretches north-south front of the Asian coast of the Pacific. There are four major islands that comprise it: Hokkaido , Honshu , Shikoku and Kyushu, which represent 97% of its land area. The remaining 3% is completed by a thousand small islands.
Japan is considered as a land of volcanoes , because the country has more than 200 volcanoes, about 50 of which are still active .
