Japan comprises over 3,000 islands making it an archipelago. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for example, Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. Japan has the world’s tenth largest population, with about 128 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents. The country has one of the most efficient railroad systems in the world and a tourist is wise to buy a rail pass and travel the length of this contradictory nation. From exquisite and refined art and architecture to highly advanced technology to the brutal violence of it past, this country is a complex adventure.

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Kyoto: Ryoan-ji temple with its famous ‘karesansui’ (dry landscape) rock
Pensive sculpture in a park.
Memorial to the deceased at a shrine.
School children on an outing.
Cherry blossoms in spring.
Boats on a lake.
Yasukuni Shrine Museum: Pictured here is a human driven torpedo
Yasukuni shrine, Tokyo It is dedicated to the kami (spirits)
Settling down for the night in a ryokan inn dressed
A unique toilet with a sink built into the tank
Kyoto: a small bamboo enclosed garden.
Kyoto: students often want to talk to foreigners in order
Modern sculpture in Shinjuku Skyscraper District.
Kyoto: azalea bushes in full bloom.
Kyoto: cherry blossoms in springtime.
Kyoto: manicured garden and walkway.
Kyoto: small shrine with traditional architecture.
Kyoto: Heian Shinto Shrine honors the first and last Emperors
Kyoto: traditional Shinto statue figure holding the customary staff and
Kyoto: water fountain in a shrine garden.
Kyoto: students in their uniforms; thousands of these groups go
Kyoto: steps are for resting as well as climbing; in
Kyoto: ceremonial costumes at a temple.
Kyoto: The Main Hall, or honden, at Kyoto's Higashi-Honganji temple.
Shinjuku is a busy high-rise district of Tokyo surrounding Shinjuku
The Midori Express is a limited express train service
The Shinkansen is a network of high-speed railway lines in
Interior of the Shinkansen.
The streets and walkways in Tokyo are very clean; they
Surprising to see are the box beds for homeless people
Surprising to see are the box beds for homeless people
Surprising to see are the box beds for homeless people
In contrast to the homeless dwellers there are expensive deli
The grounds of the Tokyo Imperial Palace are extensive and
The grounds of the Tokyo Imperial Palace are extensive and
Central Tokyo is an intense city with a mix of
Japan has one of the best train systems in the
Statue of a samuri in Shinjuku.
Shinjuku Skyscraper District; Among the skyscrapers are some of Tokyo's
Shinjuku Skyscraper District; Among the skyscrapers are some of Tokyo's
Traditional details in Shinjuku.
Shinjuku Skyscraper District; Among the skyscrapers are the Tokyo
Kept ‘clean as a whistle’.
Inscription at city hall: ‘come in peace, go in safety’.
Beetle sculpture in Shinjuku Skyscraper District.
Expressionist sculpture in Shinjuku Skyscraper District.
High-rise hotel in Shinjuku Skyscraper District.

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