Does Japan Really Exist?

Or is it a mythical kingdom?

More than two years since Japan shut its doors to tourists, it’s starting to feel like Japan is an imaginary place, like the castle in the sky in Miyazaki’s masterpiece Laputa. Or, perhaps the nation has decided to give sakoku, their 264-year experiment with isolation, another try. Fortunately, I’m happy to report that neither of these is the case. Indeed, Japan’s most powerful business group, the Keidanren, just recommended that Japan reopen to tourists as soon as possible. I give all the details in my weekly InsideKyoto.com page Can I Travel to Japan Now?

While we wait for Japan to open its doors, you can do some planning or just daydreaming about the country with some of these sites and links.

If you want to research trains, fares and routes in Japan, Hyperdia is your friend.

If you’re a fan of Japanese ramen, you must check out Brian MacDuckston’s brilliant Ramen Adventures site. This is the best way to plan your bowls when you visit Japan.

Japan’s main islands are surrounded by an incredible variety of smaller offshore islands and I’ve been lucky enough to explore quite a few of them. But I haven’t explored as widely as the intrepid travelers Ippei and Janine Naoi, who produce the Islands of Japan site. If you want to get really deep into Japan’s smaller islands, this site is a must.

On Islands of Japan, you’ll find their excellent guides to Ishigaki-jima, Iriomote-jima and Miyako-jima on their site. Here’s a shot from their Miyako-jima guide. Southeast Asia? Nope. That’s Japan!

Finally, here’s a story about an American guy named Jerome White, who became an enka singing star in Japan, performing under the name Jero. I remember back in 2008, you could here his song Umi-yuki playing all over Japan. I love the sudden transition from the hip hop beat to enka, with Jero’s incredible voice coming in over the top.