Japan, a country steeped in culture and tradition, is a metropolis of the modern and historic. Futuristic cities such as Tokyo will excite, whereas Kyoto with its traditional culture will inspire. The warm welcome of its people and the natural scenery will make you feel relaxed and at ease.

Discover a country of complete contrasts. Tokyo is a modern city of high skyscrapers, congested streets and a busy lifestyle. Kyoto is a city of traditional temples and shrines and a more relaxed way of life, with more than a thousand years history. Pass the iconic Mont Fuji on the bullet train and photograph a Geisha in her unique traditional kimono. Experience what life is really like in this unique country.

Japan is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north toward the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, and Taiwan in the south.

Tokyo, Japan’s busy capital, mixes the ultramodern and the traditional, from neon-lit skyscrapers to historic temples. The opulent Meiji Shinto Shrine is known for its towering gate and surrounding woods. The Imperial Palace sits amid large public gardens. The city’s many museums offer exhibits ranging from classical art (in the Tokyo National Museum) to a reconstructed kabuki theater (in the Edo-Tokyo Museum).

Municipalities

Japan has three levels of governments: national, prefectural, and municipal. The nation is divided into 47 prefectures. Each prefecture consists of numerous municipalities, with 1,719 in total (January 2014 figures) [1]. There are four types of municipalities in Japan: cities, towns, villages and special wards (the ku of Tokyo). In Japanese, this system is known as shikuchōson (市区町村), where each kanji in the word represents one of the four types of municipalities. Some designated cities also have further administrative subdivisions, also known as wards. But, unlike the Special wards of Tokyo, these wards are not municipalities.