The Rough Guide to Japan

by Jan Dodd, Simon Richmond

The Rough Guide to Japan provides invaluable advice on everything from getting there (including overland routes) to tracking down the latest and best places to sleep, eat, drink and shop. There is comprehensive coverage of all the major sights – and many off the beaten track - from the northern tip of Hokkaido down to the islands of Okinawa, closer to Taiwan than Tokyo. Full-colour sections introduce manga and anime, arguably Japan’s most successful cultural export, its rich variety of festivals and its stunning traditional gardens. All this is accompanied by in-depth coverage of Japan’s history, religions, arts, movies and music plus a discussion of environmental issues. There are maps of all the main towns and tourist destinations, together with separate colour maps of the Tokyo subway system and the rail network in Osaka.

Genres: Travel, Japan, Reference, Nonfiction, Guidebook, Travelogue, Japanese Literature

1056 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1999

Reviews

[Mariska de Graaf]

Very complete and thorough book. Also has a list of useful literature and movies you can check out. Has a map of the Tokyo metro too. Would love to take it with me to Japan, although it is a little heavy to carry in your handluggage.

[Lucy]

These books are great when planning journeys to your favourite destination, I would love to visit Japan some day but not without my trusty Rough Guide to Japan - that just makes it so easy to refer back to again and again.

[Elena]

You can find really good advises on what to see/do in every city/region you're going to, based on what do you like. I made a to-see list for every place we planning to go, and our Japan friend told us after seeing a list of one of the cities that it was kinda perfect :)

[Greg Scowen]

We have about 20 Rough Guides in our collection and will always consider them first when exploring other countries.

The Rough Guide to Japan served us very well on our 2 week holiday in this wonderful country. Like all Rough Guides, the author injected their own personal touch and the listings for restaurants and accommodation proved as helpful and accurate as ever.

With the exception of one small fishing village that didn't live up to the cuteness the author raved on about, everything we did and visited as a result of the guide made our holiday one of the most memorable we have had. I would recommend the guide whole-heartedly to anyone planning a holiday there.

[Melly]

Great travel guide, probably the one I used the most (not including the Tokyo atlas, which was only used for 3 days, but it did not leave my hands for those 3 days).

This book is great, detailed and going beyond the regular touristy areas. Following some of their suggestions led off the beaten path several times. It is also the only guide book I know of that provided a subway map of Osaka. Highly recommended for Japan travelers.

[Isen]

It's hard to say what makes a great guide book, but this isn't it. It starts with Tokyo, and the author made it sound so unappealing I was tempted to put it down and cancel my trip. It does get a little better when you move out of the cities, but even then. Many obvious draws of Japan are not mentioned, and those that are, rarely do more than state that something exists. Bring your own hype.

[Lindsay]

It's lots of fun planning holidays and this book covers a huge number of places in Japan with quite honest commentary. I wasn't a huge fan of the general layout as I thought some areas were more confusing than they needed to be, but overall a good travel guide to Japan.

[Tahlia]

The ultimate guide to Japan detailing almost every place of interest along the way including places to eat, accomodation, getting around, exchanging currency, shopping and a history of each place. Will be referencing this a lot during planning my trip to Japan!

[Meg]

better than Lonely Planet!

[Regina Hunter]

Reconsidering going to Ukraine this summer.....

[Dongkwon Choi]

Many things are changed. However, I prefer previous edition.
Even if it's light, the quality of paper is currently terrible.

[Tricia]

Was hoping for a some info on Korea, but not much included.

[michelle]

Japanese Alps? Wasabi fields? Cemetaries at night? OK?