Japan Hotels

Japan is a nation of mountainous islands - almost 7,000 of them across the archipelago - and so most of the population and the cities and towns are concentrated around the coastal strips. It is geologically active in and around Japan, and this combination of settlements and seismic activity does make it uniquely vulnerable. The islands have had a curious history, sometimes influenced by other nations and at other times uniquely isolated. Japan wasn’t really known in Britain at all until about 1550. During the C20th Japan underwent something of a transformation to become an economic and manufacturing powerhouse, specialising in exporting cars, white goods and high tech equipment.

Today it is environmentally-friendly technologies it promotes, especially in transport with its famous Bullet Train. Yet, the nation remains true to its ancient traditions and the people are unfailingly courteous, ambitious and hard working, with low crime rates overall. Today most people visit Japan for its temples, gardens, landscapes and cities - Tokyo, the capital, being an alpha-city.

With familiarity, the curious Japanese cuisine, much of it uncooked, has become a favourite on the western palate - especially sushi. There are national parks and protected areas across Japan, creating a major network of ecologically important environments. This is a constitutional monarchy where religion does not have a major impact, although many subscribe to Buddhist beliefs.