Yokohama, Shimizu, Nagoya, Kobe, Sendai, Hakodate, Akita, Kanazawa-, Seoul (Inchon)

Yokohama is one of the most visited cities in Japan. It is located on the western coast of Tokyo Bay, directly south of Tokyo. The Yokohama Port is set in the heart of the city and all tourist destinations are within walking distance. It is a cosmopolitan city, where the old and the new, the East and the West blend harmoniously. Minato Mirai is a seaside urban area in central Yokohama with large high-rises, including the Landmark Tower and a wealth of attractions such as shopping centers, hotels, amusement parks, a relaxation center with hot spring baths and museums. It is worth visiting the Sankeien Gardens, a vast genuine Japanese garden that will enchant you with its colors and shapes,its ponds and pagodas.

Shimizu is located on the coast of Suruga Bay of the Pacific Ocean and covers a wide area from a coastal plain to the hills. The view of Mount Fuji at Shimizu as seen across the bay from the Miho no Matsubara appears in many pictures and paintings.

Since ancient times, Shimizu thrived as a harbor town due to its good natural harbor. Shimizu became an international trade port for the export of green tea, as well as housing a major fishery and affiliated industries.

Shimizu is known for producing Japanese mandarin oranges, and green tea in the mountainous area and around the Nihondaira. Shimizu Port is a major commercial fishing port. Production of roses used to be the highest in Japan.

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is Japan's third-largest incorporated city and the fourth most populous urban area. It is located on the Pacific coast on central Honshu. It is the capital of Aichi Prefecture and is one of Japan's major ports along with those of Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, Chiba, and Kitakyushu. It is also the center of Japan's third-largest metropolitan region, known as the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area. The city and the region are known for its unique local Nagoya cuisine Dishes include: Tebasaki: chicken wings marinated in a sweet sauce with sesame seeds, basically a type of yakitori, Tenmusu: a rice ball wrapped with nori that is filled with deep-fried tempura shrimp.

Kobe is located on the southern side of the island of Honshū, on the north shore of Osaka Bay, Japan. The city is perched on a hillside sloping down to the sea and is considered one of Japan's most attractive and cosmopolitan cities. Kobe is small and quite compact, so most sights can be reached on foot. Meriken Park, located near the waterfront, has modern art installations, park areas and an impressive memorial to the recent devastating Hanshin Earthquake that killed thousands of people. Travellers should pay a visit to Port Tower in order to enjoy a panoramic view of the city.

Sendai is the largest city in island of Honshu, Japan. It is a pleasant city, close to both the sea and the mountains. It is called the "Forest City", because of its lush vegetation. The main avenues around the city are wide and tree-lined and the main shopping street is pedestrianised and covered, so it feels like a mall. Visit the Miyagi Museum of Art with its great collection of modern art, the Osaki Hachiman Shrine, with displays of metal ornaments and colorful woodwork and Rinnoj, an ancient shrine with a big captivating garden.

The area of present-day Akita was part of ancient Dewa Province, and has been inhabited for thousands of years. The Jizōden ruins within the city limits are a major archaeological site with artifacts from the Japanese Paleolithic period through the Jomon and Yayoi periods. During the Nara period, the Yamato court established Akita Castle in 733 AD to bring the local Emishi tribes under its control. The area was ruled by a succession of local samurai clans in the Sengoku period, before coming under the control of the Satake clan of Kubota Domain during the Edo period. Under the Tokugawa shogunate, a castle town developed around Kubota Castle. This representative summer festival began 350 years ago, with similar to tanabata festivals held elsewhere in Japan. During this festival, participants balance 15 meter poles with 230 lanterns on their chins; the main event is held during the evening and night hours, between the 3rd and 6th of August each year.  During the festival, Kanto stunt events are held in Senshu Park during daylight hours involving many amateur participants. This event was first held in 1931 and every subsequent year, except between 1935 and 1946 and in 1953 and 1965.[citation needed] Overseas exhibitions of the festival were performed in Hamburg, Germany, in 1988, Honolulu, Hawaii, in 2002, London, UK, in 2004, and as an opening event at the 2001 World Games.

Seoul is the capital and largest city of South Korea. The ships dock at Incheon, northwest of the city. Seoul is a fascinating city with the rocky peaks of Bukhansan National Park as a backdrop. It is an amazing blend of ancient traditions and cutting-edge digital technology, serene Buddhist temples with ornate roofs and extraordinary modern architecture. Visit the old-fashioned tea shops, sample some fancy royal cuisine, relax in the steam rooms of the popular bathhouses or do some shopping in the malls which sell the latest electronic gadgets.