Tokyo, Shimizu, Osaka, Nagoya, Hakodate, Aomori, Akita, Kanazawa-, Sakaiminato, Seoul (Inchon)

Tokyo is a huge city and is both the capital and largest city of Japan. The city could be described as a natural park itself since a major part of the area is designated as Natural Park. The Chichibu Tama Kai, the Fuji-Hakone-Izu, and the Ogasawara National Parks are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Others attractions include many of the city’s museums like the Tokyo National Museum and the National Museum of Nature and Science as well as its Zoo. Tokyo is also known for its many restaurants, luxurious hotels and its wonderful  and vibrant nightlife. 

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.

Situated at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, Osaka is Japan's third largest city and the metropolis of the Kansai region. During World War II, the city was completely destroyed. Today Osaka is a tangle of bridges, elevated roadways and towering skyscrapers, with Buddhist temples set against modern hotels. The Osaka Castle and its ancient moats, lies in the center of the city surrounded by high-rises. Osaka is known for its stylish malls, its countless restaurants and its vibrant nightlife. The Tempozan Harbor Village, located very close to the city’s center, offers pleasant shopping and entertainment opportunities and houses the Ferris wheel with its neon color.

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.

Aomori is located on Mutsu Bay, at the northern tip of Honshu, Japan. The city pumps much of its beauty from the famous apple orchards and cherry blossoms that encompass its landscape. The Hakkoda Mountains that are always covered with snow can be seen from a distance. Aomori is probably best known for its famous Nebuta Festival, an elaborate yearly event. The city has many sights to offer including the Hirosaki Castle and the Oirase River, its beautiful mountains and seas. The city’s port is a quiet, peaceful harbor and combined with the buildings and parks surrounding it, the bay area makes a lasting impression.

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.

Sakaiminato is a city in Tottori Prefecture, Japan.  The city is located at the northern end of Yumigahama Peninsula and it is surrounded by the sea on three sides. It is the home country of the famed manga comic artist Shigeru Mizuki and the city’s main attractions are the approximately 100 bronze statues of supernatural characters designed by the artist that can be found throughout the city. Sakaiminato is the gateway to a very ancient region of Honshu. West of the city lies Izumo-taisha, one of the oldest and holiest shrines in Shinto. 

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.