By Diana Korte

The five-tiered Himeji Castle, a World Heritage site in Japan, has never been damaged by war and has not been changed in 400 years
Himeji Castle, Japan

In many parts of the world, travelers are warned to beware of thieves, muggers, even terrorists, but not in Japan. Japan is a traveler's safe haven.

Though crowded, especially in the cities, Japan is home to a polite people, colorful food and historic sites. No pushing or shoving, as can be found in some other parts of Asia. Taxi drivers wear white gloves and have clean cabs. Ticket takers bow as you walk through the train station, and the trains are immaculate.

Restaurants show you the food on their menus in a front window display, so you don't even have to speak Japanese to eat well. You just point to what you want. And, as many a traveler appreciates, you can drink the tap water and not get sick (www.japantravelinfo.com, www.jnto.go.jp).

There are countless sights and wonders in Japan, but here's our top 10 list of things to see, do and eat in the land of the rising sun.

FOOD ON A STICK AND SWEET BEAN DESSERTS

Sure you can find Western-style food here, even burgers at the Golden Arches, but why not eat like the locals do? Beyond noodle stands and sushi parlors, there's food on a stick. Americans have caramel apples and corndogs, but the Japanese have creamy, buttery-tasting potatoes on a stick. In Fukuoka, a southern city, we enjoyed gravy-dipped and breaded octopus on a stick. Honestly, it tasted like chicken.

Green tea is Japan's national drink and available everywhere, hot or cold. A bento, or lunch box, is available in train stations and department stores and features local foods. Commonly that's sea vegetables, small pieces of fish and rice. Every bento has the food separated into its own compartment and is eaten with chopsticks. Rice, of course, is the ultimate comfort food here. Among its many manifestations, there's breakfast rice porridge, and in the city of Shimabara, they have rice balls that taste like marshmallows.

Seaweed can be pickled, found in soups and stews, a table condiment, or wrapped around sushi. More on sushi later. Fish in one form or another is often eaten three times a day. And for that last course, how about a manjyu or sweet bean dessert? It's made from mashed sweet beans and covered with a layer of rice flour.

HIMEJI CASTLE

This is one of Japan's grandest castles. Originally built in 1333, it was remodeled for the last time 400 years ago. Called the "White Heron," some say this soaring castle resembles a bird taking flight. Lines of visitors form every day. Intimidating in appearance with its five tiers and mammoth size, it's a World Heritage site that surprisingly has never been damaged by war. This authentic site has appeared in numerous movies, including "You Only Live Twice" and "The Last Samurai."

HIROSHIMA

A recent visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and its surrounding park coincided with the last day of a weeklong Japanese holiday, Golden Week. Complete with a Children's Day Parade on a cross street and practicing bands nearby, there were thousands of school kids all around this area. All of the vitality and good will in the park was a contrast to the somber message of the museum, which has collected and displayed photos and belongings left by atomic bomb victims when the world's first atomic bomb was detonated on Aug. 6, 1945, destroying Hiroshima (http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/index_e2.html).

KAITEN SUSHI

This is sushi served in restaurants where the plates of this bite-sized item come around on table-high conveyor belts. Considered Japanese fast food, kaiten sushi can be found in many parts of Japan in a variety of price ranges. Here's how it works. When you're seated at the table and it's time to get another piece, just reach over and lift a plate from the miniature "train" passing by. Chopsticks and the necessary condiments -- pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi -- will be at the table. The dinner tab is determined by the color and size of the plates stacked up on your table at the end of the meal.

KAMIKAZE MUSEUM

Like other countries that have buried war dead, Japan has museums to tell their battle stories. The Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots in Chiran is located across the bay from Kagoshima, one of Japan's southernmost cities. It is dedicated to the memory of those who died in kamikaze missions during the waning days of World War II. The museum is wallpapered with 1,036 photos of these young men.

MIYAJIMA ISLAND

This island in Hiroshima Bay has one of the most photographed landmarks in Japan -- the "floating" red torii. It is an entry gate to the Itsukushima-jinja Shrine that dates back to the 6th century. The island is home to tame deer that wander about looking for handouts, as well as gardens, shrines, temples and a five-story pagoda.

NAGASAKI

Glover House sits on a commanding hillside, a steep walk up from Nagasaki harbor. Named for tea merchant Thomas Glover, the stately mansion is Japan's oldest western-style structure and was the legendary setting for the Puccini opera "Madame Butterfly." The walk up to Glover Garden is probably always jammed with people, many stopping in the numerous shops along the way. Nagasaki was Japan's principle connection with the West dating back to the 1500s, but today, ironically, it's known more for the atomic bombing in World War II than for its long and colorful history.

SAILING THE INLAND SEA

This tranquil body of water separates three of Japan's main islands and connects the Pacific Ocean on the east with the Sea of Japan on the west. We traveled to many of the places listed above over eight days on an American ship, the 118-passenger Odyssey. This same ship, under the direction of luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent (www.abercrombiekent.com), sails for 16 days in May of both 2008 and 2009 in the Inland Sea, including stops in South Korea.

SHINKANSEN

Travel on the elegant bullet train, or shinkansen, is worth the trip to Japan. Onboard you can enjoy your bento that you bought in the train station. Or you can order food during the trip, as the scenery whizzes by. Very polite servers regularly walk through the cars taking orders. The punctual rail network in Japan is extensive. The Japan Rail Pass, the most economical way to travel by train, cannot be purchased in Japan. It must be bought in the traveler's home country before departure (www.japanrailpass.net). However, point-to-point Japan Rail tickets can be purchased at local train stations.

THE TEA CEREMONY

The Sankeien Gardens in Yokohama's Yamashita Park is home to a simple but elegant Japanese tea ceremony. It dates back five centuries or so, and every step in this traditional ceremony is symbolic. Each movement of the kimono-clad server was deliberate and full of grace. Cha-no-yu, the Japanese tea ceremony, is a reminder of an older, gentler era. But it still has a place in modern Japan, especially for its many visitors.

 

© Diana Korte

Travel | Japan's Appeal: Safe, Scenic And Sociable