Japan Eyewitness Travel Guides

Good resource for travelling in Japan
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This guide book is the most current and much better than others out there! The pictures are not dated (you could tell by the eighties hairdos in other guide books) and DK Eyewitness travel are usually better than other ones out there. The only thing is that it’s more focus on Tokyo than other cities, so if you are looking into Osaka and other cities, it’s not as detail as Tokyo!

Japan by DK Eyewitness Travel
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love this book. I looked at several other books, but they were not up-to-date. This is a great book for anyone planning to visit Japan. It is arranged by geographical district and has beautiful maps and/or pictures on every page. It is extremely informative and no matter what you want to know, you will probably find it in this book. I’m now using the book to document my photographs taken in various areas of Japan. The only drawback to this book is that, because of all the pictures and maps, it’s printed on glossy paper and is quite heavy. I took it with me every day on a Japan tour, but kept it in my carry-on for reference. I found it too heavy to carry in my purse while walking on a tour.

Book Review
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This series is simply one of the best travel guide series around today. I have used at least 10 other guides from this same series and have found them to be comprehensive, easy to use and up-to-date. You cannot go wrong with this book and some internet web research. Definitely worth every penny and then some.

Great guide book
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have owned this book for 6 years and have used it on my 5 separate trips to Japan. It’s a great guide book for my needs. I love the pictures and diagrams of the different cultural sites to see, and it’s fun to read. I think it’s best for getting a sense of where to go and what to see, and it also contains many interesting tidbits of information & history on each site. I hate the guidebooks that are all black and white text, they are so boring. This is a far cry from those types of guide books. It may not be quite as useful for finding restaurants and hotels and for getting around Japan in general, but I still think it’s adequate in these areas. My wife is Japanese so she helps me with that part. But she also loves this book because it has such great summaries and pictures of the different places to see. She has discovered much about her native country thanks to this book! We won’t leave for Japan without it.

I found it helpful in a recent trip to Kyoto
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The Eyewitness Travel Guide for Japan is a very good publication. I used the guide on a recent trip to Kyoto and therefore I will only be able to comment on the use of the guide in Kyoto.

In general the guide prepares you for Japan fairly well. I found Japan to be a land of contradictions in regard to dress. The youth of Japan show their rebellion by coloring their dark hair with red highlights and wear wild teased up hair styles. They wear gothic styles with a touch of S&M leather. The clothing selections and combinations are striking. However on the same bus or subway that you see youths with wild clothing, you will also see older women wearing the traditional kimono with obi sash. Take a careful look at these ladies and you will see how beautiful the clothes are matched and patterned. You may also see the beautiful Geisha and Maiko in Kyoto, visiting historic sites or traveling in hand pulled carriages.

In the 5 days I was in Japan I never saw the first piece of trash or garbage on the ground. I never even saw a cigarette butt on the ground. I was amazed at the cleanliness. One morning on an early walk, I found a monk carefully sweeping a public bridge of early autumn leaves.

Downtown Kyoto was full of high end stores and amazing displays of neon. The corner of Shijo and Kawaramachi is the Kyoto version of Times Square with the magnificent Takashimaya flagship store. However as you walk downtown Kyoto you will see small Shinto or Buddhist shrines hidden between buildings. At the gate there is a frequent water fountain and tin cups so that you can wash and purify your hands before entering the shrine. Many have incense and candles burning. Some contain amazing antique Buddhist statues. There is often a thick rope tied to an antique bell high above your head. Pull the bellcord, ring the bell and say a short prayer. Kyoto is a city of palaces, castles, fortresses, shrines, and temples. Most of the palaces, castles, and fortresses have wonderful gardens to explore. Many of the shrines and temples also have superbly beautiful gardens. Some of the gardens are called Paradise Gardens because they are meant to evoke the Pure Land or Buddhist paradise. The private gardens of the Emperor,which are located ajacent to his residence in the Imperial Compound, are such gardens. However, some of the temples have the dry-landscape gardens with carefully rakes gravel. The Japanese are major tourists in their own country and appreciate the careful garden landscape designs, especially the reflection of temples or a stand of autumn red trees reflected in a pool. The florists of Kyoto are experts in Ikebana, with stunning asymetrical arrangements of flowers. Go into florists shops while traveling in Kyoto to see the artistic arrangements of the owners. Garden shops often had impressive examples of Bonsai. The antique shops in Kyoto contain interesting ceramics and bronze castings. The prices were a bit steep especially in light of the fact that contemporary potters create similar work to the old masters of 400 years ago.

The Eyewitness Guide has a short history of Japan. Of interest is the odd pattern of the Emperor abdicating to become a reclusive monk and allowing a son or grandson to become Emperor. Interstingly the new young Emperor is charged with all the boring rituals of court ceremony while the reclusive retired Emperor rules the land without having to waste time on formal ceremonies. Also, at times in Japan’s history, the country was actually run by a Shogun, a military dictator, while the Imperial family was concerned with ceremony without any real power.

Kyoto is a fantastic city to visit. The subway system is easy to understand once you take your first trip. The subway stops are convenient to every part of town and to many of the historic sites. The Gion district is gret fun to explore with its narrow stone roads and tiny shops. The Eyewitness map covered the central 80% of the city but there was no subway map in the guide. This would have been a nice feature.

Kyoto station, where all trains, subways, and buses meet, can be a bit confusing. Give yourself plenty of time since most of the signs are in Japanese and English signs are not available for every line, train track, or bus stop.

The Sanjusangen-do Temple is a ‘must see’ item. It contains 1000 Kannon statues, all lined up in rows. In front of these 1000 statues are a series of goddesses, gods, demons, spirits that guard the 1000 Kannon statues. These works are superb. In the center is one very large Kannon carved 750 years ago that is impressive. The statues are housed in the longest wooden structure in the world.

Nijo Castle is also a ‘must see’ item. It is a fortress within a fortress. The massive Karamon Gate marks the entrance into the area where the Shogun held court and lived. You are allowed to see his meeting rooms, residential rooms, study, and the large hall where he holds court (the Ohiroma Ichi-no-ma). The gardens surrounding the buildings are incredible with orchards of cherry and plum trees. Like every historic building or shrine or temple, you must take off your shoes to enter. Of note is the nightingale floors in the Castle which were built to squeak to alert of a sneak attack.

The Gion district is great fun. Shijo street ends at the Yasaka Shrine, a compound that should be visited. The grounds of the Shrine link to Maruyama Park. From here, it is a short walk to the historic Kodaiji Temple which is superbly landscaped. The strolling paths are fun and will take you to the Yasakanoto Pagoda that stands high above the downtown area. The homes and inns in this region are exquisite with wonderful tea gardens leading into the entrances.

The Higashihonganji Temple is massive is reported to be the largest wooden structure in the world.

The Imperial residence within the Imperial Park is a fascinating group of buildings with residential and ceremonial buildings. I certainly enjoyed seeing the palace compound and fantastic gardens.

Shopping in Kyoto is very interesting. Pickle stores abound with pickled turnips, radishes, mustard greens, cherrys, plums, and other delicasies that we rarely see in the United States. The restaurants in the Pontocho region are good. We ate at Wontana and had the 9 course chef’s meal (called Kaiseki) with a range of Saki selections. Expect many fish and duck dishes in Kyoto restaurants. Because I was in Kyoto for business we had Bento Boxes for lunch. They are a real treat with many tasty items. The sushi and sashimi was fantastic in Kyoto. The Maguro (tuna) and Snapper was excellent. When running around town, you may see Pocari Sweat, an oddly named soft drink. Be careful around tipping since it is not customary and may be offensive. Restrooms are frequent and well marked. Western style toilets in hotels and restaurants may be high tech with seat warmers and water sprayers and noise makers to disquise bathroom sounds. Some of these toilets start a slow trickle flush when you sit down to disquise noise.

I did not give the guide 5 points because there were a few things that were needed that could have been provided. A subway map of Kyoto would have been nice in the Kyoto section. However the major ommission in the book was a warning that ATMs are hard to find and may not take US banks or credit unions. I found that post offices had ATMs that would take Western cards but there were not many ATMs in Kyoto – so be prepared.

However, overall this is a good product, with beautiful pictures and basic good information.

Great Book To Have
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is wonderful book full of great pictures, fun facts and interesting snippits. It is very entertaining and remains interesting thru out. It is well written with the American Traveler in mind.

Major attractions of each city/region are covered. It covers a lot of area and provides a great overview without getting to deep into any one place. It gives pricing information and as such is well done. Interesting historical and modern facts are given about locations adding to the fun.

I used it on a 2006 trip to Japan and found it very useful. It was especially helpful in the preliminary planning stages of our journey.

For a more encompassing travel guide, I recommend “Gateway to Japan” and “Exploring Japan”. These three along with a common phrases book or electronic translator should be about all someone would need to have an enjoyable trip!

Japan by DK books
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
After having the book for a month, I found that the printing on 2 pages of the index are blurred and very difficult to read.

Otherwise, the book is very informative with excellent photos on good quality paper. Wish the book were lighter in weight though.

When traveling, I’m always concerned about weight.

Great except for one thing
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This book is great and very useful but I wish it had list of top tens; like top ten places to visit, top ten gardens, top ten museums etc. Next time I might buy the Frommers because it has it

Visual Delights to Enchant the Traveler to Japan
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I work as a specialized travel planner for travel to Japan and use this guide as a complement to the materials that I send to my clients. Why? Because the guide is great for pictures, general descriptions, diagrams and for giving a very brief flavor of a place and works very well when in conjunction with detailed instructions. I suggest treating it as a “McGuide” – it satisfies the immediate need for a bit of information while you’re on the road. On the other hand, I would never recommend this guide as the only guide to take to Japan if you’re doing serious travel planning while on the road, since there’s just not enough hard information to make critical decisions on what to see and do on any given day. Many other reviewers have pointed out that there are few suggestions, no prioritization and not much “how to”. On my last trip to Japan we used it as a quick guide on what to see in the smaller places and then relied on the ubiquitous tourist board stands to get information on specifics (maps, flyers, etc.). For example, in Hakone it mentions the “circuit”, but doesn’t give enough information to know how to actually do it. We had to gather that information from our hotel and our Hakone Free Pass paperwork. This guide also omits some places that western travelers might find interesting, such as the art installations at Benesse House on Naoshima Island or Karatsu on Kyushu Island. The very best things about this guide: short tours (such as Kiso Valley or Saga Pottery area) detailed diagrams (such as the Gassho-zukuri houses and Toshu-gu Shrine in Nikko) and lots and lots of photos on the same page as the descriptions. Oh, and it’s also a great guide if you can pre-plan your trip and don’t want to spend your entire vacation with your nose in a book reading rather than experiencing the place. Japan is such a fabulous place to engage with the culture and this book can help you make the leap from reading/observing to engaging by taking away the reams and reams of text found in other books.

Great Japan guide
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This little book was a fantastic guide through Tokyo on my recent first trip to Japan. It got us to all the important sites and explained their significance. I love having all the pictures in the book – it is often the only way I can tell if I am in the right location.

However, I must admit that it was more fun to use this book as a general guide and wander around, discovering the interesting sights off of the beaten path after you have seen the major tourist attraction in a location. This guide seems to cover the major tourist sites only (which is typically what I want to see on my first visit to a new country).

Also, this appears to be a very popular book with tourists – there were many times when we could spot fellow tourists because they were carrying this same book, often in spanish, italian, or one of the other many languages that this guide is translated into.