Japan

On the one hand, Kyoto is a modern big city with plenty of architectual dreadfulness, on the other hand... it has been the spiritual center of Japanese culture until this day. Those who take their time, can explore a variety of romantic sites besides the well-known and very touristic main attractions. The oldest sacred building is Koryu-ji built in 622, whose museum houses wonderful statues. One can get a marvelous view of the city from the terrace of the Kiyomizu Temple. The Zen garden of Ryoan-ji impresses with its simplicity pushed to the limits. The Sanju-sangendo, a 118 m (387 ft) wooden temple hall, gives an insight into the art of the Kamakura period, comparable to gothic art. In there, 1001 statues of Kannon - the God of Mercy, are displayed. Kyoto's most famous and most popular shrine festival Gion Matsuri is celebrated from July 14th -17th at the Yasaka Shrine, which is also called Gion Shrine after the old geisha district. Other important festivals in Kyoto are the Aoi Matsuri („Hollyhock festival“) on May 15th and the Jidai Matsuri („Festival of the Times“) on October 22nd, both celebrated with colorful costume processions. more

The drop of the first atomic bomb on August 6th, 1945, over Hiroshima changed the history of the world... irrevocably. The bomb claimed more than 200,000 lives and destroyed the city completely. The first projections predicted a hopeless vision of the future – the area would remain uninhabitable for up to 90 years. However, today only impressive memorials remind of the gruesome past. After the war, people returned to their homes surprisingly quickly and began rebuilding a dynamic and wealthy city, which has surpassed the former industrial stronghold by far. The Peace Memorial Park and its memorials, such as the Peace Tower, the Peace Memorial Museum or the Cenotaph created by the famous architect Kenzo Tange, leave the visitor with a feeling of deep dismay because of its strict and also simple design. Even the Atomic Bomb Dome visible from afar reminds of the destructive force of the bomb. Recreation is promised by the Shukkei Garden created after a Chinese model, and also the Carp Castle, which has an interesting museum of castles. more

Due to its convenient location at the mouth of the river Yodo and by the inland-sea, Osaka developed... into a flourishing economic center. For this reason, a confident civil culture was able to develop early on, which was expressed in numerous Kabuki and Bunraku stages. You should not miss a performance of the Bunraku puppet theater in Kokuritsu Bunraku Gekijo on a visit to Osaka. But even a tour of the Osaka Castle (Osaka-jo) built by Hideyoshi Toyotomi in 1585 is an adventure, as you can enjoy a grand view of the city from the central tower which was re-built in 1931. A great example of an archetype of all shrines is the Sumiyoshi Shrine (Sumiyoshi-taisha), whose entrance is flanked by numerous stone lanterns. An adventure not only for children is the Kayukan Aquarium, where one can see manta rays and whale sharks among other things. more