The famous floating torii on Miyajima

After the hedonism of Tokyo and Kyoto, Hiroshima is a sobering experience. The atomic bomb that was dropped on the city on August 6, 1945 was met by predictions that "nothing will grow for 75 years".

A geisha turns heads in Kyoto's historic centre

A bustling city of 1.5 million people, Kyoto is also the cultural heart of Japan.

The city's historic centre with its quaint bridges, exclusive craft shops, Buddhist temples and extravagant gardens give awestruck visitors the impression that not much has changed since it was Japan's imperial capital.

Stepping out in style on the Tokyo subway

Thirty million people and a barrage of neon can't curb Tokyo's charm.

Taking a soak at the Ichinoide Kaikan onsen in Beppu

If being buried alive by hot volcanic sand or covered in sulphurous mud is your idea of a good time, then you'll adore Beppu.

Situated on the east coast of the island of Kyushu, Beppu is the hot-spring centre of Japan. Sporadic bursts of steam rise out of the ground all over this sprawling spa town.