Places to visit in Hyogo 9: 丹波 (たんば - Tamba)

The 丹波 region is an agricultural area north of 神戸 (こうべ - Kobe) on the eastern border of 兵庫 (ひょうご - Hyogo). It's probably the last thing you would imagine when thinking of Japan - compared to the bigger cities it's sparsely populated and forgoes the skyscrapers for sprawling rice paddies, ancient farmhouses and verdant hills. Don't let the lack of billboards and plasma screens put you off though - 丹波 has a rich cultural heritage and the farmland isn't just for show; the area is famous for its handmade crafts and fresh produce. If you feel you need a change of pace from rush-rush 大阪 (おおさか - Osaka) and 東京 (とうきょう - Tokyo), 丹波 may be just what the doctor ordered.

お酒 (おさけ - osake) - Sake

お酒 or "rice wine" as it's sometimes mistakenly called, is a piece of Japanese culture and history that's been filling flasks and seasoning dishes for the better part of 2000 years. In fact, domestically it's known as 日本酒 (にほんしゅ - nihonshu) or "Japanese alcohol", which should give you some idea of its sway. With 2000 breweries currently operating in Japan and exporting internationally, the お酒 business appears to be booming - it now comes in as many varieties as wine or beer and can accompany cuisine from all over the world. It can be served hot in 冬 (ふゆ - fuyu - winter), cold in 夏 (なつ - natsu - summer) or at room temperature in between; you won't be left wanting for choice if you want to experience お酒 for yourself.

広島 (ひろしま) - Hiroshima

Approximately 90 minutes from 神戸 (こうべ - Kobe) and 大阪 (おおさか - Osaka) on the 新幹線 (しんかんせん - Shinkansen) lies 広島, one of the largest cities in Western 本州 (ほんしゅう - Honshu). Unfortunately 広島 is best known as the site of the world's first 原爆 (げんばく - genbaku - atomic bomb) attack but it definitely deserves more credit than that; like 長崎 (ながさき - Nagasaki), the real triumph is how quickly it has risen from the ashes as a gorgeous, bustling city in its own right. The scars are still there if you look closely, but don't let that be your only reason for visiting.

Places to visit in Hyogo 6: 有馬温泉 (ありまおんせん - Arima Onsen)

有馬温泉 is a natural 温泉 (おんせん - onsen - hot spring) resort northeast of 神戸 (こうべ - Kobe) on the opposite side of 六甲山 (ろっこうさん - rokkousan - The Rokko Mountains). It is the oldest 温泉 in Japan, dating back more than a thousand years and featuring prominently in the country's history; priests, feudal lords and even the occasional Emperor were known to enjoy having a soak there. Fortunately even we common folk can enjoy it these days - the only thing stopping you from stepping back into simpler times is the price of a ticket.

長崎 (ながさき) - Nagasaki

長崎 is unsurprisingly the capital of 長崎県 (ながさきけん - nagasakiken - Nagasaki Prefecture) and one of the largest cities in 九州 (きゅうしゅう - Kyushu), southwest of the main Japanese island of 本州 (ほんしゅう - Honshu). Throughout several hundred years of Japan's history, it served as a prominent port and trading post - one of the country's only windows to the world during its isolation. Unfortunately that's not the main claim to fame; as we all know, in 1945 長崎 became infamous as the second and last city to be struck by a nuclear warhead. Today, the bombing is just one dark chapter in the long and colourful history of 長崎 - let's open the book and start from the beginning.

Japaneats その9 – 神戸ビーフ (koube biifu) - Kobe Beef

I’d be surprised if you hadn’t heard of 神戸ビーフ – like 和牛 (わぎゅう - wagyu), it’s become a global name. As you can imagine, 神戸 (こうべ - Kobe) in particular is packed with steak houses and gourmet restaurants making the most of its popularity. At its heart it’s just very nice beef, but its reputation is getting larger than life and the prices aren’t too far behind; the question is whether the reality lives up to the hype. Let’s chew the fat a little and see if we can find out.

花見 (はなみ - hanami) - Cherry blossom viewing

The grey, gloomy skies of 冬 (ふゆ - fuyu - Winter) have finally disappeared and with them, the last remnants of 2010. As you know, 春 (はる - haru - Spring) is an "out with the old, in with the new" time of year; offices across the country are busily cleaning and reorganising and students are nervously getting ready for their next step towards graduation and a new life. Whatever's on the cards for the new fiscal year though, most people will take the time to enjoy a good 花見 party or two; as you watch them sitting beneath the pale pink 桜 (さくら - sakura - cherry blossoms) and the pale blue sky, you might wonder if they're stressed about 2011 at all. We've spoken about the concept a bit before, but let's have a closer look at some of the most popular 花見 spots in 兵庫 (ひょうご - Hyogo) and see if our worries melt away as quickly.

日本の四つの季節その4：冬 (にほんのよつのきせつそのよん：ふゆ） - The Four Seasons of Japan 4: Winter

冬 (ふゆ - fuyu - Winter) is the first and last season of the Japanese year, its icy fingers officially taking hold in December and refusing to loosen until the start of 春 (はる - haru - Spring) in early April. Like 夏 (なつ - natsu - Summer), 冬 takes up more than its fair share of the year and it's just as uncomfortable, particularly for people used to living south of the Equator. Having said that, it can be extraordinarily beautiful, it plays host to one of the most spectacular festivals of the year and best of all, noone will notice your クリスマス (Christmas) kilos under that big coat. Grab your scarf and gloves, because it's cold out there.

Places to visit in Hyogo 5: 淡路島 (あわじしま - Awajishima - Awaji Island)

Today we cross the bridge from 明石 (あかし - Akashi) to the small island on the other side of the strait. 淡路島, usually just known as 淡路 (あわじ - Awaji), is the southernmost part of 兵庫 (ひょうご - Hyogo), forming part of the long road over the bridges and down to 四国 (しこく - Shikoku). Many people only see it whipping past during their travels, but if you get off the highway and take the time to explore a little, I'm sure you'll find something to like. Let's hop off at the next exit and have a look around - there's more to it than just the expressway. In fact, if you believe the stories, it may well be the first part of Japan that was created.

東京 (とうきょう) - Tokyo

Big brother to 大阪 (おおさか - Osaka) and perhaps one of the most recognisable elements of Japan, 東京 sits unapologetically on its throne as Japan's capital and largest city. The metropolitan part of 東京 is a self-named prefecture in itself, but the greater 東京 area straddles three other prefectures and is home to more than 35 million people; on average, about 2500 of them are packed in per square kilometre.

If you're anything like me, the first two things that will come into your mind when you arrive in 東京 will be "people" and "buildings". Let me show you why.

ごみ (gomi) - Rubbish

One of the first things I always hear from people who come to visit Japan is "where are all the bins?". It's true enough - at home there's a bin on every corner, whereas you can walk for kilometres here without ever seeing one. The second thing I hear is "why isn't there rubbish everywhere?"; you would think that if there were no bins to be found, people would just give up and throw things on the ground. Not so - people diligently carry their bottles, wrappers and cartons around until they find a コンビニ (konbini - convenience store), which will usually have ごみ箱 (ごみばこ - gomibako - rubbish bins) out the front.

So why are there no bins and where is all the rubbish? The answers might be more interesting than you think.

京都その１ (きょうとそのいち - Kyouto sono ichi) - Kyoto, part one

It's hard to think of Japan without 京都 springing to mind; it's one of the old capitals of Japan, hosts tens of millions of tourists each year and boasts around two thousand temples and shrines. It's also very straightforward to get to by 電車 (でんしゃ - densha - train) or 新幹線 (しんかんせん - shinkansen), which is just as well because you'll probably need two days to even scratch the surface. Fortunately I'll be doing most of the hard work for you this time - two posts for a two day trip. Don't forget your camera!

電車 (でんしゃ - densha) - Trains

One of the things that probably springs to mind when you think of Japan are 電車; probably the image of the 新幹線 (しんかんせん - shinkansen - bullet train) gliding past 富士山 (ふじさん - Fujisan - Mount Fuji), or men with white gloves shoving the last few passengers on to a packed train. You could say that 電車 are the backbone of Japan and when you get here, you'll see why - they get billions of people a year to where they need to be. Let's have a look at the Japanese rail system and see what makes it one of the best in the world.

納豆 - なっとう - Nattou

A quick quiz. I have a very strong flavour and smell. I'm very nutritious. Most people either love me or hate me. I'm often eaten for breakfast. It's almost a national pastime to feed me to unsuspecting visitors and enjoy their reactions. Who am I?

The correct answer is 納豆, but you could definitely be forgiven for saying Vegemite. In fact, a lot of the students who try Vegemite here say it's "オーストラリアの納豆" (Australia's nattou) because of the similarities. Let's have a look at "Japan's Vegemite" and see what it's all about.

奈良 (なら - Nara)

In keeping with the theme of 春 (はる - haru - spring) and 桜 (さくら - sakura - cherry blossoms), today's pictures and words take us to 奈良, one of the ancient capitals of Japan. 奈良 is about 45 minutes out of 大阪 (おおさか - Osaka) by train and after spending a day there, I would have to say it's worth one trip at the very least. Within a very short time you'll have made dozens of hairy new friends and taken a lot of very interesting photos.

Japaneats その2 - お好み焼き (おこのみやき - Okonomiyaki)

Japaneats 2 features my favourite Japanese food - お好み焼き. It's one of the most famous specialties of the 関西 (かんさい - Kansai) area and with good reason. It's easy to make, delicious, filling and you can put nearly anything you want in it. In fact, the name literally means "grilled things you like". What could go wrong?

Japaneats その1 - きつねうどん and たぬきそば (Kitsune udon and Tanuki soba)

"Japaneats" will be a series of posts about things that you must eat if you come to Japan - I'm going to make it a rule!

Today's Japaneats are きつねうどん and たぬきそば. Udon are thick white noodles made of wheat flour, usually served in soup. Soba are thinner, darker coloured buckwheat noodles which are possibly a bit closer to what we're used to at home. "Kitsune" means "fox" and the "tanuki" is a Japanese animal like a raccoon or a badger (officially translated as a "raccoon dog"). Thankfully neither of them are actually in their dish!