Hiroshima is a historical city which painfully conjures up an array of horrific pictures of debris, blood, plight and disorder. Japanese would permanently remember the dreadful moment when atomic bomb was dropped by United States of America on August 6, 1945.

However, being the world’s first atomic-bomb target was yesterday, its citizens have long ago recovered from nuclear devastation. Time flies and Hiroshima has totally changed its depressing facade into a prosperous and globally minded population.  It is now a modern, cosmopolitan city wherein tourists find scrumptious food at every corner and the exhilarating nightlife.

Geographically, Hiroshima is the largest city located along the coast of the Seto Inland Sea in the western of Chugoku region of western Honshu, the largest island in Japan. This capital of Hiroshima Prefecture has a modern face of an industrial city punctuated with criss-crossing rivers, broad highway, and a populous city center.

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Nara was once a magnificent capital described by an ancient poet as “a fragrant flower in full bloom”. According to history, it was the first permanent of Japan established in the year 710 until the movement to Nagaoka took place in 784 when the government was seriously threatened by the growing influence and political aspiration of the city’s powerful Buddhist monasteries. However, due to the glorious Nara period, this city remains full of historic treasures which include some of Japan’s oldest Buddhist temples.

Geographically, Nara is now the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region. It is located in the Kinai plain, less than one hour from Kyoto and Osaka. An ancient Japanese book entitled Nihon Shoki states that the name “Nara” was derived from the Japanese word narashita meaning “made flat”.

As Nara is well-known as the treasure-house of Japanese arts and the birthplace of the culture of Japan, it has been rated as one of the most rewarding tourist spots in the country. What you find here are the renowned ancient temples and shrines which reflect the timeless history of this archipelago.

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Osaka is famous for its hearty cuisine as supported by the saying “Dress (in kimonos) ’til you drop in Kyoto, eat ’til you drop in Osaka” (京の着倒れ、大阪の食い倒れ). However, that is just the tip of the iceberg for this third largest and second most important city in Japan has many interesting facades that make it a spot to be experienced in its entirety.

Osaka is located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay. Once the commercial capital of Japan, it has been the economic powerhouse of the Kansai region for many centuries with a population of 2.5 million.

Osaka literally means “large hill” or “large slope”. What you find in this large hill are the best restaurants in town, sensible citizens, urban life typically Japanese and a lot of other captivating attractions and scenes that guarantee your memorable trip in the archipelago.

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Kyoto is a beautiful city with an abundance of prewar buildings, such as the traditional townhouses known as machiya, nestled in the heart of it. It is located in the central part of the island of Honshu with a population close to 1.5 million.

It was once well-known as the imperial capital of Japan until the move of the government to Edo (later renamed to Tokyo) during the Imperial Restoration. In case you wonder if there is any link between Tokyo and Kyoto since the pronunciation of one is the vice versa of the other, reassure that there is no link between them. It is just so happened that Tokyo carries the meaning of Eastern Capital while Kyoto was once known for a short time as Saikyo which means Western Capital.

Though it is no longer the capital of the archipelago, it is still the capital for the major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area and Kyoto Prefecture itself. Due to its historic value, you are not experiencing the true Japan before you step into this city full of cultural heritage.

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Tokyo (officially Tokyo Metropolis) is one of the most desirable cities to live and the name is often linked to the magic moment in most people’s lives – dream comes true. But what is the real meaning of the name?

Tokyo (Tōkyō: tō (east) + kyō (capital))

Geographically, Tokyo is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan located on the eastern side of the main island Honshu, Kanto region. It’s also the capital and the largest city in the archipelago. However it’s more often than not called a metropolis(to) rather than a prefecture(ken). Tokyo Metropolis encompasses the 23 special wards(tokubetsu-ku; Shibuya and Shinjuku are among the more famous wards), 26 cities, 5 towns and 8 villages, including the Izu and Ogasawara Islands, several small Pacific Islands in the south of the main island Honshu.

Wake up! I know human’s brain recoils geographical facts but going through them will help you gain your composure while travel in the busy city full of tall futuristic buildings. Traveling without knowledge is like sailing without a compass, and a compass is all that you can rely on here.

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