Ogasawara Islands – the Chichijima and Hahajima

If you like to watch whale and many different types of dolphin, and also looking for a chance to swim with bottlenose and spinner dolphins, then Ogasawara Islands (also known as Bonin Islands), a remote group of 30 small and flat islands in the Pacific Ocean should be in your travel itinerary. In fact, they have a sweeping, white beach which is also ideal for swimming, but do watch out for highly endangered green where they do come to lay eggs.

Anijima and Chichijima Islands

Ogasawara Islands, about 1,000 km away from Tokyo, were the result by ancient submarine volcano. What I understand is that they are home to more than 140 species of indigenous plants as well as insects such as the Ogasawara damsel fly. You may want to know that of the 97 species of tree on the islands, 73 are endemic.

Out of the 30 Ogasawara Islands, Chichijima (father island) and Hahajima (mother island) are the only inhabited with a population of about 2,500. Their main products are timber and fruit such as pineapples and bananas. True to be believed, Ogasawara is unspoiled and unpolluted, that I think is the reason the waters are crystal-clear and full of coral reefs and tropical fish.

Those who went there have commented that Ogasawara Islands is truly a great place for watching whales and dolphins. I suggest you to take a day trip out to the open sea for an amazing day whale and dolphin watching. While available to see all year round, humpback whales and their calves can usually be seen between February and April, while the best time to see sperm whales is from August to October.

Tokyo – Japan & Mt Fuji

If you are looking for places of interests that have something from beautiful gardens to theme parks, or fine art galleries to the biggest fish markets in the world or whatever from a city, then Tokyo in Japan might interest you.

Tokyo has over 30,000 residents, making it the largest metropolitan area in the world. In fact, Tokyo is one of the busiest cities on the planet, if you are there, you would agree with me that the pace of life there never seems to slow down but at breakneck pace.

Tokyo Tower

Besides a tourist attractions hot spot with a rich variety of cultural attractions and many places to see and places to visit, Tokyo has some of the best shopping in the world, you may find them in places like Ginza, Shibuya, Ikebukero and Shinjuku.

The Meiji Shrine

If you are interested to know more about Japanese history dated back from 1,500 years, then visit Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park, there has twenty galleries filled with artifacts waiting for you to explore. Also, the National Museum of Western Art nearby has a large collection of Impressionist works, and other institutions there include the Municipal Art Gallery, the National Science Museum, the National History Museum and the Gallery of Far Eastern Art.

As for popular centre for nightlife, I suggest you to visit Shinjuku. In addition, Shinjuku is also home to the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, which has both Japanese and European style gardens, and a tea-house where visitors can take part in the traditional tea ceremony while Ginza is home to the Kabuki-za Theatre.

If you happen to visit Asakusa, you will find places to see and places to visit like the Sensoji Temple, the Five Storied Pagoda and Nakamise, a traditional shopping arcade, as well as the Hanayashiki Amusement Park. As I know, Harajuku is a place where the young like to hang out. Azabu-Juban is upmarket and Akihabara is the place to head to buy electronics. Don’t miss to take a traditional bath in the hot springs in Azabu-Juban.

Other tourist attractions, places to see and places to visit that you might not want to miss:

• The bullet train;
• The trip to Mt Fuji. Mt Fuji is Japan most recognizable landmark and is situated about 100 km west of Tokyo;
• The Meiji Shrine;
• Shomben Yokocho; and
• Tokyo Tower.

Other things you might want to know about:

Taxi door – do not try to open the taxi door, as Japanese taxis have automatic door-opening systems.

Crossing the street – use care because in Japan, driving is on the left.

Tattoos – don’t flaunt your tattoos, as it is forbidden in many hot springs and other places of interest.

Japan Rail Pass – I suggest you to get it as the pass will offer you unlimited travel on Japan Railways trains, and is definitely less expensive than a regular round-trip ticket. However, this pass is only available to people with tourist visas and not other visas like student, business and diplomatic visas.

Greet with a bow – it is interesting to know that Japanese of all ages bow in greeting each other, and is something not to be surprised if you see them bow even on the telephone!

When to visit those places of interest? Any time of the year.