![Just when you think Japan is modern, you discover an ancient tradition.](/web/20170209210522im_/http://www.traveller.com.au/content/dam/images/g/n/6/9/u/w/image.related.TravellerThumbnail.300x200.gn691x.png/1456976068438.jpg)
Twenty things that will surprise first-time visitors to Japan
To first-time visitors, everything in this amazing land is so different and foreign that there really is no other word for it: It's strange.
To first-time visitors, everything in this amazing land is so different and foreign that there really is no other word for it: It's strange.
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Travel to Tokyo's metropolitan skyline, Kyoto's shrines and temples, Fuji's iconic cliffs, and the elegant pagodas and toris of the Japanese countryside.
There's more to Japan than big cities and cherry blossoms. Head off the beaten track to explore the regions that still fascinate tourists.
From sumo to sake there are some things that can only be experienced in Japan.
Japan boasts more than 300 different flavors of Kit Kats. From wasabi to sake, Matt Butler has made it his mission to taste them all.
A beloved luxury train is revived as a hostel in the Nihonbashi Bakurocho area of central Tokyo.
Kyoto is one of the world's top destinations and attracts millions of visitors. Slip off the beaten track on an insider tour and discover tranquil treasures.
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Sublimely unique, Japan is beautiful, warm and inviting. This archipelago of islands, also known as the "Land of the Rising Sun", is meeting point between traditional and contemporary. With an abundance of cultural wonders from The Golden Pavilion to Nijo Castle; natural wonders from Mount Fuji to snow onsens; and modern pow-wows of high-rises, malls and restaurants.