Travelling

I like to travel, especially to Japan

Whether you end up taking photos of a reproduction Eiffel Tower, surfing an indoor wave, musing in a Zen temple, shacking up in a love hotel or kipping down in a capsule, you'll do best to come with an open mind and be prepared to be surprised.

Somewhere between the elegant formality of Japanese manners and the candid, sometimes boisterous exchanges that take place over a few drinks, between the sanitised shopping malls and the unexpected rural festivals, everyone finds their own vision of Japan.

Tokyo

Tokyo is huge - a combination of cities within a city with no real centre - but it is navigable. For visitors, almost everything of interest lies either on or within the Japan Railways (JR) Yamanote line, the rail loop that circles central Tokyo. At the centre of this circle is the Imperial Palace, with exclusive Ginza and the commercial Marunouchi to the east. Heading west you'll find food-capital Akasaka next door to clubbers' delight Roppongi, and then 'modern-west' versus 'chaotic-east' Shinjuku. Ikebukuro is in the northwest, and the cultural centre of Ueno and traditional Asakusa is to the northeast.

In Tokyo, as in the rest of Japan, finding a place from its address can be a near impossibility, even for the Japanese. Few streets have names, so be prepared to ask for directions - don't worry, even taxi drivers do! Addresses work by narrowing down the location of a building to a number within an area of a few blocks; unlike European addresses, they work from top to bottom. So, Tokyo would be indicated first, followed by the ku (ward), then the chō or machi (loosely, suburb) and then the chōme, which is an area of just a couple of blocks: e.g., Chiyoda-ku, Nagatachō 2-10-3, Capitol Hotel, 3F. The ground floor is always counted as the first.

Sapporo

On the same beer-soaked latitude as Munich and Milwaukee, Sapporo lays undisputed claim to the title of Japan's brewing Mecca. Beer-makers Sapporo, Asahi, Kirin and a host of local microbreweries have all set up shop here, helping to make this energetic city even more spirited and rambunctious.

The kick of Sapporo, though, comes from much more than its most famous export. This friendly, cosmopolitan city welcomes visitors with a flourishing restaurant scene, as well as myriad outdoorsy opportunities in the rugged Hokkaido landscape outside of town.

Sapporo's transformation from raw forestland to modern city (Japan's fifth-largest) was a quick one, begun in earnest in the late 19th century. At that time the Japanese government poured tens of millions of yen into the frontier town, creating the beautiful Odori Park, gridding out an orderly, navigable city and launching the nascent dairy and beer industries that still form an important part of Sapporo's economy.

Osaka

Famous for its down-to-earth citizens and hearty cuisine, Osaka combines historical and cultural attractions with all the delights of a Japanese urban phenomenon. At night Osaka is live-wired with flashing neon, beckoning with promises of tako-yaki (fried octopus ball), good times and a lot of beer.

Often maligned by visitors as 'ugly' and still best viewed under the neon light of night, Osaka is currently undergoing a facelift to woo daytime visitors to its concrete and Pachinko city grid. Improvements to its historic port and much-needed attention to its waterways and canals is slowly restoring Osaka's maritime heritage and remaining natural assets.

Leading the makeover is a rediscovery of the city's commercial, cultural and culinary importance. Along with their peculiar and unique Osaka-ben dialect, Osakans have a down-to-earth philosophy and a rare flare for food, fashion and frivolity.

The city was flattened during US bombing in WWII and the rebuilding process saw Osaka plastered over in concrete, a legacy that remains. Osaka is now on the move again, but it must also deal with a huge homeless problem, resulting from Japan's ongoing economic slump.