Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2413 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 868 pages

Synopsis
A special new chapter on skiing in Japan covers costs, what to bring, what to expect, and where to go; specific and expanded information on ski resorts throughout the guide (the most in-depth information on the market). It provides expanded coverage of Okinawa and Southwest islands - the little-known tropical side of Japan; including dive spots and beaches not covered by the competition. It includes new colour highlights of Japan, chosen by travellers, Lonely Planet staff, and authors.

Customer Reviews

Useful but bulky and expensive.
The Lonely Planet guide to Japan is a detailed and accesible guide to the country, providing a brief historical and cultural overview of Japanese affairs and then exploring sites of interest. The book incorporates many useful features including maps, key phrases and a comprehensive index. The book is mainly black and white but does incorporate a few colour snap shots.
At over 850 pages, the book is packed full of useful information but is also bulky and awkward to fit in a small bag meaning that most days, I left it at the hotel and relied on other books. Maps of smaller cities are helpful but I did find the Tokyo maps difficult to follow and poorly labelled. Descriptions of sites tend to be factual and informative but do not always convey an interest in the site itself. Some aspects of the guide are confusing and could be revised. For instance, the orientation section on Osaka mentions that Shin-Osaka and Osaka are seperate stations but this could be clarified in the Getting There and Away section.
Accounts of hotels and restaurants are practical and in some cases enthusiastic but I do feel this section could be edited and attention paid to the budget of the traveller. Instead of selecting a few examples, the guide could list more briefly and rate them for value.
This is a very useful book, although it is as expensive as better-looking guides which do not however contain the same amount of detail. I do think that the editors should look at condensing some aspects of future editions.