Fodor's Exploring Japan, 4th (Exploring Guides) [Paperback]

Fodor's (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 11, 2003 | Series: Exploring Guides

Covering destinations around the world, these guides are loaded with photos; essays on culture and history, architecture and art; itineraries, walks and excursions; descriptions of sights; and practical information. Fodor's Exploring Japan gives you great tips on dining and lodging for all budgets as well as tips on basics such as getting there and getting around and when to go and what to pack.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Authoritatively written and superbly presented...Worthy reading before, during, or after a trip." -- Philadelphia Inquirer

"Absolutely gorgeous. Fun, colorful, and sophisticated." -- Chicago Tribune

From the Inside Flap

Fodor's Exploring Japan 3rd ed."Authoritatively written and superbly presented...Worthy reading before, during, or after a trip." -- Philadelphia Inquirer

"Absolutely gorgeous. Fun, colorful, and sophisticated."  --  Chicago Tribune

Fodor's Exploring Guides are the most up-to-date, full-color guidebooks available.  
Covering destinations around the world, these guides are loaded with photos, essays on culture and history, descriptions of sights, and practical information.  Full-color photos make these great guides to buy if you're still planning your itinerary (let the photos help you choose!), and they are perfect companions to general guidebooks, like Fodor's Gold Guides.

What to SeeExtraordinary coverage of history and cultureItineraries, walks and excursions, on and off the beaten pathArchitecture and art
Where to StayQuick tips in every price range
Where to EatSavvy picks for all budgets
The BasicsGetting there and getting aroundWhen to go & what to pack --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Fodor's; 4th edition (March 11, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400012198
• ISBN-13: 978-1400012190
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,115,071 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars nice pictures, but not as helpful as Fodor's Japan, July 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Fodor's Exploring Japan, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

I read both this book and Fodor's Japan prior to two trips to Japan (Kyoto, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Fuji, Tokyo, Kanazawa, Toba). While this book contained nice, glossy photos, it was heavy and lacking in the detail to be helpful as a guide that could be carried around. If you want a Fodor's publication, get the most recent edition of Fodor's Japan instead. Don't forget to use the Japan National Tourist Organization as a supplement. They are accessible on the internet and in various major cities.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Didn't help me at all, March 24, 2004

By 

"sprockets" (NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fodor's Exploring Japan, 4th (Exploring Guides) (Paperback)

I'm a pretty sophisticated traveler, so I don't need everything spelled out for me, but this Fodor's Guide turned out to be almost worthless in planning my trip. Many of the things I had read about on the internet that I wanted to see simply weren't listed in this book. It's full of color pictures but lacks a useful overall map of Japan! The restaurant recommendations aren't keyed to any maps at all. The bulk of the dense text is devoted to Honshu, so if you are hoping to get beyond the usual tourist track, this isn't all that much help. (It just suggests you visit the local tourist office.) It's a heavy book, and I don't plan to take it with me when I go. I'll be ordering other books.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Limited basis for comparison, but..., January 14, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Fodor's Exploring Japan, 4th (Exploring Guides) (Paperback)

Unlike the other reviewer, I have not yet read Fodor's Japan, but Exploring Japan still appears useful. Yes, it does have a lot of, maybe too many, pictures, but I chose this guide over others, the names and publishers of which I can't recall for several reasons. As a student of Japanese language and history, I wanted to prepare for a semester of study-abroad in Japan. For the businessman or regular tourist, the most needed info. might be found in other travel guides which are mostly resturaunt and hotel directories. However, as a student, I didn't need a guide on food and accomodations. Exploring Japan is good, at least helpful for me, in that it focuses on cultural, historical sights, and national treasures. It does devote some information to other things, such as shopping, hotels, resturaunts as well as the usual information on customs, visas, and emergency and contact info.

Besides its focus on Japanese history and culture, the other thing I like about this guide is its organization. Within the regionally divided sections are paragraphs each devoted to a sight with coordinates on regional/city street maps that begin each section, a rating of importance (so you can prioritize for your itinerary), a description of its place in Japanese history more detailed than most guides, and opening-closing times and contact info. when applicable. Another nice feature is the guided walking tours for many major cities and towns from Kyushu to Hokkaido, which could be helpful for those wishing to get in a lot of sights crowded in one small area (such as parts of Kyoto and Nara), those who don't want to rely on expensive transportation but don't want to get lost walking Japan's confusing labarynth of streets (Tokyo and Kyoto each have more than one walking guide in this book). For those of you who just plan only on enjoying Tokyo's nightlife for a week then this book is not for you, but if you plan on doing a lot of travel and most of it on "educational" excursions then I highly recommend this book.