For a country that lived in self-imposed isolation until 150 years ago, Japan has not hesitated in making up for lost time since the world came calling.
Anyone who's eaten sushi or used a Sony Walkman feels they know something about this slinky archipelago of some 6800 volcanic islands tucked away off the far eastern coast of Asia.
From the moment you travel to this oddly familiar, quintessentially Oriental land it's almost as if you're on holiday on another planet.
Japan is a place of ancient gods and customs, but is also the cutting edge of cool modernity. High-speed trains whisk you from one end of the country to another with frightening punctuality.
As you travel, you can catch sight of a farmer tending his paddy field, then turn the corner and find yourself next to a neon-festooned electronic games parlour in the suburb of a sprawling metropolis. One day on vacation you could be picking through the fashions in the biggest department store on earth, the next relaxing in an outdoor hot-spring pool, watching cherry blossom or snowflakes fall, depending on the season.
Few other countries have, in the space of a few generations, experienced so much or made such an impact. Industrialized at lightning speed, Japan shed its feudal trappings to become the most powerful and outwardly aggressive country in Asia in a matter of decades.
After defeat in World War II, it transformed itself from atom bomb victim to wonder economy, the envy of the globe.
Japan is never going to be a cheap place to travel, but there's no reason why it should be wildly expensive holiday destination either. Some of the most atmospheric and traditionally Japanese places to stay and eat are often those that are the best value.
In the cities you'll first be struck by the mass of people. In this mountainous country, one and a half times the size of Britain, the vast majority of the 127 million population live on the crowded coastal plains of the main island of Honshu.
The three other main islands, running north to south, are Hokkaido, Shikoku and Kyushu, and all are linked to Honshu by bridges and tunnels that are part of one of Japan's modern wonders - its efficient transport network of trains and highways.
Courtesy of Rough Guides. If you can really afford something different, then make this trip!
