Sakura & Samurai

Seoul is the capital of South Korea, and is located on the Han River in the country's north-west. The city is an hour from Incheon port. With almost half of South Korea's population living in its greater area, it is the country's foremost economic, political and cultural centre. Read more about Seoul, South Korea

Cheju (Jeju), a city on an island of the same name, is a beautiful destination located off the SW coast of South Korea, 90km off the Korean Peninsula. Cheju is a well-known resort with hotels and casino facilities, and welcomes over ten million visitors from mainland Korea, Japan, and China every year. A volcanic island, with good rainfall and mild climate, Cheju is known as 'Korea's Hawaii'. Read more about Cheju, South Korea

Nagasaki City, on the island of Kyushu in Japan, lies at the heart of Nagasaki-hanto Peninsula. As one of Japan's closest port cities to the Asian mainland, Nagasaki has played a prominent role in foreign trade relations for many centuries. This is a port city that developed up the steep slope of a mountain, while also stretching horizontally to hug the Nagasaki Gulf. Read more about Nagasaki, Japan

Kagoshima lies on the southern tip of the island of Kyushu in Japan. It is the picturesque capital of the Prefecture of the same name. Due to its active stratovolcano Sakurajima – Kagoshima's Vesuvius, seen east of the port – and its 'excitable' inhabitants, it is often compared to its Italian sister city, Naples. Read more about Kagoshima, Japan

Beppu, a city that overlooks Beppu Bay and is backed by mountains, is located in the Oita Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It is considered to be Japan’s hot springs capital as it has the second largest volume of hot water in the world - after Yellowstone in the United States - and the largest number of hot spring sources in Japan. This tourist town has nine spectacular geothermal hot springs that are referred to as the ‘nine hells of Beppu’, certainly the major attraction for visitors. Read more about Beppu, Japan

The capital of the prefecture of the same name, Hiroshima, situated at the centre of the Chugoku region in western Honshu – Japan’s largest island – is possibly best known for being the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon. Today, though, it is a modern cosmopolitan city with wide boulevards and criss-crossing rivers. Many of the famous attractions are connected to the horrific split second of the bomb blast on August 6, 1945, and are truly well worth visiting. Read more about Hiroshima, Japan

Kochi is the capital of Kochi Prefecture on the southern coast of Shikoku Island, Japan. The city is small and friendly, with a casual atmosphere and a dose of southern flair. It boasts several attractions of interest to travellers. Read more about Kochi, Japan

Osaka, the heart of the Greater Osaka Area, is located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, and is the third largest city in Japan. Historically it is also regarded as the commercial capital of Japan, as evidenced by its daytime population being over a million greater than its night time population. From above ground and underground shopping malls and specialised shopping complexes, to the unusual America Mura which offers both new and used clothing, as well as flea markets, and the Asia Pacific Trade Centre with its international wholesale market, shopping here truly is a fascinating experience. Read more about Osaka, Japan

Shimizu is located on the coast of Suruga Bay, 140km SW of Tokyo, on the island of Honshu, facing the Pacific Ocean. Shimizu-ku is actually a ward or sub-division of the city of Shiuoka. The Kakita River flows through the town. Read more about Shimizu, Japan

Tokyo, located on the eastern side of the main island of Honshu, is the core of the most populated area in the world (urban area 38M). The small fishing village of Edo was fortified in 1457 with Edo Castle (The Imperial Palace now stands at this location) and became one of the largest cities in the world by the 18th C. Its stringent policy of seclusion ended in 1854 and opened Japan to outside trade. Read more about Tokyo, Japan