Tourist Attractions in Japan

To many, Japan epitomizes a grandeur which is enmeshed in enigma, grace which is almost poetic by virtue of being minimal and a culture which finds few compeers in wealth. Japan to many represents the face of East Asia. Tourist Attractions in Japan run wild and rampant, and are known to jump upon an unsuspecting tourist and captivate him by sheer charm.

Some of the chief tourist attractions in Japan are-

Temples in Japan

The Temples in Japan are houses of worship for the Buddhists, who account for 80% of the country's population. Beautiful as they stand, the temples should be especially noted for the manner in which they blend with their verdant surroundings. The simple architecture of these temples cannot go unnoticed.

Shrines in Japan

Japan is home to nearly one million shrines, most of which are important places of worship for the followers of Shintoism. These shrines are mostly located far from the crowded cities, close to the isolated woods whose calmness they seem to suck and manifest in their tranquility.

When first built, these shrines in Japan were extremely bare and simple places of worship with only a single room. In the course of many years, Chinese architecture gained ground in Japan as did Buddhism, and consequently the shrines began to resemble Buddhist temples more.

Depending on the style of architecture, a shrine may be divided into the following types-

- Taisha
- Nagare
- Shinmei
- Hachiman

Gardens in Japan

The profuse richness of Japanese art overflows into many walks of their lives, gardens being no exception. While many of the gardens in Japan are located in the calm environs of monasteries, others blossom in the ruins of feudal lords' castles. Ponds are an indispensable feature of almost all the gardens in Japan.

The gardens in Japan may be categorized into the following types-

- Tsukiyama Gardens (hill gardens)
- Karesansui Gardens (dry gardens)
- Chaniwa Gardens (tea gardens).

Castles in Japan

In its essence, castles in Japan, like other castles around the world, were built for military purposes. As the years brought peace and prosperity, these castles were metamorphosed into important commercial centers. Thus in due course of time, the castle became grander and assumed the pride of the entire region.

Castles in Japan were born out of immense labor, involving marriage of conscientious planning and untiring toil.

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