gtrekker

The BBC Profiles provide an economic, historical, and political overview, with a section on current leaders. The Profiles also list the media outlets, which include television and radio stations and the press.

National Geographic's People and Places feature provides a short overview of the destination and include a Features section with related articles, photos, and videos, depending on the destination.

Travel + Leisure Magazine's guide to the greatest hotels worldwide as selected by its team of reporters and editors.

Weatherbase provides historical weather information such as "average number of day above 90," "average number of days with thunderstorms," and other similar types of data.

Ice Sculpting Heats Up
The chainsaws grind and the competition gets fierce as Ray Bartlett takes us to the frontline of Sapporo's Snow Festival.

From website: Under the Visa Waiver Programs, US Citizens with a valid passport visiting Japan have been exempted from Short-Term Stay Visa. Visitors planning to stay less then 90 days do not need a visa. In order to qualify for this exemption, the business or leisure traveler must limit his/her visit to 90 days or less. Each traveler is requested to hold a return trip ticket If you are a US citizen who will be in Japan for more than 90 days and need a visa, you must apply in person at a nearby Japanese embassy or a consulate...click for website

Up-to-date information provided by the State Department on matters such as passport and visa requirements, safety and security, crime, health and medical issues, any areas of instability, and the location of the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. It also links to Travel Warnings for that country, if there is one.

Frommer's Forums are divided into countries, and all the messages relating to a country are presented in a list that makes it easy to browse through the topics.

Review site with hotel reviews and candid photos posted by users.

Asiarooms.com Travel Guides provide information on topics such as Culture, Tourist Attractions, Festivals, Things to do, How to get in, and Where to Eat.

Concierge.com destinations guides include information on getting there, getting around, lodging, places to eat, see and do, ... etc. Although Concierge.com may not have as many hotel recommendations as some guide books, they provide hotel photos along with the recommendations. The destinations guides also have links to articles about the destination published by Concierge.com or Conde Nast Traveler.

Frommer's has put a substantial amount of content online, making Frommers.com a good resource for travel planning. The site is easy to navigate since all the destinations are organized by similar topics such as "Getting There," "Restaurants," and "Suggested Itineraries."

USA Today's Country Guides have information on topics such as Money, Health, Accommodations, Entertainment, Top Things To Do and See, Getting There, Getting Around, Climate, and Map. You can also select the topics you are interested in and create a mini guide that puts all the information on one page for easy reading.

From Lonely Planet
David Weber reveals what can happen when English teachers go snowboarding in Japan....click for full article

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published June 2007
Learn the Japanese phrase "Atsui desu" ("It's hot")
Bathing in Japan is more than the national pastime; it's a national obsession. Visiting onsen, or natural hot springs, is the ideal immersion. Part of a 1,500-year purification tradition with roots in Buddhism and Shinto, onsen also provide the perfect casual atmosphere for socializing with the Japanese. Remember one simple rule and you'll be welcomed like a local: Wash at the shower stations outside the daitsuba (changing rooms) before you bathe. Sitting on a small stool, soap and scrub yourself from head to toe (soap is usually provided, but it's a good idea to pack your own, along with a washcloth). ... click for full article

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published April 2007
Two hours from the neon-bright bustle of contemporary Japan looms Koyasan, the birthplace of Shingon Buddhism and a place of such mysterious, otherworldly power that visiting it feels like stepping out of time. Pico Iyer immerses himself in the life of one of the country's last traditional refuges, where every inch is sacred and ghosts of old Japan lurk in every shadow ... click for full article

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published August 2007
Unrivaled access, special connections, destination savvy-these are just some of the tools each of these uber-agents can deploy to bring the most to your next big trip. In parsing the day-to-day events of an actual itinerary, Consumer News Editor Wendy Perrin demonstrates how the intuitive maneuvers of a great travel planner can turn any journey into a smoothly orchestrated, magical experience. ... click for full article

Virtual Tourist has user reviews on topics such as Hotels, Things To Do, Restaurants, Local Customs, Nightlife, Off the Beaten Path, Tourist Traps, Transportation, ... etc.

Gayot's 72 Hour Vacations describe a 3 day itinerary with suggestions of where to eat, what to see, and where to stay.

IGoUGo is a travel review site. The reviews are organized into "journals," which are a collection of reviews by an author about a trip, such as reviews on hotels, restaurants, nightlife, experiences, photos, ... etc.

Published May/June 2004
Cars zip past the JR train station, in the Shinjuku district, which rivals New York's Times Square with its neon storefronts, numerous taxis, and throngs of people....click to view photos

Podcasts of Traveler Magazine's selection of the world's greatest walking tours. The podcasts last about 20-30 minutes.

Magazine editor Masanobu Sugatsuke knows what's hip in Tokyo, and he's giving you the inside scoop.

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published October 2006
Answering the questions you've always wondered about but never asked
Q: Why Do Teenagers In Tokyo Wear Such Crazy Get-ups?

A: In a country of adults so devoted to designer labels that thousands of people camped out on the sidewalk for days before a Vuitton store opening in 2002, the eschewing of Prada for a mishmash of colors and textures is a profound expression of teenage rebellion. "Japan's culture values tradition and harmony," says Christy Tidwell, a University of Texas professor who studies Japanese street fashion. ... click for full article

From Conde Nast Traverler
Published June 2007
Created in partnership with Portfolio, Conde Nast's new business magazine, our city business guides offer guidance for business travelers hoping to maximize their productivity (and enjoyment) while on the road. Stay tuned for more guides in the months to come. ... click for full article

From Travel + Leisure Family
Published October 2006
Is it possible to enjoy a business trip to a place you've been to 16 times before? Yes, if you're fashion designer Cynthia Rowley and are bound for tokyo with your husband and daughter-and a yen for soba noodles, hipster shops, and fun...click for full article

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published April 2007
The Parthenon. The Taj Mahal. Hagia Sophia. The Hotel Marques De Riscal? At no other point in history have there been so many great buildings worth the trip. This year's marvels include the Le Corbusier-designed Church of St-Pierre in Firminy-Vert, France (finally realized forty-one years after the architect's death); the thrillingly off-kilter extension to the Denver Art Museum, by the controversial Daniel Libeskind; and of course Frank Gehry's latest project, the Hotel Marques De Riscal in Elciego, Spain, its frame writhing with the architect's signature titanium ribbons. These are buildings ahead of their time...and, who knows, perhaps timeless as well ... click for full article

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published April 2006
Great architecture doesn't just turn heads, it determines where we're heading. This year's seven show-stoppers range from the witty (Spain's Hotel Puerta America, designed by a dream team of "starchitects") and the sublime (Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum) to the provocative (Portugal's multifaceted Casa da Musica) and the awe-inspiring (Norway's spectacular new scenic lookout). Wherever they are, though, all prove one thing: If they build it, we will come ... click for full article

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published May 2006
What will you be wearing, eating, looking at, and living with next? The answers are incubating in Tokyo. Simon Dumenco gets his marching orders inside the most influential city on earth

Just off the tree-lined Omotesando-dori in central Tokyo, there's a boutique called Loveless. It's my third day here, and I'm still finding it difficult to crack the city's aesthetic code. I've been told that this shop is one of the most extravagantly cutting-edge high-end fashion experiences to be had in Tokyo, and yet its storefront is nothing more than a dark brick stairwell whose steeply vaulted ceiling suggests the entrance to a baronial prison or an S&M dungeon. ... click for full article