American Airlines Hopes to Inspire Visitors to Japan

There is a wealth of experience to be enjoyed on Japan holidays, and a recent partnership between the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) and American Airlines (AA) hopes to bring that experience closer for thousands of holidaymakers around the world.

The team-up has led to a new guide to cheap holidays in Japan, offering potential visitors some tips on making the best of the country and some pointers on where to go and what to see.

One way to make the most of your time in the country is by taking advantage of some of the free local guided tours – available in English – which are regularly organised by JNTO-registered Systematized Goodwill Guides.

Japanese cuisine is a large part of what makes trips to the country so special, and the two organisations were quick to point out that Japan is the nation with the most restaurants with restaurants bearing three stars in this year’s Michelin Guide.

The JNTO/AA guide also recommends that visitors to Tokyo visit the “surprising urban oasis” of the Imperial Palace East Garden and the peaceful relaxing wooded area around the Meiji-Jingu Shinto shrine. The airline goes on to recommend that visitors “swim with the crowds past an ocean of tuna at the Tsukiji Fish Market, view exquisite Japanese art at the Tokyo National Museum and picnic under Ueno Park’s cherry trees.”

There are also handy hints on what special events to catch, based upon the interests of the potential holidaymaker. Aficionados of the artistic, spectacular or just the plain bizarre should consider cheap holidays in Japan early next year – specifically the first two weeks of February, where they will be able to enjoy the 2012 Sapporo Snow Festival. This event sees around two million people visiting the city of Sapporo, converging on its Odori Park, Community Dome Tsudome and the main street in Susukino, where they can marvel at the world’s greatest collection of ice sculptures and snow statues.