The battle of the sexes is moving into the sky—or, more specifically, to toilet seats at 36,000 feet, thanks to All Nippon Airways’ (ANA) decision to introduce women-only lavatories on its international routes. One toilet in each class will be reserved exclusively for ladies, and men won’t be allowed to use them except in emergencies or when there aren’t many female passengers. ANA says the move comes in response to an online survey in 2007 in which 90 percent of women polled said they would support such an idea. Apparently ladies don’t like using shared toilets as men sometimes leave the seat up. The toilets will be designated on most international routes, excluding some flights linking Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya with Asian cities such as Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao and Mumbai.

Photos by Will Robb

Over the last decade, Seoul has become the most popular destination in Asia for Japanese tourists. On an average day, 22 flights depart from Narita and Haneda to Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, filled with a mixture of middle-aged Bae Yong Joon fans, young K-pop enthusiasts and hordes of bargain hunters who flock to pick up designer goods, cosmetics and electronic gear for as little as half what they’d cost in Tokyo. In some of the main shopping spots, such as Dongdaemun and Myeong Dong, it’s easy to forget you’ve left Japan—there seem to be more signs in Japanese than Korean, shop staff call out a familiar “Irasshaimase,” and even the street vendors seem to have a good mastery of nihongo.

Mind you, Seoul has a lot more to offer than cheap goods. It’s a vibrant 24-hour city that beautifully combines tradition with modern culture, and it’s worth taking the time to mix in with the locals. What’s more, with roundtrip plane tickets going for as little as ¥15,000 and rooms in good hotels costing just ¥4,000-¥7,000 per night, it actually works out cheaper than a trip to Kyoto or Okinawa.

A good way to start your first day in Seoul is to steep yourself in Korean history at one of the city’s several ancient palace complexes. Changdeokgung, a 300m walk from Anguk subway station, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The only way to view the interior is on a guided tour, which takes you through the sprawling grounds and culminates in a stroll around the forested “secret garden,” a beautiful spot that shuts out all the hustle and bustle of the surrounding city.

A short walk from Changdeokgung is Insadong-gil, a delightful area crammed with narrow cobbled lanes, traditionally restored restaurants, antique dealers and a vibrant art scene. At the center of the neighborhood, you’ll find the Ssamzie market, an exhibition space where local artists show their works in the basement studio and independent shops sell everything from modern jewelry and clothes to traditional paintings and musical instruments. Even the stairways contain art-works. Though it’s lively during the day, Ssamzie closes down at night and only the restaurants stay open—perfect for a chilled-out evening after a day traipsing around the city.

Nearby, in the midst of Seoul’s main financial district, is the smaller palace complex of Deoksugung, where visitors can watch a changing-of-the-guard ceremony three times a day. Watchmen in traditional clothes play musical instruments and march through the palace grounds, offering a glimpse into Korea’s past.

If the weather’s clear and you’d like to enjoy a view of the city, make your way to Namsan Tower, perched atop a mountain to the south of the Myeong Dong area. There’s a bar and café one floor down from the observation deck, and guys will want to use the bathroom while they’re there: the urinals boast the best panorama you’re ever likely to get while relieving yourself. I went twice.

Food is one of the best things about Seoul: it’s cheap and it’s excellent. Order one dish and you get up to 20 side dishes to accompany it. Can’t grumble about that at all. During the day, a good place to find a wide range of typical Korean dishes is Kwangjang, just past the main tourist strip in the Dongdaemun area. It’s a large covered market with hundreds of stalls selling food, fresh meat and vegetables, plus countless varieties of kimchi and even traditional wedding gifts and material for making clothes. At night, one of the best areas to fill your stomach alongside the locals is in Sinchon. The area is crammed with restaurants, and although there’s little in the way of English or Japanese on the menus, if you bring a guidebook with a food section and point to it—or just point to what other people are eating—you’ll get by without any problems. The Koreans wrap their grilled meat up in sanchu lettuce with spicy miso, grilled garlic, leek and a variety of other accompaniments that come free with each plate you order. Gyu-Kaku will never seem the same.

Trip Tips

The flight from Tokyo to Seoul takes about 90 minutes. If flying from Narita, you’ll arrive at Incheon International airport (www.airport.kr/eng/airport), one of the most modern in Asia. It’s linked by a high-speed rail service to Gimpo airport, which receives flights from Haneda; a line extending all the way to Seoul station is due for completion later this year. Most of the tourist sites in the city are within easy reach of each other, and the subway system isn’t nearly as bewildering to navigate as Tokyo’s. The Korea Tourism Organization has information centers at Incheon International and near Jonggak station in central Seoul. For more information, see http://english.visitseoul.net.

Name: Nagano Korean Elementary and Junior High School

Location: Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture

Background: This decaying structure was the home to Korean schools from 1971 to 1999, when the campus moved to a newer building elsewhere in the city. Traipse through the gymnasium with its graffiti-covered walls and streamers lying abandoned on the floor, remnants of past school festivities.

Access: Approximately three and a half hours from Shinjuku, via the JR Super Azusa line.

Source: “Haikyo Deflation Spiral” (http://home.f01.itscom.net/spiral), a leading haikyo exploration site featuring dozens of frequently updated galleries.

Photos by Julian Ryall

As the early morning mist burns off the Taedong River, the imposing Tower of the Juche Idea slowly emerges on the far bank. It’s 170 meters tall and topped by a brightred f lame that’s illuminated from inside to create a rippling effect. At 6am on the dot, someone turns it off. Probably to save electricity.

North Korea is not a land of economic plenty, but it offers an incredible experience for any traveler who manages to enter what is probably the hardest destination to have stamped in your passport. And one of the most expensive.

Sunan International Airport, about 30km west of Pyongyang, is most visitors’ portal to a nation that clearly prefers to keep itself to itself and rarely gets anything other than negative coverage in foreign media. After departing from the impressive Beijing Capital International Airport—all glass, chrome and high-tech efficiency—Pyongyang’s gateway to the world is a little shabby. There are two immigration booths, a single luggage carousel and large pictures of the Dear Leader and Great Leader towering over the arrivals.

This won’t be the last that we see of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il, the father and son who have ruled the country since the Korean peninsula was ideologically divided into North and South at the end of World War II.

A guide during your stay is not an option; it is a requirement. Motioned aboard buses to the hotel, we meet our hosts and translators and are soon treated to the party line on how things operate in North Korea. Every mention of the United States, for example, is preceded by the word “imperialist.” Japan doesn’t fare much better. Just smile and nod.

After passing through the outskirts of the city, made up of rather dilapidated low-rise housing blocks, the first landmark that greets visitors is the impressive Arch of Triumph, marking the spot where Kim Il-Sung made his rallying speech after the departure of the Japanese occupiers. A little further on, our guides point out the Chollima Statue of a winged horse, representing the rapid pace of socialist reconstruction in the country. Just round the corner is yet another towering bronze statue—they do seem to go in for monuments on a grand scale here—of a benevolent Great Leader, his right arm flung out to his people.

Other non-tourist sights are equally mesmerizing, like the female traffic controllers who stand on raised dais at every main intersection directing the non-existent traffic, or the legions of cyclists that make up a Pyongyang rush hour.

Visitors invariably stay at the Yanggakdo Hotel or the venerable Koryo Hotel, which is all marble floors, high ceilings and dark corridors—the lights are kept off. Disconcertingly, all the mirrors in the guest rooms are very firmly set into the wall, and I have an uncanny sense that I am being watched.

Your guides will be very keen to show off the city’s attractions, and are generally flexible in dealing with specific requests. Top of their must-see list will be the vast Kim Il-Sung Square, where military march-pasts are held on a regular basis, the Grand People’s Study House, and the Student and Children’s Palace, where visitors are likely to be treated to music and dance performances.

The American spy ship USS Pueblo is moored on the Taedong River, more than 40 years after it was seized off the east coast of the peninsula. Machine guns are still mounted on the vessel and the damage from cannon shells is clearly marked.

The Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum is predictably vast, and well worth a visit, showing off captured tanks and aircraft from the “Imperialist US warmongers.” It concludes that had the North Koreans not decided on a “tactical withdrawal” from the South in 1953, their forces would have routed all comers. Smile and nod.

Meals will probably be eaten in your hotel or at restaurants around town that accept only hard currency—and serve remarkably good food. All the staples of the more familiar South are available, including kimchi and thinly sliced beef that is grilled at the table. Make sure you order the excellent Taedonggang beer to go with it.

One of the days will be set aside for a visit to either the sea barrage at Wonsan, on the east coast, or the ludicrously named Demilitarized Zone, where thousands of weapons face each other across a stretch of really rather pretty and unspoiled real estate.

After an explanation of how the imperialist aggressors murderously assaulted the peace-loving people of the DPRK (remember: smile and nod) and another round of monuments, visitors are allowed to enter the blue huts where on-off negotiations continue to take place between the North and South. The demarcation line runs through the huts and the middle of the table where the talks take place; outside, vicious-looking South Korean troopers exchange glares with their equally menacing North Korean counterparts.

There is palpable tension in the air here, and not a lot of smiling on either side. If the balloon ever goes up again, it is very likely that it will start here.

Straight as an arrow, Route One heads north from the border back to Pyongyang, with the occasional checkpoint and detour around a downed section of elevated highway. The countryside is beautiful, particularly when cloaked in the colors of autumn, and people can be seen gathering the harvest from the fields.

North Korea is a remarkable country and, at times, breathtaking. Just make sure you go before the regime is toppled and it becomes a pedestrian member of the global community.

Getting into North Korea is a famously tricky undertaking. By far the best method is to take part in one of the regular trips organized by Koryo Tours (www.koryogroup.com), who have been taking groups into the country since the early 1990s and have the paperwork and procedures down to a fine art. Flights— either with the domestic airline Air Koryo or China Airlines—operate several times a week from Beijing, with frequent connections to Japan. Visitors are required to stay in one of two hotels, either the more central Koryo H otel or the Yanggakdo Hotel, and spend hard currency, with Euros preferred.

Name: Russia Mura

Location: Agano-shi, Niigata

Background: This Russian-themed amusement park opened in the early ’90s just as the Japanese economy was crashing. “Attractions” like Cossack dance performances, a mammoth skeleton and a replica of a Russian church weren’t enough to lure the crowds, and the park soon fell into disrepair. In 2003, it was closed for the winter season and, without any financial respite in sight, the shutdown became permanent. It is now a popular haikyo spot, all the more so since several buildings were destroyed in a fire last year.

Access: Take the Ban-etsu Expressway to Yasuda Interchange, then 15 minutes on Route 290

Source: “Haikyo Deflation Spiral” (http://home.f01.itscom.net/spiral), a leading haikyo exploration site featuring dozens of frequently updated galleries.

Photo by Mandy Bartok

So you’ve scaled Mt. Fuji and are looking for your next challenge? Or maybe you’re just aiming to banish the winter blues with a daytrip to an uncrowded natural escape. There might still be a chill in the air, but it’s time to drag those hiking boots out of the closet and dust them off for a trip to the mountains. Forget the usual suspects – Takao and the peaks of Nagano – and set your sights on Mt. Mitake, one of the easily accessible but lesser known hikes just beyond Tokyo’s western suburbs.

Make this trip as the last frost thaws from the hills and you’ll be forgiven for jumping off the train a few stops too soon. While many of Japan’s nature enthusiasts are still impatiently awaiting the arrival of the sakura, plum blossoms are heralding the true start of spring. Just past Hinatawada station on the JR Ome line, it’s hard to miss the patchwork of wine – and rose – colored trees that cling to the hillside in the Yoshino Baigo orchard, visible from the train as bold splashes of color on a pale winter canvas.

It’s worth disembarking for a wander through the orchard, which boasts an amazing 25,000 trees, all flowering in a variety of different colors. Though the site is a good fifteen minutes’ walk from the station, during peak blossom season there are food stands lining the route, and you can pick up all the necessary picnic fixings—as well as a bottle of plum wine for post-hike celebrations. The best spot to witness the colorful spectacle is from the ridge path ringing the top of the orchard, where a well-placed rest house affords clear views over the dark Chichibu hills and the candy-colored trees below.

From Yoshino Baigo, hiking trails crisscross the Chichibu region, and a series of paths will eventually take you to the summit of Mt. Mitake itself. If you’re looking for a bit of an easier outing, backtrack to the train line and ride the rails up a few stops to Mitake station, where buses run hikers to a cable car at the mountain’s base. The quick trip cuts the hiking time to a mere half an hour, making the ascent a fairly painless affair.

Just below the summit, visitors might feel like they’ve entered a time warp, as thatch-roofed houses in Mitake village – most dating from the Showa Period – welcome daytrippers with heaped portions of tororo soba, the regional specialty. The small community has been feeding pilgrims to the nearby Musashi – Mitake shrine complex for centuries. A stand-out with its crimson buildings and ornate decor, the shrine boasts a 2,000 year history and a treasure hall with two exquisite works of art: a stunning set of armor from the 12th century, considered one of the best in the nation, and a 13th century saddle inlaid with mother of pearl.

Photo by Mandy Bartok

From Mitake’s peak, options to extend the adventure seem limitless. If time is no issue, make the 90-minute trek to the summit of nearby Mt. Otake. The crowds on this leg of the journey often melt away, leaving hikers with only the scenic panorama of moss-covered boulders, rushing streams and ancient stone waymarkers for company. Particularly picturesque are the hidden waterfalls along the route and the “Rock Garden,” where the trail winds through a narrow, secluded valley. And though glimpses of the capital can be seen on clear days, there’s no better place so close to the city to feel so far away from it all.

Photo by Vero

When you think of escaping on an island getaway, churches probably aren’t the first things that come to mind. But tucked away on a little-known archipelago to the west of Nagasaki are 50 houses of worship—a vivid reminder of the role this area has played in the history of Japan’s tenacious and long-suffering Christian community.

First introduced to Japan in 1549, Christianity was initially welcomed by the local rulers, and flourished for the next 50 years. But when the Tokugawa shogunate came to power in 1603, it saw Christianity as a threat, and launched a campaign against the country’s estimated 300,000 converts, eventually banning the religion altogether.

Photo by Vero

A number of “Hidden Christians” (kakure kirishitan) fled south to escape persecution, eventually arriving at the Goto Islands, where they continued to practice their faith in secret through the Edo Period. The priest who showed us around during our recent trip there was a descendent of this group, and took us to churches and other sites that commemorated their plight.

We started at Dozaki on Fukue-jima, the most famous church in the archipelago. Positioned on the edge of a beach looking out over the ocean, it was built by French missionaries who arrived on the island in the early Meiji period. One can only imagine their surprise on discovering that there were already Christians living there. With its red brick walls and soaring columns, the church is the closest thing that the islands have to a cathedral. Still, the simple stained glass windows and white shutters ensure that it retains the feeling of a small country church.

A short ferry ride took us to Hisakajima, where we drove through lush green rice paddies and deep fjords to the site of a prison in which Christians had once been incarcerated. After the Meiji Restoration, many who had been hiding their faith chose to declare it publicly, and were imprisoned as a result, with men—and sometimes entire families—forced into a single hut. They were only released after word of the prison spread overseas, sparking an international outcry. An immaculately clean chapel now stands on the site, serving as a monument to this dark moment in history.

After staying the night in a guesthouse run by a local convent, we traveled to Gorin, one of the first churches built in Japan. The structure is unusual in that it incorporates many Japanese elements in its design, including the gray-tiled roofing seen in traditional homes. Unlike the other churches on the Goto Islands, Gorin is made of unpainted wood, and employs sliding windows reminiscent of shoji doors.

Photo by Vero

The following morning, we went by boat to look at a cave-like crevice known as “the eye of a needle”—so called because whichever way you look through it, you can see a sliver of sky on the other side. This was once a hiding spot, where Christians congregated when they heard about coming raids. They were eventually caught when a local fisherman saw the smoke from their lunchtime fires and reported them to the local government. Today, a statue of the Virgin Mary next to the opening of the crevice serves as a memorial to their ordeal.

On the final morning of our stay, we attended an early Easter Sunday mass, which we were surprised to find brimming with worshippers. It was inspirational to see farmers and fishermen uniting to celebrate a festival that was being marked all around the world. That 250-odd years of persecution weren’t enough to drive Christians away from these islands is a true testament to human courage.

Photo by Matt Durrant

We won’t say a trip to Rikugien is like stepping back in time. True, the young couples promenading in kimono complement the gentle hills, neatly-clipped keyaki trees and mirror-still lake of this Edo-period garden. The concrete towers of Bunkyo-ku, however, do not.

Nevertheless, there’s a meticulously crafted beauty here, made all the more delightful by the park’s inner city location. Completed in 1702, Rikugien’s design stems from the tenets of waka poetry. Take an hour to explore the trails and you’ll come across dozens of picture-perfect vistas, each inspired by a scene from Japanese poetry, and which are best contemplated from one of the cosy teahouses scattered around the garden.

It’s a varied walk: from a green dotted with trees, the path wanders into a forest grove, with carefully-placed stepping stones downstream from a miniature waterfall. A hike up to Fujishiro Pass leads to a clearing with a view of the entire grounds in all their tranquil beauty, from gently arching bridges to moss-covered stone lanterns. The central pond—home to carp, turtles and a few ducks—forms both the focal point and a backdrop to the experience.

From Komagome north exit, turn left, head south across the bridge and along Hongo Dori for five minutes. Turn right at the Sunkus, and the park entrance is on your right after a short distance.

6-16-3 Hon-komagome, Bunkyo-ku. Tel: 03-3941-2222. Open daily 9am-5pm, entry ¥300. Nearest stn: Komagome.

Photo by James Hadfield

The trees hang heavy with citrus fruit in Nebukawa, an unmanned stop on the JR Tokaido line that makes for an agreeable day trip from Tokyo. The Hilton Odawara Spa and Resort looms on the slopes above the station, but otherwise there isn’t much going on in this sleepy town. It takes two hours or so to do a circuit of the area. After arriving, head along route 740 to Shirato Bridge, and continue up the slope to get some good views of the coastline. Continue for a couple of kilometers, stopping off at the small temples and shrines along the way, then turn left opposite the colorfully painted Côte de Sara restaurant, onto a narrow road that leads to an observation platform. From there, head downhill past mikan groves to the pint-sized harbor of Enoura, where fishers sink lines off the jetty and seaweed is hung to dry from clotheslines. Grab some lunch at one of the eateries along route 135—the local specialties are soba noodles and sashimi—on the way back towards the station. Turn left at the Ryugutei seafood restaurant, just after crossing the river, and a small road leads you back to where you started. If you’re still raring for action after that, there’s always the 12km walking course from Nebukawa to Hayakawa, one stop up the line (allow approx 3 1/2 hours).

Nebukawa is on the JR Tokaido line, and can be reached from Tokyo station in as little as 1hr, 20min if you catch the right train (¥1,620).

Photo by Mandy Bartok

For most travelers, a winter trip to Hokkaido rarely goes beyond taking in the gigantic sculptures of the Sapporo Snow Festival or hitting the slopes of the area’s ski resorts. But while these experiences are not to be missed, visitors with time on their hands should look beyond the obvious draws and head for Otaru, about 30km northwest of Sapporo.

Photo by Mandy Bartok

Otaru is an enjoyable getaway whatever the season, thanks to its enviable position on Ishikari Bay. The city made its fortune during the heyday of the herring industry, and the imposing warehouses that line the downtown canals reflect that prosperity. Signs detailing the heritage of each building are posted in Japanese and English, but also in Russian, emphasizing the proximity of Hokkaido’s closest neighbor, and the role her citizens have played in Otaru’s main trade.

Stop in at the Otaru City Museum, housed in one of the old stone warehouses, for an introduction to the community’s history before wandering along the paths lined with gas lamps that run parallel to the canal. Many of the other waterfront storage facilities are also getting a second lease on life as boutique shops, restaurants and microbreweries. For picturesque dining, grab a seat in the Otaru Beer factory’s canal-side eatery and warm up with hearty German fare and the town’s eponymous brew.

Just up from the canal, the storefronts glitter with another of Otaru’s specialties: blown glass. In the 19th century, local companies manufactured oil lamps for residents, a necessity during the dark Hokkaido winters. With the advent of electricity, however, factories shifted to more luxurious products, and today the gift shops sell everything from glass jewelry to translucent ornaments.

The sprawling Kitaichi Glass Emporium, the grand dame of the industry for over a century, displays what might be the most comprehensive collection of glassware in the whole of Hokkaido. Shop to your heart’s content for new crystal, or just sip a cup of coffee under the delicate chandeliers in the attached restaurant. If you’re keen to make your own glass souvenir, brief hands-on courses are offered at several workshops, or you can watch the masters at work at the Glass Studio just outside town.

Photo by Mandy Bartok

For a glimpse into the life of a turn-of-the-century shipping baron, don’t miss the Otaru Kihinkan, a mansion built by the wealthy Aoyama family. It’s a fascinating testament to what herring money could buy—exquisite lacquerware décor and porcelain toilets are just a few of the elegant trappings on display. Handcrafted stairs of Japanese ash and a 100-tatami mat room hammer home the fact that it paid—quite handsomely—to be in the Hokkaido fishing business.

You can’t come to the coast and not take advantage of the delectable seafood caught just offshore, so when hunger strikes, head straight for Sushi-ya Dori. A wide range of sushi bars and seafood restaurants here serve up the best of the day’s catch; splurge for the crab, a local specialty, or opt for a bowl of fresh chirashi-zushi.

If you’re here on a day trip from Sapporo’s snowy wonders, be sure to stay until the sun goes down. Otaru’s own snow festival—timed to coincide with the larger celebration in Sapporo—kicks off after dark, when ice sculptures lining the city’s canals and streets are illuminated from within by thousands of flickering candles. Along the old disused rail bed that cuts through the center of town, additional sculptures, snow slides, and stands serving hot drinks and warming snacks round out the icy festivities. Trains run back to Sapporo throughout the evening, but Otaru is the kind of town you might find yourself lingering in long after the last whistle has blown.

Photos by Robert La Bua

There’s no such thing as a bad view on the Cocos, but the one at the eastern edge of West Island, the main settlement, is liable to make you do a double-take. The sand, soft as flour, is dazzlingly white. The water, ten shades of blue, is teeming with colorful marine life. Above, an azure sky—the same one that’s filled with a zillion stars at night. If such a pristine setting were featured in a film, it would be dismissed by the audience as a computer-generated image of perfection.

Welcome to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, population 650-700, depending on who’s in town. Part of the Australian Indian Ocean Territories—little-known and oft-forgotten bits of land halfway between Perth and Sri Lanka—only two of the 27 islands are inhabited; the rest are reminiscent of Gilligan’s Island. Think of the Cocos as the Australian Maldives, just without the humidity. There’s no cellphone service, and the internet is unreliable at best. Free from the tyranny of modern communications, visitors quickly adjust to the rhythm of local life, where the primary means of communication isn’t an email to the person two cubicles over but rather a big blackboard on the side of the Cocos Club, the center of social life.

Naturally, water is the main attraction here, and the sea is clean and astonishingly beautiful. Even for those who have visited countless tropical islands around the world, the Cocos impress with their unspoiled natural assets. Superb diving provides opportunities for encounters with sunken ships, huge manta rays and exotic fish usually seen only in an aquarium. If you’d prefer to stay dry while observing the underwater world, book a spot on a glass-bottomed boat excursion. Or, for the ultimate sunset over a vast expanse of sea, land and sky, try one of the superb “canoe safaris” offered by Ashley James, who adds fine foods and flutes of champagne to the picture.

The air is as pure as the water, and the two elements combine to create a dream kitesurfing environment. Zephyr Kite Tours brings a steady stream of adventurers to enjoy the warm, shallow waters and brisk air currents—perfect conditions for this sport. Beginners can communicate with instructors onshore via transmitters connected to their helmets, getting advice at the moment it matters most, rather than waiting for a crash and a limp return to shore before finding out what went wrong.

One of the most unusual experiences to be had in the islands—or anywhere else in the world, for that matter—is a weeklong walk around the circular atoll led by one of the Cocos Malay elders. The trip begins from Home Island and crosses the lagoon at low tide, progressing island by island, camping in rudimentary pandongs and finishing on West Island.

Couples looking for a dreamy place to begin married life have made barefoot weddings in the Cocos increasingly popular. Organized by longtime resident Kylie James, the weddings are the ultimate romantic getaway. After a ceremony and reception on a gorgeous, uninhabited island, guests depart to leave the newlyweds alone for their first night together—just the two of them and a bottle of champagne. Kylie sees that every arrangement is taken care of, from hair and nails to catering and cake. What better way to start a new life than with a worry-free wedding in a blissful paradise such as this?

Cobham (www.nationaljet.com.au) flies direct to the Cocos Islands from Perth two-four times a week. Alternatively, fly to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore then catch the weekly Malaysia Airlines charter on Saturdays. Contact Island Explorer Holidays (www.islandexplorer.com.au) for flight info. The settlement on West Island is small, and all of the attractions in town are within walking distance—even the airport. The Cocos Tourism website lists every possible accommodation option (www.cocos-tourism.cc). Tropika Restaurant, the only full-scale eatery, offers fantastic lunches and buffet dinners with a wide selection of dishes, including the freshest fish. The one supermarket isn’t all that super (bread must be pre-ordered), but you certainly won’t starve. For information about Zephyr Kite Tours, see www.zephyrkitetours.com.

Photo by Susanne Stoelting

When the young Sennosuke Yamaguchi took part in one of Japan’s early diplomatic missions to Europe and the US, the experience left him brimming with ideas. In 1878, the Keio University graduate established the Fujiya Hotel, the country’s first Western-style hotel, in the resort area of Hakone. Its name was taken from the Japanese word for wisteria, fuji, but the characters were later changed to those of the iconic peak that can be seen from the forest trail behind the hotel.

The Fujiya has seen numerous changes since then. A fire in 1883 consumed the original structure, and the main building dates from 1891. It survived the Kanto Earthquake of 1923, and would be joined over the years by a number of annexes with quaintly charming names like the Restful Lodge and Flower Palace. The hotel’s interior has been spared the blights of modernism, retaining a distinctly old-school feel. The bar is pure ’30s chic, with a good selection of whiskeys and wines to enjoy as you pull your best Bogart impersonation.

The Fujiya sits atop Miyanoshita onsen, and all its rooms get hot spring water delivered straight to their bath tubs. The same waters are used to heat the floor of the impressive dining rooms, as well as the hotel’s indoor pool.

Such is the history of the place that it even has its own museum, where you can see over a century’s worth of guestbooks, as well as pictures and signatures of famous visitors. John Lennon, Albert Einstein and General Dwight Eisenhower all stayed here at some point, while then-Crown Prince Hirohito was responsible for the establishment of the hotel’s Sengoku golf course, as he wanted to enjoy a royal game during his visit. These days, it’s also open to commoners.

Photo by Susanne Stoelting

Trip Tips

The Fujiya Hotel is currently offering a discounted rate of $131 per night to holders of foreign passports. Email shukuhaku@fujiyahotel.co.jp for details. The hotel can be reached by bus from Odawara and Hakone Yumoto stations (get off at Miyanoshita Onsen), or by taking the Hakone Tozan Railway to Miyanoshita station. The combined trip from Shinjuku takes two-three hours, depending on the connections. The Hakone Free Pass (¥5,000), which covers the round trip and can be used on several train lines, bus routes, ferries and cable cars in the area, is good value.

www.fujiyahotel.jp/english