8 Nights Asia

Yokohama is easily accessible from Tokyo, but there's enough to see and do here that it's worth more than a day trip. Visit Minato Marai 21, a popular, modern neighborhood with great shopping and tons of restaurant options. TripAdvisor travelers also recommend stopping at Big Wharf (Osanbashi Pier), a uniquely shaped pier with spectacular views.

The A-bomb Hypocentre (the exact point where the atomic bomb hit in 1945) brings most people to this pleasant, easy-going city. As a crossroads of cultures, it is imprinted with Chinese temples, Catholic churches and European-style houses, and imported cuisines and festivals flourish.

Despite its status as Korea's second largest city, Pusan (or Busan) does not neglect the country's obsession with nature. The city's undulating hills result in an unusual mix of forested slopes, rugged beaches, lurching cliffs and hot springs. Pusan's seafood is legendary.

A busy port in Tottori Prefecture on the Sea of Japan, Sakaiminato is a gateway to some of Japans best nature and slow-paced, traditional culture. Head to Daisen Oki National Park, where you can hike up volcanic Mount Daisen, stopping for a rest inside Daisen-ji Buddhist temple, which lies halfway to the summit. In Sakaiminato city, walk along Mizuki Shigeru Road, lined with statues inspired by Japanese comic legend Shigeru Mizukis characters ? pop into the museum of the same name to see the artists original comics. Cruise to Sakaiminato and drive out to Matsue Castle ? finished in 1611, its one of the oldest still-standing castles in Japan ? and continue on to the ancient Shinto shrine at Izumo Taisha.

Aomori, a prefecture in the northern part of Japan's main island of Honshu, is known for natural landscapes including volcanic mountain ranges. Towada-Hachimantai National Park, near the southern border, has hot springs, autumn foliage in Oirase Gorge, skiing at Mount Hakkoda and lava domes around Lake Towada. Aomori, the capital, is a laid-back port that hosts the Nebuta summer festival.

Yokohama is easily accessible from Tokyo, but there's enough to see and do here that it's worth more than a day trip. Visit Minato Marai 21, a popular, modern neighborhood with great shopping and tons of restaurant options. TripAdvisor travelers also recommend stopping at Big Wharf (Osanbashi Pier), a uniquely shaped pier with spectacular views.