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For the first time traveller who hasn’t a clue about travelling in Japan, but would like a good taste of the sights and experiences, I’ve tried to put together a few pointers to get you started. If you have already been to these places and fancy somewhere new, skip to the end for some information I’ve gathered after two holidays spent entirely down south on the island of Kyushu.

WHEN TO GO

Tourists arrive year round in Japan, but most would agree it’s best to avoid Golden Week (last days of April, first week of May) when a number of public holidays fall close together and transport/accommodation is booked solid, usually with surcharges. Also the Obon festival (mid July or mid August depending on the area) sees lots of Japanese returning to their home towns.
If you are into skiing, winter is a great time to visit, if not, perhaps avoid it as some mountain bus services and tourist areas close for months, and the very cold weather makes it difficult to travel light. Similarly, Japan’s wet season /summer around June -July is not for those who dislike heat and humidity.
My favourite times in Japan are Spring and Autumn. If you are lucky you will catch sakura , cherry blossom season, late March, early April, depending on the weather and locality. There are websites which predict the start of sakura each year in the various parts of Japan – the warmer areas bloom first, and the cooler areas last. Similarly, in Autumn the leaves on trees turn colour and some people think it more beautiful than cherry blossom time.

WHAT TO SEE

Most people when they think of Japan think of things like Mt Fuji, Bullet trains, sumo wrestlers, samurai warriors, tatami mats and sushi. Even if you can’t experience all of these in a typical 10 -14 day visit to Japan, you will still come home feeling you’ve had a good taste of Japanese life and culture provided you are prepared to get out and about on your own. Such everyday experiences as wandering the basement food halls of big department stores, riding the local trains and subways, freeloading with everyone else in the book stores, walking past noisy pachinko parlours and dodging the hundreds of bikes and riders on the footpaths – it’s all a window onto the way ordinary Japanese go about their lives.
If you do have your heart set on the iconic :

Mt Fuji – first, all those pictures you see are taken on the very rare days when the air is clear and the clouds are not around. Generally, you can get very close and have no idea where the thing is, even though it’s huge. I’ve stood on Mt Fuji and haven’t been able to see it, the fog was so bad. On a clear day you can actually see it from tall buildings in Tokyo, or out of the window of the Bullet train passing by on the way to Kyoto. If you want to get closer there are bus tours from Tokyo which actually take you up the mountain and you can walk around at the fifth station, which is quite high. Or you can buy the Odakyu Railway (not JR) Hakone “Free Pass”, which is valid for either 2 or 3 days http://www.odakyu.jp/english/ , and either depart from Shinjuku in Tokyo, or pick up the train in Odawara, south of Tokyo, which you can reach by Shinkansen (Bullet train) using the JR pass. The “Free Pass” entitles you to use the zigzag train, cable car, ropeway, pirate ship across Lake Ashi, and bus back to Odawara, as you do a circuit around the Mt Fuji National Park. If Mt Fuji is not hiding, the view from the cable car and lake is amazing

Want to meet a Duke or a true Prince and Princess? One of the easiest and most convenient places to meet pure royalty is at one of the prestigious hotel casinos. They hang out at many of the following five casinos and, once you are in, you can interact with them, play against them and if you are good enough, even beat them. Wouldn’t you like to boast that you defeated a King? These five hotel casinos give you that chance.

But do not expect an all you can eat buffet or players with baseball caps and cool shades. Come dressed elegantly and only then will you be let in to share a baccarat game with pure-bred European aristocracy.

The European casinos listed here are the largest and the most luxurious casinos in Europe. Their appointed clientele is less the seasonal tourist gambler and more the upper crust. So, if you are looking for a stylish way to spend your latest lottery winning, you can shoot the dice in one of the casinos listed below while your traveling partners lie around the French Riviera beaches or go on wild shopping trips in the streets of London or Moscow.

1) Casino de Monte Carlo, Monaco:
Monte Carlo has been the favorite gaming destination of Europe’s rich and famous for almost 150 years with the first casino that was founded by Prince Charles III of Monaco in 1863. Casino de Monte Carlo is a complex of five posh casinos located by the seashore and decorated in French rococo style with marbled columns, golden ornaments and crystal chandeliers. The overall environment would make you feel like an extra in a French history movie.

2) Casino Metropol, Moscow:
The Russian Federation has the biggest number of casinos and slot machines in Eastern Europe. The best casinos for tourists are obviously the ones located in hotels. Casino Metropol is part of the five star Hotel Metropol, which is not only one of the most elegant casino hotels in the area but it is also conveniently located in the center of Moscow within a walking distance from the Red Square and the Kremlin. The lowest minimum table requirement is 25 dollars and a night at the presidential suite will cost you 2,000 dollars.

3) Baden Baden Casino, Baden Baden, Germany:
The veteran European casino was founded in 1809 and although it has changed several ownerships since then, its reputation as one of the finest casinos in Europe in general and in Germany in particular has not change. Nowadays, the Baden Baden Casino is one of the city’s landmarks along with the famous thermal baths. If you ignore the table games and the slot machines, walking through the 32,289 square foot casino looks as similar to a visit in an European art museum with permanent exhibits of oil paintings and sculptures.

4) The Clermont Club, London, England:
If you are visiting the UK, you cannot just pop into a casino but have to apply for a membership at least a day ahead. If you plan to follow this procedure, the Clermont Club in Berkeley Square is one of the most reputable gaming clubs around. Set in a 17th century building, the Clermont Club was designed to resemble the Great Hall at Holkham. In addition to its friendly and convenient gaming room, the Clermont Club includes a bar and a clubroom where members and their guests can lounge over a banquet of a vintage bottle of champagne.

5) Casino Barriere de Deauville, Deauville, France:
The elegant seaside casino resort had inspired Ian Fleming in depicting the Casino of Royale les Eaux in his first James Bond novel Casino Royale. First founded in the 1860s by the Duc de Morny, the extravagant palace is one of the most beautiful casinos in the world. In addition to its gaming facilities, Casino Barriere hosts variety of exclusive entertainment shows as well as cultural and artistic events.