Bright red floating torii (gates) and tame deer welcome you to Miyajima as you approach the mountainous “island of the shrines,” once regarded as so sacred a place that people were forbidden to till the soil, give birth, pass away or be buried on the land. Here we will meet a Shinto priest and enjoy a performance and personal tour of the famous Itsukushima Shinto shrine.

A trading post from ancient times, Kobe opened its doors to foreign traders as one of Japan’s first treaty ports. Nearby is Himeji (White Egret) Castle, considered Japan’s most beautiful stronghold.

Located on the island of Honshu, between the coast and 3,055-foot Rokko Mountain, Kobe’s landmarks are the red steel Port Tower and the giant ferris wheel. During the fall season, Mt. Rokko is famous for the deep, rich colors of its forests. It is also the site of the first golf course in Japan, established in 1903.

Kobe is one of the most important seaports in Japan. It opened its doors to foreign traders in 1868 when Japan got introduced to beef and soccer in 1871, with the first cinema film shown here in 1896. In the 1960s, the demands of a growing population resulted in two artificial islands, Port Island and Rokko Island being constructed to allow the city to grow. Even though Kobe was rocked by an earthquake in 1995, and damage can still be seen today, the fact is Kobe is one of the most livable and attractive cities in Japan with its location on hills overlooking the harbor. It is famous for its Kobe beef, the Arima Onsen (hot springs), and the beautiful night view. Kobe University was founded in 1902.

Nearby Kobe is Himeji (White Egret) Castle, considered Japan’s most beautiful stronghold, it is also the largest and most elegant of the remaining medieval castles in Japan. Built in 1580, the castle’s construction consists of 400 tons of wood, 75,000 tiles and a huge number of large stones. The fortress was seen as a backdrop in the James Bond movie You Only Live Twice, and the Tom Cruise film, The Last Samurai.

In memory of the 1945 atomic bomb explosion, a Peace Flame, never to be extinguished until all nuclear weapons are abolished, burns in front of the Memorial Cenotaph at Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park.

Hiroshima is located on the delta of the Ota River, which has seven channel outlets that divide the city into six islands that project into Hiroshima Bay. The city is almost all flat, slightly above sea level with its highest hills rising to 700 feet. Hiroshima was heavily damaged during World War II and was rebuilt as a “peace memorial city.” Their city government continues to advocate for no nuclear weapons and they write a letter of protest every time a nuclear weapon is detonated anywhere in the world.

The Peace Park was built to commemorate the dropping of the atomic bomb in 1945 and to promote a peaceful world. The park is located in the area around the explosion’s epicenter and features the Peace Memorial Museum, the Atomic Bomb Dome, the Memorial Cenotaph, the Statue of the A-bomb Children and the Cenotaph for Korean Victims, among many other monuments.

The Peace Memorial Museum is very graphic in its displays of the effects from the bomb on the city and its inhabitants. The Atomic Bomb Dome is one of the few buildings in the epicenter that survived the explosion and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Memorial Cenotaph for Atomic Bomb Victims contains a list of all the people who were killed by the explosion or died from the bomb’s long-term effects, like radiation cancer. The Statue of the A-Bomb Children is dedicated to Sasaki Sadako, who died of leukemia at the age of 12. She believed she would be cured if she could fold 1,000 paper cranes, the Japanese symbol of happiness and longevity. She managed to fold 1,500 cranes before she died and her classmates folded an additional 500. There began a tradition of school children from all over the country laying paper cranes around Sadako’s memorial, which continues today.

Hiroshima is not a depressing city. The citizens have recovered and built a thriving, busy, prosperous, internationally minded and attractive city.

Once Japan’s “Gateway to the West,” Nagasaki was one of the few ports open to foreign traders during Japan’s 250-year period of isolation. It also became the second city after Hiroshima to be destroyed by an atomic bomb during World War II.

Nagasaki is one of Japan’s most picturesque cities, nestled in the crevices of steep hills rising from a long, narrow harbor resembling a crane in flight. Its appeal comes from its easy-going attitude and cosmopolitan culture, which is a result of over two centuries of contact with foreigners. Nagasaki was one of the first Japanese cities to take an interest in Western medicine. They also established the first railway and modern shipyard in Japan.

Thomas Glover arrived in Nagasaki in the late 1800s. He helped Nagasaki achieve many Japanese firsts – the first railroad, the first mint, the first printing press with movable type, and the construction of the first Western-style mansion in Japan. His marriage to a geisha is thought to have inspired Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly

Nagasaki was an important naval base with huge munitions factories when it was hit by an atomic bomb in 1945. Nearly 40% of the city’s houses were destroyed in the blast and resulting fire. But the city has risen again and stands with Hiroshima as a center for anti-nuclear protest and an avid ongoing campaign for world peace. Nagasaki’s Atomic Bomb Museum presents exhibits conveying the devastation caused by the bomb, events leading up to the bombing and expressions of this city’s aspiration for world peace.

"Paris of the East." "Queen of the Orient." Shanghai has a lot to live up to. Its turbulent history and its current status as China's brightest star in the 21st-century world market make for an unforgettably unique city.

History lives through Xiamen's harbor, beautiful and welcoming today, even as it bears signs of its use as a bastion against 13th-century pirates and major port for 14th-century European trade.

Enter the harbor, jockeying for position among the ferries, junks, sampans and container ships that signify this vibrant city's important place in the world of commerce and culture.

Once the center of the glorious Cham Empire

A cultural gem of a city, Hue bears the remains of an ancient, moated citadel at its heart, and a plethora of exquisite temples and pagodas that bespeak its rich imperial beginnings.

With a name that means "descending dragon," Ha Long Bay delivers on its promise, with an almost mythical beauty, mysterious caves and a long history of sea battles.

Renamed seven times, borders redrawn frequently, Hanoi has settled into its role as capital city, embracing its history, its surrounding beauty and its vistors from around the world.

One of Vietnam's largest ports, this historic city exudes vitality and a willingness to embrace its turbulent past. Battle markers from many wars abound, alongside exquisite pagodas, temples and gardens.