Harajuku Station Guide: Map, lines and attractions

Harajuku Station is located in the Shibuya area of Tokyo, Japan. It derives its name from Harajuku, a fashion and shopping district that lies to the east of the station. Harajuku district has been called “the center of Japan’s most extreme teenage cultures and fashion styles.” It draws youths not only from across Japan but from around the world.

Harajuku Station first opened in 1906 and the original structure offers a unique alpine facade. However, it has recently undergone renovations to include a state-of-the art new building. Today, it is the sixth-busiest station operated by JR East.

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The Tohoku Shinkansen line: Travel guide

Japan is famous for its high-speed bullet trains. The fastest of these is the Hayabusa Shinkansen, which can be found on the Tohoku Shinkansen line in Honshu. An interesting feature of several Tohoku Shinkansen trains is that they offer only reserved seating.

This is rare among the shinkansen, so if you wish to travel on this line, be sure to make your reservations early! Green cars and Gran Class cars are available on most trains, as are standing tickets when all seats are booked. Continue reading “%s”

The Shonan-Shinjuku line: From Tokyo to Yokohama and Kamakura

The Shonan-Shinjuku line, inaugurated in December 2001, is a Japanese passenger train service operated by JR East that connects multiple destinations in the Kanto region of Honshu, Japan’s largest island, with the capital city of Tokyo.

Services on the Shonan-Shinjuku line run along sections shared by the Ryōmō Line, Takasaki Line, Utsunomiya Line, Yamanote Line, Yokosuka Line, and the Tōkaidō Main Line, and most can be freely used with the JR Pass. Although the line has no dedicated track of its own, it is treated as a separate service on railway maps and station information boards.

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Visiting Kumamoto Castle: How to get there and what to see

Located in Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Kumamoto Castle (熊本城, Kumamoto-jō) is one of the largest and most impressive castles in Japan. During its heyday, it was considered one of the most impenetrable fortresses in the country.

Designed with strategic defense firmly in mind, the castle originally boasted over 49 turrets, 29 gates, and a number of unique defensive measures including holes in the walls for dropping boiling water, rocks, or excrement onto attackers.

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