Tokyo, Japan’s busy capital, mixes the ultramodern and the traditional, from neon-lit skyscrapers to historic temples. The opulent Meiji Shinto Shrine is known for its towering gate and surrounding woods. The Imperial Palace sits amid large public gardens. The city's many museums offer exhibits ranging from classical art (in the Tokyo National Museum) to a reconstructed kabuki theater (in the Edo-Tokyo Museum).

Tokyo, Japan’s busy capital, mixes the ultramodern and the traditional, from neon-lit skyscrapers to historic temples. The opulent Meiji Shinto Shrine is known for its towering gate and surrounding woods. The Imperial Palace sits amid large public gardens. The city's many museums offer exhibits ranging from classical art (in the Tokyo National Museum) to a reconstructed kabuki theater (in the Edo-Tokyo Museum).

Sprawling, semi-rural Shimizu Ward is dominated by forested coastal mountains, with hiking trails and ropeway rides to dramatic viewpoints above Suruga Bay. Miho Beach Park is popular for swimming and water sports in summer, and there are baseball and soccer fields nearby, plus an aquarium at the Marine Science Center. Busy fisheries supply sushi bars and seafood markets with local specialties like sakura shrimp.

Kagoshima, a seaside city on Japan's Kyushu Island, is the capital of Kagoshima Prefecture. It's best known for Sakurajima, an active volcano that faces Kinko Bay. At its base, the Nagisa Lava Trail winds through lava fields filled with boulders. Once set on an isolated island, the volcano became connected to the Osumi Peninsula after an eruption in 1914.

Tianjin is a major port city in northeastern China. Following the 1858 Treaties of Tianjin, several Western nations established concessions in Tianjin. The European-style houses, municipal buildings and churches in Wudadao (Five Great Avenues) are legacies of that period. Standing in contrast are the city’s many modern skyscrapers, including the iconic 415m-tall Tianjin Radio and Television Tower.

Tianjin is a major port city in northeastern China. Following the 1858 Treaties of Tianjin, several Western nations established concessions in Tianjin. The European-style houses, municipal buildings and churches in Wudadao (Five Great Avenues) are legacies of that period. Standing in contrast are the city’s many modern skyscrapers, including the iconic 415m-tall Tianjin Radio and Television Tower.

Shanghai, on China’s central coast, is the country's biggest city and a global financial hub. Its heart is the Bund, a famed waterfront promenade lined with colonial-era buildings. Across the Huangpu River rises the Pudong district’s futuristic skyline, including 632m Shanghai Tower and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, with distinctive pink spheres. Sprawling Yu Garden has traditional pavilions, towers and ponds.

Shanghai, on China’s central coast, is the country's biggest city and a global financial hub. Its heart is the Bund, a famed waterfront promenade lined with colonial-era buildings. Across the Huangpu River rises the Pudong district’s futuristic skyline, including 632m Shanghai Tower and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, with distinctive pink spheres. Sprawling Yu Garden has traditional pavilions, towers and ponds.

Xiamen is a port city on China’s southeast coast, across a strait from Taiwan. It encompasses 2 main islands and a region on the mainland. Formerly known as Amoy, it was a British-run treaty port from 1842 to 1912. Many Europeans and Japanese lived on Gulangyu, today a vehicle-free island with beaches and meandering streets lined with old colonial villas.

Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is a metropolitan area and special administrative region of the People's Republic of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta of the South China Sea.

Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is a metropolitan area and special administrative region of the People's Republic of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta of the South China Sea.