Thirteen hundred years ago, Nara (then Heiju-kyu) was the imperial capital of Japan. "Old Japan" is still easy to spot here, from Great Buddha Hall to traditional ryokans and the serene Isuien garden. Travelers rave about walking tours of Nara, particularly in the historic Naramachi merchant area.

Home to nearly nine million and powering an economy that exceeds both Hong Kong's and Thailand's, Osaka packs quite a punch. The confident, stylish city is a shopping hub, with fabulous restaurants and nightlife. It's an ideal base for exploring the Kansai region; Kyoto's World Heritage Sites, Nara's temple and Koya-san's eerie graves are within 90 minutes by train. Top city attractions include the aquarium, Osaka Castle, Universal Studios Japan and the futuristic Floating Garden Observatory.

Famous for its luscious beef and crisp, pure sake, the Japanese port of Kobe is a thriving metropolitan city with an international feel. The sake-brewing season runs from October through April, and that's the best time to take a tour of a kura (the Japanese word for brewery). Visit the Hakutsure Sake Brewery Museum year-round. Naturally, the nightlife here is prime perfection.

One of the best preserved and most architecturally demonstrative, Himeji's 400-year-old castle is so exquisite that it alone is worth a trip to the city. The castle is close to the train station, so it makes an ideal short stop on a day trip to several sights.

Commerce keeps Nagoya’s downtown popping with life, but there’s more than just manufacturing to this industrial powerhouse. Nagoyans meet for plates of crisp-friend miso katsu; make weekend trips to nearby Shinto shrines; and count down the days to the city’s autumn Nagoya Festival.