Travel

The annual illumination in Itoman is like a giant music box, making every little girl's dream come true. There are also car and panda car rides for kids, photo booths, wine fair and all the usual festival stalls, like fairy floss and takoyaki. It is held in December each year, with a Christmas theme.

You see, Osaka leaves an impression of this contemporary, vibrant and a bit boisterous city.

Today, people come to Minami Satsuma’s Fukiage Sand Dune for fun and relaxation. At 50 kilometers long, it’s one of Japan’s three biggest dunes and every year hosts a competition that does for sand what Hokkaido does for snow. That’s what young men and boys come here for today, but 70 years ago, they came here to die for their country.

From late autumn through winter, elaborate and colorful light displays – from the northern island of Hokkaido to the southern islands of Okinawa – ring in the holiday spirit with dazzling brilliance throughout Japan.

I set the ball on the tee and straightened into my stance, ready to attack the next hole. “I like your setup,” my PGA instructor, Ryan Rindels, broke in. “But if you can get that left arm straighter, wider, you’re going to have more power.”

Downtown Shinjuku can be one of the liveliest and most intimate places in Japan with all kinds of subcultures. The western part of Shinjuku, however, is known as a hustle-bustle business district of urban sub-center, home to numerous skyscrapers.