About Japan
Japan is located on the island at the edge of Asia. This location has a profound effect on the history of Japan. While many think of Japan as a fairly developed country, there is plenty of undeveloped areas of Japan. The landscape across the country varies from forests to sub-tropical reefs to soaring mountains. Japan is located in a volcanic area of the Pacific Ring of Fire and it has about 108 active volcanoes. The country also experiences very destructive earthquakes several times in a century and these earthquakes typically result in tsunamis. As a whole, Japan is mostly temperate but the climate can vary greatly between the north and the south.
Thrill-seeking Activities in Japan
Japan may not be first on one’s most thrill-seeking places to go but it should be! Japan offers plenty of thrill-seeking adventures.
- Yamanashi
Yamanashi boasts the Fuji-Q Amusement Park, which is one of the most thrilling amusement parks in the world. This amusement park boasts four main attraction roller coasters: the Fujiyama, Eejanaika, Dodonpa and Takabisha. The Takabisha is the roller coaster that has the record for the steepest free fall – 121 degrees and a drop of 43 meters. The Dodonpa is considered the world’s fastest accelerating roller coaster. The Eejanaika is one of the world’s few 4th dimension roller coasters , which has seats that rotate backward and forward 360 degrees using a controlled spin. Fujiyama was once the tallest, steepest roller coaster.
- Ogawayama
Rock climbing in Ogawayama is an extreme sport experience that is like none other. The rock face provides climbers with over one thousand climbing trails and provides the best rock-climbing experience in Japan.
- Tokyo
Tokyo offers a day of adventure in the wild waters of Japan. You can combine whitewater rafting along with a canyoning trip to create a trip full of speed, excitement and adrenaline rushes! Canyoning is a fairly new sport that combines repelling, swimming and rock climbing into a mega-sport.
Thrill-seeking Vacation Packages in Japan
In Japan, travelers can choose from day trip adventure packages and more lengthy adventure packages. Inside Japan Tours offers a comprehensive list of tours from self-guided holidays to luxury all-inclusive packages. This tour operator even offers tours to Fuji-Q and other amusement theme-parks.
Niseko Xtreme Tours offers many extreme sport tours. Their 4 Peaks Xtreme Challenge features climbs to 4 different peaks. They also offer The Youtei Experience which is a climb up Mount Youtei – a large volcano. Their Dawn 2 Dusk Cat Tour includes a night ride on a customized snow cat through unbelievable terrains. The Velocity Snowmobiling Tour is a tour on a high quality machine through the winter wilderness.
Xtreme Gap Year offers a unique experience to train with a karate master. This once-in-a-lifetime experience is suitable for anyone who is serious about karate. This karate experience takes place in Okinawan with some of the most respected karate legends in Japan.
How much will Japan cost?
Cities like Tokyo will be very expensive to visit however there are many places in Japan that offer better bargains. Country inns can offer the best value and these simple hotels found in small towns can run less than $100 a night. For $20 or less, travelers can have their fill of sushi and Japanese delicacies (eel, seaweed, snails and roe). As for transportation, for under $300, one can purchase a 7-day rail pass on sleek bullet trains. This makes getting across the country quick, easy and affordable. One of the biggest thrill experiences you can have in Japan is the Fuji-Q amusement park and it is a cheap day as the entrance ticket is only $13.