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Thursday March 23, 10:59 AMFEATURE: Three of the best for Japan in world's top cities guide(Kyodo) _ (EDS: THREE PICTURES ACCOMPANYING THIS STORY ARE AVAILABLE VIA E-MAIL. THE PHOTO ADVISORY IS TO FOLLOW)Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima have surprised travel critics by each winning a place in a comprehensive Lonely Planet poll of the world's top 200 cities, illuminating Japan, with an impressive three entries, as a highly desirable destination for urbanite travelers. "While Japan is obviously a wonderful and exciting place to visit, I have to admit I was surprised that there were three Japanese cities in the top 200 because I didn't think that most people would be able to confidently identify that number of cities in Japan," Tom Hall, Lonely Planet's Travel Information Manager revealed to Kyodo News. Perhaps unsurprisingly on the other hand, Paris, New York and London all featured in the top five for their style, spirit, cuisine and climate amongst many other things, but Tokyo -following closely behind - is also heaped with praise as a true example of a vast conurbation that combines the past, present and future in just one space. "It's that mix of the serene traditions of Japan with modern fast-paced technology which makes Tokyo the fascinating contradiction that it is - without it, I think the world would be a very different place," Hall extolled, citing neon lights and technology that make visitors' "jaws drop" as key reasons to visit the capital. The 200 cities were ranked following a web-based survey of travelers' favorite metropolises, and, with added input from experienced staffers of the world-renowned travel guide company, have been compiled into an attractive coffee-table book full of color images from around the globe. Inspiring lists of all that is striking about each individual city make the authors' intention to take browsers on "a journey through the best cities in the world" - even if only from their armchairs - clear to see. And despite his initial surprise that all three made the grade, Hall is quick to illustrate just why Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima deserve their respective places in the prestigious book as 26th, 45th and 133rd ranked top world cities. "As people continue to travel and explore the world they find that while Tokyo offers an amazing experience, maybe Kyoto offers a more traditional Japanese experience," the travel guru explained, stating that over half the world's population now lives in cities, offering endless fascination to the traveler. "With Hiroshima it's the iconic nature of the name of the city that gets people going there and when they arrive they discover a very lively city with a great entertainment scene and lots of culture," he added, claiming that the differences between the cities mean that a trip to Japan would not be complete without seeing all three. Asked if the new title will inspire a surge in travel to Japan's rich cities, Hall replied without hesitation, "Yes. Absolutely," detailing that his prediction for the future is of urban-inspired tourists on extended "city-breaks," which, in the past, were confined predominantly to just weekend stays in neighboring countries. With factors such as globalization and cheaper air travel entering the equation it is clear that the potential for long-haul visits to international cities is increasingly being realized as people strive to explore evermore foreign microcosms of civilization and human achievement which many cities represent. As Hall concluded with knowing confidence, "When travelers start to tick places off their dream wish list of global top cities to visit, they'll discover their list is incomplete without the experience, personality and buzz Japan's cities have to offer the rest of the world." Lonely Planet's The Cities Book - designed as a "reminder of cities that have been visited and loved, as well as food for thought for places to go to next" - hits the shelves worldwide from March 24. |
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