Découverte de la Chine et du Japon : nuitée en Shanghai et Osaka

Est ce que n’importe quelle ville dans le monde peut dépasser l’énergie phénoménale de Hong Kong? Jugez-en par vous-même en prenant le tram jusqu’au sommet de Victoria Peak, rejoignez la surtension dans de nombreux marchés et regardez le monde laborieux des jonques de pêche d’Aberdeen. Exemple d’excursions: Matin Tai Chi et démonstration culinaire; visite de l’île de Hong Kong; exploration de l’île et du monastère de Lantau.

Shanghai est lune des villes les plus dynamiques dAsie, et lune des plus juxtaposées. Elle est divisée en deux par le fleuve Huangpu ; à louest se trouve Puxi et à lest Pudong. Puxi est le centre-ville et le centre historique de la ville. De ce côté du fleuve, une grande partie de la ville a été historiquement divisée en concessions étrangères, et cest là que se concentrent aujourdhui la plupart des magasins, des restaurants et de la vie nocturne. Shanghai compte plus de 30 000 restaurants, quil sagisse de simples restaurants de boulettes de soupe ou de restaurants officiels dirigés par des chefs étoilés au guide Michelin. Ses musées, notamment le musée de Shanghai et sa collection de 120 000 antiquités, sont tout aussi impressionnants. Cest à Pudong que se dressent les principaux gratte-ciel de la ville, dont les tours Jin Mao et Oriental Pearl. La riche histoire et lavenir prometteur de Shanghai ne sont nulle part aussi évidents que le long du fleuve Huangpu. Si vous vous trouvez du côté de Puxi et que vous avez derrière vous le Bund, le long duquel sélèvent les majestueux bâtiments du patrimoine du début du 20ème siècle, vous pouvez contempler de lautre côté du fleuve certains des plus hauts bâtiments du monde, des gratte-ciel qui brillent la nuit, leurs lumières se reflétant dans le fleuve.

Shanghai est lune des villes les plus dynamiques dAsie, et lune des plus juxtaposées. Elle est divisée en deux par le fleuve Huangpu ; à louest se trouve Puxi et à lest Pudong. Puxi est le centre-ville et le centre historique de la ville. De ce côté du fleuve, une grande partie de la ville a été historiquement divisée en concessions étrangères, et cest là que se concentrent aujourdhui la plupart des magasins, des restaurants et de la vie nocturne. Shanghai compte plus de 30 000 restaurants, quil sagisse de simples restaurants de boulettes de soupe ou de restaurants officiels dirigés par des chefs étoilés au guide Michelin. Ses musées, notamment le musée de Shanghai et sa collection de 120 000 antiquités, sont tout aussi impressionnants. Cest à Pudong que se dressent les principaux gratte-ciel de la ville, dont les tours Jin Mao et Oriental Pearl. La riche histoire et lavenir prometteur de Shanghai ne sont nulle part aussi évidents que le long du fleuve Huangpu. Si vous vous trouvez du côté de Puxi et que vous avez derrière vous le Bund, le long duquel sélèvent les majestueux bâtiments du patrimoine du début du 20ème siècle, vous pouvez contempler de lautre côté du fleuve certains des plus hauts bâtiments du monde, des gratte-ciel qui brillent la nuit, leurs lumières se reflétant dans le fleuve.

Situated at the southern tip of Japan, Kagoshima is the capital of the prefecture of the same name and famous for its dramatic views of Sakurajima, an active volcano that smolders across the bay. One of the most popular activities is taking a ferry to Sakurajima and hiking on the 100-year-old lava flow that is now a grassy peninsula. Kagoshima, however, offers much more than the volcano’s almost overwhelming beauty. The food scene provides opportunities to experience the area’s rich culinary culture and features dishes using locally caught fish and regional specialties, like satsuma a’ge (deep-fried fish cake) and shōchū, a traditional beverage made at more than 100 distilleries in Kagoshima alone. Although the city was officially founded in 1889, it has an even longer history that is reflected in the 17th-century gardens of Sengan-en. More recent events are covered at a museum dedicated to the kamikaze pilots who flew out of Kagoshima. Other popular attractions include the City Aquarium, the Museum of the Meiji Restoration with its exhibits exploring local history and the City Museum of Art with its collection that covers both local contemporary and older art. With so much to do, visitors may want to consider the Cute transit card. Available at tourist information offices, one-day Cute cards cover city buses, trams and Sakurajima ferries and also provide discounted admission to several attractions.

Ville de souvenirs mélancoliques. Visitez Glover House, où Madame Butterfly de Puccini qui, d’après ce que l’on raconte, attendait son lieutenant Pinkerton errant; rendez hommage aux vies perdues dans la Seconde Guerre mondiale au Parc du mémorial de la paix. Exemple d’excursion: visite d’une demi-journée de Nagasaki; Pont Sakai et les 99 îles; Arita, lieu de naissance de la céramique.

High atop a hill in Kochi sits 17th-century Kochi Castle, once the seat of the Yamauchi lords. Explore this historic site and enjoy panoramic views of the city, then dine on sushi at Hirome Market.

Think of Osaka, Japan (accent on the O), as a combination of Los Angeles and Chicago. It very definitely has L.A.’s second-city complex, but its attitude is pure Chicago. The only business that matters is business, and so what if the Hanshin Tigers, the local baseball team, are frequently the worst professional athletes in the world? They’re the home team. People in Osaka laugh louder, play harder and drink more than Tokyo’s most decadent dreams. Osaka even has its own dialect, one the rest of the country calls “dirty Japanese,” one entirely different than even Kobe’s—and Kobe is an Osaka suburb. Nothing is old in Osaka. The place was flattened during the war (and then again in 1962 and 1989, by Godzilla). During the reconstruction, they forgot to include much in the way of parks or green space, and the sheer amount of concrete and steel sights can get overwhelming. But Osaka has its attractions and interesting things to do. Sumo wrestlers wait for trains, reeking of chanko-nabe (traditional sumo food; pure energy and calories), just daring the official railway pushers to push them. Yakuza (Japanese gangsters) get train cars to themselves, but if you get on with them, it’s like you’re invisible. Busy markets, the visual noise of neon and nonstop action on shopping streets offer insight into the energy and ambition of Osaka. And if all that isn’t enough, Osaka is less than an hour from some of the most beautiful temples, shrines and ancient Japanese tourist attractions in the world—a thousand years of Japanese history—waiting in the old capitals of Kyoto and Nara.

Think of Osaka, Japan (accent on the O), as a combination of Los Angeles and Chicago. It very definitely has L.A.’s second-city complex, but its attitude is pure Chicago. The only business that matters is business, and so what if the Hanshin Tigers, the local baseball team, are frequently the worst professional athletes in the world? They’re the home team. People in Osaka laugh louder, play harder and drink more than Tokyo’s most decadent dreams. Osaka even has its own dialect, one the rest of the country calls “dirty Japanese,” one entirely different than even Kobe’s—and Kobe is an Osaka suburb. Nothing is old in Osaka. The place was flattened during the war (and then again in 1962 and 1989, by Godzilla). During the reconstruction, they forgot to include much in the way of parks or green space, and the sheer amount of concrete and steel sights can get overwhelming. But Osaka has its attractions and interesting things to do. Sumo wrestlers wait for trains, reeking of chanko-nabe (traditional sumo food; pure energy and calories), just daring the official railway pushers to push them. Yakuza (Japanese gangsters) get train cars to themselves, but if you get on with them, it’s like you’re invisible. Busy markets, the visual noise of neon and nonstop action on shopping streets offer insight into the energy and ambition of Osaka. And if all that isn’t enough, Osaka is less than an hour from some of the most beautiful temples, shrines and ancient Japanese tourist attractions in the world—a thousand years of Japanese history—waiting in the old capitals of Kyoto and Nara.

Ville portuaire prospère depuis des siècles, Shimizu est surtout connue pour sa beauté naturelle incroyable. Prenez une excursion à Miho no Matsubara et profitez d’une vue imprenable sur le mont Fuji et des vastes plages de sable noir, promenez-vous dans les jardins élégants et les installations artistiques uniques de le forêt millénaire de Tokachi et visitez le temple Kongofukuji, érigé par Kobo-Daishi en 822 et reconstruite en 1662.

Until the mid-19th century, Japan lived in isolation, closed off from the rest of the world, and Yokohama was a mere fishing village. But in 1853, American naval officer Matthew Perry demanded the country open to foreign trade, and Yokohama was changed forever. The city quickly emerged as an international trading center, and while today it is often overshadowed by nearby Tokyo, it continues to be one of Japan’s liveliest, and most international, destinations. With its microbreweries and international restaurants, Yokohama has a decidedly different feel from many other Japanese cities. From Yokohama, it’s a quick trip to peaceful Kamakura, home to Daibutsu, Japan’s second-largest bronze Buddha, and to the important Shinto shrine Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. Head to Hakone National Park on a clear day and you’ll be rewarded with picture-postcard views of majestic Mt. Fuji. Tokyo is the largest city on earth and packed with some of the world’s best shops, museums and restaurants, big and small. While the bright neon lights and the bustle of contemporary Tokyo may be what comes to mind when you think of the city, there is another side. Tokyo’s historic gardens and neighborhoods of traditional homes on narrow lanes speak to a timeless Japan that has survived into the 21st century.