Ditch the guidebook to avoid Japan's worst tourist draws

by C.B. Liddell

It’s no secret that Japan is trying hard to attract tourists. How can it not be, of course, after the industry fell to its knees in the wake of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami?

Sure, the country has much to offer, but mixed in with the interesting stuff there’s also plenty of dross that means first-time visitors can easily end up having a very disappointing time.

Especially if they blindly follow the guidebooks ...

These often recommend extremely boring activities simply because all previous guidebooks have done so.

They also routinely misinterpret key Japanese concepts, like “wabi-sabi,” which Western travel-guide writers think denotes an aesthetic of rarified beauty.