New Destinations in Japan

If your clients are looking for destinations in Japan that are more off-the-beaten-path, we suggest recommending these newly uncovered gems.

The Dutch Trading House Museum opened in September in Nagasaki, in a 400-year-old warehouse that was used by the East India Company. Nagasaki was the first base in Japan for the European merchants and travelers. At the museum visitors can learn how the East India Company reached Nagasaki and discover Nagasaki's encounter with the European culture in the era when Japan was closed to the rest of the world.

The Michelin Guide's 2012 edition features two more Japanese cities for the world to discover. Nara joined the Kyoto/Osaka/Kobe Restaurant Guide from the 2012 edition. Michelin has already given the most number of starts to the Japanese guides, and the 25 restaurants in total are added from Nara. Hokkaido, Japan's northern island, will also be showcased in the guide, which is exclusively released in Japanese.

New Englanders will love that Japan Airlines will initiate nonstop service between Boston Logan and Tokyo's Narita International Airport as of April 22. The service will operate four times weekly (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays) with plans to increase to daily service as of June 1. The route will also be a codeshare by American Airlines.

Tokyo is aiming for the skies with its new transmission tower, scheduled to open on May 22. The Tokyo Sky Tree will measure at 2,080 feet, and will be completed as the world's tallest free-standing tower. It will be equipped with high-tech structures and is the latest seismic proof tower.

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