Dense and delightful, there’s nowhere else like Japan’s kinetic capital – a city where ancient traditions blend seamlessly with a relentless pursuit for the future’s sharpest edge. See the city from above, as elevators rocket you up to towering viewing platforms, from which you can survey a vast urban ocean, interspersed with sky-scraping needles. Look out as far as the distant loom of Mount Fuji’s cone on clear days. View less Futuristic – second-accurate – transport seamlessly links Tokyo’s 14 districts, while the glow of flashing advertisement boards, clanks of arcade machines, and waves of humanity flowing along its streets, adds to the sense of mesmerising, dizzying and glorious sensory overload. One of Tokyo’s most iconic sights, don’t miss the flood of people scrambling to cross Shibuya’s famous intersection. Join the choreographed dance, as crowds of briefcase-carrying commuters are given the green light to cross at the same time – bathed in the light of massive neon advertisements. The culture is immensely rich and deep, with 7th-century, lantern-decorated temples, stunning palaces and tranquil scarlet shrines waiting below cloaks of incense and nestling between soaring skyscrapers. Restaurants serve up precisely prepared sushi, and wafer-thin seafood slivers, offering a unique taste of the country’s refined cuisine. Settle into traditional teahouses, to witness intricate ceremonies, or join the locals as they fill out karaoke bars to sing the night away. In the spring, cherry blossom paints a delicate pink sheen over the city’s innumerable parks and gardens.

From fiery festivals to spectacular mountain scenery, soaring temples to castles surrounded by cherry blossom blooms, Aomori is one of Japan’s most enchanting destinations. Framed by dark peaks clad with dense forestry, the city enjoys a picturesque location on Japan’s main island Honshu. While there are gorgeous pink tinted parks, tiered castles and towering Buddha statues to explore, the Aomori Prefecture’s capital is perhaps best known for the summer festival of fire that lights it up each year. Lavish illuminated floats fill the streets during Nebuta Matsuri festival, as dancing locals wave flickering lanterns through the night sky – and drummers pound out pulsating rhythms. Nebuta Matsuri has a euphoric and energetic atmosphere which makes it stand out as an unmissable experience compared with some of Japan’s more restrained festivals. At other times of the year, places like the stunning Hirosaki Castle bloom with rose-pink cherry blossom, as spring’s sunshine clears away winter’s plentiful snowfall. The castle’s moat, glowing with the pale hue of fallen blossom, is a truly mesmerising sight to behold. Don’t worry if you’re too late though, you might be able to catch the pink-flush of the apple blossom – which comes slightly later. Extraordinary prehistoric Jomon period history is waiting to be unearthed at the living archaeological site, Sannai-Maruyama Ruins. Or, the untouched wilderness of UNESCO World Heritage Site Shirakami Sanchi is within reach. This sprawling mass of beech trees covers a third of the Shirakami mountain range, and the dense forestry once blanketed the majority of northern Japan’s land. Visit to scratch the surface of this untamed landscape’s beauty and see sprawling waterfalls cascading down mountainsides, in a beautiful off-bounds landscape, where black bears roam freely.

Otaru is a small harbor city west of Sapporo. Famous for its many hills and a nearby ski resort the town has been an important trade and herring fishing center. A wide canal that led from the port to the old town’s warehouses has been maintained for touristic purposes and the old stone or brick-built warehouses have been beautifully converted to restaurants and boutiques.

Say the word Akita and you would be forgiven for thinking immediately of the lovable dog of the same name. But in fact, visitors to Akita will be treated not to a friendly furry face, rather to a beautiful city located on the northern tip of the island, around 500 km north of Tokyo. Lucky visitors will arrive in time for the superb sakura (cherry blossom), and surely there can be no sight more lovely than the elegant dip of the cherry trees alongside ancient Samurai residences. Akita is also home to a 2km tunnel of blossoming trees that run along the banks of the Hinokinai River, which is said to “bring a grown man to his knees and weep at its beauty”. If to you, Japan is synonymous with peace and serenity, then a trip to one of the onsens is a superb bucket list experience. Buses and taxis are easily available in the centre of town that will take you to Mizusawa, Oyu and Oyasukyo hot springs, some of the loveliest onsens in the country. Some of the superb sights in Akita are: Senshu Park, on the former site of Kubota Castle, the elegant red-brick folk Museum (housing works by block printer Katsuhira Tokushi (1907-1971) and metalwork by Sekiya Shiro (1907-1994) and the Old Kaneko Family Home. The Akita Museum of Art opened in 2012 and is home to the largest canvas painting in the world, Events of Atika, by Foujita (1886-1968). The painting measures a staggering 3.65 x 20.5 m (12 x 67 ft). The Museum also has many works by European masters such as Goya, Rubens, Rembrandt and Picasso.

Vladivostok is a major Pacific port city in Russia overlooking Golden Horn Bay, near the borders with China and North Korea. It’s known as a terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which links the city to Moscow in a 7-day journey. In the city center is Central Square, where a towering memorial pays tribute to local soldiers who fought Japanese forces in the early 20th century.

Vladivostok is a major Pacific port city in Russia overlooking Golden Horn Bay, near the borders with China and North Korea. It’s known as a terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which links the city to Moscow in a 7-day journey. In the city center is Central Square, where a towering memorial pays tribute to local soldiers who fought Japanese forces in the early 20th century.

Port of Korsakov is a Russian seaport on Sakhalin Island on the shores of Aniva Bay. Settlement – the city of Korsakov, Sakhalin Oblast

Majestic volcanoes and stacked mountains layer Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky with one of the world’s most epic backdrops. A business-like city of everyday life, set amid this utterly extraordinary scenery, Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky is a staggering visit to a land where volcanoes churn, geysers spurt, and geothermic pools simmer. Glaciers slowly carve out magnificent valleys, while the meltwater fuels roaring rivers, rapids and waterfalls. A far easterly outpost, cut off from the rest of the world’s road network, the only way in and out is via sea or air. View less Located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, there is no shortage of natural spectacles and amazing scenery to enjoy – with lively geothermal displays, and colossal forces plotting below the earth’s surface. No fewer than 29 active volcanoes brood in this stunning wilderness, while dozens more extinct ones punctuate its skies. It’s hard to prepare for the beauty of Avacha Bay – as you’re welcomed by the three claw-like rocks of the Tri Brata formations, and spot sea lions yawning on the bay. Admire the Koryaksky volcano – a perfectly formed cone of snow, and a mighty volcano that last erupted in 2008. You may still see wisps of smoke emanating from its towering peak. Look out for the bright yellow beak of the Steller’s sea eagles, the biggest and heaviest eagles in the world. The waters, teeming with Pacific salmon, draw keen anglers here, in the hopes of landing the big one. Elsewhere, the wondrous Kamchatka Valley of Geysers is a choreographed natural demonstration of power, with plumes of mist firing up into the sky along its expanse.

Majestic volcanoes and stacked mountains layer Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky with one of the world’s most epic backdrops. A business-like city of everyday life, set amid this utterly extraordinary scenery, Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky is a staggering visit to a land where volcanoes churn, geysers spurt, and geothermic pools simmer. Glaciers slowly carve out magnificent valleys, while the meltwater fuels roaring rivers, rapids and waterfalls. A far easterly outpost, cut off from the rest of the world’s road network, the only way in and out is via sea or air. View less Located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, there is no shortage of natural spectacles and amazing scenery to enjoy – with lively geothermal displays, and colossal forces plotting below the earth’s surface. No fewer than 29 active volcanoes brood in this stunning wilderness, while dozens more extinct ones punctuate its skies. It’s hard to prepare for the beauty of Avacha Bay – as you’re welcomed by the three claw-like rocks of the Tri Brata formations, and spot sea lions yawning on the bay. Admire the Koryaksky volcano – a perfectly formed cone of snow, and a mighty volcano that last erupted in 2008. You may still see wisps of smoke emanating from its towering peak. Look out for the bright yellow beak of the Steller’s sea eagles, the biggest and heaviest eagles in the world. The waters, teeming with Pacific salmon, draw keen anglers here, in the hopes of landing the big one. Elsewhere, the wondrous Kamchatka Valley of Geysers is a choreographed natural demonstration of power, with plumes of mist firing up into the sky along its expanse.

With Bald Eagles soaring overhead, emerald-green volcanic peaks chafing the clouds, and raw ocean scenery as far as the eye can see, this far-flung destination is the definition of remote and wild. Part of the outlying Aleutian Islands archipelago, which spirals out across the Bering Sea into the wilds of the Pacific, Dutch Harbor offers a dramatic backdrop and rich military history – as one of the few pieces of US soil to be directly attacked by the Japanese during World War II. The town settles into the embrace of a vast deepwater harbour, which helps to protect from the unpredictable churn of the Bering Sea. Enjoy hikes along coastal trails to birdwatch among more than 100 different species – and look on as huge clouds of cawing seabirds float on gusts of wind, filling the air with their raucous calls. Dutch Harbor is famous for its crab fishing industry – a dangerous, challenging pursuit – and the town is well known to many Americans as the setting of the television show Deadliest Catch. The Aleutian WWII Visitor Center and the Museum of the Aleutians provide extensive information on WWII in the Aleutians, prehistory, the Russian period, Unangan (Aleut) culture and recent history. A visible reminder of the Russian past is the Holy Ascension Cathedral, the oldest cruciform-style Russian Orthodox church in North America and a National Historic Landmark.

The domain of grizzlies, brown and black bears, Kodiak Island is a raw, wild, and utterly authentic Alaskan wilderness. The Emerald Isle is the USA’s second-largest island, and with a wilderness stretching out over 3,670 square miles, it’s a thrilling voyage into the Alaskan unknown. The weather may get a little cloudy at times, but the locals actively welcome a covering of cloud – perhaps partly because the clouds and fog are said to have deterred Japanese attacks during World War II’s hostilities. View less Be sure to bring your camera with you; it’s nigh on impossible to take a bad photo of these irresistible vistas – and you’ll quickly see why Kodiak Island is the destination of choice for wildlife documentary producers. Cinematic setpieces regularly play out, as eagles soar over expansive sweeps of fir-tree forested mountains and still lakes, releasing occasional piercing calls. Some of the animal kingdom’s most feared and revered creatures call Kodiak Island home, and your first sight of a bear reaching a massive paw into the water, or treading through a gently burbling stream, will live with you forever. Soar in a seaplane to track the bears with an expert guide. Masters of disguise, it often takes a trained eye to spot the bears in their natural habitats. Brush up on the skills you’ll need in advance, with a read of our bear watching blog. [Insert blog: 7 tips for bear watching in Alaska]. The waters of Kodiak Island are also home to some of the world’s most productive fishing. Try out your own skills, or accompany a seafaring fishing vessel, to witness life on the waves first-hand, as they plunder the depths of the ocean.

Monumental scenery surrounds you in this remote corner of the world, where glaciers calve and whales cruise through inky waters, before an immense mountain backdrop. Almost totally submerged by the colossal landscapes around it, Seward – and the wonders of Kenai Fjords National Park – offer some of astonishing Alaska’s most thrilling scenery. Located in a deep gash in the Kenai Peninsula, Seward is a place to immerse yourself in nature’s majesty. View less Fjords carve into the landscape, while the Harding Icefield – which caps Kenai Fjords National Park – reaches out its icy fingers, with glaciers spilling down between mountain peaks. Head to Holgate Glacier, to come face to face with a breathtaking stack of intense blue and white ice. Get up close in a kayak or boat ride, to slalom through the discarded confetti of ice chunks, and perhaps even witness the powerful spectacle of an ice ledge creaking and groaning, before plunging to the waters below. The city of Anchorage is easily within reach from here, offering an incongruous contrast to the wild wonders of Alaska. A place where deep-sea fishermen bump shoulders with businesspeople on the 9-5, it’s a fascinating, remote city. Home to almost half of the Alaskan population, Anchorage and its humble skyline is dwarfed by the snowy peaks of the wilderness beyond. Don’t miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in the unique culture, traditions and heritage of the First Nation people of these lands too.