Jump Around Japan Trivia Quiz

One of the many wards of Tokyo, Shibuya City is a notable hub for Japanese citizens and international visitors and it's characterized by its massive daily crowds, especially since it's a major intersection for metro and foot traffic. One of the most famous destinations for nightlife and buzzing street culture in the Japanese capital, Shibuya is also known for its famous scramble road crossing, one of the busiest for pedestrians anywhere in the world. Shibuya Crossing is one of the more recognizable destinations in Japanese tourism, being somewhat of an equivalent to New York City's Times Square.

One of the most recognizable castles in Japan, Himeji Castle overlooks the surrounding city of Himeji in the Kansai Region, just a short trip west of Kyoto and Osaka. Constructed in the 14th century, this fortified structure was built atop a hill in the middle of its town and surrounded by an artificial moat.

The largest of its type in the country, this castle is also well-known for its resilience, having survived bombings during the Second World War and earthquakes throughout its history.

The largest city on the island of Hokkaido, Sapporo is one of the northernmost destinations for most travellers headed to the nation of Japan. A former Winter Olympic city, Sapporo is perhaps best known for being a snowy gateway to the mountainous interior of the island.

In addition to being famous for its Snow Festival, the city is home to the Sapporo Beer Museum; the well-known beer was named after the city when it was first brewed in the mid-19th century, becoming one of the initial industries to pop up when the city was established..

The highest peak in Japan and one of the most recognizable volcanoes in the world, Mount Fuji is known as one of the nation's key symbols, rising to a peak at 3,776 metres above sea level. Southwest of Tokyo, Mount Fuji and its surrounding forests are frequented by tourists and locals of all sorts. Since Fuji is a climbable peak, it's both a common site of pilgrimage and a reliable spot for unique hiking excursions. Most hikers can make it to the top in between five and ten hours; some will stay at stations along the way to take their time and spread this trip across two days.

The island of Shikoku is the smallest of Japan's four major islands (the others being Honshu, Hokkaido, and Kyushu) and has the smallest population, mainly due to the fact that it contains very few major cities and is, otherwise, covered with a ridge of mountains that cut across the length of the land, separating the generally accessible northern coast from the Pacific side. Notably, the mountains here are non-volcanic.

A centrally-located prefecture (and city) on the island of Honshu, Nagano played host to the 1998 Winter Olympics, showcasing a naturally-rich region known for its mountains, forests, and expansive protected parklands. The city of Nagano, established in the 7th century AD, was originally made to surround a Buddhist temple (Zenk?-ji). That it lasted as long as it did, despite Japan's volatile natural disasters and a long history of social upheavals, is due in part to its location; it, conveniently, became a part of the route cutting across Japan from Edo (now Tokyo) on the east coast to the Sea of Japan on the west.

Okinawa is quite unlike the rest of Japan as, since it's part of the Ryukyu Islands archipelago to the south of the country, it's in a different region of the Pacific much closer to the Equator. As such, it's a part of Japan that doesn't see particularly cold winters and is a typical vacation spot even for Japanese citizens.

Although the city of Okinawa was formally established in the 1970s, the region has a history dating back to the Stone Age. Notably, Okinawa was the site of significant battles in WWII (between Japan and the United States) which led to military operations being established there for many decades to follow.

Found on the west coast of the southernmost major island of Japan (Kyushu), the city of Nagasaki is one of the closest in Japan to the Asian mainland, making it an important port of call for shipping and fishing. Its spot along the cape made it ideal for the Portuguese and Dutch traders who frequented the area during the Nanban period in the 16th century, marking the first instances where European explorers encountered Japan. Today, Nagasaki is a cultural hub filled with modern amenities and countless landmarks, the result of centuries of disaster and strife (including a great fire and the dropping of the atomic bomb in World War II).

Nara Prefecture, found landlocked in the southernmost peninsula of the island of Honshu, is one of the oldest epicentres of Japanese culture, having been inhabited by early Japanese civilizations in the third and fourth centuries (AD). Eventually, Japan would enter its Nara Period in the eighth century and the City of Nara would form the capital of pre-medieval Japan. The Emperor would shift the capital to Kyoto, to the northwest, shortly after.

Famously, the city contains numerous tame deer that roam the parks, streets, and shrines. Considered guardians of the city, they've been as much of a tourist draw as Nara's countless shrines, museums, and temples.

One of the westernmost prefectures of Honshu, Hiroshima is perhaps most well-known from an international point of view as the site at which the first atomic bomb was dropped, bringing the beginning of the end of the Second World War. It would be reductive to understate Hiroshima's importance across history though. First settled in the twelfth century, Hiroshima grew as a major coastal settlement and one of the largest cities of the region. Important in trade and as a religious site, many of its major structures, including its castle, would be reconstructed after the war, allowing it to rebound as a destination of note.