11-DAY ASIA FROM SEOUL TO TOKYO: OSAKA, NAGOYA, SAKAIMINATO & HAKODATE

Seoul is the capital of South Korea, and is located on the Han River in the country's north-west. The city is an hour from Incheon port. With almost half of South Korea's population living in its greater area, it is the country's foremost economic, political and cultural centre. Read more about Seoul, South Korea

Sakaiminato is an important fishing port facing Mihio Bay and the Sea of Japan to the east, and inland Lake Nakaumi to the west. It lies in the middle of West Japan. South of the port is the sweeping 15km Yumi-ga-Hama Beach, and 30km to the ESE rises the great snow-capped summit of Mt. Read more about Sakaiminato (for Matsue), Japan

Niigata (population 800,000) is the capital of Niigata Prefecture, NW coast of Honshu, Japan. It lies on the Agano and Shinano Rivers, which open to the Inland Sea (Sea of Japan). The port is the largest on the coast, and the city is known for its manufacturing. Read more about Niigata, Japan

Akita is a port city where the Omono River enters the Sea of Japan. It is situated to the north of Japan’s largest island, Honshu, and 470 km north of Tokyo. The city has very warm, humid summers and cold, very snowy winters. Read more about Akita, Japan

Aomori is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, situated on the northernmost tip of the main Japanese island facing Hokkaido. It has a cold maritime climate with short cool summers and has heavy snowfalls in winter. It is a World Heritage Site, as it has the world's largest virgin forest of beech trees. Read more about Aomori, Japan

Hakodate is the largest city and port in southern Hokkaido, Japan. It is considered to have – as seen from Mt. Hakodate – one of the world's most impressive nightscapes, particularly from June through March, when the bright lights emitted from the squid fishing vessels add a touch of romantic inspiration. Read more about Hakodate, Japan

Nagoya, the fourth-largest city in Japan and one of its major ports, is located on the Pacific coast in the Chubu region on central Honshu. One of the two most famous sightseeing spots is the reconstructed Nagoya Castle that was built in 1612 with two golden carp on the roof, and that today is also home to an interesting museum that contains an ancient Atsuta shrine as well as some 4,400 national historic treasures. The Atsuta Shrine is known as the second-most venerable shrine in Japan, after Ise Shrine. Read more about Nagoya, Japan

Osaka, the heart of the Greater Osaka Area, is located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, and is the third largest city in Japan. Historically it is also regarded as the commercial capital of Japan, as evidenced by its daytime population being over a million greater than its night time population. From above ground and underground shopping malls and specialised shopping complexes, to the unusual America Mura which offers both new and used clothing, as well as flea markets, and the Asia Pacific Trade Centre with its international wholesale market, shopping here truly is a fascinating experience. Read more about Osaka, Japan

Shimizu is located on the coast of Suruga Bay, 140km SW of Tokyo, on the island of Honshu, facing the Pacific Ocean. Shimizu-ku is actually a ward or sub-division of the city of Shiuoka. The Kakita River flows through the town. Read more about Shimizu, Japan

Tokyo, located on the eastern side of the main island of Honshu, is the core of the most populated area in the world (urban area 38M). The small fishing village of Edo was fortified in 1457 with Edo Castle (The Imperial Palace now stands at this location) and became one of the largest cities in the world by the 18th C. Its stringent policy of seclusion ended in 1854 and opened Japan to outside trade. Read more about Tokyo, Japan