Tourists interested purchasing luxury goods can shop at any one of Tokyo's newest high-end malls, Tokyo Midtown, Roppongi Hills, Caretta Shiodome. The malls offer famous brand-name goods and authentic Japanese cuisine at shopping center restaurants. Shoppers on a budget have easy access to more than 30 outlet malls around the country. Additionally, Japan's National Tourism Organization (JNTO) includes Japanese craft vendors in its directory to encourage visitors to shop for traditional pottery, glassware and silks.
Japan offers visitors access to 13 world heritage sites such as the ancient Kingdom of Ryukyu on the island of Okinawa, subtropical flora and fauna on Yakushima Island and sacred pilgrimage routes in the Kii Mountains, one of only two UNESCO world heritage pilgrimage routes in the world. Other attractions include hot springs located throughout the country and automobile museum tours at Toyota, Nissan and Mazda.
Japanese communities organize festivals every month of the year and invite visitors to enjoy the vibrant sights and sounds of their culture. Festivals range from traditional to religious and include music, food, folk dancing and traditional sportsmanship. The JNTO publishes an annual festival calendar on its website.
