What are the 8 macro-regions of Japan featured on JapanJoy?

JapanJoy features all 8 official macro-regions of Japan: Kanto (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba), Kansai (Kyoto, Osaka, Nara), Chubu (Mount Fuji, Nagoya, Takayama), Hokkaido (Sapporo, Otaru), Tohoku (Sendai, Aomori), Chugoku (Hiroshima, Miyajima), Shikoku (Matsuyama, Tokushima), and Kyushu & Okinawa (Fukuoka, Naha).

What cultural etiquette rules should travelers follow when visiting Japanese shrines and onsens?

At Shinto shrines, perform the Temizuya purification ritual (wash left hand, right hand, rinse mouth, tilt ladle). Follow the 'two bows, two claps, one bow' protocol. At Onsen hot springs, always wash thoroughly with soap and water before entering bath pools; never immerse towels in the hot spring water. On Shinkansen bullet trains, keep phones on silent manner mode and refrain from loud conversations.

What is Joy AI and how can it plan my trip to Japan?

Joy AI is an intelligent travel assistant integrated into JapanJoy. It crafts custom day-by-day itineraries tailored to your duration, traveler type, budget in Japanese Yen (JPY ¥), Shinkansen transit routes, and travel interests across all 47 prefectures.

Is JapanJoy affiliated with the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)?

No. JapanJoy is an independent AI-powered digital travel guide and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the Japan Tourism Agency (JTA), or the Japanese Government.

Ningyo Johruri Bunraku Puppet Theatre at National Bunraku Theatre, Osaka (UNESCO)

Inscribed in 2008 onto the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Ningyo Johruri Bunraku is Japan’s premier classical puppet theater form, nurtured in the vibrant merchant cradle of 17th-century Osaka. Reaching its golden apex through the legendary creative alliance between playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon (universally acclaimed as the "Shakespeare of Japan") and chanters of the Takemoto school, Bunraku dramatized historic samurai epics and poignant, heart-wrenching urban domestic tragedies (Sewamono). The defining technical triumph of Bunraku is its world-renowned "Sannin-zukai" puppetry method—wherein each life-sized wooden puppet is manipulated simultaneously by a synchronized team of three master puppeteers. The principal puppeteer (Omozukai) animates the facial mechanics, moving eyes, eyebrows, mouth, and right hand; the second puppeteer (Hidarizukai) articulates the left hand; while the third puppeteer (Ashizukai) controls footwork and leg movements. Mastering this organic synergy demands a rigorous lifelong apprenticeship adage: "Ten years for the feet, ten years for the left hand, and decades for the head". Every Bunraku performance achieves "Sangyo Ittai"—the seamless synthesis of three core elements: the powerful, emotionally resonant vocal chanting of the narrator (Tayu), the deep resonant musical drive of the heavy-gauge Futozao Shamisen, and the uncanny, breath-like verisimilitude of the puppets. Headquartered at the prestigious National Bunraku Theatre in Osaka's Nipponbashi, the venue provides multilingual personal audio earphones and English subtitle screens to guide international audiences.