Japan/Gallery

'Cosplayers' (from コスプレ kosupure 'costume roleplay') - teenagers who dress as characters from film, television or animé cartoons - pose for the cameras in Harajuku, Tokyo. These girls are dressed as members of the Japanese band 'Dir en grey'. Photo © by Sonny Santos, used by permission.	This bar menu in Shinjuku, Tokyo lists food and drink in both angular katakana - for loanwords or to make signs easier to read - and the curvy hiragana script - for native vocabulary. Top of the list, in katakana, is レミーマルタン - Remii Marutan 'Remy Martin' brandy; bottom, in hiragana, is あんみつ anmitsu - a jelly to finish a meal. Photo © by Sonny Santos, used by permission.
Japan's capital, Tokyo, is a city of packed streets, neon logos and the ancient tucked away alongside the modern. Photo © by Sonny Santos, used by permission.
Japan and its neighbours.
	Traditional and modern meet on the streets of Harajuku, Tokyo. Photo © by Sonny Santos, used by permission.
An early seventeenth-century map drawn by an Italian missionary in China. It is the first map in which the name 'Sea of Japan' appears. Image: Public Domain	A mid nineteenth-century British map. Image: Public Domain
Promoting a maid-kissa (メイド喫茶 meido-kissa, 'maid coffee shop') in Akihabara, Tokyo will involve looking the part; young women in maidlike waitresses' outfits are a common sight in this electronics quarter of the city. Photo © by Sonny Santos, used by permission.	Tengu-geta shoes can be seen at traditional festivals. Photo © by Sonny Santos, used by permission.
Himeji Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage site; its defences and gardens showcase two sides of Japan's history and culture. (CC) Photo: John Stephenson	Bank cards with cute characters on them are widely available in Japan. (CC) Photo: Henry Tapia
Japanese restaurants often display plastic replicas of many dishes, so diners can see exactly what to expect. (CC) Photo: John Stephenson	Japan's islands are divided into 47 prefectures.
Japanese politician Ryuhei Kawada campaigning in elections to the upper house of the Japanese parliament in 2007; Japan is a democracy where both party-affiliates and independents such as Kawada can successfully seek office.
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