In a modern country with a rich heritage, vacations in Japan have long been popular with travelers. While is it one of the most expensive places to live, it is possible for the budget traveler to have a good time. There are four main islands which make up Japan. From the north to the south they are Hokkaido, Honshu the main island, Shikoku and Kyushu. More than 4,000 smaller islands surround these four main islands. Japan is divided into 47 prefectures. The country welcomes thousands of visitors on vacation in Japan all year long which is why they have developed a huge accommodation trend of hotels, Japan vacation homes, and beautiful vacation rentals in Japan.