The 11th edition of the world’s most authoritative guide book to Japan came out this month, co-written by a team of authors including yours truly. I wrote the Central Honshu chapter: the arts of Kanazawa, the castles of Matsumoto and Inuyama, Zenkoji Temple in Nagano, quaint and crafty Takayama, the Unesco World Heritage sites of Shirakawago, the busy commercial hub of Nagoya, plus hiking in national parks, skiing and hot-springing.
Buy it at your bookstore, online or through Lonely Planet (and no, I don’t get any royalties off the sales):
http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/japan/japan-travel-guide-11?lpaffil=lpdest-shoppod