Japan, an island and a leading nation in East Asia. It's name mean "sun origin", and it is often called the "Land of the Rising Sun". Home to the world's largest urban metropolis, rugged wilderness, and a culture steeped in ancient tradition, Japan is a travellers dream! It is a developed country with a high standard of living and Human Development Index whose population enjoys the highest life expectancy. Tokyo, the crowded and vibrant capital, is known for its neon skyscrapers and pop culture.

Russia, also officially known as the Russian Federation - the world’s largest nation, borders European and Asian countries as well as the Pacific and Arctic oceans. The name Russia is derived from Rus, a medieval state populated mostly by the East Slavs. However, this proper name became more prominent in the later history, and the country typically was called by its inhabitants "Русская Земля" (russkaja zemlja), which can be translated as "Russian Land" or "Land of Rus''.  Its landscape ranges from tundra and forests to subtropical beaches. It’s famous for novelists Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, plus the Bolshoi and Mariinsky ballet companies.