Japan is known equally as a hard working, hi-tech company obsessed with miniaturising everything and as a land of ancient temples, martial arts and origami. Whichever definition appeals to you more, you will find plenty to satisfy you, from the bustling neon capital of Tokyo to the ancient temples and shrines of Kyoto. All set against spectacular natural scenery such as Mount Fiji and bubbling volcanic hot springs. On top of all this, the Japanese people are famous for being friendly and gracious hosts, especially to hotel ists who can expect a warm welcome to one of the most interesting countries in the Far-east.
Currency: Japanese Yen. (¥)
Time Zone: GMT + 9
Language: Japanese
Telephone Services: Country code +81, International access code 001
Emergency Numbers: Tokyo English Life Line 3403 7106, Japan Helpline 0120 461 997
Climate
In general Japan benefits from a temperate climate with cool sunny winters and very hot summers. The most pleasant time to visit is the milder Autumn and Spring seasons. Rain can fall throughout the year but is not generally too heavy. Typhoons can occur during September or October but generally don't last for longer than a day. Okinawa has a sub-tropical climate and Hoikkaido boasts a climate similar to that of Washington with Siberian blasts blowing in during the winter providing great skiing spots. Winter can get very cold with temperatures as low as 2 degrees C and in the North temperatures can drop to below freezing.
BASIC DO'S AND DON'T'S ( adapted from Japan Made Easy, by De Mente as featured in the Travel Japan Bookstore)
DON'T:
Eat food while walking down the street.
Blow your nose in public. Sniffling is okay.
Wear shoes or slippers on tatami mats!
Give someone 4 of anything( or any number that is
"even").The Japanese word for "4" is similar to the word for death.
Smile in formal pictures.
Stick your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice.
Wear shorts to temples or shrines.
Point your feet at anyone when sitting on the
floor. Its insulting.
Be direct.
Laugh with your mouth wide open.
Do:
Slurp while eating noodles.
Give a slight bow when meeting someone who is your peer.
Give a lower bow if they are your elder or boss.
Say "susimasen" after everything you say. It is the
all-in-one politeness word, meaning "excuse me",
"thank you," "hello" etc.
Give your business card, with a slight bow, immediately
when meeting a business colleage.
Give your seat up for children on trains.
Wear skirts or long pants, especially when visiting
temples or shrines.
Give a gift when visiting a Japanese home.
Listen to what is NOT said.
Wash before you get into the tub, and save the bath water
for others.
For more basic tips, go to:
Good Manners.
GIFT GIVING:
Unless you are not meeting with anyone in Japan, be prepared to give gifts. Gifts from your home area are especially appreciated. If there is a number to the items, like candy, try to avoid even numbers, especially "4." If you are meeting with a group, bring a consumable gift so everyone can enjoy it equally and no one is left out. Tee shirts with sayings in English are very popular in Japan. Pencils or pens with company or school name would be admired and plentiful to have enough for an entire group.
GREETINGS:
While some Japanese have become somewhat accustomed to shaking hands, it is still awkward for most. It is best to bow slightly when greeting someone. The lower the bow the more respect. If you are meeting someone for work-related business purposes, it's important to have a business card, preferably with a Japanese translation on one side. After bowing, with respect, extend an immaculate business card from a business card holder, preferably in a breast pocket or purse. When receiving a business card, admire it for a moment and keep it out to refer to. Don't fold it, write on it, or stuff it in a pocket. See this site for further information:
Bowing.
Visitors bowing before entering a temple.
SHRINES: Just a reminder: when visiting these beautiful shrines, please remember they are sacred--be respectful and wear long pants or a conservative skirt (no sleeveless tops or shorts).
VISITING IN THE JAPANESE HOME:
The Japanese will expect that you will be from another culture, but keeping these tips in mind will help the visit go more smoothly. The host family will want to "spoil" you, basically. They will want to have thought of your every need. If they realize you need something not already provided by them, they will be disappointed. Its best to graciously make do with what is provided and be thankful. If anything inconveniences your host, be apologetic. Before entering the house, you will leave your shoes where the others have left them outside the door. Then you will wear slippers provided or just your socks. Before entering a room with tatami mats on the floor(likely to be the main, multi-purpose room), its important to remove your slippers so as not to damage the mats.
For more information, see:
Customs in the Home.
A room at a Ryokan, a Japanese inn. Notice the tatami mats on the floor.
Golden Pavillion
Things to see and do
Unlike most cities, Tokyo is not a city littered with interesting or ancient architecture. Having been almost completely rebuilt after the heavy damage sustained during the Second World War the skyline is dominated by modern hi-rise skyscrapers. While in the suburbs some tradition clings on by its fingertips, certainly central Tokyo can be described as nothing short of a modern metropolis. Most visitors spend a lot of there time in the Ginza shopping district which contains boutiques, shops and galleries of all kinds. Its fashionable status does make Ginza somewhat expensive so unless you want to blow your whole trip's budget in one day it is best to take it easy here. Some of Japans finest museums and galleries are located around the Ueno-Koen park including the Tokyo National Museum and the National Science Museum.
After experiencing the new Japan in Tokyo there is no better place to discover a taste of old Japan than Kyoto. The city boasts literally hundreds of temples, shrines and gardens and was even the nations capital for over a thousand years. Although even here, modern buildings have started to encroach on the tiled roves and pebbled gardens of the temples there is still plenty left to see. There are a number of suberb temples including the Kinkaku-ji temple and the Sanjunsangen temple which houses 1001 statues of Kannon the Buddhist goddess of mercy. Also worth a look is the Imperial Palace in central Kyoto and the Himeji-jo Castle located just outside the city itself.
Those with a penchant for modern history often visit Nagasaki, the city decimated by the second nuclear bomb dropped on Japan during Worl War Two. The city has now been rebuilt as a prosperous example of Japanese urban life but its grisly past is recorded in the A-bomb museum situated at Urakami, the centre of the explosion. Also of interest in the city is the Fukusai-ji Zen Temple, Glover Garden and the Hypocentre Park which has a monument to mark the exact centre of the blast which decimated Nagaski.
Travel
When travelling in the mainland of Japan, it is dubious if the distances warrant air travel, however when travelling throughout the Islands it does become a viable possibility. Several airlines offer domestic flights throughout Japan and its islands including Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airlines and Japan Air Systems. Tickets can be bought from hotel operators, or at the airports from both airline counters and automatic ticketing machines in the larger airports.
Japan Railways Group is the rail operator throughout Japan. The service is one of the best in the world with some of the most hi-tech trains in existence. Many travellers will be familiar with the famous "bullet trains" which reach speeds in excess of 300km/h, which serve the busiest lines on the Japanese network with some routes offering as many as six trains per hour. Other lines run limited express, express or local services, generally each type of train ryokanries a different supplement with a further supplement being charged for travel in the first class "green" ryokans, seats on which must usually be reserved in advance. Tickets can be bought from stations, most commonly from automated vending machines. For some short distance, local trains, this is the only way to obtain a ticket.
A "Japan Rail Pass" is available, which is usually purchased through Japan Airlines or a hotel operator which is only available to foreign hotel ists. This pass allows unlimited travel on Japan Rail trains, buses and ferries. Passes start from £150 for a 7 day pass and are without a doubt one of the most economical ways to get around in Japan.
Bus travel is highly developed in Japan, but in most cities has been superseded by the underground metro system for local travel, similarly the rail network has mostly replaced the inter-city bus network. Services do still exist in appreciable numbers but the fare system are confusing and almost always highly automated so for most travellers it is wisest to just stick to the train.
Taxis are plentiful but they can be veery expensive, especially at night but if you are travelling in a group and can share the cost they could be a good transport option.
hostel, guesthouses in Japan are sub-divided between Western and Japanese style hostel, guesthouses. While the Western style hostel, guesthouses are much the same as those found in Western Europe the Japanese style ones are a unique experience. On arrival guests are given kimonos and rooms are decked out in traditional Japanese style complete with paper sliding doors and Japanese bathtubs. These Japanese style hostel, guesthouses are known as "ryokan and the Japan Ryokan Association can be contacted for more information. For general information on all kinds of hostel, guesthouses the Japan hostel, guesthouse Association can provide further information.
There are over 400 youth hostels in Japan which are regulated by Japan Youth Hostels Inc. In general guests must be a member of the International Youth Hostel Association although guest passes can be obtained from Japan Youth Hostels Inc's headquarters in Tokyo or from some hotel operators.
Health
The provision of healthcare in Japan is excellent, easily on par with the standards of the US or western Europe. The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers will provide English speaking doctors where appropriate and all western medications are widely available. Treatment costs can be extremely high in Japan so it is essential that you have adequate insurance cover when planning a visit to Japan.
There are no special precautions or vaccination recommended before visiting Japan, food and drink is considered safe and normal everyday precautions should be observed when buying food from street traders.
Girls clad in maids' outfits are not traditionally associated with Buddhism, but that has not stopped monks at a centuries-old temple using Japanese pop culture to woo visitors. The Ryohoji temple, built in the late 16th century in a Tokyo suburb, erected a colourful manga-inspired sign at its entrance in June and has since seen visitor numbers perk up - especially young men. But it went a step further at the weekend, setting up tents and opening up a temporary cafe staffed by bonnet-wearing girls sporting classic frills, one of the recent popular themes among fans of anime and costume role-playing. (AFP)
The first frost and ice of the season were observed Sunday across a wide swath of Japan as cool and moist air swept in from the Pacific Ocean.
The temperature in Tokyo was forecast to reach only 10 degrees during the day, about average for early January, but was expected to return to its normal range Monday, the Meteorological Agency said. (Japan Times)
The kidnappers of a Japanese engineer in Yemen have insisted on the release of a detained Islamist, as Japan's embassy said on Monday that the hostage remains in the hands of tribesmen and not Al-Qaeda.
'The captors have stressed that they will not release their hostage except in return for the release of a member of their tribe who is held by the authorities,' mediator Mohammed Sawa told AFP. (AFP)
While a noodle-cooking robot has been around for a while, apparently noodle-creating has just entered the robotic age. The Sanuki Shokunin robot can make traditional buckwheat soba noodles and other Japanese noodles of varying thickness and ingredients, but this robot is eyeing global dominance. A slight change to the settings and it can also crank out Chinese noodles too. Lo Mein anyone? (dvice.com)
The Japanese Finance Ministry is planning to float 140,000 billion yen (£950 billion) of “ordinary” government bonds in 2010, an unprecedented issuance of debt that will reignite concerns about the creditworthiness of the world’s second biggest economy.
The government is expected to issue about 100,000 billion yen in bonds - to roll over previously issued bonds - an increase of 10,000 billion yen over the figure for the present financial year.
(Times Online)
A 37-year-old woman diagnosed with premature menopause had a baby boy earlier this month from an egg grown through the administration of a hormonal agent, her doctors said Saturday.St. Marianna University School of Medicine in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, stirred the formation of ovarian follicles by administering the hormonal agent to pick up eggs from it, and grew them using culture fluid for external fertilization. (Japan Times)
Asian champions Japan scored four tries to overwhelm Canada 27-6 for their second straight win to wind up the two-game test series between the two countries on Saturday. Full back Go Aruga and right prop Kensuke Hatakeyama touched down the first two tries in the ninth and 20th minute to take a 10-0 lead. (AFP)
Japan's government and ruling parties are considering using money from state-owned Japan Post's [JP.UL] massive savings and insurance units to make loans to regional businesses, a Japanese newspaper said on Saturday. Japan Post Bank and Japan Post Insurance together hold around 300 trillion yen ($3,376 billion) in assets, a large portion of which is held in Japanese government bonds (JGBs). (Reuters)
Negotiations to release a Japanese engineer kidnapped by armed tribesmen in Yemen have fallen into difficulty in the final stage, sources close to the talks said Thursday.
The negotiations moved closer to an agreement, with local tribal leaders pledging to the captors that they will ask the Yemeni government to free a jailed relative, as demanded by the tribesmen, in exchange for the Japanese engineer and his driver, the sources said. (AP)
Whaling ships from Japan left today for Antarctic waters on an annual five-month voyage in pursuit of about 1,000 minke whales and a small number of endangered fin whales.
The seasonal hunts, during the Antarctic summer, are highly controversial. They're carried out in the name of research but the meat is sold in Japanese markets and restaurants and whatever research is conducted has been deemed questionable and unnecessary by many scientists outside Japan. (Los Angeles Times)
Facing losses of US$3.3 million in 2010, Japanese professional baseball is considering a series of international games involving Japan's national team to bring in revenue. Under the proposal being discussed, Japan's national team would play as many as 20 international exhibition games in February, March, July and November. (canoe.ca)
Buried in the back of Weekly Playboy (Nov. 23) is a report claiming that the lingering recession is resulting in popular adult video (AV) actresses increasingly being auctioned off at top-class sex establishments with none other than starlet Maria Ozawa appearing on the block.
A conventional deri heru (out-call) sex service, the tabloid explains, has an image of being inexpensive, but one staffed with AV ladies is quite the opposite, commanding fees between 30,000 and 50,000 yen a pop for run-of-the-mill actresses and three or four times those figures for top-name talents. (Tokyo Reporter)
Japan's obesity research association is considering revising as early as next year the waistline threshold, a key gauge used to diagnose obesity and metabolic syndrome, to better reflect the reality of health conditions among the Japanese, sources close to the association said Wednesday.
The Japan Society for the Study of Obesity currently sets the benchmark waist size at 85 centimeters or more for men, and 90 cm or more for women to diagnose obesity. Japan's health ministry has been using the criteria in metabolic syndrome check-ups. (AP)
Several people were injured when a stone worker riding on a Tokyo subway train accidentally broke a container of hydrochloric acid he was carrying, the fire department and media said Wednesday.
Television showed emergency vehicles and rescue workers in protective gear at Nihonbashi station in the crowded center of the Japanese capital.
The fire department said three people had been taken to hospital, while media reports said four were injured.
(Reuters)
The Michelin Guide's list of top Tokyo restaurants features French eateries, sushi shops and even blowfish specialists. Left entirely unrepresented is one of Japan's favorite foods: curry.
Yet this gooey, affordable culinary transplant regularly tops surveys as the favorite food among Japanese school kids and adults. Introduced from India by way of English traders in the 19th century, curry has been adapted to local taste and has become as much a part of Japanese popular culture as baseball. (Bloomberg)
Tatsuya Ichihashi, the prime suspect in the 2007 murder of British woman Lindsay Hawker, received a nutritional supplement shot Monday after staggering on his way to an interrogation room, his lawyer said Wednesday.
Ichihashi, 30, who is believed not to have eaten anything since his arrest on Nov. 10, lost his balance when he was heading to the room from his cell, prompting the police to give him the injection, the lawyer said after meeting with him. (AP)
Police have determined that a U.S. Army serviceman was involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident in Okinawa Prefecture and are seeking the U.S. military's cooperation in urging him to present himself to the Japanese authorities, police sources said Wednesday.
The 27-year-old staff sergeant at the Torii communication station in Yomitan, Okinawa, has refused to face Japanese investigators, claiming their investigation is not being carried out fairly. (AP)
Four out of five Koreans in Japan have no desire to become naturalized Japanese citizens, a straw poll suggests. Japanese Justice Ministry statistics show around 10,000 Koreans became naturalized between 2003 and 2009. Around 62,000 North Koreans and around 486,000 South Koreans have settled in Japan with permanent residency status as of July 2009. (chosun.com)
Feng Zhenghu's life resembles a movie, but it's not quite as glamorous. For one thing, he's an awful lot smellier than Tom Hanks was when he played the part of an airline passenger caught in the no man's land of an international airport.
The environmentally friendly washrooms at Tokyo's Narita Airport are so stingy with the water they apportion at each sink that Feng says he has not been able to have anything resembling a bath for the two weeks he's been living in the international arrivals area, in the space between the airline gates and the immigration booths. (canada.com)
Cyberspace has erupted with talk of two Miss Universe contestants involved in a threesome with a fine arts photographer.
Miss Universe Japan 2008 Hiroko Mima and Miss Universe Trinidad and Tobago 2008 Anya Ayoung-Chee are said to have had sex with Anya's boyfriend Wyatt Gallery, and with each other.
Some websites even claim to have an intimate video of the alleged sexual escapades of the trio.
One website claimed it had four videos, along with pictures, of the two girls and Wyatt "having a really good time." (AsiaOne)
As Nobuyuki Tsujii finished the last note of Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise brillante by Chopin, the packed audience in Tokyo's Kioi Hall broke into an emotional applause. Executing each piece with energy and concentration, the 21-year-old classical pianist, who has been blind since birth, mesmerized the typically reserved Tokyo crowd in a two-hour solo performance on his latest tour. Kumi Araki, a 25-year-old from downtown Toyko, gushed. "I am so moved. Before I knew it, I was standing to applaud!" she says, wiping at tears. (Time)
Tatsuya Ichihashi, the man suspected of killing the British teacher Lindsay Ann Hawker, has become a bizarre object of admiration among a number of online communities of Japanese women. Posting on social networking sites such as Mixi and 2Channel, some have even taken to referring to Ichihashi as The Fugitive Prince or Lord Ichi. Others have claimed that he could not possibly have committed the crime because he looks so kind. (telegraph.co.uk)
In a cramped apartment in Tokyo, volunteers are teaching Burmese asylum seekers how to make clothes combining Japanese fashion with their own traditional embroidery.
They hope the project will give women like Lu [not her real name] a way to make ends meet.
It has been three years since Lu fled Burma, leaving her husband and children behind. She claimed asylum on arrival in Tokyo and was sent straight to an immigration detention centre where she spent almost a year. (BBC)
A Japanese man held hostage in Yemen was not released late on Tuesday because of a last-minute dispute between Yemeni tribesmen and mediators, a provincial official said on Wednesday.
The same official had told Reuters on Tuesday night that the tribesmen had handed the hostage to mediators and that the man, an engineer abducted in an area northeast of the capital Sanaa, was expected to arrive soon in Sanaa. (Reuters)
From high school girls to foreign nationals, a growing number of people in downtown Tokyo are taking advantage of the anonymity of certain Internet cafes in dangerous ways.
Some people want to conceal their identities and these cafes have given their tacit approval.
Others just want to feel safe when using Internet cafes. Will confirming users' identities really become standard at Internet cafes?
(Yomiuri)
JAPAN
|
Overview|
Entry/Visas|
Employment|
Phrase Book|
Hostels|
Traveller Comments|
Entry requirements
A valid passport and a return ticket is required by all visitors to Japan. Visas are not required by US or EU nationals for a stay of up to three months. Further visas and visas for other nationalities are issued at the local Japanese Embassy or Consulate and their exact validity and price varies widely with nationality.
Addresses
Visa and immigration related enquiries should be directed to the nearest Japanese Embassy of Consulate;
Embassy of Japan
101 Piccadilly
London
W1V 9FN
Tel: (020) 7 465 6500
Fax: (020) 7 491 9348
If you require UK representation while in Japan you should contact the British Embassy;
British Embassy
No 1 Ichiban-cho
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 102-8381
Tel: + [81] (3) 5211 1100
Fax: + [81] (3) 5275 0346
embassy@tokyo.mail.fco.gov.uk
Girls clad in maids' outfits are not traditionally associated with Buddhism, but that has not stopped monks at a centuries-old temple using Japanese pop culture to woo visitors. The Ryohoji temple, built in the late 16th century in a Tokyo suburb, erected a colourful manga-inspired sign at its entrance in June and has since seen visitor numbers perk up - especially young men. But it went a step further at the weekend, setting up tents and opening up a temporary cafe staffed by bonnet-wearing girls sporting classic frills, one of the recent popular themes among fans of anime and costume role-playing. (AFP)
The kidnappers of a Japanese engineer in Yemen have insisted on the release of a detained Islamist, as Japan's embassy said on Monday that the hostage remains in the hands of tribesmen and not Al-Qaeda.
'The captors have stressed that they will not release their hostage except in return for the release of a member of their tribe who is held by the authorities,' mediator Mohammed Sawa told AFP. (AFP)
While a noodle-cooking robot has been around for a while, apparently noodle-creating has just entered the robotic age. The Sanuki Shokunin robot can make traditional buckwheat soba noodles and other Japanese noodles of varying thickness and ingredients, but this robot is eyeing global dominance. A slight change to the settings and it can also crank out Chinese noodles too. Lo Mein anyone? (dvice.com)
The Japanese Finance Ministry is planning to float 140,000 billion yen (£950 billion) of “ordinary” government bonds in 2010, an unprecedented issuance of debt that will reignite concerns about the creditworthiness of the world’s second biggest economy.
The government is expected to issue about 100,000 billion yen in bonds - to roll over previously issued bonds - an increase of 10,000 billion yen over the figure for the present financial year.
(Times Online)
Asian champions Japan scored four tries to overwhelm Canada 27-6 for their second straight win to wind up the two-game test series between the two countries on Saturday. Full back Go Aruga and right prop Kensuke Hatakeyama touched down the first two tries in the ninth and 20th minute to take a 10-0 lead. (AFP)
Japan's obesity research association is considering revising as early as next year the waistline threshold, a key gauge used to diagnose obesity and metabolic syndrome, to better reflect the reality of health conditions among the Japanese, sources close to the association said Wednesday.
The Japan Society for the Study of Obesity currently sets the benchmark waist size at 85 centimeters or more for men, and 90 cm or more for women to diagnose obesity. Japan's health ministry has been using the criteria in metabolic syndrome check-ups. (AP)
The Michelin Guide's list of top Tokyo restaurants features French eateries, sushi shops and even blowfish specialists. Left entirely unrepresented is one of Japan's favorite foods: curry.
Yet this gooey, affordable culinary transplant regularly tops surveys as the favorite food among Japanese school kids and adults. Introduced from India by way of English traders in the 19th century, curry has been adapted to local taste and has become as much a part of Japanese popular culture as baseball. (Bloomberg)
Cyberspace has erupted with talk of two Miss Universe contestants involved in a threesome with a fine arts photographer.
Miss Universe Japan 2008 Hiroko Mima and Miss Universe Trinidad and Tobago 2008 Anya Ayoung-Chee are said to have had sex with Anya's boyfriend Wyatt Gallery, and with each other.
Some websites even claim to have an intimate video of the alleged sexual escapades of the trio.
One website claimed it had four videos, along with pictures, of the two girls and Wyatt "having a really good time." (AsiaOne)
As Nobuyuki Tsujii finished the last note of Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise brillante by Chopin, the packed audience in Tokyo's Kioi Hall broke into an emotional applause. Executing each piece with energy and concentration, the 21-year-old classical pianist, who has been blind since birth, mesmerized the typically reserved Tokyo crowd in a two-hour solo performance on his latest tour. Kumi Araki, a 25-year-old from downtown Toyko, gushed. "I am so moved. Before I knew it, I was standing to applaud!" she says, wiping at tears. (Time)
Tatsuya Ichihashi, the man suspected of killing the British teacher Lindsay Ann Hawker, has become a bizarre object of admiration among a number of online communities of Japanese women. Posting on social networking sites such as Mixi and 2Channel, some have even taken to referring to Ichihashi as The Fugitive Prince or Lord Ichi. Others have claimed that he could not possibly have committed the crime because he looks so kind. (telegraph.co.uk)
In a cramped apartment in Tokyo, volunteers are teaching Burmese asylum seekers how to make clothes combining Japanese fashion with their own traditional embroidery.
They hope the project will give women like Lu [not her real name] a way to make ends meet.
It has been three years since Lu fled Burma, leaving her husband and children behind. She claimed asylum on arrival in Tokyo and was sent straight to an immigration detention centre where she spent almost a year. (BBC)