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Introduction
Open the world map and look at the extensive Asia/ Pacific
region. Almost at the very center, you'll discover the
Japanese archipelago stretching north to south along the
eastern edge of the Asian continent. Japan has lured untold
numbers of adventure since Marco Polo first introduced
it to the world back in the 13th century as "Zipangu
- the land of Gold."
Though the Japan of today may not be a land of gold, the
"NEO ZIPANGU" does possess powerful and
magnet-like attractions: great culture variety, colorful
and inspiring natural attractions beautifully interwoven
by distinct for seasonal changees, not to mention the
overflowing hospitality of its people. As such, Japan
is vigrously gaining in popularity as a tourist destination
that is easily accessible from any part of the world.
A destination any on can enjoy on a resonable budget and
with a sense of complete security.
This is where the past literally greets the furture. This
is where they both mingle. Japan has a long history of
absorbing advance cultures from the Asian Continent from
ancient times through the Middle Ages. Later it began
to assimilate elements of western civilization from latter
half of the 19th century. By selectively assimilating
these many cultural influence, the country hassuccessfully
added rich new dimensions and depth to its indigenous
culture. This marvelous harmony between the refinement
of things and concepts "Oriental" blended
with the leading-edge technology and the often ultra-modern
urban lifestyle you find in Japan today is truly proof
of a long and eloquent history.
Beautiful, relaxing, nostalgic, profound, fashionable,
mouth-watering, exciting, succulent, historic, cultural,
Just name it!, Japan, Japan! Which would you like to meet¥
Interwined with a genuine and heart-warming hospitality,
Japan awaits you. Yes! Welcome to our Japan!
Japan General Information
Total Land Area: About 378,000 sq. km.., an archipelago
of over 6,800 islands
Population: 127 million
Capitol: Tokyo, with a population of some 12 million
Official Language: Japanese; English is taught in schools
from the 7th grade on.
Relogion: Shintoism and Buddhism are the two main religions.
Climate: Generally mild, but since the nation stretches
for some 3,000 km. from the north to south, the weather
depends on where and when one travels.
Seasonal
Clothing (for Tokyo & Vicinity):
Spring (Mar. - May.): lightweight jackets and sweaters
Summer(Jun. - Aug.): light clothing, short sleeves
Autumn (Sep. - Nov.): same as spring
Winter (Dec. - Feb.): topcoats, wool suites and warm sweaters
and jackets.
National
Holidays
Date
National Holiday
|
Days |
| January
1 |
New
Year's Day |
| 2nd
Monday of January |
Coming-of-age
Day |
| February
11 |
National
Foundation Day |
| March
20 (or 21) |
Vernal
Equinox Day |
| April
29 |
Greenery
Day |
| May
3 |
Constitution
Memorial Day |
| May
5 |
Children's
Day |
| 3rd
Monday of July |
Maritime
Day |
| 3rd
Monday of September |
Respect-for-the-aged
Day |
| September
23 (or 24) |
Autumnal
Equinox Day |
| 2nd
Monday of October |
Health-Sports
Day |
| November
3 |
Culture
Day |
| November
23 |
Labor
Thanksgiving Day |
| December
23 |
The
Emperor's Birthday |
When a national holiday falls on a Sunday,
the following Monday becomes a holiday. When a weekday
is sandwiched between national holidays (except Sundays
and Mondays), it also becomes a holiday. This rule applies
to the 4th of May.
December 25 (Christmas) is not a national holiday in Japan.
Government and other public offices as well as many companies
are closed between December 29 and January 3.
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Passport
and Visa
Any foreign visitors desiring to enter Japan must have
a valid passport.
A visa is not required for many nationals to visit Japan
temporarily as long as they do not engage in any remunerative
activity. There are "Reciprocal Visa Exemption
Arrangements" with the following countries:
For a stay of 6 months or less
Austria, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Switzerland,
and the United Kingdom (except when the passport is originally
issued in British colonial territories)
For a stay of 3 months or less
Argentina, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia,
Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Rep.,
El Salvador, Finland, France, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras,
Iceland, Israel, Italy, Lesotho, Luxembourg, Macedonia,
Malta, Mauritius, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal (except
when the passport is originally issued in present or former
Portuguese colonial territories), San Marino, Singapore,
Slovenia, Spain, Surinam, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey and
Uruguay
For a stay of 90 days or less
Andorra, Australia, Barbados, Czech Rep., Estonia, Hungary,
Latvia, Lithuania, Monaco, New Zealand, Poland and the
U.S.A.
For a stay of up to 14 days
Brunei
Nationals of countries that do not have "Reciprocal
Visa Exemption Arrangements" with Japan, must obtain
a visa.
For sightseeing, you will generally need a "Temporary
Visitor's Visa" which is granted for 90 days
or less. This category of visa is also valid for activities
such as visits to relatives, academic research and business
trips. However, this category excludes profit-making operations
and paid activities.
To apply for a visa, the applicant must apply in person
to a Japanese Embassy or Consulate. The following documents
must be submitted whatever the purpose of the visit: (1)
valid passport; (2) two passport-type photos taken within
the previous six months; (3) two official visa application
forms, available at the embassy or a consulate; (4) documents
certifying the purpose of the visit.
As the type of documents to be submitted or presented
may differ according to the purposes of the visit, please
check with the Japanese Embassy or Consulate in your country
beforehand.
Visa Fee Exemption: The
nationals of some 60 countries around the world are exempted
from visa fees.
Inoculation
There are no requirements for foreign travelers from any
country regarding certificates of vaccination.
Animal and Plant Quarantine
Any imported animal, animal product and plants are subject
to quarantine inspection at airports and ports in Japan.
Some of them are prohibited to import to Japan. If their
importation is allowed, they must be accompanied by an
inspection certificate issued by the competent government
authorities of exporting countries certifying the articles
concerned are disease-free.
Customs
An oral declaration of your personal effects will suffice
except: (1) when you have unaccompanied baggage; or (2)
when you bring in articles in excess of the duty-free
allowance. In the above cases, a written declaration will
be requested at customs. Customs duty will not be levied
on personal effects as long as their contents and quantities
are deemed reasonable by the customs officer. In addition,
the following items can be brought in duty free: (1) 500
grams of tobacco or 400 cigarettes or 100 cigars; (2)
3 bottles (760 c.c. each) of liquor; (3) 2 ounces of perfume;
(4) gifts and souvenirs other than the above whose total
market value does not exceed ¥200,000.
Passenger Service Facility Charge
For convenience, passengers departing from Narita Airport
have the passenger service facility charge included in
their air fare (¥2,040 for adults, ¥1,020 for
children) and do not need to pay separately at the airport.
Passengers leaving from Kansai Airport on international
flights are obliged to pay this charge in yen (¥2,650
for adults, ¥1 ,330 for children) at the airport.
Transit passengers taking connecting flights the same
day do not pay this charge. Infants aged one year or younger
are also exempt. This charge is not levied at other international
airports in Japan.
Currency You can bring in and take out any currency.
However, if you transport currency or other means of payment
in excess of ¥1,000,000 or its equivalent, you are
required to report this to Customs.
The unit of currency is the yen (indicated as ¥).
Coins are ¥1, ¥5, ¥10,¥50, ¥100 and
¥500. Bank note denominations are ¥1,000, ¥2,000,
¥5,000 and ¥10,000.
You can buy yen at foreign exchange banks and other authorized
money exchangers. At the international airports, currency
exchange counters are open during normal office hours.
The exchange rate fluctuates daily depending on the money
market.
Traveler's Checks and Credit Cards Traveler's checks are
accepted by leading banks, hotels, ryokan and stores in
major cities. International credit cards such as American
Express, VISA, Diners Club, MasterCard and JCB are also
acceptable at these major establishments. Credit card
transactions, however, are not always convenient outside
big cities. So obtaining cash beforehand is recommended
when you travel to the countryside.
Useful
Information
Drinking Water
Tap water is safe to drink anywhere in Japan. Mineral
water is available at hotels, department and convenience
stores, supermarkets and high-class
restaurants.
Electricity
The electric current for home use is uniformly 100 volts,
A.C., throughout Japan but there are two different cycles
in use -50 hertz in eastern Japan, and 60 hertz in western
Japan. Leading hotels in Tokyo and other big cities have
two outlets of 110 and 220 volts but their sockets usually
accept two- prong plugs only. Major hotels have hair dryers
and other electric appliances available on a loan basis.
No Tipping
Individual tipping is not common in Japan, since a 10
to 15% service charge is added to the bill at leading
hotels, ryokan and higher-class restaurants. No tip is
necessary unless you request some extra special services.
Emergency
Dial 110 for the police and 119 to report a fire or to
call an ambulance. For these numbers, one does not have
to insert the usual ¥10 coin. If you call from a green
public telephone, lift the receiver and push the red button
before dialing the number. In case of gray and IC card
public phones, just lift the receiver and dial the number.
Other useful telephone numbers are as follows:
AMDA International Medical Information Center Tokyo Tel.03-5285-8088
Kansai Tel.06-6636-2333
Tokyo Metropolitan Health & Medical Information Center
Tel.03-5285-8181 (only for information within Tokyo) Metropolitan
Police Dept. Counseling Service for Foreigners Tel. 03-3503-8484
Public Telephones
They are found virtually everywhere in Japan. There are
green and gray color phones which accept ¥1 0 coins,
¥100 coins and a magnetic prepaid card. IC card phones
accept only IC prepaid cards. A local call is ¥10
for a minute and no change is given when you use ¥100
coins.
Instructions on "How to use the phone" is pasted
on gray phones and IC prepaid card-operated phones.
You can make a direct overseas call from gray or IC card
phones that are marked with "International &
Domestic Card/Coin Telephone."
Meanwhile, the use of prepaid cards issued by several
telephone companies (such as "Moshi Moshi Card")
enables you to make domestic as well as international
calls on virtually all types of public telephones. These
prepaid cards are available at station kiosks and so on.
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