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Too lazy to be ambitious, I let the world take care of itself ten days of a rice value in my bag; a bundle of twigs in my home Why chatter about delusion and enlightenment listening to the rain of the night on my roof, I sit comfortably with both legs stretched Ryokan Taigu.
The Land of the Rising Sun is a country where the past meets the future Japanese culture goes back thousands of years, but has also been quick to adopt and created the latest modern fashions and trends.
Japan is often difficult to understand for people trained in the west It may seem full of contradictions Many Japanese companies dominate their industries, but if you read financial news, it seems that Japan is practically bankrupt Cities are the technologies modern and high everywhere, but dilapidated wooden shacks can still be spotted next to designer condos glazed on average subway ride, you can see childishly cute character toys and pornography unprecedented violence - sometimes appreciated the same passenger, at the same time, Japan has beautiful temples and gardens are often surrounded by garish signs and ugly buildings the most acclaimed restaurants in the country, which costs hundreds of dollars for dinner, is located small store in a subway station that can accommodate fewer than a dozen people in the middle of gr Modern atte-sky you are sliding discover wooden doors that lead to traditional rooms with tatami mats, shoji screens and calligraphy, suitable for traditio tea ceremonies NAL These juxtapositions may seem confusing or jarring to those used for the more uniform nature of cities European and north American, but if you let go and accept the aesthetic layers, you will find interesting and surprising places in the country.
Japan has often been seen in the West as a land combining tradition and modernity, and many traditional structures and practices are preserved, but the structures and modern practices certainly dominate your experience in Japan Japan was the first Asian country to modernize independently, and the country continues to adopt new technologies and aesthetics, but unlike many countries, Japan does not feel a particular need to attack or delete old technologies, structures or things new practices most of the time just in layers next to old things that does not mean that Japan embraces the large-scale conservation of historic structures or people generally practice traditional ceremonies, but people generally believe that if a small many people want to continue a tradition or preserve a building that pos sèdent, they should be allowed to do it this way, development mostly happens piecemeal, one building at a time, rather than in large redevelopment projects Many urba n blocks to evolve align dozens of narrow buildings covering fifty or more years in the history of clothing design styles evolve along a dozen paths simultaneously rather than fashion trends singular mass an individual who embraces a subculture and special modes can vary alternately comply with different standards work or at home, but there is little sense of a conflict between these roles.
The location of Japan on the islands on the outer edge of Asia has had a profound influence on its history Just close enough to mainland Asia, far enough to keep aside, much of the history of Japan has experienced alternating periods of closure and opening Until recently, Japan was able to turn on or off its connection to the rest of the world to accept foreign cultural influences jerks It is comparable to the relationship between great Britain and the rest of Europe, but with a much wider channel.
Recorded Japanese history begins in the 5th century, although archaeological evidence of settlement dating back to 50,000 years and the mythical Emperor Jimmu would have founded the current Imperial line in the 7th century BC Archaeological evidence, however, has managed to trace the Imperial line back to the Kofun period during the 3 to 7 centuries of our era, which was also when the Japanese were in significant contact with China and Korea Japan then gradually became a centralized state during Asuka period during which Japan extensively absorbed many aspects of Chinese culture, and saw the introduction of Mahayana Buddhism and Confucianism popular board game of Go is also believed to have been introduced to Japan during this period.

The first strong Japanese state was centered in Nara, which was built to model the then Chinese capital a Chang This period, called the Nara period, the last time the emperor actually held the political power, the power finally fall into the hands of the nobles of the court during the Heian period when the capital was moved to Kyoto then known as Heian-kyo, which remained the Japanese imperial residence until the 19th century Chinese influence has also reached its peak during Heian period, which saw Buddhism become a popular religion among the masses This was then followed by the Kamakura period when the samurai managed to gain political power Minamoto no Yoritomo, the most powerful of them was dubbed shogun by the emperor and ruled from his base in Kamakura Muromachi then saw the Ashikaga shogunate in power, to power their base in Ashikaga Japan and sombr in the anarchy of the Warring States period in the 15th century Tokugawa Ieyasu finally reunified t he country in 1600 and founded the Tokugawa shogunate feudal state ruled from Edo, or modern Tokyo A strict caste system was imposed, with Shogun and his samurai warriors at the top of the heap and no social mobility permitted.
During this period, dubbed the Edo Period Tokugawa rule kept the country stable, but stagnant with a policy of almost total isolation except Dutch and Chinese merchants in certain designated cities as the world around them rushed forward Black Ships US Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Yokohama in 1854, forcing the country to open up to trade with the West, leading to the signing of unequal treaties and the collapse of the shogunate in the Meiji restoration 1867 during which the imperial capital was moved from Kyoto to Edo, now renamed Tokyo After observing Western colonization in South Asia division and the weakening of China, the Japanese had long considered the greatest superpower in the world, Japan has promised not to be exceeded by the West, will launch headlong into a drive to industrialize and moderni ser in a frantic adoption of Western technology speed and wholesale of culture, cities in Japan soon, buildings sprouted railways and brick factories, and even the disastrous earthquake of Kanto Great 1923, which flattened a large part of Tokyo and killed more than 100,000 people, was barely a bump in the road.
From day one, Japan poor in resources had looked elsewhere for supplies he needs, and it soon turned into a drive to develop and colonize neighboring Sino-Japanese War of 1894 95 saw Japan take control of Taiwan, Korea and parts of Manchuria and victory against Russia in 1904 5 Russo-Japanese war has consolidated its strong position with a government increasingly totalitarian controlled by the military, Japan launched an invasion scale of China through Manchuria in 1931 and in 1941 had an empire that spans much of Asia and the Pacific in 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii destroy much of the American fleet Pacific, but the drawing America into war, the tide soon began to turn against Japan when he was forced to surrender in 1945 after the nuclear attacks on Hiros hima and Nagasaki in January 86 million Japanese soldiers and civilians were killed, more than 10 million Chinese and other Asians were killed, many in the atrocities committed by the Japanese military machine, and Japan was occupied for the first time in its history, the Emperor kept his throne, but lost his position similar to God in the constitution imposed converted to pacifism and democracy, the US taking care of defense, Japan now directed his prodigious energy in technology and the peaceful re-emerged from poverty to conquer the markets of the world with an endless stream of cars and consumer electronics to reach the second gross national product in the world.
But the unbridled growth could not last forever, and after the Nikkei stock index hit the dizzying heights of 39,000 in 1989, well and truly burst bubble, leading to Japan's lost decade of the 1990s which saw real estate bubbles deflate, the market drop by half and, adding insult to injury, Hanshin 1995 that leveled parts of Kobe and killed more than 6,000 people the economy has yet to fully recover from its slump, with deflation of prices driving down a burden increasingly unbearable Nearing public debt 200 of GDP and a growing polarization of Japanese society mixed with permanent and non-propertied freeters racy temporary employment This resulted Japan lost its position as the second largest economy to its big neighbor in the world, China the Japanese have one of the highest standards of living dan s the world.

Japan is not always busy as this beach Taketomi Okinawa.
As an island nation cut off from the world for a long time with soft exceptions of China and Korea, Japan is very homogeneous Almost 99 of the population is of Japanese origin The largest minority are Koreans, around 1 million strong many in their 3rd or 4th generation There are also sizable populations of Chinese, Filipinos and Brazilians, although many are of Japanese origin that largely assimilated, the resident Chinese population maintains a presence in three different cities indigenous ethnic minorities Kobe Nagasaki and Yokohama in Japan include the Ainu on Hokkaido gradually drove north over the centuries and now number about 50,000, although the number varies considerably depending on the exact definition used, and the people Ryukyu Okinawa.
The Japanese are well known for their politeness Many Japanese are thrilled to have visitors in their country and are incredibly useful lost and disoriented foreign-looking young Japanese are often very interested to meet and become friends with strangers and do not be surprised if a Japanese person usually of the opposite sex approach you in a public place and tries to start a conversation with you in somewhat coherent English on the other, many are not used to dealing with foreigners and gaikokujin are more reserved and reluctant to communicate.
Visibly foreign visitors remain rare in many parts of Japan outside the major cities, and you'll likely encounter moments when entering a store that the staff seems to panic and rush away in the back Don take t what the racism or other xenophobia they're just afraid you'll try to address them in English and they will be embarrassed because they can not understand or answer does a smile and a Konnichiwa Hello aid often.
Japan has undergone periods of openness and isolation throughout its history, Japanese culture is if anything unique While heavy Chinese influences are evident in traditional Japanese culture, it has retained many native Japanese customs, which in a seemingly homogeneous mixture.

Festival procession in the neon-drenched alleys of Shinjuku in Tokyo.
The most important holiday in Japan is New Year お 正月 Oshogatsu that firm enough much of the country's December 30 to January 3 Japanese head their families which means congestion massive transport, eat festive foods and head to the vicinity of the temple at midnight race to wish the new year Many Japanese often visit other countries and the prices of airline tickets are very high.
From late March to early April on average in May in Hokkaido, Japan's head en masse for hanami 花 見, lighted viewing flowers, picnics festival and drunken revelry in parks, cleverly disguised as cherry blossom 桜 sakura the exact time visualization of the famous ephemeral flowers varies from year to year, and Japan TV channels follow the progress of south cherry blossom front north obsessively It is actually impossible to accurately predict when the flowers come out until about a month to do it, but there are several online sources to controls on the forecast, such as the weather map and JNTO Rurubu to drive the flowers, try looking at these sites in the world in February.
The longest holiday is Golden Week April 27 to May 6, but varies slightly, when there are four holidays in a week and everybody goes on extended holiday trains are crowded and flight and hotel prices are jacked up to multiples of normal prices, making a bad time to travel to Japan, but the weeks immediately before or after the golden week are excellent choices, it is also the season wisteria, which is extremely beautiful.

Summer brings a series of festivals designed to distract people from the unbearable heat and humidity similar to that of the US Midwest There are local festivals matsuri 祭 competitions and impressive fireworks Hanabi 花火 throughout Tanabata 七夕 the country on 7 July or early August in some places, commemorates a story crossed lovers who could not meet that day.
The largest summer festival is Obon お 盆 held in mid-July in eastern Japan Kanto and mid-August in western Japan Kansai, which honors departed ancestral spirits Everyone goes home to visit village graveyards, and transport is packed.
Many cities and towns across Japan have their own unique seasonal Matsuri if you visit a specific place, it may be wise to check what is coming and when it will occur.
Lunar holidays such as equinoxes may vary by a day or two; the below is accurate list for 2012 Holidays that fall on a weekend may be observed with a bank holiday the following Monday Keep in mind that most Japanese take additional leave time around New Year, during the golden week, and during Obon the most important festival is the New year's day, and many shops and restaurants close at least 2 days during this period, so it might not be the ideal time to visit, however, convenience stores remain open, and many temples conduct day fairs of the year, then it is still difficult to find food.

January 1 - New Year Ganjitsu 元日 or Gantan 元旦.
January 9 Second Monday of the month - Coming-of-Age Day Seijin no hi 成人 の 日.
February 11 - Kenkoku Foundation National Day Kinen no hi 建国 記念 の 日.
March 20 - Vernal Equinox day Shunbun not salvation 春分 の 日.

April 29 - Showa Showa no hi days 昭和 の 日 - first holiday of Golden Week.
May 5 - Children's Day Kodomo no hi こ ど も の 日 - last holiday of Golden Week.
July 16 third Monday of the month - Marine Day umi no hi 海 の 日.
September 17 the third Monday of the month - Respect-for-the-Aged Day keiro not salvation 敬老 の 日.

September 22 - Fall Equinox Day shuubun not salvation 秋分 の 日.
October 8 seconds Monday of the month - not Taiiku Sports Day hi 体育 の 日.
November 23 - Thanksgiving Day Kinro not work Kansha hi 勤 労 感謝 の 日.
December 23 - The Emperor Birthday tennō Tanjobi 天皇 誕生 日.
The year of the imperial era, which includes the year of ascension of the Emperor, is often used to keep track of dates in Japan, including transportation timetables and store receipts The current era is Heisei 平 成 and Heisei 24 corresponds to the year 2012 can be written or H24 only 24, so 24 April 1st is April 1, 2012 Western years are well understood and frequently used.
Japan has two dominant religious traditions 神道 Shinto is the ancient animist religion of traditional Japan, and Buddhism officially arrived in 552 CE For much of its history, the two religions are not clearly differentiated, but there was a schism when Buddhism has lost favor with the fall of the Shogun and subsequent modernization of the country in the late 19th century Today the two religions are clearly separated, most Buddhist elements have long been removed from most of the shrines Shinto ceremonies and are clearly separated.

Christianity has never gained wide acceptance in Japan since the opening of Japan to the world, and while it is persecuted without more, only a small percentage of Japanese are Christians.
In general, the Japanese are not a particularly religious people Often visit shrines and temples to offer coins and make silent prayers, and many homes often have a small shrine or expose religious objects of various temples, but there are few religious mention faith or dogma in the daily life of Japanese also tend to not think of religion as a matter of dogma or creed, but as a matter of specific practices, and they follow the practices of various religions as suites, so it would be impossible to try to represent what percentage of the population is Shinto against Buddhist, or even Christian According to a famous poll, Japan is 80 Shinto and 80 Buddhist and another often quoted dictum states that Japanese are Shinto when they live, such as weddings and festivals are usually shi ntoïste but Buddhist when they die, since funerals usually use Buddhist rites most Japanese accept a little of all religions, for example, the Christmas decoration is pro bablement most obvious in Tokyo as New York, but there little thought of Christ.
Meanwhile, Shinto and Buddhism have had an enormous influence on the history of the country's cultural life The Shinto religion focuses on the spirit of the earth, and is reflected in the exquisite gardens of the country and sanctuaries peaceful deep in ancient forests When you visit a Jinja shrine 神社 with its simple torii 鳥 居 door, you see the customs and Shinto styles If you see an empty plot of land with suspended white paper into a square, c is a Shinto ceremony to dedicate the land for a new building of Buddhism in Japan has branched out in many directions over the centuries Nichiren 日 蓮 is currently the largest branch of Western Buddhist beliefs are probably most familiar with Zen 禅Buddhism was introduced in Japan in the 14th and 15th centuries Zen fit the aesthetic and moral sensibilities of medieval Japan, influencing the s arts such as organizing flowers 生 け 花 ikebana, tea ceremony 茶道 Sado, ceramics, painting, calligraphy, poetry, and a martial rts Over the years, Shinto and Buddhism have intertwined considerably you the find side by side in the cities, towns and people's lives It's not unusual to find a sparse Shinto torii standing before a complex Buddhist temple o-tera お 寺.
Karaoke カ ラ オ ケ was invented in Japan and is found in almost all cities of Japan Pronounced kah-rah-ah-Keh it is abbreviated words empty orchestra in Japanese - many natives won t have a clue what you're talking about if you use the English keh-ree-oh-kee most karaoke places occupy several floors of a building you and your friends have a room to yourself - no strangers involved - and the standard hourly rate often includes the alcohol all-you-can-drink with refills ordered through a phone on the wall or through the karaoke machine itself the major chains all have good selections of English language songs Old folks prefer singing ballads enka at a local bar.

Also ubiquitous are pachinko parlors Pachinko is a form of gambling that involves dropping little steel balls in a machine; prizes are awarded depending on where they land Legally, you can not win lighters trinkets to computers, but in reality, most of pachinko players opt for indefinable tokens, they exchange off-site for money, bypassing the anti-gambling laws the air inside most pachinko parlors is severe enough to tobacco smoke, sweat and hot machinery without forgetting the shrill noise video arcades , although sometimes difficult to distinguish from the outside pachinko parlors all video games rather than gambling, and often several floors Unlike pachinko, they attract all ages, from children to adults, and are generally clean inside.
national game of Japan Go 囲 of igo, a strategy board game that originated in China no means everyone plays, but the game has columns of newspapers, television and professional players The game is also played in the West and there is a great asset wiki in English discuss a sunny day, the Tennoji Osaka room is a good place to join a crowd watching two Go masters go at it more GB, another popular game company Japan's shogi 将 棋 or Japanese chess.
Majan Mahjong is relatively popular in Japan, and often has on video games and Japanese arcade, although it's associated with illegal games and mahjong parlors can be pretty seedy Although the gameplay is similar scoring is radically different from different Chinese versions.
Baseball is very popular in Japan and popularity is a historic baseball was introduced in Japan around the 1870s by an American professor's baseball fans who travel internationally may find Japan as one of the great examples Popularity baseball outside the United States baseball is not only played in many high schools and by professionals, but also referenced in many Japanese pop culture and in addition, many Japanese players have continued to become better players Major League baseball's official Japanese baseball league is known as baseball name Nippon professional or simply known as Puro Yakyū プ ロ 野球, meaning professional baseball travelers who are interested in baseball can watch baseball games professional once in while with a friend or local Japanese make sure you reserve your bil let in advance the rules of Japanese baseball is not very different from baseball in the United States, although there are some minor variations Japanese national baseball team is also considered one of the strongest in the world after winning the first World Baseball Classic in 2006 and the second edition in 2009.

These days, the hand-drawn or CGI animation based television is also popular in Japan, especially those called otaku Although the TV animation or animated films was considered child before, today ' hui, many find Japanese so exciting that they are proud to be a part of their culture Note that Japanese does not distinguish between Western visual animation and animated nihon not say you love anime could mean that you like Naruto or cartoons Batman or the Flintstones the context of the conversation will dictate not call Japanime.
The Japanese are proud of their four seasons and a surprising number of them are firmly convinced that the phenomenon is unique to Japan, but the tourist with a flexible travel schedule should aim in the spring or fall.
Spring is one of the best times of year to be in Japan Temperatures are warm, but not hot, there's not too much rain, and March-April brings the justly famous sakura cherry flowers and a time of rejoicing and celebrations.
Summer starts with a dreary rainy season known as Tsuyu or baiu name in June and turns into a steam bath in July-August, with extreme humidity and the temperature heading as high as 35 C Avoid, or head north of Hokkaido and the Tohoku and Chubu mountains to escape the rise, however, is a series of fireworks shows 花火 大会 hanabi Taikai and festivals, large and small.

Fall from September, is also a great time to be in Japan Temperatures and humidity become more tolerable, fair days are common colors and autumn can be just as impressive as cherry blossoms However, typhoons early fall often struck southern Japan and put everything stalled.
Winter is a good time to go skiing or hot-spring hopping, but some buildings lack central heating, it is often the miserably cold inside south to Okinawa provides some relief There is snow often heavy in Hokkaido and northeast Japan due to the cold wind Siberia explosions Note that the Pacific coast of Honshu, where most major cities are located has milder winters than the sea coast of Japan, may be snowing in Kyoto while it is cloudy or sprinkling rain in Osaka, an hour.
There are multitudes of books written on Japan Some great, some not great surprisingly few recommended books include.
Untangling My Chopsticks ISBN 076790852X, by Victoria Abbott Riccardi mainly set in Kyoto.
My mother is an ISBN 1412048974 tractor by Nicholas Klar A former English teacher with a witty decision and information on written Japanese company depths of the Japanese countryside.

Hitching Rides with Buddha ISBN 1841957852, by Will Ferguson is a Canadian English teacher who hitches rides across the country after the cherry blossoms in bloom In some hilarious and deathly serious times, it gives a very honest evaluation of all sorts aspects of Japanese culture.
Culture Shock Japan ISBN 1558688528 Part of the Culture Shock series is an excellent overview of the culture and the Japanese way of life A good resource for a long stay or work related to Japan or even for interaction with the Japaneses.
All-You-Can Japan ISBN 1479216437, Josh Shulman is a unique guide travel to Japan that offers clever travel strategy to get an authentic and affordable experience in Japan The author was born and raised in Japan, and wrote this little guide in a casual, easy to read language.
Japan is traditionally divided into nine regions, listed here from north to south.
Okinawa south chain of semi-tropical island reach out to Taiwan; formerly independent kingdom of Ryukyu until it was annexed by Japan in 1879, customs and traditional architecture are very different from the rest of Japan.

Japan has thousands of cities; these are nine of the most important to the traveler.
Tokyo the capital and the main financial center, modern and high population density.
ancient capital Kyoto Japan, considered the cultural heart of the country, with many ancient Buddhist temples and gardens.
Nara first capital of a united Japan, with many Buddhist shrines, and historical buildings.
Osaka city large and dynamic located in the Kansai region.
Sapporo largest city in Hokkaido, famous for its snow festival.

Sendai largest city in the Tohoku region, known as the city of forests due to its tree lined avenues and wooded hills.
View 3 for some sights and places held in high esteem by the Japanese themselves, and off the beaten track in Japan for a selection of fascinating destinations, but less well known throughout the country of Japan.
Dewa Sanzan three sacred mountains frequented by pilgrims and ascetics on the west coast of Tohoku.
Japanese Alps series of high snow-capped mountains in central Honshu.
Miyajima right next to Hiroshima, site of the iconic floating torii.
Mount Fuji volcano topped by iconic snow and the highest peak in Japan 3776m.

Mount Koya mountain headquarters of the Shingon Buddhist sect.
Sado Island off Niigata, former home of exiles and prisoners, now a bright summer getaway.
Shiretoko National Park wilderness after northeasternmost Hokkaido.
Yaeyama Islands farthest Wick Causeway Okinawa, with spectacular snorkeling, beaches and cruise into the jungle.
UNESCO World Heritage Site Yakushima with huge cedars and pristine cloud forests.
Brunei citizens can visit without a visa for up to 15 days.

The citizens of Barbados Lesotho Malaysia Serbia and Turkey can visit without a visa for 90 days with a biometric passport only and only 15 days for citizens of Thailand.
The Taiwan citizens can visit without a visa for 90 days is the passport contains a personal identification number.
The citizens of Indonesia with an Indonesian biometric passport that was issued a visa exemption certificate of registration of the Japanese embassy or consulate in Indonesia can visit without a visa for up to 15 days.
China's citizens transiting cruise ships do not require a visa, but they must leave and return on the same cruise ship in order to qualify.
All other nationalities must obtain a temporary visitor visa before arrival, which is usually valid for a stay of 90 days the Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains an online guide to Japanese Visas No visa for transit on the same day between international flights at the same airport, as long as you do not leave the secure area.
All foreigners, except those on government business and certain permanent residents age 16 and over are electronically fingerprinted and photographed as part of immigration entry procedures This can be followed by a short interview conducted by the entry immigration officer will be refused if one of these procedures are refused.

In 2012, a new system is in place for foreigners staying more than 90 days a residence permit is issued to the input port, but the system currently applies only arrived in Narita Airport, Chubu, Kansai and Haneda arrival at other ports of entry will require a residence permit is obtained in a manner similar to the old alien registration system and a stamp will be placed in your passport to note that under the rules in up from 2012, a re-entry permit must be held more, in most cases, for stays of less than a year outside of Japan, however, the residence permit must be submitted to the final departure from Japan previously issued certificates of alien registration gaijin cards remain valid until the expiry or July 8, 2015.
A customs issue that trips some unwary travelers is that some over-the-counter medications including pseudoephedrine Actifed, Sudafed, Vicks inhalers and some drugs codeine against coughs are prohibited in Japan Certain prescription drugs for most painkillers are also prohibited strong, even if you have a prescription unless you specifically apply for permission in advance you can request permission to import drugs filled syringes as EpiPen and as you can usually take up to a month of supply of medicine assuming it is not just without requiring import licenses, known as shoumei yakkan If you need to take medicines regularly or wear an Epi-Pen inhaler, it's strongly recommended to contact Consulate of Japan in your country, the legislation surrounding drugs little wind change at any time, and plan a great time to receive an import certificate if necessary the process involves sending an application form by mail in Japan and receiving an EC rtificate again by mail after Ignorance about two weeks is not an excuse, and you can expect to be jailed and deported if caught View Japan Customs 1 for details, or check with the nearest Japanese Embassy or Consulate .
Once in Japan, you must have your passport or alien registration card or residence permit if necessary with you at any time if you get caught in a random check and without nightclub raids are not uncommon, you will be placed in custody until someone can search for you first offenders who apologize are usually let off with a warning, but you can theoretically be fined up to 200,000.
Citizens of all former Soviet countries except Estonia Latvia and Lithuania who can not provide the necessary financial guarantees and obtain a visa on your own must apply for a tourism business or resident in Japan.
The citizens of the Philippines and Vietnam traveling with a group with a registered Japanese travel agency can get a good tourist visa for up to 15 days.

The most common destination is intercontinental flight Narita Airport NRT which is about an hour east of Tokyo Haneda Airport HND Tokyo, first for domestic flights, recently completed an expansion allowing more international services, so many flights this convenient airport, are now available there is a third airport north of Tokyo, Ibaraki IBR trying to focus on discount carriers, but n has not yet attracted significant traffic.
The second most common destination is the airport Kansai KIX about an hour south of the international airport of Osaka ITM, commonly called Itami airport is primarily a domestic airport, but it is often cheaper and or more convenient to connect to Itami Kansai instead.
Fukuoka Airport FUK, Naha OKA Airport and New Chitose Airport CTS also have important international traffic, but it is mainly in the big cities of the region.
Just about every sizable city has an airport, but most focus on domestic flights with only an occasional service in Korea or China A popular alternative for travelers to these cities is to fly via Seoul on Korean Air or Asiana Airlines on this can even be cheaper than connecting in Japan.
Narita, Haneda and Kansai airports are generally easy to cross and not particularly crowded assuming you avoid the main holiday periods - namely New Year's late December - early January, late Golden Week from April - early May and mid-August Obon, when things are more hectic and expensive.
two major airlines of Japan are Japan Airlines JAL and All Nippon Airways ANA Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines also operate significant centers in Narita, with flights to many destinations in the US and Asia ANA offers domestic connections for Star Alliance carriers, JAL and offers domestic connections for oneworld airlines no domestic connections for SkyTeam, in this case, you may want to consider a national discount carrier.

There are a number of international ferries to Japan, but for a casual traveler, Busan is likely to be the only convenient destination from which to take a boat to Japan Except for the ferries from Busan to Fukuoka and Shimonoseki boats generally uncompetitive with air fares, schedules can be scarce and unreliable, and long travel times Unless you are traveling with a load, spending two days on a ferry is probably not practical.
Busan -Fukuoka JR Kyushu Ferry 2 092-281-2315 051-469-0778 Japan or Korea, operates hydrofoil service several times a day, taking about 3 5:00 base price is 13,000 one way, but discount until 8000 return are available with the purchase advanced 3 Mirajet offers a sister service based in Busan, and reservations are generally valid for any online company Camellia 4 Japan or 092-262-2323 051-466-7799 the Korea operates a ferry that takes about 8 hours and starts in 9000; if overnight, it can stop and wait in front of the port of Busan the morning until Korean Immigration opens at most airports compared, there should be relatively few security concerns on this line.
Busan -Shimonoseki Kampu Ferry 5 083-224-3000 051-464-2700 Japan or Korea, daily service from 12 pm; 9000.
Busan -Osaka BarnStar line 06-6271-8830 Japan or Korea 051-469-6131, offers three times weekly service 18 hours 13700.
Shanghai -Osaka Kobe Japan-China Ferry, 078-321-5791 or 021-6326-4357 Japan China, three times a week service 45 hours China CNY1,300, 20,000 from Japan.

-Kobe Tianjin China Express Line, Japan 03-3537-3107 or 022-2420-5777 China, a weekly service 50 hours 22,000.
Qingdao East Ferry -Shimonoseki 81 83 232-6615 Japan or China 0532-8387-1160, three times a week 38 hours, CNY15,000.
Suzhou -Shimonoseki Shanghai-Shimonoseki Ferry, 81 83 232-6615 Japan or China 0512-53186686, three times a week CNY15,000 service.
Keelung Taiwan -Ishigaki Star Cruises, Naha Taiwan 886-2-27819968 or 81 3 6403-5188 Japan, 6 irregular cruises in the summer high season from May to September are not available every year one-way fares generally not available.
Sakhaline -Wakkanai Heartland Ferry 5 5 hours; 21000 The service is suspended due to sea ice from October to April.
Vladivostok -Takaoka Fushiki Far East Shipping Co c o United Orient Shipping, 81 3 5640-3901 Tokyo, 42 hours a week or so; USD320.

Tama Monorail in Tokyo, one of the many countries of the transport systems.
Japan has one of the best transportation systems in the world and move is usually a breeze, the train is the favorite for most places While traveling around Japan is expensive, there are a variety of passes for foreign visits that can make travel more affordable.
To sort the transport schedules and fares, Hitachi Hyperdia is a valuable companion; it calculates directions, including all the different train options connecting While most useful for advanced planning longer routes, it is also very useful to navigate the complex networks of large cities, you also tend to get best results with this tool that ticket agents find for you if you just rely on them to choose Jorudan route is a similar service, but with fewer options to explore alternative routes the paper version of these is the Daijikokuhyō大 時刻表, directory size book available for browsing in every train station and most hotels, but Sá bit difficult to use as content is entirely Japanese microscopic a lighter version which includes only limited express, bed and shinkansen trains available from 7 overseas offices of the national Tourist Organization Japan schedules in English are available on the JR Hokkaido sites 8 JR East September 10 JR Central and JR Kyushu 11 Tokaido schedules, Sanyo and Kyushu shin kansen is also available in English on the Tabi-o calendar site ji Macoto 12 both Hyperdia and Tabi-o-ji calendar offers searches that exclude services Nozomi and Mizuho, ​​which will benefit the Japan Rail Pass holders see below While the search tools to find the best connections, with the timetable for a can handy station often served to make for a pleasant trip on the way to the most picturesque destinations You should also note that in the smaller stations, there is usually a big sign or poster calendar near the door you can quickly take a photo on your phone or digital camera for easy reference later.
In Japanese cities, the address of a place is useful for mail, but it is almost useless for actually there most places are described in terms of walking distance to the nearest train station, and in relation to local business cards benchmarks often have little cards printed on the back for easy navigation at least if you can read Japanese Furthermore, many stations have maps of the area that can help you find a destination if close enough to the typical station addresses are written as 1 丁目 2 -3 or 1-2-3, which is district 1, block 2, 3 home.
Japan's railways are fast, highly efficient and cover the majority of the country, making it the transport mode of choice for most visitors The first and the most confusing aspect of Japan's rail system in particular major cities like Tokyo you will encounter is the overlap of several private rail networks with the JR Tokyo network also has two separate metro lines offer these companies and by the service lines of half a dozen other companies serving the locations further you can use Hyperdia or other research tools to simplify the confusing, but once you get the hang of it, the cards should be sufficient When searching for a route, it should be noted that many companies have their own stations in areas similar to the JR station, and they usually have the company name as a prefix.

It should be noted that Japanese trains, and most other forms of transportation, and almost always leave quickly arrive on time, according to the schedule published Minute If you are late, you will miss the train.
Note that most trains do not work 24 hours, for example in Tokyo the last train usually starts his run toward midnight and the first train usually starts his run around 05 00 For you plan to be late and rely on the train to go home, make sure you know when the last train leaves and accounts for the last train of all connections If you miss the last train, many bars, clubs and karaoke shops are open until the first train runs again in the morning, and there are often capsule hotels near major stations if you do not want to stay until the trains start running again.
The Shinkansen network, including routes that are planned or under construction.
The JR network is extensive as one would expect from what was once the now private national railway system and divided into regional companies The JR group operates the Shinkansen lines and a multitude of transmission lines in regional and urban transit in the countryside of the group companies also manage often bus services to connect places that didn rail service However, the JR network is not a monopoly and urban lines are operated by other private railways often rural lines, even some that were formally part of JR, are operated by semi-private entities often called third sector belonging to local governments in general, these lines would be the last step of a journey, Service may be a popular temple or another attraction.

Interestingly, people refer to JR in Japanese by its initials in English, Jay-Arru Hopefully even non-English speakers can help you find a station if you ask.
One of the best options for visitors who intend to do a lot of traveling is the Japan Rail Pass allows unlimited travel 13 on almost all JR trains, including the Shinkansen train for a specific period of 7, 14 or 21 consecutive days so that a round trip from Tokyo to Osaka costs 27240 adult seat without reservations, the Pass 7 days rail in the regular class standard is 29110, making it close to the breaking point, even the passage ordinary 14 days and 21 days is 46390 and 59350, respectively rail green assists Because cost 38880, 62950 and 81870 to 7, 14 and 21 consecutive days, respectively, and include unlimited Travel green Car seats See green Cars below, you should also note that there are other passes for specific regions, so if you are only or primarily interested in a certain area, you might consider a pass local or regional, it is important to s e also remember that while you can save a lot of money using a rail pass, it is a guaranteed money saver, and trav eling too little or at a very slow pace could actually lose money using the pass.
The pass can be purchased outside of Japan from specific suppliers, and from at least March 8, 2017 to March 31, 2018, as part of a trial period, the Japan Rail Pass will be available purchase directly in Japan at a number of major airports and train stations, but at a higher price when buying 14 outside of Japan, you have a voucher that can be redeemed at most resorts JR largest in Japan, including all stations closest airports to the rail Pass itself 15 at the time of the exchange, you will need to have your passport with you and know the date you want pass the rail to begin you can designate to start immediately, or a later date, however, the days of the start of use and end at midnight so if you activate your pass immediately to use in 19 hours your first day would be ulement 5 hours long counters dedicated specifically for rail Pass exchanges exist in some stations such as the stations of Tokyo and Nagoya, but most stations issue moves from the Travel Center, or from time to time, the main information desk ; because it is separated from the main ticket office Waiting times vary from often long lines at Narita Airport generally low in small towns and as soon as you receive the pass, you can usually make all your reservations planned immediately with the same person who gives you the pass seat reservations are free, even if you are not completely settled with your plans, you can book at the beginning and make changes later without charge also many trains are filled in advance, especially around the holidays, and also many special excursion trains can sell well in advance, and you can book in advance after receiving your pass, and even if the road is sold, trying to book your tickets early so that you can make changes to your plans that may be needed you must equal ly note that you can start your pass up to one month from the date you turn in the order of exchange, but you can make reservations as soon as you receive the pass, even if you w ant, for example, spend a week in Tokyo before going to more places, you must exchange your pass and make reservations as soon as possible.
You are not allowed to travel on the Nozomi or Mizuho services on the Tokaido line, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen full price must be paid.
You must pay extra for GranClass, first-class premium cabin on some Shinkansen JR East trains you must pay the limited express fare and fare GranClass for example, about 16 500 between Tokyo and Aomori.

You also need to pay additional surcharges for beds in night trains but some also offer some regular seats are covered.
Some JR trains travel in part on non-JR track, so there is a small charge for these sections 16 on certain roads.
Note that the pass does not cover underground passages of the city, most private railways not Kintetsu JR, Meitetsu, et al Nishitetsu bus from JR or road.
Regional JR companies also sell their own passes that cover parts of the country more value can be obtained by taking trains balls over long distances if the pass allows, but the amount of time and travel required to break at least even Passes varies as Tokyo broad pass and rail pass Kyushu North are relatively easy, while Hokkaido pass rail is much more difficult regional sometimes goes also cover private lines in the covered area, so if you spend several days in a particular area, it may pay to consider a regional pass Almost all these can be purchased in the country in a main JR station in the coverage area, but they're still mostly limited to people with status of temporary visitor visa north to south.
Hokkaido JR Hokkaido Rail Pass, JR Hokkaido Pass free.

Tohoku JR East Tohoku Area Pass, JR East Niigata Nagano Area Pass, JR Hokkaido East South Pass all also covers Kanto and some lines of private railways.
Tokyo Kanto Grand Pass, Narita Express N Ex TICKET trip, Kamakura-Enoshima Pass.
Chubu Takayama-Hokuriku tourist area pass, Hokuriku Arc Pass, Alpine-Takayama Matsumoto-region tourism collar, Mount Fuji, Shizuoka Tourist areas pass.
Kansai Kansai Area Pass, Kansai wide neck region, Ise-Kumano Wakayama Tourism Pass area.

Chugoku JR Sanin Sanyo Area Pass, JR Hiroshima Kansai Area Pass, JR Hiroshima Yamaguchi Area Pass, JR Sanin Okayama Area Pass.
All Shikoku Shikoku Rail Pass, Shikoku free Kippu, Shikoku Saihakken Kippu.
Kyushu Kyushu Rail Pass, North Kyushu Rail Pass.
When you make any rail journey, you have to show the Rail Pass at the manned ticket barrier This is useful if there is a queue, but it is usually acceptable to flash your pass at the ticket taker you Dodge other business customers with JR compromise from time to time, there is no window, and you get to jump the gate and show the transition to the security guard, if they stop you.
The most popular route for travelers is spending some time to see the area Kanto Tokyo, and then heading down to see the Kansai region including Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Kobe and Himeji For those leaving Tokyo and Kansai return in a week, there is a good alternative to consider instead of the full JR rail Pass the JAPANiCAN Discount ticket is much cheaper than the JR seven days Pass rail allows you to take the fastest bullet train the Nozomi, you will arrive 30 minutes faster and also includes a free day local transport ticket buyers must be on a temporary visitor status and choose to buy either Kyoto or Osaka ticket ticket 17 18 There some important differences as compared to the JR Pass on the ticket JAPANiCAN you can not stop in between, or go beyond your tickets Seating destination of trains is only unconditional and travel between the cities of the Kansai region are not covered with that said, the price much cheaper, it is still easy to buy regular tickets for trains in the Kansai region and still save money on the JR Pass.
Another option is the Platt Kodama Ticket 19 offering a modest discount on regular rail fares traveling between Tokyo and Osaka Travel must be via the bullet train Kodama, which stops at every ticket simple bullet train station must be purchased at least one day before the start this post is best for budget travelers, have an abundance of time, or a stop plane to one of the smaller resorts than other balls trains bypass as an eg Tokyo Travel Osaka take a little more than four hours, compared to 173-180 minutes by train Hikari bullet and save 3840.

The Seishun 18 Ticket 青春 18 き っ ぷ Seishun Juhachi kippu is the most economic deal for travel in Japan, offering five days of Unlimited Train Travel for only 11,500 Better yet, unlike the Rail Pass, the days need not be consecutive you can even split a ticket so that such a person uses for two days and another for three days, the main catch is that tickets are only valid on local trains and that tickets are only valid for school holidays from March to April, July to September, from December to January, so you need at the right time and a lot of time on your hands to use it can take several times longer to reach your destination, however, that by express train Shinkansen and the Seishun 18 ticket is not suitable for those with limited time.
ATM for the JR Iidabashi Station, Tokyo.
The rates in Japan can be complicated, so to travel in large cities, the best thing to do is choose a rechargeable contactless smart card as Suica Pasmo in the region Kanto Tokyo or ICOCA PiTaPa in the Kansai region, which calculates rates correct for you automatically buy most resorts, but if you buy it at the airport, you can often receive discounts These passes work on buses and March 2013, Suica cards can be pasmo used outside of Tokyo, and even other IC smart card can also be used in the Tokyo subway most JR stations in Japan accept, and private companies in most cities also accept the rural buses and private lines are typically not accept electronic cards Although it is generally accepted, it can also happen that have entered the system map, you are out for a point on a private railway where labor card doesn t If you find your way out does not have a card reader, try the window, they often have a rea ​​der to office, but if it doesn t work, you have to pay money for the whole trip, get a receipt with which you can get your card cleaned with a ticket office the next time you want to use, but if you travel more distance and Don t spend JR, or are just passing through and want a local smart card and then buying a ticket can be complicated if you do not really know what to do, just buy the ticket cheaper machine and set using the window at the other end.
In larger stations there will be an obvious ticket office where you can buy your ticket from a human perspective to the small green sign of a figure relaxing in a chair or ask the Midori no madoguchi み ど り の窓 口, literally green window Since you probably need to know the train schedule and may want to reserve a place and this is a good thing a large resort usually have staff who speak English well enough or can call on someone the fact, but if we can not understand you, just repeat your destination slowly and if it doesn t work, writing If you can find your route in advance and simply show them the exit, you do not even need to talk .

If you are a local station or a subway station, you will have more difficulty you will touch almost always buy it using a machine whose instructions are in Japanese, although new machines have an English Mode Most these machines do not take credit cards although many JR east vending long distance tickets are Thankfully that's exactly where quite bewildered air is likely to lead to a beautiful Japanese offer to help you if they do, then you're in luck, if not, here are some tips.
First, there is usually a big map above all the machines that shows the current station in red, often marked by Toeki Around it will be all other stations that you can get a price below the nearest stations are smaller numbers, eg the closest stations will probably be around 140, most distant of rising perhaps 2000.
If you recognize the characters in the station you want to achieve, make a note of the amount you have to pay and place that amount or more in the machine using coins or notes on most machines are 1000 notes, some take 5000 and 10000 also note the price you want will show up as one of the buttons to press Note that some machines have large black buttons with nothing written on them are for different fare levels press the buttons until your price level appears, insert money and take your ticket.
If you can not understand the price you can buy a minimum fare ticket and pay when you arrive at your destination, you can present your ticket to the staff at the door, or pay the balance to the tariff adjustment Machine Look for a small automatic ticket booth near the exit, but still inside the door Insert your minimum fare ticket and pay the balance shown on the screen.
To express trains that require a supplement and seat reservation, you can usually find a personal window However, some trains have their own specific machines to do this first, buy a regular train ticket to your destination on screen machines touch, there will generally be a button for express services Choose the name of the service you wish to travel, destination, time of departure and preferred seating preferences and insert the amount extra you will receive a booking map showing the time of departure and your seat number you must also have either a travel ticket, pass or smart card to pass through ticket gates at an extra charge on its own is not valid for travel to most, if you just buy an ordinary ticket, you can settle with the train crew when they come to check your ticket They print a receipt you need to save until you empty the station.
A larger resorts, you will probably choose more than one train line, or even a different company operating lines with different machines and staff Therefore, always first find the line you want to use and get your ticket to the nearest unit, instead of jumping on the first machine of tickets next to the station entrance Otherwise, you could end up with a ticket to another company and or While online you can usually choose your platform after crossing the gate, and thereby activating your ticket, that's not always the case if you notice later that you need to get to another platform, you might not be able to emerge without invalidating your ticket So always have a good look at the signposts at every station.

announcement card list next two trains CARRIAGES 1-3 are non-reserved.
A Shinkansen Train 700 Series entering Himeji station.
JR launched the famous Bullet Train known Japanese Shinkansen 新 幹線, and with speeds nudging 300 kilometers per hour on the main line, and speeds approaching 360 km h on new lines, they remain the best way to travel in the country Note that Shinkansen do not run at night and you have to allow the whole trip to be made before 1:00 this means that the last Tokyo departures to Kyoto and Osaka are around 21 00 If you want to go to Fukuoka to Tokyo you will have from about 17 00.
Most important, the most traveled route Shinkansen in the country is the Tokaido Shinkansen connecting Tokyo to Nagoya and Osaka Kyoto This continuous line from Osaka to Hiroshima and Okayama Fukuoka Hakata station as Sanyo Shinkansen and Kagoshima and Kumamoto Kyushu Shinkansen as .

There are a total of six different types of operating services on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen lines They can all be grouped into three types, reflecting the number of stops made.
These two services are the fastest, making stops in major cities The Nozomi is the primary service which passes through the two lines Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen, though some other Nozomi trains run only between Tokyo and Osaka A journey of a seat Nozomi from Tokyo to Osaka takes 2 hours 30 minutes, while Tokyo Travel Fukuoka take 5 hours the seamless transfers can be performed in Fukuoka between the Nozomi and Kyushu Shinkansen Tokyo to Kumamoto is 6 hours, and the full Tokyo Kagoshima race is about 7 hours.
On the other hand Mizuho is limited to the services on the Sanyo Shinkansen Kyushu and between Osaka and Kagoshima, with two round trips per day in the morning and two at night Mizuho Trains run from Osaka to Kumamoto in 3 hours and Osaka in Kagoshima 3 hours 45 minutes.
A small fee on top of the Shinkansen fare is required and seating reservations are required for all but three cars on the largest train for tourists, the Japan Rail Pass is not valid for Nozomi or Mizuho trains.
These are the fastest services valid with the Japan Rail Pass, which makes a little more stops than the Nozomi or Mizuho On Tokaido Shinkansen, there are usually two Hikari trains per hour that depart from Tokyo Train ends Osaka, the other continues the Sanyo Shinkansen, terminating in Okayama west of Osaka there is usually one train per hour Sakura two hour trip during which goes from Osaka to Fukuoka and Kagoshima Sakura Other services only work between Fukuoka, Kumamoto and Kagoshima on Kyushu Shinkansen.

If you use the Hikari or Sakura Japan Rail Pass, you will usually need to transfer at least once for long journeys For travel on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen Shin-Osaka is the largest place of transfer, but if you can even transfer to Shin-Kobe close, it will be much easier or even Okayama Himeji are also easier stations, but because all trains stop at Shin-Kobe, you generally have more options out there although Himeji and Okayama offer the most popular attractions if you do want to do the whole trip in one go out Tokyo with these services, you can reach Osaka in 3 hours Fukuoka in 6 hours, Kumamoto in 7 hours and Kagoshima in 8 hours from Osaka, you can reach Fukuoka in less than 3 hours 3 hours 30 minutes Kumamoto and Kagoshima in 4 hours 15 minutes.
Also valid with the Japan Rail Pass, it is the stopping all stations services to every shinkansen station on the Tokaido Shinkansen Kodama road services typically run from Tokyo to Osaka or Tokyo to Nagoya Separate all stations Kodama services operate on the Sanyo Shinkansen and Tsubame trains only run on the Kyushu Shinkansen between Fukuoka, Kumamoto and Kagoshima While Tokaido Kodama trains run mostly a full set of 16 cars, a Sanyo Kodama service can operate with 16, 8 or trains 6 Kyushu Tsubame services cars run with 6 or 8 cars sure to check the signs on the floor of the platform to the right car length and your car number before the tail for your train, you can discover the length of the train on the electronic sign mainboard also list list of cars cars off reserve su r latest and trains newly renovated balls, smoking is prohibited except in designated smoking rooms located between the cars.
These are trains that travel north of Tokyo They are classified by their destinations and are generally easier to use and less crowded than the Tokaido Shinkansen You can use the JR Pass on all trains, and you do not usually have to worry about selling trains, some trains are on reserve, so it is safer to book your ticket in advance for older travelers or disabled and those with luggage, you should note that some trains are two stories and you need to go up or down a narrow stairs to reach the most seats Fortunately, there are sections without stairs, and you can ask these areas when booking.
Other JR services, particularly suburban, use the following generic labels.
普通 regular Futsu 各 停 Kakutei or 各 駅 kakueki - local service, stops at every station.
Rapid 快速 kaisoku - about 2 jumps to 3 stops, no extra charge.

急 行 Kyuko Express - Skips about 2 out of 3 stops, requires a surcharge.
Liner ラ イ ナ ー rainaa - Skips about kyuko 2 of 3 stops, requires a surcharge.
Express Limited 特急 Tokkyu - about 2 jumps on 3 kyuko stops, requires a surcharge and usually a reserved seat and these trains are similar in comfort and amenities of shinkansen trains, but they operate on regular lines and therefore at lower speeds.
While most of the trains are geared toward commuting or business travel, there are many trains that are designed for tourists in Japan, this type of process is generally called Joyful Train ジ ョ イ フ ル ト レ イン, joifuru torein the most popular trains are the different steam trains that run on the most scenic lines these run mostly on weekends and holidays and many only operate in the summer months A few, such as SL Banetsu race in regular service.

Many trains have been given unique designs to attract visitors to scenic spots This started with trains with popular characters from children, but more recently the important industrial designers were recruited to design more attractive Unique trains adults This is the largest in Kyushu, but many trains throughout Japan are trying to distinguish themselves with unique design elements.
Services Express can offer first class green car seats Since the supplement of almost 50 gets you a little more than a little leg room, most passengers opt for regular seats However, if you really need to get a special train for which the seats regularly are full, the green car is an alternative the pass JR is available in two common types, which needs to pay extra to use the green and green car, which includes green car seats at no additional cost.
Depending on where you are traveling to Japan, Green Cars have some small advantage If you are traveling in the green car on JR bullet trains northeast of Tokyo, for example, you are entitled to a free drink once you are on board the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen green cars have softer lighting with access to six channels of audio cabin - mostly in Japanese, with English occasional lesson included If you are traveling on Hikari or Nozomi you will receive a service warm towel only on the Nozomi premium you will be greeted by a maid who bow to you as you enter the train and check your tickets in place of the train driver by the day and the hour you travel, Green Cars can be less crowded and quieter than regular cars, but, of course, during the golden week and other high-peak travel periods, all paris open.
Smoking is prohibited aboard commuter trains While it is currently permitted on long-distance services in designated cars and vestibules, JR companies are starting to ban smoking on many roads.
Currently, smoking is prohibited on almost all JR Hokkaido and Kyushu trains and all JR East Shinkansen services north of Tokyo and most JR limited express trains in the Tokyo area, including the Narita Express from Narita airport's new N700 series bullet trains now in service on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen, have separate smoking compartments on the train; Smoking is prohibited in the rest areas 500 Refurbished of bullet trains in service on series Sanyo Shinkansen Kodama also runs separate smoking rooms.
In general, non-smoking trains are marked in timetables with the universal no-smoking sign, or with the Japanese kanji for no smoking 禁煙; parents Note that if you do not smoke, sitting in a car smoking for a long trip can be very unpleasant.

A seat reservation ticket from 2008 for a bullet train service Hikari, printed in English and Japanese.
all on Shinkansen and Tokkyu trains, some cars require passengers to have reserved their seats in advance 指定 席 shiteiseki For example, the services on the Tokaido Shinkansen Hikari 16 transportation, only five of the carriages permit seats non-reserved, which are non-smoking 禁煙 車 relatives ensha on a busy train, making a reservation in advance can ensure a comfortable trip, especially considering if you're traveling in a group, you are unlikely to find two seats together, let alone more, on a busy train.
Making a reservation is surprisingly easy, and it is strongly advised for popular journeys such as Tokyo trips to Kyoto on a Friday night, or take a train from Nagoya to Takayama Look for JR Office at the station, bringing a little green logo of a figure relaxing in a chair - and ask to make a reservation when you buy your ticket reservation can be made over a month in advance only a few minutes before the train departs.
If you own Japan Rail Pass, reservations are free simply go to JR Green office window, and present your Rail Pass when booking request for your trip The ticket gives you will not allow you to pass through automatic barriers well - you will still need to present your Japan rail Pass at the manned barrier to get to the train.

Without a pass a small fee will be charged for a non-reserved ticket may be preferable to a reserved ticket, especially if you board in Tokyo or another originating station where all seats will be open anyway, provided you arrive early enough.
Foreigners can make walking reservations trains for JR East trains on the Internet, in English, on the JR East Shinkansen Reservation website This website allows regular travelers and Rail Pass holders both for reserve seats on Shinkansen and Limited lines JR East Express operated by other cons, it does not allow you to make a reservation on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen lines operated by other companies booking tickets can be anywhere from one month up to three days before the date of travel, and your ticket must be picked up at a JR East ticket counter anytime up to 21 00 on the day before departure as well, the base price is not included in the seat reservation price unless you have a valid rail passes advantage of this site is that advance seat reservations can be made on the Narita Express from Tokyo to Narita airport.
If the option is there for your journey, the private railways are often cheaper than JR for an equivalent journey However, this is not always the case and the passage of a network to another generally increases the price to add to the confusion, many companies operate trains through other lines of business, so that you can easily end up straddling three lines companies in one trip, but in this case, most tickets and electronic passes are fully interoperate, so all confused, it is generally not a problem most private railways in the cities, have also set up chain stores of the same name which are mainly built around their stations eg Tokyu in Tokyo, in general, you can look for signs of department stores that are still very important and find nearby station or inside the store These companies generally serve a suburban area near a big city private railways may interpret the service classes above differently, some with express servic es no extra charge Many offer their own regional plans for areas that can not be served by JR Check Uns purchase requirements.
Odakyu Hakone covers, Fuji 5 Lakes, Kamakura, Tanzawa-Oyama.

Kintetsu covers Kansai, Nagoya, Wakayama and Mie.
Surutto Kansai covers multiple non-JR trains and subways in Kansai.
Nankai offers discount tickets to Mt Koya in Wakayama.
Kobe Kyoto Nagoya Osaka Sapporo Sendai Fukuoka Tokyo and Yokohama also underground metro services to see the sites in a particular city, offer many a day pass, often between 500 and 1000 for adults, and often there is an option to passing on other railways in addition to the Tokyo subway has several types of day passes, some cover some subway lines but not others passing the Tokyo Metro subway is not including 20 600 online JR Yamanote or Toei for foreign tourists, but there is also one, two and three day all the subway passes for 800, 1200 and 1500, respectively 21 it is usually very difficult to do a day pass to repay, but the 2 or 3 day passes are not difficult and can give some good savings.

Women only car sticker on the JR Chuo Line in Tokyo.
Provide a sense of security and safety of transient, many of the busiest JR commuter rail lines and private in Japan reserve a car for women as the morning and evening rush hour The cars are identified by signs Special and stickers on the train and the platform, which also means the time that cars reserved for women are indeed also some limited express trains operated by JR West to and from the Kansai region have reserved seats specifically for women and children, you will find men sitting women only seats, but they yield to the request to do so normally the first and last carriages are designated women only during the morning peak period.
As another example, in the middle of the cars are designated only women in municipal management Yokohama third carriages are designated women only in Keihin Tohoku It seems they are allowed only for women, but in fact JR allow children under 6-year -old, people who are physically disabled and their caregivers can get women only cars.
Night trains in Japan, containing the prefix Shindai 寝 台 but more commonly called blue trains because of the color blue sleeping cars, were once an icon of the country many services would run regularly, bringing the Japanese in different regions of the country in a timely manner, effectively nowadays, however, with an aging process of equipment and other modes of transportation becomes easier and sometimes cheaper to say Shinkansen trains and buses overnight, overnight trains were gradually abandoned.
From 2017, only the night train services are regularly scheduled.
For most of these services, three separate rates will have to pay the base price and limited express fare, both of which are based on distance, and housing costs, which is set on the beaches together Accommodation Travel carpet spaces - where you literally sleep on the ground - with bunk bed type compartments, private rooms with shower and toilet the Japan rail Pass will only cover the base price if you sleep in a bunk bed or a private room, and express fares limited and one room will have to pay some trains have seats or carpet spaces that are fully covered by the Pass rail on certain routes over non-JR tracks, express fares basic and limited to this part of the trip will also be paid.

Some additional night services are added during periods of high demand, such as Golden Week, New Year and the summer months Among them is the Moonlight Nagara Service popular between Tokyo and Ogaki between Nagoya and Kyoto Moonlight Nagara, and some other additional services are classified as fast trains with regular seats for this reason, these trains can be used with the Seishun 18 ticket - and tend to get crowded when they run.
There are some drawbacks to travel overnight train in most cases you can not book the train until you arrive in Japan by how the train could be sold unless a purchase useful Japanese residents tickets in advance of your arrival Some night trains are also subject to cancellation on departure day if bad weather is expected along the route.
The alternative to travel by night train to travel by bus see below - but if you have a Japan Rail Pass, there is another way that you can go on overnight trips - and it can be relatively easy The key is to divide your trip, stop at an intermediate station on the way to your destination and rest in a nearby hotel and preferably cheap in the morning, take another train to your destination for the trip Pass rail cover your trip train your responsibility to pay for the hotel room if you can find accommodation in a small town, chances are good that you will pay less for it compared to accommodation in major cities like Tokyo not to mention that you will have your own bed, bathroom and toilet Toyoko Inn business hotels are the largest chain with more than 250 across Japan - most stations close - and are an excellent example.
With careful planning and research, you will be able to find a night itinerary that works for you, for example, using the Shinkansen, you can sleep in Hamamatsu on a trip from Tokyo to Kyoto or Himeji in a trip from Tokyo to Hiroshima to travel north of Tokyo to Hokkaido, you can choose to rest in Aomori That said, you need to get up early the next morning, or lose a little time to visit the city ​​of daylight.

If you have some money, consider transferring some of your luggage to your destination using a luggage shipping service; this will make the trip much easier.
Japan Shinkansen excellent network means that the flight is usually more of a luxury than a necessity However, theft is the most convenient way to reach the outer islands of Japan, particularly for connections of mainland Okinawa to Hokkaido and service in Kyushu and Tokyo flight is also useful for getting around Hokkaido low population density, as there is no Shinkansen network there.
Tokyo Narita Airport handles some domestic flights, but most domestic flights depart from Haneda HND south of the city itself, while there are domestic flights from Kansai International Airport more use Itami ITM north of Osaka and Kobe airport also fields flights from Narita to Haneda and Kansai Itami is quite a trek to allow at least three and preferably four hours to transfer other regions have one airport as Nagoya Chubu, which has many domestic flights and the heavy international traffic and was built from scratch for easy exchange.
List prices for domestic flights are very expensive to areas without discount carriers, but significant discounts are available if purchased in advance two largest carriers, Japan Airlines JAL 日本 航空 Nihon Koku 22 and All Nippon Airways ANA 全日空 Zennikkū 23 offers rates Visit Japan Japan where the buyer of a ticket back to Japan international can steal a number of domestic segments anywhere in the country for only 10.000 to 13,000 every tax plus These are especially good deal for travel Hokkaido or the remote southern island of Okinawa blackout dates and other restrictions during peak seasons apply JAL offers two versions, their Yokoso Visit Japan 24 flight and its reception in Japan for the first flight 25, it is possible to fly 1-5 segments with a cost of $ 10,000 each plus tax, but one of international flights to and from Japan is be on a oneworld carrier 26 For the latter, any international carrier is permitted and you must ch OOSE 2-5 segments at a cost of 13 000 plus taxes per Visit Japan Fare ana segment functions as JAL Welcome to Japan price for these tickets , ticketing must be done before arriving in Japan, and there is no date change permitted for the first route changes of the domestic segment for all flights are not allowed.
Another cheap ANA of Japan's experience Fare option 27 cloned by JAL few years later as Japan Explorer Pass 28 While the above tickets have black dates during one of the most popular times to travel, they no black out dates and cost 10,000 each tax of more that said, the ticket must be done at least 3 days before the flight, there are no refunds or date changes or authorized route.
The concept of low-cost carrier is slowly making inroads in Japan, but they are mostly available for travel from Sapporo, Naha, Fukuoka and other cities Tokyo, Kyushu, Osaka and Nagoya Air DO 29 focuses Tokyo and Sapporo route, while Skymark airlines 30 and StarFlyer 31 emphasize Fukuoka Usually these airlines offer low fares slightly higher than the majors, but they limit remittances lead to a small number of seats as these gift carriers t appear usually on the flight search sites and can only be booked within two or three months of travel other carriers include Jet Star 32 33 Peach and Vanilla Air 34, and can offer very cheap rates in Japan, as low as 50 USD one way and special offers for even less, as well as flights to Korea, China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia There are often ba allowances very limited pledges, however, and these need to be checked before buying a ticket.

ANA, JAL and its subsidiaries offer a special stand tariff, the Stand By Skymate Fare 35 Smart JAL and ANA U25 Fare 36, young passengers up to age 21 years for JAL and ANA for 25 passengers can fly ensures half of the full published fare, which is generally less than the equivalent JAL Express train price requires you to have a credit card JALCARD Skymate and a map and a member of its ANA Loyalty club needs only to be a member of its mileage club, and both require ID to prove your age.
Since Japan is an island nation, boats are a way surprisingly unusual transport, as all the major islands are connected by bridges and Ferry tunnels are mostly limited to connections between areas relatively small population There are long-distance ferries from Tokyo and Osaka to distant cities, even Okinawa Hokkaido, but rates are generally higher than plane tickets at reduced prices and ferries are mainly used by people and companies wishing to transport their cars.
For some small islands, however, boats may be the only practical option more popular islands may also have jet ferries and hovercraft providing a faster but more expensive service, with prices ranging between 2000-5000 for a trip to a time of slow cargo boats are more affordable, a rule of thumb is 1000 per hour in second class, but departures are rare There are also intercity ferries short cheap and convenient facilities such as ferry Aomori -Hakodate.
These boats are typically divided into classes, where second class 2 等 Nito's just a giant expanse of tatami, first-class 1 等 Itto gets you a comfy chair in large shared room and only special class 特等 tokutō gets you a private cabin distributors automatic and simple food restaurants are usually available on board, but long trips especially in the second class the main means of entertainment is alcoholic, it can be fun if you are asked, but not if you are trying to sleep.
When most Westerners think of castles, they naturally think of their own in places like Britain and France, however, Japan was also a castle-builders of nation in his feudal days, you might find multiple castles in almost every prefectures.
Because of the bombings in World War II, the fires, the edicts of knocking down castles, etc. Only twelve of Japan's castles are considered original, who dungeons dating back to the time when they were still used Four of them are located on the island of Shikoku, two just north in the Chugoku region, two in Kansai, three in the Chubu region, and one in the northern Tohoku region There no original castles in Kyushu, Kanto, Hokkaido or Okinawa.

Nijo Castle is however original it was actually an imperial residence rather than a castle, it is not on the list of originals.
Japan has rebuilt many castles, many of which receive more visitors than the original A rebuilt castle means that the tower was rebuilt in modern times, but many of them still have other original structures in the castle walls for example, three turrets Nagoya Castle are authentic reconstructions still offer a glimpse of the past and many, like Osaka Castle is also home to important museums objects Kumamoto Castle is considered among the best reconstructions, because most structures were rebuilt instead of just the keep the only castle in Hokkaido is rebuilt Shuri Castle Matsumae Castle Okinawa is unique among the castles in Japan, because it is not a Japanese castle; it is the Kingdom of Ryukyu and was built with Chinese architectural style, as well as some original elements Okinawan.
The ruins usually have only the castle walls or parts of the original layout are visible Though they lack the rebuilt structures castles, ruins often feel more authentic without concrete reconstructions that feel sometimes too commercial and tourism Many ruins remain of historical importance, as Tsuyama Castle was so large and impressive, it was considered the best in the nation today, the castle walls are all that remain, but the area is filled with thousands of cherry blossom This is common among the many ruins and reconstructions Takeda Castle is famous for the magnificent view of the surrounding ruins.
Japan is famous for its gardens, known for its unique aesthestics in landscaped gardens and rock Zen sand gardens The nation has appointed an official garden Top three, according to their beauty, size, authenticity gardens n ' have not been radically altered and historical significance these gardens are Kairakuen in Mito Kenrokuen in Kanazawa and Korakuen in Okayama largest garden, and the favorite of many travelers, is actually the Ritsurin park in Takamatsu and despite his jungle reputation concrete, Tokyo has a number of gardens to see.
Rock and sand gardens can usually be found in temples, especially those of Zen Buddhism The most famous is the Ryoanji temple in Kyoto but these temples can be found in Japan Moss gardens are also popular in Japan and Koke- dera in Kyoto also has one of the best reserves in the country are required to visit every so they can make the foam is still thriving and not trampled.
Whatever your travel interests, it is difficult to visit Japan without at least seeing some shrines and Buddhist temples and Shinto sites are the most common, although there are some notable spiritual sites of other religions, too good.

Buddhism has had a profound impact on Japan since it was introduced in the 6th century as shrines, temples are found in every city, and many different sects exist.
Some of the most sacred sites consist of large complex on mountaintops and include the most prestigious place of Mount Koya Japan to be buried and the temple of the head of the Shingon Buddhism, Mount Hiei defined here when Kyoto became the capital for eliminate Buddhism from politics, the leader of the Tendai sect of Buddhism and Mount Osore considered the gateway to hell entrance, it has many monuments and tombs in a volcanic wasteland.
Most temples head Nations are located in Kyoto, as Honganji temples and Chion-in Temple Kyoto also five Zen temples named in the system Five Mountain Tenryuji, Shokokuji, Kenninji, Tofukuji and Manju-ji and Nanzenji Temple which is above all the temples outside the mountain system Although there are five temples, Kyoto and Kamakura both have their own five temple Kamakura s are Kenchoji, Engakuji, Jufukuji, Jochiji and Jomyoji temples Eiheiji temple as a Zen temple leading, although it was never part of the mountain system.
Todaiji Temple Nara and Kamakura Temple Kotokuin are famous for their large Buddhist statues s Todaiji is the largest in the nation, while the Kamakura Daibutsu is the second, meditating outside in the open.
Horyuji Temple in Horyuji just south of Nara, is the oldest wooden structure in the world Beautiful Phoenix Hall Uji is seen by most visitors to Japan on the back of the dime yen, if not in real life.
Shinto is the native religion of Japan, so those looking to experience things that are quite Japanese should particularly benefit as they truly embody Japanese aesthetics The most sacred Shinto shrine is the great shrine of Ise while the second shrine is Izumo shrine where the gods meet annually for a meeting other famous shrines in Miyajima Itsukushima include Toshogu in Nikko Kumano Sanzan and Dewa Sanzan Kyoto also has many historical important shrines such as Shimogamo and Kamigamo Fushimi Inari.

Japan introduction to Christianity came in 1549 by the Portuguese and St. Francis Xavier He created the first Christian church in Yamaguchi Daidoji Temple, whose ruins are now part of Xavier Memorial Park and Xavier Memorial Church was built in his honor.
When Toyotomi Hideyoshi came to power, Christianity was banned and Christians were persecuted Nagasaki is the site of the most famous Japanese persecution where 26 Christians were crucified They are saints today and you can visit the memorial to those martyrs in the city the Shimabara rebellion is the most famous Christian uprising in Japan, and it was the rebellion that led to the ousting of the Portuguese Catholic practices and Japan, although Christianity had been banned by this time, with about 37,000 beheadings of Christians and Shimabara peasants, you can visit the ruins Castle Hara, when Christians came together and were attacked, see old tombstones Portuguese, and homes of samurai, some of which have been occupied by Amakusa Shiro Memorial Christian samurai Oyano hall contains videos of the Shimabara rebellion and big screen s related to the persecution of Christians less famous sites can be off the beaten path, as the Martyrdom Museum and Memorial Park for the martyrs in Fujisawa When reopened nation, some Christians assumed that meant they were able to practice Christianity freely and openly, they came out after 200 years of secrecy in practice Unfortunately, it was still legal and the Christians were gathered in various parts of the country and tortured You can see one of these sites to Maria Cathedral in Tsuwano built into the collar Otome in the area where Christians were put in tiny cages and tortured.
In addition the site Martyrdom, Nagasaki Oura Church also houses the oldest church left in the nation, built in 1864 Due to the state of Nagasaki for many years as one of the few ports in the country where foreigners could come the city is rich in Japanese Christian history, so even here museums have artifacts and information on the Christian community.
Strangely, you can often find Christians objects in temples and shrines across the country, this is because many of these items were hidden in temples and shrines back when Christianity was prohibited.

Japan has a handful of Confucian temples well known as Japan's gateway to the world for centuries, the Confucian Temple in Nagasaki is the only Confucian temple in the world to be built by the Chinese outside China Yushima Seido in Tokyo was a Confucian school and one of the leading institutes of higher education the first integrated school in the nation to the nation, the Shizutani Bizen school also taught based on Confucian teachings and principles of the school itself even has even been modeled on the Chinese architectural styles the first public school in Okinawa was a Confucian school given to the Ryukyu Kingdom and the Confucian temple Shiseibyo.
The Okinawan religion also has its own spiritual sites Seta utaki a World Heritage Site, is one of the most celebrated Many Okinawan spiritual ceremonies were held here in Asumui Kongo Sekirinzan Park is a large rock formation considered the oldest land in the region religious site, shaman used to come here to talk with the gods.
The three spots for World War fans should visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki is the capital of Okinawa, Naha Okinawa is where some of the most brutal battles took place between Japan and the United States and the region remains crawling his dark past the peace Park, prefectural museum peace Himeyuri Museum peace and peace Memorial are some of the best places to learn more, see artifacts, and hear the accounts of the battles that took place here .
While Hiroshima and Nagasaki are important world war sites, because the bombings of these cities has led to the end of the Pacific War, sites and museums found in these cities also speak to many as visions of a dark future, nations should continue to support nuclear weapons programs and nuclear proliferation These two cities are the only cities in the world that have been hit by nuclear bombs, and each city has its own peace park and Memorial Museum, where visitors can get an idea of ​​how destructive and horrible atomic war really for many travelers in Japan, visiting at least one of these cities is a must.

Other possibilities are Tachiarai, Fukuoka Peace Memorial Museum Chikuzenmachi Tachiarai who was a former airfield for training Kamikaze more Minamikyushu, Kagoshima the Chiran Peace Museum where most Kamikaze took off on their mission to single direction, and in Kure, Hiroshima Yamato Museum noted however that in the museums of photography is most of the time kamikaze prohibited.
Many people are curious about the possibility of visiting Iwo Jima Currently the Company Tours Historic Military 40 has exclusive rights to make island tours.
Mount the 3776 meters of Mount Fuji a Japanese icon.
Take a walk in the midst of thousands of Yoshino cherry blossoms.
Ascend Mount Aso to see one of the largest circuses in the world.

Visit the snowy peaks of the largest National Park Daisetsuzan the country.
Climb the stone in 2446 judgments of the holy mountain Haguro through an amazing jungle.
Soak in the hot springs of the capital Onsen, Beppu, Japan.
River rafting in some of the last wild rivers in Japan in the Iya Valley.
Ski world famous Hokkaido powder or in the Japanese Alps.

Overnight in one of the holy temples of Mount Koya.
Although unknown to most Western tourists, Japanese tourists gather stamp hanko impressions of the places they have been to many temples, museums, and most stations across Japan have a unique stamp, which is a memory pleasant and free of your trip to Japan Just ask staff where the stamp is Stampu-wa-ka arimasu.
Is the highest mountain in Japan located both Shizuoka Prefecture and Yamanashi Prefecture is the symbol of Japan each year it was visited by many people for sightseeing and climbing It is famous for breathtaking views view from the top of the mountain It has various faces, examble Diamond Fuji.
NOTE MasterCard issued a warning that some of Maestro cards issued outside the Asia-Pacific will not work at all ATMs in Japan Source More generally, most foreign credit and debit cards will not work in most anyway ATM s Japanese the big exception is the ATMs found at more than 20,000 post offices and more than 10,000 convenience stores 7-Eleven These ATMs allow you to withdraw cash using cards credit and debit issued outside of Japan, including Visa, addition, MasterCard, Maestro, Cirrus, American Express and JCB and provide an English user menu.
Make sure you have cash on hand before entering Japan.

Japan's currency is the Japanese yen pronounced in Japanese In Japan, the yen symbol 円 also the Kanji symbol for the circle in a changing environment, it is more common to see or JPY symbolizations used the value of the yen been up and down significantly in recent years in May 2015, it is located at 121 yen to the US dollar.
Coins 1 silver, 5 gold with a central hole, 10 copper, silver 50 with a central hole, 100 silver and 500 yen There are two parts 500, distinguished by their color Announcements are gold, are ancient Unless money for the piece of 5 yen, all rooms have their value in Arabic numerals on the If you can not find the value, it is the play of 5 yen.
Bills 1000 blue, green, 2000, 5000 purple, brown and 10,000 yen New designs for all bills, except in 2000 were introduced in November 2004, so there are now two versions in circulation, although it is rare to see anything but the new 1000, 5000 and 10,000 yen bills and probably not see 2000 yen bill at all because of its rarity extreme 2,000 yen bill could be considered to receive an invoice of 10,000 collector section most traders will not even object to a small purchase.
Japan is basically a cash company Although most stores and hotels serving foreign customers take credit cards many businesses such as cafes, bars, grocery stores, and even smaller hotels and inns do companies that not even take cards often have a minimum charge and an additional fee, although this practice is disappearing the most popular credit card JCB in Japan and because of an alliance between Discover and JCB, Discover cards can be used anywhere that accepts JCB this means that Discover cards are more widely accepted as Visa Mastercard American most express traders are not aware of this, but it will only work if you can convince them 'try.
The Japanese usually carry large amounts of money, it is quite safe and is almost a necessity, especially in small towns and remote areas There are also a number of NFC payment systems as Suica Pasmo, QUICPay, Edy, and others used in major cities, to transport Suica Pasmo or purely for payments QUICPay Edy they are usually credit card size credit cards that can be recharged in exchange for money in 1000 by yen increments, or automatic metro ATM or convenience store cash registers free of charge a Pasmo card is a convenient way to pay for purchases every day and can be obtained for a deposit of 500 yen the amount of the initial charge of ATMs in the Tokyo subway stations the remaining charge and half the deposit is rembo URSE upon return of the card to the station staff since the introduction of cross-compatibility across the country, cards purchased in most major cities can be used anywhere that shows the IC letters in gold and red notes it does not cover electronic money PiTaPa compatibility; this means that a good number of ATMs in Osaka do not take, for example, a Suica or Pasmo as payment.
Some people also use mobile phones to pay for purchases when the mobile phone is a built-in chip that allows it to function as a card stored value eg Suica or as credit cards under which the cost is charged to them their bill mobile phone, however, a Japanese phone and SIM card is required to use this service so it's generally not available to foreigners on short visits If you already have a Japanese phone, know that the card initialization function prepaid rent on a SIM incur data costs, although this will most likely be less than the cost of a physical map this can be avoided by using wireless value systems stored on mobile phone may be charged by credit card generally that American Express JCB or from abroad are accepted or cash enregistreu its convenience stores.

Almost all major banks in Japan will provide the exchange of US dollars of foreign currency in cash and travelers checks Rates are basically the same as your bank choose to have to wait 15-30min, depending on how busy the branch gets, is not uncommon for other currencies accepted euros; Swiss francs; Canadian, Australian and New Zealand dollars British pounds Among other Asian currencies, Singapore dollar seem to be the most widely accepted, followed by the Korean won and Chinese yuan.
The exchange rates for US dollars and Euros are generally very good in two below the official exchange rate rates for other currencies are very poor as 15 below the official rate of other Asian currencies are generally not supported currencies of neighboring countries, as won, yuan and Hong Kong dollars, are exceptions Japanese post offices may also travelers checks into cash or exchange cash against the yen, at a slightly better than checks rates Traveler banks also have a better exchange rate than money If you exchange larger amounts of US cash or TC 1000, you will be asked to provide identification that includes your name, address and date of birth prevent money laundering and terrorist financing Since passports usually do not show your address, bring another form of id entity such as a driver's license that shows your address.
Japanese automatic teller machines generally do not accept foreign cards and the availability of credit card advances, known as cashing キ ャ ッ シ ン グ kyasshingu is spotted The main exceptions are.
Over 12,000 Japanese 7-Eleven stores with ATMs accept foreign cards for cash withdrawals accepted cards are Visa, American Express, Discover, Diner Club, JCB and UnionPay, and ATM cards with the Cirrus logos and More This are the most useful because they are everywhere and are available 24 7 Now, like the Seven Bank website mentions the presence of one or more of the above mentioned logos does not guarantee your card will be accepted, it is preferable to use as option could work and provide credit card for use at a JP bank ATM.
JP Bank ゆ う ち ょ YU-cho, formerly the Postal Savings Bank and hence found in almost every post office, which has a branch in almost every village Most postal ATMs provide instructions in English and the Japanese Plus, Cirrus, Visa Electron, Maestro and UnionPay are accepted, and you can make credit card advances Visa, MasterCard, Amex and Diners club Your PIN must be 6 digits or less likely that you need to select the menu English to use foreign cards.
Citibank, which has a limited network see here for a list, but has ATM machines at major airports.

Shinsei Bank 新生 ATMs, which accept more and Cirrus are located in the main Tokyo subway stations and Keikyu, as well as in areas of the city center of large cities However, some ATMs to donate Osaka t accept international cards.
SMBC 三井 住友 銀行 ATMS take UnionPay cards to supplement 75 You need to change the language of the English or Chinese before inserting the card; the machine will not recognize otherwise.
ATMs Mitsubishi UFJ tickets 三菱 東京 UFJ take UnionPay, JCB issued by the state, and Discover at no extra Know that you need to press the button first English; their ATMs will not recognize non-Japanese cards Japanese language mode.
AEON イ オ ン 銀行 ATMs will UnionPay no extra Here you have to press the button International Cards.
Notice the trend of Japanese banks going about with UnionPay and MUFG accept Find While 7-Elevens are everywhere, having more options is always recommended, so try to get either a UnionPay or Discover debit card prior to your arrival for convenience increased, for example, at Narita airport, there are the usual ATMs abroad can on the 1st floor of Terminal 2 which is crowded when international arrivals start coming, while ATMs Mitsubishi UFJ, the 2nd floor are open during most hours.

One thing to be wary of many automatic teller machines Japanese are closed at night and during the weekend so it is best that your bank is during office hours An exception is 7-Eleven, which is open 24 hours.
July 1 Bank and yucho both take additional charge of 110 ATM plus fees charged by the issuer SMBC takes 75 Aeon and MUFG no load at all, so it is best to withdraw money while their distributors ATM are active.
2 Your UnionPay card number MUST begin with 6 If the first digit is something else and it has not the logo of another network, it will not work at all in Japan Change to another if the original figure is 3 4 5 and it bears the logo of another network Visa MasterCard does not work in SMBC MUFG Aeon ATMs only in ATMs of the other network yucho 7 Citi Bank Shinsei.
3 The illustration on ATMs SMBC MUFG Aeon show the card being inserted to tape up This is only for Japanese cards; UnionPay and Discover for MUFG cards must be inserted in the usual way.
In addition to these, there are ATMs abbreviated CD in Japan, for the credit card cash advances Some work all with ATM debit credit cards issued abroad, but their number decreases near nonexistence.
SMBC CPU card machines and Mitsubishi UFJ Card will take Visa and MasterCard.

JCB machines take Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB and UnionPay.
Note the difference between CDs and ATMs, even for the same financial institution, for example, for cards issued abroad SMBC and vending banknotes MUFG MUFG take UnionPay also takes uncover while SMBC and Mitsubishi credit UFJ ATMs only take Visa Mastercard.
A note to those who use SMBC MUFG Aeon vending machines on site staff tickets in most branches are still unaware that their vending machines now accept foreign cards at all If you experience difficulty, lift the handset off the talking machine at the central ATM support staff.
Vending machines in Japan are known for their pervasiveness and the notorious variety of products they sell over 1,000 take bills, and some types such as automatic train ticket machines will take up to 10 000; accept no 1 or 5 coins, or 2,000 notes and even more high-tech vending machines do not take credit cards, except for some of them at the stations although there are limits, example, JR East ATMs require a PIN to four digits or less; most credit card customers would be better off buying from a ticket window Note that cigarette vending machines require age verification of Taspo card, which are unfortunately prohibited non residents, but local smokers are generally happy to lend you theirs.
Prepaid electronic cards are very popular in Japan for small purchases There are cards for train fares, convenience store purchases, and public telephones, but they aren t interchangeable.

There is an 8 consumption tax on all sales in Japan stores can now choose to display prices either included or tax-word zeinuki 税 抜 means no tax, zeikomi 税 込 means all taxes included If you can not find words in the card price, most of them are now excluded from tax.
Keep a large battery reserve currency in Japan, as if you for any reason wallet stolen, blocked credit card, etc., it can be difficult to have wired you Western Union has a very limited presence, even in the largest metropolitan areas of their agreement with Suruga Bank ended in 2009, and they just started a new agreement with Daikokuya in April 2011, banks will not allow you to open accounts without local identity card, and even international money orders require proof of residential address Japan.
Failover does not effectively exist in Japan, and trying to offer advice can often be seen as an insult the Japanese service is legendary, and you do not need to bribe the waitresses to do their job properly if you leave a tip in a restaurant the staff will probably come running after you to return the money you have forgotten even grooms in high-end hotels usually do not accept tips the only exceptions are high-end ryokan see sleep and English-speaking guides .
That said, some restaurants do not add a load of 10 family services and restaurants may add 10 charging late evening after midnight.
Japan is not as expensive as its reputation implies It is cheaper to eat a full meal at a moderately priced restaurant in Tokyo as Australia, Canada and most Western European countries accommodation and transportation will be your most big expenses for long distance travel, the Japan rail Pass, Japan Bus Pass and visit Japan flights see moving can save you a bundle.

You will find the opportunity to travel with less than 5 000 per day, if you stay in hostels and avoiding high-cost transportation such as taxis, airport connections at high speed or the Shinkansen typical price for Travel moderate budget would be 5000 for a hotel for a hostel or 2500 2000 for meals, and 2000 again to entrance fees and local transportation.
Japan is expensive in the upscale shopping center and food courts since tourists flock to these areas often, consider buying lunch or snack at a local supermarket before you start your day with a glass of orange juice in a cafe in the center can cost you more than your lunch together at the supermarket instead of shopping in the well-publicized shopping districts such as Isetan in Shinjuku and Matsuya Ginza, consider the suburban malls or Aeon Ito-Yokado.
If you find yourself a little short of money, you can get your essentials in one of the many shops 100 百 円 店 hyaku-ten located in most cities Daiso 41 is the largest chain store in Japan 100 with 2,500 stores across Japan Other large chains can Do キ ャ ン ド ゥ, Seria セ リ ア and silk シ ル ク There's also the convenience store as 100 stores such as SHOP99 and Lawson store 100 where you can buy sandwiches, drinks and more vegetables selected 100 articles.
The consumption tax imposed is not refundable for the purchase of consumable items such as food and beverages However, for non-consumable items, such as clothing and electronics, the tax may be refunded for the purchase of 10,000 or more before tax in a single receipt if you are not a resident and intend to bring the items out of Japan when you leave.
In many stores like Isetan, Seibu and Matsuzakaya, you typically pay the full cost to the checkout and go to a tax refund 税金 還 付 zeikin kanpu or 税金 戻 し zeikin against modoshi, usually located in one of the upper floors and present your receipt and passport to the counter to be reimbursed in other stores advertising 免税 menzei duty free, you just show your passport to the cashier at checkout and the tax is levied locally.

By making tax free purchases or tax refund claims against the staff would staple a piece of paper in your passport, you need to keep with you until you leave Japan This piece of paper should be handed over to Customs counter to your starting point just before going through immigration and checks may be performed to ensure that you bring the items out of Japan.
Despite the saying that Japanese cities never sleep, retail hours are surprisingly limited compared to North American standards opening hours of most shops are usually 10 hours-20 hours although most shops are open weekends and holidays, except New Year, and almost one day a week restaurants are usually open until late at night, although smoking is generally permitted after 20 hours for those who can t stand cigarette smoke should take before your meal.
However, you will always find something you might need to buy at any time of the day in Japan is crawling 24 7 stores コ ン ビ ニ konbini like 7-Eleven, Family Mart, Lawson, Circle K Sunkus and In central Tokyo you'll never be more than 400 meters from a convenience store they often offer a wider range of products than convenience stores in the US or Europe, often have a small ATM and are often open all day all week unless they are part of a larger shopping center that has many stores closing time also offer services such as fax, takkyubin luggage delivery, a range of non-international postal services, payment services invoices, including filling international phone cards such as Brastel and some online retailers, for example, and the sale of tickets for events, con certs and cinemas.
Of course, establishments related to night life such as karaoke lounges and bars stay open late into the night even in small towns, it is easy to find an izakaya open until 5:00 Pachinko parlors are obliged to close to 11 h.
For many Westerners, animated animation and comic strip manga are the most popular icons of modern Japan Many visitors come to Japan in search of merchandise relating to their favorite anime and manga titles, which are often published in different versions in Japan and the West; Western versions edit taboo references in the Japanese version Most anime fans will even try to find DVD anime Japanese, but there are difficulties in doing so, there is no generally subtitles on domestic releases, with the exception of Studio Ghibli releases, all offer subtitles in English, and Japan is in DVD Region 2 and uses NTSC video format, so if you live outside region 2 and or use PAL or SECAM, you may not be able to play DVDs you can work around this with special, often expensive equipment such as multi-system televisions and all-region DVD generally drives, computer with the software installed bypassing the lock region, for example VLC Media Player should allow more tech-savvy to view these DVDs, you can be surprised by the new prices DVD cost regu larly releases over 3000 and there are usually only 2 episodes per DVD.

Blu-ray versions are more expensive than DVDs from 4000 Note, however, that the Blu-ray regions are much less restrictive than DVD regions Japan shares its code A region with North and South America, Korea, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Macao and Hong Kong but not mainland China Some discs are also released without coding region at all, and can be used with a compatible reader NTSC.
Be careful about the content of a manga or anime you buy and try to bring back to your country, especially if it contains sexually explicit material some of the anime and manga content may be illegal under certain laws your country has a well-documented case involves an American who in 2007 ordered manga from Japan and was arrested after US postal workers opened the parcel before receiving the package manga ordered was declared illegal under US laws obscenity as they were said to contain cartoon images of underage characters in sexual situations Although this can not be charged under laws on child pornography being drawings, no child can be said to have participated their creation, they are still illegal in the United States and several other countries under the laws regarding obscenity A similar incident took binds u with Canadian customs agents, although the charges were dropped in this case, but only after a two-year test Check your local laws before trying to imp ORT titles that could be questionable.
Video games are a big business in Japan, but the region code NTSC-J Japan is incompatible with consoles in Europe, North America, Australia and mainland China, so you'll need to buy a Japanese console to play these games in South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and South Asia, these games should work fine on your course console, language is always in Japanese unless the game has multilingual options .
Here is a list of modern consoles and interoperability.
Sony PlayStation 3 - All games can be played on PlayStation 3 consoles from all regions, except for Persona 4 Arena, although any DLC must match the play area The disadvantage of the language is still present, many games are now multilingual, choosing the language of your console settings.

Sony PSP - region without exception UMB Films which remained Region-Locked.
Nintendo Wii - locked; even the Korean and Japanese Wii systems within different regions and are incompatible.
Nintendo DSi - locked to specific games DSi and DSi download content; region without DS games.
Microsoft Xbox One - UPDATE Region-Free from June 19

There have been many game consoles manufactured in Japan is a list of old consoles and their release dates in Japan.
Nintendo Famicom Nintendo Entertainment System NES -1983.
Nintendo Super Famicom SNES Super Nintendo Entertainment System -1990.
PC games other hand, usually work well, as long as you understand enough Japanese to install and play genres only in Japan include the visual novel ビ ジ ュ ア ル ノ ベ ル, which are interactive games with the art anime style, somewhat similar to dating sims, and its subset the erotic game エ ロ ゲ ー eroge, which is exactly what the name suggests.
In general, the best places for video game shopping are Akihabara in Tokyo, and Den Den Town in Osaka in terms of price, you can buy video games from almost anywhere in Japan.

small electronic battery-powered devices and cameras on sale in Japan will work anywhere in the world, although you might have to deal with a Japanese user manual Some of the department stores will provide you with an English manual 英語 の 説明書 eigo not setsumeisho on request no great bargains to be found pricewise, but the selection is unparalleled However, if you buy other electronics at home, it is best to shop in stores that specialize in configurations overseas, many of which can be found in Akihabara Tokyo You can get PAL NTSC region-free DVD players, for example, also keep in mind that Japanese AC runs at 100 volts, so using the native Japanese electronics outside Japan without down transformer can be dangerous Even the US standard 110V voltage is too much for some devices.
Prices are lowest and shopping is the easiest at discount stores giants like Bic Camera, Yodobashi Camera, Sofmap and Yamada Denki They usually have English-speaking staff on duty and accept foreign credit cards For common products the prices at any are virtually identical, so do t waste time comparison shopping negotiating is possible in small shops, and even the larger chains usually match their competitors' prices.
Most major chains have a points card you get points that can be used as a discount on your next purchase, even just a few minutes later, purchases tend to earn points between 5 percent and even 20 percent of the purchase price, and 1 point is 1 some stores the largest being Yodobashi Camera you need to wait until the night before redeem points cards are dealt on the spot and no local address is required to However, some stores can not afford to earn points and receive a tax refund on the same purchase.
Furthermore, department stores tend to deduct 2 percent points earned if paid using a credit card if you use UnionPay credit card, pen and Yodobashi disown you earn points altogether, you get an instant 5 reduction in compensation If you know you want to buy something else in the same store that's likely because you almost always pay on the floor element is on, choose to earn points like most items, earn at least 10 percent points compared to the tax rebate of 5 percent.
Although you are best heading to France or Italy for the high-end fashion for casual fashion, Japan is hard to beat Tokyo and Osaka in particular are home to many shopping areas, and there is an abundance shops selling the latest fashion, particularly those young people to name a few, Shibuya in Tokyo and Shinsaibashi in Osaka are known throughout Japan as centers of youth fashion the main problem is that Japanese stores meet Japanese customers size, and finding larger or curvier sizes can be challenging.
Japan is also famous for its beauty products such as facial cream and masks, many for men While these are available in almost every supermarket, the Ginza district of Tokyo is where most of the most expensive brands have their own stores.

The main jewelry Japan's contribution is the cultured pearl invented by Mikimoto Kōkichi in 1893. The main pearl growing operation to date in the small town of Toba near Ise, but the beads are widely available although there little or no price difference to buying them outside Japan for those who insist on putting their hands on the authentic stuff, the flagship store of Mikimoto is in the Ginza district of Tokyo.
Then of course, there are kimono Although very expensive new, second hand kimono can be done at a fraction of the price there is a buying guide for those who separate Kimono Wikitravel want to buy their own.
Smoking cigarettes remains popular in Japan, especially among men while cigarettes are sold to some of the many vending machines dotting Japan, visitors to Japan who wish to purchase them must do so at a convenience store or duty free in because of the Japanese tobacco industry punishes minor legal age is 20, you now have an IC-card verification special age, called a TASPO card to buy cigarettes from a card dispenser TASPO are issued to residents of Japan.
Cigarettes generally come in king-size cigarettes 20 hard packs and are fairly cheap, around 300-400 Japan has few domestic brands Seven Stars and Mild Seven are the most common American brands local brands such as Marlboro, Camel and Lucky Strike are extremely popular although produced Japanese versions have a taste much lighter than their Western counterparts also look unusual flavored cigarettes, light cigarettes with flavor enhancer filter technology although they very artificial taste and have little effect, most of the time popular among smokers.

Japanese cuisine, known for its emphasis on fresh ingredients, seasonal, took the world by storm Key Ingredient most meals is white rice usually served steamed, and in fact the Japanese word Gohan ご飯 also means soya meals are a source of key proteins and take many forms, including miso 味噌 soup served with many meals, but also tofu 豆腐 tofu and the ubiquitous soy sauce 醤 油 shoyu seafood features heavily in Japanese cuisine, including not only creatures of the sea, but also many varieties of algae, and thus a full meal is always complemented by pickles 漬 物 Tsukemono.
One of the joys of leaving Tokyo and travel to Japan is to discover local specialties Each region of the country has a number of delicious dishes based on locally available crops and fish in Hokkaido try the sashimi and crab don t miss the Osaka okonomiyaki お 好 み 焼 き stuffed with green onions and the octopus balls た こ 焼 き of takoyaki.
Most Japanese food is eaten with chopsticks Hashi eating with chopsticks is a surprisingly easy skill to pick up, although the control takes some time some guidelines to be aware chopstick.
Never place or leave chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice, and never pass something from your chopsticks to chopsticks to someone else These are associated with funeral rites If you want to give a piece of food to someone, let them take it from your plate, or place it directly on their plate.

When you have finished using chopsticks, you can rest them on the edge of your bowl or plate Most nicer restaurants put a small wooden stick resting or ceramic Hashi oki-place at each setting you can fold the paper wrapper that the chopsticks come to build your own Hashi-oki.
Licking the ends of your chopsticks is considered low class Take a bite of your rice instead.
Using chopsticks to move plates or bowls really anything but the food is gross.
Showing things with your chopsticks is rude Pointing people in general is rude; with chopsticks, doubly.
Spearing food with your chopsticks is generally rude and should be used only as a last resort.
wari-bashi disposable chopsticks are provided in all restaurants as well as bento and other takeout foods You should not trim your chopsticks after the break Many restaurants give you an o-shibori hot towel to wipe your hands as soon as you sit; use it to your hands and face.

Many Japanese dishes come with different sauces and toppings Japanese never put soy sauce on their rice; they eat plain rice bowls, or sometimes with Furikake a mixture of crumbled seaweed, fish and soy sauce spice is used for dipping the sushi before eating, and they pour over grilled fish and tofu and pork chop tonkatsu comes with a thicker sauce, tempura comes with a lighter, thinner soy sauce-based sauce and dashi fish and base seaweed soup, while potstickers gyoza are usually dipped in a sauce mix soy, vinegar and chili oil.
Most soups and broths, especially miso, drunk directly from the bowl after you chopsticked the larger pieces, and it is also normal to take a bowl of rice to facilitate feeding to the main dish soups like Ramen you will receive a rice spoon curry and fried rice are also eaten with spoons.
The number of restaurants in Japan is amazing, and you will never run out of places to go for cultural and practical reasons, Japanese almost never invite customers at home, socialization implies almost always eat outside.
According to the famous Michelin Guide, which ranks restaurants in major cities of the world, Tokyo is the most wonderful city in the world with more than 150 restaurants that received at least one star on three In comparison, Paris and London have received a total 148 between them.

Most Japanese-style restaurants have twelve o'clock teishoku 定 食 or fixed set meals These usually consist of a dish of meat or fish, with a bowl of miso soup, pickles, and often free extra helpings of rice Those -ci can be as cheap as 600 yet ample enough even for large appetites menus for most institutions, in Japanese only; However, many restaurants have models much in exquisite detail of their meals in their front window, and if you can not read the menu, it may be best to take the waiter or waitress outside and the things that you want.
The restaurants present the check after the meal, and you are required to pay at the counter when leaving do not leave payment on the table and walk out the sentence of the bill kanjo or Kaikei When it is late, a server usually come to your table to tell you it's time for the last command When it's really time to go, Japanese restaurants have a universal signal, they begin to play Auld Lang Syne This is true throughout the country, except in the most expensive places That means pay and get out.
Many restaurants cheap chains have vending machines where you buy a ticket and give the server In most of these restaurants, you will be able to read Japanese to use them, although some of these restaurants, there be plastic displays or photographs of the food with varying prices in front of them, it is often possible to match the price and some of the choices kana machine If you are open-minded and flexible, you can get soy sauce shoyu ramen instead of fermented soy ramen miso or you could get curry pork cutlet Katsu instead of beef curry you'll always know how much you are spending so you'll never overpay If your skills Japanese language is limited or non-existent, these restaurants with vending machines are really quite comfortable places because there is little or no c onversation necessary for those institutions most customers will be pressed, hired help will usually not interested in making conversation and wil I just read your order when they take your ticket and tea water, towels and utensils are supplied automatically or self-service other places have all you can eat meals called tabehōdai 食 べ 放 題 or Viking バ イ キ ン グ.
Tipping is not customary in Japan, although 10 chic restaurants apply a service charge and family restaurants 24 hours as Denny's and Jonathan usually 10's a late night charge.

While most Japanese restaurants specializing in a certain type of dish, each neighborhood is guaranteed to have some 食堂 Shokudo, serving simple dishes and popular assemblies Teishoku at affordable prices Try 500-1000 in government buildings often open the public good, they are subsidized by taxes and can be very good value, if uninspiring if in doubt, go for the special or KYO not teishoku daily 今日 の 定 食, which almost always consists of a main course, rice, soup and pickles.
Close related variant is the bento is 弁 当 屋, serving known boxes of takeout as the o-bento お 弁 当 While traveling on JR, do not forget to sample the wide range of ekiben 駅 弁 or a station bento, many unique to the region - or even the station.
A staple of the Shokudo 丼 donburi, literally rice bowl, meaning a bowl of rice with popular toppings include.
Oyakodon 親子 丼 - lit bowl and parent-child, usually chicken and egg but sometimes salmon and eggs.
Katsudon カ ツ 丼 - a fried pork cutlet with eggs.
Chukadon 中華 丼 - lit Chinese bowl, stir-fried vegetables and meat in a thick sauce.

You will also meet frequently flat most popular in Japan, rice ubiquitous curry カ レ ー ラ イ ス Kare raisu a thick paste, soft, brown than most Indians barely recognize often the least expensive dish on the menu, great大 盛 り Ōmori part is guaranteed to leave you stuffed.
At the other end of the spectrum are super-exclusive ryotei 料 亭, the three Michelin star restaurants in the world of Japanese cuisine, which serve gourmet kaiseki 会 席 meals prepared from the very best seasonal ingredients Should they condescend to let you and many require the introduction you watch over 30,000 per head for an experience, which, frankly, will go right over the heads of most mere mortals visiting Japan for the first time.
Clockwise from top Ryokan soup breakfast left miso, rice, cold grilled fish, vegetables, pickles, natto fermented soybeans, nori seaweed, a raw egg and vegetables.
Ryokan 旅館 traditional Japanese inns and a visit to one is the culmination of more than a trip to Japan There are two types of small traditional-style one with wooden buildings, long verandahs and gardens, and the kind of high modern height like luxury hotels with fancy public baths.

Since some knowledge of Japanese mores and etiquette is required to visit one, many will hesitate to take non-Japanese clients especially those who do not speak Japanese, but some respond specifically to this group One night in a ryokan for one with two meals starts at about 8000 and rises into the stratosphere 50,000 per night per person is not uncommon for some of them, posher as the famous Kagaya Wakura Onsen near Kanazawa.
Ryokan usually operate on a fairly strict schedule and expect to arrive in 17 hours at the entrance, take your shoes and put on the slippers you will wear inside the house After checking in you will be led to your room, simply but elegantly decorated and covered in tatami sure to take your slippers before stepping on the tatami.
Before dinner, you will be encouraged to take a bath see Bathe for the full scoop You will probably want to change in your bathrobe yukata before bathing and it's quite simple dress just place the left lapel above the law when closing the other way, right -More left is a stumble as yukata are closed that way for burial If the yukata provided are not big enough, simply ask the maid or the reception tokudai特大, large sizes Many ryokan also yukata color code according to sex pinkish tones for women and blue for men, for example.
Once you have bathed, dinner will be served in the room in most ryokan dinner is very elaborately prepared and presented from carefully chosen seasonal ingredients; by all means ask if you are not sure how to eat a given food item in a good ryokan is an important part of the experience and the bill, and is a great way to try Japanese cuisine top of the line.
Once you are done, you are free to head to the city; in the cities of hot springs, it is perfectly normal to head wearing only clogs and yukata Geta, even if as a foreigner may attract even more attention than usual underwear to wear under Hint Many ryokan have curfews, so make sure you come back on time.

When you return, you will find that futon bedding was made to you on the tatami a real Japanese futon is simply a mattress, not the flat bed low, often sold under the name in the West Although slightly harder than a Western bed, most people find sleeping on a futon nice pillows can be remarkably hard, filled with buckwheat straw.
Breakfast is usually served communally in a dining room at a fixed time, although the high-class places will again serve in your room after the maid tidies away the bedding is always Japanese style, which means rice, miso soup and cold fish, although staff may agree to cook your raw egg on request.
ryokan upscale are one of the few places in Japan that accept tips, but kokorozuke system is the opposite of the usual around 3000 is placed in an envelope and given to the maid bring you to your room at the beginning of your stay, not the end so do you expect will get excellent service anyway, the money is used both as a sign of gratitude and apology of sorts for any difficulties caused by specific demands such as food allergies or inability to speak Japanese.
A final word of warning some facilities with the word ryokan on their behalf are not luxurious variety at all, but just Minshuku see below disguised price will tell you the type of hosting is.
民宿 minshuku are the ryokan budget version of the overall experience is the same but the food is simpler, dining is communal, bathrooms are shared, and customers should have their own futon although an exception is often for foreign rate Consequently minshuku are lower, hovering around 5000 with two meals 一 泊 二 食 ippaku-nishoku cheaper still is a stay without meals sudomari 素 泊 ま り, which can go as low as 3,000.

Minshuku are more often in the countryside, where nearly every village or island, no matter the size or obscure, will be the most difficult part is to find the often, as they rarely advertise or appear in online booking engines to ask the local tourist office is often the best way.
Kokuminshukusha 国 民宿 舎, a mouthful that translates literally into people's lodges, cottages are managed by the government, they mainly provide holidays for government employees in remote scenic spots, but they are usually happy to agree to pay customers both facilities and prices are usually more comparable to ryokan than minshuku standards; However, they are almost always large and can be quite impersonal popular must be booked in advance for peak times almost a year in advance for New Year's and the like.
Shukubo 宿 坊 are accommodations for pilgrims in general, but not always located in a Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine Again, experience is broadly similar to a ryokan, but the food is vegetarian and you can offer a chance to participate Some activities to temple Zen temples offer meditation classes and courses Shukubo can be reluctant to accept foreign guests, but a place where it will not be a problem is the largest Buddhist center of Mt. Koya near Osaka.
ー hostels ス ホ ス テ ル Yusu hosuteru often just called the Yusu or YH are another cheap abbreviated option in Japan Hostels is in the country, they are popular among budget travelers, especially Hostels students vary generally in the 2000 to 4000 prices may become more expensive if you opt for dinner and breakfast and HI are not a member, in which case the price of one night can be more than 5000 for HI members, a simple stay can cost as little as 1500 depending on location and season, as elsewhere, some are concrete cell blocks function as reform schools, while others are wonderful cottages in scenic spots there even a number of temples that run hostels sidelines Do some bases before choosing where to go, the Japan youth hostel 53 page is a good place to start many have f cover them and dorms and some are sex segregation.
Camping is after nojuku see below the best way to get the sleep one night in Japan There is an extensive network of camping grounds throughout the country; naturally, most are far from big cities to their transportation can also be problematic, as few buses may go there Prices can range from nominal fee 500 large bungalows that cost more than many hotel rooms 13000 or more.

Camping is illegal in most of Japan, but you can always try to ask permission, or just pitch your tent late and leave early Many city parks bigger may actually have a lot of blue tents with homeless tarp in them.
Campsites in Japan are known as kyanpu-jo キ ャ ン プ 場, while sites designed for cars are known as ear-jo kyanpu They tend to be much more expensive than the old about 5000 and should be avoided by exposing those on foot unless they lower key Campsites available housing are often located near onsen, which can be very convenient.
The National Association of Japan 54 Camping keeps 55 Japanese only database of nearly all campsites in Japan The site JNTO 56 has a fairly comprehensive list of campsites in PDF format in English, and local tourist offices are often knowledgeable.
For the real budget traveler wanting to get by cheap in Japan is the option nojuku 野 宿 This is Japanese for sleeping outside, and although it may seem strange to Westerners, many Japanese young people do when they travel thanks to a low crime rate and relatively stable climate, nojuku is a truly viable option if you're traveling in a group or have confidence to do it on your own platitudes nojuku include railway stations, Michi no gas station for eki drive, or essentially anywhere that has some sort of shelter and public toilets nearby.
Those who worry about the showers will be delighted to know that Japan has cheap public facilities pretty much everywhere including onsen or hot springs Even if you can not find a public bath onsen Sento or sauna is also an option.
Keep in mind that nojuku is really viable in the summer months, although in the northern island of Hokkaido, even in summer the temperature may dip during the night the other hand, it's much more scope nojuku to Okinawa, although public facilities on small islands are lacking.

Nojuku is not really recommended for travelers for the first time in Japan, but for those who have some experience, it can be a great way to enter the onsen culture, meet other travelers nojuku other, and most of all travel very cheaply when coupled with hitchhiking.
If you stay for a longer period, say a month or more, you may be able to reduce your living expenses by staying in a house gaijin These establishments cater specifically to foreigners and apartments at least minimally furnished and usually shared at reasonable prices and heavy deposits and commissions of apartments often up to 8 months of rent paid before moving it will almost certainly be cheaper than staying in a hotel for a month, and for those who come to Japan for the first time, they are also great for networking and know some people the downside is that the facilities are often shared and the transient population can mean poor maintenance and dodgy neighbors.
Gaijin houses are concentrated in Tokyo, but any other major city will have some they can be anything from complex ugly cramped apartments with new tenants weekly, beautiful family businesses in private homes, so try to get a glance eye at the front you decide to move in two of the largest bLEEDING agencies for gaijin houses are in Tokyo Sakura House 57 and 58 Oak House while Japan has 59 Gaijin House ads and classifieds covering the whole country.
Traditionally, renting an apartment in Japan is a ridiculously complex and expensive process, involving getting a Japanese resident to act as guarantor literally - trash the place and run away, and they will get stuck with invoice and pay half a year's rent or more in advance so it is almost impossible for those who are not familiar with both the culture and there to live and work for a few years at least.
In recent years, however, weekly short-term apartments mansions have become popular for residents generally businessmen in long-term assignment or young singles and are accessible even to visitors most are 1 or 2 person room, although larger for 3 or 4 are sometimes available fresh apartments are about 5,000 to one, around 6000-7000 for a double room per day most of these apartments rental agencies will offer all apartments with shower, toilet and bath they usually have air conditioning, microwave and kitchen equipment bookings can be made on the English site, and they have different promotional offers on their website.

WMT has more than 50 apartment buildings in Tokyo and Yokohama, Osaka Sometimes a deposit is required for some apartments This deposit can usually be waived if you stayed with them a few times with no problems, the apartments are always clean and often much more space and flexibility than a hotel and are in the price range hostel.
Even in Tokyo, the trains stop running completely 1am, so if you are after then and want to avoid paying for a taxi or even a capsule hotel, there are a few options to kill the hours until the first morning train If you need to find one of these quick options, station agents will usually be able to direct you in the right direction Ideally, many of these facilities are generally clustered around stations, and they are accustomed to accept people who missed the last train.
In large cities, especially around the major stations you can find Internet cafes or Manga membership fees 300 once Here you can also watch TV, play video games, read comics and enjoy the bar free drink the price varies, but generally about 400 hours, often a special price night for the period when no trains are running about 00 10-05 00 for 1,500 customers are usually given the choice between a cabin equipped computer or TV equipped, while others offer services like a massage chair, a mat to sleep or even a shower.
It is not a particularly comfortable option, but it is perfect to check the schedule for next day trains, download images from your digital camera, writing home and get some rest often you can be surrounded by the local population snores who missed the last train home.
This is only an emergency option if you do not find anything else and you freezing outside karaoke bars offer entertainment rooms until 05 00 free time for 1500-2500 Works only with at least 3 people.

Some onsen or sento stay open all night They are generally known as super Sentos name Usually, there is a relaxation area with tatami mats, television, vending machines, etc. Although sometimes they are bathing several floors gambling houses often at a reasonable price above the bath of cost, you will be allowed to crash the night on the mat or in a room with large lounge chairs.
In the warmer months, people sleeping or napping on streetsides outside major stations is a common sight Many of them just missed their last trains and prefer to spend three or four hours waiting for the first train on asphalt instead of three or four thousand yen for a short term stay in a hotel or a public bath.
While this is certainly the least comfortable way to sleep at night, it is particularly popular with students who have no money, and quite tolerable by police and station staff; even drunkards sleeping next to their own vomit will not be disturbed in their sleep induced by alcohol.
Similarly, no need to sweat if you fall asleep on a local train after a long night of partying Compared to sleep outside, sleep train is more of a gaijin thing There is no time limit on how many long you can stay in a train as long as you have a ticket; many long-term residents were pleased to come and go on the same train for two or three cycles before waking up and get off at the initial destination with the ticket purchased it three hours ago If the train is unlikely many people, you may even consider stretching on the bench do not forget to take your shoes well.

Of course, you must obey the orders of the train crew, who tend to gently wake up people at the terminus, especially if the train is not going to return Sometimes, that station turns out to be two hours from the city.
Meditation Many temples in Japan offer English courses for meditation.
Many youth exchange programs bring foreign teenagers to Japan, and the country also has a number of very active student exchange programs To obtain a student visa, you will be required to have or one million yen, or the equivalent in bursaries to cover your living expenses with a student visa, you may obtain additional authorization form immigration to legally work up to 20 hours per week contact your local Japanese embassy or exchange program of the host university's information department on how to proceed.
The best way to stay in Japan for a long period of time is to study in a school or university with a generous Monbusho Ministry of Education grants to pay for a whole number of Japanese universities offer courses taught in English ; some foreign universities also operate independent programs in Japan, the largest being Temple multi-faculty campus University in the best universities of Tokyo Japan are highly regarded around the world, but the downside is that the curricula are almost always conducted in Japanese only, however, many of them have entered into exchange agreements with other foreign universities, and you can ask to go on exchange for a semester or a year among the most prestigious are the University of Tokyo University, Waseda and Keio University in Tokyo, and Kyoto University in Kyoto.
The Tokyo area generally offers the broadest range of jobs for foreigners, including positions for lawyers, accountants, engineers and other professionals to work in Japan, a foreigner must receive a job offer from a guarantor in Japan, then apply for a work visa at an embassy or consulate abroad work visas are valid for a period of 1 to 3 years, and can be used to get a job to any employer in the part of the activities identified in the visa, including employers other than the guarantor Expect severe penalties if you overstay the visa spouses of Japanese nationals can obtain a spouse visa, which carry no restrictions on the employment.
The working holiday program is open to young people aged 18 to 30 from Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, Canada, South Korea, France, Germany, Ireland and the United -um eligible individuals may request working holiday visa without a job offer.

The most common form of the employment of foreigners is teaching English especially English conversation schools called after eikaiwa 英 会話 Pay is good enough for young adults, but poor compared to a qualified educator already at work in most Western countries working conditions can also be very strict compared to Western standards, and some companies have a very bad reputation of an undergraduate degree or ESL crediting is crucial to the most desirable positions for schools English large chain most teachers were interviewed in their home country before coming to work in Japan learning English is quite as fashionable as before and the boom years are long on north American accents tend to be preferred to other accents recently, it has more emphasis on education s children besides English, other languages ​​that are popular include Portuguese, French, Korean, Mandarin and Cantonese.
JET Japan Exchange and Teaching Program offers young university graduates a chance to teach in Japan The program is managed by the Japanese government but your employer usually a local Board of Education that assigns you to one or more public schools often deep into the countryside No Japanese skills or formal teaching qualifications are required and your airfare is provided Pay is slightly better than the language schools and, unlike such a school if you have a serious problem with your employer you can appeal to the people of the JET program using the JET program also has a small number of positions for international relations or sports co-ordinators, although these require some Japanese ability.
Foreigners who have done postgraduate studies may be able to find jobs teaching English or even other subjects in Japanese universities, which offer better wages and working conditions that eikaiwa industry.
Quite a few young women choose to work in the industry of the hostess, where they entertain Japanese men a drink in tiny bars known sunakku ス ナ ッ ク and are paid for their time While payment can be good, visas for this line of work are difficult or impossible to obtain and most work illegally on the nature of work also carries its own risks, particularly the poor career prospects, alcoholism, smoking, potential problems customers such as groping and lewd questions, and even harassment or worse, exemplified by the kidnapping and murder of Lucie Blackman hostess in 2000.
laws on the minimum wage are under the authority of the Government parliamental The minimum wage is currently in Japan JPY 702-954, according to a prefectural basis and industry employees are not allowed to be paid less than the minimum wage also the cost for travel, pay extra such as working on holidays, at night, overtime, etc. and premiums of temporary compensation, boards, etc. may possibly also be paid in addition to the circumstances, there are exceptions to this, and can not be used to calculate the minimum wage to.
Japan is a country obsessed with the risk of cleanliness and health are few and between tap water is potable everywhere and food hygiene standards are very high there is no communicable diseases of importance as despite the name, Japanese encephalitis has been almost eradicated.

Some Japanese public toilets do not have toilet paper, but there are often vending machines nearby that sell some at token prices do as the Japanese do and use the tissue packets distributed free by advertisers at major stations.
While this may be a good way for people who lived in urban areas, many newcomers to Tokyo or Osaka are unfamiliar with life in a very crowded city, where almost everything they touch was hit by hundreds of other people that day even newcomers to large Japanese cities take no precautions, they may be more susceptible to common illnesses such as colds as in any other urban area, where a large Japanese city like Tokyo or Osaka, wash hands with soap and water as often as possible, especially after traveling public transportation and before meals.
Make sure to bring a small umbrella for rainy days frequent Don t rely too much on the weather forecast, especially from there a day or two Again, if you forget, you can always go in the store closer and pick one for 500.
Japan has its share of dirty areas in cities, because of the amount of traffic, streets and sidewalks are just as dirty as all the obsession with cleanliness and removing shoes before entering the house someone is logical due to the conditions of the outside world.

If you get sick with a cold or other illness, buying a cover mouth, cloth surgical mask You will find that people often focus on these trains and the work it filters your sneezing and coughing so you do not pass it to others.
Passive smoking is a health hazard in most Japanese restaurants and public areas; this includes multinational food chains and local restaurants non-smoking areas are often not provided and are sometimes substandard if they are.
Medical facilities in Japan are largely on par with the West, and the best-known hospitals are usually equipped with the most advanced medical technology, however, few physicians can communicate in English better known hospitals in large cities are more likely to be occupied by doctors who can speak English.
For travel reviews and advice is to stay healthy before returning, visit the CDC page for Japan.

Japan is probably one of the safest countries in the world, with crime rates well below that of most Western countries.
The police and the police of the law in Japan and can not hold people up to 23 days before a prosecutor formally files charges, a privilege unrivaled in the Western world, except during terrorism investigations during this period, you may be subject to a non-stop interrogation you can hire a lawyer if someone pays off the advance fee your lawyer can not be present during questioning Require an interpreter and consular access, and not the Japanese equivalent fingerprints signing anything especially if you do not understand what you are signing if you sign a confession, you will be convicted at trial.
So how to avoid this unpleasant fate by far the most common model of how foreign tourists end up looking at the cold walls, yellow a Japanese detention cell first get drunk and in a fight, or even near a standard later police procedure is to retain all the first world and adjust things later if someone accuses you of anything even on the most trivial reasons, you may be looking at an unpleasant extension to your vacation.
Japan is exotic and mysterious; Do you seem strange and even appealing during the day, can get uncomfortable and embarrassing for the night, especially with a drink in the veins, to control your mood and level of alcohol Police patrol party areas heavily at night and they will be ready to save a Japanese man with a violent stranger.
Street crime is extremely rare, even late at night Of course, little crime does not mean a crime, and there is no excuse for abandoning your wives common sense traveling alone must take care as they would in their home countries and should never hitchhike alone.
Pickpocket Sometimes if you take your usual precautions in crowded places such as trains and at Narita airport, you should be fine women on trains to the crowded rush hour should be aware of the existence of chikan 痴 漢 or Many rapists heavy drinking continues at night and sometimes drunks can be a nuisance, even if the violence related to alcohol is extremely rare.

The infamous yakuza ヤ ク ザ Japanese gangsters may have earned an undeserved reputation part of being a band of violent criminals, psychopaths because of their representation in various films However, in reality, they almost never target people not already involved in organized crime Just do not get hurt with them, and they do not mind.
in neighborhoods reserved in large cities can be seedy but are rarely dangerous for visitors, but some smaller Backstreet bars have been known to set exorbitant cover charges or drink prices in some extreme cases, foreigners have reported being drugged at such establishments and responsible for as much as 700,000, nearly 7000, for drinks that they do not remember control especially in the Roppongi district and Kabuki-cho in Tokyo never go to a place that is suggested by someone you just met, and you will avoid that problem.
Note that the drug laws in Japan are stricter than in many Western countries, the Japanese do not distinguish between hard and soft drugs and possession of even personal use amounts of soft drugs can lead you a sentence prison several years Do not assume that because you have a prescription from your home country that you can take in Japan If you have prescription medication, check with the Japanese Embassy before departure whether or not your product is authorized in Japan If it is illegal, they should also be able to give you information on what drugs you can buy in Japan to use in place of your prescription while you are the.
Police Koban 交 番 boxes are on every street corner police are generally helpful although they rarely speak English, so ask if you are lost or have trouble They usually have a detailed map of the area around showing not only difficult to -understand numbering system, but also the names of public office buildings and other places that help find your way.

Also, if you carry travel insurance, report any theft or lost items in Koban They have forms in English and Japanese, often called the blue form for lost items, even cash, filling out this form will waste of efforts, the Japanese people will often take lost items, even a wallet full of money, the Koban If you can find such a point, turn Koban If the item is not claimed within les six months, If it belongs to you it is claimed, you could be due a reward of 5-15.
Japan has two emergency numbers to call the police in an emergency, call 110 百十 番 hyakutoban To call an ambulance or fire truck, dial 119 a reversal of US 911 In Tokyo, police a help line in English 03-3501- 0110, Monday through Friday, except holidays 30 days 15 to 17 August.
Prostitution is illegal in Japan However, implementation is lax and the law specifically defines prostitution as sex in exchange for money The most famous red light district Kabukicho is 歌舞 伎 町 in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo where many call girl stands and love hotels are located HIV incidence becoming Japan in recent years, some prostitutes refuse to serve foreign customers, including those who are fluent in Japanese.
Racial discrimination is illegal in Japan Although violent attacks against foreigners in Japan are almost never seen, there is discrimination against the employment of foreign Even Western visitors were refused entry to some onsen and restaurants, especially in rural areas some apartments, motels, nightclubs, and public baths in Japan have been known to put up signs that foreigners are not allowed or that they must be accompanied by a Japanese person to enter these places are rare, however, and many Japanese say the bans are due to perceived social incompatibility for example, foreigners can not understand proper etiquette and not the public bath racism However, there is still widespread discrimination against non-white foreigners, particularly Asians and blacks.
Banks are often reluctant or unwilling to provide cash advances to foreigners, mainly from disloyalty stereotypes If you need to get a cash advance from your bank, care of a Japanese bank, control of Japanese language or Japanese friend to vouch for you will greatly assist you.

Japan is prone to earthquakes March 11, 2011, a 9 0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Miyagi prefecture triggering a major tsunami and making havoc in the city of Sendai and its surroundings the earthquake and its aftershocks were palpable in Japan, with the numbering of fatalities 15,000, mainly due to the tsunami great last earthquake hit Kobe in 1995 and killed more than 5000 Every few days, somewhere in Japan is shaken by a big enough earthquake to be felt, but most of them are completely harmless Even though electronic devices are now being introduced to detect earthquakes in both the intensity of the earthquake and the amount of seconds it will take tremors to reach a certain place, be aware of some basic safety instructions.
Do not put heavy objects in high places, especially above your bed
If you're inside and you feel a strong jolt, the standard advice is that you are much safer if you stay tiles falling inside and masonry outside usually present the deadliest hazard.
While it is extremely important to extinguish all the flames of the burners, candles, etc. immediately if you have time, be aware that your immediate danger is from falling objects and overturning furniture Be aware of what is at above you and shelter under furniture or a door if necessary.
If you are inside and feel a great shock, try to open the door or window as soon as possible and keep it open using something like a doorstop if it crashes again, keep the spirit that is drop your immediate danger objects and furniture from tipping.
If you are outside, stay away from brick walls, glass panels and vending machines, and beware of falling objects, telegraph cables, etc. tiles falling more and traditional buildings particularly dangerous because they can fall long after the earthquake ended.

If you are by the sea and experience even a moderate earthquake, keep an eye on as tsunami warnings in English on the television channel NHK Radio 1 and 2 693kHz should be in the air within minutes of the earthquake most tremors and small earthquakes deserve only a Japanese scroll ad at the bottom of the screen, because they are not considered particularly newsworthy; most serious earthquakes and tsunami warning will be displayed as a hazard map in full screen If you are near the sea and experience of a major earthquake, evacuate to high ground immediately not expect a warning.
Know exactly where your passport, travel tickets, documents, credit cards, and money are and take them with you if you leave the building you may not be able to go back.
Each neighborhood has an evacuation zone, most often the local playground Many schools are set up as temporary shelters two of them will be labeled in English If you are traveling with others, plan to meet LA- down and be aware that cell phones probably will not work.
Volcanoes, storms and typhoons are primarily a potential problem if you are climbing or sailing, so check the latest information before going to stick to designated trails in volcanic areas as volcanic gas may be an issue Typhoons are rarely physically dangerous but they still wreak havoc with planes, ferries and even if landslides trains and bus schedules.

There are venomous snakes called Habu in Okinawa but not in unusual numbers You are unlikely to be bitten by one, but if you are, seek medical help immediately antivenoms are available if you are hiking in Hokkaido and Honshu, be aware of the activity of the bear as possible, especially in the autumn attacks are rare, but in areas such as the Shiretoko Peninsula attach bells to your backpack to scare.
Especially in the country, be aware of the Asian giant hornet; it is about 5 cm long and 2 can sting repeatedly and painfully every year, 20-40 people die in Japan after being stung by giant hornets A hornet defending its nest or feeding spot will click to warn intruders; if you encounter one, retirement If you are stung, get prompt medical attention, as prolonged exposure to the venom can cause permanent damage or even death.
To dress every day as a tourist, you are already at a disadvantage no matter how you dress, you stand next to salarymen crowd in suits and gradeschoolers in uniform and keep track of Japan's rapidly changing mode too much work for a tourist.
First, wear shoes and foremost that you can slip out easily as you can several times a day Trainers are perfectly acceptable; you only have to lace them very loosely so you can get in and out of them without using your hands.

Don t trudge around town with a big backpack as a kind of urban camping; you stand very wrong you anyway, is not Japanese, your backpack will get in everyone's way yourself, and it's just inconsiderate.
Young Japanese women often dress in a way that could be considered quite sexually provocative by Western standards, even during the day This style of dress is not necessarily expected foreign women, but it is unlikely to be frowned either, so wear what you are most comfortable with should suffice be warned however that cleavage exposed almost never seen in Japan and could attract many prying eyes and even bare shoulders are poorly seen.
In business suits are still the norm in most companies, unless you know otherwise plan to wear your costume in the evening for drinks and entertainment.
Although everyone is nude bathing in hot springs, to the beach or pool, you still need a swimsuit with a kind Swimwear or boardshorts for men are fine, but you speedos will distinguish If you use a pool, you probably have to have a swimming cap as well.

There are many ATMs, but not all accept foreign cards Post Offices are mostly extremely efficient ATM Outside of business hours, the ubiquitous 7-11 stores have their own bank with ATMs tolerant in large metropolitan centers, ATMs Citi Bank are often available and allow the removal of as little as 2000.
Foreign credit cards are accepted mainly in big hotels and some stores in Tokyo, however, most Japanese stores will not be able to perform is recommended that money is kept on your person at all times.
Most, if not all Japanese are very understanding of a foreign gaijin or gaikokujin that does not instantly in their culture; Indeed, the Japanese like to boast of questionable credibility that their language and culture are among the most difficult to understand in the world, they are usually very happy to help you if you seem to be in trouble, however, appeciate Japanese if you follow the less the following rules, many of which boil down to social norms of strict cleanliness and avoid encroaching on the meiwaku other.
Learn some of the language and try to use it, they will be free if you try, and there is no reason to be embarrassed They realize that Japanese is very difficult for foreigners and are tolerant your mistakes; Instead, they more than you to try.
Böwing men bow with their hands at their sides Women bow with their hands in hands before the women look like they are installed on their knees not tilting in a prayer position as Thailand Waii The exact degree of the bow depends your position in society relative to the arc receiver and occasionally the unwritten rules largely are complex, but for foreigners, a symbolic bow is Japanese Many, in fact, readily offer a handful of hand instead.

If you give something to someone in particular a business card, it is polite to present holding it with both hands.
When sake or beer drinking in a group, it is considered polite not to fill your glass, but to allow someone else to do Generally, glasses are filled before they are empty to be particularly polite, hold your own glass in both hands while one of your companions fills it is impolite to eat or drink outside or walking on the sidewalk.
Gift giving is very common in Japan You, as a guest, may find yourself inundated with gifts and dinners are foreign guests, of course, outside of this sometimes burdensome system of give-kari Kashi, but it would nice gesture to offer will be well received gift or souvenir omiyage, including a single or a representative of your country a gift that is consumable is advised due to the smaller size of Japanese homes such as soap, candy, the alcohol, paper as the recipient should have on hand on subsequent visits Re-gift is a common and accepted practice, even for items such as fruit If opening a wrapped present does tear or damage paper.
Expressing gratitude is slightly different from that required gifts Even if you brought a gift for your Japanese host, once back, it is a sign of good etiquette to send a written thank you card in hand, it will be enjoyed the Japanese guests always exchange photos they took with their guests so you should expect to receive instant and should prepare to send yours and that of your guests together back to them according to their age and the nature of your business relationship or personal, an online exchange may suffice.
The elderly are given special respect in Japanese society, and they are used to the privileges that come with it Note that some seats silver seats on many trains are set aside for the disabled and the elderly.
If visiting a Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple follow the proper procedure to chōzuya 手 水 舎 before entering After filling the roller coaster with water, rinse your left hand and your right hand then cup your left hand and fill it with water, use it to rinse your mouth does not touch directly with the mouth Dipper Finally, rinse your left hand again with the water remaining in the Dipper.

There are not many public garbage cans; you may have to carry your garbage for a while before finding When you do, you'll often see 4 to 6 of them together; Japan is very conscious of recycling Most disposable containers are marked with a recycling symbol indicating Japanese what type of material it is certain types of recycling bins you'll see often are.
The Japanese understand that visitors may not be aware of the subtleties of Japanese etiquette and tend to be tolerant of mistakes in this regard by foreigners There are some serious breaches of etiquette, however, who will meet with disapproval universal, even with strangers and they should avoid at all costs.
Never walk on a tatami by wearing shoes or even slippers Japanese and Japanese-style accommodation hotel rooms feature a genkan a transition zone Take your shoes while standing in the genkan, step back to the area boarded floor.
Never leave your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice is how rice is offered to the dead.
Never enter a bath without washing first Bathe See for details.

Avoid physical contact in public You will not see the Japanese kissing or hugging.
Shoes and feet in general are considered very dirty by the Japanese Avoid pointing your soles to everyone, like when you're sitting on the train and try to prevent the children to stand on the seats Brushing your feet against somebody's clothing, even by accident, is very rude.
The Japanese consider back slaps rude, especially if they're coming from someone they just met As is common practice in Japan, hugging should also be avoided for the Japanese, it is generally very awkward and ill at easy.
Point people with an open hand, not a finger pointing the way things very well, and tell people to come in waving down not.

Avoid shouting or talking loudly when speaking to the public on a mobile phone in a train is considered rude, and many trains have signs, however, advise you not to use Sending text messages is considered de rigueur .
Blowing your nose in public is considered rude, like flatulence It is good to walk sniffing until you can find a private place to blow.
World War II is a delicate and complex issue if it happens, be careful If he doesn t even better.
As in India China and Taiwan Buddhist swastikas are symbols representing good luck and do not represent Nazism or anti-Semitism So Western visitors should not feel offended to see a swastika in Buddhist temples or in the home of their host.
Japan is considered very safe for travelers gays and lesbians, and violence against homosexuals is rare There is no law against homosexuality in Japan, but same-sex relationships are not recognized by the government, and displays your open orientation are always likely to attract attention and whispers in addition, national and regional Japanese law does not say that public housing must be open to gays so do not be surprised if they distract you.
International telephone prefixes vary from company to check with your operator for details on international calls to Japan, the country code is 81.

Emergency calls can be made from any phone free call 110 for police or call 119 for fire and ambulance.
Payphones 公衆 電話 Kōshū DENWA are easy to find, especially near train stations, but with the popularity of mobile phones, public pay phones are not as numerous as they once were Gray and green pay phones accept 10 and 100 parts currency and prepaid cards Know that all places with public telephones have phones that accept coins, so it may be worth buying a phone card for emergency use Some of the gray phones, as is shown on the screen can make international calls prepaid cards can be purchased at the convenience store, kiosk shops in the train station and sometimes in vending machines next to the phone international phone charges payphone may be abnormally high; third phone cards are a reasonable alternative.
Japanese mobile phones modern 携 帯 電話 Keitai denwa or just Keitai tend to operate on unique cellular standards not always compatible with the rest of the world, for instance, most Japanese 2G mobile phones operate on the Personal Digital Cellular PDC standard, was developed and is used exclusively in Japan in brief.
Most 2G GSM phones around the world do not work in Japan Even quadband GSM phones are useless.
As AU switches its CDMA network to new 800MHz used in the rest of the world, 3G and 2G Alike foreign CDMA phones can be used in Japan for roaming purposes You need however your phone PRL updated, or will not be able to register on the towers of the AU.
3G phones using standard and equipped with the UMTS WCDMA2100 most likely 3G SIM card working.

If your phone is up to spec, check with your carrier if they have a roaming agreement with either SoftBank or NTT DoCoMo coverage is generally excellent, unless you run some remote mountainous areas.
If you have no 3G phone but still have a 3G-enabled SIM card, you can rent a 3G phone in Japan and slot in your card, allowing you to keep your home phone number of restrictions in Japan carrier may ask, for example O2 UK operating in Japan via NTT DoCoMo requires you to dial 111, wait a reminder; then dial the actual number you want to connect, make sure you check with your network provider before leaving.
The options available to you are summarized in this table.
A GSM only SIMs are issued by providers that don t have their own 3G network If your service provider is no 3G network, or if you got your phone before their 3G network was introduced, it may ask you call and ask your operator if their SIM cards are compatible USIM.
B USIM cards are issued by suppliers who have a 3G or planning to introduce a European all who got their SIM card after 2003 has one of these calls and ask your operator if their SIM cards are compatible USIM.

data roaming works as well subject to the above restrictions, allowing you to use wireless Internet on your phone while it may be expensive Google Maps on your phone can be invaluable although it should be noted that the positioning of the tower does not.
For a short visit, your cheapest option for mobile access is to rent a phone Several companies offer this level of rental and fees vary call, the best may depend on how long you rent and how you call.
Beware of free rent as there is usually a catch, there are very high costs call Incoming calls are free in Japan.
Any international airport in Japan should be reserved in advance.

Delivery in Japan, including Narita Airport or Kansai Airport Post Office.
prepaid SIM card both 4100 U-SIM and micro SIM to 1 GB or 30 days.
Rental WiFi Pocket 980 days until 55 discount.
Smartphone 1480 rental day up to 40 discount.
feel free rental there is no charge unless you really call someone.

240 min very expensive international and national about 3 - having people call you the contrary, since the incoming calls are free.
Be careful not to lose the phone or charger that the company charges the abominable amounts.
Delivery abroad and in Japan, including all airports.
3,900 up to a week, and 300 days of supply included.
Internet access unlimited wireless data plug using the LTE network of NTT Docomo.

1200 days for the first 7 days and 580 days for each following day.
Narita, Haneda, KIX, Chubu Nagoya, Fukuoka, Shin-Chitose Airport SoftBank stores.
250 days 105 days SIM card 105 min 105 min domestic US Incoming calls are free.
IPhone 3GS SIM 4 is available Rental 1500 per day for unlimited iPhone data communications.

free rental for the first week, but you must pay for shipping at fairly high levels working at least 30 After two days.
0 min 0 70 90 US domestic min Incoming calls are free.
Run the United States by the people who run Chinese Panda Phone Phone Rental.
525 days of additional shipping 800-1800 if you want the phone delivered.
90 min 100 min domestic US daily Incoming calls are free.

315 extra if you want to know the telephone number in advance.
100 min NO domestic international calls or 160 min omestic and incoming international calls are free.
IPhone week with unlimited 8000 delivery of Internet access included.
Data Card for laptop 4500 with three days of unlimited access to the Internet.
You have to book at least 4 days before arrival.
They have a complex set of plans, a basic B 75 level up to a week to two weeks 130 15 compulsory insurance included delivery to hotels; 10 additional airports.

Slow speed unlimited data SIM 2205 rental for a week.
They charge the weekly rental fee All rental products require shipping 1050 1575.
Pocket WiFi Rental 250 days of hire iPhone 800 days.
Delivery Fee Tax Mobile Charger are included.

You must book at least 2 days prior to arrival.
Delivery in Japan, including airports and hotels.
Pocket WiFi minimum rental 5.950 5 days with a SIM flexible rental period 15 days 4500, 5250 The 30 days.
Delivery, fresh mobile charger tax are included.

You must book at least 3 days before arrival.
Free delivery and pick-up in New York shipping available in the US 30.
Pocket WiFi Rental April 99 days of unlimited 4GLTE data up to 7 GB.
Phone Rental August 50 days unlimited text and unlimited data 4GLTE Japan up to 6GB.
departure fee of one day after the start until a day after the return.
Japanese phones have an email address associated with the phone number, and most of the above companies allow you to send and receive emails your usual email provider may offer redirection to another e -mail does Gmail, so you receive all the emails on mobile phone note that companies charge for incoming and outgoing emails.

For a longer trip, you can also buy a phone but doing this legally requires an Alien Registration Card or an obliging Japanese friend willing to front for you.
The easiest way is to get a prepaid card プ リ ペ イ ド prepaid phone phones are sold in most stores SoftBank and NTT DoCoMo To do Anymore telephone services have not prepaid stores located in major areas of major cities in Japan often English speaking staff to help foreigners, but this should be confirmed prior to visiting the store If you already have a 3G phone, go with Softbank as it can sell SIMs as opposed to people to prepaid service which is based on a phone as most CDMA carriers.
Prepaid phones use a card with a passkey to charge a phone with minutes These prepaid phone cards, unlike the phone itself, are found in most convenience stores.
A prepaid cell phone is available for as little as 5000 plus 3000 for a time of packet call 60-90 days, which is drained at 100 per minute with 6 seconds to 10 Prepaid AU.

Both SoftBank and the prepaid offer phones Details on pricing, phone models, procedure to obtain and can be found on their website in English for text-heavy users Softbank email is the best choice because of its introduction unlimited mail, which gives unlimited email and text messaging to 300 months.
The cheapest way is to get a monthly contract, but for this you will need proof of long-stay visa You can expect to pay about 5000 per month, assuming light calling, but prices start falling cancellation fees may also apply if the contract is terminated early.
You can send postcards all over the world for 70 public mail drop boxes are located in Japan, they have two slots, one for regular domestic mail, and one for overseas and express mail.
Internet cafes イ ン タ ー ネ ッ ト カ フ ェ is in or around many stations Here you can download your photos from a digital camera, and if you forgot your cable, some cafes give you a blow memory card reader for free coffee stores Manga 漫画 喫茶 Manga-Kissa usually have Internet PCs and when you get tired of browsing the web, you can browse the comics, watch TV or a variety of movies demand, or play video games cost is generally about 400 hours, with free non-alcoholic drinks, and perhaps more often they have special rates at night around 1500 for the period of 4-5 hours no trains run Internet cafes can be a safe and inexpensive place to spend the night if you miss the last train.
Some major railway stations and airports also rent computers to surf and send e-mail, usually about 100 pieces for 10 minutes.

A number of business hotels have Internet access available if you have your own computer, sometimes for free in most cases, access is usually provided by a VDSL modem connected to the hotel's phone system Some of the hotels that offer free Internet access do not include rental for the modem in the free part of the service, to check before using Configuring your network interface for DHCP is usually all that is needed to access the Internet in Many such situations also tend to hire or free PC's available for hotel guests.
When using public access PC s, the Alt-Shift keys pressed together typically connect between Japanese input methods and Roman If you accidentally switch the input method or the last person left the computer this and how you want to type in English, you can use this key combination to return to the Roman alphabet it can also be a language switch key on the top left of the keyboard - above the Tab key and right of the spacebar If you hit one by accident, just hit it again to return to email, note that the key is usually on the right side of the keyboard, next to the P.
It is also possible to find Wi-Fi hotspots around many major cities in Japan, especially near business and major corporate buildings relating to technology with unsecured wireless networks Apple Store Ginza, Tokyo has a fast connection, open 802 11n.
3G wireless data is available, and if you have international data roaming, you should roam without problems GPRS does not work in Japan Please see the section on mobile phones for additional information, including the Remember compatible phone data cards, the same restrictions apply to the phones 3G data.

Pocket WiFi is another affordable option for people who want to use their Wi-Fi enabled devices smartphone, iPhone, iPad, laptops, etc. Device WiFi bag is the lightest size of a Zippo and fits in your pocket or bag It provides a wireless mobile hotspot you can connect your recently NINJA WiFi devices which is a WiFi rental service for foreign tourists, is released Internet service is available everywhere and at any time in Japan, where the WiFi environment is not so good book on the website and pick up all the international airport Japan or delivery service.

Japanese car expensive one, dear, Japanese, Japan Rail Pass, accept foreign cards.

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