The beautiful country of Japan carefully combines its ancient traditions and modernity: old pagodas and gorgeous high skyscrapers, Ofuro (or national Japanese baths) and popular spa-centers and so on. This unusual combination is one of the main factors that attract thousands of tourists annually in this absolutely amazing country. But besides the special atmosphere, there are lots of interesting things that every traveler can find for himself, like unique Japanese architecture, including numerous ancient temples, few world-wide known entertainment parks for children, like “Disneyland” or “Universal Studio”, amazingly beautiful nature and landscapes, respectful and so picturesque inhabitants, unusual cuisine and so on.
Japan is considered a rather safe country, nevertheless it’s recommended not to forget about the simple rules of staying in the foreign country anyway. It’s also important to remember, that foreign languages are not widely-spread in Japan, so it’s almost impossible to meet the English-speaking passer-by on the street. Anyway, if you get lost, you may always ask the policemen for help – they will show you the way to your hotel or any other place you need. One more good thing – all the signs and indicators are dubbed into Roman alphabet, so it’s much easier to orientate yourself on the streets.
Japan is the best place for combining all the main types of vacations, including resting on the beach, going on multiple adventurous excursions, skiing, food tasting, visiting spa-centers and so on.
The most popular souvenirs to bring home from Japan are traditionally painted fans, samurai or geisha dolls, national clothes, porcelain articles, hieroglyph paintings, amazingly designed jewelry, Japanese natural cosmetics and so on.
General information Area:
377,835 sq km (145,902 sq mi)
Government:
Constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government
Languages:
Official language of Japan is Japanese . More than 99% of the population speak Japanese as their first language. This language is distinguished by a complex system of honorifics reflecting the hierarchical nature of Japanese society, with verb forms and particular vocabulary to indicate the relative status of the speaker, the listener, and a person mentioned in the conversation (regardless of his or her presence). The Japanese language is written with a combination of three different types of scripts: modified Chinese characters called kanji, and two syllabic scripts made up of modified Chinese characters, hiragana and katakana. The Latin alphabet, romaji, is also often used in modern Japanese, especially for company names and logos, advertising, and when entering Japanese text into a computer. Western style Indian numerals are generally used for numbers, but traditional Sino-Japanese numerals are also commonplace.
Dozens of Japanese dialects are also spoken in the country.
Most Japanese have studied English for at least six years starting from junior high school, but their conversational abilitis are usually poor. If lost, one practical tip is to write out a question on paper in simple words and give it to someone young, preferably the high school students. They may be able to point you in the right direction.
Also, visibly foreign visitors remain a rarity in much of Japan, and you will likely encounter moments when entering a shop causes the staff to seemingly panic and scurry off into the back. Don't take this as racism: they're just afraid that you'll try to address them in English and they'll be embarrassed because they can't understand or reply. A smile and a Konnichiwa ("Hello") often helps.
Religions:
Japan has two dominant religious traditions. Shinto is the ancient animist religion of traditional Japan. At just over twelve hundred years in Japan, Buddhism is the more recent imported faith. Christianity, introduced by European missionaries, was widely persecuted during the feudal era but is now accepted, and a small percentage of Japanese (0.7%) are Christian.
Generally speaking, the Japanese are not a particularly religious people. While they regularly visit shrines and temples to offer coins and make silent prayers, religious faith and doctrine play a small role (if any) in the life of the average Japanese. Thus it would be impossible to try to represent what percentage of the population is Shinto versus Buddhist, or even Christian. According to a famous poll, Japan is 80% Shinto and 80% Buddhist, and another oft-quoted dictum states that Japanese are Shinto when they live, as weddings and festivals are typically Shinto, but Buddhist when they die, since funerals usually use Buddhist rites. Most Japanese accept a little bit of every religion. Christianity is evident almost exclusively in a commercial sense. In season, variations of Santa Claus, pine trees and other non-religious Christmas symbols are on display in malls and shopping centers throughout metropolitan areas.
Electricity:
100V / 50 or 60Hz (American plug)
Tips:
Tips are not customary and would most likely be refused. Japanese service is legendary, and you do not need to "bribe" the waiters / waitresses to do their job properly. Besides, the meal is probably expensive enough already. Some restaurants will however add a 10% service charge. Most family restaurants that are open late or 24 hours will also add a 10% late-night charge. Even bellboys in high end hotels usually do not accept tips, and beyond the main tourist areas, tipping can even be offensive as it suggests that the service staff are not doing their job properly and need to be paid extra to do so. Thus, you should never leave tips for your sushi, sashimi or sake in a restaurant because wait staff will not even understand that the cash you left on the table was intended for them and they will most likely chase you down the street to return it to you, assuming that you forgot your change.
Visas:
Citizens of 62 countries and territories, including most Western nations, can obtain landing permission on arrival without a visa. This is usually good for a stay of up to 90 days, although certain European nationalities and Mexicans are permitted to stay for 180 days if they note a longer stay upon entry. All other nationalities must obtain a "temporary visitor" visa prior to arrival, which is generally good for a stay of 90 days. Note that no visa is required for a same-day transit between international flights at the same airport, so long as you do not leave the secured area.
All foreigners (except those on government business and certain permanent residents) at the age of 16 and over are electronically fingerprinted and photographed as part of immigration entry procedures. This may be followed by a short interview conducted by the immigration officer. Entry will be denied if any of these procedures are refused.
Airports:
The largest international gateways in Japan are Narita International Airport (NRT ), located 60 kilometers from downtown Tokyo; Kansai International Airport (KIX ), built on an artificial island in the middle of Osaka Bay (it should not be confused with Osaka International Airport, which is closer to Osaka and now handles only domestic flights); and Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO ), also located on a manmade island in Ise Bay, Tokoname City in Aichi Prefecture, south of Nagoya in central Japan.
Other Japanese airports offering international connections are Hiroshima Airport (HIJ ), Fukuoka Airport (FUK ) and Sapporo New Chitose Airport (CTS ).
Have you always wanted to visit this country but didn't know where to start?
