Security
Crime rate inlaw-abiding Japan is extremely low, but forget about elementary precautions all it's not worth it.
Meet at the street of an English-speaking passer-by- a very rare piece of luck. It is also a common misconception that all employees in hotels and restaurants in Japan speak English. The language of communication in Japan is Japanese ... and a foreigner will be helped either by a guide or by gestures ...
Transport
Taxis are very expensive in the country.Tariff starts with 640-770 JPY in Tokyo and 500-580 JPY in other cities. Further- 80-90 JPY per a certain distance, forevery minute of downtime is charged an additional 45-50 JPY. From 23:00 to 6:00 the tariff is 30% higher.
Have the opposite is true for Japanese taxi drivers: a green "light" on the windshield means that the car is busy, red- free, yellow on empty car - driving on phone call.
Forgotten in taxis, things can be returned with a high degree of probability by calling the United Lost and Found office of taxi companies.
Telephone communications
There are two cell phone standards in Japan - CDMA and 3G ... In this regard, tourists oftenquestions arise whether their phone will work in Japan, and if not, how to provide themselves with cellular communications.
There are several options:
Rent a Japanese phone and insert your ownSIM card. You will have your old number. Everyone who calls you will dial your regular phone number and will not even suspect that you are in Japan. For calls to Russia, you must dial international code connections with Russia and the desired phone number.
You can rent a phone only at Narita Airport and in the business centers of large hotels ( Imperial Hotel, New Otani, Hyatt, Four Seasons ). The rental price is approximately $ 10 per day (including insurance in case of loss or theft). Additionally, outgoing calls are paid at the rate of your operator.
Phone rental requires a passport and a valid credit card in Japan.Don't forget your SIM pin code. You will need to enter it in order to connect the SIM card to the phone.
Rent a phone with a Japanese number. You will have a Japanese phone number.Anyone who will call you must dial the international dialing code for Japan and the rented phone number.You should do the same for calls to Russia.
You can rent such a phone only at Narita Airport and in the business centers of large hotels ( Imperial Hotel, New Otani, Hyatt, Four Seasons). The cost of such a lease is $ 10. per day (including insurance against loss or theft).In addition, outgoing calls are paid at the rate of a Japanese telecom operator.
Renting a phone requires your passport and a credit card valid in Japan.
Buy a dedicated local phone. Softbank sells special phones for tourists. You buy a special prepaid phone card for the phone and enter its number into the phone. The phone starts working like a regular Japanese phone with a regular Japanese number. When the limit on the card is exhausted, you need to buy a new one. The cards are sold in all convenience stores throughout Japan. The phone costs $ 80.
When you leave Japan, you can throw your phone away or take it with you as a souvenir.Phones are sold at the airport at the Softbank store and at any Softbank store throughout Japan.
All you need to buy a phone is your passport.Payment by credit card or cash.
Multi-system telephone. The latest Nokia models are available with simultaneous support for several cellular standards - 3G and GSM. If you have such a phone, and you paid for roaming with your operator, then upon arrival in Japan you can call home directly from the plane ramp.
You can also call from the hotel.The cost of the international call will be charged to your account. You can buy a regular phone card and call from a gray phone booth in Japan.
Money
Banks work with 9:00 to 15: 00-17: 00 on weekdays and from 9:00 to 12:00 on the first and last Saturday of the month, Sunday- day off.
V At Narita International Airport (Tokyo), exchange offices work around the clock. Von holidays all banks are closed.
It is best to exchange large amounts inarrival airport, as inhotels do not change more than 300-500 USD per person per day, and in banks, the exchange procedure is complicated by bureaucratic formalities.
Currency exchange offices in shops are extremely rare, and atthe streets are not there at all.
All sales and services are subject to a non-refundable consumption tax of 5%. To refund this tax in stores and departments of the system "
tax - free "you must show your passport.In expensive hotels and restaurants, a service charge of 10-15% is often added to the bill.
You can pay with common credit cards, but
it should be remembered that ina number of credit card restaurants do not accept.Credit cards
There are times when a tourist's credit card does not work. Moreover, there is no system in failures: one and the same credit card is accepted in one store, but not in another. To avoid an unexpected situation, before traveling to Japan, contact the bank that issued you the card and ask them to check if the blocking for using your credit card abroad, and especially in Japan, has been lifted.
You will definitely need a card when renting a cell phone.
In Japan, credit cards are accepted in all major restaurants, shops, hotels, and even taxis. Although the Japanese themselves still prefer to pay in cash. It is best to have cash with you at all times.
Appliances
The voltage in Japan is 110 volts. For the plugs of electrical appliances, adapters are needed thatcan be purchased at the airport for 400-500 yen. A 4 * hotel cannot always providetourists with adapters.
Medicine, insurance
Japanese medicines are not always suitable for people of other nations, and therefore it is better not to rely on local miracle medicines, to bring your usual medicines with you.
Cosmetics - especially expensive lines - are different in Japan than in Europe and the United States. There are no European lines here, but there are their own, which differ in biochemical composition. Therefore, it is better to take the minimum necessary cosmetics with you.
Tourists usually buy health insurance in their home country before leaving. Therefore, their hopes that in the event of an insured event everything will be free are in vain. When you get sick, the first thing you need to do is call your insurance company and find out which hospital in Tokyo or another city you can go to for help. At the hospital, you will have to pay in cash, take a check, and then return the money back to your home country. In a simple case, an appointment with a doctor and medication will "pull" at least about 30,000 yen.
The insurance does not apply to appointments with a dentist, gynecologist, most of the surgeries, with the exception of an injury in an accident.
To see a doctor, you will most likely need an interpreter, for whose services it is also necessary to provide funds in the travel budget.
About using health insurance abroad - we recommend reading:
Arguments and Facts
http://www.aif.ru/travel/article/43978
clothing
The sizes of clothes and especially shoes in Japan are small, gravel paths lead to the temples, so you need to take comfortable hiking shoes, a light windproof jacket, and sunglasses from the sun. It's not easy to buy anything in Japan for your size ...
Tips
Tipping is not customary in Japan. But the Japanese do a lot on their own, do not rely on the help of the service personnel. Nobody expects that the bus driver will carry and load his things into the trunk of the bus. If the driver does so, he usually counts on a 100-200 yen tip from each passenger. If you want the guide to book a table for dinner, write the name of the store for the taxi driver in Japanese, advise and mark pharmacies and shops on the map after work, provide other assistance, then it would be right to offer the guide a tip of about 1-2 thousand yen.
If you have been provided with an additional or personal service in a restaurant or hotel, then no one will consider it offensive to receive a tip, with the help of which the client expresses his gratitude.
If you pay with a credit card everywhere and always, you should make sure that there are small bills in your wallet, with the help of which you can thank the person for a service well rendered to you.
Not accepted
There are no prohibitions in everyday life in Japan, but there are some rules that are recommended for guests of the country.
It is not accepted to smoke in public places, offices, stations and platforms railroad, as well as in houses and cars without the permission of the owner.
It is not customary to step on tatami straw mats in shoes - this is regarded as sacrilege.
It is not customary to go into a private toilet in shoes or barefoot - it is customary to change shoes into special slippers, which are usually in the toilet or in front of the entrance to it.
Lost things
Losses on the street are handled by the police, losses in the hotel are handled by the client himself, since the hotel is not responsible for the safety of things. At the same time, things left at the hotel usually go to the Lost and Found office of the hotel and are not lost.
The transport company sends the things left on the bus by mail to the hotel at the expense of the client.
With an earthquake
Japan is located in a zone of high seismic activity. The country's authorities are paying serious attention to preparing the population for possible emergencies that may arise as a result of strong earthquakes, assistance to victims, including foreigners temporarily in the country. The country has a system of preliminary or warning notification (from several minutes to several days) about a possible earthquake. Most of the time, however, earthquakes happen unexpectedly.
In such cases, you should remain calm and try to follow these recommendations:
while in the room, slightly open the entrance doors so that they are not blocked;
turn off heating devices and open sources of fire (gas stoves);
stand in the doorway under the supporting structures, covering your head from possible falling objects, or hide under a sturdy table;
in the event of a fire or the impossibility of staying in the room for other reasons, leave it, taking with you at least documents and drinking water;
do not use the elevator, and if you are in the elevator during an earthquake, then stop it on the nearest floor and get out of it;
for shelter in the city, use underground passages, open areas, keep your distance from glass windows and walls of high-rise buildings, beware of falling objects;
while in a train carriage, remain in it until the end of the earthquake or until the permission of the employees of the metro or railroad is obtained.
After the earthquake, the city headquarters for disaster prevention informs (in Japanese and English) the population about the situation, takes measures to eliminate the consequences, and provides assistance to the population. Therefore, use your radio or TV for the latest information as soon as possible.
Inquiries and emergency communication
Help - Japan Help Line (around the clock, English): 0120-461-997
Emergency communication:
Fire brigade, ambulance -119
Police -110
Called for free. When calling from a street phone, press the red button before dialing the number.
Embassy of the Russian Federation in Japan:
Many tourists dream of seeing the Land of the Rising Sun, and whoever succeeds will remain impressed by the perfect trip for a long time. Japan cannot be compared to any Asian country- she is so original and mysterious. And for every tourist who has been here, it opens in its own way, generously endowing with unforgettable emotions. Holidays in Japan can be very different. Someone comes here to stroll through the seething and mega-modern Tokyo, while someone, on the contrary, likes the contemplative and beautiful Fujiyama volcano and no less soulful Japanese temples and pagodas. After the sad events in 2011 in Fukushima (recall, due to a strong earthquake there was an accident at a nuclear power plant), the flow of tourists to Japan has noticeably thinned, but today we can confidently say that the situation has changed for the better.
In order not to be left without a long-awaited vacation in Japan, plan a decent vacation budget in advance. Traveling to the Land of the Rising Sun will have to spend an order of magnitude more than, for example, Thailand or Vietnam.
You can plan a vacation in Japan at almost any time of the year, as there is always something to do and see. So, in winter, tourists rush to the local mountains ski resorts... The most famous of them are Naeba, Furano, Hakuba and Hokkaido. The height of the slopes and infrastructure on Japanese skiing is in no way inferior to European winter resorts. Caught in Japan the day before new year holidays, don't miss the grand parade in Tokyo and the Sapporo Ice Festival. With the onset of spring, holidays in Japan are becoming even more popular. Still: the beautiful sakura turns this country into a large blooming garden. This trip is best combined with a visit to the famous thermal springs and balneological resorts in Japan. There are spa centers both in Tokyo and other cities. This, for example, famous resorts Atami, Hakone, Ibusuki. Staying here even for a short time, you will return home refreshed and full of energy.
Holidays in Japan
In summer, vacationers in Japan are chosen by beachgoers and go closer to the sea - to the islands of Okinawa. The long and tiring flight will be instantly forgotten as soon as you find yourself on the coast and stay in cozy and modern hotels of the resort. And the impeccable service provided in all hotels will completely relax you. By the way, it is good to have a rest here with the whole family: interesting leisure and a whole range of entertainment (water parks, dolphinarium) awaits not only adults, but also young tourists. You can sunbathe on Japanese beaches in early autumn, but be prepared that the weather can pump up, and the sun will be replaced by coolness.
But at this time (to be more precise, in October), holidays in Japan can be diversified by visiting, literally, the burning fire festival, which is held annually in Kyoto.
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In order not to be left without a long-awaited vacation in Japan, plan a decent vacation budget in advance. Why? Traveling to the Land of the Rising Sun will have to spend an order of magnitude more in comparison, for example, with the same Asian Thailand or Vietnam. But whatever costs lie ahead, they cannot be compared with the baggage of emotions and impressions with which tourists return home after a vacation in Japan. Finally, about the nuances of organizing a trip. All foreign tourists require a valid visa to enter the country. This, of course, is not a Schengen visa or an American visa, which are sometimes very problematic to obtain, nevertheless it is better to deal with this issue as early as possible before the desired travel date.
As practice shows, tourist visas in Japan can actually be issued in one to two weeks. If running around the embassy offices with a pile of documents is not your element, entrust this issue to your travel agency.
Holidays in Japan, in this highly developed country rich in ancient traditions, will fill your baggage of impressions with new sensations. Cities of japan are huge and bright garlands of colored lights. Holidays in Japan it is impossible to imagine without visiting the capital of this wonderful country. - this is the place where the frantic rhythms of modernity collided with ancient foundations and traditions, it is sheer restless madness, balanced by Zen temples.
Active holidays in Japan
Many of Japan's national parks have hiking trails. the most popular for walking tours are national and Chichibu-Tama. There are also good but distant routes in Gunma Prefecture and the Kanzai area near the city. To see japan from an unusual side, rarely accessible to foreigners, visit the mountainous, sparsely populated areas of the Central Alps. Skiing is possible from December to April. Most of the resorts are located on the island, but there are also ski resorts and Hokkaido... Scuba diving is available on the Okinawa Islands in southwestern Japan. Cycling is appropriate in less mountainous areas, but some eager cyclists even climb Mount Fuji! Golf is prestigious in Japan. If you have a desire to step on a green lawn, you need a fat wallet and corporate connections. If you play golf, you will have to pay from $ 100 per day.
Prices for holidays in Japan
Japan is possibly one of the most dear countries for travel but you can always find ways to reduce costs to an acceptable level. The approximate daily budget, assuming you will be staying in inexpensive hotels, eating modest restaurants and traveling short distances, would be around $ 60. Add another $ 10 just in case you feel like having a snack, a sip of water, some fun, or a fine. If you are staying at an expensive hotel and eating at an expensive restaurant, this amount will increase to $ 100. Yes, accommodation even in inexpensive Japanese hotels for money costs is far from the OldPort Hotel in Borispol or a Russian middle-class hotel, it is more expensive, for which, when traveling to Japan, you need to be prepared. Long distance travel in Japan can undermine your budget if you intend to travel a lot around the country. You should buy a rail pass. If you look at this problem from the other side, wealthy people will not have any problems with where to spend the money they brought with them. Japan specializes in establishments in which, the higher the score, the higher the prestige of the guests. Cash still dominates Japan. But in big cities, more and more people pay with credit cards. are accustomed to the low crime rate in their country and often carry large wallets of money with them to enjoy the almost ritualistic cash payment process. Foreign tourists can imitate the Japanese in this, not forgetting the minimum precautions. You can exchange cash or travelers checks at the Foreign Exchange Bank, main post offices, major stores and hotels. American dollars are preferred, attempts to exchange Taiwanese or Korean money are doomed to failure. Most ATMs do not accept overseas credit cards. You will have to search for Cirrus or Plus logos ATMs or check with your credit card company before leaving. it is not customary to tip at every turn, as well as to bargain. If you want to express your gratitude to someone, better. Bargaining is almost impossible, with the exception of used electronics stores, where you can politely ask for a discount, and they will give you 10%.
Getting around Japan
Traveling by plane is the most comfortable view moving from the main islands to one of the smaller ones, and often it is not much more expensive than traveling by train. Check, just in case, you might be entitled to discounts, there are some pretty funny ones in Japan (for example, Japanese airlines offer discounts for three women traveling together, or for a husband and wife if their combined age is 88 or more). It is even more profitable to buy tickets in advance at special prices: Japanese airlines offer discounts up to 72% on everything flights within Japan... You can also travel in Japan by train, although they are very often expensive. fast, frequent, clean and comfortable. Trains are very diverse: from small, local, to super-express trains (shinkansen) or "bullet trains", which have become the symbol of modern Japan. Bullet trains reach speeds of 270 km / h, are very comfortable and can be driven with a rail pass. These passes must be purchased in advance and are valid for all trains in Japan. Intercity buses are significantly slower than trains, but they are noticeably cheaper. If you are not traveling to sleeping car then spending the whole night in the reclining seat of the bus is much more comfortable than sitting erect on the seat of the train. it is much easier than it seems, it is enough to have an international driver's license. In Tokyo, you will not dare to drive, but in most other cities the roads are equipped with signs in English, all drivers are polite and careful, gasoline is not much more expensive than in Europe (that is, almost 3 times more expensive than in America), and the place for parking is not so difficult to find, as popular rumor says. You can get around the country perfectly on a motorcycle, and you do not need a motorcycle license. Driving in Japan is left-hand... Exploring Japan while cycling around the country is very exciting. The secret to the success of such trips is to get away from the busy main highways and travel on small roads. Ferries are also a great way to see parts of the country that you haven't visited yet. A dense network of ferry crossings connects the islands, and the southern coast of the West over the waters of the Inland Sea. Ferries also connect the main islands with small islets scattered along the coast, and also run between Okinawa and Taiwan. The local is very well equipped. In big cities, the metro operates - this is the fastest and most convenient way to get to the desired place. Almost every Japanese city has a bus fleet, but many foreigners do not like to ride buses. Trams are much more pleasant to ride. Taxis are also very convenient, but (unsurprisingly) expensive.
Money in Japan
Holidays in Japan
December 31 - January 2-3 - Banking Holidays. January 1st - . 2nd Monday of January - ("Seijin-no-hee"). February 11 - . March 20/21 - Feast of the Spring Equinox. April 29 - Vegetation Day. May 3 - Constitution Day. May 4 - Non-working day. 5 May - . July 20 - Sea Day. September 15 - Respect for Seniors Day. September 23-24 - Autumnal Equinox Festival. 2nd Monday in October - Health and Sports Day. November 3 - National Day of Culture. November 23 - Labor Day. December 23 - Emperor's Day. In terms of the number of various holidays, festivals and ceremonies, the country is clearly the world leader - there are more than 200 official holidays alone, and the number of local ones simply cannot be counted. The most famous are such traditional festivities as the New Year - Segatsu, the Yuki Matsuri snow festivals (January) and the ice festival (early February), the girls' festival or the "doll festival" - "" (March 3) and the water painting festival "Omizutori" (early March), admiring the flowers "Hanami" (cherry blossom time, late March), Buddha's Birthday or Flower Festival - "Hana Matsuri" (early April), the country's largest Buddhist festival - "Sanya Matsuri" (end May), the festival of stars "Tanabata Matsun" (early July), the grandiose festival in Kyoto "Gion Matsuri" (mid-July), "Festival of the Dead" or "Lantern Festival" O-Bun (runs from mid-July to the end of August), Festival folk dance "Awa Odori" in Tokushima (mid-August), grandiose Autumn Festival in Nikko (mid-October) and many others. The Lilac Festival is held in the spring and the White Illumination Festival in Sapporo in late autumn. The Yah-Yah Matsuri Shout Festival (first Sunday in February) is held in Owashi, the Mifune Matsuri boat and raft parade (late May) is held in Kyoto, and Valentine's Day is held in February-March.
Memo to a tourist in Japan
Tipping is not customary in Japan. Trying to tip can be considered an insult. In expensive hotels and restaurants, a service charge of 10-15% is often added to the bill, so the tip is actually paid through these official bills. The best rest abroad for a wealthy or desperate gaijin is, of course, rest in japan... You just need to choose carefully suitable season for traveling to Japan, among other things. Weather Spring (March-May) with clear skies and cherry blossoms is probably the most wonderful time of the year in Japan, but it is a period of all kinds of holidays, so many of the more popular routes can be crowded with local tourists. Autumn (September-November) is a great time to travel: temperatures are moderate and autumn colors, especially outside the city, look amazing. The middle of winter (December-February) can be very cold, and the exhausting summer months (June-August) can turn any trip away from air conditioners into a real "bathhouse", where the only positive thing is that there is no such influx of tourists at this time. ... It is also worth considering whether it makes sense to travel in the midst of the holidays. Moving around and finding accommodation can be a real headache during New Years, Golden Week (late April - early May) and the O-Bon festival in mid-summer. It is not accepted to smoke in public places, in offices, at stations and railway platforms, as well as in houses and cars without the permission of the owner. Do not step on straw mats with your booted foot. " tatami"- this is regarded as sacrilege. This is especially true for dwellings or for visiting temples. You should also change your shoes into special slippers before and after using the toilet. The number of traditions and rituals, obligatory or recommended for observance, is simply enormous. Almost all spheres of the country's life are permeated with a network of traditions and ceremonies, this is especially noticeable in communication between people and in public life. Department stores are open every day from 10:00 to 21:00 or 22:00. Private shops, as well as hotel shops, work according to their schedule. There is a chain of small shops that are open around the clock, but offer a limited range of goods, including, however, everything you need. The most expensive shops are located in the Shinjuku quarter, on Aoyama-Dori Street, Tokyo's Champs Elysees. Young people prefer to dress. in the Shibuya area, there are many inexpensive trendy shops here.
We continue to consider the features of tourism in the Land of the Rising Sun. In order not to seem to everyone and everyone in this country as an ignorant “red-skinned barbarian” who has visited this marvelous land, it is worth knowing the rules and being able to follow them. In continuation of the previous article, we will tell you about the intricacies of life and culture of the mysterious Japanese people.
The safety level of tourists in Japan is perhaps one of the lowest in the world. Of course, do not forget about the basic safety rules and precautions that are typical for all countries. Here you just need to remember that foreign languages are not very favored in Japan and you will be incredibly lucky if you meet a person who speaks English more or less tolerably. However, the locals will quickly float the lost tourists to the police, and the latter are responsible for the delivery of noisy ignorant foreigners to hotels. Also, all the inscriptions in the metro and buses are duplicated in Latin. It doesn't help much, but at the very least, you can navigate.
A few words about the seasons. The climate in Japan is divided into 4 traditional seasons and 2 rainy seasons. In winter, the islands are usually dry and above zero. Snow falls in the mountains. Spring begins with the plum blossom (usually March) and lasts until the “bayou” (plum rain), the summer rainy season. So, if you want to watch the legendary, repeatedly sung cherry blossoms, try to get to Japan by the beginning of April. The rainy season starts and lasts differently in different parts of the country. Summer is a really hot season that lasts until September, when the autumn wind finally brings coolness. Autumn is the most comfortable time of the year in Japan, in my opinion. It is important to remember that there are no “cheap” or “low” seasons in this country (like in Egypt or Turkey). At any time of the year, prices for most services for foreigners remain the same. Therefore, plan your trip according to your climate and weather preferences.
Now about Japanese cuisine. The most popular, of course, are 3 products: rice, fish and seaweed (how else on the islands?). Hence the most famous Japanese "sushi" and "sashimi" (the Japanese themselves say "sushi" and "sashimi" and many of them do not pronounce the letter "sh" at all). In general, everything that somehow floats in the sea near the islands indiscriminately turns into these very sushi and sashimi. Other interesting things are Japanese soup “miso”, “tempura” (specially fried fish) and Japanese national shish kebab - “kushiyaki”.
In all cafes and restaurants - full service with smiling and polite staff. They speak, however, only in Japanese, but that's okay. There is, of course, European cuisine, however, it is European only in appearance. Well, but full service. The Orekhovo hotel in Moscow with its 4 hundred hotel rooms and well-trained staff. Well, it doesn't matter. Be that as it may, it seems to me impossible to have a good rest in Japan without full involvement. This means no European cuisine and everything else "Western". Only local food, local hotels, local baths, transport. Then the trip to Japan will be unforgettable.
