IFTA Japan Mini Travel Guide
By Joe Young, International Relationship Manager, NTAA Things to Know about JapanLocation: Japan is an archipelago in East Asia. The main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. Tokyo located on the island on Honshu, in the Kanto region. Country Code: +(81) also, when given a local number like 080-5555-5555, if one would like to dial this number from outside Japan, one must drop the first 0. Thus, if someone was dialing from America, the phone number would look like 011-81-80-5555-5555. Weather: Autumn weather in Japan is very mild, with a cool breeze and the colors of the trees are changing. It is a very lovely time of the year. (The 1964 Tokyo Olympics was deliberately held at this time of the year). Recommended apparel is slacks, a light Jacket or other kinds of similar clothing. Temperature usually hover around 15℃ to 23℃ (59°F to 73°F) with a humidity of 60%
Language: Japanese is the language of the land. However, everyone knows English to some degree or another. Shinjuku is the heart of English establishments in Tokyo. So, one will have the most success with English there. If you want to have an interesting experience, learn Katakana before arriving. All borrowed English and foreign words are written in Katakana. You will be able to somewhat read if you learn the 46 characters. Currency: Japanese Yen (JPY). US$ 1.00USD = JPY 123.5JPY (June 26, 2015). Please check on your current exchange rate before departure. Electricity: Standard American two-pin plug-in jack. New plug-in jacks are polarized with one pin being larger. However the older style does exist. In most places, the three pronged American jack with the ground will not fit as most plug-in jacks do not have a ground. In Eastern Japan (i.e. Tokyo, Yokohama, Tohoku, Hokkaido), the frequency is 50Hz. However, in western (i.e. Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Kyushu) Japan, it is 60Hz. All voltage is 100V. Make sure to pack appropriate travel transformers for your stay.
Safety and Security: One can feel confident in Tokyo, Japan, as it was recently named by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the safest city in the world. Not only Tokyo, but Osaka, Japan was close behind. Japan was the only country in the top ten to be listed on the survey twice! So please make yourself at home in Japan, and feel comfortable knowing that you are safe. Emergency Codes: 119 is for fire and ambulance. 110 is for the police. Operators can speak a multitude of languages. So please keep these numbers in mind.
Price Levels and Cost of Living / Staying: It may come as a surprise that the cost of living / staying in Tokyo (and Japan) is very reasonable. Basic necessities such as food, clothing, haircuts, are much less expensive than most other major cities. For example, most bug lunch sets in Japan will run in the neighborhood of 1,000 yen (8.1 USD). A similar portion of food in America or Europe would be at least 10-15 USD. Please examine the link below for a detailed comparison of prices. Overall, one will definitely not spend anything more than if you were in America or Europe. Changing money: Most major currencies can be easily changed into Japanese yen (e.g. currency exchange at the airports or in the hotel lobby). Credit card acceptance: The Japanese used to be generally a cash-based society. However, credit cards are now accepted in airports, stations, major shops and establishments, as well as at most convenience stores (“7-Even”, “Family Mart” and others). There are some 55,000 convenience stores in Japan (including some 7,300 in Tokyo), which has one of the largest number of 24-hour convenience stores in the world.
Visa: As there are different rules and regulations concerning the various countries, it is recommended to read the Japan National Tourism Organization website. Withdrawing Money: Depending on the type of card you hold, you might be able to withdraw your bank account or credit card at Citibank, Shinsei Bank, Post offices and convenience stores. If you have a “Plus” mark on the back of your bank card, you should be fine. http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2208.html A post office and an international ATM is located just near the hotel. Tipping: Tipping in Japan is generally not advised, at restaurants, cabs, luggage handlers, nowhere do you top. Japan is in general a tip-free country. There is, however, an exception: if you happen to find yourself at American pubs or clubs in Shinjuku with American staff, you most likely should tip.
Tourist Activities: Tokyo is truly a city of unlimited possibilities. It may not be an exaggeration to say that everything that exists in one’s imagination exists somewhere in Tokyo. While the professional Guest Relations staff of the conference venue hotel will be happy to provide you with useful sight-seeing and shopping information as well as assistance you may need, it is recommended to buy a travel guide if you are interested in exploring the various sights and sounds of Tokyo (and of Japan). Suggested guides include the following. These can be purchased at most large book stores or Amazon
Local friendliness, Taxi services, Cleanliness, Public Transportation, etc.: Tokyo topped Trip Advisor’s list of the most satisfying cities to visit. The site asked users to rate each of the cities in 16 different ways. In 13 of the 16 categories, Tokyo finished in the top 10. It topped five of the categories including: Trains: Buy a Suica card for travelling by train. It costs 500 yen (US$ 4) and can be purchased from the main window at any train station. The 500 yen (US$ 4) will be reimbursed when the card is returned. Use the automated teller to load up 2000 yen (US$ 16). Trains, bus fares and access is made simple and convenient with this card. Also, most stores and vending machines inside the station and 90% of convenience stores outside the station accept the card for payments. When traveling by train, plan ahead with a website such a Hyperdia (http://www.hyperdia.com). Traveling around Japan: To see the sights and sounds of Tokyo, the local trains are more than sufficient. If one wants to go outside of Tokyo, then the Shinkansen bullet train or an airplane is recommended.
Japan Rail National Pass: Available to travelers, this is your all-encompassing ticket. For two weeks you can go anywhere in Japan for the amazing price of about US$380. You can use local trains and most bullet trains. However, for total unrestricted use of the very fastest bullet trains, you would need a “Green Pass,” which will run just a little over US$ 500 for two weeks. This is highly recommended for a couple of reasons, but primarily because it is so easy, with no worrying about train fare or transportation. This is your one-stop item.
Japanese Culture & Its Influence on World: According to a recent BBC poll, Japan has ranked highest for its positive influence in the world. The effect that the Japanese culture has had on the rest of the world should not be understated. The culture and products of Japan look to have an increasingly large and lasting impact on all countries. Japan overflows with unique tenets, and these at first glance may look simple, but the more one looks, the layers upon layers of complexity come to light. The center of all of this richness and beauty is Tokyo; the heart of Japan.
Gastronomy (Tokyo as World’s Gourmet Capital; Traditional Japanese food as World Heritage): The Michelin Guide handed out a total of 286 stars to restaurants in Tokyo, more than twice the number given to restaurants in Paris and New York combined, in 2013. It is perhaps not an exaggeration to say that Tokyo is undisputed world’s culinary capital. Tokyo is tasty. The Japanese Onsen (Hot Springs): When going to hot springs, be prepared. There is a specific ritual, however. If you follow this mini guide, you should be fine. When you go to a hot spring in Japan, it is just as much of a spiritual experience as it is a time to relax. In the locker room, you will deposit all of your belongings into a locker and take the key with you. When exiting the locker room, you will need your key and your small towel only. If you have a toothbrush and toothpaste, that would be good too. Do not bring a swimming suit; clothing is prohibited in most onsens. You cover yourself with the small towel until you get into the wash area with many stalls - sometimes with walls but most often, without. Soap is provided and you are required to clean yourself perfectly. After you are clean, exit the wash area and go to the desired hot spring pool and cover yourself with your very small towel. Before getting into the pool, you will notice a small bucket on the side of the pool. If you don’t notice one, find one. Once you have the bucket, take some water from the pool and pour it over yourself a couple of times. Once all of the water from the cubical cleaning area has been sufficiently cleansed away from you, then you can go into the onsen. Before entering the onsen, take your towel and put it on the side of the pool beside where you want to sit. Most people will walk in and hold the small towel above their shoulders and then place it on the side where they sit. When you leave the onsen, you will again pour onsen water over yourself, and go to the new pool in which you are interested, and pour some water over yourself from that new pool before getting in. This is to ensure that the water of one pool does not contaminate the water from a different pool. Whether this be spiritual contamination or actual, it doesn’t matter; this is just the way it is. When one is ready to leave, take a quick rinse in the cubical or cold shower and then leave. Making plans in Japan: Japan is so densely populated with stores and shops that if you don’t know exactly where you want to go, what you want to do, and how you will get there, that you will do nothing. Plan ahead. If you plan on doing any serious sightseeing, buy a guidebook. The Rough Guide to Tokyo Paperback ? Jul 21 2014 by Martin Zatko is recommended for within Tokyo and Lonely Planet Japan (Travel Guide) by Lonely Planet and Chris Rowthorn is recommended for everywhere else. However, there are many great guidebooks on Amazon.
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