Japan Crash Course

Japan, also known as Nippon or Nihon in Japanese, is a nation of islands in eastern Asia where the future has met the past. Though the Japanese have been around for millenia and not forgotten their ancient culture, it also has a major forward-looking progressive, international cutting-edge side to it.

Japan is a land of contradictions. Corporations dominate the globe, but plead near bankrupcy. High tech building structures are nestled against run-down shanty towns. Children's toys are advertised beside graphic pornography. Gorgeous temples are beside basic uninspired buildings. Modern skyscrapers have wooden doors taking you into a room of tatami mats, and a traditional tea service, like you are in the country. You'll never be bored checking out the peculiarities of Japan.

History

Being the outer islands of eastern Asia has had profound affects on the historic significance of Japan. Most of Japan's history has involved both open and closed door policies with Asia proper, in many respects quite similar to how Britain deals with the rest of Europe.

Archeological finds date the human beginnings of Japan to half a million years ago, however, recorded history began during the time of Emperor Jimmu, a mythical character around the sixth century BC. He apparently founded todays imperial line. Political and economic power was in the hands of a group of noble dynasties that operated on a largely feudal basis.

Nara was home to the first major Japanese state around 700AD, but it moved to Kyoto then Kamakura until the fifteenth century during the anarchistic Warring States era. In the 1100s, several families agreed to stop warring by instilling a military governor or shogun. Just threats from the outside such as the aggressive Mongols would unite the power families against the enemy. Unwittingly, a newly inspired national consciousness developed lasting over 300 years.

The country was finally brought together by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1600AD, founding the Tokugawa Shogunate keeping power for two hundred and fifty years. Edo, later named Tokyo, was a feudal state with caste systems. The Shogun and Samurai fighters were in top position. There was no upward social mobility and Japan refused to yield to foreign pressure and influence.

But in the late 1800s, industrialization took over, allowing a new kind of leader bowing and copying westernized ideas of administration and production.

Under the rule of Tokugawa, Japan stabilized but stagnated in comparison to the rest of the newly industrialized world. In 1854, Commodore Matthew Perry came with his 'Black Ships' to Yokohama, and broke them of their isolationistic ideas, encouraging them to open trade with the world. The shogunate collapsed as a result of it, but the new Japanese economy was not only driven to industrialize, but also driven to expand beyond their borders.

The executive power remained in the hands of the emporer, a sort of demi-giod who inherited his position, while the military was enthusiastically droving the need to expand and conquer. Japan had little to do with the First World War, but shortly after, directed its imperialist intensions towards China and South East Asia, occupying much of it by 1941. At its peak, the Japanese Empire, or as they called it, 'The Co-Prosperity Zone' stretched as far as Indonesia to the south, and several east Pacific islands.

The British had considereable economical and political interests in China, and this collision of two of the world's powers drove Japan to ally with Germany.

After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour, America responded by slowly pushing back Japan to its own borders, nearly surrendering, then Hiroshima and Nagasaki sealed the deal after the US destroyed both cities with the first and only atomic bombs ever used against mankind. The once proud Japan was humiliatingly occupied by US troops, who drew up a constitution that Japan uses basically to this day. The Emporer was religated to become a figurehead with little political clout. Also to this day, Japan is condemned for its brutal and cruel treatment of its subject countries, and compounding the hate is the fact Japan is in denial of its history. Nearly two million Japanese, and over ten million Chinese and others died during World War II by battles, bombs, massacres and starvation.

With their armed forces abolished and the USA looking after their future defenses, Japan was able to turn its energetic people power and purchased resources into world class industrial projects, climbing to the second largest GNP (gross national product) on earth behind only the USA itself. Japan has undergone incomparable economic growth, shiney new modern buildings, high-tech bullet trains, flashy nightlife, and consumerism gone rampant. But under the futuristic pazzaz that Japan shows the world is an ancient heart, where the geisha practises her craft, and sumo wrestlers battle with learned techniques like mountains of muscle and fat. Traditional festivals are still popular, and food has become a form of art. And it is a land of extreme beauty, with its snow capped peaks, its farms of lavender in the north, and sun-baked beaches in the semitropical south. Whether you choose to climb a mountain or relax in a thermal hot spring at the base of an active volcano, you won't ever forget Japan.

Climate

Due to the large North South extension of the country, the climate varies strongly in different regions. The climate in most of the major cities, including Tokyo, is temperate to subtropic and consists of four seasons. .

Except for the Hokkaido area and the subtropical Okinawa region, the weather is mostly temperate. Winters are cool and sunny in the south, cold and sunny around Tokyo (which occasionally has snow), and very cold around Hokkaido, which is covered in snow for up to four months a year. In Okinawa, on the other hand, the mean temperature of January is a warm 16 degrees Celsius. Hokkaido, however, is much drier than the Tokyo area. Rainfall is intermittent with sunshine.

The Japanese are proud of their four seasons (and a surprising number believe the phenomenon is unique to Japan), but the tourist with a flexible travel schedule should try to aim for two of them.

• Spring is one of the best times of year to be in Japan. The temperatures are warm but not hot, there's not too much rain, and during the March and April period brings the justly famous cherry blossoms (sakura) and is a time of revelry and festivals. In early March, the Japan Meteorological Agency announces predictions about when the blooming will begin.

• Summer starts with a dreary rainy season (known as tsuyu or baiu) in June and turns into a steambath in July-August, with extreme humidity and the temperature heading as high as 40°C. Avoid, or do as the Japanese do and head to northern Hokkaido or the mountains of Chubu and Tohoku to escape. There are many fireworks displays. There are also many festivals including gion and tenzin. Typhoons hit parts of the country every year during late summer, but rarely last more than a day.

• Autumn, starting in September, is also an excellent time to be in Japan. Temperatures and humidity become more tolerable, fair days are common and fall colors can be just as impressive as cherry blossoms.

• Winter is a good time to go skiing or hot-spring hopping, but as the Japanese have yet to figure out the wonders of central heating, it's often miserably cold indoors. Heading south to Okinawa provides some relief. There is usually heavy snow in Hokkaido and northeast Japan due to the cold wind blasts from Siberia.

Required clothing

Lightweight cottons and linens are required throughout summer in most areas. There is much less rainfall than in Western Europe. Light- to mediumweights during spring and autumn; medium- to heavyweights for winter months, according to region. Much warmer clothes will be needed in the mountains all year round.

Geography

Because Japan is located in a region, where several continental plates meet, the country experiences frequent earthquakes. For the same reason, there are many volcanos in Japan. Japan's most famous volcano and highest mountain is Mt.Fuji at 3776m (12,388ft). Japan is about the size of California or Germany and runs from latitudes as far north as Oregon's, and south as far as Florida's latitude.

There is a hundred miles of sea separating Japan from the mainland. With such a large population, it is nice to know more than half of Japan is forested mountains, many are active and dormant volcanos. Then Japan is also one fifth hills. There are several mountain ranges running from the south of Kyushu all the way to the north of Hokkaido. The most predominant mountains are the Japanese Alps running north and south in central Honshu.

There isn't a lot of room to live in Japan, as the flat lowlands and plains only run tight along the long and intricate coastlines. The deepest bays used as protective harbours are nearest the steepest mountains, where the land just continues to drop off into the sea.

People

Because Japan was cut of from the outside world for so many centuries, it is extremely homogeneous as only 2% of the population are not ethnic Japanese. Koreans, many in their fourth and fifth generation, make up the largest minority. Also, there are some Chinese, Brazilians and Filipinos. The 50,000 Ainu are a indigenous minority that were forced north to Hakkaido and on Okinawa are the indigenous Ryukyuan.

While some Japanese will bend over backwards for you as a foreigner (gaijin), others are quite shy about communicating.

Language

The language of Japan is Japanese. Most Japanese have studied English for at least six years, but conversational ability is usually poor. If lost, one practical tip is to write out a question on paper in simple words and give it to someone young. They may be able to point you in the right direction. It can also be helpful to carry a hotel business card or matchbook with you, to show a taxi driver or someone if you lose your way. Take comfort in the fact that many Japanese will go to extraordinary lengths to understand what you want and to help you.

Japanese is a language with several distinct dialects, although standard Japanese (hyōjungo) is understood everywhere. Areas like Kagoshima prefecture and the Tohoku region have dialects that are nearly incomprehensible to other Japanese. On the southern islands of Okinawa, many dialects of the closely related Ryukyuan language are spoken, mostly by the elderly, while in northern Hokkaido a rare few still speak Ainu.

Holidays

New Years or Oshōgatsu is the major holiday in Japan, and everything seems to be shut down for about five days around this period. Most go home to families, jamming up the major transportation services, to consume festive meals and go to the local temple at midnight on December 31st to welcome in the New Year. Plane fares are the highest at this time.

In late March or early April is the cherry blossom festival, which turns into an excuse for drunken behavior in the local parks. There is no exact date, and the TV stations report the progress of the blossoms from northern to southern Japan.

Golden Week from April 27th to May 6th is when four small public holidays occur in the same week, so people take the whole week off to travel. Once again, forget trying to take trains and bus rides, hotels are expensive, and flights are oversold.

Festivals in the summer seem to draw people's attention away from the humidity and heat. Enjoy several small festivals called matsuri, competing fireworks displays or hanabi, Tanabata celebrates a legend of starry-eyed lovers who were only able to meet on this date, while the biggest summer festival is Obon honouring the spirits of departed relatives as everyone visits their respective graveyards.

National holidays

Here are the national holidays in order of date.

• January 1st - the New Year's Day or 'ganjitsu'.
• Second Monday of January - the coming-of-age day or 'seijin no hi'.
• February 11th - National Day of Foundation or 'kenkoku kinenbi'
  

  

  Yamato Nadeshiko
• March 21st - vernal equinox day or 'shunbun no hi'
• April 29th - greenery day or 'midori no hi'.
• May 3rd - constitution day or 'kenpō kinnenbi'
• May 4th - citizen's holiday or 'kokumin no kyūjitsu'.
• May 5th - children's day or 'kodomo no hi'
• The third Monday in July - Marine Day or 'umi no hi'.
• The third Monday in September - rRespect-for-the-aged ay or 'keirō no hi'.
• September 23rd - Autumnal equinox day or 'shuubun no hi'.
• The second Monday in October - sports day or 'taiiku no hi'
• November 3rd - culture day or 'bunka no hi'
• November 23rd - ltabor thanksgiving day or 'kinrō kansha no hi'.
• December 23rd - he emperor's birthday or 'tennō tanjōbi'.

Religion

There are two major religious streams in Japan, traditional ancient animist Shintoism and Buddhism which was brought in from China a mere eight hundred years ago. A few Japanese practise Christianity, brought in by the first Europeans. Though originally persecuted during the feudal eras, it is now quietly tollerated, and commercially accepted around Christian holidays. Also, Niraikanai, the belief in the powers of the dead out past the sea is worshipped in Okinawa.

Most Japanese seem to draw from a combination of religions, Shinto is the basis for many festivals and weddings, Buddhim is used in death and funerals, but they even celebrate the commercialism of the Christmas season selling non-Christian symbols like snowmen, Santa Claus, and plastic pine trees. One must realize however, that the Japanese are not heavy into any religion, and are more concerned with their day to day life of reality.

Still Shintoism and Buddhism, intertwined as they are, have had a tremendous influence on the make-up of Japan, including the construction of beautiful garden settings and shrines radiating peace and harmony, reflecting the Shinto philosophy. Though Buddhism had broken into different branches, it seems to be more involved politically in the direction Japan is heading, using its moral as well as aesthetic sensibilities. Other things caused or influenced by Buddhism are the arts, flower arranging, tea ceremonies, martial arts, poetry, calligraphy and painting.

Utilities and Communications

• Electricity - 100 volts AC, 60Hz in the west (Osaka); 100 volts AC, 50Hz in eastern Japan and Tokyo. Plugs are flat two-pin and light bulbs are screw-type.

• Internet - Internet is available; there are many Internet cafes in Tokyo and in the main cities in Japan. Some hotel telephones and the new grey telephones have modular sockets for computer network access.

• Post - Letters can be taken to the Central Post Office in front of Tokyo Station or the International Post Office, near exit A-2 Otemachi subway station, which provide English-speaking personnel. Airmail to Europe takes four to six days. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700. Some main post offices are open daily.
  

  

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• Media - Japan's broadcasting scene is advanced and vibrant, and very competitive, with established public and commercial outlets competing for audiences. Many millions now watch satellite and cable pay-TV services, including those provided by NHK. The development of high-definition TV (HDTV) now has an NHK channel dedicated to such transmissions. Digital terrestrial TV broadcasting is in the process of being introduced, also.

Newspaper readership is extremely high, and national dailies have circulations in the millions. The English-language daily newspapers in Tokyo include Daily Sports, Yomiuri Shimbun, The Japan Times and The Mainichi Daily News.

TV: National commercial networks include TV Asahi, Fuji TV, Nippon TV (NTV) and the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS). NHK is a public broadcaster, and operates general and educational TV channels, as well as satellite channels and a high-definition TV network.

Radio: NHK is a public broadcaster that operates a news- and speech-based radio station, as well as a cultural and educational network, a classical, music-based network and an external service, Radio Japan. Inter FM, J-Wave and Tokyo FM are all commercial stations. TBS Radio is operated by the Tokyo Broadcasting System.

Telephones

• Telephone - Full IDD service. Country code: 81. Three companies provide international communications services: KDDI, IDC and ISD, each possessing their own international access number (001 010, 0061 and 0041, respectively).

• Public pay telephones (kōshū denwa) are easily found, particularly near train stations, although with the popularity of mobile phones, public pay phones are not as quite as numerous as they once were. Gray and green pay phones accept ¥10 and ¥100 coins, and magnetic pre-paid cards. Some of the gray phones, as indicated on the LCD display, can make international calls. Another type of phone, IC pay phones, use an different IC-type card, but all can make international calls. Both types of pre-paid cards may be purchased at convenience stores, train station kiosk stores and sometimes in vending machines next to the phone. International phone charges from pay phones can be unusually high; third-party phone cards are a reasonable alternative. Credit cards can also be used directly in some phone boxes.

• Mobile telephones - The Japanese mobile network uses PDC (Personal Digital Cellular System) technology, which is not compatible with GSM or other mobile services. Visitors can hire handsets from companies such as NTT, Mover Rental Center, 2-2-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8019 (tel: (3) 3282 0100) or Sony Finance, Rental Sales Department, Minamiaoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo (tel: (3) 3475 5721). For UK travelers, mobiles can also be hired before departure from Adam Phones (tel: (0800) 123 000), Cellhire PLC (tel: (0800) 610 610; e-mail: london@cellhire.com) or Mobell Communications (tel: (01543) 426 999). Coverage is good. If you have a W-CDMA (UMTS) 3G phone and a carrier that roams with Softbank (formerly Vodafone) GSM World, your phone should work on their WCDMA network, and if you have a CDMA2000 phone (unlikely unless you live in Korea or China), you may be able to roam onto au's network. Also, some of Softbank's newer 3G models (available for rent) accept GSM SIM cards and thus you can use your usual phone number while in Japan.

These companies rent mobile phones:

• Telecom Square 03-3239-2333. This company rents mobile phones at Narita Airport, Kansai International Airport and Chubu Centrai International Airport near Nagoya.
• go mobile. This company rents and returns mobile phones by postal mail, so it is necessary to make arrangements in advance.
• DoCoMo Sentsu 0120-680-100, 03-5911-3968. DoCoMo Sentsu rents mobiles phone by the day or month, and has offices at Narita Airport and in major cities.
• Pasengers of ANA may be able to take advantage of a discount packages through rental companies Inphonix and WorldCell
• Air rents mobile phones and wireless data cards for personal computers at Narita Airport.

Travelers on extended trips can purchase a mobile phone on monthly contract with a major credit card, which can work out to be cheaper than a rental phone for longer durations. The major mobile carriers in Japan are NTT DoCoMo, KDDI's au and Softbank. Expect to pay around ¥5000 per month, assuming light calling; a cancellation fee may apply when the contract is terminated. Prepaid mobile phones were previously an economical option for visits of over a few weeks or so, but now they are no longer available to tourists and require either a Japanese passport or an alien registration card.

By mail You can send postcards to anywhere in the world for 70 yen. Public mail deposit boxes are found throughout Japan. They have two slots, one for regular domestic mail, and the other for overseas and express mail.

By net Internet cafes can be found in or around many train stations. Here, you can upload your pictures from a digital camera, and if you forgot your cable, some cafes will lend you a memory card reader for free. Manga coffee shops (manga-kissa) usually have internet PCs as well. When you get tired of browsing the web, you can browse comic books, watch TV or a variety of movies-on-demand, or play video games. The cost is typically around ¥400/hour, with free (non-alcoholic) drinks, and possibly more. Often they have special night fares - around ¥1500 for the 4-5 hour period when no trains are running. Internet cafes can be a safe and inexpensive place to spend the night if you miss the last train.

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 telephone system. Please beware that some of the hotels that offer free internet access do not include the rental for the modem in the "free" part of the service, so check before you use. Setting up your network interface for DHCP is usually all that is required to gain access to the internet in such situations. Many also tend to have rental or free PC's available for hotel guests.

Some larger train stations and airports also have rental PCs to netsurf and send e-mail, usually about ¥100 (coin) for 10 minutes.

When using public access PC's, be careful not to accidentally hit the left side Alt-Shift keys together, or you'll be typing in Japanese characters. On the other hand, if the last person left the computer this way, you can use this key combination to switch back to the Roman alphabet. There may also be a language-switch key at the top left of the keyboard - above the Tab key - and to the right of the space bar. If you hit one by accident, just hit it again to switch back. No harm done. For 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 "hot spots" around many large cities in Japan, especially near tech-related businesses and large corporate buildings with unsecured wireless networks (the Apple store in Ginza, Tokyo has a fast, open 802.11g connection).

Amusement

Karaoke pronounced 'karah-okay' is everywhere. Normally buildings devote several floors with privately-rented rooms including the machine, and all-you-can-drink service. The price generally depends upon how many are in your party. Ordering more booze is done by a wall phone, or right through the karaoke machine itself. The biggest chain karaoke clubs have a good selection of English music.

Pachinko gambling halls offer a mindless form of gambling involving dropping small steel balls into a machine. You will hard pressed to find worse air to breathe, as they are full of cigarette smoke and sweaty bodies, sound like fun? Give it a big miss!

Perhaps you would be more interested in something involving the brain, check out Go, the national strategic board game of Japan, with a growing foreign contingent. It is now even being played in the Western world. Watch as two masters go at it.

Visiting Japan

Japan's entry requirements

Citizens of 59 countries, including most Western nations, do not need a visa to visit Japan and can obtain a 90-day "landing permission" on arrival (many European nationalities are permitted up to 180 days). All others must obtain a visa prior to arrival. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains an online Guide to Japanese Visas with current information.

One customs issue that trips up some unwary travellers is that some over-the-counter medications, notably pseudoephedrine (Actifed, Sudafed, Vicks inhalers) and codeine (some cough medications) are prohibited in Japan. Some prescription medicines are also banned, even if you have a prescription. See Narita Airport Customs for an overview, or check with the nearest Japanese embassy or consulate for details.

Flying

Most intercontinental flights to Japan arrive at either Narita Airport (NRT) near Tokyo or Kansai Airport (KIX) near Osaka; a smaller number use Chubu International Airport (NGO) near Nagoya. All three are a significant distance away from their respective city centres, but are linked to their respective regional rail networks and also have numerous limousine bus services to nearby destinations.

While Narita and Kansai handle some domestic flights, most domestic flights from Tokyo leave from Haneda (HND) to the south of the city, while most domestic flights from the Kansai region use Itami (ITM) to the north of Osaka or Kobe's airport. The airports are quite far apart, so if you are planning on flying within Japan allow at least three and preferably four hours to transfer. Chubu, on the other hand, does have many domestic flights and was built from the ground up for easy interchange.

There is an airport in just about every sizable city, although most other airports only offer domestic flights and a few services to China and Korea. A popular alternative for travelers to these cities is to fly via Seoul on Korean Air or Asiana Airlines: this can even be cheaper than connecting in Japan.

Both Narita and Kansai airports are generally easy to get through and not particularly crowded assuming you avoid the main holiday periods - namely New Year's (end of December - beginning of January), Golden Week (end of April - beginning of May) and Obon (Mid-August). If you travel during these busy periods expect things to be both more hectic and more expensive.

Japan's two major airlines are Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA). Northwest Airlines and United Airlines also operate sizable hubs at Narita, with flights to many destinations in the US and Asia.

Going by boat

There are a number of international ferries to Japan from South Korea, China, Taiwan and Russia. In roughly descending order of practicality, these are:

• Pusan-Fukuoka: JR Kyushu Ferry, 092-281-2315 (Japan) or 051-469-0778 (Korea), operates hydrofoil service several times each day, which takes about 3 and a half hours and costs ¥13,000 (US$108) one way. Camelia Line, 092-262-2323 (Japan) or 051-466-7799 (Korea), operates a ferry which takes about 8 hours and starts at ¥9,000 (US$75); if overnight, the ferry may stop and wait in front of Busan Port in the morning until Korean Immigration opens up.
  

  

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• Pusan-Shimonoseki: Kanbu Ferry, 0832-24-3000 (Japan) or 051-464-2700 (Korea), operates daily service. 13 1/2 hours; ¥9,000+.

• Pusan-Osaka: Barnstar Line, 06-6271-8830 (Japan) or 051-469-6131 (Korea), offers thrice weekly service. 18 hours; ¥13,700+.

• Shanghai-Osaka/Kobe: Japan-China Ferry, 078-321-5791 (Japan) or 021-6326-4357 (China), offers thrice weekly service. 45 hours; ¥20,000+.

• Tianjin-Kobe: China Express Line, 03-3537-3107 (Japan) or 022-2420-5777 (China), offers weekly service. 50 hours; ¥22,000+.

• Qingdao-Shimonoseki: Orient Ferry, 0832-32-6615 (Japan) or 0532-8387-1160 (China), offers thrice weekly service. 38 hours, ¥15,000+.

• Kaohsiung/Taipei-Okinawa-Osaka-Nagoya: Arimura Sangyo, 098-860-1980 (Japan) or 2-27715911 (Taiwan), operates two ships on this route, both of which call at the islands of Ishigaki and Miyako at various points during the journey. A Taipei-Nagoya trip takes about four days and costs ¥35,000+.

• Sakhalin-Wakkanai: Higashi-Nihonkai Ferry, 011-518-2780 (Sapporo office). 5 1/2 hours; ¥21,000+. Note that service is suspended from December through April due to sea ice.

Except for the ferries from Busan to Fukuoka and Shimonoseki, these are generally uncompetitive with discounted air tickets, as prices are high, schedules infrequent (and unreliable) and travel times long.

Getting around

Japan has one of the world's best transport systems, and getting around is usually a breeze, with the train being overwhelmingly the popular option. The flipside is that traveling around Japan is also very expensive, although there are a variety of passes that can be used to limit the damage.

For sorting through transport schedules and fares, Hitachi's Hyperdia is an invaluable companion, with versions available for most major operating systems, and is also usable online Hyperdia. Also tryJorudan with a useful English-language web version.

In Japanese cities, a place's address is useful for mail, but it's nearly useless for actually getting there. Most places are described in terms of the walking distance from the nearest train station, and relative to local landmarks. Business cards very often have little maps printed on the back to make navigation easier if you can read Japanese. In addition, many train stations have maps of the local area that can help you find a destination if it is reasonably close to the station.

Using the trains

Japan's railways are fast, highly efficient and cover the majority of the country, making this the transport mode of choice for most visitors. The first and most confusing aspect of Japan's railway system (especially within large cities like Tokyo) that you will encounter is the overlap of several private railway networks with the JR network. Tokyo also has two seperate metro systems to add to the confusion. Being aware of this one fact will substantially reduce the confusion you experience trying to understand railway maps and find your way around.

Note that most trains do not operate 24 hours, for example in Tokyo they do not run between 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM roughly. If you are planning to be out late and are relying on the train to get home, be sure to find out when the last train is leaving. Many bars and clubs are open until the first train runs again in the morning, so keep this in mind as another option.

JR Network

The JR network is extensive as one would expect from what used to be the national rail system (now privately owned). JR operates the Shinkansen lines, as well as a multitude of regional and urban mass transit lines. In the countryside JR also runs bus services to connect places that don't have a rail service. However, the JR network is not a monopoly and particularly within major conurbations there are other private rail networks.

The Rail Pass

By far the best option for visitors who plan to do a lot of travelling is the Japan Rail Pass, which allows unlimited travel on almost all JR trains, including the Shinkansen, for a fixed period of 7, 14 or 21 days. The main exceptions are the Nozomi superexpress (not allowed), sleeper seats (surcharge payable) and the rare case where JR trains travel on non-JR track. Whereas a single round trip from Tokyo to Osaka costs almost ¥29,000, the 7-day Rail Pass is ¥28,300 (US$236). The 14-day/21-day pass is ¥45,100 and ¥57,700 respectively. This can only be purchased outside of Japan from specific vendors. Upon purchase, you are given a Exchange Order, which can be exchanged at most larger JR stations in Japan, including all of the stations nearest to airports, for the Rail Pass itself. At the time of exchange, you will need to have your passport with you, and know the date upon which you will want the Rail Pass to start.

The JR East Rail Pass also permits essentially unlimited travel on its trains. There are three durations, 5-day pass (¥28,000), 10-day pass (¥48,800) and a 4-day Flex Pass (¥28,000). The 4-day Flex Pass can be used any four days within a one-month window. The JR East pass can be used on Shinkansen north-bound from Tokyo, but cannot be used on the Tokaido Shinkansen to go to Kyoto and Osaka.

JR West (Japanese only) in has two types of rail passes. The JR West San'yo Area Pass allows essentially unlimited travel in western Japan and part of Kyushu, including the Shinkansen (even Nozomi). The 4-day/8-day pass is ¥20,000/30,000. The JR West Kansai Area Pass can be used for travel on regular trains only; express trains require the express fee, and cannot be used on the Shinkansen. The 1-day/2-day/3-day/4-day pass is ¥2,000/4,000/5,000/6,000 and can be used in an area which includes Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and the Kansai airport.

Unlike the Japan Rail Pass, the passes for JR East and JR West can also be purchased after you have arrived in Japan. All passes, including the Japan Rail Pass, are only available to people entering Japan with "temporary visitor" status.

There is also a Hokkaido Rail Pass for unlimited travel on JR Hokkaido lines.

When you make any rail journey (even if you obtained a ticket using your Rail Pass), you will need to show the Rail Pass at the manned ticket barrier. This is inconvenient if there is a queue, but it is usually acceptable to flash your pass at the ticket-taker as you slip past the other customers transacting business with JR.

JR Central, which operates the Tokaido Shinkansen does not have a rail pass; the Japan Rail Pass is the only pass which permits travel between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka.

Ticket for the Seishun 18

The Seishun 18 Ticket (Seishun jūhachi kippu) is the best deal for travel in Japan, offering five days of unlimited train travel for just ¥11,500. Better yet, unlike the Rail Pass, the days do not have to be consecutive. You can even split a ticket so that (for example) one person uses it for two days and another for three days. The main catches are that tickets are only valid on local trains and that tickets are valid only during school holidays (March-April, July-September, December-January), so you need good timing and plenty of time on your hands to use it.

JR argues that "in general, the Japan Rail Pass offers a much better deal to almost all foreign travelers." However, the two are hardly comparable for a number of reasons. The Japan Rail Pass, which offers unlimited travel on almost all JR trains for a 7, 14, or 21-day period, caters to tourists who are planning to visit various points in Japan, and who want to save as much time as possible along the way. It costs much more than the Seishun 18 Ticket, but allows holders to use express and Shinkansen trains that can be many times as fast.

The Seishun 18 Ticket, on the other hand, caters to budget conscious travelers who are willing to sacrifice speed for the ability to get just about anywhere in the country for under ¥5,000. In fact, its name literally means "Youth 18," and its main target audience is college students. However, anyone can purchase the ticket, regardless of age, student status, or nationality.

• Buying a ticket - If you do not have a JR pass then buying a ticket is probably the most complicated thing you can do. If you are travelling long distances and you are at a major station then there will be an obvious travel section where you can buy your ticket from a human being — look for the little green sign of a figure relaxing in a chair or ask for the midori no madoguchi (literally "green window"). Since you probably need to know the train times and may want to reserve a seat as well this is a good thing. Generally speaking you can make your desires known by means of handwaving and pointing at destinations if the staff are unable to speak English. Writing down information helps as most Japanese have a much easier time reading English than hearing it.

On the other hand if you are at a local station (or a subway station) you will have more difficulty as you nearly always have to buy it using a machine whose instructions are in Japanese (although newer machines have an English mode). These machines do not take credit cards. Fortunately this is exactly the place where looking utterly bewildered is liable to lead to some nice Japanese offering to help. If they do then you are in luck, if not then here are some hints.

Firstly there is usually a big map above all the machines which shows the current station in red. Around it will be all other stations you can get to with a price below them. The nearer stations have the smaller numbers (e.g. the closest stations will probably be about ¥140, more distant ones rising to perhaps ¥2000. If you recognise the characters of the station you want to get to then make a note of the amount you should pay and place that amount (or more) into the machine using coins or notes (most machines take ¥1000 notes, some also take ¥5000 and ¥10000 notes) 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. These are for different fare levels. Press the buttons until your fare level shows up, insert the money, and take your ticket. If you can't figure out the price then buy a minimum fare ticket and pay when you arrive at your destination. You can either present your ticket to the staff at the gate, or pay the balance at the "Fare Adjustment" machine. Look for a small ticket vending kiosk near the exit, but still inside the gate. Insert your minimum fare ticket and pay the balance indicated on the screen.

At bigger stations, you will probably have the choice of more than one train line, or more than one company operating the lines. Therefore, always first find the line you want to use, and then get your ticket from the nearest machine, instead of jumping on the first ticket machine next to the station's entrance. Otherwise you might end up with a ticket for a different company and/or line. While you can usually choose your platform after going through the gate, and thereby activating your ticket, at smaller stations this might not be the case. If you notice too late that you need to get to another platform, you might not be able to get out anymore without invalidating your ticket. So always have a good look at the signposts at every station.

Train types

JR pioneered the famous Bullet Train, known in Japanese as Shinkansen, and with speeds nudging 300 kilometers per hour (360 km/h in the near future), these remain the fastest way to travel around the country. Note that Shinkansen do not run at night, and eg. the last departures from Tokyo towards Kyoto and Osaka are around 9 PM. The most important, most-traveled shinkansen route in the country is the Tokaido Shinkansen, operated by JR Central, which links Tokyo with Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka. This line continues past Osaka as the San'yo Shinkansen, operated by JR West. Trains on the San'yo reach all the way to Fukuoka's Hakata station on the island of Kyushu, with stops at cities such as Okayama and Hiroshima.

On the Tokaido and San'yo Shinkansen, there are three types of services, reflecting the number of stops that the train makes: * Nozomi

• Nozomi is the fastest service, and is the primary service that runs through both the Tokaido and San'yo Shinkansen lines, though some other Nozomi trains run only between Tokyo and Osaka. A one-seat journey on the Nozomi from Tokyo to Hakata takes five hours. Seat reservations are required for all but three cars on the train. A small surcharge on top of the Shinkansen fare is required. Most importantly for tourists, the Japan Rail Pass is not valid on Nozomi trains.

• Hikari is the next fastest service, but the fastest that is valid with the Japan Rail Pass. On the Tokaido Shinkansen, there are usually two trains per hour which depart from Tokyo. One train terminates in Osaka, and the other continues on the San'yo Shinkansen, terminating in Okayama. Separate Hikari services, known as the Hikari Rail Star, operate on the San'yo route from Osaka to Hakata. Therefore, a Japan Rail Pass user will have to switch once in order to cover a journey such as Tokyo to Hiroshima.

• The Kodama service, also valid under the Japan Rail Pass, is the all-stations service which stops at every shinkansen station on the route. Tokaido Shinkansen Kodama services generally run from Tokyo to Osaka, or Tokyo to Nagoya. Separate all-station Kodama services run on the San'yo Shinkansen. Of historical note is that the San'yo Kodama services still use Series 0 shinkansen trains, which date back to the national opening of the Shinkansen in 1964. These Series 0 trains are set to be withdrawn from service by 2008.

Other JR services, particularly suburban ones, use the following generic labels:

• Regular (futsū or kakueki) - local service, stops at every station
• Rapid (kaisoku) - skips approximately 2 out of 3 stops, no surcharge
• Express (kyūkō) - skips approximately 2 out of 3 stops, requires a surcharge
• Liner (rainaa) - skips approximately 2 out of 3 kyuko stops, requires a surcharge
• Limited Express (tokkyū) - skips approximately 2 out of 3 kyuko stops, requires a surcharge and usually a reserved seat as well.
  

  

  Mitake Station

Express services may offer first-class Green Car seats. Given that the surcharge of almost 50% gets you little more than a bit of extra leg room, most passengers opt for regular seats. However, if you really need to ride a particular train for which the regular seats are full, the Green Car is an alternative.

• Making a reservation - On Shinkansen and tokkyu trains, some of the carriages require passengers to have reserved their seats in advance (shiteiseki). For example, on the 16-carriage Hikari service on the Tokaido Shinkansen, only five of the carriages permit non-reserved seating, and all but one of those are non-smoking (kin'ensha). On a busy train, making a reservation in advance can ensure a comfortable journey.

Making a reservation is surprisingly easy, and is strongly advised for popular journeys (such as travelling from Tokyo to Kyoto on a Friday evening, or taking a train from Nagoya to Takayama). Look out for the JR Office at the train station, which bears a little green logo of a figure relaxing in a chair - and ask to make a reservation when you buy your ticket. The reservation can be made anywhere from a month in advance to literally minutes before the train leaves.

If you are a Japan Rail Pass holder, simply go to the JR Office, and present your Rail Pass when requesting a reservation for your journey. The ticket that you are given will not allow you to pass through the automated barriers though - you'll still need to present your Japan Rail Pass at the manned barrier to get to the train.

• Private railways - 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 as changing from one network to another generally increases the price. Most private railways are connected to department store chains of the same name (e.g. Tokyu in Tokyo) and do an excellent job of filling in the gaps in the suburbs of the major cities. Also note that private railways may interpret the service classes above differently, with some providing express services at no additional charge.
  

  

  Japanese love kites

Kobe, Kyoto, Nagoya, Osaka, Sapporo, Sendai, Fukuoka, Tokyo and Yokohama also have subway (underground) services. For seeing the sights within a particular city, many offer a one day pass, often between 500 and 1000 yen for an adult. Tokyo has several types of day passes, which cover some subway lines but not others. The full Tokyo subway pass (which does not include the JR Yamanote Line) is 1000 yen.

By plane

Domestic flights are expensive if you purchase at the last minute, so book early for the best discounts. The two largest Japan carriers offer offer international ticket holders cheaper domestic flights, especially good for the more remote locations like Hokkaido and Okinawa, but generally they are not available during peak periods.

Young passengers can take advantage of the 'Skymate Card', flying stand-by for half price, actually less than an express train.

By boat

You would thing that boat travel would be popular in Japan given it is all islands, but the major islands are joined by tunnels and bridges, so most opt to drive themselves. Ferries do carry passengers and cars to Okinawa and Hokkaido.

Getting to some of the smaller islands often leaves you with little choice but boat travel, such as expensive jet ferries and hovercrafts, about $18 to $40 one way per person depending on the destination. Expect to pay about US$9 per hour on the slower-style cargo boats but departure times are irregular.

The boats are usually broken down into classes for passengers, second class is a big mat, first class afford you a comfortable seat, and special class is a private cabin. There are fairly basic eating options with vending machines, and cafeteria style restaurants on board. On long trips, typically alcohol is involved in second class, fun with an invitation, awful if you want to catch a nap.

By bus

Long distance highway buses

These are a cheaper option between cities than trains, but take much longer. Competition has driven prices down on the buses during the main transportation corridors such as the Tokyo to the Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka triangle, to about $35 one-way. Often you can opt for a better seat to sleep, saving the cost of night's hotel room, and a full day of activities at your destination. Remember that buses leave you less leg-room than trains, so if you are average to tall by European standards, you may be a bit uncomfortable on a bus.

City buses

In the big cities, buses are probably not that useful to you, but in smaller towns they are indispensible. They have a weird payment system, based on the amount of time you are on board. You enter through the back door, and pull a smalled numbered piece of paper from a machine that is stamped automatically. Enjoy your ride, then before you leave through the front door, you have to pay by exact change by matching your slip with the electronic board by the driver to determine the amount you owe.

By taxi

Almost everywhere in Japan, city and country, you will find many taxis. Theya re very clean and safe, but a bit expensive, starting at about $5 for the first two kilometers, then starts climbing furiously. Fares are also higher during the night hours. If you are unsure if you have the amount of money needed, drivers will guesstimate what you are looking at beforehand. Drivers are not used to receiving tips.

You can get a txi from nearly anywhere in a city, but when you are near a bus or train station, it is best to use the services of a taxi stand, just for added safety and security. Few Taxi drivers speak English, so having a business card or piece of paper with your destination's name on it can be very helpful.

The driver has controls to open and close the back left passenger door, so try and remember not to close it on him. Where your seatbelt as they drive quickly, but there are surprisingly few accidents.

By car

Renting a car is not a very popular option though they are obviously available. With public transportation so cheap, efficient and reliable, why bother? Driving city to city can be killer with the expensive toll booths gouging you along the way, to the point where it is even cheaper to take the rapid shinkansen bullet train.

Rental cars will cost you $50 to $100 per day, and gasoline is generally more costly than the US and Europe, and many fear getting used to driving on the left. Many have satelite navigation, but reading the Japanese may cause problems, and you may require bilingiual assistance. Near the major cities, road signage is Japanese and English, but the farther you venture away from the major metropolitan areas, expect to have no English assistance. Hokkaido is one place, because of its enormous size, where a rental car is almost a necessity. The Japanese are good drivers, so stay with the speed of the traffic, and you should encounter few problems. [[Image:Scarecrows in the rice paddy.jpg|left|thumb|Scarecrows in the rice paddy]

In the big cities, expect to be caught in the traffic, get lost and to pay about three dollars and hour to park, if you can find a place. Some hotels provide parking, but check beforehand. Traffic lights are horizontal with with red on the right. The Japanese tend to be very safety oriented and warn well in advance of impending road hazards such as road repairs and accidents. Speed limits are in kms. per hour.

Using Currency

The Japanese currency is the Japanese yen, abbreviated ¥ (or JPY in foreign exchange contexts). The symbol (pronounced en) is used in the Japanese language itself. US$1 = ¥120.0 is the exchange rate (as of 15 Jan 2007).

• Coins: 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 yen. There are two 500 yen coins, distinguishable by their color. (The new ones are gold, the old ones are silver).
• Bills: 1000, 2000, 5000, and 10000 yen. 2000 yen bills are rare. New designs for all the bills except 2000 yen were introduced in November 2004, so there are now two versions in circulation. Most merchants will not object to receiving a 10000 bill even for a small purchase.

Japan is still fundamentally a cash society. Although most stores and hotels serving foreign customers take credit cards, some businesses such as cafes, bars, and grocery stores do not. Even businesses that do take cards often have a minimum charge as well as a surcharge, although this practice is disappearing. The Japanese usually carry around large quantities of cash - it is quite safe to do so and is almost a necessity, especially in smaller towns and more isolated areas.

Almost any major bank in Japan will provide foreign currency exchange from US dollars (cash and traveler's checks). Rates are basically the same whichever bank you choose. Having to wait 15-30 minutes, depending on how busy the branch gets, is not unusual. Other currencies accepted are Euros, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand dollars, and British Pound Sterling. Other Asian currencies are generally not accepted. Japanese post offices also can cash traveler's checks or exchange cash for yen, at a slightly better rate than the banks. Traveler's checks also have a better rate of exchange than cash.

Japanese ATMs, known locally as cash corners (kyasshu kōnā), generally do not accept foreign cards and the availability of credit card advances, known as cashing (kyasshingu), is spotty. The major exceptions are Citibank, which has only a limited network but does have ATMs at the major airports, and more usefully the post office (Yūbin kyoku), which also does banking and has a branch in almost every village. Most postal ATMs provide instructions in English as well as Japanese. Accepted cards are a Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Diners Club credit card, or ATM card in the Plus or Cirrus networks, or debit cards in the Visa Electron or Maestro Networks. One thing to beware: many Japanese ATMs are closed at night and during the weekends, so it's best to get your banking done during office hours.

Vending machines in Japan are known for their pervasiveness and the (notorious) variety of products they sell. Most will take 1,000 yen bills, and some types such as train ticket machines will take up to 10,000; none accept 1 or 5 yen coins, nor 2000 yen notes. And even the most high-tech vending machines do not take credit cards.

Prepaid electronic cards are quite popular in Japan for small purchases. There are cards for train fares, convenience stores purchases, and public telephones, though they aren't interchangeable.

There is a 5% consumption tax on all sales in Japan. As of April 2004, the tax must now be included in all displayed prices, but some stores still also display tax-excluded prices, so pay attention. The word Zei-nuki means tax-excluded, Zei-komi means tax-included. If you cannot find out any words in the price card, most of them are tax-included.

Tips are not customary and would most likely be refused. Some restaurants will add a 10% service charge.

Costs

Japan has a reputation for being extremely expensive, and it can be. However, many things have become significantly cheaper in the last decade. Japan need not be outrageously expensive if you plan carefully. For long-distance travel, in particular, the Japan Rail Pass and Visit Japan flights can save you a bundle.

As rough guidelines, you'll find it very difficult to travel on less than ¥4,000 per day (but if you plan carefully, it's certainly not impossible), and can only expect a degree of comfort if you double the budget to ¥10,000. Staying in hotels, eating fancy meals or just traveling long-distance will easily double this yet again.

Cuisine

Japanese cuisine is nothing short of an art form, using seasonal components, freshly prepared with a flair for presentation. In every meal you will find steamed white rice, 'gohan', which means the word 'meal'. Soya beans comes in many orms, from soup to curd to soya sauce, and it is the main source of protein. Food from the sea involves both a huge array of specially prepared sea creatures, but also plants, that we refer to as seaweed, but weeds are unwanted plants, so that doesn't qualify for a name. A seafood meal is finished with the tart taste of pickels, to stimulate the pallat. (tsukemono).

Each region of Japan has its own specialties such as Hokkaido's fresh crab and sashimi or Osaka's okonamiyaki stuffed with fresh green onions.

While fried and curried rice are both eaten with the spoon, everything else is eaten with chopsticks, known as hashi. Learning to basically use chopsticks isn't too difficult, but to become a master takes a lifetime of practise.

Here are a few basic rules of etiquette concerning chopsticks. Always place your chopsticks horizontally on the side of your plate or bowl, or if they have a chopstick holder, even better. Never stand your chopsticks up in rice, never pass someone food with your chopsticks (let them take it with theirs), never lick your chopsticks, or use them to move bowls or plates, or spear food (unless you've run out of options), never point in public, and with chopsticks, you will fall from grace faster than mongrel at a poodle gathering.

The Japanese love using garnishes and sauces on nearly all of their dishes, but surprisingly, they do not use soy sauce directly with their rice. The like to add a spicey soy sauce to sushi however, or pour it on fish after grilling. Pork cutlet or tonkatsu has a thick sauce, while tempura has a thin, light sauce made with soy sauce and a seaweed and fish powder soup base. Potstickers or gyōza are dipped in soy sauce, chili oil and vinegar.

Eating out

You will be overwhelmed at how many options you have when planning to eat out. Generally the home is for family only and seldom used for entertaining.

Lunch called teishoku is a fixed meal with fish or a meat, white rice, soya soup (miso) and of course pickels. They can run as low as a few dollars, but will fill even the heartiest of appetites. Unfortunately most menues are in Japanese, but many restaurants have models of the meals in the front window, just drag the waitress with you outside and pick the one you prefer.

When it is time to pay, go to the counter, don't leave your money at the table and walk away. If you want your bill, say, 'kanjō' or 'kaikei'. If it is getting near closing time, the waiter will say 'last order'.

There are chain-type eateries with vending machines that you purchase a ticket to give to the waiter. Likely you'll need the read Japanese however, or a better option are the restaurants with plastic displays and/or colour photographs of the meal. Be flexible and experiment, you are on your vacation looking for experiences! You'll never over-pay with one of these places, becaise you pay as you eat. It is pretty good for foreigners because you really don't need a grasp of Japanese to get what you want. The help aren't interested in conversing, just getting your order. Help yourself to the self-serve napkins and utensils. All-you- can-eat places are called tabehōdai.

Most people do not tip in Japan, and twenty four hour establishments like 'Denny's' or 'Jonathan' often charge a ten percent late night additional fee.

Local eateries

Nearly all restaurants specialize in a certain type of food, they all offer a few standard meals called 'shokudō' for $5 to $7. Bentō-ya are the same thing in a take-out box.

Donburi means 'Rice bowl', a normal shokudo with some added topping such as chicken and egg (oyakodon), or a pork chop with a fried egg (katsudon), or beef with onions (gyūdon) or stir fried vegetables and some kind of meat in a thick sauce (chūkadon). Perhaps the most popular dish in Japan is karē raisu, a curried rice made into a mild, thick, brown paste. Order the large size (ōmori) and you'll be full in no time.

Then at the other end of the scale or the ryōtei, extremely selective five-star restaurants that produce the finest gourmet meals with the freshest hand-prepared ingredients. Some of these restaurants require an introduction to even get in, and it is said, that the $200 and $300 price tag per person may be wasted on new foreigners who do not understand the ceremony involved.

Noodles

As an alternative to rice, noodles (buckwheat thin soba) or (wheat thick udon) are a great bet anywhere you go, and each local has its specialty, and they are very inexpensive, especially in the stand-and-eat noodle joints near the train and bus stations.

Don't feel timid about slurping the noodles, it is expected, especially with men. Ladies may opt for the silent method as to not draw attention to their eating. Some claim slurping adds flavour while cooling the noodles down, but watch out for the spray from others.

Sashimi and sushi

Probably the most famous dining experience export from Japan is sushi, raw fish in a sticky rice, and sashimi, the same without the rice. They look simple, but take years to learn how to prepare them, especially their vinegared-style rice. Often they are wrapped in a type of sea plant leaf.

Selecting the best cut of fish is also another skill often kept secretive, and many say, the quality of fish chosen each morning at the fish market determines the quality of the restaurant food the entire day.

Nearly all sea creatures have been turned into sushi, from tuna and salmon to squid, octopus, sea urchins, and even sperm of fish. Sushi is still considered a delicacy in Japan, and you can pay dearly when ordering piece by expensive piece directly from the chef, like a $1000 or more for a small gathering. To limit the financial damage, order the moriawase set and let the chef decide what he thinks is the best for you that day. Revolving sushi shops (kaiten) have a conveyor belt running sushi past you, choose what you want for sometimes under a dollar per plate.

Use your fingers to eat sushi if you want, and be aware of the hot green wasabi radish sauce mixed into the soya sauce that you dip your sushi into, it tends to clear out my sinuses! Most sushi comes with slices of fresh ginger to clean the palate between courses, and as much green tea as you want for no additional charge.

Fried and grilled dishes

Since the Meiji period, the Japanese have taken up the consumption of meat. Beef in particular, such as Kobe, a famous marbled beef can cost upwards of a thousand dollars per plate, if money isn't important to you. Enjoy skewers with chicken parts, a Korean-style bar-b-que cooked right at your table, the art of pork deep fried, battered shrimp and vegetable deep fried, and varieties of meat served on a hot plate made of iron. Also, check out the nage or steamboat stews, made of all sorts of meats and noodles, vegetables and soice, great to warm you in a cold day.

Unagi is eel, giving you the vitality and strength of a lion (like rhino horns) on a hot summer night. As it melts in your mouth, your yen melt out of your wallet, its amazing!

Risking death by eating

Fugu means blow, puffer or globe fish, forty species of fish that blow themselves up to look bigger against preditors. Certain organs contain extremely toxic poisons, yet inspite this, an estimated ten thousand tons of the fish are caught or raised and eaten annually in Japan. The City of Shimonoseki in the Yamaguchi region is renowned at the fugu capital of Japan.

Fugu is so well known, there is an old expression, 'I like eating fugu, however, I don't like dying'. Only trained and licenced chefs can prepare fugu, as it has been known to lead to immediate death if the wrong part is consumed. This training identifies that different types of fugu have different toxic organs, so hopefully your chef passed is exam without cheat sheets!

Fugu can cost upwards of $200 per plate at a well-known restaurant, but there are also cheaper dishes in lesser known restaurants for $15 or $20. Just when you decide to try fugu, you discover the most toxic fugu is called tora-fugu, and it is said to also be the most delicious, costing over a $100 per kilo in fish markets. Today you can buy prepared fugu in supermarkets and even on-line. They say it is best to eat fugu in the winter.

Western cuisine

Western fare is popular throughout Japan, but it's not really what you get back home, including corn and potato pizzas and omlettes made of spaghetti. However there are some French-style pastries at are identical. A hambaagu is just the paddy with the standard fixings and no bread, omuraisu is rice that is wrapped inside an omelette with a blob of katsup, wafu suteeki is beef steak with soya sauce, and korokke are croquettes stiffed with potato, mystery meat and fried onion, actually pretty good!

Outdoor beer gardens

Lots of hotels and restaurants have festive beer gardens on their rooftops, lots of fun, good views surrond you, and tasty snacks like french fries and fried chicken to salt your palate so you order more beer. They generally have draft beer on tap as well, pay by the glass, jug or all you care to drink for a fixed price, watch that first step though!

Fast food

Japanese fast food restaurants offer decent quality at reasonable prices. Some chains to look for:

• Yoshinoya, Matsuya, and Sukiya are gyūdon (beef bowl) specialists. All have been hit hard by the recent BSE scare, and have switched much of their menus to pork.
• Tenya, the best tempura you'll ever eat for less than ¥500
• MOS Burger seems like just another fast food chain, but actually has a pretty interesting menu — for hamburgers with a twist, how about grilled eel between two rice buns? Notice also the list of local produce suppliers posted in each shop.
• Freshness Burger tries to be a bit less fast-foody and more like an "all-American" joint. The food's decent, but just be prepared for the tiniest burgers you've ever seen.
• Beckers Operated by JR, these fastfood burger restaurants are often found in and near JR stations in greater Tokyo and Yokohama. Beckers offers made to order burgers and Menchi burgers (minced black pork). Unlike most shops, their buns are fresh and baked inside the stores. Unused buns are thrown away if not used 1.5 hours after baking them. Their Pork Teriyaki burger is awesome. They also offer Poutine, which is of course a French Canadian snack. French fries with cheese and gravey. The chilli topping needs to be tried. More often than not, you can pay with the JR Suica pre-paid re-chargeable multi use traincard.
• Ooto-ya is really too good to call fast food, with a menu and atmosphere that matches any "home-style" Japanese restaurant. While there are illustrated menus on signboards, ordering can be confusing: at some stores you order at the counter before taking a seat, while at others servers come to your table.
• Soup Stock Tokyo is a trendy soup kitchen chain that serves delicious soup all-year round, with a selection of cold soups in summer. It is a bit more expensive than most other fast food chains but you may consider it a healthier alternative to burgers.

American fast food chains are also ubiquitous, including McDonald's, Wendy's, and Kentucky Fried Chicken, lucky us!

There are also a number of Japanese 'family restaurants', serving a wide variety of dishes, including steak, pasta, Chinese style dishes, sandwiches, and other foods. Though their food is relatively uninteresting, these restaurants usually have illustrated menus, so travelers who cannot read Japanese can use the photos to choose and communicate their orders. Some chains across the country are:

• Jonathan's is probably the most ubiquitous local chain. Skylark is owned by the same company and has similar fare, including a cheap and unlimited "drink bar" which makes these restaurants good places for reading or resting over extended periods. Denny's also has many restaurants in Japan.
• Royal Host - tries to market itself as a bit up-scale
• Sunday Sun - reasonable, decent food and menus
• Volks - owned by Daiei; specializes in steaks, and offers a large salad bar.

Coffee shops

Though Starbucks has planted its flag in Japan almost as well as in the United States, the Japanese kissaten has a long history. If you're really looking for a jolt of caffeine, go to Starbucks or one of its Japanese predecessors such as Doutor. But if you're trying to get out of the rain, the heat or the crowds for a while, the kissaten is an oasis in an urban jungle. Most coffee shops are one-of-a-kind affairs, and reflect the tastes of their clientele. In a Ginza coffee shop, you'll find a soft "European" decor and sweet pastries for upscale shoppers taking a load off their Ferragamos. In an Otemachi coffee shop, businessmen in suits huddle over the low tables before meeting their clients. In Roppongi's all-night coffee shops, the night owls pause between clubs, or doze until the trains start running again in the morning.

A peculiar kind of kissaten is the jazz kissa, or jazz coffee shop. These are even darker and more smoke-filled than normal kissaten, and frequented by extremely serious-looking jazz buffs who sit motionless and alone, soaking in the bebop played at high volumes from giant audio speakers. You go to a jazz kissa to listen; conversation is a no-no.

Another offshoot is the danwashitsu (lounge). The appearance is indistinguishable from a pricy kissaten, but the purpose is more specific: serious discussions over matters such as business or meeting prospective spouses. All tables are in separate booths, reservations are usually required, and the drinks are pricey. So don't wander into one if you're just looking for a cup of coffee.

Convenience stores

If you're travelling on the cheap, Japan's numerous convenience stores (konbini) can be a great place to grab a bite to eat, and they're almost always open 24-7. Major chains include 7-11, Lawson, and Family Mart. You can find instant noodles, sandwiches, meat buns, and even some small prepared meals, which can be heated up in a microwave right in the store. An excellent option for food on the go is onigiri (or omusubi), which is a large ball of rice stuffed with (say) fish or pickled plum and wrapped in seaweed, and usually cost around ¥100 each.

One little known fact about 7-Eleven is that they have not outsourced their food preparation and everything served in the store is prepared by 7-Eleven and delivered to stores directly from 7-Eleven food preparation facilities.

Eating vegetarian

Despite its image as light and healthy cuisine, everyday Japanese food can be quite heavy in salt and fat, with deep-fried meat or seafood being prominent. Vegetarians (much less vegans) may have difficulty finding a meal that does not include animal products to some degree, particularly as the near-ubiquitous Japanese soup stock dashi is usually prepared with bonito.

An excellent option is the kaiten sushi shop. Westerners tend to associate sushi with fish, but there are several kinds of rolled sushi available in these shops that does not include fish or other marine creatures: kappa maki (cucumber rolls), nattō maki (sushi filled with stringy fermented soy beans, an acquired taste for many), kanpyō maki (pickled-gourd rolls), and, occasionally, yuba sushi (made with the delicate, tasty 'skin' of tofu). These types of sushi tend to be less popular than the sushi using marine animal products, so you may not see them revolving in front of your eyes on the conveyor belt. Just shout out the name of the type of sushi you want and the sushi chef will prepare it for you right away. When you are ready to leave, call the waitress over and she'll count your plates. The vegetarian sushi options are always inexpensive. Whether eating vegetarian (or otherwise), kaiten sushi shops offer good value and are lots of fun.

For anyone living in big cities, especially Tokyo, an excellent option is organic food, known as shizenshoku. While "vegetarian food" may sound boring, or even unappetizing to Japanese ears, shizenshoku is quite in vogue as of late, although meals may cost about ¥3000. While considerably harder to find, it's worth looking out for a restaurant (often run by temples) that offers shōjin ryori, the purely vegetarian cuisine developed by Buddhist monks. This cuisine is highly regarded, and thus commands astronomical prices.

Beverages

The Japanese drink a lot: not only green tea in the office, at meetings and with meals, but also all types of alcoholic beverages in the evening with friends and colleagues. Many social scientists have theorized that in a strictly conformist society, drinking provides a much-needed escape valve that can be used to vent off feelings and frustrations without losing face the next morning. If you're looking for an evening of food and drink in a relaxed traditional atmosphere, go to an izakaya (Japanese-style pub), easily identified by red lanterns hanging out front. Many of them have an all-you-can-drink (nomihōdai) deals which are about ¥1000 (US$10) for 90 minutes (on average), although you'll be limited to certain types of drinks. Very convenient. An izakaya will usually have a lively, convivial atmosphere, as it often acts as a living room of sorts for office workers, students and seniors. Food is invariably good and reasonably priced, and in all, they are an experience not to be missed.

While Western-style bars can also be found here and there, typically charging ¥500-1000 for drinks, a more common Japanese institution is the snack (sunakku). These are slightly dodgy operations where paid hostesses pour drinks, sing karaoke, massage egos (and sometimes a bit more) and charge upwards of ¥3000/hour for the service. Tourists will probably feel out of place and many do not even admit non-Japanese patrons.

Note that izakaya, bars and snacks typically have cover charges (kabā), usually around ¥500 but on rare occasions more, so ask if the place looks really swish. In izakayas this often takes the form of being served some little nibble as you sit down, and no, you can't refuse it and not pay. Some bars also charge a cover charge and an additional fee for any peanuts you're served with your beer.

Vending machines (jidōhanbaiki) are omnipresent in Japan and serve up drinks twenty four hours per day at the price of ¥100-130 a can, although some places with captive customers, including the top of Mount Fuji, will charge more. In addition to cans of soft drinks, tea and coffee, you can find vending machines that sell beer, sake and even hard liquor. In winter, some machines will also dispense hot drinks — look for a red label (atatakai) instead of the usual blue label (tsumetai). Vending machines that sell alcoholic beverages are usually switched off at 11PM. Also, more and more of these machines, especially those near a school, require the use of a special "Sake Pass" obtainable at the city hall of the city the machine is located in. The pass is available to anyone of 20 years of age or over. Most recently, vending machines at JR stations in the Tokyo metropolitan area have started to accept payment using the JR Suica card.

Sake

Sake is the traditional Japanese alcohol. It is brewed from rice, in a process not completely different from beer making, and is usually clear. Sake is around 15% alcohol, and can be served hot (atsukan), but connoisseurs drink theirs cold (hiyashi). In restaurants, one serving can start around ¥500, and go up from there. What is called "sake" in the West is called nihonshu in Japan, and in Japanese sake refers to any kind of alcoholic drink.

Sake has its own measures and utensils. The little ceramic cups are called choko and the small ceramic jug used to pour it is a tokkuri. Alternatively, particularly when drinking it cold, you can sip your sake from the corner of a wooden box called a masu, occasionally with a dab of salt on the edge. Sake is typically measured in go (180 mL), roughly the size of a tokkuri, ten of which make up the standard 1.8L isshōbin bottle.

The fine art of sake tasting is at least as complex as wine, but the one indicator worth looking out for is nihonshudo, a number often printed on bottles and menus. Simply put, this "sake level" measures the sweetness of the brew, with positive values indicating drier sake and negative values being sweeter, the average being around +2.

Other labels often flung about include ginjō (from highly milled rice) and daiginjō (even more highly milled), honjōzō (with added alcohol) and junmai (pure rice), which at least for the amateur are more useful for determining the price than the taste.

Worth a special mention is amazake, the lumpy, often rather foul-smelling homebrewed version of sake, drunk hot in the winter. Amazake has very little alcohol and it tastes pretty much like fermented rice glop, but atleast it's cheap.

If you're curious about sake, the Japan Sake Brewers Association has an online version. You can also visit the Sake Plaza in Shinbashi and taste a bevy of different sakes for just a few hundred yen.

Shochu

Shōchū is the big brother of sake, a stronger drink which is often served as a kind of cooler mixed with juice or soda known as a chū-hai. It can be made of potatoes, yam, or grain. Shochu is typically around 25% alcohol (although some varieties can be much stronger) and is often served straight or on the rocks. Once solely a working-class drink, and still the cheapest tipple around at less than ¥1000 for a big 1L bottle, shochu has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years and the finest shochus now fetch prices as high as the finest sakes.

Umeshu is prepared by soaking Japanese ume plums (actually a type of apricot) in shochu so it absorbs the flavor, and the distinctive, penetrating nose of dark plum and brown sugar is a hit with many visitors. It can be taken straight, on the rocks (rokku) or mixed with soda (soda-wari).

Beer

There are several large brands of Japanese beer (biiru), including Kirin, Asahi, Sapporo, and Suntory. A bit harder to find is an Okinawan brand, Orion which is also excellent. Yebisu is also a popular beer brewed by Sapporo. Microbrewed beers are also starting to appear in Japan, with a few restaurants offering their own micros or ji-biiru but these are still few in number. Most varieties are lagers, with strengths averaging 5%.

You can buy beer in cans of all sizes, but in Japanese restaurants beer is typically served in bottles (bin), or draft (nama meaning "fresh"). Bottles come in three sizes, of which the largest is the most common. The large bottle gives you the opportunity to engage in the custom of constantly refilling your companion's glass (and having yours topped off as well). If you order draft beer, you each receive your own mug (jōki). In many establishments, a dai-jōki ("big mug") holds a full liter of brew.

Some Japanese bartenders have an annoying habit of filling half of your mug with head so that you only have half a glass of actual beer. Though the Japanese like their draft beer poured that way, you may find it irritating - especially when you're paying ¥600 for a glass of beer as in many restaurants and bars. If you have the gumption to ask for less head, say awa o sukoshi dake kudasai ("please, just a little foam"). You will baffle your server, but you may get a full glass of beer.

Guinness pubs have started appearing all over the country recently, which is nice for those who like Irish and UK drinks.

For those with a more humourous taste in beer, try kodomo biiru (literally Children’s Beer), a product that looks just like the real thing but it was actually invented with children in mind (or people on the wagon).

Third beer or Happōshu

Thanks to Japan's convoluted alcohol licensing laws, there are also two almost-beers on the market: happōshu, or low-malt beer, and the so-called third beer (dai-san no biiru), which uses ingredients like soybean peptides or corn instead of malt. Priced as low as ¥120, both are considerably cheaper than real beer, but lighter and more watery in taste. Confusingly, they are packaged very similarly to the real thing with brands like Sapporo's "Draft One" and Asahi's "Hon-Nama", so pay attention to the bottom of the can when buying: by law, it may not say beer, but will instead say happoshu or, for third beers, the unwieldy moniker (sono ta no zasshu), literally 'other mixed alcohol, type 2'. Try to drink moderately as both drinks can lead to nightmare hangovers.

Western wine

Japanese wine is actually quite nice although it costs about twice as much as comparable wine from other countries. Several varieties exist, and imported wine at various prices is available nationwide. Selection can be excellent in the larger cities, with specialized stores and large department stores offering the most extensive offerings. One of Japan's largest domestic wine areas is Yamanashi Prefecture, and one of Japan's largest producers, Suntory, has a winery and tours there. Most wine, red and white, is served chilled and you may find it hard obtaining room-temperature (jō-on) wine when dining out.

Tea

The most popular beverage by far is tea (o-cha), provided free of charge with almost every meal, hot in winter and cold in summer. There is a huge variety of tea in bottles and cans in convenience-store fridges and vending machines. Western-style black tea is called kōcha; if you don't ask for it specifically you're likely to get Japanese brown or green tea. Chinese oolong tea is also very popular.

The major types of Japanese tea are:

• sencha, the common green tea
• matcha, soupy powdered ceremonial green tea, bitter and expensive
• hōjicha, roasted green tea
• genmaicha, tea with roasted rice, tastes like popcorn
• mugicha, a drink of roasted barley, served iced in summer

Coffee

Coffee (kōhī) is quite popular in Japan, though it's not part of the typical Japanese breakfast. It's usually brewed to the same strength as European coffee; weaker, watered down coffee is called American. Canned coffee (hot and cold) is a bit of a curiosity, and widely available in vending machines like other beverages for about 120 yen per can. The regular stuff is rather sweet, so there are black varieties as well. Decaffeinated coffee is very rare in Japan, even at Starbucks, but is available in some locations.

There are many coffee shops in Japan, including Starbucks. Major local chains include Doutor (known for its low prices) and Excelsior. A few restaurants, such as Mister Donut, Jonathan's and Skylark, offer unlimited refills on coffee for those who are particularly addicted to caffeine (or want to get some late-night work done).

Soft drinks

There are many uniquely Japanese soft drinks and trying random drinks on vending machines is one of the little joys of Japan. A few of note include Calpis, a kind of yogurt-based soft drink which tastes better than it sounds and the famous Pocari Sweat (a Gatorade-style isotonic drink). A more traditional Japanese soft drink is Ramune which is nearly the same as Sprite or 7-Up but is noteworthy for its unusual bottle, where one pushes down a marble into an open space below the spout instead of using a bottle opener.

Most American soft drink brands (Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew) are widely available in Tokyo. In other cities, even Coca-Cola can be difficult to find. The only choices for diet soda will be Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi. Root Beer is nearly impossible to find outside of speciality food shops for foreigners or Okinawa. Ginger ale is very popular however, and a common find in vending machines. Caffeinated energy drinks are available in many local brands (usually infused with ginseng).

In Japan, the term "juice" (jūsu) is catch-all term for any kind of fruity soft drink -- sometimes even Coca-Cola and the like -- and extremely few are 100% juice. So if it's fruit squeezings you want, ask for kajū. Drinks in Japan are required to display the percentage of fruit content on the label; this can be very helpful to ensure you get the 100% orange juice you were wanting, rather than the much more common 20% varieties.

Bathing

The Japanese make a big deal out of bathing, and with the various opportunities they have all over Japan with thermal hot springs in basically every region, it is no wonder. There are onsen baths in scenic locations, public sento baths found in each neighbourhood, and even a bath tub in the homes. Trying out their national pasttime should be on every visitors agenda.

Onsen

These are the best of a bathing experience, hot springs iwith views into nature and mountains. Everywhere there is an onsen, a cluster a little hotels and inns have grown up around it. You can get a large shared bath, or a private affair used for families and romance. These baths can be in a separate building or in your private hotel room.

Commercial onsens charge five or ten dollars to use, while some of the nicest are free public ones in extremely scenic locations. While men often trounce around naked, perhaps with a little towel infront of their dangling thing, women generally use a bathing suit.

People with huge tattoos are often prohibited from entering an onsen, left over from days when the gangsters scared everyone. You can easily hide a small tattoo with a bandaid, but even then it may cause people to stare.

Spas and Sentōs

You will come across sentos in any city. They are public bath houses for people without a tub at home, but are fading away as Japan modernizes. Some have followed the modernization, and offer relaxation to stressed business people, usually now with a capsule hotel attached. If you see the words 'esthe', 'health' or 'soap', beware, they may not be as decent as you may expect.

Bath etiquette

The first rule before entering a bathe is to thoroughly clean yourself, nobody wants to swim in your dirty water. This means shampooing, and washing your body twice, with a complete rinse. Bath houses are often segregated, women behind the red curtains, men go behind the blue. Put you clothes in a basket, and store it if thre is a locker to use, then enter the bathing area, sit on a small stool, and clean yourself completely, top to bottom, between the toes, everywhere.

Use the tiny towel to wash and dry yourself, you may need the wring it out once or twice. You can ask for a larger bath towel at the front desk.

You can enter the water now, slowly as some are quite hot, do not let your towel touch the water, which is why you may see people with it folded on their heads.

After you are fully boiled, repeat the process again, by washing yourself thoroughly. Check out the lounge used for relaxation, usually a big mat, buy a beer from the vending machine, talk to friends and even catch a nap.

The Japanese art of toiletry

Toilets have come a long way in Japan, from the traditional squatting type with a hole in the floor to the more modern porcelain seat. But lately, Japanese ingenuity has moved into the bathroom, with some toilets resembling the cockpit of a 474, with twenty or so buttons. More than half the homes have them. There are seat warmers, warm-air dryers, and variously located sprays (washlets), with adjustments for pressure, pulsating action, direction and temperature. The rear sprays do the buttocks, while the front-based sprays are similar to a bidet for women. They remind me of the joke of the fellow who touched the ATR button, which stood for automatic tampon remover, and he awoke with his penis floating in a jar on the night table. Private homes often have bathroom slippers that you put on before entering the bathroom, and take off when leaving. Fortunately the flush lever is still where it normally was, so if you are not into titillating your crotch, you can do as you normally would. Anyway, if you do get in over your head, there is always a big red panic button that shuts everything down.

Study

Many youth exchange programs bring foreign teenagers to Japan, and the country also has a number of very active university exchange programs. In order to obtain a student visa, you will be required to either have one million yen, or the equivalent in financial aid awards, to cover your living expenses. With a student visa, you may obtain an additional permission form from Immigration to legally work up to 20 hours per week. Contact your local Japanese embassy or home university's exchange program department for information on how to proceed.

The cheapest way to stay in Japan for a longer period of time is to study at a local school or university with a generous Monbusho (Ministry of Education) grant to pay for it all. A number of Japanese universities offer courses taught in English; some foreign universities also operate independent programs in Japan, the largest being Temple University's multi-faculty campus in Tokyo.

Work

To work in Japan, a foreigner must receive a job offer from a guarantor in Japan, and then apply for a working visa at an embassy or consulate outside the country. Working visas are valid for a period of 1 to 3 years, and may be used to secure employment at any employer within the scope of activities designated on the visa (including employers other than the guarantor). The Working Holiday programme is open to young citizens (between 18 and 30) from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Korea, France, Germany and the UK: those eligible may apply for working holiday visas without having a job offer, [http://www.jawhm.or.jp/eng/index.html Holiday Working Visas}. Spouses of Japanese nationals can obtain spousal visas, which carry no restrictions on employment.

The most common form of employment among foreigners is teaching English, especially in afterhours English conversation schools known as eikaiwa. Pay is fairly good for young adults, but rather poor compared to a qualified educator already at work in most Western countries. Working conditions can also be quite strict compared to western standards, and some companies have very bad reputations. An undergraduate degree or ESL creditation is essential for most desirable positions.

The JET Program (Japan Exchange and Teaching) offers young university graduates a chance to teach in Japan. The program is run by the Japanese government but your employer would typically be a local Board of Education who assigns you to one or more public schools. No Japanese is required and your airfare is provided. Pay is slightly better than the language schools and, unlike at such a school, if you have a serious problem with your employer you can appeal to the JET program people for help. The JET program also has a small number of positions for international relations or sports co-ordinators, although these require some Japanese ability.

Foreigners with postgraduate education may be able to find jobs teaching English (or even other subjects) at Japanese universities, which offers better pay and working conditions than the eikaiwa industry.

Quite a few young women choose to work in the hostess industry, where they entertain Japanese men over drinks in tiny bars known as sunakku and are paid for their time. While pay can be good, visas for this line of work are difficult if not impossible to obtain and most work illegally. The nature of the work also carries its own risks, notably poor career prospects, alcoholism, smoking, potential problems from clients such as groping and lewd questions, and even harassment or worse.

The Tokyo region generally offers the widest array of jobs for foreigners, including positions for lawyers, accountants, engineers and other professionals.

• Website for bilingual jobs in Japan
• Japan's English Teaching Job Site
• Comprehensive guide to English-language job sites relating to Japan

Staying healthy

Japan is a country obsessed with cleanliness and health hazards are few and far between. Tap water is potable everywhere and food hygiene standards are very high. There are no communicable diseases of significance, as despite the name, Japanese encephalitis has been all but eradicated.

With this said, it is also not uncommon to use restrooms which have no towel, hand dryer or soap facilities. Since the Japanese tend to carry a hand towel with them everywhere, these aren't as important. It's not clear why restrooms wouldn't be equipped with soap dispensers, but don't let it surprise you. Stay clean by carrying a small bottle of hand cleaner or disposable wipes.

Be sure to bring a small umbrella for the frequent rainy days. Don't rely too much on the weather forecasts, especially from a day or two ago. Then again, if caught without, you can always nip into the nearest convenience store and pick one up for ¥300.

Japan has its share of dirty areas. Because of the sheer magnitude of traffic, the streets and curbs are just as dirty as anywhere. The obsession of cleanliness and removing shoes before entering someone's home makes sense because of the conditions of the outer world.

If you do become ill with a cold or other sickness, purchase a mouth-covering cloth surgical mask. You will find that people frequently wear these out on trains and on the job. This filters your sneezing and coughing so you do not transmit to others.

Staying safe

Japan in general is one of the safest places to visit in the world. Street crime is extremely rare, even late at night. Of course, little crime does not mean no crime, and is not an excuse to ditch your common sense. Women should take care as they would in their home countries and should never hitchhike alone. Pickpocketing does sometimes happen - if you take your usual precautions in crowded places such as trains and at Narita Airport you should be fine. Women on crowded rush-hour trains should be aware of existence of (chikan), or molesters. A lot of heavy drinking goes on in the evenings and occasionally drunks may be a nuisance, although alcohol-related violence is extremely rare.

Red-light districts in large cities can be seedy but is rarely dangerous for visitors, however some smaller backstreet bars have been known to lay down exorbitant cover charges or drink prices, so check before entering.

Police boxes (kōban) can be found on every other street corner. The police are generally helpful (but often speak little English), so ask if you get lost or have any trouble. They usually have detailed maps from the area around telling not only the difficult-to-understand numbering system but names of office or public buildings or other places which can help to find your way.

Japan is prone to earthquakes. The last major quake in Kobe (1995) killed over 5000 and the next big one in Tokyo is statistically some 20 years overdue. Every few days, somewhere in Japan is rattled by a quake large enough to be felt. Fortunately most of them are completely harmless, but it's worth being aware of a few safety procedures:

• Don't put heavy objects in high places, especially above your bed.

• If you're indoors and you feel a shake, extinguish gas burners and candles and beware of falling objects and toppling furniture. Shelter under furniture or a doorway if necessary. It's usually much safer indoors than out on the street.

• If you're outdoors, stay away from brick walls, glass panels and vending machines, and beware of falling objects, telegraph cables etc.

• If you're by the sea and experience even a moderate quake, keep an eye out for tsunami warnings (in english) on NHK TV (channel 1) and Radio 2 (693 kHz). If you're near the sea and experience a major earthquake, evacuate to high ground immediately - do not wait for a warning.

Volcanoes, storms and typhoons are primarily a potential issue if mountain climbing or sailing, so check the latest information before heading out. Stick to designated footpaths in volcanic areas as volcanic gas may be an issue. The travel ban to Miyakejima island due to volcanic activity has now been lifted; however all visitors are currently required to carry gas masks.

There are poisonous snakes called habu in Okinawa although not in unusual numbers. You are unlikely to be bitten by one, but if you are, seek medical help immediately as antivenoms are available. If you are hiking in Hokkaido and Honshu, be aware of possible bear activity, especially in autumn. Attacks are rare, but in areas such as the Shiretoko Peninsula, some guides recommend you to attach bells to your backpack to scare them away.

Emergency calls can be made from any phone free of charge, call 110 for police or call 119 for fire and ambulance.

This site could save your life

If you are new to travelling, or even if you have travelled the globe for years, I strongly recommend you check out the following link for some very interesting and informative reading about safe travelling in Japan, and the rest of the world in general. It is an accumulation of original thoughts and experiences of several worldly travellers, just go to Safely.travel. It was written with the Third World in mind, where travelling disasters are around every corner, and a pre-emptor to what we may all expect someday in the First World as populations increase and desperate people become more brave and sophisticated in their survival techniques. It will make you aware of all sorts of scams, how to check into a hotel, advice for single lady travellers, advice for single men travellers, rip tides, credit card scams, driving in a foreign land, kidnapping, street people, you name it. It is an essential read for anyone travelling, and the most comprehensive discussion I know of!

Respecting the culture

Most if not all Japanese are very understanding of a foreigner (gaijin or gaikokujin) not conforming instantly to their culture; indeed, the Japanese like to boast (with debatable credence) that their language and culture are among the most difficult to understand in the world, so they are generally quite happy to assist you if you appear to be struggling. However, there are few simple things to be aware of to show respect in Japan, many of which boil down to social norms of strict cleanliness and avoiding intruding on others (meiwaku).

Things to do

• Learn a little of the language, and try to use it. They will be complimentary if you try, and there is no reason to be embarrassed. They realize that Japanese may be difficult for you and won't make fun of your mistakes.
  

  

  Sailing away
• Bowing. Men bow with their hands to their sides. Women bow with their hands together in front. Women's hands look like they are settled in their lap when bowing, not in a prayer position. The exact degree of the bow depends on your position in society relative to the receiver of the bow and on the occasion, the largely unwritten rules are complex but foreigners are not expected to understand them and a "token bow" is fine. Many Japanese will, in fact, gladly offer a handshake!
• Gift-giving is very common in Japan. You, as a guest, may find yourself inundated with gifts and dinners. Please be aware, though, that among Japanese, such generosity is implicitly expected to be returned in the future. Foreign guests are, of course, outside of this sometimes burdensome system of give-and-take (kashi-kari) but it would be a nice gesture to offer a gift or souvenir (omiyage), including one unique to or representative of your country. Sending a thank you card or the like is also a nice idea and will be much appreciated.
• The elderly are given special respect in Japanese society, and they are used to the privileges that come with it. Visitors waiting to board a train may be surprised to get shoved aside by a fearless obaa-san who has her eye on a seat. Note that certain seats on many trains are set aside for the disabled and the elderly.

Things to avoid

• If you are staying in a Japanese house, use the slippers as directed, use the bathroom and toilet as directed, and keep your room clean. If you are a guest in the tatami room, don't throw around all your undergarments, or bags of souvenirs (omiyage). Keep everything in order, and don't be surprised if you are given a vacuum a couple times to clean the tatami. Never step on tatami with shoes or slippers on. Only bare feet or socks are acceptable.
  

  

  Busy pond
• Shoes (and feet in general) are considered very dirty by the Japanese. Avoid pointing them at anybody (eg. when sitting on the train) and try to restrain children from standing up on seats. Brushing your feet against somebody's clothing, even by accident, is very rude.
• Tattoos, as mentioned above, are frequently associated with yakuza gangsters and may make some Japanese people uncomfortable. You may wish to cover any visible tattoos with a bandage if you're going to a formal gathering.
• The Japanese consider hearty hugs or back slaps rude, especially if they're coming from someone they just met.
• Avoid shouting or talking loudly in public. Talking on a mobile phone on a train is considered rude. (Sending text messages, however, is considered de rigeur.)
• Many Japanese still revere their Imperial Family, so do not show disrespect to the Emperor, Empress or any other members. The Japanese role in World War II also remains a sensitive subject and is best avoided, especially with the older generation.

Geishas

‘Gei’ is defined as performance or an entertainer, 'sha' is person. They have been servicing their clients since the Edo era over four hundred years ago. Geishas first started at banquets playing the shamisen guitar, singing and dancing.

Geishas are not prostitutes. Rather they are trained, cultured and refined ladies with wonderful skills of entertaining as well as being very skilled conversationalists, many in English for foreigners, and they always present the traditional tea ceremony.

The number of geishas in Japan is declining as the education and training are extremely demanding. Upon acceptance, they must live with the head geisha for up to six years, doing the household chores and operating the house, while learning the social skills required and studying both music and dance. At six months, the girl follows a geisha to become aquainted with her clients, and around twenty years old, the geisha in training (maiko) must decide if she will do this the rest of her life and never marry, or decide against it.

Geishas work in tea houses named o-chaya, a sort of banquet hall with off-rooms that can be rented for a private dinner party. They have very traditional wood floors and marvelously kept gardens.

In Japan today, geishas entertain in restaurants and hotels, and can be ordered through the hotel front desk. You need to specify if you want a younger geisha (tchikata) who will do the traditional dance for you, or an older one (jikata) that plays a musical instrument and sings. Costs depend upon the number of guests, your meal and drink requirements, and the entertainment themselves. Curious tourists can visit shops specializing geisha wear, and dress as a geisha with a kimono, put on the heavy white make up and accent liners for a photo as a souvenir.

Where to Go in Japan

While Japan is more than three thousand kilometers long, Tokyo and Kyoto are on Honshu, being the biggest, and most important island in Japan. Much of Japan is mountainous, with thick forests, while a limited flatish part mostly along the coasts is highly populated. Japan, like the Philippines, has a very long, meandering coastline.

Tokyo

Tokyo is the captial of Japan in just about every way you could imagine. It is an ultra-modern city with remnants of the past popping up everywhere. There are several districts each with their own special attractions, be it shopping, business or nightlife. At the Ginza, you will find a shoppers dream with vast selections of anything imaginable, but at high prices.

Tokyo Tower has great views of Tokyo Bay with the space-age lines of Rainbow Town or O'daiba, all on reclaimed land. If you get up early, check out the huge fish market called Tsukiji on the waterfront. Roppongi an Akasaka are adult playgrounds for the government and banking industry nearby, offering a collage of nightlife from discos, and bars to geisha-worked tea houses.

Shibaya and Harajuku are for the younger up-scale crowd with clothing stores and ritzy restaurants. If the crowds start to overwhelm, visit the treed-oasis of Meiji shrine.

The 'goth' high rise metropolis of West Shinjuku has become Tokyo’s dense-living region with plazas and skyscrapers. East of it, Shinjuku is an active shopping and nightfun district, contrasted with the still beauty od nextdoor Shinjuku's Gyoen national garden.

Head to the downtown area called Shitamachi for the feeling of old Tokyo, especially in the summer with its numerous festivals. Check out the Asakusa-Kannon temple, a marvelous Buddhist area entered through a vibrant shopping street. Just over the river is the Edo-Tokyo museum, and the world-famous National Sumo Wrestling Stadium. Go to Ueno Park for several art museums and galleries. If you get hungry, the Raucous Ameyoko Market has lots of inexpensive food options.

Excursions

Narita-Tokyo Airport is the one you'll likely fly in to. Rather than go downtown, take time to see this beautiful old town and Narita-san, an outstanding pilgrim-style temple. If you must, nearby Tokyo-Disneyland draws locals and foreigners alike all year round.

Two hours north of Tokyo in Nikko, the extraordinary Toshogu Shrine complex is situated with the mausoleum of the founder of Japan’s Tokugawa Shogunate. The surrounding Nikko National Park offers mountain hot spring resorts and great places for hiking, fishing and boating. Pottery fans will enjoy the rural kiln town of Mashiko.

The coastal town of Kamakura, one hour south of Tokyo, was the seat of Japan’s medieval feudal government and abounds in historic sights. Highlights include the giant bronze Great Buddha, colorful Hachimangu Shrine and picturesque Enoshima Island.

The international port city of Yokohama, thirty minutes from Tokyo, has a vibrant Chinatown, harbor district and historic Sankei-en Garden. Japan’s highest mountain, Mount Fuji, may be climbed during the high summer.

Located ninety minutes from Tokyo is Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, a recreational paradise offering hot spring resorts, golf courses and facilities for fishing, camping, hiking, swimming and boating. At Hakone, cable cars will carry visitors over volcanic landscapes of boiling mud, sightseeing boats traverse scenic Lake Ashi and there is an Open Air Sculpture Museum, a Porsche Museum and several sights of historical interest.

Types of Japanese accommodations

In Japan, in addition to the usual youth hostels and business hotels, you can find several kinds of uniquely Japanese accommodation, ranging from rarefied ryokan inns to strictly functional capsule hotels and utterly over-the-top love hotels.

When reserving any Japanese accommodations, bear in mind that many smaller operations may hesitate to accept foreigners, fearing language difficulties or other cultural misunderstandings. This is to some extent institutionalized: large travel agency databases note which (few) hotels are prepared to handle foreigners, and they may tell you that all lodgings are booked if only these are full! Instead of calling up in English, you may find it better to get a Japanese acquaintance or local tourist office to make the booking for you. Alternatively, for cheap Internet rates, Rakuten's English search tool is an invaluable utility.

When checking in to any type of accomodation, the Japanese are, by law, required to make a copy of your passport. It is a good idea, especially if you are travelling in groups, to present the clerk a photo copy of your passport to speed up check-in. Aside from this, remember that Japan is mostly a cash only country, and credit cards are usually not accepted in smaller forms of accomodation, including, but not limited to, small business hotels. Bring enough cash to be able to pay in advance.

One thing to beware of in wintertime: traditional Japanese houses are designed to be cool in summer, which all too often means that they are freezing cold inside in winter. Bulk up on clothing and make good use of the bathing facilities to stay warm; fortunately, futon bedding is usually quite warm and getting a good night's sleep is rarely a problem.

Hotels

In general hotels of any kind are uniformly expensive. Luxury hotels, on the other hand, turn pampering into an artform, but room charges tend to start at ¥20,000 per person (not per room). However, several chains of comfortable low-rate hotels exist.

Capsulated hotels

Capsule hotels are the ultimate in space-efficient sleeping: for a nominal fee (often under ¥2000), the guest rents himself a capsule, sized about 2x1x1 meters and stacked in two rows inside a hall containing tens if not hundreds of capsules. Capsule hotels are invariably segregated by sex and only a few cater to women.

On entry to a capsule hotel, take off your shoes, place them in a locker and put on a pair of slippers. You will often have to surrender your locker key at check-in to insure that you do not slip out without paying! On checking in you will be given a second locker for placing your belongings, as there is no space for them in the capsule and little security as most capsules have simply a curtain, not a door. Beware though if there is a curtain, since probing hands may enter it.

Many if not most capsule hotels are attached to a spa of varying degrees of luxury and/or dubiosity, often so that entry to the spa costs (say) ¥2000 but the capsule is only an additional ¥1000. Other, cheaper capsule hotels will require feeding in 100-yen coins even to get the shower to work. This being Japan, there are always vending machines on hand to dispense toothpaste, underwear and such sundries.

Once you retire into your capsule, you will usually find a simple control panel for operating the lights, the alarm clock and the inevitable built-in TV. Sweet dreams! But don't oversleep or you may be hit with another day's charge.

In Tokyo's Shinjuku and Shibuya districts the capsule hotels run at least ¥3500, but have excellent free massage chairs, saunas, public baths, disposable razors and shampoo, magazines, and coffee in the morning. Despite all that, keep in mind that your capsule "door" is just a curtain that keeps light out. You will likely hear a steady stream of drunk and sleepy business men crawling into their capsules above and across from you before falling into a mild snore.

Romance hotels

Romance or love hotels is a bit of a euphemism, the more accurate term would be sex hotel. They can be found in and near red light districts, but most are not in those areas. Many of them are often clustered around highway interchanges or main train stations out of the city and back to the suburbs. The entrance is usually quite discreet, and the exit is separated from the entrance (to avoid running into someone one might know). Basically you can rent a room by the night (listed as 'Stay' or shukuhaku on the rate card, usually ¥6000-10000), a couple of hours ('Rest' or kyūkei, around ¥3000), or off hours ('No Time Service') which are usually weekday afternoons.

They are generally clean, safe, and very private. Some have fantastic themes like castles, Disney, sports, whatever. As a traveler, not a tryster, you (usually) cannot check in, drop your bags, and go out exploring. Once you leave, that is it, so they are not as convenient as proper hotels. 'Stay' rates also tend to start only after 10 PM, and overstaying may incur hefty additional 'Rest' charges. Many rooms have simple food and drinks in a refrigerator, and often have somewhat high charges. Before entering a love hotel, it would be wise to take some food and drinks with you. The rooms often feature amenities such as Jacuzzis, wild theme decoration, costumes, karaoke machines, vibrating beds, sex-toy vending machines, and in some cases, videoconsoles. Most often, all toiletries (including condoms) are included. Sometimes the rooms have a book that acts as a log, where people record their tales and adventures for posterity. Popular love hotels may be entirely booked up in the cities on weekends.

Why are they everywhere? Consider the housing shortage that plagued post-war Japan for years, and the way people still live in extended families. If you are 28 years old and still live at home, do you really want to bring your mate back to your folks' house? Or, if you are a married couple in a 40 square meter apartment with two grade school children, do you really want to get down to it at home? Thus, the love hotel. They can be seedy, but mainly they are just practical and fulfill a social need.

One word of caution: There has been an increase in hidden cameras being planted in public and private spaces, including love hotels, either by other guests or even occasionally the hotel management. Videos of these supposed tosatsu (hidden camera) are popular in adult video stores, although many such videos are actually staged.

Hotels for the business person

They are usually around ¥10,000 per night and have a convenient location (often near major train stations) as their major selling point, but rooms are usually unbelievably cramped. On the upside, you'll get a (tiny) ensuite bathroom and, quite often, free Internet. Some major chains of cheaper business hotels include Tokyu Inn, known for its generously sized rooms, and Toyoko Inn.

Local, 'unadvertised' business hotels, further from major stations, can be significantly cheaper (from ¥5000/double room/night) and can be found in the phonebook (which also tells prices!), but you will need a Japanese-speaking assistant to help or — better yet — book online in advance. For two or more, the price can often compete with youth hostels if you share a twin or double room. Note that full payment is often expected on check-in, and check-out times are early (usually 10 AM) and not negotiable unless you're willing to pay extra.

Inns (Ryokan)

Ryokan are traditional Japanese inns, and a visit to one is the highlight of many a trip to Japan. Since some knowledge of Japanese mores and etiquette is required to visit one, many will hesitate to take non-Japanese guests (especially ones who do not speak Japanese), but some cater specially to this group. A night at a ryokan for one with two meals starts at about ¥8000 and goes up into the stratosphere.

Ryokan usually operate on a fairly strict schedule and you will be expected to arrive by 5 PM. On entry take off your shoes and put on the slippers you will wear inside the house. After checking in you will be led to your room, which is invariably simply but elegantly decorated and covered in tatami matting. Be sure to take off your slippers before stepping on tatami.

Before dinner you will be encouraged to take a bath. You will probably wish to change into your yukata bathrobe before bathing and it's a simple enough garment, just place the left lapel atop the right when closing it. Once you have bathed dinner will be served in your 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 item.

After you have finished you are free to head out into town; in hot spring towns it is perfectly normal to head out dressed only in yukata and geta clogs, although doing so as a foreigner may attract even more attention than usual. (Hint: wear underwear underneath.) Many ryokan have curfews, so make sure you don't end up locked outside.

When you return you will find that futon bedding has been rolled out for you on the tatami. While slightly harder than a Western bed, most people find sleeping on a futon very pleasant. Note that a real Japanese futon is simply a mattress, not the low, flat bed often sold under the name in the West.

Breakfast in the morning is usually served communally in a dining hall at a fixed time.

A word of warning: some establishments with the word "ryokan" in their name are not the luxurious variety at all, but just minshuku (see below) in disguise. The price will tell you which type of lodging it is.

Minshuku

Minshuku are the budget version of ryokan: the overall experience is much the same but the food is simpler, dining is communal, bathrooms are shared and guests are expected to lay out their own futon (although an exception is often made for foreigners). Consequently minshuku are also cheaper and rates hover around ¥5000 with two meals (ippaku-nishoku). Cheaper yet is a stay with no meals (sudomari), which can go as low as ¥3000. Minshuku are more often found in the countryside than in cities.

Kokuminshukusha

Kokuminshukusha, a mouthful that translates quite literally into "People's Lodges", are government-run guest houses. They primarily provide subsidized holidays for government employees in remote scenic spots, but are usually happy to accept paying guests. Both facilities and prices are usually more comparable to ryokan than minshuku standards; however, they are almost invariably large in size and can be rather impersonal.

Shukubō

Shukubō are lodgings for pilgrims, usually (but not always) located within a Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine. Again, the experience is broadly similar to a ryokan, but the food will be vegetarian and you may be offered a chance to participate in the temple's activities. Shukubo can be reluctant to accept foreign guests, but one place where this won't be a problem is the major Buddhist center of Mt. Koya near Osaka.

Camping and youth hostels

Youth Hostels

Youth hostels (yūsu hosuteru, often just called yūsu or abbreviated "YH") can be comparatively expensive in Japan, especially if you opt for dinner and breakfast and are not a HI member, in which case the price for a single night may be over ¥5000. As elsewhere, some are concrete cellblocks run like reform schools, while others are wonderful cottages in scenic spots. There are even a number of temples that run hostels as a sideline. Do some groundwork before choosing where to go, the Japan Youth Hostel page is a good place to start. Many have curfews and dorms are sex-segregated.

Camping

Camping is the cheapest way to get a night's sleep in Japan. There is an extensive network of camping grounds throughout the country, although naturally most are away from the big cities and information in English is sparse. Transportation to them can also be problematic, as few buses may go there. Prices may vary from nominal fees (¥500) to large bungalows that cost more than many hotel rooms (¥13000 or more).

Camping wild is illegal in most of Japan, although you can always try to ask for permission — or simply pitch your tent late and leave early. Many larger city parks may in fact have large numbers of blue tarp tents with homeless in them.

Campsites in Japan are known as kyanpu-jo, while sites designed for cars are known as ōto-kyanpu-jo. The latter tend to be far more expensive than the former (¥5000 or so), so should be avoided by those setting out on foot unless they also have lower-key accomodations available. Campsites are often located near onsen, which can be quite convenient.

The National Camping Association of Japan helps maintain Campjo.com, a database of (nearly) all campsites in Japan. Unfortunately the listing is only in Japanese.

Nojuku

The real budget traveller wanting to get by on the cheap in Japan has the option of nojuku. This is Japanese for "sleeping outside", and although it may seem quite strange to westerners, a lot of young Japanese do this when they travel. Thanks to a low crime rate and relatively stable climate, nojuku is a genuinely viable option if you're travelling in a group or feel confident doing it on your own. Common nojuku places include train stations, michi no eki (road service stations), or basically anywhere that has some kind of shelter and public toilets nearby.

Those worrying about shower facilities will be delighted to know that Japan is blessed with cheap public facilities pretty much everywhere - notably onsen, or hot springs. Even if you can't find an onsen, sento (public baths), or sauna are also an option.

Bear in mind nojuku is only really viable in the summer months, although in the northern island of Hokkaido even in summer the temperature may dip during the night. On the other hand, there's much more scope for nojuku on Okinawa (although public facilities on the smaller islands are lacking).

Nojuku is not really recommended for first-time travellers to Japan, but for those with some experience, it can be a great way to get into the 'onsen' culture, meet other fellow nojuku travellers, and most of all travel very cheaply when coupled with hitchhiking.

Long-term

Gaijin apartments

If you're staying for a longer period, say a month and longer, you might be able to drastically reduce your living costs by staying in a "gaijin house". These establishments cater specifically towards foreigners and offer at least minimally furnished and usually shared apartments at reasonable prices, and without the hefty deposits and commissions of apartments (often up to 6-8 months rent worth) paid before moving in. Nearly all are only in the Tokyo area, however. It will almost certainly be cheaper than staying in a hotel for a month. Gaijin houses can be anything from ugly cramped apartment complexes with new tenants every week, to nice family run businesses in private houses, so try to get a look at the place before you decide to move in. One of the biggest letting agencies for gaijin houses in Tokyo is Sakura House, others can be found in the Japan Guide.

Apartments

Traditionally, renting an apartment in Japan is a ridiculously complex and expensive process, involving getting a Japanese resident to act as your guarantor (literally — trash up the place and run away, and they'll get stuck with the bill!) and paying half a year's rent or more in advance. This is thus essentially impossible for anyone who isn't familiar with the culture and there to live and work for a few years at least.

In recent years, though, weekly mansions (short-term apartments) have become popular for residents (typically businessmen on long-term assignment or young singles) and are accessible even to visitors. Most are 1 or 2 person rooms, though larger ones for 3 or 4 are sometimes available. Apartments fees are around 5000 yen for a single, around 6000-7000 yen for a two person room per day. Most of these apartment rental agencies will offer all apartments with shower, toilet and bath. They usually have air-conditioning, microwave and cooking ameneties. A great company that also accepts and replies to English E-Mail is Weekly Mansion Tokyo, in Japanese only. Please allow some days for a reply, as only a few employees are fluent in English. WMT has more than 50 apartment buildings in Tokyo and Yokohama, Nagoya and Osaka. Sometimes a deposit is required for some of the apartments. You can usually forfeit this deposit if you have stayed with them a few times without any trouble. Without exception the apartments are kept clean and often have much more space and flexibiliy than a hotel and are priced in the youth hostel range.

Last resorts

Even in Tokyo, the trains completely stop running around 1am, so if you're out after then and don't want to pay for a cab or even a capsule hotel, there are a few options for killing the hours until the first morning train.

S;eep in an internet café!

In bigger cities around the major stations you can find internet cafés. Here you not only can access internet but watch TV, play video games, read comics and enjoy the free drink bar. Price varies but usually around ¥400/hour. They often have a special night fare for the period when no trains are running (from around 12pm until 5 am for ¥1500). Sometimes they have massage chair, a mat to sleep on or even a shower.

It isn't a comfortable option but perfect for checking the next day's train schedule, downloading pictures from your digital camera, writing home and resting a bit.

Karaoke bars

This is only an emergency option in case you can't find anything else and you are freezing outside. Karaoke bars offer entertainment rooms until 5 am ("free time") for ¥1500-2500. Only works with at least 3-4 people.

Stay in a public bath

Some onsen or sento stay open all night. Usually there is a 'relaxing area' with tatami mats, TV, vending machines, etc. Often for a reasonable fee (on top of the bathing cost) you will be allowed to crash the night on the tatami.