Japan http://www.lonelyplanet.com/japan Introducing Japan Show mapClose map .Travel warning: On 11 March 2011, a massive 8.

9-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Japan, triggering a tsunami and radiation problems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The US government now says travel to Japan outside the 50-mile zone surrounding the nuclear plant presents low risks. Lonely Planet has an update on the situation here. As with any destination, stay in touch with the news before you go. When you hear the word 'Japan', what do you think of? Does your mind fill with images of ancient temples or futuristic cities? Do you see visions of mist-shrouded hills or lightning-fast bullet trains? Do you think of suit-clad businessmen or kimonoclad geisha? Whatever image you have of Japan, it's probably accurate, because it's all there. But you may also have some misconceptions about Japan. For example, many people believe that Japan is one of the world's most expensive countries. In fact, it's cheaper to travel in Japan than in much of North America, Western Europe and parts of Oceania. Others think that Japan is impenetrable or even downright difficult. The fact is, Japan is one of the easiest countries in which to travel. It is, simply put, a place that will remind you why you started travelling in the first place. If traditional culture is your thing, you can spend weeks in cities such as Kyoto and Nara, gorging yourself on temples, shrines, kabuki, (stylised dance-drama), tea ceremonies and museums packed with treasures from Japan's rich artistic heritage. If modern culture and technology is your thing, Japan's cities are an absolute wonderland - an easy peek into the future of the human race, complete with trendsetting cafs and fabulous restaurants. Outside the cities, you'll find natural wonders the length and breadth of the archipelago. From the coral reefs of Okinawa to the skiresort of Niseko, Japan has more than enough natural wonders to compete with its cultural treasures. Then there's the food: whether it's impossibly fresh sushi in Tokyo, perfectly battered tempura in Kyoto, or a hearty bowl of rmen in Osaka, if you like eating you're going to love Japan. But for many visitors, the real highlight of their visit to Japan is the gracious hospitality of the Japanese themselves. Whatever your image of Japan, it no doubt exists somewhere on the archipelago - and it's just waiting for you to discover it! Weather The combination of Japans mountainous territory and the length of the archipelago (covering about 20 of latitude) makes for a complex climate. Most of the country is located in the northern temperate zone, which yields four distinct seasons. In addition, there are significant climatic differences between Hokkaid in the north, which has short summers and lengthy winters with heavy snowfalls, and the southern islands, such as Okinawa in Nansei-shot (Southwest Archipelago), which enjoy a subtropical climate. In the winter months (December to February), cold, dry air-masses from Siberia move down over Japan, where they meet warmer, moister air-masses from the
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Pacific. The resulting precipitation causes huge snowfalls on the side of the country that faces the Sea of Japan. The Pacific Ocean side of Japan receives less snow but can still be quite cold, while the big cities of Honsh like Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Kyoto have winters with highs in the single digits or even low teens and lows a few degrees above zero (Celsius). The odd January or February day will be colder, but these cold snaps usually dont last. The summer months (June to August) are dominated by warm, moist air currents from the Pacific, and produce high temperatures and humidity throughout most of Japan (with the blissful exception of Hokkaid). In the early part of summer, usually mid-May to June, there is a rainy season lasting a few weeks that starts in the south and gradually works its way northward. Although it can be inconvenient, this rainy season is not usually a significant barrier to travel. August, September and October is typhoon season, which can make travel in Okinawa, the Izu-shot and Ogasawarashot difficult. In contrast to the extremes of summer and winter, spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) in Japan are comparatively mild. Rainfall is relatively low and the days are often clear. These are, without a doubt, the very best times to visit the country. When to go Without a doubt, the best times to visit Japan are the climatically stable seasons of spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November). Spring is the time when Japans famous cherry trees (sakura) burst into bloom. Starting from Kysh sometime in March, the sakura zensen (cherry tree blossom line) advances northward, usually passing the main cities of Honsh in early April. Once the sakura bloom, their glory is brief, usually lasting only a week. Autumn is an equally good time to travel, with pleasant temperatures and soothing colours; the autumn foliage pattern reverses that of the sakura, starting in the north sometime in October and peaking across most of Honsh around November. Travelling during either winter or summer is a mixed bag midwinter (December to February) weather can be cold, particularly on the Sea of Japan coasts of Honsh and in Hokkaid, while the summer months (June to August) are generally hot and often humid. June is also the month of Japans brief rainy season, which in some years brings daily downpours and in other years is hardly a rainy season at all. Also keep in mind that peak holiday seasons, particularly Golden Week (late April to early May) and the mid-August O-Bon (Festival of the Dead), are extremely popular for domestic travel and can be problematic in terms of reservations and crowds. Likewise, everything in Japan basically shuts down during Shgatsu (New Year period). All that said, it is worth remembering that you can comfortably travel in Japan at any time of year just because you cant come in spring or autumn is no reason to give the country a miss.

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Costs Japan is generally considered an expensive country in which to travel. Certainly, this is the case if you opt to stay in top-end hotels, take a lot of taxis and eat all your meals in fancy restaurants. But Japan does not have to be expensive, indeed it can be cheaper than travelling in other parts of the world if you are careful with your spending. And in terms of what you get for your money, Japan is good value indeed. Tipping There is little tipping in Japan. If you want to show your gratitude to someone, give them a gift rather than a tip. If you do choose to give someone a cash gift (a maid in a ryokan, for instance), place the money in an envelope first. Economy The Japanese economic miracle is one of the great success stories of the postwar period. In a few short decades, Japan went from a nation in ruins to the worlds second-largest economy. The rise of the Japanese economy is even more startling when one considers Japans almost total lack of major natural resources beyond agricultural and marine products. There are many reasons for Japans incredible economic success: a hardworking populace; strong government support for industry; a strategic Pacific-rim location; infusions of cash during the Korean War (during which Japan acted as a staging point for the American military); and, some would say, protectionist trade policies. What is certain is this: when free-market capitalism was planted in the soil of postwar Japan, it was planted in extremely fertile soil. Of course, it has not always been smooth sailing for the Japanese economy. During the 1980s, the country experienced what is now known as the Bubble Economy. The Japanese economy went into overdrive, with easy money supply and soaring real-estate prices leading to a stock market bubble that abruptly burst in early 1990. In the years that followed, Japan flirted with recession, and the jobless rate climbed to 5%, an astonishing figure in a country that had always enjoyed near full employment. Fortunately, the new millennium has brought good economic news to Japan. In the last three months of 2006, the Japanese economy grew by an astonishing 4.8%. This expansion led the Bank of Japan to abandon its long-held zero interest policy, finally raising its prime lending rate to a modest 0.25% in July 2006, followed by another incremental increase in February 2007. At the same time, the stock market enjoyed a near-record year and companies reported robust profits. Despite the rosy figures, many ordinary Japanese contend that corporate profits arent filtering down to the person on the street. And when Japanese travel abroad, they may indeed wonder if they come from the worlds second-richest country: at the time of writing, the yen stood at a 20-year low in terms of real purchasing power (which is, conversely, good news for travellers to Japan).

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Money The Japanese postal system has linked its ATMs to the international Cirrus and Plus networks, and 7-11 convenience stores have followed suit, so getting money is no longer the issue it once was for travellers to Japan. Of course, it always makes sense to carry some foreign cash and some credit cards just to be on the safe side. For those without credit cards, it would be a good idea to bring some travellers cheques as a back-up. The currency in Japan is the yen () and banknotes and coins are easily identifiable. There are 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 coins; and 1000, 2000, 5000 and 10, 000 banknotes (the 2000 notes are very rarely seen). The 1 coin is an aluminium lightweight coin, the 5 and 50 coins have a punched hole in the middle (the former is coloured bronze and the latter silver). Note that some vending machines do not accept older 500 coins (a South Korean coin of much less value was often used in its place to rip off vending machines). The Japanese pronounce yen as en, with no y sound. ATMs Automated teller machines are almost as common as vending machines in Japan. Unfortunately, most of these do not accept foreign-issued cards. Even if they display Visa and MasterCard logos, most accept only Japan-issued versions of these cards. Fortunately, Japanese postal ATMs accept cards that belong to the following international networks: Visa, Plus, MasterCard, Maestro, Cirrus American Express and Diners Club cards. Check the sticker (s) on the back of your card to see which network (s) your card belongs to. Youll find postal ATMs in almost all post offices, and youll find post offices in even the smallest Japanese village. Most postal ATMs are open 9am to 5pm on weekdays, 9am to noon on Saturday, and are closed on Sunday and holidays. Some postal ATMs in very large central post offices are open longer hours. Note that the postal ATMs are a little tricky to use: first press English Guidance on the lower right-hand side of the screen and then press the withdrawal button. The post office has a useful online guide to using its ATMs at www.jpbank.japanpost.jp/en/ias/en_ias_index.html. Click International ATM service for an explanation of postal ATMs. In addition to postal ATMs, you will find a few international ATMs in big cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, as well as major airports like Narita and Kansai International Airport. International cards also work in Citibank Japan ATMs. Visit www.citibank.co.jp/en/branch/index.html for a useful branch index. Credit cards Except for making cash withdrawals at banks and ATMs, it is best not to rely on credit cards in Japan. While department stores, top-end hotels and some restaurants do accept cards, most businesses in Japan do not. Cash-and-carry is still very much

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the rule. If you do decide to bring a credit card, youll find Visa the most useful, followed by MasterCard, Amex and Diners Club. The main credit-card offices are in Tokyo: Amex (0120-020-120; 4-30-16 Ogikubo, Suginami-ku; 24hr) MasterCard (03-5728-5200; 16th fl, Cerulean Tower, 26-1 Sakuragaoka-ch, Shibuya-ku) Visa (03-5275-7604; 7th fl, Hitotsubashi Bldg, 2-6-3 Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku) Exchanging money Banks, post offices and discount ticket shops will change all major currencies and travellers cheques. As with most other countries, youll find that US dollars are the easiest to change, although you should have no problems with other major currencies. Note, however, that the currencies of neighbouring Taiwan (New Taiwan dollar) and Korea (won) are not easy to change, so you should change these into yen or US dollars before arriving in Japan. You can change cash or travellers cheques at most banks, major post offices, discount ticket shops, some travel agents, some large hotels and most big department stores. Note that discount ticket shops (known as kakuyasu kippu uriba in Japanese) often have the best rates. These can be found around major train stations. International transfers In order to make an international transfer youll have to find a Japanese bank associated with the bank transferring the money. Start by asking at the central branch of any major Japanese bank. If they dont have a relationship with your bank, they can usually refer you to a bank that does. Once you find a related bank in Japan, youll have to give your home bank the exact details of where to send the money: the bank, branch and location. A credit-card cash advance is a worthwhile alternative. Taxes Japan has a 5% consumer tax. If you eat at expensive restaurants and stay in topend accommodation, you will encounter a service charge which varies from 10% to 15%.

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