Land & People
Area: 377,835 sq km
Population (July 2007 est.): 127.43m
Capital: Tokyo
Language: Japanese is the official language. Many Japanese are able to understand English to a certain extent since it is the foreign language that everyone must learn as part of compulsory education.
GDP (2006 est.): $33,100
Located in eastern Asia, Japan is an island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean peninsula. Japan's closest neighbours are Korea, Russia and China. The Sea of Japan separates the Asian continent from the Japanese archipelago. The country has four major islands — Hokkaido (northern island), Honshu (main island), Shikoku (smallest island), and Kyushu (southern island) — surrounded by more than 4,000 smaller islands.
Japanese terrain is mostly rugged and mountainous and the landscape includes coastlines with varied scenery, towering mountains and valleys. Several of Japan's mountains are active volcanoes as the country lies on a major earthquake fault line. Much of Japan's population is crowded into a few cities along the coast. Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Sapporo and Nagasaki are among the major cities.
Japan's 47 prefectures include Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gumma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, and Yamanashi.
Useful addresses
- Embassy of Japan, P.O. Box 2430, Abu Dhabi. Tel:
02-4435696; Fax: 02-4434219; Email: embjpn@japanembassyauh.com; Website: www.uae.emb-japan.go.jp
- Consulate General of Japan,
P.O. Box 9336, Dubai. Tel:
04-3319191; Fax: 04-3319292
- Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), Al Moosa Tower-2, P.O. Box 2272, Dubai. Tel:
04-3328264; Fax: 04-3328305; E-mail: jetrouad@emirates.net.ae; Website: www.jetro.go.jp/uae
- Japan National Tourist Organisation, 10th Floor, Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan Building, 2-10-1Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0006. Website: www.jnto.go.jp
Passport/visa
A valid passport and visa are required to enter the country. Please contact the nearest Japanese embassy or consulate for more information on entry requirements/exemptions.
Cash/credit cards
Traveller's cheques are accepted by leading banks, hotels, ryokan (Japanese inns) and stores in major cities. You can buy yen at foreign exchange banks and other authorised money exchangers. Currency exchange counters are usually open at international airports during normal office hours. Credit cards such as American Express, Visa, Diners Club and MasterCard are accepted at major establishments. Foreign credit and cash cards can be used at Post Office and Seven Bank ATMs throughout Japan.
When to go
Visiting Japan can be enjoyable in every season of the year. Seasons include winter (December-February), spring (March-May), summer (June-August) and autumn (September-November). Central and northern parts of the country are renowned for winter sports whereas southern Japan is comparatively mild and pleasant during the season. The cherry blossom is at its best in the Tokyo area between the end of March and the beginning of April. Summer is when interesting festivals and other events are held throughout the country. In addition to offering splendidly coloured landscapes, autumn is also the season for exhibitions, music concerts and sports tournaments in the country.
Getting around
Public transportation is available in both cities and suburbs. Visitors who expect to change trains several times a day can go for a 'one-day ticket' or other discount tickets. The subway networks facilitate enormous travel in cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya and Sapporo.
The JR trains are more convenient for travelling to the main spots in Tokyo such as Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ueno and Akihabara along the Yamanote or Chuo Lines. Known as the 'Bullet Train', the Shinkansen is a high-speed intercity train and links most major cities on the islands of Honshu and Kyushu.
There is also a vast highway bus network throughout Japan. It's ideal to rent a bicycle if you want to travel extensively between towns and view all the scenery. Bike rentals are available not only in sightseeing spots, but also in big cities such as Tokyo and Osaka.
Tipping
It is not common to pay a tip in Japanese restaurants, though it is polite to say 'gochisosama deshita' ('thank you for the meal') while leaving.
Plenty of options
Several major international airlines fly to the country. Japan's leading airlines — Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) — serve a broad range of international destinations.
The major international airport is Tokyo's Narita Airport, followed by Osaka's Kansai Airport, Nagoya's Central Japan Airport and Fukuoka Airport.
It's also possible to arrive in Japan by sea from a number of nearby countries, particularly South Korea.
