infomapJAPAN Free Travel Guide. Maps, Sightseeing, Access Guide, Accommodation, Events, Japanese Trends, Gifts

The yen (¥) is the currency of Japan and there are 4 types of Notes and 6 different coins in circulation:1,000, 2,000, 5,000 and 10,000. yen notes; and 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 yen coins. Cash is the most common form of payment in Japan, however credit cards are widely accepted at many locations. Travelers' checks in yen or US dollars are easily exchanged for cash at the banks, but are not readily accepted at small shops and restaurants. You can exchange yen at foreign exchange banks, international airports and other authorized money exchangers. At the airports, currency exchange counters are usually open during normal office hours.

Travelers' checks in yen or dollars are easily exchanged for cash at banks and are accepted by the Bank, major post offices, some large hotels and most big department stores, but are not readily accepted at small shops and restaurants. Master card, Diners Club, Visa and American Express are the major credit cards and among them, Visa is the most widely accepted credit cards in Japan. Credit Cards are becoming widely accepted in Japan however they are not used as much as in western countries. Japan is still a cash based society, so you need to be aware that quite a lot of small restaurants and shops don't take credit cards, particularly outside of the big cities.

Most automatic teller machines (ATMs) in Japan do not accept credit, debit or ATM cards issued outside of Japan. The big exception are the ATMs found at the over 21,000 post offices throughout the country. Post offices where this service is available display stickers indicating which cards are accepted. ATMs at post offices allow you to withdraw cash by foreign Visa, Plus, MasterCard, Euro card, Maestro, Cirrus, American Express, Diners and JCB cards and provide an English user menu. Note that most post offices do not offer a 24-hour ATM service. While ATMs at major post offices are typically available weekdays from 7:00 to 21:00 and closed on weekends, some may also open on Saturdays and Sundays. ATMs at smaller branches operate From Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 16:00 and are closed on weekends and national holidays. Your best bet is from Monday to Saturday between 9:00 and 17:00. In addition to the ATMs at post offices, a small number of inter national ATMs are located in major department stores, airports and Citibank branches. In order to use international ATMs, make sure before leaving for Japan, that your credit or debit card can be used abroad and that you know its PIN. Also, check what fees and daily and/or monthly limits are associated with international withdrawals.

The number of public phones seems to have decreased in recent years due to the popularity of mobile phones, but they are still numerous. Public telephones take coins and/or telephone cards. 10-yen and 100-yen coins can be used, and unused 10-yen coins are returned after the call is completed, however no change is given for partial use of 100-yen coins. Prepaid telephone cards cost 1,000-yen for 105-unit cards and 500-yen for 50-unit cards. Telephone cards are available from vending machines, kiosks at train stations, convenience stores and NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Co.) offices. Local calls are possible from any public phone, but international calls can only be made from certain phones. Japanese telephone numbers consist of an area code plus a phone number. A local call costs 10-yen per minute. Charges for inter-city calls vary according to the distance. Domestic calls are cheaper outside standard business hours, i.e. early morning, late night and weekends.

Direct Calls
A direct overseas call can not be made from a regular green pay phone. Use the gray telephones (ISDN) displaying an International and Domestic Telephone sign or tall green phones with gold faces. These phones are not widespread, but can be found at airports, higher-end hotels, and other key facilities. Direct dial calls can be made via a telephone company using the company's access number; Dial 001, 0033, 0041 or 0061 plus 010, then dial the country code, the local code and the number. To place an international call through the operator, dial 0051.

The Japanese postal service is very reliable and efficient in delivering both domestic and overseas mail. The post boxes in Japan are colored red and can easily be found at intersections, in front of Train Stations, major buildings and public facilities. Post offices are open Mon-Fri 9:00-19:00 (9:00-17:00 at some offices); closed on Sat. (some are open 9:00-15:00 or 9:00-17:00), closed on Sunday and Holidays (some offices are open from 9:00-12:30). You can buy postcards and stamps at post offices, convenience stores and kiosks at train stations.

The electrical power throughout Japan is 100 Volt which is different from North America (110V), Central Europe (220V) and most other countries. Furthermore, the current in Eastern Japan (including Tokyo, Yokohama, Tohoku, Hokkaido) is on 50 Hertz and Western Japan (including Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Shikoku, Kyushu) uses 60 Hertz. Japanese electrical plugs are the flat two-pin type, similar to North American outlets. Basic North American electrical items will function reasonably well in Japan without an adapter and vice versa, but this frequency difference may cause damage if you are intendeding to use sensitive equipment. It is recommended you use a frequency converter when traveling throughout the country. Some electronic equipment such as European ones which operate on 220V may need a transformer. Transformes are available at Japanese electronics shops and many hotels have 110V and 220V outlets for use with foreign appliances.

Every Japanese district has its own "police box" the community-based security system called KOBAN, usually located near a busy intersection or station. It plays an important role in maintaining public safety. You can seek help, report an incident / accident or ask for directions there. (Very few policeman speak English, though). If you have an emergency in Japan, call 110 for police and 119 to report a fire or request an ambulance. Emergency calls can be made from pay phones free of charge. Press the red emergency button and dial 110 or 119. The operator will answer in Japanese so you will need to be able to describe their address or location in Japanese or seek the assistance of a Japanese speaker.
The nationwide emergency phone numbers are:
olice:110 Ambulance / Fire: 119
English Help and Information Lines:
Tokyo English Lifeline: 03-3968-4099 (English)
Police Information in English: (03) 3501-0114
Japan Help Line (nationwide 24hours a day, 7days a week- toll free): 0120-461-997

There are countless local festivals in Japan throughout the year in different parts of the country. Some are spectacular, some are religious in orientation. Most festivals are held annually and celebrate events like the coming of the farming season, the harvest, or they commemorate historical events. A festival may be held over several days. Some very famous festivals are:
Sapporo Yukimatsuri (February), Takayama Matsuri (Apr/Oct),
Sanja Matsuri (May), Kyoto Gion Matsuri (July),
Hakata Gion Yamagasa (July), Nebuta Matsuri (August),
Kanto Matsuri (August),Tanabata Matsuri(August),
Awaodori (August) and Nagasaki Kunchi (October). For full details of events and festivals, contact the Japan National Tourist Organization URL:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/
Also check infomapJAPAN Event Guide.

Because the Japanese archipelago stretches over a distance of thousands of kilometers from North to South, the climate varies greatly in different regions. Except for Hokkaido in the north, which has short mild summers and long winters with heavy snowfall, and the subtropical Okinawa region, the weather is mostly temperate with four distinctive seasons. The summer is hot and humid, yet temperature drops considerably and the air is chilly in winter.The sea of Japan side has heavy snowfall. The best time to travel are between early April and late-October.

Winter (December - February)
Winters are mild and sunny in the south, cold and sunny around Tokyo (which gets some amount of snow), and long with lots of snow in the North and at high altitudes. Overcoats, sweaters, gloves and a scarf will keep you warm.

Spring (March - May) Temperatures are generally most comfortable in spring. It is probably the best time to visit Japan with cherry trees blossoming and mild weather. However temperature may fluctuate with great extent (nice warm afternoon but need a sweater in the evening). You need light jackets and light sweaters so that you can dress in layers.

Summer (June - August) Japan's monsoon season (tsuyu) lasts about 4weeks during the months of June and July. Then it becomes very hot and humid, almost 40 degrees in many places in recent years and over 30 degrees most days for 3-4 months, everywhere except Hokkaido and the mountains. You should dress lightly in T-shirts, shorts etc. and wear sunscreen and a hat to protect yourself from the sun.

Autumn (September - November) a time of changeable, unpredictable but generally mild weather. The typhoon season in September marks the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. Autumn has clear skies and comfortable temperatures and many exhibitions, music concerts and sports tournaments are held. You can also enjoy beautiful autumn foliage in October. Autumn colors in the countryside are fantastic. Wear layers so that you can adjust as necessary.

Japan is an archipelago situated in northeastern Asia between the North Pacific and the Sea of Japan. The land area is smaller than the U.S. state of California at 377,873 square kilometers. It is comprised of four main islands; Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku, with over 3,900 smaller islands. Japan stretches over 2,360 miles from north to south, which results in distinctive transitions in seasons. Mountains occupy over 80% of Japan's landmass and only about 16% of the land is arable. Many of these mountains are volcanic, since Japan is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. The most famous volcano is Mt. Fuji (3,776m / 12,385 ft.) - the highest point of Japan and one of the most beautiful mountains in the world. Japan has the dubious distinction of being one of the most seismically active regions in the world, and more than 1,000 earthquakes occur each year in Japan. Fortunately most of them are too small to notice without sensitive seismic equipment. A positive side effect is that the islands are blessed with numerous hot springs and spectacular scenery.