|
Japan consists of a string of over 1,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean, located off the east coast of Asia. The four most important islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. Its mainly mountainous terrain is scattered with ancient Shinto and Buddhist shrines, temples and statues, and tiny, unspoilt villages among paddyfields, the homes of traditional labourers. The climate varies from mild in the north to tropical in the southern islands of Okinawa. Winters in the north are bitterly cold as Siberian wind squalls sweep down from northern Asia. Northern summers are warm. Winters in the south are mild, and summers hot, humid and wet due to a combination of monsoon rains and typhoons.
After World War II, Japan had been reduced to an economic wreck, its infrastructure near obliterated by the effects of the war and the detonation of atomic bombs on two of the then principle cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since then, however, Japan has managed to restructure its society and has developed the second strongest economy in the world.
Japan's culture is so entirely different to western culture and offers such incredible sights and experiences that it is a firstclass destination for western visitors. The samurai, Shinto, Buddhist and Ainu architecture stands in stark contrast to that of the west, as does the Japanese cuisine.
Having been strongly influenced by the United States since 1945, Japan has adopted many western pastimes, including golf, tennis and baseball. There are also wonderful opportunities for the visitor to hike past the ancient villages and volcanic mountains (many of which are still active), camp in numerous national parks, and scuba dive the excellent coral reefs.
A good grasp of the English language is sufficient for making your way around Japan, although a smattering of Japanese would be beneficial. Those who do not speak English will have a much more difficult time.
Did you know?
- Japanese culture was greatly influenced by ancient Chinese culture and philosophy.
- Japan has at least three earthquakes per day, although most of them are detectable only on seismographs.
- The Japanese call their country Nippon (or Nihon), which means 'source of the sun'.
- Japan has the secondfastest growing economy in the world.
- The Kobe earthquake in 1995 claimed 5,000 lives. This is the worst quake to hit Japan since 1923, when 150,000 people were killed.
- To blow your nose in public in Japan is considered the height of rudeness.
Time
Japan has only one time zone, and has no daylightsaving times. It is nine hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Time is displayed in a 24hour format.
Tourist Offices
The Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO) operates Tourist Information Centres (TICs). Here are some phone numbers for those in Japan:
Narita: 047-632-8711
Tokyo: 03-3350-21461
Kyoto: 075-371-5649
You can also call Tokyo (35032911) or Kyoto (3612911) for the TIC's 'teletourist' service which gives you a rundown of all the happenings in the cities. The JNTO also has around 30,000 volunteers called Goodwill Guides (look for their dove and globe badge in blue and white) who show tourists around.
If you can't reach the TIC offices, worry not, for Japan has a plan; a tollfree phone service is available, with Englishspeaking travel consultants on the other end. Call the following numbers for:
Info on eastern Japan: 0120-22 2800
Info on western Japan: 0120-44 4800
Visas & Passports
You can stay in Japan for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa, depending on your nationality. Contact your local Japanese consulate or embassy for details.
If you intend to work in Japan, you must obtain a visa. If you want to extend you visa, things can get tricky. If you can find a residentforeigner, or better yet, a Japanese citizen, to sign as a guarantor, you might manage it, although it does take some time. Alternatively, you can travel over the border to a nearby place like Taiwan or Hong Kong and then try to return. It all depends on how bad a day the custom official has had as to whether you are allowed back in or not.
Customs
You may import without cost:
400 cigarettes/100 cigars/500g tobacco
3 X 760cc bottles of liquor
57ml perfume
JPY200,000 worth of souvenirs
There is no limit to the amount of foreign or local currency you may bring into Japan. The same goes for exporting foreign currency. A five million yen restriction applies when exporting Japanese currency.
Money
The Japanese unit of currency is the yen (JPY). Notes come in denominations of JPY1,000, 5,000, and 10,000. Coins come in denominations of JPY1, 5, 10, 100, and 500. You can also exchange you traveller's cheques at any bank carrying a sign in English declaring it an Authorized Foreign Exchange Bank. The bigger hotels and shops also offer this service. Because of the low crime rate in Japan, the Japanese feel safe carrying large amounts of cash around with them. If you are heading into the less populated areas, it is best to take a fair amount of cash with you, because it will be difficult to find an exchange service out in the mountains.
As per usual, banks offer the best rates. Banking hours are from 09:00 to 15:00, Monday to Friday. Banks are closed over weekends and on public holidays. Take you passport with you when you wish to exchange your currency and traveller's cheques.
Credit cards are accepted, although cash is certainly more popular among the locals. The best credit cards to bring are the big names, like Visa, American Express, MasterCard, and Diners Club.
Tipping is not practised in Japan. People get their salaries and a tip only complicates matters of etiquette. If you wish to convey your thanks to a very special host, maid or guide, a little curio from your home country is the best bet.
Business Hours
Banks
Open Monday to Friday, from 09:00 to 15:00. Closed on public holidays.
Stores
Open daily, from 10:00 to 19:00. Most close on one day of the week, depending on the owner.
Shops
Open daily from 10:00 to 20:00.
Post Offices (general)
Open Monday to Friday, from 09:00 to 17:00, and on Saturday from 09:00 to 12:00.
Post Offices (main)
Open Monday to Friday, from 09:00 to 19:00, and on Saturday from 09:00 to 15:00.
Transport
Transport into Japan:
Air Travel
You can jump onto a direct flight to Japan from almost any main transport hub across the globe. You'll most likely arrive at Narita (New Tokyo International Airport), especially if you want to go to Tokyo first. Otherwise you can fly direct to Kansai International Airport for access to Kyoto or Osaka. Other possibilities are Fukuoka, Naha, and Niigata. There are trains and limousine bus services and even some ferries to get you from the airports to the various cities.
Ferries
There is a regular ferry service running from South Korea, the PusanShimonoseki ferry, with pretty fair prices. Alternatively, there's a ferry operating from Pusan to Osaka, slightly more expensive. Lastly, you can travel from Taiwan to Osaka.
Trains
If you are in Russia, it might be worth your while to travel to Japan on the TransSiberian Railway. This can be complicated, but can save you money in the long run.
Public Holidays
Japan has 13 public holidays. Banks and public offices close on these days, but restaurants and museums stay open all year round except for New Year's Day. If a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is taken off.
Peak Seasons
The best times to visit Japan are during the climatically stable seasons of autumn and spring, although each of the four seasons has its drawcard. Spring, which lasts from March until early May, is warm and dry. Autumn landscapes, together with pleasant weather makes the season lasting from September to November a good time to visit Japan. September does, however, bring occasional typhoons.
Spring is the cherry blossom season, and is also the holiday season for the Japanese. The more popular travel destinations are flooded by Japanese tourists who leave the cities en masse. The cherry blossoms make their appearance any time during April, and the splendid show lasts only about a week. Spring temperatures are pleasant, rainfall is low, and skies are generally clear. The late April to early May 'Golden Week' can cause travel problems, as you can expect a total sellout on accommodation and transport.
Climatic extremes make summer and winter travel less pleasant. June is wet and sultry, and the period between midJuly and late August is hot and humid. In the north of the country, and along the Japan Sea coast, winter brings deep snow. One advantage here is that these seasons are also less popular with the Japanese themselves, thus major travel destinations will be less crowded. Naturally the exception here lies with the ski resorts in winter.
Post & Telecommunications
Post offices and post boxes are marked with a large white and red T. Pop your normal post into the red boxes, and your special deliveries into the blue ones. Like all Japanese services, the postal service is reliable and efficient.
General post offices are open from Monday to Friday, between 09:00 and 17:00, and on Saturdays from 09:00 to 12:00. Main post offices are open from Monday to Friday, between 09:00 and 19:00, and on Saturdays from 09:00 to 15:00.
Pay phones are well looked after and not too expensive. Call boxes often accept phonecards as well. These you can pick up from certain stores, and from vending machines (and also from the phone company offices, of course). The phones are colour coded, depending on what they are designated to handle. Red, blue and pink phones handle local calls, yellow and green handle longdistance national calls, while green phones with a gold sign are reserved for international calls (dial 001). For English directory enquiries, call 033277
Electricity
There are two different electricity supplies, one for the east of Japan, and one for the west. The eastern supply is 100 volts/50 cycles, while in the west it is 100 volts/60 cycles. Hence you will need a power converter/adapter. Try to bring one with you, but otherwise you can find one in most electrical appliance stores. Plugs are flat twopins.
Disabled Travellers
Facilities are rapidly improving, with many public facilities equipped to cater for the disabled. Amenities are generally good, except in the railway stations. If you can avoid these then you shouldn't have many problems. You can hire wheelchairs from Japan Abilities Inc (tel. 0334602341).
Senior citizens are highly respected in Japan, which makes a nice change from the rest of the world, so older visitors can expect some preferential treatment, including airfare and rail discounts.
Budget Travel
Although Japan can be a very expensive place to stay, its network of well organised hostels puts it within the reach of budget travellers. These hostels, some of them situated in temples, inns or on farms, offer a good way to see the country and to meet local travellers. Japanese hostels do not have age limits. There are approximately 284 hostels in Japan at present. Advance booking is recommended.
Visiting youth will appreciate the discounts on internal flights, available on condition that they sign up for the SKYMATE scheme. To register for this scheme, visit a major local airline office with a passport, three passport photographs, and JPY1,000.00 for the registration fee.
History
The first people to inhabit Japan were hunter-gatherers, called the Ainu, around 8000BC. Some claim they were Polynesian seafarers, others assert they came across landbridges from Siberia, or Korea. Little is known of this era, for no written accounts were maintained, but Japanese history becomes less speculative from about 660BC, with the appointment of the first Japanese emperor, Jimmu. Jimmu pushed the Ainu up to the north of Japan, and took the most productive land for himself. The Jomon period gave way to the Yayoi period (300BC to 250AD), characterized by the development of rice cultivating instruments. These instruments were largely responsible for making Japan the efficient riceproducing country it is today. In the Kofun period (250 to 700AD), the Japanese took to building thousands of large earthen burial tombs, which still fascinate visitors and archeologists to this day. In 363AD, Empress Jingo led a successful campaign into Korea, which was, at the time, influenced culturally by China. Japan imported much of this Chinese culture and philosophy, and, in the early 400s, made Chinese the official court language. In 552AD, King Pakche of northern Korea paid homage to his Japanese masters and friends by sending a contingent of Buddhist priests armed with various writings and avant garde metaphors. The Japanese, very impressed with such wisdom, decided to forgo their burial mounds and adopt the practice of cremation, as advocated by the Buddhists. Prince Shotoku invented the first constitution in Japan, in 604AD, and replaced Shintoism with Buddhism as the official religion of the country. Buddhism grew in popularity through the following Nara period (710 to 794AD).
The Heian period (794 to 1185AD) was a time of great change. Emperor Kammu, tired of the political power wielded by the Buddhist faction, decided to move his capital from Nara to Heian (now Kyoto). This was followed by great development in Japanese art, culture and religion. Even the mutual dislike of the Shinto and Buddhist religions was laid to rest by declaring that the two religions praised the same deities, although their appearances were different. In the 800s, the Ainu were pushed yet further north, and Japan's borders reached to the top of northern Honshu. From this time onwards the emperors decided to withdraw from official life, handing the reins of power over to the military warlords. During this period a new class came into being: the samurai. Noblemen of relatively low rank, the samurai were similar to the knights of old England: professional soldiers who enforced the word of their controlling warlord. In 1185, after the Minamoto family ousted the Taira clan (who had overthrown the corrupt Fujiwara), Yoritomo Minamoto declared himself the first shogun, or military commanderinchief. In 1199, upon his death, Yoritomo's wife's family, the Hojo, took control of the feudal system. Zen was introduced to Japan from China, and was supported strongly by the samurai class.
In 1274 and 1281 Kublai Khan attempted to invade Japan after the latter refused to submit to his might. On both occasions the Khan's armies were thwarted by one of the numerous typhoons which rage around Japan. Since then the typhoon has been referred to as kamikaze, or 'divine wind'. Japan was then introduced to its first westerners: shipwrecked Portuguese sailors, in 1543. The Japanese, amazed by the westerners gunpowder and firearms, quickly established trade relations, and soon other westerners followed. Such relations also brought along the missionaries, such as Francis Xavier, who tried to communicate to the Japanese that their religions were wrong. The shogun at first tolerated the Christian missionaries and their converts, but then became suspicious of them. Believing the missionaries to be advance units of a military invasion, the shogun decided to crucify 26 priests and Japanese converts. Persecution of Christianity continued until it reached a flash point in 1637 when the Christians unsuccessfully attempted to rebel. Thereafter Christianity went underground until the end of the 19th century.
In 1600AD, Ieyasu Tokagawa became shogun and introduced strict government, even going so far as to close off the country to foreigners. Once again Japan flourished culturally, although it missed out on foreign trade. As with all dictatorships, corruption finally set in, and foreign ships appeared off the coasts of Japan once more. Dismayed by the foreigners' military technology, Japan quickly agreed to resurrect trade relations, more out of fear than by desire. This led to the Japanese people losing faith in their shogun, who consequently resigned in shame and handed authority over to Emperor Meiji in 1867. Social unrest followed as a power vacuum appeared. Lands were fought for and confiscated, and the samurai class led an open rebellion against the government in protest against their crumbling authority. They were finally defeated and their status and authority revoked in the Saigo Uprising. After this, Japan engaged in vast restructuring of its military and political bodies, and established an aggressive foreign policy. It quickly destroyed China's military forced in the SinoJapanese War (1894 to 1895) and was awarded Taiwan in the peace settlement. Japan had achieved occupation of Manchuria by 1900, and started probing into Korea, which also fascinated Russia. After much squabbling and arguing, Japan attacked Port Arthur (in Dalian), igniting the RussoJapanese War, which Japan won within 18 months.
With the onset of World War I, Japan was careful not to become too bogged down in the fight against Germany, and concentrated instead on expanding its economic trade interests, which stood it in good stead for its imperial expansion in the 1930s. In 1937 Japan invaded China after an incident between Chinese and Japanese troops on the Marco Polo Bridge, near Beijing. Within a year Japan had captured large portions of China. In December 1941 the Japanese attacked the American fleet stationed in Pearl Harbor. Japan considered the United States to be a threat to their Asian trade monopoly, and sought to strengthen its grip in the Pacific. Although initial military confrontations went in Japan's favour, it suffered a great naval defeat in the Battle of Midway. By 1945 Japan was fighting desperately for its last islands, having been pushed back by the allied forces. On 6 August 1945, the United States dropped their first atom bomb on Hiroshima, and dropped another on Nagasaki on the 9 August. This led to an immediate surrender by Japan. Conspiracy theorists claim that Emperor Hirohito had already asked for surrender terms to be drawn up before the bombs were dropped, but that President Truman of the United States ignored this, wishing to display his country's military might to the rest of the world.
Allied forces controlled Japan after the war and Emperor Hirohito was forced to deny any divine power authority, which effectively ended the days of the Japanese emperor. After initial runaway inflation, the Japanese economy stabilized in the 1950s and flourished thereafter, until Japan became an economic superpower. In 1994 the country boasted an inflation rate of only 0.7%, and unemployment stood at 2.9%. The yen has strengthened against the US dollar steadily over the last five years. Leaders in the manufacture of electrical, engineering, industrial, and computing hardware, Japan looks set to lead the world's economy early in the next century.
Economy
Japan has a remarkably fastgrowing economy, and has emerged as one of the leading economic superpowers. Specialising in manufacturing, it has provided affordable and high quality electrical, engineering, motoring and computing technology. With an inflation rate in 1994 of only 0.7%, an unemployment rate (1994) of 2.9%, and a steadily strengthening yen, Japan will almost surely emerge as the world's economic leader early next century. Not bad for a country which had two atom bombs dropped on it half a century ago.
Population
About 75% of the 120 million people in Japan are urbanized. The most densely populated area is the TokyoYokohamaKawasaki sprawl. Almost all of the population are Japanese. Less than 1% are not, and these are predominantly Korean who suffer much discrimination in the work place. Besides the KoreanJapanese, a small fraction of the population belong to the Ainu group, whose forefathers were the original inhabitants of Japan.
Government
Japan is governed by a constitutional monarchy. The government body is called the Diet, and has a House of Representatives and a House of Councillors. The party with the most members in the Diet is the ruling party, and also appoints a prime minister. The current ruling party is the Social Democratic Party of Japan (SDPJ) and the prime minister is Tomiichi Murayama. Other leading parties are the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the Japan Communist Party (JCP), Sakigake, and Shinshinto or New Frontier Party (NFP).
The Emperor (Akihito) is largely a figurehead, although he commands much respect and, as a result, still has political influence.
Japan is divided into nine political regions: Chubu, Chugoku, Hokkaido, Kanto, Kinki, Kyushu, Okinawa, Shikoku, and Tohoku, which are in turn broken down into 47 divisions. Each division has fairly wide responsibilities and powers, including education policy and management.
Language
The official language is Japanese, which is the most extensively used language in the country. English is becoming a very popular second language, and most Japanese can understand at least the basics. Most public signs are written in Japanese, but some have the English version as well.
Religion
Religion is a way of life in Japan, and most people practice Shintoism, Buddhism or both. There are also many derivatives of these religions, including Zen Buddhism and Soka Gakkai. Christianity is practised, but only by a tiny minority. The monastic nature of the religion tends to isolate its practitioners from the pantheistic Shinto religion.
Social Conventions
The Japanese culture is remarkably different from those in the west. One surefire way to irritate the Japanese is to behave like the typical boorish westerner barbarian they expect you to be. Never express anger, no matter what the situation, simply smile and remain calm. The Japanese are very shy, so don't shout or grin maniacally at them. They refer to foreigners as gaijin. In the less urban areas you will be an item of considerable interest. Do not take offence to people smiling and pointing at you.
Whenever you want to greet a Japanese, bow slightly from the waist and incline your head for best results. Many now shake hands, although this is not as respectful. Some locals will want to swop business cards with you, as a continuation of the ritual of greeting. If you don't have one to give them, they will not consider you a business person of any note. Upon receipt of a business card, it is proper to pretend to study it, nodding enthusiastically. Do not deface these cards in any way.
Shoes should be removed upon entering a Japanese home or inn. Feet are considered to be unclean, so avoid pointing them at people when seated. Also avoid pointing fingers when indicating; gesture with the palm of the hand turned upwards.
When it comes to personal hygiene, things can be awkward. The Japanese bath every evening, and you will be expected to do so as well. Everyone shares the bath water, so it should not be soiled with soap or dirt. Wash thoroughly and rinse off before entering the bath, which is usually very hot, and is meant for relaxation. Although toilets can be segregated for women and for men, these signs are not always abided by, so be prepared to meet the opposite sex in the toilet. It is considered rude to sneeze or to blow your nose in public. Rather do the polite thing: keep sniffing.
In the Japanese cities, you can experience all the thrills of western nightlife, but with the wonderfully exotic influence of eastern culture. Japanese cuisine will astound you with its sheer variety, and most of the food is completely new to the western palate. Sports such as golf and tennis are popular, and in the more rural areas, hiking, camping, scuba diving and sightseeing are rewarding pastimes. Those with an interest in history, theology and architecture will be amazed by the Japanese history, heritage and culture.
Art & Culture
Absolutely drenched in history and culture, Japan offers plenty of museums. Some exist in the gardens or within the halls of ancient temples or mansions, others in their own buildings. You will find the museums filled with Japanese art, crafts, artefacts, tapestries, photographs, and archeological artefacts. The museums in the larger cities obviously have the most money, and hence generally have the largest and most impressive collections.
Food & Drink
Food
There is a vast variety of dishes to choose from in Japan, from McDonald's to the most unpronounceable dishes that would make a Norwegian flinch. This means that dinner is always an interesting experience. For cheap and filling food, try the okonomiyaki (fish and vegetable pancake) or yakitori (chicken kebabs). A very expensive, but incredibly memorable dish, is kaiseki, which consists of many different bitesized morsels, each perfectly shaped and flavoured. To give a full breakdown of all the foods you can find would take for ever. Just experiment and learn by trial and error.
For those who are less adventurous, some dishes may prove to be a bit outrageous. These include sushi and sashimi, which are raw fish dishes. Should you decide to indulge, go very easy on the green mustard. Fugu, otherwise known as pufferfish, also belongs to this group. Eat the wrong piece and its curtains for you. Dead. But the chefs in the restaurants are carefully licenced. The better the restaurant the better your chances of making it out alive. Don't accept an invitation to indulge in homeprepared fugu.
Dining Etiquette
There are certain rules to eating in Japan, although the locals have such a bad impression of western table manners that if you get things even half right they'll think you a total wizard. First, it's bad form to tuck into the meal without any preamble. Say 'itadakimasu' (meaning I will receive) before, and 'gochisosama deshita' (meaning that was good) afterwards to elicit nods of approval and smiles from your host. Don't gobble everything down, either. Watch other locals for clues as to how fast to eat. When it comes to drinks, you never fill your own glass. Let someone else do it. Likewise, your guests will not help themselves, and you must keep them topped up.
Drink
Drinking is a popular Japanese pastime, reputedly in response to their rigid social and employment structures. For those who think they won't find a decent beer in the country, think again. It is now the most popular drink around. After this is still the traditional saki, a wine brewed from rice, which at 17% volume, should be partaken of with caution. You can have it warm (atsukan), cold (hiyazake), on ice (reishu), or in a little wooden box with salt (masu). If you have had a really bad day and don't mind having a really bad morningafter, you can try shochu, a spirit originally used as a disinfectant.
Entertainment
Japan offers the usual entertainment choices of any industrialized and economically successful country, although much of the entertainment centres around drinking. Consuming alcohol is an activity the Japanese engage in with enthusiasm. This is not the place to go if you disapprove of drunkenness. For the Japanese equivalent of a pub, complete with reasonable food and drink prices, try the Izikaya or Yakitori-ya. For a more upmarket evening, try one of the hostess bars frequented by businessmen entertaining colleagues and business contacts. Last but not least, the everpresent karaoke bars offer an evening of drunken, tonedeaf singing from the clientele. These venues are often misleadingly called snack bars.
Sport
Japan offers an interesting combination of western and eastern sporting activities. The martial arts are, of course, very popular. Sumo wrestling is very popular, although it is seldom an activity for the visiting westerner to indulge in. There are plenty of martial arts schools, including those specializing in karate, ninjitsu, jujitsu, aikido, judo, and kendo. Westerners should however be warned that the martial arts are not treated as sports in Japan, and serious injury could befall those who foolishly train without adequate preparation. There is also plenty of etiquette involved in joining a class, and this should be carefully investigated. If you want to join some class, rather claim you are a total beginner, and the chances of injury will be far less.
For those who prefer to remain in one piece, there are certain familiar sports to choose from. Tennis and golf have become extremely popular, and baseball is a favourite spectator sport. Skiing has also become very common, and Japan now has over 300 ski resorts.
Shopping
When searching for reasonable things to buy, your best bet is to go for electronic goods such as VCRs and cameras. If you want to indulge in a hifi system remember that the electrical supply for these items is not compatible with most of the rest of the world, so make sure that you can find an adapter. When in Japan, the general rule is to shop around because prices can vary greatly from one place to the next.
Japanese handicrafts are of the highest quality, and make wonderful gifts. Kimonos, pottery , porcelain, dolls, and paper items such as kites, lanterns and fans are all popular purchases. Those who have dreams of returning with a katana (samurai sword) for each of their friends should be prepared to be disappointed: these are of the most expensive items you could buy in the country.
Shows & Festivals
There are literally hundreds of festivals which are held throughout Japan. Some are general festivals, occurring across the whole country, others are local. Below is a short list of general and local festivals:
| 1 - 3 January |
O Shogatsu (a good party) |
| Early February |
Sapporo Yuki Matsuri (an ice festival featuring hordes of ice sculptures) |
| 3 March |
Hina Matsuri (girls are presented with dolls) |
| 14 March |
Knickers Giving Day (men give women panties for Valentine's Day) |
| February - April |
Hanami (the time of the blossoms) |
| March and September |
O Higan (during the equinox week, the Japanese honour the dead) |
| 19 - 20 April |
Furukawa Matsuri (hundreds of nearnaked men walk through the streets of Furukawa) |
| 13 - 15 May |
Seihakusai Matsuri (a float procession in the town of Nanoa) |
| 5 June |
Atsuta Matsuri (fireworks and martial arts in the city of Nagoya) |
| 13 - 16 July, August |
O Bon (Festival of the Dead; a Buddhist festival where lanterns are floated on rivers and lakes) |
| 31 July - 1 August |
Gojinjo Daiko Nabune Matsuri (festival in Wajima with drummers dressed as demons) |
Parks & Reserves
There are numerous national parks throughout Japan, with hundreds of active volcanoes, lush green plains and dense forests.
The Akan National Park is a popular tourist spot; rumour has it that Lake Akan is home to a monster. ChichibuTama National Park is famous for the Chichibujinja Shrine. Daisetsuzan National Park is famous for its magnificent scenery, while the Genkai QuasiNational Park offers a hot climate and some fine swimming.
For an excellent hike along the peaks of a string of volcanoes, try the Kirishima National Park. For more volcanoes, you can visit the Onuma QuasiNational Park and view its magnificent lakes formed by one of Mt Komagadake's eruptions. For some of the best views of Mt Rishirizan, a volcano which stretches out of the sea, try the RishiriRebunSarobetsu National Park.
ShikotsuToya National Park is an excellent hiking spot, and offers views of some of Japan's most magnificent lakes. Navigate your way round the volcanoes in the park, and swim in its hot springs. Shiretoko National Park is fairly similar, with the emphasis on its volcanoes. For those interested in Japanese flora, a trip to the alpine marshlands of the Tsugaike Natural Park is a must.
Climate
The climate is pretty temperate in the north, and steadily becomes more tropical the further south one travels. For those who prefer the cooler temperatures, stay in the northern areas. For those who travel to places like Bangkok and Miami and enjoy it, the south is your best bet. The four seasons are all fairly distinct. Winters are harsh in the north, with extensive snowfalls brought by the air from Siberia. Summer can be very humid, especially in the south. August is the hottest month of the year. Japan also experiences monsoon rains in early summer. Later the typhoons hit, raising activity and shortening tempers in the insurance company offices. The best times to go to Japan are in autumn and spring, during which times the climates and rainfall are the most agreeable.
Geography
Japan is a long, narrow country, extending from 24°N to 45°N. It is a country of islands and mountains, geologically young, and undergoing constant change. Volcanoes, some of them still live, and hot springs are common features. There are earth tremors nearly every day, and from time to time a major earthquake strikes, the last one occurring in Kobe in 1995.
There are 3,922 islands in all, the main ones being Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu and Hokkaido. Most people live on Honshu, the central and largest island.
Fauna & Flora
Japan has a vast variety of animals, birds and fish. There are over 450 species of mammal, including black, brown and red bears, foxes, badgers, Japanese Mink, otters, weasels, hares, rabbits and squirrels. The most common birds are the house swallow, the thrush and the sparrow. Common water birds include the heron, the albatross, the cormorant, the stork, crane and swan.
Japan's variety of plants and trees is really impressive, with over 17,000 different species. The flowering species are very popular, and are featured in Japan's numerous flower festivals. Of particular interest are the white and red plums, cherry blooms, azaleas (blossoming in April), the lotus (in August), and Japan's national flower, the chrysanthemum (in November). The most proliferate tree is the conifer, while other common trees include the spruce, bamboo and camphor.
Health
Being a highly developed and technologically advanced country, Japan has excellent medical facilities. It is a good idea to take out medical insurance as the services of both doctors and dentists are expensive. Some of the major hotels have medical clinics.
No immunisations are required before entering the country.
Hygiene standards are very high in Japan. Tap water is safe to drink, and food hygiene rarely causes complaints. Be wary only of eating raw fish in the hottest summer months, and of eating fugu, otherwise known as pufferfish, which could prove deadly if not prepared correctly.
There are some natural hazards to look out for, the first of which is earthquakes. Japan experiences about three seismic disturbances daily, although most of these are unnoticeable. If one of the big ones comes along while you are visiting Japan, try to get outside, or find something to hide under. If you are traipsing through the wilderness, be wary of poisonous snakes, such as the habu and mamushi. If bitten, try not to move the affected limb, and get to a hospital as soon as possible. Sunburn is also a problem, especially in this day and age with hardly any ozone left to hide under. Things can get hot in Japan, so take along a good sun block.
If you need an ambulance or the fire brigade, call 199.
Safety
You are pretty safe in Japan, as the crime rate is very low. Women need not worry about rape or assault, so long as the usual precautions are taken. The Japanese carry huge wads of cash around in their pockets, a sure sign that muggings are rare. The most popular places for the few muggers who prey on tourists is in airports and their terminal buildings.
The police emergency number is 110. |
