Capital: Tokyo
Time zone: GMT + 9
Telephone services: Country Code: 81
Outgoing Code: 001
Emergency telephone numbers: Tokyo English Life Line (TELL) – 3403 7106, Japan Helpline – 0120 461 997. (operator service)
Tourist information: Japan National Tourist Organisation, Heathcote, House, 20 Saville Row, London, W1X 1AE Tel: (020) 7734 9638 Fax: (020) 7734 4290.
Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return ticket required. Requirements may change at short notice. Contact the embassy before departure.
Visa information: Valid passport required by all except: Nationals of Germany, Republic of Ireland and the UK for a stay not exceeding 6 months. Nationals of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden for a stay not exceeding 3 months. Nationals of Canada and the USA not exceeding 3 months. Nationals of Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Finland, Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland, Israel, Lesotho, Malta, Mauritius, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Surinam, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, and Yugoslavia, for stays not exceeding 3 months. Nationals of Liechtenstein, Mexico, and Switzerland for a stay of 6 months. Nationals of Brunei for a stay not exceeding 14 days. Requirements may change at short notice, check with embassy for an up to date list of requirements.
Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Food & drink: Water is considered drinkable, normal precautions should be observed with food.
Currency: Japanese Yen. (¥)
Exchange: At authorised banks and money-changers. NOTE: Import of local currency is limited to ¥5000000. All major credit cards are accepted. Travellers cheques, preferably in US dollars, can be exchanged in banks and large hotels.
All major credit cards are accepted. US dollar travellers cheques are recommended
ATM availability: Over 700 locations.
Cost of living: Japan can be extremely expensive in comparison with other Asian countries.
Languages: Japanese. English may also be spoken in main cities
Weather: Winter: Cold and sunny in the South and around Tokyo. Very cold around Hokkaido. Summer = June – Sept can be warm to very hot. Spring and Autumn are generally mild. Sept – Oct Typhoons may occur.
Electricity: 100 Volts AC 60 HZ in the west. 50 Hz in Eastern Japan and Tokyo.
Post: 4 – 6 Days.
Transport: RAIL: Network is one of the best in the world. ROAD: Driving in Japan is not recommended. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is required. Public transport is well developed and efficient.
Special information: Bowing is the customary form of greeting although handshaking is becoming more common. Remove shoes when entering a host’s home. Public toilets are often unsegregated. Blowing your nose in public is frowned upon. Japanese etiquette is very complex but foreign ignorance is tolerated.