| Passports and Visas |
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Every person entering Japan must have a valid passport. In addition, persons coming from certain countries must have a visa issued by Japanese consulate in their own country. Please be aware that in some cases, it takes more than one month to obtain a visa. For details, inquire at your nearest Japanese embassy or consulate.
Useful website:
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html |
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| Money |
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The unit of Japanese currency is yen. Coins are available in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 yen and bank notes in denominations of 1,000, 2,000, 5,000 and 10,000 yen. |
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| Currency Exchange |
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Japanese currency is the only form of cash acceptable at stores and restaurants in Japan. You can exchange money at the airport, foreign exchange banks and other authorized exchange institutions upon presentation of your passport. We suggest exchanging your money at the airport upon arrival. |
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Credit Cards and
Traveler's Checks |
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Visa, Master Card, American Express, Diners Club and JCB are widely accepted at hotels, department stores, shops and restaurants, and can be used at over 26,000 post office ATMs in locations throughout Japan. (ATM: automatic teller machines)
Only major banks and major hotels in principal cities can accept traveler's checks and their use in Japan is not as common as in some other countries. |
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| Banking |
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Most banks conduct foreign currency exchange transactions from 9:00 to 15:00 on weekdays. |
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| Tipping |
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There is no custom of tipping in Japan. Instead, at places such as restaurants, bars and hotels, a 10% service charge is usually added to your bill. |
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| Insurance |
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You are advised to provide your own travel insurance to cover personal accidents, sickness, theft or property damage. |
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| Telephone |
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Public telephones accept 10 yen and 100 yen coins and/or telephone cards. Prepaid telephone cards cost 1,000 yen from vending machines, kiosks at train stations and convenience stores. |
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| Healthcare |
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Tap water is safe to drink anywhere in Japan. Mineral water including major imported brands can be easily obtained from super markets, convenience stores and other similar places. |
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| Electricity |
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The voltage used throughout Japan is uniformly 100 volts, AC. |
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| TAX |
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A 5% consumption tax will be added to your bill for most goods and services. |
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| Business Hours |
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Weekdays |
Sat. |
Sun. & National Holidays |
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| Banks |
09:00–15:00 |
Closed |
Closed |
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| Post Offices |
09:00–17:00 |
Closed |
Closed |
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| Dept. Stores |
10:00–20:00 |
10:00–20:00 |
10:00–19:30 |
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| Shops |
10:00–20:00 |
10:00–20:00 |
10:00–20:00 |
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| Museums |
10:00–17:00 |
10:00–17:00 |
10:00–17:00 |
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| Offices |
09:00–17:00 |
Closed |
Closed |
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| Emergency Call |
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Police 110
Police general information in English 03-6501-0110
Fire/ambulance 119
The Japan Helpline 0570-000-911, http://jhelp.com/
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(24-hour nonprofit emergency assistance service) |
Medical information service (Himawari) 03-5285-8181, Mon.–Fri. (9:00 am–8:00 pm)
Tourist Information Center Tokyo 03-3201-3331 |
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| Climate |
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There are four seasons in Japan: spring (March–May); summer (June–August); autumn (September–November); winter (December–February). Stretching from north to south, Japan has different climates from region to region. Also due to seasonal winds, the Japan Sea coastal area and its Pacific Ocean side have different climates respectively.
Tokyo's Average Daytime Temperature & Rainfal
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Jan
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Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
June |
July |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Temp (ﾟF) |
41
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45 |
50 |
61 |
69 |
71 |
78 |
81 |
76 |
68 |
57 |
48 |
Temp (ﾟC) |
5
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7 |
10 |
16 |
21 |
22 |
26 |
27 |
24 |
20 |
14 |
9 |
Days of Rain |
4.3
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6.1 |
8.9 |
10.0 |
9.6 |
12.1 |
10.0 |
8.2 |
10.9 |
8.9 |
6.4 |
3.8 |
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Jan. 01 |
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New Year's Day |
| Jan. 10 |
Coming-of-Age Day |
| Feb. 11 |
National Foudation Day |
| Mar. 21 |
Vernal Equinox Day |
| Apr. 29 |
Showa Day |
| May 03 |
Constitution Memorial Day |
| May 04 |
Greenery Day |
| May 05 |
Children's Day |
| Jul. 18 |
Maritime Day |
| Sep. 19 |
Respect for the Aged Day |
| Sep. 23 |
Autumnal Equinox Day |
| Oct. 10 |
Health and Sports Day |
| Nov. 03 |
Culture Day |
| Nov. 23 |
Labor Thanksgiving Day |
| Dec. 23 |
The Emperor's Birthday |
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Sumo Tournament |
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| Jan. 09-23 |
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January Sumo Tournament |
Tokyo |
| Mar. 13-27 |
March Sumo Tournament |
Osaka |
| May 08-22 |
May Sumo Tournament |
Tokyo |
| Jul. 10-24 |
July Sumo Tournament |
Nagoya |
| Sep. 11-25 |
September Sumo Tournament |
Tokyo |
| Nov. 13-27 |
November Sumo Tournament |
Fukuoka |
| Japanese Festival <Matsuri> |
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| Feb. 07-13 |
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Snow Festival |
Sapporo |
| Apr. 14&15 |
Takayama Spring Festival |
Takayama |
| May 15 |
Aoi Matsuri |
Kyoto |
| Jul. 17 |
Gion Matsuri |
Kyoto |
| Jul. 30 |
Sumida River Fireworks Display |
Tokyo |
| Aug. 02-07 |
Aomori Nebuta Matsuri |
Aomori |
| Aug. 03-06 |
Akita Kanto Matsuri |
Akita |
| Aug. 06-08 |
Sendai Tanabata(Star Festival) Matsuri |
Sendai |
| Aug. 12-15 |
Awa-Odori Folk Dance Festival |
Tokushima |
| Oct. 09&10 |
Takayama Autumn Festival |
Takayama |
| Oct. 22 |
Jidai Matsuri
(Festival of the Ages) |
Kyoto |
| Dec. 02&03 |
Chichibu Night Festival |
Saitama |
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