Japan has the travel notes 4 distinct seasons. The next is a common information, but it's also worth contemplating the regional changes. Tropical Okinawa has a local weather extra akin to Hawaii, whereas northern Hokkaido has a protracted winter ski season, stretching the seasonal boundaries. All of the seasons are nice and there's no incorrect time to go, though the longer days make summer time the preferred season.

Spring is Japan's premier time to go to, with a pleasing climate and the iconic cherry blossom season. It's really useful to guide as far upfront as doable, because of the availability of lodges throughout these peak months.

Appearance of the plum blossom is a good signal that the cold winter will quickly finish and spring is simply around the nook. This ushers in spring in early March and is followed by the well-known cherry blossoms that bloom between the tip of March and the start of April. Splendid views of mountains, fields and gardens, all blanketed in gentle pink abound on this season. Clothing: light jackets, mild sweaters and different similar kinds of tops.

The Japanese summer season begins in June with a 3 to four-week rainy season, an important time for farmers to plant rice. It turns into scorching and humid from July onwards and many Japanese get pleasure from bathing in the sea and stress-free at cool resorts in mountainous areas. Summer is when many interesting festivals and different events are held everywhere in the nation. It's a superb season to see all over the place in the country, with the exploration enhanced by the long hours of daylight. Clothing: gentle clothes (cardigans and different related kinds are useful, since indoors are principally air-conditioned.)

Fall all the time brings recent gentle breezes and cool temperatures after the hot and humid summer. Forests explode in dyed pigments of glorious colours. Chrysanthemums create beautiful displays with their abundance of flowers, enchanting visitors in parks and gardens. Then there's the autumnal foliage, so many oranges and reds overlaying the trees. Fall is an excellent time to go to Japan and a season for many exhibitions, music live shows and sports tournaments. Clothing: light jackets, light sweaters and different similar kinds of tops.

The temperature hardly ever drops below 0°C in the plains alongside the Pacific coast during wintertime however it's cold nonetheless. It's also quite dry and fairly often sunny. Southern Japan might be optimum now as it's comparatively mild and nice in winter. However, the northern island of Hokkaido is blanketed with snow, leading up to the famous Sapporo Snow Festival, amongst different winter pleasures. Clothing: overcoats, sweaters, lengthy underwear, gloves.

Pre-Departure Planning

Travel and Cancellation Insurance

Obtain complete earlier than traveling to Japan, particularly, ensure you have got an insurance policy that covers you for well being emergencies when away from home. Japan has a few of the world's finest hospitals and healthcare, but it comes with a very hefty invoice for anybody who isn't insured.

Passport Requirements

Your passport must be valid for six months beyond the tip date of your journey; please test your passport is indeed valid for this amount of time. It's value carrying a separate photocopy of your passport - invaluable for a fast replacement in the case of emergency.

Visa Requirements

No visa is required for travelers carrying passports from the USA, Canada, UK or any EU nation. Upon arrival, guests are issued a 90-day visa-free stay.

That is a rustic with so much to find. Our Japan guided tours prefer to explore a vast array of websites and points of interest, taking you to famous icons and hidden corners. This isn't the nation for spending languid days on the beach, or lazy weeks at a resort. Japan is immersive and evocative, every day bringing one thing new. You'll be on the move, taking excessive-speed Shinkansen trains and home flights between locations. You'll even be staying in conventional-fashion accommodation, with minimal furnishings and the beauty of simplicity. As such, it is good to pack relatively gentle, taking luggage that's straightforward to open and pack away on a regular basis.

Packing List (And What To not Pack)

As a part of detailed pre-departure notes, Indochina Travel offers a really helpful packing record to all shoppers, dependent on the destinations they plan to go to. The Japanese have an attention-grabbing approach of dressing and lots of subcultures may be noticed. It's tough to mix in so we would recommend that you simply pack the clothes that you are most comfy sporting.

Japan has strict legal guidelines on what is considered an illegal substance, outlawing many pharmaceuticals that could be purchased over the counter in other international locations. Specifically, pseudoephedrine like Vicks inhalers and Sudafed are prohibited, together with very strong painkillers. This kind of medication could be introduced into Japan with a Yakkan Shoumei, an import certificate that's declared to customs. At the very least, you should carry a replica of your prescription for any medicine you're bringing into the nation.

Landing in Japan

Touching Down

Our escorted tours Japan come with chauffeured transfers. So contact down, grab your luggage, and find your escort waiting simply outdoors the arrivals terminal. We'll present more detailed data on the place to seek out your chauffeur before you travel.

Communication

As you'll expect within the nation that designs and manufactures so many electronics, Japan leads the best way by way of communication. Almost all motels provide free WiFi Internet and there's glorious 4G connectivity all across the country.

Getting Around

A famous mantra says that travel is as a lot about the journey as the vacation spot. That actually rings true in Japan, a rustic that invented the bullet train and rules the world in terms of environment friendly transport. The Shinkansen high-speed rail services are an actual delight, providing you with a fast perception into rural landscapes as they join distant destinations at over 200mph. The second class seats can be considered premium anyplace else on the planet. You can too journey on the network of domestic flights, an excellent choice when visiting the outlying islands.

Language

It's typically amazing how many Japanese people speak passable English. However, confidence in utilizing this English language is low and you might find that many locals aren't snug in conversing with you in English. That's definitely true on the streets, but in tourist establishments you ought to be met by a great normal of English, particularly in excessive-finish inns and eating places. Your information will assist on non-public Japan tours, in addition to translating once you take pleasure in encounters with a few of the country's unique locals.

The Japanese language rolls off the tongue and it is easy to be taught a few primary phrases. We'd highly advocate doing this as it is an excellent approach to endear yourself to the locals; any try at talking Japanese is revered.

Japan should pose no problems on the subject of accessing cash. Visa and MasterCard are readily accepted all throughout the nation. American Express and different American manufacturers are additionally used all through the country; it's uncommon that you may be someplace and not be capable of pay with plastic. Almost all ATMs settle for international playing cards though an extra charge is more likely to be levied.

Forex facilities will be found within the airports and dotted throughout the city. Your guide can advise the perfect place to vary your cash. US dollars are the easiest but it is hardly ever a problem to trade different currencies.

Tipping just isn't anticipated in Japan, nor is it part of the culture. Respect and politeness are both valued above any financial tip. Do not be offended or shocked should you give a tip and it's refused. If you are keen to leave a tip and aren't positive about how you can go about it, examine along with your guide or the resort concierge.

Health and Medical

China is a really protected and pleasant place to travel. Medical facilities are wonderful and crime is extremely low.

Immunization and Vaccinations

Generally, no particular immunizations of vaccinations are really helpful for travel in Japan. There isn't a malaria threat wherever within the nation.

Medical Facilities

Japan has an innovative and sometimes world-leading infrastructure of medical services. This stretches into rural areas and you might be never far away from a wonderful hospital in the event of an emergency. Just make sure that you might have adequate travel / health insurance.

English-talking staff will be found in most medical facilities but not everybody shall be ready to talk English. Often, the hospital or clinic will need to source certainly one of their English-talking employees. Another advantage of escorted Japan tours is having a information who can accompany you and translate when required.

Medication

For pre-existing conditions, bring medication that may final your total trip. It is extremely tough to buy medication in Japan, even with a prescription from your doctor at house. Many medications that can be found over the counter in the United States are outlawed in Japan, although some fundamental painkillers and other medications may be sourced. We suggest that you just pack your medicine as part of your carry-on luggage and inform us in advance of any notable medical conditions; we will alert guides prematurely if required. All medical information, identical to all of your private data, is kept confidential.

Personal Security

Japan is relatively rare as a country. Crime is so low that it is attainable to go away possessions unattended without worry. Not that that is all the time suggested, however it's an excellent indication of how the nation operates. Indeed, Japan has one among the bottom crime charges on the earth and residents can go a whole lifetime with out being sufferer of a crime.

Passports & Visas

Japan At A look

No visa is required for travelers from E.U., U.K., Canada or U.S.A. Your passport have to be valid for six (6) months beyond the ending date of your journey; please verify your passport is indeed legitimate for this period of time. Please carry a separate photocopy of your passport and mobile phone image of the informations page-invaluable for quick alternative of a lost passport

Immunizations and Vaccinations

None required, nor really helpful

Safety & Security

You could also be astonished the first time you see Japanese leaving their possessions unattended, including cameras and purses, even in the larger cities. Japan has certainly one of the lowest crime charges on the earth (its most common crime is bike theft, but even then, Japanese police get better more than 50% of stolen bicycles).

Weather & Climate

Japan, like many Western international locations, actually experiences 4 seasons:

Spring (March - May)

Appearance of the plum blossom is an efficient sign that the chilly winter will quickly end and spring is just around the nook, followed by the well-known cherry blossoms blooming between the top of March and the beginning of April. Splendid views of mountains, fields and gardens all blanketed in gentle pink abound on this season. Clothing: gentle jackets, mild sweaters and other similar kinds of tops.

Summer (June - August)

The Japanese summer season begins in June with a three to 4-week rainy season, an important time for farmers to plant rice. It turns into scorching and humid from July onward and lots of Japanese take pleasure in bathing within the sea and enjoyable at cool resorts in mountainous areas. Summer is when many attention-grabbing festivals and different occasions are held all around the country. Clothing: mild clothes (cardigans and different related varieties are useful, since indoors are mostly air-conditioned).

Fall (September - November)

Autumn always brings contemporary mild breezes and cool temperatures after the recent and humid summer time. Forests explode in dyed pigments of glorious colors. Chrysanthemums create beautiful shows with their abundance of flowers to enchant visitors to parks and gardens. Autumn can be the season for a lot of exhibitions, music live shows and sports tournaments in Japan. Clothing: light jackets, light sweaters and different comparable kinds of tops.

Winter (December - February)

The temperature not often drops under 0°C within the plains alongside the Pacific coast throughout wintertime but it is cold nonetheless. It is also fairly dry and very often sunny and Southern Japan is optimal, comparatively mild and nice in winter. Clothing: overcoats, sweaters, lengthy underwear, gloves.

General Travel Notes

- Surprising to most travelers to essentially the most trendy nation in the world, is how straightforward it is to become lost. With most indicators in Japanese and English not widely spoken (even by taxi drivers), getting round might be complicated. Carry your guide, office, and lodge business cards with address in Japanese always (even in Tokyo, it is doable to get very misplaced). - Locals not often communicate English with any fluency. - Japan remains largely a money-based society and credit cards usually are not accepted for most dining and in shops. Be ready to exchange currency and withdraw from ATMs (simply accessible at every 7-11). - Navigation an be difficult, with many avenue signs solely in kanji. Most taxi drivers do not learn English, have clear instructions for your vacation spot written in Japanese. Your mobile GPS, which works great at house, might not work almost as nicely in Japan. - Pack with the expectation to be arriving into the world's biggest procuring metropolis, Tokyo, the place nearly anything might be found and even Kyoto, which has fabulous procuring venues as nicely. - Japan is a 3G cellular-friendly nation and GSM-solely telephones don't work. In geek communicate: local protection is typically 3G UMTS 2100 MHz, 3G CDMA2000 800 MHz, or LTE band 1. Mobiles could simply be rented as properly (inquire with us). - Japan offers one of many healthiest and safest (and most efficient) travel locations on this planet. No vaccinations are required nor really useful and the nation features world-class medical facilities.

Narita Airport

STOPOVER: No visa is required for Japan, meet escort for personal switch to lodge (35 minutes). When you've got a stopover in Tokyo, the airport has ATMs to acquire Yen before you transfer into town which we suggest in this cash-based society. For longer layovers, consider a sightseeing and dining in close by Narita itself.

TRANSIT: No visa required for Narita though you'll move through a fast immigration and safety screening checkpoint. The airport is easy to navigate and efficient, though we may arrange a transit escort upon request. Narita affords free Wireless Internet entry and charging stations (North American twin-flat prong plugs).

Luggage

Note that if stopping briefly at locations between Tokyo and Kyoto, it's customary and an interesting "only in Japan" experience to have luggage transported separately directly to your Kyoto hotel room, which we are going to arrange. As with many other carriers, checked bags are typically limited to 20 kilograms or 44 pounds per piece.

Money Matters

Notify your bank card firm in advance you will be making fees in Japan. Plan on bringing currency for immediate exchange at the airport and ATM card for obtaining Yen (¥) throughout your journey.

Chances are you'll use credit score cards for fantastic dining and larger purchases in Japan, however remember many locations in Japan are strictly cash only, together with finer, expensive restaurants. ATMs can be utilized at put up places of work (but not banks) and ubiquitous 7-11s, all of which have fast and easy to use ATMs (which accept foreign cards as properly). Money could be modified on the airport, at most banks, inns, and at publish offices. For best charges and to keep away from bank lines, exchange travelers checks on the airport. Quick tip: How much is the Yen equal to? A few penny, roughly 100 to the dollar.

Internet & Cellphones

As almost any place else, public Wi-Fi or wireless LAN hot spots are available at Starbucks, main airports, stations, and resorts. 3G & 4G phones are appropriate with local Japanese service. For iPhones, AT&T prices about US$1.70 per minute under their World Traveler program or you might prepay underneath their LTE Roaming add-on. Use iMessage quite than textual content messaging, which is charged per messaging. Kyoto affords free Wi-Fi all through the town in public areas.