Important information about Japan. Japan

brief information about country

Foundation date

Official language

Japanese

Form of government

A constitutional monarchy

Territory

377,944 km² (61st in the world)

Population

127 103 388 people (10th in the world)

Timezone

Largest cities

Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Sapporo

$4.395 trillion (4th in the world)

Internet domain

Telephone code

one of the most developed countries in the world thousand years of history, original culture and traditions. It is a country of contrasts: rice-growing rural hinterland and multi-million Tokyo, Buddhist monks and fashion-obsessed teenagers, solemn religious rituals and the noise of pachinko gambling halls, exquisite temple architecture and multi-story concrete boxes. Japan is located in East Asia, on 6852 islands. The largest: Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku, making up 97% of the entire territory. The Japanese archipelago originates from the Sea of ​​Okhotsk in the north and extends far south to the East China Sea and the island of Taiwan. Despite the relatively small area - 377,944 km², the country is densely populated. According to 2018 data, 126,225,000 people live here. According to this indicator, small Japan is inferior to huge Russia by only 17.2 million people.

Video: Japan

general information

The unofficial name of Japan, often found in the press, is the Land of the Rising Sun. The Japanese themselves widely use the name "Nihon" in everyday life, which translates as "the birthplace of the Sun." Daylight only once, back in 1945, faded over Hiroshima and Nagasaki - two cities that became targets for American atomic bombs that claimed thousands of lives. Thus, Japan today is the only state on the planet against which nuclear weapons have been used. Having survived this terrible tragedy, she was still able to rise, having built a strong economy over the years. In terms of living standards, according to the Human Development Index (HDI), Japan ranks 10th, ahead of Canada, the Republic of Korea and Hong Kong and behind Switzerland, Sweden and Ireland.

In Japan, they are sensitive to historical continuity, which is also confirmed by the presence of the institution of the monarchy as a symbol of the unity of the people. Only in this country and nowhere else is the monarch called emperor, and this position appeared a very long time ago, as early as 660 BC. e. Despite external conservatism and adherence to traditions, the Japanese are modern and make great strides in the field of high technology, robotics and biomedicine. The government spends a fabulous amount of money on science - 130 billion US dollars a year. More than 700 thousand scientists are involved in various studies. Among them are 13 Nobel Prize winners, three Fields Prize winners and one Gauss Prize winner.

Surprisingly, with such scientific and technological progress and a high level of urbanization, the Japanese manage to preserve the natural environment. Not to mention the rich heritage of antiquity: castles, palaces, monuments, temples have survived to this day almost in their original form. Millions of tourists every year set foot on this ancient land, never ceasing to be interested in the history of Japan, sometimes tragic, and admire the local attractions.

What is the secret of the success of the island state, located, moreover, in a seismically hazardous zone? Each foreigner answers this question in his own way. Some see the basis of prosperity in the peculiarities of the local mentality, others in an effective management system, and still others in the virtual absence of spending on military purposes. I wonder what clue to this phenomenon you will find for yourself when you visit Japan and get to know this peculiar country better?

Japan cities

All cities in Japan

History of Japan

In the Paleolithic era, the Japanese islands were connected to the mainland by isthmuses. The primitive population lived by gathering and hunting and took the first steps towards progress by making stone tools. Local ceramics, which appeared about 10 thousand years ago, is considered the oldest in the world. And in the annals of the Chinese Han Empire (I century AD), there are the first mentions of ancient Japan, inhabited by the Wajin people, who had "100 small countries." Already in the 4th century, there was a noticeable tendency to unite around one of the states - Yamato, which later became a federation. At the end of the 6th century, its ruler, Prince Shotoku, took a course towards centralization. In 604, the monarch issued the legendary "Constitution of 17 Articles", where the monarchy was proclaimed the highest authority.

At the same time, there was a strengthening of the samurai, who were accepted to key positions in the imperial court. They positioned themselves as a separate class and often raised riots against the government. The rebellions of some samurai were suppressed by the forces of others, since there was no army as such in the country yet. In the 14th century, the military-feudal system of government known as the shogunate fell into disrepair, and the Hojo dynasty went on a path of even greater centralization. This did not please the samurai in the regions. Revolts began, ending in the complete liquidation of the shogunate and the entire aforementioned dynasty. Subsequently, in 1338-1573, a new shogunate was established in Japan, known as the Muromachi period, as well as its course towards decentralization.

In the 16th century, European navigators began to visit East Asia. In 1543, they set foot on the Japanese island of Tanegashima and passed on to the local population the secret of firearms, which soon began to be produced throughout the country. The acquaintance of the Japanese with Christianity took place in 1549, when the missionary Francis Xavier arrived here. At the same time, trade with Europe developed: the Japanese paid for the purchased goods with silver. At the beginning of the 19th century, the country was struck by famine caused by years of crop failures. But the government did not even think about saving the population, but bought rice only for itself, which provoked mass protests by peasants and samurai. The 500-year dominance of the latter in politics and public life ended in 1868, when opposition to the shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu formed a new government, and he himself was removed from power.

At this time, the Cabinet of Ministers formed the Privy Council, prepared a new version of the Constitution and assembled Parliament. So in Japan began a period of political, military and socio-economic transformations, named after the 16-year-old emperor of the Meiji Restoration. The reforms provided the country with industrial dominance in the world and led to military victories over China and Russia, respectively, in 1894-1895 and 1904-1905. Having annexed South Sakhalin, Taiwan and Korea, the powerful island empire became the full owner of the surrounding seas.

The beginning of the 20th century was marked by the growth of militaristic and expansionist sentiments in the country. Japan joined the First World War, becoming an ally of the Entente. As a result, its influence increased, territorial acquisitions multiplied. In the occupied Manchuria in the early 30s, Japan formed the quasi-state of Manchukuo, and in the second half of them entered into allied relations with the Third Reich, signing the Anti-Comintern Pact. In the same period, she put her signature under the Pact of Mutual Neutrality with the USSR. The document provided for Tokyo's respect for the sovereignty and integrity of Manchukuo and the Mongolian People's Republic. That, however, did not prevent Japan from starting a second war with China. In December 1941, she attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and declared war on the United States and Great Britain. This was followed by the conquest of Hong Kong, Malacca and the Philippines.

On August 9, 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. This happened after the atomic bombings by American aircraft of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Kwantung Army was defeated and the once powerful empire signed the Act of Unconditional Surrender on September 2. In 1947, a new pacifist Constitution was adopted in the Land of the Rising Sun. On September 8, 1951, the San Francisco Peace Treaty was concluded, which officially put an end to World War II and deprived the Far Eastern aggressor of all territorial acquisitions. The USSR regained control over the south of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. However, Japan did not recognize the annexation of the South Kuriles (Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai islands), calling it the “problem of the northern territories”, therefore, despite the existence of diplomatic relations, a peace treaty between our countries has not been signed so far.

Nature

The local natural landscape is very diverse. Its formation was influenced by the location of Japan on a large archipelago with many stratovolcanoes. 10% of the world's volcanic activity and up to one and a half thousand earthquakes a year of 4-6 points - all these are local realities. And soil vibrations with a smaller magnitude in different regions are a daily phenomenon: the population does not even react to periodic shudders of buildings.

The flora of the Japanese islands is no less variegated. Coniferous trees grow in the north. In the center and south, there are, respectively, mixed and subtropical forests. In total, there are over 2,700 species of various plants in the country, of which 168 are only trees. The most famous tree in Japan is, of course, sakura. Two-thirds of the territory of the archipelago is occupied by forests, as well as shrublands and mountain peaks. Landslides and typhoons are frequent here, not to mention earthquakes, which made these territories unsuitable for habitation or for agricultural and industrial activities.

The fauna of Japan is represented by a brown bear, ermine, sable, weasel - they are found on the island of Hokkaido. A fox, a wolf, a hare, a raccoon dog, a badger, and an otter feel at ease on Honshu. Here and on the southern islands there is a black bear, an antelope, a Japanese macaque and even a gigantic salamander. From the birds, we single out the woodpecker and the tit, the swallow and the stork, the black grouse and the hawk, the eagle and the owl, the thrush and the crane: the list is as if we are talking about Russia.

The largest lakes and rivers in Japan, where catfish, carp, lamprey, eel are found, are located on large islands. Due to the peculiarities of the local landscape, the riverbeds are not very long, barely exceeding 200 km. The longest river in the country is the Shinano, which carries its waters on the island of Honshu. The second longest is Tonegawa: it is actively used for shipping and fishing. Rafting championships are also held here - sports rafting on mountain rivers. And the water artery of Hokkaido is Ishikari, originating in the mountains. Of the lakes, the largest in Japan is Biwa; its area is 640 km². Many fresh water bodies - Asi, Shinano and others - formed in the craters of dormant volcanoes. There are salt lakes in the coastal zone. For example, Kasumigaura is the second largest in the country.

Climate and weather

Although Japan is a small country, it has as many as six climatic zones. The temperature ranges from quite cool in the north (Hokkaido Island) to subtropical in the southern regions (Ryukyu Islands, Bonin Islands). Climatic indicators directly depend on seasonal movements of atmospheric air. So, in winter, a northeast wind blows from the Sea of ​​Japan, which drives clouds with all the ensuing consequences - heavy snowfalls.

Seasonal winds also determine the weather in the Pacific Ocean. This area is characterized by rare snowfalls, but winters are cold. Summers are usually humid and hot due to the influence of the seasonal southeast wind. In the extreme southwest, as already noted, a subtropical climate dominates. Winters are warm and summers are hot. There is a high level of precipitation, and even has its own rainy season. Frequent typhoons.

Weather is a very popular, inexhaustible topic of conversation throughout the year, especially rain, the arrival of which is unpredictable in most cases. For this reason, a durable folding umbrella is an indispensable item of equipment for any enlightened traveler in Japan. If, without an umbrella, you fall under pouring rain, take cover in the nearest shop.

Attractions

Let's start our acquaintance with the sights of Japan from the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in the Chiyoda Special District. It functions as the official residence of the head of state, Emperor Akihito, and as a museum where tourists can learn about Japanese history, culture and art. The palace was built on the ruins of the old Edo Castle, destroyed by fire. The residence has many reception halls and is surrounded by traditional Japanese-style gardens.

One of the symbols of Japan and the country's highest mountain is Fujiyama (or Fuji). The mountain is located on the island of Honshu, 90 km southwest of the capital, its height is 3776 meters. Fujiyama is well recognizable due to its symmetrical cone. This volcano is liked to be photographed and is often depicted in souvenirs or paintings. Every year, Fujiyama conquers over 200 thousand people, spending 5-8 hours on the ascent (the descent usually takes less time).

But the main symbol of the capital is the Tokyo Television Tower, whose height is 332.6 meters. The building was designed "with an eye" on the Eiffel Tower in Paris: its structure is the same lattice. She appeared 69 years later than her French "sister". The TV tower in Tokyo has become the embodiment of the most modern technologies. With her viewing platforms offers a stunning view not only of the city, but also of the surrounding area. There are shops and restaurants where you can shop and eat delicious food.

Let's move to Kyoto, the capital of Japan from 794 to 1869. Located in the central part of the largest island of Honshu, it is famous for one of the country's most popular attractions - the Buddhist Temple of the Golden Pavilion or Kinkaku-ji. It was erected at the end of the 14th century, but in 1950 it was burned down by a monk who apparently suffered from a mental disorder. In 1955, the temple was restored and is an exact copy of the original. Kinkaku-ji was covered with gold leaf, giving a beautiful reflection in the surrounding pond.

There is also a "Silver Pavilion" or Ginkaku-ji in Kyoto, built in 1483. Only his coating is not really silver - the war that began at that time prevented the application of the noble metal. The temple was intended for the rest of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. The area where it is located is very quiet, and surrounding nature- the embodiment of harmony and beauty. For the information of tourists: in Japanese temples (only in Kyoto there are about 1600 of them), you should take off your shoes before entering and carefully read the explanatory signs. Taking pictures is usually allowed, but once again it won’t hurt to ask the ministers again.

In addition to local shrines, tourists can also visit ancient castles, of which about fifty have survived in the Land of the Rising Sun. Many have survived to our time almost in their original form, others were destroyed during the Second World War. So, the oldest of them is Inuyama Castle (XV century). It is only an hour's drive from Nagoya Port City, the capital of Aichi Prefecture. The castle is well preserved and has original architecture. Object assigned high status A national treasure, which is not awarded to all monuments.

Matsumoto Castle is one of the most beautiful in Japan. It is located in the city of the same name (Nagano Prefecture), built in the "Hirajiro" style. The black color of the outer walls and side towers, reminiscent of outstretched wings, led to its unofficial name: Crow's Castle. Another black "crow castle" - Kumamoto, is located in Kumamoto, the center of the prefecture of the same name. It is also called the gingko castle. Kumamoto Castle was built between 1601-1607. Today it serves as a museum. Among the exhibits are samurai armor, weapons, national clothes.

Among the most beautiful castle complexes is Nijo Castle in Kyoto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Treasure of Japan. In the early 17th century, it was erected by Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty. In addition to the central building - the Ninomaru Palace - it has many buildings, several gardens. In the garden of Seiryu-en, the municipal authorities hold official receptions for city guests, and tea ceremonies for the Kyoto residents themselves.

You can not ignore the Japanese monuments. They are completely different from the sculptures and busts that are familiar to us, decorating squares and parks in Russian cities. Many are thousands of years old. The ancient representatives of Buddhism, for example, left statues in the Horyu-ji area of ​​Nara Prefecture as a legacy to their descendants. To them, which have come down to us through the centuries, today not only believers, but also tourists come to pray. In the city of Nara itself, you can also see many magnificent monuments of antiquity. Some of them are concentrated in the Heijo Palace, which was the residence of Japanese emperors in the 8th century.

Many monuments in Japan personify war times, of which there were many in the history of the country. In Hiroshima, for example, two are dedicated to the 1945 atomic bombings. The first one has the appearance of the skeleton of a stone house destroyed by the explosion, the second one depicts the nuclear bomb itself. Even the amusing and quite “peaceful” pumpkin and sweet potato monument located in the city of Urawa even has a war-related meaning. It is designed to remind the inhabitants of the country that it was these plants that saved them from starvation during periods of hostilities. There are also “military” monuments in Tokyo, there are two of them: the actor of the kabuki theater, who embodied the images of the great samurai on stage, and the dog of the popular Akita Inu breed, known to us from the film “Hachiko: The Most Faithful Friend”.

Special mention should be made of the national parks of Japan, since the local way of life is predominantly urban and environmental issues are extremely acute here. In the central part of the island of Honshu is one of the most famous parks: Fuji-Kyu Highland. Its dominant is the legendary Fujiyama. Both the Japanese and tourists love to relax at the foot of this most beautiful conical volcano in the world, which is called the Five Lakes Region. The park has a lot of ancient temples, waterfalls and thermal springs.

All sights of Japan

Recreation and entertainment

Coming to Japan and not visiting Tokyo Disneyland? It would be unforgivable. It is located in the metropolitan suburb of Urayasu, being an integral part of the Disney amusement park, opened back in 1983 and became the first such institution outside the United States. The other part of it is theme park Tokyo Disney Sea. Moreover, both of these places are very popular with tourists, and no less than the famous Disneyland in America.

The Japanese competitor of the latter is the Universal Studio amusement park located in Osaka. Here you can have a great rest with the whole family. You can choose from a variety of rides and a variety of shows, there are themed areas. The attractions are designed in the spirit of reality, their main theme is films shot at the Universal Pictures film studio. Having visited the Tobu World Square park in the city of Kinugawa, you will feel like a real Gulliver from a fairy tale. And all because its sights are small copies of the most famous buildings in the world. The unusual panorama of the park is complemented by figures of people walking between the buildings, which can be counted as much as 140 thousand. There are also copies of real trees in miniature (bonsai) in the amount of 20,000 pieces.

Japan, although not Africa, has its own monkey parks here. One of them is located on Mount Takao. Climbing it on the funicular, you can immediately get acquainted with its humanoid inhabitants, mainly macaques. These pranksters walk freely along the paths and look expectantly at visitors: maybe they will treat them to something tasty. The panorama of the park, more precisely, its surroundings, is complemented by a real herb garden. Other tourist biologists even try to establish the exact number of species represented, but with great difficulty. The official data is as follows: there are about 500 species of them. The second monkey park is called Jigokudani (translated as “Valley of Hell”), which is located in the city of Yamanouchi and has also become a home for Japanese macaques.

Garden with tea ceremony houses, French-style garden and Buddhist temple Taisoji - all this defines the look of the Shinjuku Imperial Park. It is located in the district of the capital of the same name and belongs to the most famous parks. The Imperial Park welcomes visitors at any time of the year, but is especially beautiful in spring, when cherry blossoms are one of the symbols of Japan. Its flowers are short-lived and encourage us to think about the transience of our life.

After drinking tea, you can get some adrenaline by visiting the Tokyo Dome City Attraction Park. He became famous thanks to the Thunder Dolphin attraction, one of the most extreme in the world. Just to say that it's scary here is not quite right. You can feel how the soul "rushes" to the heels, only when you are here: no descriptions and even video materials will not give an accurate idea. In general, all the attractions in Tokyo claim that it will be impossible to forget about them. Just imagine: a train with a visitor in the cabin develops a speed of up to 130 km / h, passing through the openings of buildings, and one thought drills in my head - how not to crash into a wall and remain unharmed!

National cuisine

Japanese cuisine is recognized as the standard of healthy eating not only by culinary specialists, but also by many experts in the field of nutrition and medicine. Therefore, it is quite understandable why there are so many centenarians here who have crossed the 80-year mark. In Japan, there is a cult of food, but in the best sense of the word. Food for the Japanese is not only to satisfy hunger - it should be pleasing to the eye, smell ... and even hearing. In national cuisine, the age-old rule of “five colors” is followed, that is, the products from which dishes are prepared must certainly be red, green, yellow, brown and black. If in most developed countries, to be honest, they often have breakfast or lunch in a hurry, on the go, then in the Land of the Rising Sun such “liberties” are not welcome. Various eating rituals are common here. The spoon is rarely used, and the fork and knife are not touched at all during the meal. The symbol of local cuisine is hashi sticks. The Japanese eat them with them.

Rice, which is called "gohan" in Japanese, is present in many dishes. Priority is also given to seafood and fish (the latter is usually not subjected to deep heat treatment). Often the diet is dominated by buckwheat soba noodles, very long and thin, which are usually served hot, with soy sauce. Another hallmark of the local cuisine is sushi, where raw fish is most often attached to boiled rice. You should definitely try sashimi - thinly sliced ​​raw fish, octopus, scallop or squid, served with daikon, shiso leaves and wasabi sauce. Kusiyaki, small pieces of fish and seafood cooked on the grill, can be considered an analogue of the barbecue, beloved by Russians. They also love pork in Japan: a chop from it, fried with an egg and breadcrumbs, is called tonkatsu. A very tasty dish - tahan. This is Japanese pilaf, which is cooked with pork, shrimp and other seafood.

Money

The basis of the monetary system is the Japanese yen (¥). In circulation are coins in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 yen, banknotes in denominations of 1000, 2000, 5000 and 10,000 yen. Coins of 10 and 100 yen are required for calls from pay phones, 50 and 100 yen for bus tickets, vending machines, and train tickets for short trips. 2000 yen banknotes are rare and not accepted by vending machines, as are 1 and 5 yen coins. Banknotes of 5,000 and 10,000 yen are readily accepted even for small purchases.

Currency exchange. IN international hotels you will be exchanged for yen and traveler's checks, and foreign currency (if there is a set exchange rate). In accredited banks, of course, they will do the same for a little more favorable exchange rate. Stores in many tourist areas more and more often they accept for payment not only yen, but also other currencies, you only need to present your passport.

At the entrance to the bank, you will probably be greeted by its employee, who will lead you to the desired window. Otherwise, look for the desired symbol with your eyes. While the operation is being performed (may take 15 minutes or more), you will be invited to sit, and when the money is ready, you will be invited by name.

Most banks have a special currency exchange section, where travelers checks and foreign currency can be exchanged for yen (upon presentation of a passport).

ATMs and credit cards. Despite all the perfection of the Japanese financial system, there are very few places where you can withdraw money using international credit card and PIN-code, although in principle such ATMs should be in most post offices. However, since the streets of Japanese cities are quite safe, you can simply take as much cash with you for the day as you expect to spend.

As for more significant expenses, large hotels, small hotels, restaurants and shops will certainly accept Visa, American Express and MasterCard for payment. But not travelers checks.

Religion

Although Shinto and Buddhism are the main religions, there are over 1,400,000 Christians in the country, and there are churches in most cities. Services in English, however, are rare. For Protestant, Catholic, Greek and Russian Orthodox, Muslim and Jewish worship times, check with English-language newspapers or ask at your local tourist information centre.

shopping

Many cities in the world have their own shopping streets and districts, and Tokyo of 13 million is no exception. The Ginzu quarter is the shopping center in the capital of Japan. At the beginning of the 17th century, there was a mint here, then jewelry shops opened. Their modern “successors” are the expensive Louis Vuitton store, Miximoto boutiques (trading pearls) and Chanel. The 3 Mx department store chain sells popular local brands such as Matsuzakaya, Mitsukoshi and Matsua. But remember that the products here are expensive.

Don't want to spend a lot? Look for "everything for a hundred yen" ("hyakuen shop"). They have a fixed price for personal hygiene items, dishes, souvenirs and even food. Another opportunity to save will be presented in the metropolitan suburb of Minami Machida. It only takes 40 minutes to get here. It is known for its Grandberry Mall, the largest outlet in the country, with prices that will pleasantly surprise you with its affordability.

We need high-quality and, accordingly, not cheap Japanese electronics? Then you are in the Ahihabara area, where you will find TVs, computers, smartphones of the coolest models. But department stores Seibu and Kimuraya in the Shibuya quarter are considered youth. Many retail outlets participate in the value added tax refund system (Tax free). In general, department stores in Tokyo and other large cities - Yokohama, Sapporo, Osaka, Kyoto, Kawasaki, Nagoya, Kobe - occupy huge areas. On the underground floors, they usually sell food, on the first - shoes and haberdashery, on the second, third and above - clothes for adults and children, household goods and souvenirs, on the last - restaurants.

By the way, about souvenirs. Travelers often bring home items made of Japanese porcelain and ceramics, wood carvings, and bamboo products. National robes made of silk and cotton, folding paper lanterns, and fans are very popular with tourists. Separately, it should be said about wooden hairpins, the fashion for which was brought by geishas, ​​as well as samurai katana swords (of course, not real ones, but souvenir ones). Maneki-neko - cute figurines of cats with a raised paw - are well bought up by foreigners. Of the edible souvenirs of Japan, preference is given to long-term storage sushi, dried and dried squids and, of course, high-quality local green tea.

All purchases are subject to a 5% consumption tax, and the law requires stores to display prices that already include the tax. Department stores have special tax refund programs for foreign customers for large purchases (usually over 10,000 yen). In some stores, returns are only available on purchases of clothing. Before shopping, check with the information desk, which is usually located on the ground floor next to the main entrance. For tax exemption, you will need to present your passport.

Cloth

Clothing should be versatile, lightweight and easy to wash. Don't forget to bring a jacket or raincoat. In winter, you will need a sweater and a warm jacket. Do not bring tight, restrictive clothing, remember that you will have to sit at low tables, tucked under you or crossing your legs, which will not be easy to do in a tight-fitting skirt. Also keep in mind that your socks will often be visible and should be clean and intact. You will have to take off your shoes so often that you should consider purchasing shoes without laces. For sightseeing, there is nothing better than comfortable sneakers, as the paths are mostly covered with gravel.

If you are planning to buy clothes in Japan, keep in mind that both men's and women's clothes are designed for the build of the inhabitants of the country, which differs from the build of most Westerners. The same goes for underwear. However, in Tokyo and other major cities, the offer of Western-sized clothing is gradually expanding.

Language

If you don't speak Japanese, use English. Of course, it will be fun to exchange with the Japanese a few words or phrases like "thank you", "hello" or "goodbye". However, if you pretend that you can maintain a full-fledged conversation, you risk drowning in a stream of incomprehensible sounds, and the unpretentious communication that you expected will not work.

Speak English slowly and clearly. Try to avoid complex expressions and figures of speech when formulating your questions and answers, use the simplest grammar.

Opening hours

Banks: on weekdays 9.00-15.00, Sat, Sun closed. Government offices: on weekdays 9.00-17.00, Sat, Sun closed.

Post offices: main on weekdays 9.00-19.00, Sat 9.00-15.00 or 17.00, Sun closed.

Hairdressers: daily 9.00-20.00, except usually Mon for men and Tue for women.

Museums: Tue-Sun 9.00-17.00 (entry until 16.30), including national holidays.

Shops: most daily 10.00-20.00. Universal on weekdays 10.00-20.00 (Sat, Sun and national holidays until 18.30 or 19.00); Usually one day off per week.

Temples: daily 8.00 or 9.00-16.30 in summer, until 16.00 in winter.

Crime and security

Given Japan's relatively low crime rate, it's unlikely that you'll be the target of an attack or robbery. Yet the country is by no means free from crime, and the number of crimes of all kinds, including sexual violence and other types of violent acts, is steadily increasing. As elsewhere in the world, reasonable precautions will not be superfluous. In Tokyo and other major cities, there are police boxes (koban) at most major intersections, easily recognizable by the large red light above the entrance.

Police

For immediate assistance or in case of an emergency, dial 110. There are small police stations, or booths (kobans), at most busy intersections. Police officers wear blue uniforms and caps. They are very kind and ready to help you at any time. When dealing with the police, always show your passport.

Pay phones vary in color and size. From all you can make local, long distance and international calls. The gray ones labeled "ISDN/International & Domestic Card/Coin Telephone" can be used for direct dialing. For calls within the country, NTT cards are available and are sold in convenience stores, many other shops and automatic machines. Services such as calls on credit and at the expense of the called subscriber are not available for all countries (please inquire in advance).

Cell phones. There are three main mobile operators in the country: NTT "DoCoMo", "Ai" and "Softbank". DoCoMo (tel: 0120-680-110) and Softbank (tel: 3560-7730) rent cell phones for domestic use.

Tips

Tipping is not in the custom of the Japanese (perhaps, except when it comes to some additional service) and is officially condemned. However, a small gift, such as a souvenir from your country, would be an appropriate token of gratitude to the people who helped you. It is considered polite to politely refuse an offered gift once or twice. Neither taxi drivers nor hotel staff expect tips from you. Porters at airports and railway stations work at a fixed rate. At hotels, ryokans and some restaurants, the bill is increased by 10-15% of the service charge.

toilets

Apart from railway stations, public toilets are rare. Use restrooms, usually western-style, in department stores, as in large hotels these are floor-level cuvettes with no seating facing the drain. The cubicle doors are usually locked, but it is still customary to knock twice to make sure the toilet is free. If not, you will hear two knocks in response. Sometimes toilets are shared between men and women (there seems to be no men in front of urinals). Toilets in Japan are kept immaculately clean. Toilet paper should always be with you.

Public transport

Metro, except for Tokyo, is in cities such as Kyoto, Yokohama, Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka and Sendai. They love the metro here, because it is fast and convenient, and the Japanese really appreciate personal time. Subway tickets are sold in special vending machines. Those who find it difficult to understand hieroglyphs can use diagrams. They are intuitive, and it is usually not difficult to determine the route and price. A trip on the Tokyo subway costs from 160 yen and depends on the distance. A day pass will cost you ¥400.

The most difficult view for tourists public transport considered a bus. Flight names and route numbers are almost always written only in hieroglyphs, without duplication, for example, in English. It is clear that this creates certain difficulties. As for the fare, in the capital and a number of other settlements in Japan it does not depend on distance, but in others it is the other way around. In some cities - Nagasaki, Kagashima, Kumamoto and others - there are trams. Travelers often use this mode of transport.

And finally, taxis in Japan. There are many of them, they are affordable, but the cost of the trip goes through the roof. Only for landing you will be charged 640-650 yen, and then the counter charges 80 yen every 280 meters. God forbid you get stuck in traffic: every 2.25 minutes of downtime will cost you 90 JPY. These are Tokyo prices. In other megacities, prices are slightly lower, but they still hit the wallet. How to determine if the car is busy or not? If the “light” on the windshield is green, pass by: there are already passengers. If you see red - feel free to approach, the taxi is free. A yellow "light" means that the car, even if it is empty, is on an emergency call. It happens that passengers in a hurry forget things in the cabin. Call the Unified Lost and Found Taxi Parks, and the lost will be returned.

Hotels and accommodation

The most expensive hotels in Japan are business class, where a night's stay will cost a tourist 55,000 yen or more. Prices in first-class hotels start at ¥15,000 and range from 45,000 to 75,000 yen on average. Having rented an inexpensive double room for 15 thousand, for example, at the Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo, for additional fee you can use the SPA-salon, fitness center, dine with dishes of national, European and Chinese cuisine. As a “bonus”, the windows offer a beautiful view of the city, not to mention free Internet and the presence of a TV, air conditioning and tea facilities.

Of the budget options, hostels are in demand. The rooms in them are clean and tidy, designed to accommodate 2-4 people at the same time, while each guest pays an amount of 24 euros and more. Amenities are shared, but some rooms have a shower. Mini-hotels are popular among travelers, where you can only spend the night and have breakfast in the morning. Even in Japan, there are so-called capsule hotels. Here they provide not full rooms, but only sleeping places ("capsules"). But it is also convenient, because in your territory, in addition to the bed, there is a TV, radio and even a personal alarm clock.

It is not customary to walk along the corridors of Japanese hotels, regardless of the level of their "stardom", in street shoes. Upon entering, you need to take off your shoes, leave your shoes or boots in a special box and change into something roomy. How to book a hotel? We recommend the hotellook service, where you can compare hotel prices from leading booking systems and book a room with the maximum discount. And preferably in advance, before the trip. So it will be more reliable, and it will turn out to save.

Communication and Internet

Many tourists would like to get a SIM card from Japanese mobile operators, but it will not work: tariff plans available only to citizens of the country. But on the other hand, immediately upon arrival at the airport, you can rent a phone - namely a device, not a card - of a local mobile operator, which you will return at the end of the trip. The pleasure will cost $ 100 a week, not counting the rather expensive payment for negotiations. Incoming, however, is free.

Access to the World Wide Web can be obtained both in hotels (most rooms have a fixed connection) and free of charge in public Wi-Fi points that are in every major metropolis. But the first of the Japanese cities, which has a wide network of "street" access to the Internet was Osaka. There are 163 points here so far, but soon, as they promise, there will be many times more. Meanwhile, the Japanese prefer portable wireless access points, they carry them with them. Mobile routers are also available to tourists, but for temporary use. You can rent at the airport.

Car rental

Car rental companies operate in all major cities. Numerous local firms compete with international agencies by offering competitive rates. With the exception of citizens of France, Germany and Switzerland, who will only need a certified translation of their national driver's license, foreigners must have an international driving license. Through a hotel or travel agency, you can rent a car with a driver who speaks English.

Driving in Japan

The difficulty of driving a car in the country should not be underestimated. Driving standards are very different from Western ones, and the roads are very narrow. Visitors must be extremely careful and careful on the roads of Japan.

Driving is on the left side of the road and most foreign drivers will be shocked by the severity of it. The streets are full of cars and there are few parking spaces. The orientation problem is exacerbated by the fact that very few streets have names. Instead, blocks are numbered, and streets only separate them. Most road signs and signs are inscribed in hieroglyphs and Latin script.

The speed limit is 40 km/h in cities, 60 km/h in suburbs and 100 km/h on motorways.

The Japan Automobile Federation (emergency number 0570-00-8139, www.jaf.or.jp/e/) publishes the Rules of the Road in English for driving in Japan.

Entry Requirements

To enter Japan, you will need a valid passport, as well as filling out a passenger card. Upon arrival, you will be asked to present a return ticket and proof of funds for your stay in the country.

Visas

A tourist visa allows citizens of the Russian Federation to stay in Japan for up to 15 days, in some cases up to 90 days. A prerequisite for obtaining a Japanese tourist visa is to book a hotel for the entire stay.

The usual processing time for a visa is three weeks. The Consular Section reserves the right to delay the consideration of documents for obtaining a visa for up to one month, as well as to refuse to issue a visa without explaining the reasons for the refusal.

Customs regulations

Things formally imported into Japan must be declared, whether orally or in writing. In practice, there is a random baggage check system adopted in many other countries. There are no restrictions on the import and export of currency, however, if you want to export more than 1 million yen, you will need to notify customs. It is forbidden to import certain types of fruits and vegetables into Japan. Banned for import and a number of stimulants used in Western medicine.

Embassy and consulates of the Russian Federation

Embassy of the Russian Federation in Japan
106-0041 Tokyo, Minato-ku, Azabudai 2-1-1.
Tel: +81-3-3583-4224.
Fax: +81-3-3505-0593.

Consular section of the embassy
Tel: +81-3-3583-4445.
Fax: +81-3-3586-0407.

Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Sapporo (Hokkaido)
Address: Sapporo City, Chuo District, Minami 14, Nishi 12, 2-5. Tel: 011-561-3171 /3172. Fax: 011-561-8897.

How to get there

Aeroflot operates direct flights to Tokyo and back from Moscow, Khabarovsk and Vladivostok. A one-way flight from these cities takes, respectively, 9 hours 30 minutes, 2 hours 40 minutes and 2 hours 10 minutes. The exact time of departure and the availability of seats can be clarified on the official website of the domestic air carrier.

Japan Airlines also fly from Moscow to Tokyo. International flights Serves Narita Airport, which is located 65 km from the capital. Electric trains and buses regularly run from it to the city, the travel time is no more than 60 minutes. Since Japan is an island state, which, moreover, has maritime borders with Russia, a regular ferry service has been established between our countries. The ferry departs from Vladivostok. You can check the flight and the availability of seats on the Internet resource of the seaport of the capital of Primorye.

Low price calendar for flights to Tokyo

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(Japanese 日本 Nihon, Nippon), officially called "Nihon koku", "Nippon koku" (Japanese 日本国) is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Sea of ​​Japan, China, North and South Korea and Russia, it covers an area from the Sea of ​​Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south of the country.

Japan is located on the Japanese archipelago, consisting of 6,852 islands[note 2]. The four largest islands - Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku - make up 97% of the total area of ​​the archipelago. Most of the islands are mountainous, many are volcanic. The highest point in Japan is Mount Fuji. With a population of over 127 million, Japan ranks tenth in the world. Greater Tokyo, which includes the de facto capital of Japan Tokyo and several nearby prefectures, with a population of more than 30 million people, is the largest urban agglomeration in the world.

As a great economic power, Japan ranks second in the world in terms of nominal GDP and third in terms of GDP calculated at purchasing power parity. Japan is the fourth largest exporter and sixth largest importer.

Japan is a developed country with a very high standard of living (tenth in the Human Development Index). Japan has one of the highest life expectancies, at 82.12 years in 2009, and one of the lowest infant mortality rates.

Japan is a member of the G8 and APEC, as well as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Although Japan has officially renounced its right to declare war, it has a large, modern military that is used in self-defense and in peacekeeping operations.

Japan remains the only country in the world against which nuclear weapons have been used.

Name

The Russian word "Japan" is an exonym, it presumably came to Russian from the German language (from German Japan), although the vocalism corresponds better to the French Japon.

The Japanese themselves refer to the country as "Nippon" or "Nihon", both written with the kanji 日本. The first option is often used as an official one, for example, on yens, postage stamps and in the names of many sporting events. "Nihon" is commonly used in everyday life. The Japanese call themselves Nihonjin (Jap. 日本人), and their language - Nihongo (Jap. 日本語). The official name of the country is "Nihon koku" or "Nippon koku" (Jap. 日本国).

"Nihon" literally means "homeland of the Sun" and the name is often translated as "Land of the Rising Sun". This is how the Chinese called Japan in the correspondence of the emperor of Japan with the Chinese Sui dynasty, since Japan is located to the east of China. Before the Japanese started using "Nihon" to refer to their country, the country was called Wa (Japanese: 倭) or Wagoku (Japanese: 倭国).

Story

The first signs of settlement of the Japanese archipelago appeared around 40 millennium BC. e. with the beginning of the Japanese Paleolithic, which lasted until the 12th millennium BC. e. The population of ancient Japan was engaged in hunting and gathering, made the first stone tools of rough processing. There are no ceramic products in this period, so the period is also called the period of pre-ceramic culture. From 12000 B.C. e. the Jomon period begins, which, according to the archaeological periodization of the history of Western countries, corresponds to the Mesolithic and Neolithic. The peculiarities of this period were the formation of the Japanese archipelago and the beginning of the use of ceramic products by its inhabitants.

During the Yayoi period, which began around 500 BC. e., irrigated rice cultivation, potter's wheel and loom, metal processing (copper, bronze and iron) and the construction of protective settlements appeared on the Japanese archipelago. These innovations were brought to Japan by immigrants from China and Korea.

The Japanese are first mentioned in one of the Chinese historical chronicles - Hanshu. The land of Wa, as the Chinese called the Japanese archipelago, is described in more detail in the Chinese History of the Three Kingdoms. According to her, the most powerful principality in the third century was the principality of Yamatai, which was ruled by the ruler Himiko.

In 250, the Yayoi gave way to the Kofun period, during which the culture of the mounds spread, and the Japanese state of the same name appeared in the Yamato region. Kofun smoothly transitioned in 538 to the Asuka period. Its features were the spread of Buddhism, which came to Japan from Baekje, the emergence of a centralized state of the Chinese model, the creation of the first code of laws "ritsuryo" and the flourishing of Japanese culture under the influence of mainland philosophical and cultural ideas.

In the eighth century, during the Nara period, a strong centralized Japanese state first appears, centered in the imperial capital of Heijo-kyo in what is now Nara. In addition to the accelerated Sinification of Japanese society, this period is characterized by the creation of the first historical chronicles and the flourishing of culture. In 712, the Kojiki was completed, and in 720, the Nihon shoki was completed.

In 784 Emperor Kammu moved the capital from Nara to Nagaoka-kyo, but already in 794 it was moved to Heian-kyo (modern Kyoto). Thus began the Heian period, during which the Japanese national culture appeared and flourished. The invention of the syllabary - kana - made it possible to write in Japanese instead of Chinese. The kana poetic anthology Kokinwakashu was the first of the imperial anthologies to set the patterns that tanka poetry followed well into the 19th century. Such monuments of Heian prose as "The Tale of Genji" or "Notes at the Pillow" are still considered by many both in Japan and outside it to be the pinnacles of Japanese literature.

Japanese feudalism is characterized by the emergence of a ruling warrior class, the "samurai agency". In 1192, Minamoto no Yoritomo, who had defeated the rival Taira clan in 1185, was appointed shogun, marking the beginning of the Kamakura period. With his death in 1199, actual power passed to the Hojo family, the regents of his son. The Kamakura shogunate successfully repelled Mongol invasions in 1274 and 1281, strengthening the Bakufu's position. Zen became the official religion of the shogunate. After the victory over the Mongols, the Japanese warriors began internecine wars, which quickly led to the decline of the Kamakura regime. In 1318, Emperor Godaigo ascended the throne and by 1333, with the support of the commander-in-chief of the Bakufu Ashikaga Takauji, he was able to regain power, but already in 1336, who did not share power with the son of Emperor Ashikaga Takauji, he enthroned Emperor Kyomiyo in Kyoto and in 1338 received the title from him shogun. In Japan, there were two emperors and two shoguns, who fought fiercely until 1392. The Ashikaga shogunate was unable to control the large daimyo feudal lords, so in 1467 the Civil War, which became the beginning of a long period of troubled times - the Sengoku period.

In 1543, Dutch traders and Jesuit missionaries first reached Japan, initiating commercial and cultural interaction between Japan and the West. With the help of European technology and firearms, Oda Nobunaga defeated most of the other daimyo and almost managed to unify the country, but was killed in 1582. His heir was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who completed the unification of the country in 1590. Hideyoshi captured Korea twice, but after a series of defeats inflicted on the Japanese by Korean and Chinese troops and his death, the Japanese troops retreated from Korea in 1598.

After Hideyoshi's death, Tokugawa Ieyasu used his position as regent under Toyotomi Hideyori to gain political influence and military support. At the Battle of Sekigahara, he defeated the clans of rivals and in 1603 was appointed shogun. Ieyasu founded the Tokugawa shogunate and moved the capital to Edo (modern Tokyo). In 1639, the shogunate began a foreign policy of self-isolation in Japan, which lasted two and a half centuries, later called the Edo period. Nevertheless, the study of the set of European scientific knowledge - rangaku - continued, mainly through the Dutch trading post on the man-made island of Dejima in the harbor of Nagasaki. In the same period, the national cultural movement kokugaku appeared, the study of Japan by the Japanese themselves.

In 1854, American Commodore Matthew Perry, who arrived on the Black Ships, forced Japan to end its policy of isolation. During the Bakumatsu period, Japan signed several unequal treaties with Western powers, which led it to an economic and political crisis. In 1868, the Boshin Civil War began, which resulted in the abolition of the shogunate in 1869 and the creation of a centralized state under the rule of the emperor - the Meiji Restoration. Taking Western political, judicial and military systems as a basis, the Cabinet of Ministers of Japan created the Privy Council, prepared the Meiji Constitution for adoption and assembled the Parliament. The Meiji Restoration turned the Empire of Japan into an industrialized world power. After the victory in the Japanese-Chinese (1894-1895) and Russian-Japanese (1904-1905) wars, Japan secured dominance in the Japanese and Yellow Seas and annexed Korea, Taiwan and southern Sakhalin.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the short democratic period of Taishō gave way to the rise of militarism and expansionism. Japan took part in the First World War on the side of the Entente, expanding its political influence and territory. In 1931, continuing its policy of expansionism, Japan occupied Manchuria and created the puppet state of Manchukuo. After Lytton's report in 1933, the League of Nations condemned her actions and Japan defiantly left the League. In 1936, Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with Nazi Germany, and in 1941 joined the Axis countries. At the same time, Japan signed the Neutrality Pact between the USSR and Japan, pledging to respect the territorial integrity and inviolability of the Mongolian people's republic and Manchukuo.

In 1937, Japan invades other parts of China, starting the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), after which the United States imposes an oil embargo on it. On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and declared war on the United States and Great Britain. This leads to US involvement in World War II. The Empire of Japan conquered Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Mallacca, but in 1942 a defeat in the Coral Sea robbed it of its advantage at sea. After the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945 by US aircraft, and also after the USSR joined the military operations against Japan, Japan signed the Act of Unconditional Surrender on September 2, 1945.

In 1947, Japan adopted a new pacifist constitution that emphasized liberal democracy. The Allied occupation of Japan ended with the adoption of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, which came into force in 1952, and in 1956 Japan joined the UN. Later, Japan achieved a record economic growth that lasted four decades and averaged 10% annually. In 1991, economic growth gave way to a crisis, from which the country managed to get out only in 2000.

State-political structure

Japan is a constitutional monarchy. According to the Constitution, which entered into force on May 3, 1947, the Emperor of Japan is “a symbol of the state and the unity of the people”, he makes all state appointments and decisions on the proposal of the Cabinet of Ministers, which is responsible for them. At diplomatic meetings, he plays the role of head of state. Akihito has been Emperor of Japan since 1989 and is succeeded by Prince Naruhito.

supreme body state power and the only legislative body in Japan is the parliament. It consists of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors. The House of Representatives consists of 480 deputies, elected for 4 years, and the Chamber of Councilors - of 252 deputies, elected for 6 years. The House of Councilors is renewed by half every three years. According to the constitution, the parliament has full legislative power and has the exclusive right to manage finances. Japan has universal suffrage for all citizens over the age of 20. Elections to both chambers are held by secret ballot.

There are two main parties in Japan. In 2009, the Social Liberal Democratic Party of Japan gained a majority in parliament, replacing the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, which had ruled for 54 years.

The government, the supreme body of executive power, is headed by the Prime Minister of Japan. One of its members is appointed to this position by the Emperor on the proposal of Parliament. The Prime Minister is the head of the Cabinet of Ministers, who forms the composition of the government. Since June 4, 2010 this position has been held by Naoto Kan.

Historically influenced by Chinese law, Japan's legal system developed independently during the Edo period through the creation of works such as the Kujikata Osadamegaki. But starting from the end of the 19th century, the judicial system of Japan was mainly based on Romano-Germanic law, in particular on the legal systems of France and Germany. For example, in 1896 the Japanese government created a civil code based on the German model. Statutory law is formed by the legislature of Japan - the Parliament. The main part of statutory law is a collection called "Six Codes". Under the current constitution, a new law comes into force only after its promulgation by the emperor.

The Japanese judicial system consists of four levels: the Supreme Court, Appellate Court, Main Court, and Disciplinary Court. The Supreme Court, like constitutional courts in other countries, has the power to strike down legal norms on the grounds that they are unconstitutional. The members of the supreme court are appointed by the emperor on the proposal of the government, and the remaining judges are appointed by the Cabinet of Ministers on the proposal of the Supreme Court.

Armed forces

The ninth article of the Japanese Constitution forbids the country to have its own army and participate in wars. Modern armed forces Japan are called self-defense forces and their military activities, not directly related to the defense of the country, are severely limited. Since 2007, they have been managed by the Japanese Ministry of Defense. In the event of a national emergency, the Prime Minister is authorized to dispose of the various branches of the Japan Self-Defense Force, subject to the consent of Parliament. In extreme conditions, such permission can be obtained ex post. The Self-Defense Forces consist of land, sea and air forces. The Japan Self-Defense Forces are recruited on a voluntary basis.

In 2006, the ground forces numbered 148,302 people, and 44,528 people served in the maritime self-defense forces. The air force consisted of 45,913 men. Since 1992, the self-defense forces have been taking part in peacekeeping operations, including in Iraq in 2004.

Foreign policy

Japan maintains close economic and military relations with the United States of America. Their basis is the agreement on cooperation and security between the United States and Japan. Japan has been a member of the UN since 1956, and is also a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (in total, as of 2010, it was a member of the Security Council for 19 years). In addition, she is part of the G4 group with the goal of becoming a permanent member of the Security Council. As a member of the G8, G10, APEC, ASEAN Plus 3 and East Asia Summit, Japan is actively participating in international relations and improves ties with important partners around the world. In March 2007, she signed a joint declaration on security cooperation with Australia, and in October 2008 with India.

Japan is involved in territorial disputes with several neighboring states. According to the official Japanese position, the southern Kuril Islands, which are de facto part of Russia, are part of Japanese territory. Because of this issue, a peace treaty has not yet been signed between Japan and Russia. Japan also disputes ownership of the Liancourt Islands, controlled by South Korea. China and Taiwan dispute ownership of the Senkaku Islands, which are under Japanese control.

Geography

Japan is located on a large stratovolcano archipelago off the Pacific coast of Asia. According to the geographic coordinate system, Japan lies 36° north of the equator and 138° east of the Greenwich meridian. The country is located northeast of China and Taiwan (separated from them by the East China Sea) and due east of Korea (separated by the Sea of ​​Japan). To the north of Japan lies Siberia, a geographic region of Russia.

The largest islands of the archipelago (from north to south): Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. The country also includes 6,848 smaller islands, including Okinawa, some of which are inhabited and some are not. Japan occupies about 377.9 thousand km² (2006), of which 364.4 thousand km² is land, and 13.5 thousand km² is water space. Japan is larger than Germany, Malaysia, New Zealand and the UK, it is 1.7 times the size of Korea and 10 times the size of Taiwan.

The total length of the coastline is 19,240 km (2008), the largest peninsulas are Kii and Oshima. The southern Ryukyu Islands are bordered by coral reefs.

Relief

Japan is covered with highlands and low and medium-altitude mountains, they make up over 75% of the country's territory. The lowlands are located in separate areas along the coasts of the country. The largest lowland is Kanto, covering about 17,000 km².

The main ranges of Hokkaido are a continuation of the chains of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. They stretch from north to south and from northeast to southwest. The highest point of the island is Mount Asahi (2290 m), located in the area of ​​their intersection.

In the northern part of the island of Honshu there are three longitudinal chains of medium-altitude mountains, separated by valleys and basins. The axial position is occupied by the Ou ridge, to the east of it are the Kitakami and Abukuma ridges, and to the west - the Deva and Echigo ridges; the central and western ranges are topped by volcanoes. In the middle part of the island, a fault zone called Fossa Magna (about 250 km long) crosses the island, above which a number of volcanoes rise, including the highest in Japan - Fujiyama (3776 m). In the central part of Honshu, the Japanese Alps are located - the Hida, Kiso and Akaishi ridges, the peaks of which are covered with snow for most of the year. In the southwest, within the tectonic depression, there is the Kinki plain and Lake Biwa. Two strips of mountains - the northern (inner), stretching along the axis of the western part of Honshu, and the southern (outer) - on the Kii Peninsula, the islands of Shikoku and Kyushu, are separated by this tectonic depression, on the western extension of which the Inland Sea of ​​Japan is located.

The highest altitude of the island of Shikoku is Mount Ishizuchi (1981 m), the islands of Kyushu are the volcano Kuju (1788 m). The Ryukyu Islands are dominated by plateaus and low mountains.

Minerals

In Japan, there are practically no minerals, their reserves according to 1976 data were: coal - 8630 million tons; iron ore - 228 million tons; sulfur — 67.6 million tons; manganese ores - 5.4 million tons; lead-zinc - 4.7 million tons; oil - 3.8 million tons; copper ores - 2.0 million tons; chromites - 1.0 million tons, as well as gold, silver and mercury.

Water resources

Japan is covered with a dense network of short full-flowing rivers, mostly mountainous. Among them, the largest are Shinano, Tone, Kitakami and Ishikari. On the rivers of the Sea of ​​Japan basin, a winter-spring flood is noted, on the rivers of the Pacific Ocean basin - a summer one; floods occur periodically, especially as a result of the passage of typhoons. The waters of many rivers are used for irrigation. The lakes are numerous and diverse in origin: Lake Biwa, the largest in Japan (an area of ​​716 km²), is located in a tectonic depression, there are also volcanic (Inawashiro, Towada, Kutchiaro) and lagoonal (Kasumigaura, Saroma) lakes.

Climate

Japan belongs to a temperature zone with four distinct seasons, but its climate ranges from cold temperatures in the north to subtropical temperatures in the south. The climate is also affected by the seasonal winds blowing off the continent during the winter and reverse direction- in summer.

Japan can be roughly divided into six climatic zones:

• Hokkaido belongs to the cold temperature zone, characterized by long frosty winters and cool summers.
• In the Sea of ​​Japan, the northeast seasonal wind brings heavy snowfalls in winter. Summers are less warm than in the Pacific Ocean, but extreme high temperatures are sometimes observed due to the Foehn phenomenon.
• The climate of the Central Highlands is a typical island climate with a large variation in temperature in winter and summer, night and day.
• In the Inland Sea zone, the climate is temperate due to the fact that the mountains in the regions of Chugoku and Shikoku block seasonal winds.
• The Pacific area experiences cold winters with occasional snowfall, and generally hot and humid summers during southeasterly seasonal winds.
• The southwestern islands are a zone with a subtropical climate. Winter is warm, summer is hot. The level of precipitation is very high, which is reflected in the existence of the rainy season and the occurrence of typhoons.

Forests cover over 66% of the country. The flora of Japan has more than 700 species of trees and shrubs and about 3,000 species of herbs.

Hokkaido is dominated by coniferous forests of spruce and fir, with thick undergrowth of bamboo. With height, the forest is gradually replaced by thickets of dwarf pine and birch forests, herbaceous-shrub formations and shrub wastelands. In the north of the island, the upper limit of coniferous forests is 500 m, in southern regions they are replaced by deciduous broad-leaved forests. In the southwest of Hokkaido, broad-leaved forests rise from the coast to a height of 500 m.

Deciduous broad-leaved forests are also common on Honshu, growing oak, beech, maple, chestnut, ash, linden, etc. They rise to a height of 1800 m, and coniferous forests end at an altitude of 1800-2000 m. The lower parts of the slopes of the Honshu mountains south of 38° north latitude and the slopes of the mountains on the islands of Shikoku and Kyushu up to a height of 800 m are covered with evergreen subtropical forests (with the participation of evergreen oak, magnolias, camphor tree, cryptomeria, Japanese cypress, etc.) with rich undergrowth and an abundance of lianas. In the extreme south of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands, up to a height of 300 m, monsoon forests are common with palms, ficuses, tree ferns, bamboos, and orchids.

Fauna

Due to Japan's island isolation animal world somewhat depleted compared to the mainland (and the forms are crushed), but many endemic and relic species have survived in the country. Its fauna includes 270 species of mammals, about 800 species of birds and 110 species of reptiles. Over 600 species of fish and more than 1,000 species of mollusks live in the seas surrounding the country. Due to the mountainous relief, species adapted to life in mountain forests mainly predominate.

On the island of Hokkaido there are brown bear, sable, ermine, weasel. In addition, wolves, foxes, badgers, raccoon dogs, otters and hares live there and on the island of Honshu. South of the Sangar Strait live black bears, Japanese macaques, antelopes, gigantic salamanders. Tropical fauna lives south of the Togara Strait in Japan.

Of the birds, there are woodpecker, thrush, titmouse, swallow, starling, black grouse, cranes, stork, hawk, eagle, owls, there are many sea birds off the coast. Freshwater fish - carp, catfish, eel, lamprey; artificially bred eels and salmon, including trout. Commercial fish of coastal waters: Pacific herring, ivasi, tuna, cod, flounder. There are also crabs, shrimps, oysters.

Soils

The soils of Japan are poorly suitable for agriculture without their preliminary processing. In the north of the country, podzolic and meadow-marsh soils are common, in the southern part of the temperate zone - brown forest soils, in the subtropics and tropics - yellow and red soils. In the mountains, the soils are predominantly gravelly, often with inclusions of volcanic ash; on the plains, cultivated alluvial soils.

Ecology

The ecological history of Japan and the current politics of the country reflect the balance between economic development and environmental protection. During the period of rapid economic growth after the Second World War, attention to environmental policy from the government and industrial corporations decreases. As an inevitable consequence of this - the strongest environmental pollution in the 1950s and 1960s. With growing concern about this, the government passed environmental legislation in 1970 and the Environmental Protection Agency was established in 1971. The 1973 oil crisis also encouraged the efficient use of energy due to Japan's lack of natural resources. Current priority environmental issues include urban air pollution (nitrogen oxides, toxic substances), waste management, water eutrophication, nature conservation, climate change, and international cooperation to preserve the environment.

Modern Japan is one of the world leaders in the development of new environmentally friendly technologies. Honda and Toyota hybrid vehicles have high fuel efficiency and low emissions. This is due to advanced technology in hybrid systems, biofuels, the use of lighter material and better engineering.

Japan is also considering issues related to climate change and global warming. As a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, Japan has made commitments to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and other warning measures related to climate change. In fulfilling its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, Japan is preparing to greatly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

Japan ranked 30th in the 2005 Environmental Sustainability Index.

Administrative-territorial structure

Japan is divided into 47 administrative divisions of the highest level, the so-called. prefectures. Each prefecture is governed by a prefect (in the case of Hokkaido, a governor) and has its own legislative and administrative apparatuses. For convenience, prefectures are often grouped into regions that are not administrative divisions.

Japan prefecture map. Islands that Japan disputes with Russia are colored orange.

In turn, the prefectures are divided into smaller administrative divisions: 14 sub-prefectures of Hokkaido, special cities determined by government decrees, and counties. Special cities, determined by government decrees, include cities with a population of more than 500,000 people.

In addition to prefectures and counties, there are administrative units at the municipal level in the country, which enjoy wide autonomy. These are central cities, special cities, ordinary cities, special areas of Tokyo, as well as towns and villages.

Population

In 2009, about 127.47 million people lived in Japan. According to 2007 data, 89.07% of Japanese live in cities. Japanese society is linguistically and culturally homogeneous with few foreign workers. National minorities include Ryukyuans, Koreans, Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese Brazilians and Japanese Peruvians. In 2005, there were about 1.56 million foreigners in Japan. The country is visited by an increasing number of Russians, in 2002 36,693 people came to Japan. About 98% of the population are actually Japanese; the largest groups of indigenous minorities are the Ryukyus (about one and a half million people), the Ainu, and also social minorities - the Burakums.

Japan has one of the highest life expectancies, at 82.12 years in 2009, and one of the lowest infant mortality rates. Japanese society is rapidly aging, with the explosion in the birth rate after the end of World War II giving way to a decline in the birth rate at the end of the 20th century. In 2005, about 20.1% of the population was over 65 years of age.

These changes in demographic structure have created a number of social problems, in particular a potential decline in the labor force and an increase in the cost of social benefits such as pensions. Many young Japanese choose not to marry or start a family. The Japanese population is expected to drop to 95 million by 2050. Demographers and the government are engaged in heated discussions about how to deal with this problem. Immigration and birth promotion are sometimes suggested as solutions to demographic problems.

Religion

The vast majority of Japanese profess Buddhism (71.4%) and Shintoism (83.9%). Chinese Confucianism, Zen Buddhism and Amidism have also influenced Japanese beliefs and traditions. Christians are a religious minority, only 2% of the population. Among the associations of Christian churches operating on a pan-Japanese scale, the largest is the Catholic central council. In the middle of the 19th century, various religious sects appeared in Japan, such as Tenrikyo and Aum Shinrikyo.

The country is characterized by religious syncretism, when believers profess several religions at once. This leads to a mixture of different religious practices. So, adults and children celebrate Shinto holidays, schoolchildren pray before exams, young couples have wedding ceremonies in a Christian church, and funerals in a Buddhist temple.

Languages

The vast majority of the country's inhabitants speak Japanese. It has no exact analogues among other languages, is closer to the Altaic family of languages, has an original script that combines ideography and syllabic phonography. According to the grammatical structure - agglutinative with a predominantly synthetic expression of grammatical meanings. A feature of the language is a developed system of honorifics, reflecting the hierarchical nature of Japanese society. According to the Shinse Kokugojiten Dictionary of the Japanese Language, words of Chinese origin make up about 49.1% of the total vocabulary, Japanese proper words make up 33.8%, and other loanwords 8.8%. Japanese writing consists of three main parts - kanji (hieroglyphs borrowed from China), and two syllabary alphabets - kana, created in Japan on the basis of kanji - katakana and hiragana. Each of these types of writing has found its traditional place in modern writing. Latin and Arabic numerals are also used. The Ryukyuan languages, which belong to the Japanese-Ryukyuan language family, are spoken in Okinawa, but only a few learn them. The Ainu language belongs to the disadvantaged languages. Only the aging residents of Hokkaido know him. In most private and public schools, students learn Japanese and English.

Economy

Japan ranks second in the world (after the US) in terms of a nominal GDP of more than $5 trillion, and third in purchasing power parity (after the US and China). Banking, insurance, real estate, transportation, retail, telecommunications and construction play a significant role in the country's economy. Japan has a large manufacturing capacity and is home to several of the largest manufacturers of motor vehicles, electronics, machine tools, steel, ships, chemicals , textiles and food products. The service sector accounts for three-quarters of the gross domestic product.

As of 2001, Japan's labor force was 67 million. Japan has a low unemployment rate, about 4%. As of 2007, Japan ranked 19th in terms of GDP to hours worked. According to the Big Mac Index, Japanese workers earn the highest hourly wages in the world. The largest companies include Toyota, Nintendo, NTT DoCoMo, Canon, Honda, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Sony, Nippon Steel, Tepco, Mitsubishi and 711. It also houses several major banks and the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The Tokyo Stock Exchange ranks second in the world in terms of market capitalization. In 2006, 326 Japanese companies were included in Forbes 2000, accounting for 16.3% of the list.

In 2009, Japan ranked 13th in the Ease of Doing Business Index and 19th in the Economic Freedom Index (fifth among thirty Asian countries). Capitalism in Japan has many features, for example, keiretsu play a prominent role in the country's economy. Lifelong employment of an employee in the same company is also common. Japanese companies are known for such company management methods as "Toyota Principles". Recently, Japan has somewhat departed from these norms.

In 2007, Japan's main export partners were the United States (20.4%), China (15.3%), South Korea (7.6%), Taiwan (6.3%), Hong Kong (5.4%), and for imports - China (20.5%), USA (11.6%), Saudi Arabia(5.7%), UAE (5.2%), Australia (5%), South Korea (4.4%) and Indonesia (4.2%). Japan exports mechanical vehicles, electronics and chemicals. Machinery and equipment, fossil fuels, food (especially beef), chemicals, textiles and industrial raw materials are imported into the country. Junichiro Koizumi's government introduced a series of reforms to encourage market competition, and foreign investment increased as a result.

Transport

Japan has invested heavily in road construction. The main means of transportation is motor vehicles, using about 1.2 million paved roads. In Japan, driving is on the left. A single network of high-speed toll roads connects the major cities of the country. Vehicle owner taxes and fuel taxes are used to encourage fuel-efficient technology.

Dozens of railway companies compete in national and regional markets, such as the 7 companies of Japan Railways, Kintetsu, Seibu Railway and Keio Corporation. About 250 Shinkansen high-speed trains connect the main cities of the country. Japanese machinists are known for their punctuality.

There are 173 airports in Japan. Flying is a popular mode of transportation. The largest national airport, Tokyo International Airport, is the busiest airport in Asia. The major international airports include Narita, Kansai and Chubu, while the largest port is Nagoya Port.

Culture and society

In Japan, from the end of the 1st millennium AD. e. there is a developed literature (for example, the text of the Japanese anthem dates back to the 9th-10th centuries). Monuments of painting and architecture from the beginning of the 2nd millennium have been preserved to this day. Chinese culture had a great influence on Japanese culture during its formation, and after the Meiji Restoration, Western European culture. In the 20th century, Japanese anime and manga gained worldwide recognition.

In Japanese culture, black is a symbol of nobility, age and experience, in contrast to white, which symbolizes apprenticeship, youth. The black color symbolizes the highest rank in many martial arts (black belt).

The science

Japan is one of the leading countries in the field of scientific research, especially in high technology, biomedicine and robotics. The national R&D budget is US$130 billion and nearly 700,000 scientists are involved in research. Japan ranks third in terms of funds spent on science. It leads the way in fundamental science: among the Japanese, there are 13 Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry, or medicine, three Field Prize winners, and a Gauss Prize winner. Japan ranks first in the production and use of robots. Thus, more than half (402,200 out of 742,500) of all manufactured industrial robots are used in the country. In this country, such robots as QRIO, ASIMO and AIBO were invented.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is engaged in space, planetary, aviation research, and also designs rockets and satellites. The Agency has the ability to launch artificial Earth satellites, automatic interplanetary stations, and participates in the International Space Station program. JAXA launched PLANET-C to study Venus in 2010, prepare a Mercury study by 2013, and build a base on the Moon by 2030. On September 14, 2007, the second artificial lunar satellite, called Kaguya, was launched from the Tanegashima Space Center using an H-IIA launch vehicle. This is the largest lunar exploration mission since the Apollo program. The satellite will be used to collect data on the origin and evolution of the moon. It entered lunar orbit on October 4 and is moving at an altitude of about 100 km above the surface of the moon.

Sport

Sumo is considered the national sport in Japan and is the third most popular professional sport. Some martial arts such as judo, kendo and karate also attract large crowds. After the Meiji Restoration, many Western sports appeared and spread through the education system in Japan.

Baseball is the most popular professional sport. The Japanese Professional Baseball League was founded in 1936. Among the famous Japanese baseball players, Ichiro Suzuki can be noted, who twice won the World Baseball Classic as part of the Japanese national team.

After the founding of the J-League in 1992, football also began to gain popularity. IN modern Japan it is the second most popular sport. The Japanese football team is one of the most successful Asian teams, having won the Asian Football Cup three times. From 1981 to 2004, the finals of the Intercontinental Cup were held exclusively in Japan.

Other popular sports are golf, boxing, motor sports and wrestling.

Japan hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics, as well as the 1998 and 1972 Winter Olympics.

Holidays

In Japan, there are 15 public holidays called shukujitsu (Jap. 祝日 - "holiday"). These days are officially days off, their list is established by the law on public holidays. Four holidays that follow almost one after another (Showa Day, Constitution Day, Greenery Day and Children's Day) are collectively referred to as the "golden week". The Japanese government also introduced a system of happy Mondays, according to which, in the 2000s, four holidays - Coming of Age Day, Sea Day, Honor the Elders' Day and Physical Education Day - were moved from fixed calendar dates to Mondays (thus giving three days off in a row ).

In addition to public holidays, there are unofficial holidays in Japan called matsuri (Jap. 祭). Each locality has its own traditional matsuri, but some of them are celebrated throughout the country - tanabata, hinamatsuri, setsubun, shichi-go-san and others. Another well-known holiday event is the cherry blossoms. Borrowed holidays are also celebrated, which have become a tradition in Japan relatively recently (for example, Valentine's Day).

Education

Primary, secondary and higher education was introduced to Japan in 1872 as a result of the Meiji Restoration. Since 1947, compulsory education in Japan has consisted of elementary school and high school, which lasts for nine years (ages 6 to 15). Almost all children continue their education at a three-year high school, and according to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, about 75.9% of high school graduates go on to study at universities, colleges, vocational schools or other institutions. Education in Japan is very competitive, in particular for admission to higher education institutions. two best universities in Japan, the University of Tokyo and the University of Kyoto are considered. The International Student Assessment program is coordinated by the OECD and the quality of knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds in Japan is currently among the best in the world.

healthcare

Medical services in Japan are provided by state and local governments. Payment for personal medical services is made through the universal health insurance system, which provides relative equality of access, fees set by a government committee. Uninsured people can participate in the national health insurance program administered by the local government through their employer. Since 1973, government-funded insurance has been extended to all older people. Patients have the right to choose their doctor as well as the facilities.

Useful data for tourists about Japan, cities and resorts of the country. As well as information about the population, currency of Japan, cuisine, features of visa and customs restrictions in Japan.

Geography of Japan

Japan is a state in East Asia, located on 4 large islands (Kyushu, Shikoku, Honshu and Hokkaido), the Ryukyu Islands and more than 4 thousand small islands. It is washed by the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, the Pacific Ocean, the East China Sea and the Sea of ​​Japan.

The relief of the country is predominantly mountainous, rather strongly dissected. There are numerous active and extinct volcanoes, including the highest point in Japan - Fujiyama volcano (3776 m). The coastline is indented by numerous bays and bays. Frequent earthquakes.

State

State structure

A constitutional monarchy, the emperor (tenno) is nominally considered the head of state, but in reality he is only a symbol of the state and the unity of the nation. The legislature is a bicameral parliament, consisting of the House of Councilors and the House of Representatives. Executive power is concentrated in the hands of the Cabinet of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister.

Language

Official language: Japanese

English is widely spoken.

Religion

Almost all Japanese are Shintoists, most Shintoists also practice Buddhism.

Currency

International name: JPY

There are only three types of banknotes in use: in denominations of 10,000, 5,000 and 1,000 yen, as well as coins in denominations of 500, 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1 yen.

It is best to exchange large amounts at the airport upon arrival, as in hotels they change no more than $300 per person per day, and in banks the exchange procedure is complicated by bureaucratic formalities. It is possible to pay with major credit cards (please note that some restaurants do not accept credit cards). Traveler's checks can be freely cashed at most major banks or international system hotels.

Popular Attractions

Tourism in Japan

Where to stay

Japan has long been famous for its hospitality. In this country, tourists are offered comfortable hotels for every taste. They are divided into two main groups - created by the type of European and traditional Japanese ryokan.

In big cities you will find hotels of famous world chains - Hilton, Marriott and others. There are also no less luxurious hotels owned by the Japanese. And since Japan is a country of modern technologies, innovative developments have not bypassed such an industry as hotel business. Recently, "smart" hotels have become increasingly popular, in which a comfortable microclimate is maintained using a computer, all rooms are connected to the latest communication systems, and even toilets are computerized.

Mid-range hotels offer both traditional European-style rooms (with a private bathroom) and Japanese-style rooms with tatami floors and a shared bathroom. In rural areas, European-style boarding houses have become widespread.

Here you will find traditional flavor, good food and a warm family welcome. For thrifty business travelers, comfortable and inexpensive hotels equipped with everything necessary for doing business are offered. They are usually located either near the railway station / airport, or close to business centers.

Another purely Japanese know-how was capsule hotels. They are designed mostly for Japanese employees (too busy to catch the last train and return home for the night) or those who have had a lot to drink at a pleasure institution and now need to rest. In such a hotel, you will be offered a "capsule" in which you can only lie down, but also have a small TV, fresh linens and an alarm clock.

There are many youth hotels in remote areas of big cities. You can also camp in Japan. Here you will be offered accommodation either in a tent or in a house, on the territory of the campsite there is running water, gas, electricity, a toilet and a shower.

Japanese cuisine is a special art of creating still lifes on a plate, the ability to arrange and present a dish. Japanese food is very simple, and the chef strives to appearance and the taste of the dish retained the original properties of the product for as long as possible. The preparation of raw fish, for example, is often limited to skillfully slicing it and arranging it beautifully on a platter....

Tips

"Tipping" for services in hotels and taxis is not customary, and in places where foreigners are brought up in a different way, there are even special signs hanging that "it is not customary to give tips, all our employees receive a good salary." If you try to give - offended.

Visa

Office Hours

Banks are open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the first and last Saturday of the month. Sunday is a day off.

Department stores are usually open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and are closed one day a week (depending on the store schedule). The rest of the shops are open from 10-11 to 19-20.

Purchases

All sales and services are subject to a non-refundable tax of 5% (up to 40% on some items), plus purchases over 15,000 yen are subject to an additional 3% local tax. For a VAT refund in stores and departments of the "tax-free" system, you must present your passport.

Souvenirs

Most often, tourists from Japan bring Japanese dolls, items for the tea ceremony (a tea table, a cast-iron teapot with cups), sake sets, sushi sets, panels with hieroglyphs, kimonos, fans.

Medicine

Medical care is paid and quite expensive, so international medical insurance required.

Japan is called the land of the rising sun. The sun in the center of her national flag means perfection, the flowering of the state. It is a symbol of light, wealth, abundance. Admiration for this country, its achievements, is possible only through its knowledge, penetration into its secrets, understanding of its traditions.

This Empire, the oldest in the world, still remains mysterious and incomprehensible to us. Mysterious Fujiyama, the temples of Kyoto, magical Tokyo evoke admiration and a desire to understand the secrets of an ancient civilization.

In this country, ancient samurai traditions and the latest technologies are intricately intertwined: in fact, it has long been in the 21st century.

Japan is an island country located on an arched archipelago consisting of more than 6.8 thousand islands, which in a curved chain stretch about 3800 kilometers along east coast Asia.

The geographical position of the Japanese islands to the east of the mainland determined the figurative name of the country - the Land of the Rising Sun.

The total area of ​​the islands of Japan is about 378 thousand square meters. km. Only four of the islands can be called large. These are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu - the Japanese do not even call them islands, but call them the main land, the main territory: they account for 98% of the entire country.

Bridges and underwater tunnels built between the four largest islands made it possible to turn the scattered territorial space of the country into a single land formation.

The islands of Hokkaido and Honshu are connected by the world's longest transport tunnel Seikan, laid under the Sangara Strait. Three bridges spanning the islands and waters of the Seto Naikai (Inland Sea of ​​Japan) united the islands of Honshu and Shikoku. The islands of Honshu and Kyushu are connected by two tunnels and one bridge.

Over the past few decades, the territory of Japan, although slightly, has increased due to the creation of artificial islands. So, in Tokyo Bay, Yumenoshima Island was filled in 10 years, on which a stadium, a museum, greenhouses were built, and a park was laid out. Ogishima Island was created specifically to house the smelter. For the construction of an international airport in Osaka Bay, an artificial island was also poured. The southern islands are fringed by coral reefs.

Mountains are a characteristic feature of the Japanese archipelago, they cover 71% of the land, and only separate areas along the coasts or the channels of large rivers are plains and lowlands that border the mountain systems.

Japan's most famous mountain is Mount Fuji. It rises on the border of Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures. Mount Fuji is 3776 meters high, making it the highest mountain in Japan. More than half a million people climb Mount Fuji every year.

A significant part of the mountain peaks of Japan are volcanoes, there are about 200 of them, 67 are considered "alive" (active or dormant). Among the volcanoes, Asama, Miharayama, Asosan and Sakurajima are especially active.

The active volcano Asosan is located in the middle part of the island of Kyushu. This fire-breathing mountain is widely known not only within the country, but also abroad. In terms of the number of eruptions, Asosan occupies one of the first places among the world's volcanoes (more than 70 eruptions have been recorded), its crater is one of the largest in the world.

Fujiyama is also a volcano, and although it is now inactive, it is considered a relatively young volcano from a geological point of view, so it is likely that it will awaken.

Japan, as a volcanic country, is characterized by an abundance of mineral and especially hot springs.

Religion

Shinto ("way of the gods"), Shinto

Shintoism is the national religion of the Japanese, which arose on the basis of totemistic ideas of antiquity, incorporated the cult of ancestors and developed under the influence of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. The objects of the Shinto cult are both objects and phenomena of nature, and the souls of the dead, including the souls of ancestors - the patrons of families, clans, and individual localities. The supreme deity ("kami") of Shinto is considered Amaterasu Omikami (Great sacred goddess shining in the sky), from which, according to Shinto mythology, the imperial family originates. The main specific feature of Shinto is deep nationalism. "Kami" did not give birth to people in general, namely the Japanese. They are most intimately connected with the Japanese nation, which is therefore distinguished by its unique character.

In Japan, there are about 80 thousand Shinto shrines (jinja), in which more than 27 thousand priests (kannushi) perform rituals. While large temples serve dozens of kannushi, several dozen small temples have one priest each. Most kannushi combine Shinto service with mundane pursuits, working as teachers, employees of local municipalities, and other institutions. Jinja, as a rule, consists of two parts: honden, where an object symbolizing the object of worship (shintai) is stored, and haiden - a hall for worshipers. A mandatory attribute of the jinja is the U-shaped arch, the torii, installed in front of it.

The main source of income for large temples is traditional New Year's pilgrimages, when the number of visitors to each of them ranges from hundreds of thousands to millions. Trade in amulets, spells, fortune telling also brings a solid profit. At the same time, some of them "specialize" in the prevention of road accidents, others "save" from fires, others "ensure" the passing of exams in educational institutions, etc. An impressive income for the Shinto clergy is also brought by halls for wedding ceremonies run by temples.

The Shinto cult goes beyond jinja. Its object can be any object, the "holiness" of which is indicated by a rope woven from rice straw - shimenawa. Many families have home altars - kamidana, in which tablets with the names of ancestors serve as objects of veneration.

The Shinto rite begins with purification, which consists in washing the mouth and hands with water. Its obligatory element is the reading of prayers addressed to the deity. The rite ends with a ritual, during which the kannusi and the faithful drink a sip of rice mash, which symbolizes the tasting “along with the deity” of the offerings made to him.

Buddhism

Buddhism, along with Shintoism - the national Japanese religion - is practiced by the majority of Japanese believers.

In the process of establishing Buddhism in Japan, several of its sects, or schools, were formed, which, in contrast to the new religions of Buddhist origin, are called traditional. They all belong to the Mahayana, or the so-called northern branch of Buddhism. The most ancient sects (Kegon, Ritsu, Hosso), formed in the Nara period, lost their influence over time.

The most common direction of Buddhism in Japan is Amidaism, in which the basis of the cult is the worship of the Buddha Amitabha (Jap. Amida) - the ruler of the Pure Land - a Buddhist paradise. The most popular Amida schools, Jodo shu (Pure Land School) and Jodo shin shu (True Pure Land School), were founded in the 13th century by preachers Honen and Shinran. The cult practice of the Amidaists is the traditional appeal of believers to the Amida Buddha for help.

The Zen school, which preaches the achievement of the ideal of Buddhism - revealing the essence of the Buddha in oneself - by immersion in deep self-contemplation, has become widespread in Japan.

Zen Buddhism

It became widespread in the 12th-13th centuries. There are two main sects in Zen Buddhism: Rinzai, founded by Eisai (1141-1215), and Soto, whose first preacher was Dogen (1200-1253).

The peculiarity of this creed lies in the increased emphasis on the role of meditation and other methods of psycho-training in achieving satori. Satori means peace of mind, balance, a sense of non-existence, "inner enlightenment."

Zen was especially widespread in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. among the samurai, when his ideas began to enjoy the patronage of the shoguns. The ideas of strict self-discipline, constant auto-training, and the indisputability of the mentor's authority corresponded to the worldview of the warriors in the best possible way. Zen was reflected in national traditions and had a profound influence on literature and art. On the basis of Zen, the Tea Ceremony is cultivated, the method of arranging flowers is being developed, and gardening art is being formed. Zen gives impetus to special trends in painting, poetry, drama, and promotes the development of martial arts.

The influence of the Zen worldview still extends to a significant part of the Japanese today. Zen adherents argue that the essence of Zen can only be felt, sensed, experienced, it cannot be understood by the mind.

All organizations of traditional schools of Buddhism are members of the All Japan Buddhist Association. At present, Buddhist temples are engaged not so much in the preaching of the Buddhist doctrine in the interpretation of one or another school, but in religious rites and, above all, in funeral and funeral rituals. This serves as the main source of income for the vast majority of Buddhist temples. Temples also receive a lot of money from the sale of amulets, calendars, fortune telling. For temples with ancient history tourism has become the main source of income.

The clergy of the traditional schools of Buddhism show no interest in social life.

Bushido

Bushido (“the way of the warrior”) is a moral and ethical doctrine of the norms of behavior for samurai (bushi).

The main ideological sources for the emergence of the warrior's code of honor, as Bushido is often called, were Confucianism, Shintoism and Buddhism (especially the Zen sects). The basic moral and ethical norms of Confucianism, primarily fidelity to duty, honor, the concept and characteristics of a “noble husband”, were combined with a Buddhist reverent attitude towards death and, as a result, indifference to life, faith in the possibility of rebirth in the best quality, depending on whether How did you manage to live and finish your life.

Most a prime example use of Bushido at this time - suicide pilots, the so-called kamikaze. The idea of ​​sacrificing one's life on the orders of the emperor was for them only the norm of Bushido, the obligatoriness of which there can be no doubt. After the end of the war, examples of following the Way of the Warrior in such orthodox forms became much rarer. One of the latest is the suicide of the famous nationalist writer Mishima Yukio, who committed seppuku (hara-kiri - ritual suicide by ripping open the stomach) after an unsuccessful military coup attempt in 1970.

Culture and art

There are several main cultural features of Japan that may be of interest to a modern tourist:

Public holidays and festivals in Japan

* the dates of public holidays are highlighted

The climate of Japan, with the exception of the island of Hokkaido, is that of a temperate country, with four distinct seasons and two rainy seasons, spring and autumn.

Winter is defined by one of the coldest air masses in the world, Siberian.

Throughout Japan, with the exception of Hokkaido, summer is preceded by periods of rain called "bayu" (literally - "plum rain").

The rainy season begins in mid-May in southern Okinawa and mid-June in the Tohoku region of northern Honshu, and ends in mid-June and July respectively. At this time, the bayou front is established along the south coast, and it rains almost every day. At the very beginning of the rainy period, it is drizzling, but by the end it is already water squalls lasting for hours, which creates a constant danger of landslides caused by heavy rains.

In general, the climate of Japan is clearly divided into four seasons, each of which is full of its own charm.

The best season for tourism is spring and autumn.

WINTER (DECEMBER - FEBRUARY) Winter temperatures in the plains along the Pacific coast tend to be above freezing. The weather is sunny with dry air. Winter in the middle and northern parts of Japan is the most favorable for winter sports. In the southern part of Japan, the weather is pleasant and warm. Clothes: coat, sweater, etc. SPRING (MARCH - MAY) After a cold winter, peach blossom heralds the onset of spring, and cherry blossoms from late March to early April mean spring is in full swing. Mountains, fields and gardens are covered with beautiful light pink flowers. SUMMER (JUNE - AUGUST) Summer begins in June followed by a rainy season lasting 3 to 4 weeks. These frequent rains are necessary for the farmers during the rice planting period. From July comes the real summer heat. This season, the Japanese love to go swimming in the sea and spend time in the resort of the highlands. In summer, various festivals and events are held in Japan. Clothing: light dress. At the same time, it will be convenient for you if you have something like a cape with you, since air conditioners function in most rooms. AUTUMN (SEPTEMBER - NOVEMBER) After a hot summer, autumn comes with fresh winds and pleasant air temperatures. The forests are covered with wonderfully colored leaves, in parks and gardens you can enjoy the beautiful view of chrysanthemums blooming at this time. Various exhibitions, concerts and sports competitions are held in autumn. Clothing: light jacket, sweater, etc.

TEMPERATURE TABLE

Legend: "T"- temperature, "F"- Fahrenheit, "WITH"- Celsius, "R"- precipitation (in mm) in 2000.

Japanese dishes that tourists should definitely try

Chinese wheat ramen noodles

The Japanese love noodles, especially udon (wheat) and soba (buckwheat). Ramen (Chinese wheat noodles) is also very popular, especially among young people. It has almost become a national dish.

Ramen originated in China and used to be called Chuka-soba (Chinese noodles) in Japan. The Japanese began to eat it in the 10s of the 20th century, around the time that Chinese cuisine began to attract widespread attention. Ramen is a simple dish that consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles in a soup seasoned with soy sauce, topped with simmered pork, naruto fish pate, bamboo shoot pickles, and vegetables such as spinach or komatsuna (a type of Chinese cabbage) . When this dish first appeared in Japan, it was mainly sold in small street stalls.

Chinese noodle dough is made by mixing alkaline water (containing sodium carbonate or potassium carbonate) with wheat flour. The dough is kneaded, and then cylindrical strips are made from it. Each strip is pulled into a rather thin thread, then folded in half and each of the halves is pulled out again. The stretching and bending is repeated over and over again, and in this way an increasing number of increasingly thinner threads is obtained.

The origin of the word "ramen" is unknown, although there are several theories. Most likely, judging by the way the noodles are cooked, this word comes from two Chinese characters that read as "ra" and "men" and mean "pull" and "noodles."

In the 50s, some of those who returned to Japan from China, a few years after the war, began to make "Sapporo Ramen" in Hokkaido. The noodles gained popularity, and the word ramen was soon on everyone's lips. By the 80s, both old and young already considered ramen noodles to be the most common dish. In the first half of the 90s, ramen experienced an unprecedented rise in popularity throughout the country, especially in large cities, and almost all the media rode on the crest of success, playing on its popularity in special commercials dedicated only to noodles. It was not a gourmet fad, but a whole social phenomenon that would be close to perfection throughout Japan. Since then, the ramen boom has somewhat subsided, but at the beginning of the new century, there is no decline in its overall popularity. Each specialty restaurant continues to hone in on the flavor in its own way, carefully selecting noodles and recipes for soups, seasonings, and whatever goes on top. They have to please people who have developed very fine tastes. The competition is strong and some restaurants have long lines waiting to get in. Enthusiasts go out to try new restaurants as soon as they open, write critiques, classify them according to their own subjective standards, and post the results on their homepages. So the ramen craze keeps up with the times.

The boom began in Sapporo, in northern Japan, and spread to the cities of various parts of the country, where local varieties were given their own names: Hakata, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Hiroshima, Kitakata and many others.

Egg-wrapped rice - Omurice

Omurice is best eaten with a spoon. When the spoon cuts into the airy yellow egg, some hot, ketchup-dyed rice wakes up from it. And on top of the egg, there's a hefty portion of tomato ketchup that you can spread over the rice. Omurice is a very common dish in Japan. It is considered a Western dish modified for Japanese tastes because it includes scrambled eggs and rice flavored with tomato ketchup. As you may have guessed, the word omurice comes from the words "omelet and rice".

Omelet, plov and other dishes of overseas cuisine came to Japan from abroad at the end of the 19th century. The Japanese strictly followed some Western recipes, and adapted others to their tastes. Soon these variations began to spread throughout Japan. Most experts agree that omurice was first served in 1902, at a western restaurant called Renga-tei in Tokyo's Ginza district. They say that the owner was inspired by the old recipe for chakin-zushi (sushi rice wrapped in a thin layer of scrambled eggs).

Omurice is still popular. It is served everywhere, from Western-style restaurants and family eateries to coffee shops. It is also often eaten at home, because everything you need for it is almost always available in the kitchen, and it is not difficult to prepare it.

Chicken fried on small skewers - Yakitori

If you walk through an entertainment district in Japan in the evening, you can easily catch the scent of yakitori and the sounds of laughter coming from establishments filled with people pouring sake and eating yakitori for each other. This is a common scene in any city.

Yakitori are pieces of chicken fried on bamboo skewers. Chicken meat is fried with soy-based jelly containing sugar and cooking sake myrtle, or with salt. They are similar to the Middle Eastern veal shish kebab, or the Indonesian chicken (or lamb) satay.

A feature of yakitori is that you can eat not only chicken legs and brisket, but also internal organs and tail meat. Lightly charred and seasoned with a fragrant sauce or salt, these fleshy tissues are so appetizing that it is simply impossible to resist eating a lot. Yakitori are very popular not only in branded restaurants, but also in pubs and roadside stalls. Today, ready-made yakitori can also be bought in supermarkets.

After Buddhism became the state religion of Japan in the 7th century, a number of edicts were issued prohibiting the consumption of meat. After that, meat, including chicken, was not cooked or eaten in public places until the lifting of the ban in the second half of the 19th century. From this time on in the Meiji era, yakitori made from meat left over from restaurants was served at roadside stalls. They soon became very popular.

Yakitori became a common dish in the 60s, after broilers were imported from America and bred in large numbers in Japan. This bird grows quickly and is suitable for food. Subsequently, as the tastes of the Japanese became more refined, the number of outlets selling local varieties of yakitori chicken, such as hinai-dori from Akita prefecture and hyuga-dori from Miyazaki prefecture, grew. These days, restaurants continue to develop new recipes in the hope of gaining an edge over the competition. For example, they decide to use expensive binchotan charcoal, which is ideal for charcoal roasting.

If you're cooking yakitori at home without charcoal, place the grill on a gas or electric stove. You can make your job easier by lubricating the grill with oil to prevent burning. You can use a frying pan or other kitchen utensils that are usually used when frying meat.

Fried chicken can be made into aspic or sprinkled with salt, as you like. It tastes great with black pepper, lemon juice, or Shichi-togarashi (ground mixture of cayenne pepper, dried orange peels, and five grains).

Unlike beef or pork, chicken fat is concentrated in the skin, so chicken, when peeled, becomes a low-fat protein source.

Udon noodles

The Japanese prefer rice to any other grains, but they definitely like noodles made from wheat or buckwheat flour as well. Many people in Japan eat noodles once a day. This is partly because the noodles slide down the throat so easily and pleasantly, but also because they are easy to cook. The noodles only need to be boiled for a few minutes, and then you can eat them.

The first people to eat noodles were probably the Chinese. The art of making noodles is said to have been introduced to Europe by Marco Polo after his return from China. The secret of making udon came to Japan from China during the Nara Period (8th century), and throughout the country, udon became popular during the Edo Period (17th - 19th centuries).

Like Italian pasta (pasta), Japanese udon noodles are made from glutinous wheat flour, salt and water are also added to the dough. The dough is kneaded, rolled out, and then cut into long narrow strips. Buckwheat noodles (soba) are made in a similar way, except that the flour is a mixture of part buckwheat and part wheat. In Japan, both types of noodles are served, which are prepared in different ways, depending on the area.

Boiled udon is usually eaten with soy sauce-based broth. The broth is sometimes served separately, in its own small bowl, in which each portion of boiled noodles must be dipped to give it a certain flavor. Sometimes the noodles to be dipped are served in a hot pot filled with the water in which they were boiled, such udon is called kama-age, which means "out of the pot".

Another common way to enjoy udon is the combination of noodles and broth in one cup. In its most basic form, this dish usually combines only broth and a condiment such as chopped green onions or a spicy pepper-based concoction. Such udon is called su-udon ("simple udon") in the Osaka region and kake-udon in the Tokyo region. The taste of udon also varies from region to region, with a noticeable difference between west and east. Udon in the Osaka area uses a saltier soy sauce for the broth and green onions as a seasoning, while noodles in the Tokyo area use a more soy-rich broth that is flavored with chopped leeks.

There are even more varied versions of the dish consisting of noodles and broth, known as tanemono or the so-called variations on the theme of udon. They contain various additional components, such as tempura, fried tofu pieces, duck or chicken meat, a beaten egg that is poured into the broth until it thickens, or even curry sauce.

One popular udon condiment, called ankake, uses starch that is mixed with a little cold water to turn a regular soup into a glaze. The simplest form of ankake udon is made by pouring a broken egg into a glaze. This creates the effect of a thick egg soup. A hot cup of egg ankake udon will really warm you up on a cold day! For a much more generous dish with a better nutritional balance, add chicken and pressed boiled fish paste (kamaboko) to this seasoning, as well as some vegetables. Chicken can be replaced with pork or beef, as well as seafood such as shrimp, mussels or scallops.

Soba

The dough for soba noodles is made by mixing buckwheat and wheat flour with water, then kneading it, rolling it thinly and cutting it into narrow strips.

In cool climates, buckwheat grows quickly and does not need fertile soil. From the documents of the Nara era (710-794), we know how buckwheat was used in Japan at that time - people boiled grains and ate them like rice, and dumplings and unsweetened cakes were prepared from buckwheat flour. When there was a crop failure of rice, you could count on buckwheat.

Soba noodles as we know them today first appeared in the middle of the 17th century. It is pleasant to eat, and by the beginning of the 17th century it was being eaten in many regions of Japan. It was a time of castle building and urban growth, with the bustling city of Edo (modern day Tokyo) having a population approaching one million. Demand from builders and townspeople for catering places grew, and stalls and restaurants sprang up along the roads. Some served steamed soba noodles (mushi-soba), a light meal that soon caught on. When making mushi-soba, the noodles were boiled, then quickly cooled in lukewarm water, and then steamed in a wicker basket. Like modern soba noodles, they were served with a seasoned dipping sauce.

In Edo, soba noodles were very convenient for a light snack on an empty stomach, because at that time people usually ate only twice a day. Soba was a great, uncomplicated dish to fill up quickly when hungry throughout the day.

Subsequently, the development of soba went in different directions depending on the variety of tastes. Now you can choose from mori soba (noodles that are boiled in cool water and served in a pile in a basket) or kake soba (noodles in a large bowl that are poured with hot broth), and more recently, such a variety has been added to this choice: tane mono (tempura topped noodles, deep-fried tofu skin, edible wild plants, duck, etc.).

Now in everyday life, semi-finished soba noodles are common, dried or frozen to increase shelf life. But more and more people are making their own noodles - it's not easy, but how interesting it can be: slightly change the recipe or form, and then try your own variation on the taste.

Buckwheat is rich in vitamins B1 and B2, it also contains rutin and choline, so a growing number of people see it as a very healthy food. Some of the nutrients dissolve in the water, but they are not wasted if you follow the Japanese custom of finishing your meal by mixing the water in which the noodles were cooked with the dipping sauce and drinking the mixture down. This makes a lot of sense, because the drink tastes good and is nutritious.

Curry on rice

Curries on rice are often made in Japan at home and in school kitchens. This is a favorite dish for almost everyone, probably because it goes well with rice, the main food in Japan. Curry on rice is now almost a national dish, as is ramen noodles.

As everyone knows, India was the birthplace of cooking with curries. At the end of the 18th century, the British brought curry recipes from India with them, and from England it spread throughout the world. It became more and more common to serve meat with curry - seasoned with curry sauce, with rice as a side dish. Carry powder was first invented and sold at the beginning of the 19th century in England. The powder contains a powdered blend of various spices and makes it easy to prepare curried dishes at home.

When curries first made their way to Japan towards the end of the 19th century, they were introduced as part of British cuisine. In those days, food with curry was a luxury, but little by little, a new taste appeared in homes and ordinary restaurants in cities and towns. The dish was known by one of two names - rice kare or kare rice. The recipe for curry on rice was born in the 10s of the last century and has remained virtually unchanged since then. Curry sauce, containing more vegetables than meat and thickened with flour, is served over rice with a spicy seasoning (often minced daikon radish marinated in soy sauce).

Before the war, the military found curry on rice to be a convenient dish because it can be cooked in large quantities and is highly nutritious. Curry on rice did not become a common homemade meal until after World War II, thanks to an important innovation, a mixture of curry spices and flour that could be used in "instant" cooking. It's very easy - just fry the ingredients you want, add water, simmer and then toss the instant curry bar, let it dissolve into the liquid. Making curry on rice is easy and cheap, which explains why it has become a common household meal throughout the country.

But it's not just served at home - a variety of curry dishes can be found in commercial areas as well. They are on the menu of almost every restaurant, some noodle shops serve both kare-udon (wheat noodles flavored with curry) and rice with curry mackerel broth, and many bakery shops sell kare-pan (buns with curry sauce). inside).

There is a growing popularity, especially among young people, of restaurants serving dishes with curries from India, Thailand, Indonesia and other countries. One of them is the well-known restaurant "Nakamuraya", which has been serving Indian curry in Tokyo's Shinjuku district for 74 years. In 1927, founder Soma Aizo learned how to make curry from his son-in-law, Rash Bihari Bose, a leader of the Indian nationalist movement who was living in exile in Japan.

Curries at Nakamurai's restaurant are naturally thickened not with flour, but with vegetables. Its taste is light but rich. It is a healthy food because curry contains many spices that are used as medicinal herbs and does not bother you even if you eat dishes with curry often.

Sushi from "Conveyor"

The traditional dish has received the worldwide status of balgodar low prices and relaxed atmosphere.

You sit at the counter and watch sushi pass you on plates, then you take what you like. The conveyor belt sushi bar has low prices and a relaxed atmosphere. This new method of serving sushi spread from Japan to the United States, England, France, China, Russia and other countries.

Sushi is usually expensive, a luxury even in Japan. The conveyor sushi bar arose from thinking about how to give enough to eat to people with limited means. This bar was invented by Shiraishi Yoshiaki. In Higashi-Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, he had a restaurant that mainly served workers from nearby factories. These were small and medium-sized enterprises, and those who worked for them, of course, could not pay for expensive sushi. That's why Shiraishi opened a new, innovative sushi restaurant - no chairs, that is, visitors eat standing up. He managed to cut prices by 30%, and word got out quickly. The sushi bar was designed for 10 people, but was often crowded with hungry customers.

In a traditional sushi bar, everything is based on freshness - sushi is prepared only after it is ordered. If orders come one after another, the restaurant needs to hire new employees. More staff means higher payroll costs. Shiraishi remembered seeing beer bottles moving along a conveyor belt in the brewery a few days ago. This gave him the idea that if you make sushi and show it to your customers, they will have a choice, and he will be able to reduce the cost. So Shiraishi decided to put the sushi on the conveyor.

But what to make a conveyor from? It would seem that wood is best, but from raw fish and frequent washing, it will quickly rot. Iron will rust, so he chose stainless steel. The conveyor must go in an endless loop, so he made it from sickle-shaped steel plates fitted together.

After four years of trial and error, in 1958, the first assembly line sushi bar opened. It was called Genroku-zushi. A few years later, Shiraishi already had a network of 240 points throughout Japan. "If I can make my customers happy," he says, "I'm happy myself." In such restaurants, the bill is issued when the client says how much he ate. Shiraishi's idea combined traditional Japanese cuisine and modern technology and spread it all over the world.

Kintaro lollipops

Wherever you cut, you will definitely see the same face. Kintaro lollipops are cut from a long stick. This wand has unique feature: no matter where you cut it, the same mischievous face will definitely appear on it. This is the face of a boy named Kintaro, the hero of a legend. Lollipops have been known for a long time, but the legend of Kintaro is even older. Kintaro lived in the mountains, fought bears, monkeys and other wild animals. And according to another legend, Kintaro is the name that was called in childhood by another hero who lived about a thousand years ago.

The first Kintaro lollipops appeared over 120 years ago. One Tokyo confectionery company, Kintaro-ame Honten, still makes them the old way. Making them is relatively easy. First, the hard malt syrup must be divided into portions, and then each portion must be colored with a different color. After that, each portion is shaped into tiles. Each such tile will become part of the face. The tiles are stacked on top of each other, starting at the chin and moving on to the mouth, nose, eye, and so on, so that in the end a large cylindrical piece of candy is obtained. At this stage, the piece still doesn't look like a face. But if you pull it out into a long, thin stick, and then cut it off with a large knife, Kintaro's face will appear right there!

Each stick has its own face, as much of the work is done by hand." Machines are only used in certain stages of the manufacturing process, such as kneading molasses and pulling large pieces into long, thin sticks. "We could arrange the candy bars with a machine to get a well-thought-out image, but then all the faces would always be exactly the same. I'm sure that such lollipops would be less interesting than our handmade ones," says Watanabe Tetsuo, fifth member of the Kintaro-ame Honten dynasty.

"Kintaro-ame no e yes!" ("Just like Kintaro lollipops!") - this Japanese expression means: without unique features, monotonously monotonous. An apt comparison, since Kintaro's faces are remarkably similar wherever you cut the wand. But at the same time, an enviable individuality is manifested in each face.

Watanabe says that more and more customers are ordering lollipops with a funny picture of their own face. Along with Kintaro, in the world of lollipops, popular cartoon characters such as Pokémon are also very successful.

Sweets with Japanese flavor

The first seven days of January in Japan are called matsu no uchi, literally "among the pines", because pine branches are part of traditional New Year's decorations. These days, the Japanese visit relatives and close acquaintances with courtesy calls. Treats during such meetings are very modest, usually tea and sweets, and national ones, although in recent years they have been greatly supplanted by Western confectionery.

The difference between Japanese and Western sweets is quite big. In the West, caramel products (lollipops, filled caramels), farinaceous products (biscuits, cakes, muffins), chocolate and chocolates predominate. And in Japan, national sweets are dominated by another group of confectionery products, the so-called. fruit and berry products (marmalade, marshmallow, marmalade, jams).

Firstly, Japanese sweets should not be too sweet, secondly, they should have an aesthetically pleasing appearance, and thirdly, they should be handmade. The main difference between Japanese and European sweets is that they contain practically no animal protein components, such as creams, butter, and milk. Sugar is acceptable, but very little.

The appearance of sweets in Japan is given a lot of attention. Perhaps that is why the Japanese are dominated by "soft sweets", which are easier to give both appetizing and aesthetic appearance.

Among the traditional Japanese sweets, yokan bean paste is the most common. A mixture of red bean paste, sugar and Japanese gelatin takes a long time to cook. The resulting mass is poured into wooden molds, in which it hardens. It is believed that the first yokan was made in Japan, in the city of Kyoto in 1589. At that time, very detailed rules for the tea ceremony were developed. Yekan began to be served during the tea ceremony, as it turned out that its sweet taste goes well with the slight bitterness of green tea.

There are many varieties of yokan in Japan. Somewhere it is made with the addition of chestnuts, somewhere it is mixed with dried persimmon or some local fruits. The popularity of yokan in Japan was also facilitated by the fact that it can be stored for a very long time, since it is boiled in sugar for several hours.

Uiro is prepared using a slightly different technology. It is softer than yokan and only slightly sweet. Another type of bean-based sweet is nerikiri, usually made from white beans. They are pre-boiled until a paste is formed, sugar is added to it and jam is obtained. This jam (it is called an) is used both as a filling and on its own, giving the prepared sweets a very different shape - pine, bamboo or plum tree. These plants in Japan are a symbol of longevity, and nerikiri with their images are presented as a wish on appropriate occasions. Usually nerikiri figurines are made small, for one sip.

Pies with sweet manju filling are very popular among the Japanese. In the 14th century, the technology of cooking steamed pies with meat filling was brought to Japan from China. But soon, in the Buddhist monasteries of Japan, instead of meat, they began to stuff pies with sweet bean paste, since monks were forbidden to eat meat. Sweet manju began to be served with tea at ceremonies in Buddhist temples. Typically, these pies are made from a mixture of flour, powdered sugar, and baking powder replacing yeast, and then stuffed with en pasta and steamed. There are many varieties of manju, not only by the nature of the filling. After cooking, they are often covered with glaze, which includes crushed green tea, sesame seeds and other ingredients.

A very common dessert dish in Japan has long been mochi - rice cakes or balls. Boiled rice of glutinous varieties is pounded in a special mortar and the resulting pasty mass is rolled into balls. Often crushed odorous herbs are added to the mass for aroma. The easiest way to make sweet mochi is to roast them and dip them in sweet soy sauce. This is how kinako-mochi is prepared. After frying, the koloboks are moistened and rolled in sweetened bean flour. But, as a rule, balls of prepared rice mass are steamed beforehand. After that, they are either covered with jams or sprinkled with additives. The design of the mochi is also important. So, in the manufacture of kashiwa-mochi, rice balls are wrapped in sheets of one of the varieties of oak, and in the manufacture of timaki - in bamboo sheets.

In the relatively recent past, mochi were considered a purely festive treat. These days in Japan, they can be bought in large stores all year round, although traditional families continue to prepare these sweets with their own hands.

Such sweets correspond to Japanese tastes and are often difficult to accept by foreigners. A few years ago, the Embassy of Japan in Moscow organized an evening of tasting Japanese sweets. It must be honestly said that the "exhibits", although they were eaten, did not delight many guests who had no idea about the peculiarities of Japanese cuisine, because they were too different from ours, sweet to cloying. Japanese sweets are the fruit of centuries-old national traditions. Nothing extravagant, everything is natural and in moderation, especially sugar.

Of course, globalization has left its mark on the confectionery tastes of the Japanese. Confectionery prepared according to foreign recipes has firmly entered the life of the Japanese, loved by both young and old, men and women, and of course, children. However, Japanese-style sweets have not disappeared, they can be found in any city. This suggests that the age-old skill of Japanese confectioners is preserved. Their products are distinguished by high taste in the literal and figurative sense. It has its own distinct culinary aesthetic, and it is hoped that Japanese sweets will continue to have an appeal in Japan and perhaps be appreciated overseas.

Table etiquette

There are two main types of sitting at a low table on the tatami - seiza and agura. Seiza is a strict official posture, a person sits on his heels, straightening his body. So they sit during official and ceremonial dinners. The Japanese believe that an upright posture allows you to concentrate better. Therefore, when discussing serious business issues at dinner, they prefer to sit in the seiza position. The agur pose is more relaxed, allowing you to sit with your legs crossed in front of you. It is acceptable during informal Japanese-style feasts, but with traditional etiquette, for example, at a meeting of classmates at educational institutions. Women do not sit in the agura position. In an informal setting, they adopt a somewhat simplified version of seiza. For foreigners, staying in an official position for a long time can be difficult. Therefore, the hosts most often offer a foreign guest to feel free and even substitute a special armrest.

If the tray in cafes and eateries serves as functional tableware, then at official dinners it is the main regulator of table etiquette. The placement of devices on it is strictly canonized. So, all small plates of food are placed on the right, and deep ones on the left, rice and soup are closer to the diner, snacks are at the far edge of the tray. A modest home-cooked dinner party usually includes 5 types of dishes: rice, soup and 3 appetizer courses. On solemn occasions, a dinner with a full set of dishes can be arranged. It includes rice, two soups and 5-7, even 10 appetizer options. In this case, 4-5 trays are used.

The chopsticks are placed on a tray in front of the guest on a special stand. Since most people hold the chopsticks with their right hand, their tips point to the left. In Japan, given the climate, oshibori, a hot wet napkin, is served before the meal. She wipes her face and hands. In the summer, in the heat, it can be cold.

The rules of Japanese table etiquette have evolved over the centuries. Their observance always causes a benevolent reaction of the Japanese. Before starting a meal, one should, usually with a slight bow, address the host with the word "Itadakimas!" It has many meanings, and in this case: "With your permission, I start the meal!". As a rule, on the first tray served to you there are two bowls covered with lids. On the left side - with rice (or empty - for rice), and on the right - with soup. If the rice bowl is empty, then you should take the bowl with both hands and place it on a tray, which will be placed in front of you by the waiter (or hostess) laying out the rice. The bowl filled with rice is moved to its tray. Only after that, sticks are taken with the right hand, but not before the main guest took them. The bowl of rice is taken in the left hand and the chopsticks pick up the lump of rice. Thus, the oldest Japanese tradition is fulfilled - to start a meal with rice, the main product. After rice, a sip of soup is taken from the bowl, which is taken on the right palm.

This is where the ritual part of the dinners often almost ends. Then you can eat everything that is served on the tray, in any order.

When eating rice, there are a number of important conventions. If rice is left in the bowl, it means that you have not finished eating. A clean bowl is a signal that you have finished your meal and tea will be served to you. After tea, the bowls are covered with lids. Chopsticks during meals, when they are not in use, are placed on special coasters. Under no circumstances should they be left stuck in rice. After the meal is over, the chopsticks are placed on the tray as a sign of the end of the meal with the words: "Gotiso-sama!" ("Thank you for the treat!") and a bow.

Foreigners can be advised not to rush, to take a closer look at what and how the Japanese are doing, walking, as it were, half a step behind. But there are provisions in the rules of conduct at the table according to which it is not recommended to do something, something is simply forbidden. Most of them are simple, natural and similar to European ones. You can't, for example, lick sticks. It is not customary to pick up plates on which food is laid out. You should not take something from the soup without taking a bowl with it from the tray in your hand. You can’t bite off a large piece, such as an omelet, you should separate the part into one bite with chopsticks. Everything on the left should be taken with the left hand, and everything on the right with the right. It is indecent to leave rice in a bowl. And yet, there is a hierarchy of places by seniority and social status. Guests in the house sit facing the tokonoma - a niche for works of art, the Japanese have this place of honor

INFORMATION ABOUT THE COST OF FOOD IN RESTAURANTS IN JAPAN

*prices are per person

Japan is a very expensive country, especially for foreigners. If you want to save money, then it is recommended not to use a taxi, but to use the inexpensive subway and train network. Food will cost you much less if you refuse to visit restaurants with menus in English and European cuisine, and go to places where the Japanese themselves eat.

Approximate prices:

• a cup of coffee - 350-600 yen;
• a bottle of beer - 350-1000 yen;
• 2 kilometers by taxi - 840 yen;
• hamburger at McDonald's - 340 yen;
• a bowl of noodles - 700 yen;
• moderate lunch - 2500 yen;
• double room - 9000-35000 yen.

MENU IN RESTAURANTS IN JAPAN

The theater, as you know, begins with a hanger, and restaurants in Japan with osinagaki, menus. Outwardly, menus often resemble, without exaggeration, works of art. There are osinagaki, which are written with a brush on thin rice paper in the style of famous calligraphy masters. In many restaurants, menu texts are not inferior in artistic design. The list of dishes sometimes reminds of classic poetic verses. In any case, many images from poetry migrated to osinagaki. In autumn, for example, momiji oroshi will be offered to you. Momiji is scarlet autumn maple leaves, a traditional poetic image, and oroshi, literally, is something passed through a grater. Autumn moods are caused by the Japanese and a dish with the same name as tsukimi van. Van is a thick vegetable soup with meat or fish in a wooden bowl. And tsukimi is an autumn ritual of admiring the reflection of the moon in water-filled rice fields. Again, the name of the dish hints at the season. Late autumn is associated with shigure-ni boiled dishes. Shigure - translated as autumn drizzling rain, and ni - cooking.

Menus with such names read like an ode to autumn, especially if you know Japanese poetic images well. When autumn turns into winter and the "icicles" of the Japanese daikon radish are gaining the peak of their taste, furofuki (finely chopped boiled daikon with tofu bean curd) appears on the menu of national restaurants. The name of this dish is associated with the steam emanating from the hot bath, so beloved by the Japanese on chilly evenings. This dish, typical for late autumn, is side by side with mizore ae. Mizore is rain and snow, and ae is a vegetable salad, sometimes with fish and soy paste. It necessarily contains grated snow-white daikon with sweet sauce. The dish is usually prepared in such a way that it also gives the impression of wet snow that sticks to bare tree branches and covers city streets.

The poetic names on the menu, which evoke images and memories, correspond to the developed Japanese aesthetic taste, but they also carry specific information about the dish. A tsukimi van will almost certainly contain a perfectly round egg boiled in a special way, without a shell, in boiling water, or some other component that resembles a full moon in shape. Even McDonald's restaurants in Japan have been offering a hamburger with an egg for many years in the fall and call it tsukimi baga (i.e., a burger - cutlet). Momiji oroshi, as a rule, says that the dish includes bright red pepper with grated radish as a seasoning for fried and boiled foods. Shigure-ni warns gourmets to prepare for a sharp, heavily peppered, ginger-flavoured dish.

In addition to seasonal and poetic hints, many of the names of the dishes offered in the restaurant often date back to legendary and fairy-tale characters. The most famous of these names is associated with cucumber-loving water Kappa. A popular type of sushi is called kappa maki. It is a handful of rice wrapped in dried nori seaweed with a cucumber in the middle.

Penetrated into the menu of Japanese restaurants and two popular characters of Japanese folklore, cunning rogues - kitsune (fox) and tanuki (badger). Menu references to kitsune are a direct hint that there will be something fried, golden brown in the dish. Many fairy tales say about tanuki that they like to expose their thick, drum-tight bellies during the full moon, demonstrating satiety. However, if you choose soba from the tanuki menu, this does not mean that you will be served something hearty, for example, that there will be pieces of meat or shrimp in soba (buckwheat noodles). Tanuki are cunning tricksters. Therefore, is it any wonder to find pieces of batter fried in oil instead of shrimp in a plate. Delicious, but far from satisfying. This is close to the tricks of the trickster tanuki in fairy tales. True, in reputable restaurants, such jokes with the names of dishes are very rare.

Often popular dishes are associated with the names of their creators. It may be recalled that sandwiches, a piece of ham or meat between two slices of bread, are named after their "inventor" the Earl of Sandwich. In Japan, the monk Takuan Osho, who lived in the 17th century, entered the culinary history as the author of the pickling process. Nowadays, on the menu you can find takuan-zuke - daikon marinated using a special technology.

It is difficult to capture all the features of the names of Japanese dishes. The fact is that in different parts of Japan, dishes with the same name can vary greatly in their components and flavors. Therefore, when entering a restaurant somewhere in an unfamiliar place for the first time, a foreigner, and even a Japanese who is not accustomed to frequent trips, should rely not so much on the poetry of the sound as on luck.

- a state in East Asia, which is located on 4 large islands: Kyushu, Honshu, Shikoku, Hokkaido, as well as the islands of the Ryukyu archipelago and more than a thousand small islands. In the north it is washed by the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, in the east by the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea, in the west by the Korea Strait and the Sea of ​​Japan. In the north it borders on Russia (Sakhalin, the Kuriles), in the south - on the Philippines, in the west and northwest - on China and South Korea.

The name of the country comes from the ancient Japanese "Yamata" - "country of people of the mountains."

Official name: Japan (Nippon)

Capital: Tokyo

The area of ​​the land: 377.4 thousand sq. km

Total population: 127.3 million people

Administrative division: It is subdivided into 9 regions, 44 prefectures, a metropolitan area and 2 urban prefectures.

Form of government: A constitutional monarchy.

Head of State: The emperor is a symbol of the unity of the nation, he does not have real power.

Composition of the population: 99% - Japanese, 0.5% - Koreans, 0.5% - Chinese and Ainu (remnants of the indigenous population).

Official language: Japanese, English is also widely spoken.

Religion : almost all Japanese are Shintoists, most Shintoists also practice Buddhism. 3% are Christians.

Internet domain: .jp

Mains voltage: ~100 V, 50 Hz/60 Hz

Phone country code: +81

Country barcode: 450-459 and 490-499

Climate

Since the Japanese archipelago is strongly elongated from north to south, the climate on the various islands differs markedly from each other. If Hokkaido has a classic climate of temperate latitudes with hot summers and snowy winters, then in the southern Ryukyu Islands the temperature rarely drops below +13: +15 degrees.

Hokkaido

The climate of the northernmost of the islands - Hokkaido - is the most severe in Japan. Local winters are very, very cold - in January the thermometer drops to -10:-15 at night, and in some areas there were cases when the thermometer dropped to -40oC. Snow cover is established here everywhere, which is facilitated by a sufficiently high amount of precipitation for the monsoon climate in winter - more than 300 mm per season, and in January it snows almost every day. Spring frosts are relevant here even in May, which is facilitated by the free penetration of cold air masses from the still ice-covered Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

In spring, due to frequent fogs, warming of the air in eastern parts The island is slowly growing - only at the end of April frosts stop here, due to which cereals are sown here a month later than in the west of the island. It is quite warm here in summer - in July-August, on average, there are several days when the temperature rises above +30 degrees, with average daily temperatures of +25: +26 degrees, but it is still rainy - on average per year in the capital of Hokkaido - Sapporo, there are about 300 rainy days.

Honshu, Shikoku, northern Kyushu

On the territory of these islands, the climate is noticeably milder than in Hokkaido. Subtropical latitudes favor the reduction of the duration of the winter season, which, however, does not negate the likelihood of snowfalls, which in the west of the island of Honshu acquire sometimes surprising proportions for the subtropics. Winter, however, is warm - at night the thermometer on the largest of Japanese islands fluctuates around zero, and during the day it heats up to +5: +7 degrees.

Spring comes quite quickly, and already at the end of March - at the beginning of April, the symbol of Japan, sakura, blooms everywhere. This time is one of the most recommended for visiting the country. At this time, the thermometer during the day almost everywhere exceeds the 15-degree mark.

At the beginning of summer in the Japanese subtropics, the so-called "plum rain" period begins - when the monsoon brings heavy and prolonged rains to the islands, which occur at high air temperatures and light winds. During the day, the air temperature reaches +25 degrees, and the air humidity is 100%.

At the end of the "plum rains" here comes the hottest time of the year, when daytime temperatures go off scale for +30, and nighttime temperatures do not fall below +20oC. However, on the coast, the heat is smoothed out by the sea breeze, which is what the resorts of the Boso and Miura peninsulas owe their popularity to. By the end of September, the monsoon activity wanes, the summer rains stop, and the oppressive heat subsides. At this time, the second peak of tourist activity in Japan falls.

Ryukyu Islands, Okinawa

The Ryukyu Islands, which are remote from the mainland, also have a monsoonal type of climate. But due to the remoteness from the continent, the winter monsoon does not bring cold weather here, as a result of which snow and frost are unknown here. In January and February - the coldest months - the air temperature ranges from +13oC at night to +19oC during the day. In summer, hot and humid weather reigns here, which only a fresh sea breeze helps to endure. During the day, the air warms up to +30 degrees and above, and at night it can be no colder than +25.

Geography

Japan is an island nation located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of East Asia. The territory of Japan includes about 4 thousand islands stretching from the northeast to the southwest. almost 3.5 thousand km. The largest islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. Large engineering structures (underwater tunnels, bridges) facilitate communications between the main islands of the country. Japan is washed in the east and south by the Pacific Ocean, in the west by the East China and Japan seas, in the north by the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. The area is 372.2 thousand km2. Population 114 million (1977 estimate). The capital is Tokyo.

Over 70% of the territory is occupied by hills and mountains (mainly low and medium-high); lowlands are located in separate areas along the coasts. On the island of Hokkaido, the main ranges are a continuation of the chains of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, stretching from north to south and from northeast to southwest. The highest peaks located in the area of ​​their intersection exceed 2000 m - a typical example is Mount Asahi, 2290 m high.

In the northern part of the island of Honshu there are three longitudinal chains of medium-altitude mountains, separated by valleys and basins; the axial position is occupied by the Ou ridge, to the west of which are the Deva and Echigo ridges, to the east - the Kitakami and Abukuma ridges; the central and western ranges are topped by volcanoes.

In the middle part of the island is crossed by a fault zone - Fossa Magna (about 250 km long), over which rises a number of volcanoes, including the highest in Japan - Fujiyama (height 3776 m), which is a symbol of the country.

In the central part of Honshu is located in the Hida, Kiso, Akaishi ranges (height 2900-3192 m), the peaks of which have an alpine relief and are covered with snow for most of the year.

In total, there are 16 peaks in Japan, the height of which exceeds the three thousandth mark.

The rivers in Japan are predominantly mountainous and full-flowing, there are also numerous lakes, the largest of which, Lake Biwa, has an area of ​​716 km2.

Flora and fauna

Vegetable world

Approximately 60% of the area of ​​Japan is covered with forests. The flora of Japan is very diverse and includes 2,750 species, including 168 tree species. On the Japanese Islands there are plants characteristic of the tropical, subtropical and temperate zones.

On the Ryukyu (Nansei) islands, tropical rainforests are common, in which palm trees grow (arenga, livistona, sugar, sago, catechu), cyathea tree fern, cycad, polycarp (podocarpus), banana, ficus, etc., in the mountains - evergreen oaks and such tropical conifers as akamatsu pine, mami fir, hemlock. There are numerous creepers and epiphytes, mainly ferns. On Yaku Island, natural forests of Japanese cryptomeria have been preserved, individual trees of which, reaching 40–50 m in height and 5 m in diameter, are already about 2000 years old.

In the southern regions of Kyushu, tropical forests have been preserved in places on the sea coast, and evergreen subtropical forests on this island rise to about 1000 m. In addition, subtropical forests are common on Shikoku and in the south of Honshu. They are dominated by evergreen oaks and endemic species of pines, cypresses, cryptomeria, polycarp, arborvitae. Gardenias, azaleas, aralia, magnolias grow in the undergrowth.

Among tree species, they are dominated by camphor laurel, long-pointed castanopsis, evergreen oaks (sharp, gray, etc.), star anise (illicium) anise, camellia, different kinds symplocos. Gingko and bamboo groves have been preserved in places in the subtropical zone.

To the north of the Japanese Alps on Honshu Island and in the southern half of Hokkaido Island, broad-leaved deciduous forests extend, dominated by Japanese beech and goblin, oak serrated and large-serrated, common chestnut goblin, or Japanese, many types of maple, ash and linden, elm , birch, Japanese hornbeam, Japanese hop hornbeam, holly-leaved zelkova, or Japanese, madman polycarp.

Slightly higher on the mountain slopes, coniferous-broad-leaved forests grow, in which of the conifers there are cryptomeria (up to 45 m high), cypress, Siebold's hemlock, heterophyllous and Blaringhams, Japanese pseudosuga, pointed yew, or Japanese, and other species. Above 500 m above sea level on the island of Hokkaido, these forests are replaced by spruce-fir mountain-taiga forests with bamboo in the lower tier.

Some mountains on the island of Honshu, including Fuji, and the central mountain range on the island of Hokkaido rise above the upper limit of the forest. Thickets of rhododendron, elfin cedar, heaths, subalpine and alpine meadows are common there.

The natural vegetation of Japan has been greatly affected by human activities. Forests, especially on the plains, have been replaced by agricultural land.

Animal world

The fauna of Japan, due to its insular position, is depleted in comparison with mainland Asia and is characterized by a rather high endemism (40%). Many land mammals are represented by smaller forms than on the mainland. They are usually considered Japanese subspecies. Since the natural conditions of the country are quite diverse, the fauna of Japan contains species inherent in tropical, subtropical, boreal and mountain forests.

Japan is characterized by significant differences in the fauna of different islands, mass distribution up to 40 ° N. monkeys (Japanese macaque, the number of which is estimated at 40-60 thousand individuals), a significant species diversity of birds (especially waterfowl). In addition, a large number of migratory birds stop on migration in Japan.

Reptiles are few; There are only two types of poisonous snakes, the trigonocephalus is especially dangerous.

Wild fauna has been preserved mainly within numerous protected areas - in national parks, reserves, nature reserves, marine parks.

Monkeys, such as Japanese macaques, thin-bodied and gibbons, are found on the southernmost islands, bats are common, especially fruit bats; there are tree wyverns, martens, squirrels, flying squirrels. Of the birds, the Japanese nightjar, or large, small cuckoo, Japanese white-eye, gray larvae, dark-backed long-tailed flycatcher, eastern widemouth, Indian pitta, etc. are characteristic.

On the island of Kyushu and the adjacent islands, there are Japanese macaques, white-breasted bears, badgers, Japanese sables, raccoon dogs, foxes, spotted deer, Japanese serows, wild boars, squirrels, Japanese and small flying squirrels, chipmunk, pasyuk rat, forest mice, Japanese dormouse, gray vole, hare, shrew, Asian water shrew, mohera, Japanese shrew moles, birds - copper pheasant, blue-winged bird, mandarin duck, grebes, shelduck, etc., reptiles - Yakushima toki (endemic gecko).

The Japanese macaque, white-breasted bear, spotted deer, Japanese serow, wild boar, badger, Japanese sable, raccoon dog, fox, otter, Japanese and small flying squirrels, squirrel, chipmunk, hare, pasyuk rat, forest mouse, Japanese dormouse live on Shikoku Island , shrew, various types of shrews, moger, Japanese shrew moles, birds - piebald petrel, copper pheasant, etc.

Japanese macaque, white-breasted bear, fox, Japanese serow, spotted deer, wild boar, ermine, badger, Japanese sable, raccoon dog, Japanese and small flying squirrels, squirrel, chipmunk, Japanese hare, wood mouse, Japanese dormouse, rat pasyuk, shrew, different types of shrews, moger, Japanese shrew moles.

Among the numerous birds, golden eagle, green and copper pheasants, Japanese robin, needle-tailed swift, Japanese nutcracker, eastern widemouth, tundra partridge (above the forest line in the mountains), piebald petrel, black-tailed gull stand out. Crows, jays, tits, buntings, goldfinches, greenfinches, blackbirds, warblers, flycatchers, nuthatches, and sparrows are characteristic of mixed coniferous-deciduous forests.

The fauna of Hokkaido has many common species with the Far Eastern taiga. Brown bear, raccoon dog, weasel, ermine, Siberian sable, Siberian chipmunk, squirrel, white hare are common here. In addition, there are Japanese macaques, spotted deer, a local subspecies of the northern pika, flying squirrel, wood mice, red-gray and red-backed voles, pasyuk rat, shrew, shrews. Among the birds, the Japanese three-toed woodpecker, yellowbell, Steller's sea eagle, fish owl are noteworthy. In coniferous forests there are numerous crossbills, grosbeaks, waxwings, hazel grouses.

Attractions

The main feature that immediately catches the eye is the carefully preserved natural environment of the country. Every piece of land, even a tiny lawn sandwiched among skyscrapers, can be turned into a mini-reserve, any tiny pond or lawn can be a local shrine, looked after and monitored by the whole district. Many carefully preserved historical monuments, buildings and temples are dispersed throughout the country, so Japan makes an indelible impression on everyone who has ever visited this country.

The symbols of the country, replicated in millions on all postcards and booklets about the country, are the largest "sacred gates" ("torii") in Japan - the wooden gate (1875) of Itsukushima Shrine on the "sacred" island of Miyajima, standing right in the water in a small bay (the monastery itself, one of the most revered shrines in Japan, also stands on stilts right in the water), as well as the famous Mount Fuji (Fuji, 3,776 m.) - one of the most beautiful volcanoes in the world, surrounded by no less picturesque surroundings.

The Seto-Ohashi Bridge (1988), thrown across the Inland Sea of ​​Japan (Seto) from Honshu to Shikoku, is considered the same symbol of the country. Japan produces the best pearls in the world, so numerous "pearl farms" are also interesting tourist sites, which are visited by up to half a million foreign tourists a year.

• Inuyama Castle
• Kochi Castle
• Kumamoto Castle
• tokyo tower

Currency exchange can be done at the airport upon arrival, as well as in most bank branches (there are also special machines for currency exchange). The most favorable exchange conditions are usually offered at the airport, since in hotels the exchange rate is no more than $300 per person per day, and in banks the exchange procedure is often highly formalized. It is impossible to exchange currency "on the street".

Payment by credit cards is widespread (credit cards are not accepted in a number of restaurants), however, only ATMs of the post office (Japan Post) and several banks issue yen with foreign bank cards, others work only with local currency.

Traveler's checks can also be freely cashed at most major banks or international system hotels.

Useful information for tourists



Tipping is not customary in Japan. The number of traditions and rituals that are obligatory or recommended for observance is huge. Almost all areas of the country's life are permeated with a network of traditions and ceremonies.

Handshakes are replaced by bows, and they are required to be "returned" with the same frequency and deference as the other side demonstrates. The Japanese are polite and helpful in communication. Hospitality is in the blood of the Japanese. A direct refusal is not accepted even if it is impossible to fulfill the request, so you should think in advance about the feasibility of your wishes.

Often misleading is the traditional smile of the Japanese, especially women, under any circumstances - even a refusal or some unpleasant moment will be accompanied by a smile, which confuses many foreigners. At the same time, familiarity (even too small a distance between interlocutors) is completely unacceptable and causes a sharply negative attitude among the Japanese. It is also not recommended to look the Japanese directly in the eyes, actively gesticulate - this is perceived as aggression. The "passion" of the Japanese for hygiene and cleanliness is also widely known.

Dishes, table setting and decoration of dishes are of great importance. Before eating, it is customary to wipe the face and hands with a special hot oshibori napkin. Each dish is served in dishes specially designed for it and occupies a strictly defined place on the table, and an individual table is allocated for each person. Crockery and serving items are strictly divided into "male" and "female".

There is a separate stand for chopsticks (“hashi” or “hashi”), and they are served in a special colorful paper case (“hashi bukuro”). "Hashi" should not be crossed or stuck in rice (associated with death), you should not point or wave chopsticks while eating - this is considered a sign of bad taste. You should also not move food on a plate or dishes on the table. Drinking "to the bottom" and pouring yourself is not accepted. It is recommended that you fill your neighbor's glass or bowl, and he, in turn, should do the same for you.

It is not allowed to smoke in public places, in offices, at stations and railway platforms, as well as in houses and cars without the permission of the owner.

It is forbidden to step with a shod foot on straw mats "tatami" - this is regarded as sacrilege. This is especially true for dwellings or visiting temples. You should also change into special slippers before and after visiting the toilet.