Essential information about traveling to Japan. Accommodation in Japan: where is the best place to stay? Holidays and events

Japan - beautiful, mysterious and unique eastern country which has always attracted travelers. And today it is a favorite vacation spot for millions of tourists from all over the world. True, in fairness it should be noted that a trip to Japan is not at all a cheap pleasure. It will require a fairly significant financial investment from you. In addition, for many Russians who dream of visiting this country, the visa issue becomes an obstacle. According to the current diplomatic agreements, citizens of our country need a visa to visit Japan. At the same time, its registration requires a fairly extensive set of necessary documents and is fraught with many difficulties and pitfalls. Such a complex visa regime between our countries has existed for many years, and 2019 was not marked by any changes in this regard. Japan is a fairly closed state, and getting into its territory is not so easy.

In this article, we will tell you about all the difficulties that are likely to lie in wait for you on the way to obtaining a visa, and how you can avoid them.

Various visa options

On this moment Japanese diplomatic missions issue the following types of visas:

• Transit visa. It must certainly be available for those persons who fly to a certain third country with a stopover in Japan. This usually applies to travel to those countries where there are no direct direct flights (for example, to Australia or New Zealand). Such a visa allows not only to be at the Tokyo airport, but also to go beyond it to explore the city and its surroundings. The validity of this type of visa is three days.
• Tourist visa- the most common variety. It is for this type of travel documents that most applicants apply. Read more about how to get such a visa and what papers are required for this, read below.
• Work Visa. To qualify for it, you must have a formal contract with an employer in Japan. Despite the fact that there is a constant shortage of labor in Japan, the government of the country does not welcome the attraction of foreigners as labor migrants. Therefore, obtaining a visa of this type is often very difficult.

• student visa- issued to citizens of foreign countries who want to receive higher education in Japan. Today, there are many specialized programs, participating in which, residents of other countries can get a real chance to study in Japan. True, this requires a lot of effort. Participants in such programs must demonstrate excellent knowledge in several subjects, as well as an adequate level of Japanese language proficiency. The conditions for foreign students who manage to enter a Japanese university are very good: the government of the country even pays for such citizens air tickets to Japan and provides a good scholarship, quite sufficient for a comfortable and comfortable existence. Besides, student visa It gives you the opportunity to work in Japan after graduation.

Child visa

Japan is a great place for family trips. In the event that you plan to take your children on a trip, you will have to comply with certain formalities and, in addition to other papers, prepare the following additional documents:

1. A copy of the birth certificate of each child.
2. Certificate received at the place of his study.
3. A power of attorney signed by one or both of the parents (depending on who the child is traveling with).

These are quite standard requirements, after which you can take your children on a trip.

Required documents and application procedure

Today, you can get a visa to visit Japan on your own, or you can through one of the many travel agencies. As they say experienced travelers who have repeatedly visited the Land of the Rising Sun, it is much easier to apply for a visa through specialized companies. Such organizations usually obtain visas for their clients with ease within just a few days.

Regardless of which method you choose, you will have to prepare a significant amount of different papers. main feature To apply for a visa to Japan, applicants will certainly need an official invitation issued by an individual or (in most cases) by an organization existing in Japan. Under no circumstances A visa to Japan without an invitation is not issued. Such papers can be sent to you, for example, by your friends or relatives permanently residing in Japan, or by a Japanese tourist agency from which you can buy a tour in advance. The inviting party must send you the following set of documents:

• A formal letter explaining the purpose and reason for your trip.
• detailed plan travel for every day of stay in the country.
• Letter of guarantee.
• Documents on the organization acting as a guarantor (certificate of registration, letter describing the type of activity, certificate of payment of all necessary taxes, documents confirming the purpose of the trip and indicating full payment for the tour).
• Confirmation of hotel reservation and flight ticket reservation.

Directly by the applicant who needs tourist visa must submit the following papers:

Only with all these documents in hand (including papers sent by the inviting party from Japan), you can apply to the embassy for a visa.

When your plane lands in Tokyo, you will have to go through a series of specialized immigration controls, including hand scans and facial photographs. Representatives of diplomatic missions, minor children and tourists traveling in transit are exempted from passing such control. For all other categories of foreigners, such immigration control is strictly mandatory.

Video: about tourist and private visas

Financial side

Perhaps the only positive side in everything related to obtaining a visa to Japan is no consular fee. True, you still have to incur certain costs, in particular, to spend money on sending documents from Japan. This figure fluctuates around 15-17 dollars.

If you decide to shift the work of applying for a visa to the travel agency, be prepared to spend. Each organization independently sets the cost of its services, usually for obtaining a visa without a personal presence, travel companies charge about one hundred dollars.

If you need to get a visa urgently, please note that the Japanese Embassy does not provide an opportunity to expedite the processing of applications with an additional fee. All documents are reviewed general order within 4 days to 2 weeks. Be sure to keep this in mind when planning your travel dates.

Possible difficulties

As you can see, getting a visa to Japan is not easy. To be able to visit this traditionally very closed and conservative country, you will have to go through a series of bureaucratic procedures and collect a lot of documents.

The main difficulty is that a visa to Japan without a tour and an official invitation with Japanese side not issued. The presence of an invitation or a prepaid tour is a prerequisite for issuing a visa.

In addition, employees of Japanese missions very carefully and thoroughly study each document provided by the applicant, checking all the information, and if even the slightest and slightest error or violation is found, they refuse permission to enter. Moreover, if the passport is refused, a special stamp is put, and after that it is possible to submit a new application only after six months.

Despite all these difficulties, getting a visa to Japan is still quite realistic. The main thing is to approach the process of registration of all necessary documents very responsibly and carefully. In no case should you provide inaccurate or even more unreliable data and false documents. Try to arrange everything perfectly, in compliance with all strict rules and requirements, so that the embassy representatives cannot find fault with the execution of your application. A little perseverance, patience and self-control - and you will surely be able to get the coveted visa.

Unfortunately, for many years there has been such a rather complicated visa regime between Russia and Japan. For many citizens of our country, Japan remains something unknown and incomprehensible, solely because this state is not open to everyone and does not accept a huge number of tourists on its lands. And the financial side of such a trip often becomes a reason to choose another, more affordable option. For residents of the Central and European part of Russia, a flight to Japan for many thousands of kilometers will cost a significant amount. This series of reasons served to the fact that Japan today is not very popular in our country as a tourist destination.

However, despite all the difficulties visa regime and high cost, this amazing place remains a dream country for many travelers who are ready to endure all bureaucratic delays and pay any amount, just to visit this fabulous eastern state and touch its unique culture. The Land of the Rising Sun combines an amazing respect for ancient traditions with modern trends. Ancient pagodas and ancient architectural monuments here quite organically and naturally coexist with glass skyscrapers and fancy avant-garde buildings. And in matters of technological progress, Japan has long been several steps ahead of even the most developed Western countries.

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How to organize a trip to Japan

In April 2018, my husband and I went on vacation to Japan.

Marina Safonova

went to Japan

We spent two weeks there, visited Tokyo, Kyoto, the ancient capital of Nara, the mountain resort of Hakone and the ancient Buddhist monastery on Mount Koya-san.

I used to think that organizing a trip to Japan is very difficult: it is not clear how everything works there, where to go, except for Tokyo, how much it costs and how to get a visa. How to get around the country is also unclear: foreign tourists need an international license to drive in Japan. And there is left-hand traffic, serious fines, toll roads and parking lots.

It turned out that Japan is great for independent travel. Everyone speaks English, it's easy to get a visa, the transport works perfectly.

Japanese English is very different from our usual pronunciation. In Japanese, there is no “l” sound, and it is customary to break a pair of consonants with a vowel sound. The word fork is pronounced as "foku", bus - "bass", beer - "biru".

There is an opinion that going to Japan is expensive. Yes, it's more expensive than package tour on the sea. But the most expensive expense is an air ticket: 30-40 thousand rubles in both directions. In second place is travel across the country. Housing in Japan costs about the same as in Europe, and you can safely save on food: everything is tasty and cheap. Tickets to museums and temples are also inexpensive: 200-500 R. Visa for citizens of the Russian Federation is free.

If you decide to go, here's what to do before you go.

Select travel time

I don't recommend going to Japan. May holidays. At the end of April - beginning of May there is "Golden Week" - "golden week", when National holidays go 6 days in a row. At this time, the whole country has a weekend and everyone goes to travel. Train tickets are sold out, housing is becoming more expensive, and there are crowds in temples, parks and museums.

Summer is also not the best time to travel. It rains in Japan in June, and then tropical heat until September. It's good to go in May right after the "golden week": at this time, domestic tourism is reduced, because everyone returns to work. There are fewer tourists, prices are lower everywhere. If I planned the trip again, I would go in mid-May.

If you want to look at cherry blossoms, then plan a trip for the end of March - the beginning of April, but keep in mind that at this time there is also a tourist rush in the country. In Japan, there is a cherry blossom forecast by region, you can see how the cherry blossoms bloomed in 2018, and plan your next trip around the same dates. Momiji is the red maple leaf season in October and early November in Japan. Momiji also has a calendar.

Buy tickets

Airfare is the biggest expense when planning a trip to Japan. Focus on 35-40 thousand rubles for a direct flight Moscow - Tokyo.

Direct flights to Tokyo are available only from Moscow with Aeroflot and Japan Airlines. We flew "Japan Airlines": on this route, the company flies the coolest of the Boeings - the Dreamliner. The plane is huge, it has comfortable seats, delicious food, electrochromic window tinting, movies, music and games on the screen built into the seat.

Tickets with transfers can be found for about 3000-5000 R cheaper than direct ones. But it is difficult to fly with a transfer due to the long flight and change of time zones, while the difference in price is small.

Book your accommodation

In Tokyo, choose areas near major subway stations. Ginza, Ueno, Tokyo Station, Asakusa, Shinjuku, Shibuya are great - it will be easy to travel around the city from there. In Kyoto, it is ideal to live near the Sanjo subway station.

In addition to the usual hotels, hostels and apartments on Airbnb.com in Japan, you can stay in ryokans, love hotels and capsule hotels. I'll tell you about each option.

Ordinary hotels and hostels Japan is the same as the rest of the world. It is convenient for tourists to stay in chain hotels like APA Hotels: there are many of them in all major cities. The room costs 4500-5500 R for two per night. The rooms are small, but they have everything you need. Business hotels are aimed at employees who come on a business trip and do not spend much time in the room. It suits tourists too.

Usually, in all Japanese hotels, check-in is strictly from 15:00. For early check-in you have to pay half the price. Sometimes there are hotels with check-in after 13:00, such as the Shinjuku Prince Hotel in Tokyo. We stayed there on the day of arrival for this reason only: our plane landed at 8 am and we did not want to wait 6 hours at all.

Apartment on Airbnb a lot, but they cost more than hotels, especially if you rent an entire apartment. If you rent an apartment in an old neighborhood, get ready that the house will also be old: with small rooms and a miniature bathroom.

In a capsule hotel guests live alone in a small capsule room in which you can only sit or lie down. The bathroom and toilet are shared, rooms with capsules are usually divided into male and female. Things can be deposited at the reception. Inside the capsule there is a clock, an alarm clock, a light setting. Some have a TV built into the wall. Upon check-in, a guest set is issued: a Japanese yukata robe, a towel, a disposable toothbrush, toothpaste, a comb.

A night in a capsule hotel costs 1500-2500 R.

A separate type of housing - the so-called love hotels, or "love hotels". Initially, they were intended for dates, but now they are also popular among tourists. Love hotels are usually spacious, with huge beds and unusually designed rooms. The room costs from 6000 R per night, and how more interesting interior, the higher the price.

There are also traditional Japanese hotels - ryokans. You need to sleep in them on special futon mattresses, which are spread on the floor. From the furniture in the room there are small tables, at which they also sit on the floor. Showers and toilets are usually shared. Ryokans often have an onsen, a hot spring bath.

When you check into the ryokan, you will be asked to take off your shoes and will be given special Japanese slippers that look like flip flops. Even guests are usually dressed in a special home dressing gown - yukata.

Ryokan is the most unusual type of accommodation for tourists in Japan and the most expensive. A night in a simple ryokan costs 8-10 thousand rubles. If you want a ryokan with a beautiful view, hot springs and a traditional Japanese dinner, then the prices will be higher: 20-30 thousand rubles.

Make a program

I love organizing trips myself. Before my vacation, I studied the section about Japan on the Vinsky Forum and the site japan-guide.com. This is enough to make almost any itinerary in Japan, especially if you are traveling for the first time and want to see the main sights.

The Japan Guide project has excellent routes in all cities: for example, walking routes in Tokyo, in Kyoto, and there is also a whole trip plan "The best of Japan in 14 days."

Everyone who comes to Japan for the first time is usually recommended to go to Kyoto in addition to Tokyo. Compared to Russia, Tokyo is like Moscow, and Kyoto is like St. Petersburg. In the past, Kyoto was the capital of Japan, but now the city is famous for its temples, cultural attractions and geishas. If you're traveling for two weeks, split them roughly equally between Tokyo and Kyoto.

From Tokyo, you can take a day trip to the cities of Nikko, Kamakura, and the mountain resort of Hakone. One day is worth spending entirely in the Disney amusement park, in Tokyo there are two of them: Disneyland and Disney Sea.

From Kyoto, you can take a train to Nara - this is another ancient capital of Japan, now it is known for its park with tame deer. From Kyoto, you can also take a 15-minute train ride to Osaka, the third largest city in the country. Tourist places there is little, but you can see the five-story samurai castle and the Universal amusement park, comparable in scope to Disneyland.

Our experience. For 12 days we traveled along the route Tokyo - Hakone - Kyoto - Nara - a monastery on Mount Koya - Tokyo. All transfers, hotels, train schedules and attractions were entered into a Google spreadsheet. The table changed many times, including during the trip itself. You can download our plan template and plan your trip based on it.

A detailed travel plan will come in handy for the visa. The mandatory set of documents for a Japanese tourist visa includes a program of stay. It must be filled out according to the template: register every day, indicate the contact phone number, address of the place of residence and the program - what you plan to do. We wrote simply Sightseeing everywhere.

Get a visa

Previously, it was difficult for citizens of the Russian Federation to obtain a Japanese visa: a mandatory invitation from a citizen of Japan was required. Invitations were made through agencies, it was expensive.

Now the invitations have been canceled, and the visa has become free. In my experience, getting a Japanese visa requires the usual set of documents:

You do not need to register at the embassy to submit documents. It is enough just to arrive at 9:30 at Grokholsky lane, house 27 with all the documents. There are 10-20 people in the queue, it moves quickly. Embassy staff pick up your documents and tell you right on the spot whether you will be issued a visa or not. Sometimes clarifying questions are asked. We weren't asked anything.

You can apply for a visa by a simple power of attorney written in free form. My friend lives in Nizhny Novgorod. He sent a package of documents for a Japanese visa by mail to his aunt in Podolsk. Aunt came with these documents to the embassy and gave them for processing, showing a power of attorney, and then took the passport with the visa ready.

Make a visa 4 working days. We applied on Monday and collected our passports on Thursday.

It is important to fill out the program of stay in detail and indicate there the contacts of all hotels or apartments on Airbnb. By the time you submit the documents, you should already have reservations for the entire accommodation.

If you make an account statement at Tinkoff Bank, embassy staff may find fault with electronic printing. If possible, ask the bank in advance to prepare an extract with a real seal for you. If you are submitting a certificate of employment, then an extract is not required. We submitted two certificates from work, we were not asked for additional documents.

Buy a JR Pass

The main mode of transport in Japan is railways. Russian driver license do not operate in Japan, there are few parking lots in the country, a lot of toll roads and left-hand traffic. All tourists travel by train.

There are many different railway companies in the country, the largest is called Japan Railways. Travel is not cheap. A ticket for the Shinkansen high-speed train from Tokyo to Kyoto costs 13,910 ¥ (7800 R) one way:

To save money, you need a JR Pass. It was invented in Japan specifically for foreign tourists. "JR Pass" allows a certain time (usually a week or two) to move unlimitedly on all routes of the "Japan Railways" carrier. This and speed shinkansen trains, and some inter-city express trains, and electric trains to Nikko, Nara, Arashiyama, and other attractions around the main cities.

JR Pass is expensive. We paid 32,940 R for two weekly passes - 16,470 R per person. The travel card paid off for the first three days of the trip. In my experience, JR Pass is definitely worth buying.

You need to buy this pass in advance. In Japan, this is no longer possible. I ordered it on the japan-rail-pass.com website two months before the trip. After payment, you will be sent a voucher, already in Japan, this voucher will need to be "activated" - exchanged for "JR Pass".

"Jar-pass" is a nominal document. Upon activation, your name, surname and passport details will be written on it. In Tokyo, at the Shinjuku station, we went to the Japan Railroad information desk. We were shown the rules for using the pass and clarified several times whether we really want to activate it from today's date. Then they had to fill out a short questionnaire. In exchange for vouchers, we were given beautiful travel cards with our passport details on the back.

When we first went through the control with the JR Pass, they put stamps on the pass. Then we just had to show it to the employee at the station every time we passed through the turnstiles.

Schedule transfers for booking tickets

In Japan, everyone book trains in advance. If you buy a JR Pass and plan to travel around the country, I advise you to pre-select the Shinkansen on the Hyperdia website that fit your schedule. Make a list of when and what time you want to book your seats on the train. Print and take with you.

When you activate JR Pass, ask an employee to reserve tickets for you on this list. This is done in one minute. Then tickets can be changed without any problems.

You can ride without reserved seats. In trains, all cars are divided into reserved (they are more expensive) and ordinary. In ordinary ones, you can sit anywhere if there are empty seats. If you plan to move on weekdays, and not on holidays or weekends, then, of course, you can relax and not book anything. We ended up on six Japanese weekends in a row, so we booked the shinkansen a week in advance. Then they made an exchange once: without problems and without a queue, in 2 minutes.

What you need to know about money

The currency of Japan is the yen. 100 yen = 57 R. It is most convenient to travel with dollars: in cash or on a card. We took with us, made the main dollar account and paid from it. Another part of the money was taken in cash dollars. There are many exchangers in Japan, the rate is acceptable everywhere, there are even automatic exchangers, it is safe to change money.

Japan is a country of cash. Most residents everywhere pay with banknotes and coins. There are hotels that do not accept cards, especially in small towns, but in Tokyo and Kyoto we paid by card almost everywhere without any problems. To buy subway tickets, pay for a bus, buy water from vending machines, you need cash, and most often small coins. After a couple of days, we carried a huge amount of coins with us.

How to pay. In Japan, there is a special ritual of paying for anything. When paying at the checkout, money or a card must be placed in a special tray that stands in front of the seller. But the seller will definitely return the change, check and card to you from hand to hand with words of gratitude and a slight bow.

Probably for the same reason, payment through Apple Pay is not popular in Japan. In two weeks, I have never seen anyone pay by phone, and I myself have not tried it.

Tax free. In Japan, taxi-free for foreigners is conveniently organized. An 8% discount is made right upon purchase if you have your passport with you. Taxi-free is almost everywhere, even in grocery store"Seven-leven". There is no need to stand in any queue at the airport, such as in Italy. Prices in stores are usually indicated without VAT, so at the checkout the total amount may turn out to be 8% more than you planned.

Tips. In Japan, it is not customary to leave a tip - they simply will not be accepted. In some tourist restaurants service is included in the bill, but this is rare. It is understood that the service is always of the highest standard and does not require additional payment from the client.

You have to pay in cafes and restaurants at the exit. Ask the waiter to bring the bill, take it and go to the cashier. The box office is usually at the exit.

Order a WiFi router

In Japan, there is public Wi-Fi almost everywhere. In museums and other attractions, it is usually free, and it is safe to use it. If you want to save money, use open networks and skip this step.

If you don’t want to connect to a new Wi-Fi every time, rent a router for the duration of your trip. Wi-Fi will definitely come in handy to build travel routes.

The Google Maps app is great for getting directions around Japan, including the subway in Tokyo, buses in Kyoto, and long-distance transfers

You can rent a router right at the airport: at the exit from Narita Airport there are dozens of information stands of companies that provide Pocket Wi-Fi service.

I ordered a router in advance on the same site japan-rail-pass.com, where I issued the travel pass. 12 days of rent cost 4348 R - this is 362 R per day. An envelope with a router, charger, and return policy was waiting for me at the post office at Narita Airport. The router was already charged. All 12 days we did not even think about where to find Wi-Fi.

To return the router, you need to put it in a mail envelope, seal it and drop it into a red mailbox. We did it on the way back, at the same Narita airport. The mail envelope for the return was originally bundled with the router.

Send luggage within Japan

In Japan, it is customary not to travel with suitcases, but to send them from one hotel to another. For this, there is a convenient delivery service "Kuroneko Ta-ko-bin". All hotels in Japan work with it. If you are planning to move from one city to another, it is convenient to send suitcases by delivery, and not to carry them with you.

If you live in hotels, using Kuroneko is simple: come to the reception with your suitcases and ask to be sent to another hotel. , it will be a little more difficult: the owners of the apartments will not meet or send suitcases, but you can use any Kuroneko delivery point, there are many of them.

Suitcases are usually delivered within a day. If you send your suitcase this morning, you can pick it up the next morning. For two standard suitcases we paid 2500-3000 R.

We have used this service twice. For the first time, we sent suitcases from a hotel in Tokyo to the Kuroneko office in Kyoto, next to the station, and we ourselves went to spend the night with backpacks in the mountain resort of Hakone.

How to get from Narita Airport

From the airport to Tokyo can be reached by train, bus and taxi - like everywhere else.

Flights from Moscow to Tokyo usually arrive at Narita Airport. It is located quite far from the city, in the neighboring Chiba Prefecture. We tried two ways: the Narita Express train and the train "Kisei Skyliner". I'll tell you about them.

Narita Express- N'Ex. Expensive and fast, goes to the central Tokyo Station subway station, passing several other major stations, including Shinjuku. Our first hotel was just on Shinjuku, so we bought tickets at the airport for Narita Express. The train was moving slowly, it turned out that on that particular day there were some interruptions on the line. According to the schedule, we were supposed to get there in an hour, but the train was about an hour and a half: we managed to sleep. Tickets are expensive, we paid 3000 R for two:

It makes sense to take Narita Express tickets if you want to activate your JR Pass on the very first day. This express ticket is also included.

"Kisei Skyliner"- a private company express that we took from Tokyo back to Narita. Departs from Ueno station, goes non-stop, so we got there in half an hour. It costs 2470 yen (1400 R) for one ticket.

The cheapest way to get from Narita Airport is by bus: 1000 yen, 60 minutes on the way - and you are at Tokyo Station. For other ways to get from the airport, I recommend reading the discussion on the Vinsky Forum.

What else you need to know

Traveling in Japan is safe, convenient and fun. There are many tourists, and all navigation is specially made so that everything is clear to everyone. If you get lost, they will definitely tell you where to go and what to do.

It's the same with food: if you don't know what you want to eat, just look at the cafe window. Most establishments put on display the most believable plastic models of their dishes with prices. Many menus have photos, so there are usually no problems with language.

If you know English at a basic level, all navigation on the streets, in transport and in other public places will be available to you. It is difficult to get lost: there are a huge number of signs everywhere. Sometimes in Tokyo it was even clearer to me where to go than in the transition in Moscow.

Remember

1. Do not fly on the May holidays.
2. Buy tickets well in advance.
3. Visit Tokyo and Kyoto.
4. To save money, stay in chain hotels.
5. Be sure to buy a JR Pass.
6. Take dollars or a dollar card with you.

Before describing the beauty, unusualness and attractiveness of Japan, I would like to give some practical advice and answer questions that I myself had when planning a trip to Japan.

1. Route through Japan. How to build? What to see? How to choose?

// aerobulochka.livejournal.com

When planning my route, I focused on the historical sights of Japan, deciding that I would like to see Kyoto more than Hiroshima. Here, of course, everything is individual, but for example, here is my route for 10 days plus the day of arrival and the day of departure:

Arrival day and one full day in Tokyo - two days in Nikko - five days in Kyoto with trips to Himeji, Nara and Osaka - passing through Kamakura - a day and a half in Tokyo.

Great site for English language with detailed information about the sights of Japan, opening hours, recommendations on how to get there, etc. - http://www.japan-guide.com/ . It was this site that helped me plan the route by day, and it was from there that I printed out the name of all the places I needed in Japanese - it helped a lot when traveling in a taxi!

2. When to go to Japan?

// aerobulochka.livejournal.com

Again, it's all very subjective! Traditionally, there are two periods when everyone aspires to Japan. The first, of course, is cherry blossom (as a rule, from the end of March to the beginning of April). The second is the time of "red leaves", in our opinion - golden autumn =)

It is very hot in Japan in summer and quite chilly in winter. The weather in May suited me completely - almost all days it was over 20C, we walked in T-shirts and shorts, and only a couple of days it rained.

3. How to travel by train and metro? Why do I need a Suica card?

// aerobulochka.livejournal.com

Japan has a very developed network of railway transport, which, unlike Russia, is owned not by Russian Railways alone, but by several private companies, which, of course, have their own trains and platforms and their own tickets. In big cities, underground and elevated metro and monorail lines are added to this, which can drive an unprepared traveler crazy.

To prevent this from happening, the Japanese made a website where you can get directions by specifying the destination stations. The smart system will offer you several route options, calculated by minutes, with platforms, lines, travel time and cost. The name of this router is http://www.hyperdia.com . Unfortunately, their iPhone application cannot be downloaded in Russia, so you have to use the site.

The cost of a trip on public transport in Japan depends on the distance traveled. At each station, above the ticket machines hang giant cards with indication of the cost of travel to different stations. Looking at these cards, you feel dizzy, you want to hide in a corner and, clasping your arms around yourself, cry =)) Therefore, to make your site easier, you need to purchase a card on which a certain amount of money is put and debited when passing turnstiles - and you do not need to rack your brains over the cost tickets and waste time buying tickets at a vending machine or ticket office. The most common such card is Suica. It can also be used to pay in supermarkets like a regular credit card, spend the balance at the airport or return it after receiving a deposit of 500 yen (~ 300 rubles).

Suica balance is replenished through machines at any metro station.

For big cities with lots of metro lines like Tokyo or Kyoto, the Suica card is indispensable!

4. What is Japan Rail Pass? Is he needed?

As I mentioned, the railway network in Japan is owned by different companies, but JR is considered the largest carrier. Their branches cover almost all of Japan, they are the "owners" high-speed trains, so-called shinsansen.

Transport in Japan is very expensive. For example, a Tokyo-Kyoto trip will cost ~ 8,500 rubles one way per person!

To alleviate the plight of travelers, JR offer the so-called. Japan Rail Pass - Peculiar all inclusive 7 or 14 day pass that allows unlimited use of JR lines.

The JR Pass voucher can only be purchased Foreign citizens and only outside of Japan. There are several authorized offices that sell passes, it seems that there are even offices in Moscow. But I ordered online here https://www.japan-rail-pass.com. Vouchers delivered by Fedex 3 days after purchase!

// aerobulochka.livejournal.com

Upon arrival at the airport, vouchers must be exchanged directly for a JR Pass at the JR East counter.

The cost of the pass is rather big - $260 for a week or $420 for 14 days. It is easy to understand whether the cost of a pass in your case can be paid off - make a route of your movements on the website http://www.hyperdia.com and calculate the total cost of tickets that you will have to buy without a pass. In principle, the pass pays off with the Tokyo-Kyoto-Tokyo route alone. If the cost turns out to be slightly less than or equal (or even more so) than the cost of the JR Pass - feel free to buy it! The pass saves a lot of time - show it to the controller when passing through the turnstile and go! No cashiers, no tickets, no queues..

By the way, JR Pass also covers the cost of an express from Tokyo (Narita) Airport to the city, and it costs about 1,500 rubles!

However, it is worth remembering that some trains (especially high-speed or long-distance ones) require seat reservation - in this case, you just need to go to the ticket office, show a printout of your route (I just took a screenshot from the hyperdia website and showed it on the phone to the cashier) and you tickets will be issued free of charge indicating the carriage and seats.

// aerobulochka.livejournal.com

A few words about the Green JR Pass - such a pass gives you the right to travel in extra-comfort carriages. The seats in such cars are wider and more comfortable, there is more legroom and fewer people. But in general, there is not much difference. Our trip fell on the peak season (public holidays "Golden Week", when the Japanese massively travel around their country), and besides, we had men under two meters tall in our company, so we bought a Green JR Pass, which cost ~ 150 dollars more expensive (~$90 cheaper for a week pass).

JR Pass is also sold for children aged 6-11 and costs 2 times cheaper than an adult ticket.

Conveniently, JR Pass does not have to be activated by the date of the voucher exchange at the airport - you can specify any date! For example, if your trip will last 10 days, but only days 3-9 will be active for movement between cities, feel free to activate the pass from the 3rd day and in this case, a week pass will be enough for you.

5. How is the Internet access? Do our mobile phones work in Japan?

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We had MTS and Megafon on iPhone and Samsung phones - cellular worked great everywhere!

In my opinion, mobile Internet is extremely important when traveling in Japan! Plot a route? Check train departure time? Read about the attraction? This almost always requires the Internet! You can get it in two ways - by renting a phone with a Japanese SIM card or a portable wi-fi router. All these services are offered immediately at the airport.

I decided to leave my phone - it's more comfortable and convenient for me. But I ordered a wi-fi router (in order to save time) online in advance here: https://www.econnectjapan.com/. The envelope was waiting for me at the reception of the hotel, the kit included an additional charger (a very necessary thing, since the charging of the router itself is enough for half a day), as well as an envelope with a return address, in which on the last day I just put the router with all the bells and whistles, sealed and dropped it into the first mailbox that came across.

Router with maximum speed(you could at least download a movie!), the ability to connect up to 10 devices cost me ~ 3,600 rubles for 12 days of use. Discounts are given for early bookings.

6. Luggage delivery within Japan? Is it true that you can send luggage to the next hotel, and go yourself with a minimum of things?

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I don't know other countries, except Switzerland, where there is such a mega convenient and inexpensive (this does not apply to Switzerland =) way to move luggage between cities.

Imagine - in the morning you check-out at a hotel in Tokyo and move to Kyoto, deciding to visit a few more along the way. interesting places. And all this time you are dragging a suitcase behind you, rushing around the stations with it in search of the right line, looking for a luggage room of the right size so that you can at least see the city normally at intermediate destinations ... Imagine? Now think about how much your life has become better, because you travel light - with a backpack or handbag, and your Tokyo hotel sent your suitcase to the Kyoto one!

This amazing service costs ~ 900 rubles for a large 25 kg suitcase. You can drop off your suitcase directly at the reception of most hotels or at any collection point (http://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/en/), and you can also pick it up at your next hotel or selected collection point.

The only negative is that you need to give your suitcase before 12 noon on the day following the day of your check-in at the next place.

7. Is it possible to pay credit cards in Japan? How to withdraw cash from an ATM in Japan?

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Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere except for some taxis, restaurants and souvenir shops. Of course, paying in cash is much faster and more convenient - for example, when buying tickets to temples.

There are currency exchange points, but they still need to be looked for. And if you fall in the period public holidays, then the opening of the bank will have to wait =)

We are proponents of cash withdrawals from ATMs. What a shock we had when the cash began to run out, and the ATMs of different banks into which we tried to put our cards were either only in Japanese (!), Or they rejected the operation under various pretexts like "wrong pin", " authorization failed", "try later"!

An Internet friend helped, who said that Japanese ATMs work on some other platform that is not compatible with the platform of European banks and therefore they do not consider our bank cards as human! =)) There are only a few banks whose ATMs are kind to tourists , - the largest of them is 7 Bank, which is owned by - ta-da-dam! - Seven-Eleven supermarket chain, so almost every supermarket has an ATM suitable for international cards!

8. Tax free in Japan

VAT in Japan is small, about 8% (but still money!) and is provided for purchases over 5,000 yen. Tax Free can be provided in two ways. 1) In small stores, a discount is made immediately at the checkout and you pay a smaller amount. 2) In large department stores, after paying for the goods for the full price, you must go to the tax free counter and receive a cash refund.

In both cases, a check will be attached to your passport with a stapler (!) And a seal will be placed, and the goods will be packed in sealed bags as in duty free (clothes are put in a regular bag). Further, according to the rules kindly given in the brochure that you will be given in the store, shopping bags (without unpacking!) must be presented at the airport (before check-in - if you check in your luggage) or after passport control(if you take the purchase in hand luggage).

In practice, which is confirmed by my experience and the reviews of other travelers that I have studied on this issue, no one looks at purchases, and you can either tear off checks from your passport yourself or go to the Customs window after passing through security and good Japanese customs officers, who, in theory, should check your purchases, take the checks from your passport (even despite the list and the cost of what you bought!), smile and let go in peace.

I took out all my purchases from the bags, took off the packaging and other tinsel that took up space (I bought mostly cosmetics), packed it into a suitcase, which I put in my luggage. I did not have any problems with the return of tax free.

9. Visa to Japan

About getting a visa to Japan, I already wrote a separate post on my blog, who are interested and relevant - come in =)

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It seems that I touched on all the main practical points .. I will be glad to help / recommend / answer any questions about independent travel to Japan.

aerobulochka
16/06/2016 13:00

The opinion of tourists may not coincide with the opinion of the editors.

Japan - amazing country, about which, everything seems to be known, but few people are reputed to be an expert in Japanese studies. What do tourists need to know about Japan in order not to fall into a simpleton in this incredibly diverse country?

Japan attracts tourists from all over the world with an incredible combination of the history of the East and the modern achievements of the West, ancient traditions and modernity. This unique atmosphere attracts travelers. But rest here is quite expensive. Therefore, wealthy people who have visited many countries, as well as businessmen, come here.

The Land of the Rising Sun is rich in various attractions: ancient pagodas, national baths (ofuro), various museums, a huge Imperial Palace, etc.

Along with historical monuments no less interesting are modern architectural sights and entertainment facilities (mirror skyscrapers, various spa centers with a wide range of services, the Golden Pavilion, Disney Land, etc.).

In addition to magnificent sights, this country has its own unique traditions and customs that came from antiquity. It is often quite difficult for tourists to find a common language with the locals.

The fact is that the mentality of the Japanese is very different from the mentality of any other nation. Often, ignorance of local rules and customs causes resentment among the Japanese. Therefore, before traveling to this extraordinary country, you need to familiarize yourself with the traditions of the area you are going to visit.

• The Japanese are distinguished by honesty and decency. If they find something, they give it to the Lost and Found Office safe and sound. If they find a wallet with money, they won't touch it. You will avoid many problems if you do not commit immoral acts.
• The Japanese people are workaholics. Their energy is enough for eighteen working hours. Their work is their life. Therefore, there is no need to distract them and interfere with their work.

• Japan is famous for its strict laws and their impeccable observance. Therefore, there is no need to check the work of law enforcement agencies, because you can go to jail for a banal speeding, and even more so for a more serious crime.
• The Japanese are creative people. From childhood, they are instilled with an interest in various types of art. They can draw well, sing, compose poems and stories. Therefore, be attentive to those Japanese with whom you communicate, and do not offend their feelings by speaking badly about their work.
• Don't get into conflict with the Japanese. Although they are thin and have a short stature, they are quite strong. It is better not to start a quarrel with the Japanese, otherwise you have a chance to get the full. Although the Japanese are famous for their peacefulness, they will not let go of resentment.

• The Japanese do not have the concept of "checkmate". The most offensive words are idiot and fool. The degree of swearing depends on intonation. If they shouted at you that you are a fool, then you have greatly offended the Japanese.
• In many offices, hospitals, private homes, people show respect by taking off their shoes on the doorstep. In the event that before entering the house you see that someone takes off their shoes, then you take them off.

• In the Land of the Rising Sun, people with high positions are highly respected. Therefore, when you see a person with a position higher than yours, bow slightly to him, expressing respect for him and his position.

Family culture in Japan

• In a family, the wife manages the family capital and gives money to her husband.
• In the Japanese family, the man is considered the main one, and the wife pleases him.
• Siblings can live under the same roof, who do not talk to each other for years, do not even know each other's phone numbers.

• Middle-aged and older couples may sleep in different rooms or in different beds.
• If you decide to start a formal relationship with a resident of Japan, then ask for it, otherwise you will find yourself an ordinary sex partner without obligations.
• Children and everything related to children in Japan is sacred. Don't even think about scolding a Japanese child for being a prank. You are taking a big risk!

In addition to the above, in this country there are many more different rules, traditions, customs that tourists need to study in order not to get into a mess.