Telephone
For communication in Japan, it is most convenient to use international-style pay phones. They are easily recognizable by their gray or green color (they accept cards in denominations of 1000 and 5000 yen) or yellow and blue (here you can also use coins of 10 and 100 yen). There are also local red telephones that operate on 10 yen coins. The rules of use can be found in the booth.
Tourists need to remember that mobile communications of the Russian GSM standard in Japan do not work at all. Therefore, it is worth renting a mobile phone. Rental points are located at international airports, to receive a phone you need to present a passport with a visa. The rental is paid by credit card.
Phones for emergencies:
110 – police;
119 – fire department, ambulance
The call is free; a special red button is pressed on a public pay phone before dialing.
Shopping
In Japan, every shopping lover will find a product for himself. There is a huge amount of both things of world brands and unusual souvenirs of national themes.
Japanese costume jewelry and jewelry made of pearls and much more are famous for their unusual finishes and quite adequate prices. It is worth noting that the collections of clothes of the best designers in Europe are primarily sent to Tokyo stores. See liuxers for Japan customs and traditions.
The Japanese extremely appreciate and love all kinds of accessories. Therefore, there is a huge selection of them, from hats and scarves to original golfs and so on.
Among the popular Japanese souvenirs, there are some of the most interesting. Japanese dolls, a bit like Russian nesting dolls, are dressed in national costumes and will delight children. For lovers of fine tea drinking, a set for a traditional tea ceremony is suitable: a “Japanese garden”, a table, a teapot and small cups. Of course, souvenir shops abound with authentic sushi sets with everything you need.
You can also purchase a panel with a hieroglyph, a Japanese puzzle, a bright kimono, a samurai sword or an elegant fan.
Souvenirs can be purchased both in city shops and right at the airport before departure, prices will not differ.
A tourist needs to remember that in Japan it is not supposed to bargain at all.
Payment is most often made by credit cards. There is a 5% sales tax. The check with the goods will need to be shown to the customs officer when leaving the country.
Tips
Tipping in Japan is not only not allowed, but can also be regarded as an insult. Tourists are usually politely answered that they get a good salary anyway. Therefore, payment is made strictly according to the invoice. The exception is hotels and restaurants, but even here the service charge is included in the bill immediately.
Accommodation
Japanese hotels of any prestige are a model of excellent service. There are the following accommodation options:
- Business hotels for business travelers. Located close to stations and railway stations, prices are low;
- Capsule hotels are the most economical. They consist of a row of small boxes with a bed, a lamp and a radio, conveniences in the corridor;
- Classic hotels of Japan”Ryokan”. Furnished in the Japanese tradition, with a cotton mattress instead of a bed, tatami on the floor and public baths for a leisurely bath;
- Youth hostels, which, however, are mostly available only to members of the Youth Hostel Federation;
- Pensions “Minsuku” for families, with home meals;
- International hotels.
Currency
The national currency is the yen. In circulation are coins of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 yen and banknotes of 1000, 5000 and 10000 yen.
Currency exchange can be done in banks that are open daily from 9:00 to 15:00 and until 17:00 on weekdays, and on the first and last Saturday of the month from 9:00 to 12:00. Banks are closed on Sundays and holidays. It is more convenient to change money at airports and large stores, as well as at the post office, in hotels, i.e. where foreigners frequent. However, hotels do not change amounts over $300. It is more convenient to resolve the issue of currency exchange immediately upon arrival, at the airport.
The shops
The largest department stores are open daily from 10:00 to 21:00, and on Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 19:30.
Convenience stores are open 24/7. Private shops, as well as hotel shops, work according to an individual schedule.
Transport
The most common modes of transportation in Japan are rail transport and sea transport. Japan Rail is the main railway company in the country. The national track network and super-express lines “shinkansen” are under its control. There are also tokkyu trains, which are the fastest, as well as kyuko (express), kaisoku (fast), and local futsu (regular) trains.
For more convenient travel, you can purchase a Japan Rail Pass general ticket, which gives you unlimited travel not only on trains, but also on Japan Rail buses and ferries. Bus service is developed in Japan at a high level, flights operate from 7:00 to 21:00.
There are branched metro lines only in the largest cities, the interval of trains is about 5 minutes. Taxis are easy to get, but very expensive. And from 23:00 to 6:00, the fee is still increased by 30%.
There is an option to rent a car if the tourist has an international driver’s license and Japanese insurance. But for a European who is unfamiliar with Japanese, driving alone is more inconvenient, so this method is rarely resorted to. Traffic is on the left side of the road.
Electricity
The mains voltage is 100V. For household appliances, you will need an adapter, which, however, is easy to buy.
Security
The main difficulty of tourists who decide to go to Japan is that almost no one speaks international English here, so it is difficult, say, to ask for directions if you get lost. In this case, you need to contact the police, their duties include escorting tourists to their hotel. Inscriptions in the subway and road signs are duplicated in Latin.
Time
Japan time zone: GMT+9 (+5 hours from Moscow).
