JAPAN TRAVEL INFO

■Passport and visa■
Any foreign visitor who wishes to enter Japan must have a passport that will remain valid during the period of stay. Nationals of many countries are eligible to enter Japan without a visa unless the purpose of the visit is to reside in Japan, to obtain employment or to otherwise engage in remunerative activities.
Please see the following web-page for a list of nationals of countries that have "Reciprocal Visa Exemption Arrangements" with Japan.
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/arrange/essential/visa.html

■Language■
There is only one official language spoken in Japan, which is “Nihon-go (=Japanese)”. However, many Japanese are able to understand English to some extent, since English is the foreign language that everyone must learn as part of compulsory education. Even if you don't understand Japanese, you can still certainly enjoy Japan. But if you know a few everyday Japanese phrases then it will make your trip even more memorable. A few words make a big difference.

■Time difference■
All of Japan is in the same time zone,
9 hours ahead of G.M.T. No Daylight Saving Time is practiced in Japan
Shown below is a list of time differences between Japan and other major international cities.

Americas
・Sao Paulo -12 hrs
・Toronto -14 hrs
・New York -14 hrs
・Chicago -15 hrs
・Mexico City -15 hrs
・Los Angeles -17 hrs

Asia & Oceania
・Sydney +1 hr
・Seoul 0 hr
・Hong Kong -1 hr
・Beijing -1 hr
・Singapore -1 hr
・Bangkok -2 hrs
・Jakarta

Europe
・Moscow -6 hrs
・Frankfurt -8 hrs
・Geneva -8 hrs
・Paris -8 hrs
・London -9 hrs

■Currency and money exchange■
The unit of Japanese currency is yen. Coins are available in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 yen and bank notes in denominations of 1,000, 2,000, 5,000 and 10,000 yen.
You can buy yen at foreign exchange banks and other authorized money exchangers. At international airports, currency exchange counters are usually open during normal office hours. The exchange rate fluctuates daily depending on the money market.

■Travelers checks and credit cards■
Travelers Checks are accepted only by leading banks, hotels, ryokan and stores in major cities.
International credit cards such as American Express, VISA, Diners Club and MasterCard are also acceptable at these major establishments. However, credit card transactions are not always convenient outside big cities, so obtaining cash beforehand is recommended when you travel to the countryside.

■ATM■
Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) are commonly available in large urban areas throughout Japan. However, many do not accept foreign credit cards or cash cards. For ATMs that accept credit cards, it is advised to contact each credit company beforehand and check the location of each ATM and its availability as these conditions vary from machine to machine.

■Electricity■
The voltage used throughout Japan is uniformly 100 volts, AC. There are two kinds of frequencies in use; 50 Hertz in eastern Japan including Tokyo and 60 Hertz in western Japan (including Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka).
A convertible type of electrical appliance such as a hair dryer, travel iron and shaver will therefore be handy; otherwise a step-down transformer is required to convert the voltage.
There are no columnar-shaped plugs or 3-pin plugs used in Japan but 2-flat-pin plugs are used instead. It is therefore advised to purchase a plug adapter beforehand.