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 Location |
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Japan consists of several thousands of islands, of which Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku are the four largest. Japan's closest neighbors are Korea, Russia and China. The Sea of Japan separates the Asian continent from the Japanese archipelago. |
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Area |
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Japan's area is larger than, for example, Germany's and comparable to the one of Italy or California. Japan's northernmost islands are located approximately on same geographical latitude as Milan or Portland while her southernmost islands are about on the same latitude as the Bahamas. In other words, Japan's North South extension equals about the distance from Oslo to Naples. More than 50% of the area of Japan is mountainous and covered by forests. Japan is politically structured in 8 regions and 47 prefectures. |
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Population |
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The population of Japan is about 125,000,000. Almost the whole population is Japanese. More than half of the non Japanese population is Korean. |
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Climate |
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Due to the large North South extension of the country, the climate varies strongly in different regions. The climate in most of the major cities, including Tokyo, is temperate to subtropical and consists of four seasons. The winter is mild and the summer is hot and humid. There is a rainy season in early summer, and typhoons hit parts of the country every year during late summer. The climate of the northern island of Hokkaido is colder, and snow storms occur frequently during winter. In Okinawa, on the other hand, the mean temperature of January is a warm 16 degrees Celsius. |
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Religion |
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Shinto and Buddhism are Japan's two major religions. They have been co-existing for several centuries and have even complemented each other to a certain degree. Most Japanese consider themselves Buddhist, Shintoist or both.
Religion does not play a big role in the everyday life of most Japanese people today. The average person typically follows the religious rituals at ceremonies like birth, weddings and funerals, may visit a shrine or temple on New Year and participates at local festivals (matsuri), most of which have a religious background.
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Language |
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Japanese is believed to be linked to the Altaic language family, which includes Turkish, Mongolian and other languages, but also shows similarities to Austronesian languages like Polynesian.
Writing:
The Japanese writing system consists of three different character sets: Kanji (several thousands of Chinese characters) and Hiragana and Katakana (two syllabaries of 46 characters each; together called Kana). Japanese texts can be written in two ways: In Western style, i.e. in horizontal rows from the top to the bottom of the page, or in traditional Japanese style, i.e. in vertical columns from the right to the left side of the page. Both writing styles exist side by side today.
Grammar:
Basic Japanese grammar is relatively simple. Complicating factors such as gender articles and distinctions between plural and singular are missing almost completely. Conjugation rules for verbs and adjectives are simple and almost free of exceptions. Nouns are not declinated at all, but appear always in the same form.
Pronunciation:
In comparison with other languages, Japanese knows relatively few sounds, and pronunciation poses little problems to most learners. The biggest difficulty are accents, which do exist, but to a much lower extent than in the Chinese language. In addition, there are relatively many homonyms, i.e. words that are pronounced the same way, but have different meanings.
Levels of speech:
Different words and expressions are used when talking to an unknown person or a superior, as opposed to when talking to a child, family member or a close friend. For instance, there are more than five different words for the English word "I", which are used depending on the context. For formal situations, a honorific language level (keigo) is still in common use.
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Food |
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The Japanese cuisine offers a great variety of dishes and regional specialties. Some of the most popular Japanese and Japanized dishes are: rice dishes, seafood dishes, noodle dishes, nabe dishes, soya bean dishes and yoshoku dishes |
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Currency |
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The Japanese currency is the Yen, literally meaning "circle". One yen corresponds to 100 sen. However, sen are not used in everyday life anymore.
Coins come in 1 Yen, 5 Yen, 10 Yen, 50 Yen, 100 Yen and 500 Yen.
Bills come in 1,000 Yen, 2,000 Yen (very rare), 5,000 Yen and 10,000 Yen. |
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Money & Banking |
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Many automatic teller machines (ATMs) in Japan do not accept credit, debit and ATM cards, issued outside of Japan.
The exceptions are the ATMs found at the over 20,000 post offices across the country. ATMs at post offices allow you to withdraw cash by foreign Visa, Plus, Mastercard, Eurocard, Maestro, Cirrus, American Express, Diners and JCB cards and provide an English user menu.
Note that most post offices do not offer a 24 hour ATM service. While ATMs at major post offices are typically available daily from 7:00 to 21:00 with slightly shorter hours on weekends, ATMs at smaller branches may only operate From Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 16:00. Your best bet is from Monday to Saturday between 9:00 and 17:00.
In addition to the ATMs at post offices, a small number of international ATMs are located in major department stores, airports and Citibank branches.
In order to use international ATMs, make sure at home before leaving for Japan, that your credit or debit card can be used abroad and that you know its secret 4-digit PIN. Also, check what fees and daily and/or monthly limits are associated with international withdrawals.
Japanese banks are usually open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 15:00.
In order to open an account at a Japanese bank, a foreigner requires to present his/her Alien Registration Card, the document any foreigner needs to apply for when staying in Japan for more than 90 days. An inkan (personal stamp) or signature is also needed. |
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Livings Cost |
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Living costs in Japan and especially in Tokyo are famous to be among the world's highest. However, if you live outside of central Tokyo, adjust to a Japanese lifestyle and do not depend too heavily on food and products from your home country, you may be surprised how inexpensive Japan can be.
Housing
Some of the world's most expensive land can be found in central Tokyo. Consequently, even tiny apartments in the city center are very expensive. However, housing costs are distinctly lower in Tokyo's suburbs, surrounding prefectures and in other regions and cities of Japan. Additional commuting costs are often more than compensated by the savings on the rent, especially as many Japanese companies pay part or all of their employees' commuting expenses. If you prefer to live close to city centers, gaijin houses are an inexpensive option to consider.
Utilities such as gas, water and especially electricity are expensive, and phone rates are high. For international calls, consider callback services and other offers for the expat community.
Food
Local supermarkets are relatively inexpensive if you stick to Japanese food such as seasonal vegetables, seafood, soya bean products and rice. If you visit supermarkets shortly before closing time in the evening, you can purchase remaining perishable products at big discounts.
There are plenty of restaurants where you can have a full meal for between 500 and 1000 Yen. Noodles (ramen, soba and udon), domburi (for example, beef domburi), curry rice, bibimba (Korean style domburi), hamburgers and many more types of dishes are available at such inexpensive restaurants. Look for them around and inside large train stations and in business areas.
A meal at a more average restaurant costs roughly between 1,000 and 3,000 Yen, while there is no upper price limit when it comes to high-class restaurants such as ryotei.
During lunch hours, many restaurants offer inexpensive teishoku (set menus) at around 1000 Yen. Lunch boxes (bento), which are sold in convenience and department stores, train stations and at temporary stands in business areas are also a good deal.
Everyday goods and services
Clothing departments of supermarket chains such as Ito Yokado or discount clothing stores such as Uniclo offer inexpensive clothing. The availability of large sized clothes may becomes a problem if you are over 180 cm tall or a big person, otherwise. Department stores and boutiques are more expensive.
Japanese hair dressers are famous for their great service and high prices. However, there are also places where you can get a quick haircut for around 1000 Yen.
While naturally not famous for quality, "100 Yen Shops" sell a large range of products including stationary and kitchen goods at 105 Yen each (sales tax included) and can be very cost-efficient.
Transportation
Commuters can purchase commuter passes for unlimited travel between their home and office/school for a given time period. A large variety of other discount offers is available for train travel in Japan. Check out our Guide to Japanese train tickets for more details.
Owning a car in Japan is expensive due to the mandatory bi-annual inspections (shaken), mandatory insurance, an automobile tax and the fee for a parking space (in large cities). The cars themselves, however, are relatively inexpensive, with smaller new cars starting at under one million yen. A liter of gasoline costs around 100 Yen. The use of highways is subject to tolls.
Electronics
Electronic goods, such as TVs, stereo sets, cameras and computers are relatively inexpensive at stores like Yamada Denki, Yodobashi Camera, Sakuraya and Bic Camera, and in discount shopping areas like Akihabara in Tokyo.
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Visas |
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Temporary visitors (tourists)
If you are a citizen of one of the over 50 countries with which Japan has concluded a "general visa exemption arrangement", you need only a valid passport in order to enter Japan as a "temporary visitor", otherwise, you need to apply for a visa before coming to Japan. Temporary visitors from most countries are allowed to stay in Japan for up to 90 days.
If you are a citizens of Austria, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you have the possibility to extend your stay in Japan to a total of up to six months. You still initially enter Japan for 90 days, but can then apply for an extension at an immigration office in Japan.
Temporary visitors are not allowed to engage in any paid activities. Short term studies at certain Japanese language schools are permitted.
Travelers who change airplanes or ships in Japan, may be eligible for a transit visa, which allows them to enter Japan for 72 hours to 15 days for sightseeing purposes, before proceeding to their final destination outside of Japan.
All foreign tourists in Japan are required to carry their passports with them at all times.
Working Holiday visa
This is a special visa for young citizens of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Korea, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Visit our working holiday visa page for more details.
Working visa
Foreigner who wish to work in Japan, need to apply for an appropriate visa before coming to Japan. There are about a dozen types of working visas, each allowing the holder to engage in paid activities only within a defined professional field. For example, there are visas for artists, professors, engineers, instructors and entertainers.
If you change jobs while you are in Japan, you also need to change your status of residence, provided that the new job falls into a different professional field. Most working visas are valid for one or three years and need to be extended before they expire.
Student visa
Foreigner who wish to study in Japan, need to apply for an appropriate visa before coming to Japan. (An exception may be short stays at Japanese language schools.) There are a few types of student visas depending on the type of studies. Holders are not allowed to engage in any paid activities.
Spouse visa
Applicants who are married to a Japanese national can apply for a spouse visa before coming to Japan. Visa holders are allowed to engage in any paid activity. A spouse visa is valid for one or three years and needs to be extended before it expires.
Permanent residence
People who have resided in Japan for at least five consecutive years and fulfill a few more vaguely defined conditions, may be eligible to apply for permanent residence. Permanent residents do not need to worry about extending visas anymore and are allowed to engage in any paid activity.
Alien registration
All foreigners who stay in Japan for more than 90 days, need to apply for an alien registration card within the first 90 days of their stay. Applications can be made at the local municipal office (e.g. city hall). The alien registration card is an important document required for opening a bank account and similar activities. Foreign residents are required to carry their alien registration card with them at all times.
Re-entry permit
Workers, students and spouses, as well as permanent residents are required to apply for a re-entry permit whenever leaving Japan temporarily (for example, for holidays) in order to keep their status of residence in Japan. Without re-entry permit, a person who leaves Japan, will lose his/her status of residence. Re-entry permits can be obtained at immigration offices and some airports.
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Health |
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Drinking water
Tap water is safe to drink anywhere in Japan. Mineral water including major imported brands can be easily obtained from super markets, convenience stores and other similar places.
Hospitals
Medical systems and facilities in Japan are well established so that you can expect to receive a high standard medical treatment, should you have a problem with your health during your stay.
Inoculations
There are no inoculations required for entering Japan from anywhere around the world.
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Weights and Measures |
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The official System in Japan is the Metric system, measuring weights and mass Kilos and grams, and distance and length in kilometers, and centimeters. |
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Electricity |
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The voltage throughout Japan is 100 Volt which is different from North America (110V), Central Europe (220V) and most other world regions. Japanese electrical plugs have two pins and fit into North American outlets.
a Japanese electrical plug
Some North American made equipment will work fine in Japan without adapter and vice versa, however, caution should be taken as some sensitive equipment may get damaged. If you intend to purchase electric appliances in Japan for usage outside of Japan, you are advised to look for equipment specifically made for oversea tourists. |
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