Gateway to Japan (Kodansha Guide) - Softcover

PRACTICAL ADVICE

p. 3 Before You Go

Expenses, JNTO offices abroad, Reservations, Rail Pass, Tours, Required documents, Language, When to go, What to wear, Exercises, Packing, Money

p. 6 Getting Into and Out of Japan

By air, By sea

p. 8 Money

Changing money, Carry plenty of cash, Credit cards, Travelers checks

p. 8 Information in Japan

Tourist Information Centers (TIC), English-language newspapers and magazines, Prefectural information offices, Kanko annaijo

p. 10 Lodgings

Japanese (ryokan, minshuku, pensions, kokuminshukusha), Western (hotels, business hotels, chain hotels), Youth hostels, Temples, Cycling terminals, Reservations, In a pinch

p. 13 Transportation Inside Japan

JR (Japan Railways), Buses and scheduled tour buses, Jikokuhyo timetables, Domestic airlines, Taxis, Driving, Car rental, Hitchhiking

p. 15 Practical Information A to Z

Addresses, Banks, Baths, Business hours, Business travel, Children, Crime, Embassies and consulates, Emergencies, English, Etiquette, Footwear, Gift-giving, Handicapped travelers, Health, Hospitals, Immigration, Lost-and-found, National holidays, Parcel delivery, Postal system, Shopping, Taxes, Telephone and telegraph, Time zone, Tipping, Toilet, Travel agents, Weights and measures, Women travelers, Voltage

Before You Go

There's no better way to get to know a country than to make your own travel arrangements. Japan, with perhaps the most varied culture in the world today, presents astounding and delightful choices: whether to stay in a temple or a computer-controlled hotel room, to see Noh or Buto, to dine on nouvelle Japonaise or slurp noodles in a 500-year-old shop. Expenses. With the rise of the mighty yen, Japan has undoubtedly become an expensive travel destination. It is not necessary to impoverish yourself, however. If you are willing to rely on the superb public transportation system and to try the accommodations and restaurants that the average Japanese themselves use, you will be able to stretch your budget considerably further than if you were to stick to international hotels and fancy French restaurants. What's more, you will have a much more interesting experience. Minshuku, which are Japanese-style "bed-and-breakfasts," cost about $60 to $90 including dinner and breakfast and will give you an opportunity to see how ordinary people live. Food can be shockingly expensive, but it is possible to dine cheaply. Commuter railway stations and shopping districts abound with inexpensive restaurants where you can get a nourishing meal for about $10. The huge food marts in department store basements sell beautiful and inexpensive bento (lunch boxes), perfect for picnics or for taking back to your room. Restaurant lunch specials are often a bargain. Railway travel in Japan operates with clockwork efficiency, but it is expensive. Sometimes it is cheaper to fly--especially if you count in the time savings. Note that during peak vacation periods (Mar. 21-Apr. 15, Apr. 28-May 6, July 21-Aug. 31, Dec. 25-Jan. 10) JR and many hotels charge higher rates. The Japan Rail Pass can be a money saver depending on your itinerary. A one-week pass costs about the same as the round-trip bullet-train fare from Tokyo to Kyoto. Here are two entirely realistic possibilities for daily expenses:....