Japan Map Guide

Japan is situated in northeastern Asia between the North Pacific and the Sea of Japan. The area of Japan is 377,873 square kilometers, nearly equivalent to Germany and Switzerland combined or slightly smaller than California. Japan consists of four major islands, surrounded by more than 4,000 smaller islands.

Shown below are the four major islands, their locations and sizes.

Hokkaido (northern island) 83,000 square kilometers

Honshu (main island) 231,000 square kilometers

Shikoku (smallest island) 19,000 square kilometers

Kyushu (southern island) 42,000 square kilometers

Japan's topographical features include coastlines with varied scenery, towering mountains, which are very often volcanic and twisted valleys that invite visitors into the mysterious world of nature.

General Information

Money and Currency

Useful Contact Numbers

General Information
Capital	Tokyo
Customs	You are required to make either an oral or a written declaration about your belongings when you enter Japan. Two copies of a written declaration are required if you have unaccompanied baggage. Customs declaration forms are available on the plane, the ship, or at the Customs office. Personal effects and unaccompanied baggage that are for personal use, are free of duties and/or taxes within the allowance specified below. If you have both personal effects and unaccompanied baggage, please consider them together when referring to the allowance. Clothes, toiletry articles, and other personal effects that are for personal use, as well as professional equipment that will be used during your stay in Japan, are all free of duties and/or taxes, if they are considered quantitatively appropriate and are not for sale. The quantity of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, including both prescription and non-prescription drugs and some food supplements, including vitamin and mineral supplements, which a visitor can bring into Japan at one time may be limited. Narita Airport Customs http://www.narita-airport-customs.go.jp
Electricity	The voltage used throughout Japan is uniformly 100 volts, A.C. There are two kinds of frequencies in use; 50 Hertz in eastern Japan 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.
Time	All of Japan is in the same time zone, 9 hours ahead of GMT. No Daylight Saving Time is practiced in Japan.
Telephone	Domestic Calls Public telephones accept 10 yen and 100 yen coins and/or telephone cards. A local call (within Tokyo's central 23 Wards and some other metropolitan cities) costs 10 yen per minute. If you put in two 10-yen coins and speak for less than one minute, one of the coins will be returned to you. No change is given for partial use of a 100 yen coin. Prepaid telephone cards cost 1,000 yen from vending machines, kiosks at train stations, and convenience stores. Charges for inter-city calls vary according to the distance. Domestic calls are cheaper at night and on Saturday, Sunday & national holidays.
International Calls	Direct Calls A direct overseas call can be made from a public telephone displaying an International and Domestic Telephone sign. These phones are not widespread, but can be found at airports, hotels, and other key facilities. Direct dial calls can be made via a telephone company using the company's access number. Credit Card Calls A credit card call can be made from a telephone with an International and Domestic Telephone sign. Insert a 100 yen coin (returned when you finish the call) and input an access number. The telecom business is fiercely competitive and so rates and systems change often. AT&T Direct Service from Japan http://www.ap.att.com/connectionjapan
Mobile Phones	The Japanese mobile telephone system is not compatible with those of other countries. Except for some special kinds of phone (satellite phone), your mobile phone will not function in Japan. If you want to use a mobile phone in Japan, rental phones are available. You can find rental shops at Narita Airport and Kansai Airport. For further information please contact any of the following companies: NTT DoCoMo: (Customer Service Center) TEL: (0120) 680100 G-phone: TEL: (03) 5245-5790 Cellular Phone: TEL: (0120) 116323
Toll Free Numbers	Telephone numbers starting with 0120 are receiver-paid calls under NTT's Free Dial 0120 service. For Japan Telecom, the toll-free numbers begin with 0088, but calling areas are sometimes limited. Toll free numbers can not be called from outside Japan.
Facsimile and Computer Networking	Facsimile machines are available at most hotels. Ask the front desk or go to the hotel's business service center. Some hotel phones and the new gray telephones have modular sockets for computer network access.
Climate and Weather	Winter (December - February) The temperature rarely drops below 0 degrees C in the plains along the Pacific coast during wintertime. It is also quite dry and very often sunny. Central Japan and Northern Japan are highly reputed regions for winter sports. Southern Japan is comparatively mild and pleasant in winter. Clothing: overcoats, sweaters, etc. Spring (March - May) The plum blossom is a good sign that the cold winter will soon end and spring is just around the corner, followed by the cherry blossom at its best in the Tokyo area between the end of March and the beginning of April to bring this beautiful season to a climax. Splendid views of mountains, fields and gardens all blanketed in gentle pink abound in this season. Clothing: light jackets, light sweaters and other similar kinds of tops. Summer (June - August) The Japanese summer begins in June with a three to four week rainy season. This is an important time for farmers to plant rice. It becomes seriously hot and humid from July onward and many Japanese enjoy bathing in the sea and relaxing at cool resorts in mountainous areas. Summer is when many interesting festivals and other events are held all over the country. Clothing: light clothes (cardigans and other similar kinds are handy, since indoors are mostly air-conditioned.) Autumn (September - November) Autumn always brings such freshness with a light breeze and cool temperature after the hot and humid summer. All forests are dyed in glorious autumn colors. Chrysanthemums create beautiful displays with their abundance of flowers to enchant visitors to parks and gardens. Autumn is also the season for many exhibitions, music concerts and sports tournaments in Japan. Clothing: light jackets, light sweaters and other similar kinds of tops.

Money and Currency
Currency and Money Exchange	There is no limit on the amount of any currency that may be brought into or taken out of Japan. However, if you transport (any currencies, checks, securities or other monies.) exceeding 1,000,000 yen worth in Japanese currency into or out of the country then you must complete a customs declaration. 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 the 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 by leading banks, hotels, ryokan (Japanese inns) 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.

Useful Contact Numbers
Tourist Information Centre	Tokyo (03) 3201-3331 Kyoto (075) 371-5649 Narita Passenger Terminal 2 (0476) 34-6251 Narita Passenger Terminal 1 (0476) 30-3383 Kansai (0724) 56-6025 Urgent 110 Lost and Found (03) 3814-4151 General Information (03) 3501-0110 (Japanese/English) (03) 3503-8484 (English & Several Other Foreign Languages) Fire/Ambulance 119 Hospital Information (03) 5285-8181 The Japan Help-Line (0120) 461-997


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