Asia, Japan

Overview

Whether you end up taking photos of a reproduction Eiffel Tower, surfing an indoor wave, musing in a Zen temple, shacking up in a love hotel or kipping down in a capsule, you'll do best to come with an open mind and be prepared to be surprised.

When To Go

Spring March to May, with its clear skies and cherry blossoms, is probably the most celebrated Japanese season, but the Golden Week period, which is 29 April to 7 May, is a holiday period for the Japanese and many of the more popular travel destinations tend to be flooded with domestic tourists. Autumn September to November is a great time to travel: the temperatures are pleasant, and the autumn colours in the countryside are fantastic. Mid-winter December to February can be very cold, while the sticky summer months June to August can turn even the briefest excursion out of the air conditioning into a soup bath; on the plus side, major tourist attractions will generally be quieter at these times of the year. It's also worth considering peak holiday seasons when you plan your trip. Moving around and finding accommodation during New Year, Golden Week and the midsummer O-Bon festival can be a real headache.

Visas

Japan has recently introduced stringent new immigration controls as part of its anti-terrorism policy. All foreigners must now be photographed and fingerprinted upon entering the country, so that their details may be cross-referenced on international and domestic crime and terrorist databases. Refusal to cooperate with these new measures will result in deportation.Citizens of most western European nations, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand among others do not require a visa before arrival and will be issued a 90-day short-stay visa upon arrival in Japan. For information on visas visit the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Weather

Affected by seasonal wind reversal from the southerly monsoon, Japan has a quite different climate to its Asian neighbours of the same latitude. You can expect the warmer temperatures of the south to cool as you move north so that the average July day is about 28°C 83°F around the southern islands and only 23°C 73°F near Hokkaido. Most of the year, the climate is moderate, but in winter it's cold throughout most of the country, with the exception of southern Kyûshû and Okinawa. Rainfall varies across the nation but is quite regular the year round and usually just a bit heavier during the June rainy season which misses Hokkaidô.

Getting There

While most people fly via Tokyo, there are several other ways of getting to and from Japan. For a start, there are many other airports in Japan, some of which make better entry points than Tokyo's somewhat inconvenient new Tokyo international airport commonly known as Narita international airport. It's also possible to arrive in Japan by sea from a number of nearby countries, particularly South Korea.

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