If the next country of travel on your list is the country of the Rising Sun - Japan, do not rush to quickly pack your bags: think if you know everything about this country. Japan is by no means a European country in which you are accustomed to rest and know all the nuances of independent rest. This is a country of different rituals and principles, where a different atmosphere reigns. The Japanese, by virtue of their politeness, will never offend a foreign guest, but it is still better to familiarize yourself with some unwritten statutes, "commandments", so as not to feel like a savage in the land of the Rising Sun.
Basic commandments
Any travel involves communication with the locals. In Japan, it is very important to show your respect to the interlocutor. Even if you ask him what time it is. If you just “nod” or say “hello”, to an ordinary acquaintance it will seem like a sign of disrespect to him. In addition, when greeting the Japanese, it is necessary to bow. The number and duration of bows directly depends on the status of the individual in society.
In Japan, special attention is paid to table etiquette. For example: every Japanese restaurant serves a small wet napkin for drying hands, not as a towel or handkerchief, as many European tourists think. After the person wipes his hands, the napkin lies on the edge of the table. If you are having lunch or dinner in the company of the Japanese, do not rush to eat right away: when everyone has food and drinks, only then can you go over to the meal. In addition, you can also bring the plate to your mouth for a more comfortable meal. And if you don't know how to use chopsticks, don't count on being presented with a fork or spoon. However, your inability to handle chopsticks will not offend anyone. But it is not customary to leave a tip in Japan: the waiters simply will not understand you.
Briefs about Japan
The languages of communication are Japanese and English, which every Japanese knows.
The national currency is the yen. It is best to change the currency at the airport, as the hotel has restrictions for one person: no more than $ 300 per person, and banks will have to fill out a lot of documents and go through a lot of bureaucratic formalities.
Narita International Airport, which is just an hour's drive from Tokyo. The cheapest way to get to the capital from the airport is by shuttle bus.
Only left-hand traffic on the roads. In taxis and in hotels, as well as in restaurants, no tips are left.
The voltage in the mains is 120 volts.
In Japan, sanitary nomens are very strictly monitored, so drinking ordinary tap water is safe.
Best time to visit Japan
The tourist season is March-April and October-November, when the air temperature is good for traveling. During this period, there are also many bright holidays that will allow you to get to know this country even better. In summer, the temperature reaches +40 degrees and more, and it often rains. September is the typhoon season. However, at any time of the year, an umbrella in Japan is an important and necessary thing. However, if you have the opportunity to purchase cheap flights on this site, do not waste your moment: this country is beautiful at any time.
Hotels in Japan
There is no official star rating for hotels in Japan. It is more important to choose the type of hotel: European or traditional, Japanese. Most of the hotels in the country are European-style hotels with different levels of apartments and a high level of service. Business hotels with small rooms, but equipped with everything necessary, are popular. The cheapest option is "capsule" hotels, with tiny rooms in which you can only sit or lie down. Inside the capsule, in addition to the bed, there is also a telephone, a lamp, a TV set, and in the corridor there are washing machines, machines for dispensing toothpaste and brushes, and razors. For those who want to get better acquainted with Japanese exoticism, it is worth staying at a ryokan - a Japanese-style hotel. You just have to sleep on the floor, more precisely on a mattress, sit on mats, and move around the hotel itself without shoes.
And one more subtle point, especially for men: be sure to stock up on socks. The thing is that when you enter a Japanese hotel, restaurant, private house, you have to take off your shoes.
Planning to travel to Japan in 2020? Great choice! In this review, we will tell you all about the seasons, weather and where is the best to go and what to see in a given month. We will also find out where the best beach vacation is and what advice tourists give.
Japan is a world of sophisticated exoticism. Jewelry combination of tradition and modernity. A place of harmony of spirit and body. You can pick up many more epithets, but you can understand their meaning only by visiting the Land of the Rising Sun.
Where to find cheap tickets? This is most conveniently done using search engines and Skyscanner. To find the best price, check both and see tickets for different dates. Read also the instructions,. The cost of tickets is approximately the following: to fly back and forth to Tokyo or Osaka from Moscow and St. Petersburg can be from 25-30 thousand rubles, from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Khabarovsk - from 15-20 thousand. For the list of cities in Russia for which the cheapest tickets to Japan are found, see.
When is the best time to go on vacation to Japan?
Spring
First of all, it is hanami, the Japanese national tradition of flower-admiring. Nature begins its performance with the flowering of the Japanese ume plum from late December to late March. However, the main event of the hanami is the sakura blossom. Thanks to the climate, this magical sight can last more than three months (from late February to late May). There are times when, for example, on the island of Okinawa, sakura begins to bloom in January. A wave of Japanese cherry blossoms sweeps across the country from the southernmost island of Kyushu and ends in northern Tohoku.
Flowering lasts only 8-10 days, so there are two options: either follow the "wave" across the country, or catch the moment. In addition, other beautiful flowers begin to bloom from May: azalea, shiba-zakura and wisteria.
Thousands of tourists from all over the world come to see the khanami. However, the real excitement in the country is from April 29 to May 6. At this time, a series of official holidays take place: Sowing Day, Constitution Day, Greenery Day and Children's Day. The period of the celebrations is collectively referred to as the "Golden Week". It entails traffic jams and queues, as well as difficulties with hotel reservations. In addition, the prices for vacations in Japan during this time rise sharply. We advise you to take this into account when planning your trip.
It is also worth mentioning that traditional festivals begin in mid-May, including Kanda Matsuri and Sanja Matsuri in Tokyo, as well as Aoi Matsuri in Kyoto.
(Photo © SteFou! / Flickr.com / CC BY 2.0 license)
Summer
The beginning of summer is not the best time for a vacation in Japan. The so-called tsuyu(rainy season) and lasts until mid-July. Summer in the country is very hot, the air temperature is between + 34 ... + 38 ° С, and the humidity can exceed 90%.
Nevertheless, only in summer you can conquer one of the main attractions of Japan - Mount Fuji, located on the island of Honshu. Officially climbing Mount Fuji is allowed only from July 1 to August 27. With the end of the season, you will not find the accompanying professionals and rescue services to keep you safe in the summer.
Summer in Japan is a season of festivities and grand fireworks. If you want to see one of the festivals, then we advise you to plan the route in accordance with the country's holiday calendar. Check out the festival calendar for the main tourist cities. There is also another calendar. Both sites are in English.
In mid-August, the Japanese celebrate smell... It is believed that at this time the souls of the dead descend to earth. Locals visit the graves of their ancestors and pay tribute to the memory. People disperse to their homes to see their relatives. Moreover, in August, children have school holidays, so there may be problems with booking hotels and buying tickets.
Autumn
Based on the weather, September is not the best vacation option in Japan in 2020. The heat has not subsided yet, the humidity too. In addition, at this time, the country is especially prone to typhoons, which are characterized by strong gusts of wind and heavy rains.
By the end of September, the weather conditions soften, the number of tourists decreases and, in our opinion, the most favorable time for traveling to Japan begins.
October and November is the time of the traditional momiji, it is also called the season of red maples. As sakura once covered Japan from south to north, so now, in the opposite direction (from north to south), red-yellow waves of autumn leaves paint the country. The best place to observe Momiji is in Kyoto. Travelers are also advised to enjoy Japanese autumn in Tokyo, Okayama and Hiroshima.
In reviews of their holidays in Japan, tourists celebrate the October festivals. One of the most representative holidays - jidai matsuri, a festival of eras dedicated to the history of the country. You can visit it on October 22 in Kyoto.
(Photo © Freedom II Andres / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0 License)
Winter
Going on vacation to Japan in winter is perhaps the most interesting of all from mid-December, when the country is immersed in the New Year's atmosphere. However, it should be borne in mind that the Japanese themselves at this time are constantly traveling to their hometowns and traveling. We advise you to book accommodation in advance and plan your itineraries as carefully as possible, as prices for holidays in Japan increase during this period.
Japanese landscapes get dull in January and February, so to see the snowy beauty, we advise you to stick to the northern regions. Feel all the delights of the famous Japanese hot springs onsen advise near Mount Fuji. The combination of a natural hot bath, Japanese winter and views of the snowy peaks of the legendary volcano is perhaps the best atmosphere to appreciate onsen.
When traveling Japan in winter, be sure to visit the world famous Snow festival in Sapporo, which is held annually in early February and lasts 7 days.
Where to stay in Japan? Living in the country is not cheap. We advise you to search for hotels on the search engine Roomguru, it will select the most profitable options among many booking systems. For example, in Tokyo, a night in a hostel with excellent reviews costs from $ 26, but rooms in decent hotels in Tokyo are much more expensive - for example, the price for a double room in a hotel starts from $ 95.
Beach holidays in Japan
The Japanese themselves are not the biggest fans of seaside holidays, since the traditional fashion for pale skin in the Land of the Rising Sun has survived to this day. However, there are beach resorts on almost every island in the country, and tourists can sunbathe on the coast while touring the country.
Choosing a beach destination in Japan depends on your needs and hobbies. For fans of surfing, the Kamakura resort is more suitable. However, the archipelago is the most popular among lovers of outdoor activities on the water. Ryukyu and its largest island is Okinawa. The sea is always warm here, and the minimum water temperature here is + 20 ° C. The colorful coral reefs attract divers from all over the world. Also on the islands Kerama located near Okinawa, tourists can take advantage of the exceptional opportunity to watch whales.
In reviews of a beach vacation in Japan with children, tourists advise the city Miyazaki on the island of Kyushu. In addition to luxurious beaches, there is the famous Ocean Dome water park, which can accommodate more than 10 thousand people.
A truly unique place to relax in Japan by the sea is the city Shirahama that on the island of Honshu. Snow-white quartz sand was brought to its coast from Australia. The resort's landscaped beaches, hot springs and modern hotels attract both tourists and locals.
The name of the city of Ibusuki (Kyushu Island) translates as "a city on the hot earth." Thermal waters here come so close to the surface of the earth that the temperature of the sea water can reach + 40 ° C. Not surprisingly, the city is called Japanese Hawaii.
There is a saying: "A sick person is bitter and honey." So that the rest is not spoiled by ailments, we advise you to collect the right one.
(Photo © Shinichi Higashi / flickr.com / License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
When planning a vacation in Japan in 2020, it should be understood that the concept of a low season in the country practically does not exist. Each season here has its own uniqueness. In addition, domestic tourism in the country is developed just as well as external. Locals move around the country en masse during national holidays, so this period is characterized by difficulties with booking accommodation, problems with buying transport tickets and widespread long queues. Also, during the holidays, there is an increase in prices for vacations in Japan.
Japan is a very law abiding country and the crime rate is extremely low here. Nevertheless, one should not forget about elementary precautions, and even more so to become a source of violation of law and order (as our compatriots sometimes like to do in popular resorts). Not everyone is fluent in English in Japan, so it is best to seek help from the police in case of anything. In addition, for the convenience of foreigners, metro inscriptions and road signs are duplicated in Latin letters.
It is important for tourists going on vacation to Japan to know a couple more things that are considered the norm in some countries (even an unspoken obligation), but here they will be perceived as an insult:
- In Japan, it is not customary to leave a tip, the usual 5-15% incentive is already included in the price of a product or service.
- In the country, they are not traded either in stores or in markets.
- In addition, I would like to give a little advice on shaking hands. The Japanese pay great attention to issues of personal space and restraint of behavior. Do not be the first to reach out for a handshake, as this type of European greeting may not correspond to the values of every local.
Those who like to bring something "from overseas, ocean" should note that souvenirs and delicacies can be produced exclusively in one or another region of the country. For this reason, we advise you not to postpone the purchase of what you like. In reviews of their vacation in Japan, tourists are advised to purchase jewelry and costume jewelry. Although their prices do not differ from European ones, the quality and design are at the highest level. If Japan can attract girls with natural cosmetics based on pearls and algae, then men will certainly not be left indifferent by ultramodern and computer games.
(Photo © Moyan Brenn / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0 License)
Introductory Image Source: © risaikeda / flickr.com / CC BY-NC 2.0 License
We continue to consider the features of tourism in the Land of the Rising Sun. In order not to seem to everyone and everyone in this country as an ignorant “red-skinned barbarian” who has visited this wonderful land, it is worth knowing the rules and being able to follow them. In continuation of the previous article, we will tell you about the intricacies of life and culture of the mysterious Japanese people.
The safety level of tourists in Japan is perhaps one of the lowest in the world. Of course, do not forget about the basic safety rules and precautions that are typical for all countries. Here you just need to remember that foreign languages are not very favored in Japan and you will be incredibly lucky if you meet a person who speaks English more or less tolerably. However, the locals will quickly float the lost tourists to the police, and the latter are responsible for the delivery of noisy ignorant foreigners to hotels. Also, all the inscriptions in the metro and buses are duplicated in Latin letters. It doesn't help much, but at the very least, you can navigate.
A few words about the seasons. The climate in Japan is divided into 4 traditional seasons and 2 rainy seasons. In winter, the islands are usually dry and above zero. Snow falls in the mountains. Spring begins with plum blossom (usually March) and lasts until the “bayou” (plum rain), the summer rainy season. So, if you want to watch the legendary, many times sung cherry blossoms, try to get to Japan by the beginning of the month of April. The rainy season starts and lasts differently in different parts of the country. Summer is a really hot season that lasts until September, when the autumn wind finally brings coolness. Autumn is the most comfortable time of the year in Japan, in my opinion. It is important to remember that there are no “cheap” or “low” seasons in this country (like in Egypt or Turkey). At any time of the year, prices for most services for foreigners remain the same. Therefore, plan your trip according to your climate and weather preferences.
Now about Japanese cuisine. The most popular, of course, are 3 products: rice, fish and seaweed (how else on the islands?). Hence the most famous Japanese "sushi" and "sashimi" (the Japanese themselves say "sushi" and "sashimi" and many of them do not pronounce the letter "sh" at all). In general, everything that somehow floats in the sea near the islands indiscriminately turns into these very sushi and sashimi. Other interesting things are Japanese soup “miso”, “tempura” (specially fried fish) and Japanese national shish kebab - “kushiyaki”.
In all cafes and restaurants - full service with smiling and polite staff. They speak, however, only in Japanese, but that's okay. There is, of course, European cuisine, however, it is European only in appearance. Well, but full service. The Orekhovo hotel in Moscow with its 4 hundred hotel rooms and well-trained staff can compete with the level of service in all (I emphasize, in all) serving establishments of the Land of the Rising Sun. Well, it doesn't matter. Be that as it may, it seems to me impossible to have a good rest in Japan without full involvement. This means no European cuisine and everything else "Western". Only local food, local hotels, local baths, transport. Then the trip to Japan will be unforgettable.
Japan is a country with unique nature, rich cultural traditions, ancient history and modern high-tech cities. It invariably attracts many tourists.
Holidays in Japan are presented in a variety of ways. For lovers of active movement, ski resorts, whole islands of entertainment, yacht and diving centers have been created. Connoisseurs of a calm, wellness holiday will be happy to visit geothermal springs, ancient temples, amazing landscape structures and parks.
Today the women's online magazine Korolevnam.ru will tell you about the most popular resorts in this amazing country.
Japan seaside resorts: medical, family, luxury
Okinawa
For snorkeling enthusiasts, Okinawa's wonderful destinations are great. Picturesque coral reefs and the diversity of the aquatic world will impress both children and adults.
They are also offered water parks, dolphinariums, leisure centers.
Kamakura
An hour's drive from the Japanese capital is the resort town of Kamakura. This ancient city is replete with Buddhist and Shinto temples, statues that are of great interest to tourists. The convenient location of the city, surrounded by mountains and overlooking the Pacific Bay, has made it a famous resort. There are always a lot of tourists here, especially young people: on sandy beaches, surfing, yachts.
Kamakura hosts many festivals that fall during the beach period.
The Japanese love children. Therefore, in all resort areas you can find a lot of entertainment for family tourists.
Miyazaki
A wonderful vacation with the younger generation will turn out in Miyazaki.
A visit to the famous Ocean Dome water park will leave the best memories for all family members.
Ibusuki
At the Ibusuki resort, plain beach sand has a powerful healing effect.
This is due to the fact that thermal hot water and underground steam are close to the surface of the earth and heat up the quartz.
Ryukyu Islands
The Ryukyu Islands are home to divers and whale watching naturalists.
Shirahama
The dazzling sands of Shirahama are striking in their whiteness and smoothness. They were brought in specially from Australia.
This thermal seaside resort is distinguished by a combination of improved amenities, mild climate, developed tourist infrastructure, and beautiful rocky landscape.
Features of resort holidays in Japan: climate, prices
In terms of climatic parameters, a beach vacation in Japan is similar to the southern Russian one: it begins at the end of May, reaches its peak by mid-July, and ends in October. The optimum temperature ratio of air (+26? C) and water (+24? C) is reached at the beginning of October.
At this time, torrential summer rains no longer come and the intense heat subsides.
Japanese resorts stand out for their high level of service, luxury, technology, and scope.
It is quite natural to ask how much a vacation in Japan will cost. The price of such a tour is quite high. On average, a 10-day trip costs $ 2,000.
You can reduce the cost of your vacation by purchasing a hot tour or by lowering the level of service at the hotel.
Many domestic tourists are surprised by the fact that there is a beach holiday in Japan. Everyone knows this wonderful country from the other side - as mysterious and inaccessible.
But the ever-increasing number of beach vacationers on the volcanic islands points to the growing popularity of the Land of the Rising Sun as a tourist destination among Russians.
