General Japan travel information is always a good idea to review before you depart from home. As with visiting any country as a tourist or businessperson, there is so much to know about Japan before your plane lands there for the first time.
One of the most commonly-asked questions by would-be visitors to Japan has to do with how long to visit Japan. Should you visit for three days, one week, one month or longer? If you are interested in visiting Japan without a visa you will be able to stay no longer than 90 days – during which time you will not be allowed to work.
Many people only schedule enough time for an in-country Japan stay of a week or less. This is actually more than enough time to explore the city you will be staying in. If you are traveling to Japan on business by yourself, with colleagues, or with your spouse or family member, you are likely going to be staying in one of the major business cities such as: Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo, Sendai, Hiroshima, Kawasaki, Yokohama, Nagano, Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, or Kagoshima. Each of these, as well as all of the other major cities, in Japan offer plenty to do during the day and lots to explore at night.
However, if you plan to stay in Japan for at least 10 days, it will be worth your while to explore many of the outlying rural areas or to travel to another major city via the shinkansen (bullet train). Rural areas and the Japanese countryside are home to some of the most impressive attractions in Japan, including Mt. Fujii (Chubu region), the Shiretoko National Park in Hokkaido, Noboribetsu Onsen (hot spring) in Hokkaido, the Alpine route (Chubo region), the temples of Nara (Kansai region, the shrine at Miyajama (Chugoku region), and Kirishima National Park (in Kyūshū).
When talking about Japan’s geography in the context of where you will visit or stay, there are three convenient and common ways to divide the country into regions or areas: by prefecture, by island, and by Eastern vs. Western Japan.
Japan is divided into 47 sub-national jurisdictions, of which 43 are called prefectures. Prefectures are analogous to states or provinces in other countries, although in terms of sheer size they range somewhere between a U.S. county and a state. In addition to the prefectures, there is also a metropolis (Tokyo), two urban prefectures (Osaka and Kyoto) and a circuit (the entire island of Hokkaidō).
From another perspective, Japan is composed of four major islands (Hokkaidō, Honshū, Kyūshū, and Shikoku) – as well as thousands of smaller ones. However, the vast majority of the population – and most of the major cities – can be found on the island of Honshū.
Given that most of Japan’s population can be found on Honshū, the Japanese commonly refer to the Osaka/Kyoto area as Western Japan, or Kansai. And, they refer to the Tokyo/Yokohama region as Eastern Japan, or Kanto. These two regions are by far the most populous and most economically powerful of Japan’s many regions. Notably, there is a bit of a rivalry between the people in Eastern and Western Japan in the realm of the economy, language and sports.
Distances From Major World Cities
Just how far is Japan from where you live? Here are the distances to Tokyo from some major world cities:
| Auckland: 8,833 km (5,489 miles) | Madrid: 10,775 km (6,696 miles) |
| Beijing: 1,465 km (910 miles) | Melbourne: 8,199 km (5,095 miles) |
| Buenos Aires: 18,372 km (11,417 miles) | Moscow: 7,490 km (4,655 miles) |
| Cape Town: 14,752 km (9,168 miles) | Munich: 9,379 km (5,829 miles) |
| Chicago: 10,142 km (6,302 miles) | New York: 10,852 km (6,744 miles) |
| London: 9,567 km (5,945 miles) | Paris: 9,723 km (6,042 miles) |
| Los Angeles: 8,814 km (5,478 miles) | Rio de Janeiro: 18,590 km (11,546 miles) |
Crime Statistics
From nearly any perspective, Japan is an extremely safe travel destination for foreign travelers. For example, it ranks just 60th in the world terms of murders per capita. (Compare to: U.S. at 24th, U.K. at 46th, and Australia at 43rd).
Similarly, instances of armed robbery, theft of personal belongings, auto & home break-ins, and sexual assault in Japan are among the lowest of any developed country.
Average Temperatures In Japan
Japan extends north to south for well over 2,500 km (1,500 miles), stretching across roughly 20 degree of latitude. It is understandable, therefore, that the average temperatures vary considerably by region.
As a point of reference, the average annual high and low temperatures in Tokyo are as follows:
| January: High of 9.8°C, low of 2.1°C | July: High of 29.0°C, low of 22.5°C |
| February: High of 10.0°C, low of 2.4°C | August: High of 30.8°C, low of 24.2°C |
| March: High of 12.9°C, low of 5.1°C | September: High of 26.8°C, low of 20.7°C |
| April: High of 18.4°C, low of 10.5°C | October: High of 21.6°C, low of 15.0°C |
| May: High of 22.7°C, low of 15.1°C | November: High of 16.7°C, low of 9.5°C |
| June: High of 25.2°C, low of 18.9°C | December: High of 12.3°C, low of 4.6°C |
Working With Travel Agents & Services
When you are looking through a Japan travel brochure, you may find that you are interested in visiting the country but are not sure about where to start researching. After all, there are so many places in Japan to visit and so many things to see that it can be hard to decide.
For anyone interested in Japan tourism, you should look for your Japan tourist information first by consulting online guides (like this one), travel books, and talking to friends and colleagues. These are all excellent resources for Japan tourist information.
However, when it comes time to actually book your trip, consider talking directly to Japan travel agents or a Japan tourist bureau travel agent. Why? Because travel agents in Japan can walk you through your options in a customized way that a book or Website cannot.
When it comes to actually booking your trip, considering doing so through your own company’s travel service (if you are traveling to Japan on business), directly through an airline, or through the travel agent you spoke with initially.
Special Packages & Group Tours
Some people who are interested in Japanese travel for fun, exploration, or to meet new people (i.e., for non-business or education-related reasons) often want to book special packages and group tours. This is quite frankly an excellent way to explore this fascinating country while getting to know new people at the same time.
One popular request is for Japan singles trip party. Indeed, a trip to Japan for singles is a fun way to meet other people from your own country – or to get to know the Japanese even better.
Another great way to see Japan is on a group tour. One way to do this is to travel with people you already know, such as those from your church or another community organization. Another great way is to sign up for a group tour for singles or people of a certain interest group. Traveling with strangers is a very fast way to make new friends – one of the fastest. And, the memories you take with you will last a lifetime.
To find this or another type of travel package to Japan, look for online deals that pop up frequently. Also, many travel agents and travel bureaus specialize in Japan travel packages for singles, students, seniors and special-interest groups looking to explore Japan. These services are available to people who want to travel with people they already know – or those who want to meet people of similar backgrounds or interests while on the road.
