Travel to Japan

Japan is an East Asia island country, which is also known as the Land if the Rising Sun. It is an archipelago with over 3,000 islands and has a population of approximately 128 million, making it one of the top 10 highly populated countries in the world. The climate in Japan is tropical in the southern part, and cool in the opposite side. Most of Japan’s terrain is mountainous and rugged. This is the reason many of Japanese cities are over populated.

 

Japan is also found in “The Ring of Fire of the Pacific” which is an area famous for volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. In fact, Japan’s history is fraught with sad stories of lives lost and homes ruined because of natural calamities like these.

In addition, since Japan has virtually no natural resources, it has to import most of its oil, LPG and coal.

  

We have all heard about Sony, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Toyota, and all these world known brands that all originate from Japan. The top industries in Japan are machine tools, consumer electronics, steel, nonferrous metals, and of course, motor vehicles.

From these industries, Japan is successfully exporting the vehicles, office machinery and semi conductors. The rise in industrial industries in Japan is mainly due to the fact that it has very little arable land. As a matter of fact, about 15% of Japan’s land can be cultivated. Most farmers have to supplement their income by working part time on other areas.

Japan is also a very highly religious country. There are two major religions in Japan: Buddhism and Shintoism. Buddhism believes in the afterlife while Shintoism does not. There are other ways that these two religions do not see eye to eye, and yet they are managing to co-exist in one country quite peacefully.

 

Christianity is the third major religion in the country and started in 1549, and then later on reintroduced to the Japanese in the 1800. Today, there are about 1.4 followers, including some in important positions in public affairs.

Japan has many popular sites like Mount Fuji which has become a global brand for Japan. It is also home to 13 World Heritage sites like the Sacred Sites of Kii Mountain Range, the monuments of Ancient Nara, Shiretoko, the temples of Nikko, and Yakushima Island.

 

Japanese culture and food have also been widely recognized and published in all over the world. All major cities of the world now have a Japanese restaurant inside its boundaries. The Japanese food has crossed many borders, and has been accepted as a delightful cuisine by almost all nationalities.

 

Travel to Japan

 Planning a visit to the Land of the Rising Sun? These are what you will need: Passport, Visa, and your travel tickets. You must also carry some Japanese currency because they normally do not accept foreign currencies. So, if you are thinking of buying a bottle of water after landing in Japan, you might be little inconvenienced with having to convert your money to the Yen.

High season in travel to Japan is from December to May. This is when travel tickets are at a premium. To be able to avoid the high ticket prices, you can book your ticket well in advance to get a good price.

 

Travel by Sea

There are several cruise ships that travel to Japan regularly from all major ports in the world. From China, you can take a 2 daytrip using the China Express, or a 1 day trip on the Orient Ferry.

If you are coming from Russia, there is a ferry that travels to Japan under 36 hours from Vladivostok. There are also ferries and ship from South Korea and Taiwan.

The beauty of being able to travel to Japan by sea is the sheer luxury of being away from the busy airports or train stations. You can relax for at least a day, and bask in the warm sun while enjoying a cool breeze.

 

Travel by Land

If you are interested in a scenic route and prefer land over sea, try the Trans-Siberian Railway which starts from Russia. There are 3 options in using this route. You could travel by train to Vladivostok then take a ferry ride to Fushiki; or your could start in China and use the Chinese Trans-Mongolia or Russian Trans-Manchuria which will connect you to a ferry to Japan.

Traveling by land is a little difficult if you plan to bring along a lot of baggage. This is why the Trans-Siberian route is not that popular among the tourists. However, the landscape and beauty of the surrounding more than compensate for the troubles you may have en route to Japan.

 

 

Travel by Air

The quickest and most convenient way to enter Japan is by Air. All the major airlines land in Japan. There are also many airports in Japan like the Narita International Airport, Kansai International Airport, or the Tokyo International Airport.

The Tokyo International Airport used to be the airport used by the US forces which they first called Haneda Airport. Today, most of the local flights use this airport while the international flights land in Narita International Airport.

Narita is the most crowded of all airports in Japan because this is the one airport where all airlines land with the exception of China Airlines. Another reason is because flight thru Narita is generally cheaper than other airports.

If you are budget conscious or would rather spend your money on shopping and tours, you can always book in advance to avoid the last minute rush especially during peak seasons. If you are enrolled in a mileage program with any airline, then use that airline to earn points for your mileage card.

Regardless of your point of departure, there is always a flight to Japan because it is one of the super powers of the world, and travel there is always at a premium.