Despite its long history and prominent position on the global stage Japan remains a tantalizing mystery to most of the world. Boasting a truly unique cultural heritage and rich in scenic wonders Japan offers all the ingredients for a memorable and invigorating holiday in the Far East.
With world-class hotels, intimate guesthouses, bustling cities and convenient transportation this exciting island nation offers hassle-free and comfortable travel.
With world-class hotels, intimate guesthouses, bustling cities and convenient transportation this exciting island nation offers hassle-free and comfortable travel.
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Food
Japanese cuisine, renowned for its emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients, has taken the world by storm. The key ingredient of most meals is white rice, usually served steamed, and in fact its Japanese word gohan also means "meal". Soybeans are a key source of protein and take many forms, notably the miso soup served with almost every meal, but also tōfu bean curd and the ubiquitous soy sauce. Seafood features heavily in Japanese cuisine, including not only creatures of the sea but many varieties of seaweed as well, and a complete meal is always rounded out by some pickles.
One of the joys of getting out of Tokyo and traveling within Japan is to discover the local specialties. Every region within the country has a number of delightful dishes, based on locally available crops and fish. In Hokkaido try the fresh sashimi and crab. In Osaka don't miss the okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) stuffed with green onions and the octopus balls.
Japanese food is eaten with chopsticks. Curry rice and fried rice are eaten with spoons. Eating with chopsticks is a surprisingly easy skill to pick up, although mastering them takes a while. Some chopstick guidelines to be aware of:
- Never place or leave chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice, and never pass something from your chopsticks to another person's chopsticks. These are associated with funerary rites.
- If you want to give a piece of food to someone, let them take it from your plate, or place it directly on their plate.
- When you are done using chopsticks, you can rest them across the edge of your bowl or plate. Most nicer restaurants put a small wooden or ceramic chopstick rest (hashi-oki) at each place setting. You can also fold the paper wrapper that the chopsticks come in to construct your own hashi-oki.
- Using chopsticks to move plates or bowls is rude.
- Pointing at things with your chopsticks is rude. (Pointing at people in general is rude; with chopsticks, doubly so.)
- Spearing food with your chopsticks is generally rude and should only be used as a last resort.
- Disposable chopsticks (wari-bashi) are provided in all restaurants as well as with bentō and other take-out foods. It is a myth that you should "whittle" your chopsticks after breaking them apart.
Many Japanese dishes come with different sauces and garnishes. Japanese never put soy sauce on their rice, though they do dip their sushi in it before eating, and they pour it on grilled fish as well. Tonkatsu (pork cutlet) comes with a thicker sauce, tempura comes with a lighter, thinner sauce made from soy sauce and dashi (fish and seaweed soup base), while gyōza (fried dumplings) are usually dipped in a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar and chili oil.
Most soups and broths, especially miso, are drunk directly out of the bowl after you've chopsticked out the larger bits. For main-dish soups like ramen you will be given a spoon.
Drink
If you're looking for an evening of food and drink in a relaxed traditional atmosphere, go to an izakaya, easily identified by red lanterns with the character "酒" (alcohol) hanging out front. Many of them have an all-you-can-drink deals which are about ¥1,000 (US$10) for 90 minutes (on average), although you'll be limited to certain types of drinks. Very convenient. An izakaya will usually have a lively, convivial atmosphere, as it often acts as a living room of sorts for office workers, students and seniors. Food is invariably good and reasonably priced, and in all, they are an experience not to be missed.
Sake is a fermented alcoholic beverage which is brewed from rice. Though often called rice wine, in fact the sake making process completely different from wine or beer making. The fermentation process uses both a mold to break down the starches and yeast to create the alcohol. The Japanese word sake can in fact mean any kind of alcoholic drink, and in Japan the word nihonshu is used to refer to what Westerners call "sake".
Sake is around 15% alcohol, and can be served at a range of temperatures from hot (熱燗 atsukan), to room temperature (常温jo-on), down to chilled (冷や hiya). Contrary to popular belief most sake is not served hot, but often chilled. Each sake is brewed for a preferred serving temperature, but defaulting to room temperature is in most cases safe. If you are inclined to have one hot or chilled in a restaurant, asking your waiter or bartender for recommendation would be a good idea. In restaurants, one serving can start around ¥500, and go up from there.
Shōchū is the big brother of sake, a stronger tasting distilled type of alcohol. There are largely two types of shōchū; traditional shōchū are most commonly made of rice, yam, or grain, but it can be made of other materials like potatoes, too. The other is rather industrially made out of sugar through multiple consecutive distillation, often used and served as a kind of cooler mixed with juice or soda known as a chū-hai.
Umeshu is prepared by soaking Japanese ume plums often in shochu but also in sake, or other type of alcohol so it absorbs the flavor, and the distinctive, penetrating nose of dark plum and brown sugar is a hit with many visitors. It can be taken straight, on the rocks (rokku) or mixed with soda (soda-wari).
There are several large brands of Japanese beer, including Kirin, Asahi, Sapporo, and Suntory. A bit harder to find is an Okinawan brand, Orion which is excellent. Yebisu is also a popular beer brewed by Sapporo. Microbrewed beers are also starting to appear in Japan, with a few restaurants offering their own micros or ji-biiru but these are still few in number. Most varieties are lagers, with strengths averaging 5%.
The most popular beverage by far is tea, provided free of charge with almost every meal, hot in winter and cold in summer. There is a huge variety of tea in bottles and cans in convenience-store fridges and vending machines. Western-style black tea is called kōcha; if you don't ask for it specifically you're likely to get Japanese brown or green tea. Chinese oolong tea is also very popular.
Visas & Permits
Passports are required for travel to Japan, with the only exception being U.S. military personnel travelling on official orders under the S.O.F.A. and possessing a valid I.D. card. Spouses and dependants, like all other visitors to Japan, must have a passport for entry.
Citizens of 62 countries and territories, including most Western nations, can obtain landing permission on arrival without a visa. This is usually good for a stay of up to 90 days, although certain European nationalities and Mexicans are permitted to stay for 180 days if they note a longer stay upon entry. All other nationalities must obtain a "temporary visitor" visa prior to arrival, which is generally good for a stay of 90 days. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains an online Guide to Japanese Visas. Note that no visa is required for a same-day transit between international flights at the same airport, so long as you do not leave the secured area.
All foreigners (except those on government business and certain permanent residents) at the age of 16 and over are electronically fingerprinted and photographed as part of immigration entry procedures. This may be followed by a short interview conducted by the immigration officer. Entry will be denied if any of these procedures are refused.
A customs issue that trips up some unwary travellers is that some over-the-counter medications, notably pseudoephedrine (Actifed, Sudafed, Vicks inhalers) and codeine (some cough medications) are prohibited in Japan. Some prescription medicines (mostly strong painkillers) are also banned even if you have a prescription unless you specifically apply for permission in advance. Ignorance is not considered an excuse so check with the nearest Japanese embassy or consulate before packing medication.
Etiquette
Most if not all Japanese are very understanding of a foreigner (gaijin or gaikokujin) not conforming instantly to their culture; indeed, the Japanese like to boast (with debatable credibility) that their language and culture are among the most difficult to understand in the world, so they are generally quite happy to assist you if you appear to be struggling. However, there are few simple things to be aware of to show respect in Japan, many of which boil down to social norms of strict cleanliness and avoiding intruding on others.
Things to do:
- Learn a little of the language, and try to use it. They will be complimentary if you try, and there is no reason to be embarrassed. They realize that Japanese is very difficult for foreigners and won't scoff at your mistakes; on the contrary, they'll like you for it.
- Bowing. Men bow with their hands to their sides. Women bow with their hands together in front. Women's hands look like they are settled in their lap when bowing, not in a prayer position. The exact degree of the bow depends on your position in society relative to the receiver of the bow and on the occasion, the largely unwritten rules are complex but foreigners are not expected to understand them immediately and a "token bow" is fine. Many Japanese will, in fact, gladly offer a handshake instead!
- When handing something to someone, especially a business card, it's considered polite to present it holding it with both hands.
- When drinking sake or beer in a group, it's considered polite not to fill your own glass, but to allow someone else to do it. Typically, glasses are refilled well before they are empty. To be especially polite, hold up your own glass with both hands while one of your companions fills it.
- Gift-giving is very common in Japan. You, as a guest, may find yourself inundated with gifts and dinners. Please be aware, though, that among Japanese, such generosity is implicitly expected to be returned in the future. Foreign guests are, of course, outside of this sometimes burdensome system of give-and-take (kashi-kari) but it would be a nice gesture to offer a gift or souvenir (omiyage), including one unique to or representative of your country. A gift that is "consumable" is advisable due to the smaller size of Japanese homes. Items such as soap, candies, liquor, stationery will be well-received, as the recipient will not be expected to have it on hand on subsequent visits. "Re-gifting" is a common and accepted practice, even for items such as fruit. Expressing gratitude is slightly different from obligatory gift-giving. Even if you brought a gift for your Japanese host, once you return, it is a sign of good ettiquette to send a hand-written thank you card or the like - it will be much appreciated.
- Japanese guests always exchange photos they have taken with their hosts, so you should expect to receive some snapshots and should prepare to send yours (of you and your hosts together) back to them. Depending on their age and the nature of your relationship (business versus personal) an online exchange may suffice.
- The elderly are given special respect in Japanese society, and they are used to the privileges that come with it. Visitors waiting to board a train may be surprised to get shoved aside by a fearless obaa-san who has her eye on a seat. Note that certain seats ("silver seats") on many trains are set aside for the disabled and the elderly.
- If visiting a Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple, follow the appropriate cleansing procedure at the chōzuya before you enter. After filling the dippers with water, first rinse your left hand, followed by your right hand. Thereafter, cup your left hand and fill it with water, then use it to rinse your mouth. Do not touch the dipper directly with your mouth. Finally, rinse your left hand again with the water remaining in the dipper.
Things to avoid:
Japanese people understand that visitors may not be aware of the intricacies of Japanese etiquette and tend to be tolerant of blunders in this regard by foreigners. There are four serious etiquette breaches, however, which will meet with universal disapproval, even when foreigners commit them, and these should be avoided at all costs:
- Don't walk on a tatami mat wearing shoes or even slippers.
- Don't blow your nose in public, even discreetly. This is considered extremely boorish.
- Don't leave your chopsticks standing upright in a bowl of rice. This is how rice is offered to the dead.
- Don't enter a bathtub without washing up first.
- Other things to watch for: If you are staying in a Japanese house, use the slippers as directed, use the bathroom and toilet as directed, and keep your room clean. If you are a guest in the tatami room, don't throw around all your undergarments, or bags of souvenirs (omiyage). Keep everything in order, and don't be surprised if you are given a vacuum a couple times to clean the tatami. As mentioned above, never step on tatami with shoes or slippers on. Only bare feet or socks are acceptable. Shoes (and feet in general) are considered very dirty by the Japanese. Avoid pointing them at anybody (eg. when sitting on the train) and try to restrain children from standing up on seats. Brushing your feet against somebody's clothing, even by accident, is very rude.
- The Japanese consider hearty hugs or back slaps rude, especially if they're coming from someone they just met.
- Point with an open hand, not a finger, and beckon people with your hand facing down, not up.
- Avoid shouting or talking loudly in public. Talking on a mobile phone on a train is considered rude. (Sending text messages, however, is considered de rigueur.)
- As in Germany, World War II is a touchy and complicated topic.
Climate & Clothes
The Japanese are proud of their four seasons, but the tourist with a flexible travel schedule should aim for spring or autumn.
- Spring is one of the best times of year to be in Japan. The temperatures are warm but not hot, there's not too much rain, and March-April brings the justly famous cherry blossoms (sakura) and is a time of revelry and festivals. In early March, the Japan Meteorological Agency announces predictions about when the blooming will begin.
- Summer starts with a dreary rainy season (known as tsuyu or baiu) in June and turns into a steambath in July-August, with extreme humidity and the temperature heading as high as 40°C. Avoid, or head to northern Hokkaido or the mountains of Chubu and Tohoku to escape. The upside, though, is a slew of fireworks shows and festivals big and small.
- Autumn, starting in September, is also an excellent time to be in Japan. Temperatures and humidity become more tolerable, fair days are common and fall colors can be just as impressive as cherry blossoms. However, in early autumn typhoons often hit the southern parts of Japan and bring everything to a standstill.
- Winter is a good time to go skiing or hot-spring hopping, but as some buildings lack central heating, it's often miserably cold indoors. Heading south to Okinawa provides some relief. There is usually heavy snow in Hokkaido and northeast Japan due to the cold wind blasts from Siberia. Note that the Pacific coast of Honshu (where most major cities are located) has milder winters than the Sea of Japan coast: it may be snowing in Kyoto while it is cloudy or sprinkling rain in Osaka, an hour away.
The Japanese are a proud people and this is reflected in their attention to physical appearance. Especially in the major urban areas you can expect workers to be dressed immaculately and even laborers in the rural areas are clad in clean and crisp outifts. You should make an effort to adopt a smart-casual dress style in Japan as this will show respect and dignity in a land that takes these values very seriously. Clothing is widely available but in most cases not cheap and sizes may be an issue. Tokyo and Osaka are home to vast shopping districts geared towards the trendy young hipsters and younger visitors can find some unique items of clothing found nowhere else in Japan or indeed the world.
