Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters which make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes identified as the "Land of the Rising Sun".
Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands. The four largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for 97% of Japan's land area. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for example, Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. Japan has the world's tenth-largest population, with about 128 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.
Archaeological research indicates that people were living on the islands of Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan begins with brief appearances in Chinese history texts from the first century A.D. Influence from the outside world followed by long periods of isolation has characterized Japan's history. Since adopting its constitution in 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament, the Diet.
A major power, Japan has the world's second-largest economy by nominal GDP and the third largest in purchasing power parity. It is also the world's fourth largest exporter and fifth largest importer. It is also the only Asian country in the G8 and is currently serving as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Although Japan has officially renounced its right to declare war, it maintains a modern and extensive military force which is employed in self-defense and peacekeeping roles. It is a developed country with very high living standards (10th highest HDI). Japan has the highest life expectancy of any country in the world (according to both the UN and WHO estimates) and the third lowest infant mortality rate.
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html
The procedure:
(1) In the case of an invitation for the purpose of a short-term stay (in the case that you are inviting relatives or friends, employees of a company with which you do business, etc. for a period of stay of 90 days or less and will not be paying them an income), please write a Letter of Reason for Invitation and draw up a Schedule of Stay. If you are inviting a person from China/Russia/ NIS countries, or if you will pay travel expenses instead of the visa applicant (who wishes to come to Japan), a Letter of Guarantee, the certificate of residence of the guarantor, and documents confirming the capacity of the guarantor to pay the expenses should also be prepared in addition to the above documents regardless of the applicant's nationality.
(2) In the case of an invitation for the purpose of a long-term stay (spouse, working, studying, etc.), it is recommended that you start by applying to your nearest Regional Immigration Bureau to have a Certificate of Eligibility issued.
(3) Once you have prepared all of the above documents, send them to the visa applicant.
Transportation in Japan is modern and infrastructure spending has been large.
Japan's road spending has also been large. The 1.2 million kilometers of paved road are the main means of transportation. Japan has left-hand traffic. A single network of high-speed, divided, limited-access toll roads connects major cities and are operated by toll-collecting enterprises.
Dozens of Japanese railway companies compete in regional and local passenger transportation markets; for instance, 7 JR enterprises, Kintetsu Corporation, Seibu Railway, and Keio Corporation. Often, strategies of these enterprises contain real estate or department stores next to stations. Some 250 high-speed Shinkansen trains connect major cities. All trains are known for punctuality.
There are 173 airports, and the largest domestic airport, Haneda Airport, is Asia's busiest airport. The largest international gateways are Narita International Airport (Tokyo area), Kansai InternationalAirport (Osaka/Kobe/Kyoto area), and Chūbu Centrair International Airport (Nagoya area). The largest ports include Nagoya Port.
Climate
Japanese are proud of their four seasons (and a surprising number believe the phenomenon is unique to Japan), but the discerning tourist should try to aim for two of them.
Spring is probably the best time 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 and is a time of revelry and festivals. Just watch out for Golden Week (April 27 to May 6), the longest holiday of the year, when everybody travels and everything is booked full.
Summer starts with a dreary rainy season in June and turns into a steam bath in July-August, with extreme humidity and the temperature heading as high as 40°C. O-Bon (mid-August), when everybody is on the road again, is probably the worst possible time to visit. Avoid, or do as the Japanese do and head to northern Hokkaido or the mountains of Chubu and Tohoku to escape.
Autumn - Fall, starting in September, is a close second to spring. Temperatures become more tolerable, fair days are common and fall colors can be just as impressive as cherry blossoms.
Winter is a good time to go skiing or hot-spring hopping, but as the Japanese have yet to figure out the wonders of central heating, it's often miserably cold indoors. Heading south to Okinawa provides some relief. Also watch out for New Years (December 29 to January 3), the only days of the year when everything in the country shuts down.
Sightseeing
Tourism in Japan has a vibrant domestic sector and eight million foreign visitors each year. It has sites such as Kyoto World Historical Site, attractions in Tokyo (see Tourism in Tokyo) and Nara, Mount Fuji, ski resorts such as Niseko in Hokkaidō, Okinawa, the shinkansen and a well-developed hotel and onsen network.
Tokyo, is one of the most populous cities in the world. A thriving center of economy, culture and industry. Sightseeing in Tokyo can bring about sensory overload if you're not careful. Animated billboards, the buzz of a densely packed and highly energetic population, and glittering, gleaming architecture all compete for your attention. One thing is certain though, you'll never be bored.
Tokyo really does have something for everyone. Westerners honeymooners come to cultivate romance amidst the cherry blossoms, shoppers will find exactly what they're looking for and plenty on top of that, and even backpackers can find a way take in the culture without breaking the bank. The temples and museums listed below are well worth your time, as are the vibrant districts of Akihabara, Ginza and Shibuya.
Imperial Palace is regarded as the heart and soul of Tokyo, standing on a huge site that still bears the remains of EdoCastle, stronghold of the Tokugawa shogunate. The present palace was completed in 1888 and is still home to the emperor of Japan. The palace is off-limits but its grounds and surrounds provide a much-needed green open space for the city with Higashi Gyoen (EastGarden), site of the EdoCastle keep, open to the public. On 2 January and 23 December each year visitors are able to enter the inner grounds and see the Imperial family make public appearances from the balcony. Guided tours of the palace are offered, but are only in Japanese, although an English pamphlet and audio guide are provided; these must be reserved in advance through the Imperial Household Agency. In spring the gardens are abloom with cherry blossom, particularly along the castle moat. Akihabara, Tokyo's electronic wonderland has become world-renowned. In a small area near Chuo-dori Avenue, west of Akihabara Station, are clustered more than 250 electrical appliance and electronics shops, many of them now dealing in computer hardware and software, where expert staff can answer queries and visitors can browse through the showrooms of major manufacturers. There are duty-free shops and various events to draw attention. The suburb has been specialising in electrical equipment since the 1940s and is now regarded as the world's biggest and best electrical equipment enclave. There are some attractions you worth visiting that such as Senso-ji Temple, Tokyo Disney Resort, Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo Tower, Yasukuni Shrine, Edo-Tokyo Museum, Meji Jingu and Kabuki-za.
Time zone
GMT+9
Language
Japanese
Essentials
Electricity & Voltage
The voltage used throughout Japan is uniformly 100 volts, A.C. There are two kinds of frequencies in use; 50 Hertz in eastern Japan and 60 Hertz in western Japan (including Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka). A convertible type of electrical appliance such as a hair dryer, travel iron and shaver will therefore be handy; otherwise a step-down transformer is required to convert the voltage.There are no columnar-shaped plugs or 3-pin plugs used in Japan but 2-flat-pin plugs are used instead. It is therefore advised to purchase a plug adapter beforehand.
Helpful Numbers
Crime Reporting & Police 110, Fire and Medical Service 119, Medical Referral Service 03-5774-0992, Information Service - International call 03-3201-3331,
Medical Facilities
National Medical Clinic (Tokyo)
Address: 5-16-11 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0047
Tel: 03-3473-2057
Official Website: http://www.nmclinic.net
Sanno Hospital (Tokyo)
Address: 8-10-16 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052
Tel: 03-3402-2187
Official Website: http://www.sannoclc.or.jp/english/index.html
Asahikawa MedicalCollegeHospital (Hokkaido)
Address: 1-1-1 Higasi 2-jo, Midorigaoka, Asahikawa-shi, Hokkaido 078-8510
Tel: 0166-65-2111
Official Website: http://www.asahikawa-med.ac.jp/hospital/index.html