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VISA
EU citizens staying less than 90 days
don't require anything more than their passport to
get a medium size sticker on it together with a piece
of the immigration form stapled (and then removed)
MONEY
The currency is the Yen, at the
time of writing he was amazilngly strong vs euro(1€=
97Yen, Dec2011), however few years ago it happen
to have 1€= 150Yen, I hope you'll be luckier
them me!!
GUIDE
BOOK
I had Japan Lonley Planet (in italian
11th version), generally a good support, but I wonder
why there's am estensive coloured chapter on 'Japanese
architecure' instead of more practical. For instance
pictures of the food? It's impossibile to understand
what is a zaru soba untill you don't see a picture.
What about a map of the Nagoya metro line or Hiroshima
tram network?
HEALTH
In Japan you can lick the floor on the
streets:-) maybe avoid to do it 50km from Fukushima
Nuclear Power station!
GENERAL
TIPS
- Costs
Finally we spent 75€ per day per person
(JR pass and the inbound flight excluded), that
is the highest cost I've ever had in any travel,
anyway for being in Japan it's not too high,
I'd say 10-20% higher of what could be the budget
travelling in Western Europe
Here is the split of the costs:
Accommodation:
- double or twin room in a hostel: 28-38€
pp
- Japanese room (with tatami and futon, namely
sleeping on the floor) in a Ryokan (typical
Japanese guesthouse): 60€ pp
- capsule hotel: 30€ pp (9hours capsule
hotel in Kyoto where we stayed was 49€,
but it's really a cool place! (http://9hours.jp)
Dinner total: 15-25€ pp
- noodles soup: 5-8€
- sushi in Sushi bar: 1.5-3€ per each
plate
- beer: 5-7€
- tempura: 8-10€
JR pass, 7 days in 2nd class: 280€ pp,
http:///japan_rail_pass
Entrance to the temples: 3-5€ each (consider
3 temples per day).
Naoshima: entrance to Museum: 40€!
-
Trains (JR Pass)
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Our 7 days JR pass
Lef:
the JR Pass front page
Right:
the JR pass with the validity:
- 24 is the year (2012) (they count
years since the last Emperor (Akhihito)
settlement 1989)
-1 is the month (Jan)
- the rightmost simbol is the day
(6)
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The efficiency of the train
network in Japan is amazing, but I'm sure you
already know it.
A great website to check all the schedules is:
http://japan train schedule
However don't be too concerned on schedules
since trains are so frequent that if you are
not interested in reserved seats and most of
the times you won't, you can just wait on the
platform and jump on the first train. You won't
wait likely more than 30min for Shinkansen (high
speed train) or 1h for any other train.
JR PASS:
What's a JR pass?
It's a ticket letting you to travel almost without
any limit throughout the train network of Japan
for 7, 14 or 21 days
You have to buy the JR pass abroad!! (I took
at H.I.S. travel agency that is the official
Japansed travel agency)
Costs:
| Type |
GREEN (1st class) |
GREEN (1st class) |
ORDINARY(2nd class) |
ORDINARY (2nd class) |
| |
Adult |
Kid |
Adult |
Kid |
| 7 days |
390€ |
195€ |
292€ |
146€ |
| 14 days |
631€ |
315€ |
465€ |
232€ |
| 21 days |
821€ |
410€ |
595€ |
297€ |
2) Get the Exchange Order from the agency abroad
(they can deliver to you via courrier or you
can pick it up)
3) Change your Exchange Order
in JR pass once you are in Japan (at the main
stations)
NOTES::
- You can take all the Shinkansen except the
Nozomi (the very fast ones but it'll not limit
your travel at all)
- With JR Pass you can jump on the non-reserved
cars or booked a seat on the reserved ones without
extra!
- To travel in couchette you have to pay an
extra
- With Nozomi train you have to pay the full
amount
- The activating day will be communicated by
you at the moment you get the JR Pass from the
'Exchange Order' in Japan
- You cannot use the Urban Network as the Metro
or the trains even if they belong to JR company
- Watch out that in Japan there are several
private railway company and you cannot use JR
on them
- JR pass is valid on the ferry to Miyajima
island (near Hiroshima)
- If you are staying in Japan few days and you
are wondering if the JR pass it's worth take
into consideration that one way ticket Tokyo-
Kyoto is >120€!!, hence in most of the
cases buying the JR pass is worth
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