Page 365 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Japan

PR A C TIC AL INFORM A TION  363

As with any destination, The Japanese system is used plugs. Adapters are available
travel insurance is advisable within the country, especially from some electronics stores.
(see p371). If you plan to travel on official documents, while
extensively around Japan, Western years are mostly used Responsible Tourism
consider obtaining a Japan Rail in international contexts.
Pass before you go (see p381). Misunderstandings about Environmental consciousness is
timings and dates are common, relatively strong in Japan, however,
so clearly confirm arrangements the country is not as conscien­
Time and the Calendar and, when booking accommo­ tious as other first­world nations.
Japan is 9 hours ahead of dations, state the number of Containers for recycling Styro­
Greenwich Mean Time and nights and,the dates of your stay. foam food trays, PET bottles, and
14 hours ahead of Eastern Stan­ used paper drink cartons stand
dard Time. There is no daylight­ outside most supermarkets and
saving time. When countries Electricity convenience stores. However, not
that use daylight­saving time Japan runs on 100 volts, AC – a so eco­friendly is the disposal of
switch to summer time, the system similar to that of the US. wooden chopsticks (waribashi),
time difference is one hour less. The country has two different the com mon est implements in
The Japanese calendar cycles: 50 Hz in eastern Japan Japanese eateries. Tourists can
combines the West ern system (including Tokyo) and 60 Hz in avoid this waste of wood by
with the Chinese system: years western Japan. Plugs with two taking along their own chop­
are designated Year of the Tiger, flat pins are standard. Most sticks to restaurants.
Rabbit, and so on, but they begin British and other European Farmers’ markets are quite
on January 1 and not, as in China, appliances can be used only common, but they may be
in mid­February. Years are with transformers suitable for difficult to find without under­
numbered both by the Western US voltage (which are large and standing Japanese. The best
system and by the reign of the expensive). If in doubt consult, way to find out if there is one in
current emperor. The present the appliance’s instructions. a neighborhood would be to
era, Heisei, began when Emperor Some hotels have two outlets – ask at a koban (manned police
Akihito came to the throne in 110 and 220 volts – although box): “Faamaaz maaketo wa
1989, which became Heisei 1. these only accept two­pin doko dess ka?”
DIRECTORY
Visas and Tourist In USA Travelers with
Passports Information 11 West 42nd St, 19th Disabilities
Floor, New York, NY 10036.
Ministry of Foreign Information Counters 340 East 2nd St, Little Accessible Tokyo
Affairs Nagoya Tokyo Plaza, Suite 302, ∑ http://accessible.
∑ mofa.go.jp Tel (052) 581­0100. Los Angeles, CA 90012. jp.org/tokyo/en
Osaka Tel (06) 6773­6533. ∑ us.jnto.go.jp/top/
Travel Safety Yokohama index.php Student and
Tel (045) 222­1209.
Advice Kansai Scene Senior Travelers
Japan National ∑ kansaiscene.com
Australia Tourism Organization International
Department of Foreign (JNTO) Metropolis Student Identity
Affairs and Trade ∑ jnto.go.jp ∑ metropolisjapan. Card (ISIC)
∑ dfat.gov.au In Australia com ∑ isicjapan.jp/home-3
∑ smartraveller.gov.au Suite 1, Level 4, 56 NAGMAG Japan Guide
Clarence St, Sydney, NSW ∑ nagmag.jp ∑ japan-guide.com
UK 2000. ∑ jnto.org.au
Foreign and Common­ In Canada Tourist Information Gay and Lesbian
wealth Office ∑ gov.uk/ 481 University Ave, Suite Center (Tokyo TIC) Travelers
Marunouchi Trust Tower
foreign-travel-advice 306, Toronto, Ontario M5G Nth 1F, 1­8­1 Marunouchi,
US 2E9. ∑ ilovejapan.ca/en Chiyoda­ku, Tokyo. Magnet Tours
4F Mitsuya Building,
US Department of State In Singapore Tel (03) 5220­7055. 1­12­12 Shintomi,
∑ travel.state.gov 16 Raffles Quay, 15­09 ∑ tictokyo.jp/en Chuo­ku,
Hong Leong Building, Admission
Customs Singapore 048581. Prices Tokyo, 104­0041.
Tel (03) 5542­0356.
Information ∑ jnto.org.sg ∑ magnettours.jp
In UK Welcome Cards
Ministry of Economy, 5th Floor, 12–13 Nicholas ∑ jnto.go.jp/eng/ Utopia Asia
Trade and Industry Lane, London EC4N 7BN. arrange/essential/ ∑ utopia-asia.com/
∑ meti.go.jp/english ∑ seejapan.co.uk welcome.html tipsjapn.htm

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