Japan Travel Guide: Essentials

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Online Hostel Bookings
Hostels and inexpensive ryokan from $10 per night!

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Recommended Travel Guide Books

	Lonely Planet Japan is the best and most complete travel guide on Japan for independent low budget travelers.
	Gateway to Japan is out of date (1998), but by far the best travel guide with respect to historical and cultural background information.

Hokkaido
Sapporo
Otaru
Hakodate
Furano
Abashiri
Noboribetsu
Niseko
Lake Toya
Daisetsuzan
Shiretoko
Rishiri Rebun
Akan

Tohoku
Matsushima
Hiraizumi
Kakunodate
Hirosaki
Oirase

Kanto
Tokyo
Yokohama
Kamakura
Nikko
Hakone
Kawagoe
Kusatsu
Ikaho
Narita

Chubu
Nagoya
Izu Peninsula
Kanazawa
Nagano
Matsumoto
Kamikochi
Kiso Valley
Hakuba
Yudanaka
Takayama
Shirakawa-go
Gero Onsen
Inuyama
Fujigoko
Mt.Fuji

Kansai
Kyoto
Osaka
Nara
Kobe
Himeji
Kinosaki
Mount Koya
Yoshino
Amanohashidate
Hikone
Iga Ueno
Ise Shima

Chugoku
Hiroshima
Miyajima
Okayama
Kurashiki
Matsue
Iwami Ginzan
Yamaguchi
Hagi

Shikoku
Takamatsu
Kotohira
Matsuyama
Kochi

Kyushu
Fukuoka
Dazaifu
Nagasaki
Kumamoto
Mount Aso
Minamata
Kagoshima
Beppu

Okinawa
Honto
Yaeyama

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Home - Travel

Essentials

Before you go

When to travel	When to travel to Japan.
What to bring	About baggage and coin lockers.
Flying to Japan	About airlines, airports and airfares.
Immigration	About different types of visa.
Sightseeing Guide	List of cities and sightseeing spots.
Itineraries	Suggested travel itineraries for Japan.
Trip Reports	Trip reports by other travelers.
Tour Packages	About individual and guided package tours.

Money matters

Travel Cost	Sample budgets for travelling in Japan.
Budget Travel	How to save money on your travels in Japan.
Banking	Information about banks.
ATMs	Information about international ATMs.

Practical Information

Transportation	The ways to get to and around Japan.
Accommodation	Overview of different accommodation types.
Mobile Phones	Rental or prepaid mobile phones for Japan.
Postal Services	About post offices and Japanese addresses.
Delivery Services	About luggage delivery services.
Electricity	About voltage and Japanese plugs.
Emergencies	What to do in an emergency.

Weather and Seasons

When to travel	Basic weather information.
Cherry Blossoms	Guide to cherry blossom viewing.
Plum Blossoms	About plum blossoms.
Autumn Leaves	About the colorful autumn foliage.
Rainy Season	About the rainy season in early summer.
Thyphoons	About Japan's typhoon season.
Earthquakes	About earthquakes.

Background

Japan A-Z	Covering most aspects of modern and old Japan.
Arts and Crafts	Introduction to Japan's arts and crafts.
Etiquette	Introduction to the Japanese etiquette.
Food	Introduction to the Japanese cuisine.
History	Introduction to Japanese history.
Language	Introduction to the Japanese language.
Entertainment	Introduction to Japan's world of entertainment.
Tradition	Introduction to traditional Japan.

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