Japanese Transportation, Travel, and Tourism Information

1. Japanese Transportation, Travel, and Tourism Information

2. To apply for a visa, the applicant must apply in person to a Japanese Embassy or a consulate, usually in his or her home country. The following documents must be submitted whatever the purpose of visit you are going to make: Getting a Visa • Valid passport; • Two passport photos taken within the six months previous to the date of application; • Two official visa application forms, available at the embassy or consulate; • Documents certifying the purpose of the visit.

3. Road Transportation • Japan has 1,152,207 km of highways. A single network of high-speed, divided, limited-access toll roads connects major cities on Honshū, Shikoku and Kyūshū. • Road passenger and freight transport expanded considerably during the 1980s as private ownership of motor vehicles greatly increased. Bus companies operate long-distance bus service on the nation's expanding expressway network. The buses are well utilized because they continue service during the night, when air and train service is limited. • Although road fatalities have been decreasing due in part to stricter enforcement of drink driving laws, 2004 still saw 7,358 deaths on Japanese roads.

4. Airports • Japan has many airports. The main international gateways are Narita International Airport (Tokyo area), Kansai International Airport (Osaka/Kobe/Kyoto area), and ChūbuCentrair International Airport (Nagoya area). • The main domestic hub is Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport), Asia's busiest airport; other major traffic hubs include Osaka International Airport (Itami Airport), New Chitose Airport outside Sapporo, and Fukuoka Airport.

5. Trains and Subways • In Japan, railways are a major means of passenger transportation, especially for mass and high-speed transport between major cities and for commuter transport in metropolitan areas. • Shinkansen are the high speed trains in Japan and they are known as bullet trains. About 250 Shinkansen trains operate daily. The fastest shinkansen trains are the N700 series and 500 series Nozomi, which operate at a maximum speed of 300 km/h.

6. Marine Transport • There are 1770km of waterways in Japan. • Islands are connected through a series of ports and ferries. • Japan has 662 ships of with a volume of 1,000 gross register tons (GRT) or over, totaling 13,039,488 gross register tons (GRT).

7. Tourism Japan is full of interesting tourist sites. Harboring the most populated urban sprawl in the world, it is home to a unique, diverse and ancient culture apparent to anyone upon arrival. Go shopping in the famous Shinjuku district, or go walking through the park when the Cherry trees are blossoming. You are sure to stay busy in this country full of things to do for the whole family.

8. Hotels Japanese hotels range from exquisite 5-star resorts, to something they call a capsule. For a minimal fee, these “capsules” are slightly larger than a coffin, allowing you a place to sleep and a TV. Hope you’re not claustophobic!

9. Mount Fuji Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776m. Along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku, it is one of Japan’s “Three Holy Mountains.” It is an active volcano that last erupted in 1707-08, and can be seen from Tokyo on a clear day. It is a symbol of Japan and is frequently visited by sightseers and climbers alike.

10. Tokyo Tokyo is the largest city in the world. The activities inherent in such a populated place speak for themselves. Whether you want to go shopping in the many specialty stores, have a taste of some Sushi straight from the homeland, or take a walk in one of the numerous parks, Tokyo will not disappoint. Consisting of 23 wards, you are guaranteed to not run out of things to do. Just try not to get lost!

11. Osaka Osaka, chief town of a prefecture and Japan's second largest city, lies on the south coast of western Honshu, at the point where the River Yodo flows into the wide sweep of Osake Bay, which opens out into the Pacific. The city hosts a fine botanical garden, and Japanese culture is unmistakable, shown by the graceful recontructed castle in the background. Take pleasure in Osaka’s arts, theatre and dedication to good food, as well as the people’s outgoing personality.

12. The climate of Japan is predominantly temperate, but varies greatly from north to south. Japan's geographical features divide it into six principal climatic zones: Climate

13. Science and Technology • Japan is the world's largest producer of automobiles and home to four of the world's fifteen largest automobile manufacturers and seven of the world's twenty largest semiconductor sales leaders as of today. • Japan is one of the leading nations in the fields of scientific research, particularly technology, machinery and biomedical research. • Nearly 700,000 researchers share a US$130 billion research and development budget, the third largest in the world.

14. Japan is full of fun things to do. A popular tourist attraction for people around the world, it has a little something to do for everybody. Take part in the rich Japanese culture and be swept away by the natural beauty of the country.

15. Sources • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_in_Japan • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan • http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e627.html • http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/cities/city_osaka.html • http://www.picturetokyo.com/en/tokyo_facts.html