- Important points
- Choosing wings
- Sleeping accessories
- Transport subtleties
- Nightingales are not fed with fables
- Useful details
- The perfect trip to Japan
The Land of the Rising Sun is an unofficial and very romantic name for distant Japan. A unique combination of ancient oriental culture and modern technologies awaits guests of the amazing islands, and ancient temples and mirrored skyscrapers that pierce the sky are peacefully coexisting on the streets of Japanese cities. And a trip to Japan is a walk in rock gardens, Fuji's snow cap in the haze of cherry blossoms and amazing traditions that are completely unlike any other in the world.
Important points
- A visa to Japan is necessary for all Russian tourists and to obtain it, an invitation from the host party is required, which can be either a private person or a travel company. The package of necessary documents from both the guest and the owners is very impressive.
- The process of obtaining a transit visa looks simpler, according to which during the transfer you can stay in the capital and its environs for no more than 72 hours.
- It is almost impossible to find parking in large cities, and therefore renting a car is not the best idea for trips in metropolitan areas. In addition, most of the roads in Japan are toll and the cost of traveling from one settlement to another can be prohibitive.
Choosing wings
A flight to Japan from Russia is not the cheapest pleasure:
- Aeroflot and Japan Air Lines connect Moscow and Tokyo directly. Travel time is about 10 hours. The Russian air carrier has a daily flight in its schedule, and the Japanese invite passengers on board several times a week. The price of a ticket for an Aeroflot flight is about 60,000 rubles.
- A flight through Europe, China, Qatar or the Emirates will be cheaper. In this case, you will have to pay about 40,000 rubles, and spend at least 17 hours on the way, taking into account the connections.
Electric trains, buses and Skyliner trains run from Tokyo International Airport to the city. The road will take from 1 to 1, 5 hours.
Sleeping accessories
Great news for tourists will be the fact that any hotel in Japan, regardless of the degree of stardom, is able to please with a high level of comfort and service. True, the area of a room in a 2 * and 3 * hotel can be microscopic, and the price per night, on the contrary, is quite impressive.
Prices for accommodation in a hostel with a shared bathroom and several roommates start at $ 40, but the hosts guarantee guests free Wi-Fi and an electric kettle even in this case.
It will be possible to spend the night in a separate room in a 2 * hotel for $ 50, and a room in a "three-ruble note" in Tokyo near the metro will cost $ 80 and more.
The capsule hotels popular in the Land of the Rising Sun, oddly enough, also do not differ in democratic prices and it will be possible to sleep in such a compartment for only $ 40 or more. But such a hotel is certainly equipped with a sauna, a salon with massage rooms and even offers breakfasts and dinners for a fee.
Transport subtleties
Public transport in Japan is represented by the metro in major cities, buses and trains. Railway service consists of several types of trains, differing in speed and number of stops along the way. All trains are comfortable and equipped with electronic displays with information in Japanese and English.
Renting a car in Japan is as easy as shelling pears. The price of the issue is from $ 70 per day, but expensive gasoline, lack of available parking lots in metropolitan areas, high prices for toll autobahns and, finally, left-hand traffic, which is not too familiar to Europeans, will make driving more an unpleasant duty than a pleasure.
Nightingales are not fed with fables
The most profitable way to eat inexpensively in Japan is at fast food cafes on the streets. The local fast food is rather healthy, and therefore should not be neglected. The popular gyudong, which is based on boiled beef and rice, will cost around ¥ 500 in these places. A typical representative of such an inexpensive catering is the Yoshinoya restaurant chain, which has existed for more than 100 years and has an excellent reputation among the locals.
The second way to have a quick, hearty and inexpensive snack is at food courts in large shopping and entertainment centers. Standard teishoku dinners usually include a meat or fish main course, rice, salad, tea, and even miso soup. Lunch will cost 1000 yen.
Useful details
- A great way for a foreigner to save money on travel while traveling in Japan is to purchase a Japan Rail Pass. A personalized ticket gives you the opportunity to use the trains and ferries of the company indefinitely during the period for which it was purchased.
- Payment for travel on the bus is made at the exit from it.
- At night, an already expensive taxi in Japan increases its service fees by about a third.
- If a menu with prices is not displayed in front of a Japanese restaurant, then it is very expensive by default.
- Japanese restaurants add tax and service tax to the bill, so you should be prepared that in the end you will have to pay a little more.
- You can save on entertainment by visiting the capital's museums. The entrance to the museums of beer and postage stamps, glasses and sumo for tourists is absolutely free. You can also see Fuji without any extra expenses. The observation deck, located on the 45th floor of the Tokyo City Hall, will allow you to see the sacred mountain of the Japanese in all its splendor.
The perfect trip to Japan
Spring and autumn is the best time to travel to the Land of the Rising Sun if you like picturesque landscapes and are fond of photography. Sakura blossoms in Japan in spring and tourists will be able to join the local residents who are keen on the "hanami" ritual. Admiring flowers in the capital usually begins in the last week of March or early April.
Japan's momiji season closes in autumn. "Time of Maples" covers city parks and squares with a crimson carpet. The picturesque season lasts from the end of September to the second half of October, and in parallel with the aesthetic pleasures of autumn Japan is ready to offer its guests gastronomic delights - ripe persimmons and tangerines. And in the fall, it is customary to admire the moon and worship chrysanthemums, in honor of the flowering of which a special festival is held on the day of the autumn equinox.
