Know About Japan Before You Travel

Get $25 Discount When You Book Your Stay at Airbnb!

2012-07-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

You can enjoy discount $25 if you are not a registered member of Airbnb yet.

This is one time discount which is given to a new member's first time booking. Make sure you do not register as Airbnb member before you perform the steps below.

You can browse the Airbnb website to look for accommodation that you are interested first. Once you confirm that you want to book it, remember which one you want to book then close the browser.
Then follow the steps below to get the discount instantly!

1. Click on this URL. You will see a message "Lucky you! Your friend Jessica just gave you credit toward your first trip on Airbnb, the best way to travel."

2. Move on to create an account. You can sign up with Facebook or sign up using your email.

3. After sign up successfully, you can find the accommodation that you looked for just now. DO NOT CLOSE YOUR BROWSER until you make your booking. Otherwise, you will lose the session and no more discount.

4. Click on "Book It", you will see the discount $25 appears under your subtotal.

5. Continue to fill in your personal and billing details. Fill in your phone number and click on Verify via SMS.

6. Agree to the T&C and click "Book now". That's it. Enjoy your trip!

Japan Bullet Trains (Shinkansen)

2012-07-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

If you travel around Japan, it is recommended that you travel with trains. It is very convenient as most of the cities such as Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto are connected by a network of high speed train lines. The high speed train network consists of

1. Tokaido Shinkansen
2. Sanyo Shinkansen
3. Tohoku Shinkansen
4. Joestu Shinkansen
5. Nagano Shinkansen
6. Kyushu Shinkansen
7. Yamagata Shinkansen
8. Akita Shinkansen

Japan high speed trains (bullet trains) which are called as Shinkansen (新幹線), are operated by Japan Railways (JR). They will bring you to your destination very fast with the speed up to 320km/h. You can enjoy the view outside the window by sitting on the comfortable and spacious seat.

If you plan to travel between cities as well as within the cities, you are recommended to get a Japan Rail Pass. Let see how you could save cost using the pass. For example, if you would like to visit Tokyo and Osaka.

From Narita Airport to Tokyo
Cost: 18060 yen + 3220 yen (Surcharge) = 21280 yen

From Tokyo to Osaka
Cost: 13750 yen Total cost: 21280 yen + 13750 yen = 35030 yen

35030 yen is not including the cost for you to travel to hotel and popular spots. Could you imagine how much would you spend for transportation? If you get Ordinary 7 days pass, it only cost you 28300 yen. You would save 50% of your transportation cost and get unlimited travel.

If you decided to get the Japan Rail Pass, you must buy before your arrival to Japan. The pass is not available for sale inside Japan.

Mount Fuji (Fujisan)

2012-07-15T00:06:00.000-07:00

Mount Fuji is 3776 meters, the highest mountain in Japan. It is located on Honshu, the main Island of Japan, stands on the border between Yamanashi and Shizuoka. It is also known as Fujisan (富士山), which has become the most popular icon of Japan for both tourist and culture.

Mount Fuji is about 100 kilometers south-west of Tokyo and is visible from Tokyo on sunny days. You can access to Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building or Tokyo Tower to view it from observation decks. Another alternative is to view it from the train (Tokaido Shinkansen Line) when you are travelling between Tokyo and Osaka.

You can go to the recommended places to enjoy the best view of Mount Fuji.

Lake Kawaguchiko
Fuji Q Highlands
Hakone
Gotemba

If you wish to go up to summit, Mount Fuji is also opened for climbing from July to August. During this season, the weather is stable and the mountain is free of snow. The mountain huts and other facilities are open. Anyway, try to avoid Aug 13th to 17th as it is Obon Week usually very packed with crowds of people.

Mount Fuji has ten stations with the first station is the foot of the mountain and tenth station is the summit. Most people start climbing from the fifth station which is half way up to summit.

There are four routes from the fifth station. The stations on different routes are at different elevations. The highest fifth station is located at Fujinomiya, followed by Kawaguchi, Subashiri, and Gotemba. The Kawaguchiko route is the most popular route because it has large parking area, a lot of mountain huts for climbers to rest, and the sun rises on this side of mountain.

Fifth Station	Altitude (meters)	Ascent (hours)	Descent (hours)
Fujinomiya	2400	4-7	2-4
Kawaguchiko	2300	5-7	3-5
Subashiri	2000	5-8	3-5
Gotemba	1400	7-10	3-6

You can take Fujikyu or Keio buses to fifth stations.

From	To	One way (yen)	Round Trip (yen)
Shin-Fuji Station	Fujinomiya Fifth Station	2310	3000
Fuji Station	Fujinomiya Fifth Station	2240	3000
Fujinomiya Station	Fujinomiya Fifth Station	1970	3000
Shinjuku Station	Kawaguchiko Fifth Station	2600
Kawaguchiko Station	Kawaguchiko Fifth Station	1500	2000
Fujisan Station	Kawaguchiko Fifth Station	1500	2000
Gotemba Station	Subashiri Fifth Station	1500	2000
Gotemba Station	Gotemba Fifth Station	1080	1500

Lake Kawaguchi

2012-07-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

Lake Kawaguchi is also known as Kawaguchi-ko (河口湖), is located in the center of the Fuji Five Lakes district. Fuji Five Lakes is the name of the area located around the north foot of Mount Fuji. Fuji Five Lakes which is also known as Fujigoko (富士五湖), consist of Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Motosu, Lake Saiko, Lake Shoji and Lake Yamanaka. Lake Kawaguchi is the most famous among the five lakes.

You can enjoy the wonderful view of Mount Fuji on a pleasure boat. The boat runs every 20 minutes during the day. You can get the ticket from a machine near the boat dock. It is about 950 yen per person.

When you are on boat, you will see the inverted image of Mount Fuji reflected on the lake surface, which is very beautiful.

You can get to Kawaguchiko station by

Train (1 hour and 30 minutes)
From Shinjuku Station/Tokyo Station - JR Chuo Honsen line then change to Fuji Kyuko Line

Bus (1 hour and 45 minutes)
From Shinjuku Highway Bus Terminal ( 1st Floor, MY Shinjuku Daini Building near Shinjuku Station West Exit)
- Keio Dentetsu Bus (09:00-20:00)
- Fuji Kyuko Bus (07:30-20:00)
- 1700 yen for one way

From JR Highway Bus Terminal at Tokyo Station ( In front of Yaesu South Exit for departure, in front of Nihombashi Exit for arrival)
- JR Bus (2 hours and 40 minutes)
- 1700 yen for one way, 3200 yen for round trip (valid for 7 days)

Universal Studio Japan

2012-07-06T02:35:00.000-07:00

Universal Studio Japan is extremely popular theme park. It was opened on March 31, 2001 in Osaka. It is similar to Universal Orlando Resort as it contains certain attractions from Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood.

The park consists of 9 areas with a variety of exciting theme rides such as The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Back to the Future and Jurassic Park.

There are amazing attractions and shows such as Backdraft , a fire special effects show from San Francisco area,

A Live Sea War Spectacular from Waterworld area and Jaws from Amity Village.

Moreover, you will meet popular characters like Snoopy, Hello Kitty, Elmo and Shrek. Get ready your camera! Also, make sure you watch the Magical Starlight Parade at night before you leave the theme park.

Universal Studio is a fun place to for adults and kids. Let’s look forward for the 10th area, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter which will be opened in 2014.

To go to Universal Studio, you can get to Universal City Station on JR Yumesaki Line.

Admission:
There are few type of passes available 1-day Studio Pass, 2-day Studio Pass and etc. You can refer the passes price here. You can get the Universal Express Passes to avoid long queue.

Dotonbori

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Dotonbori is a street that running alongside to the Dōtonbori canal in the Namba ward of Osaka. It is the city’s famous dining, shopping and entertainment district that busy day and night. At night, it is a beautiful and amazing place that lit up by hundreds of colorful neon light. You may see the popular landmarks such as giant blow fish lantern, Glico Running Man sign, and mechanical Kani Doraku Crab flashing and moving.

When you see the restaurants with giant blow fish outside, they normally serve Fugu. Fugu is very delicious to eat yet it is said to be the most poisonous fish. Thus, it needs to be prepared properly before serving.

There are many restaurants offer nice food with affordable prices. You should try their local specialties such as okonomiyaki (pan-fried batter cake), takoyaki (octopus balls), udon (a noodle dish), and regional sushi.

Besides tasting the varieties of food, it is a great place to shop. There are a lot of cosmetics stores, fashion stores, souvenir shops, 100 yen shops and Hello Kitty stores. You may find interesting stuffs such as handmade cosmetics, Dotonbori t-shirts, postcards, sushi key rings, hello kitty sandals, bags, and etc.

Dotombori is a fascinating place that you should visit. You can get there by 5-minute walk from Namba Station on Midosuji Line.

Osaka Aquarium

2012-07-05T02:36:00.000-07:00

Osaka Aquarium which is called Kaiyukan in Japanese is one of the largest and beautiful aquariums in the world. It is located in Tempozan, in the Osaka Bay Area.

It has 15 water tanks that represent different regions of Pacific Rim. The largest and most popular tank is Pacific Ocean. It is 9 meters deep and home to the aquarium main attraction, a giant whale shark named Yu-chan, the largest fish on earth.

Besides the Pacific Ocean, you could see wonderful marine animals from other tanks such as sea otters from Aleutian Islands, Californian sea lions from Monterey Bay, king penguins from Antartica, and Pacific white sided dolphins from Tasman Sea. You will also see different varieties of Jellyfish with fantastic appearance floating in the tank in the floor of Floating Jelly Fish.

You can get to Osaka Aquarium with 5-minute walk from Osakako Station on the Osaka Municipal Subway Chūō Line.

Business Hours:
9.30am-10.00pm (last admission 7.00pm)

Admission Fees:

Adult	2000 yen
Children (Primary school and junior high school students)	900 yen
Children (4 years and above)	400 yen

Miraikan

2012-06-25T08:14:00.002-07:00

Miraikan is Japan’s National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation which is housed in a gorgeous building in the Odaiba district of Tokyo. Mirai is a Japanese word means future, Miraikan is well known as “Museum of the Future”. It is created by Japan’s Science and Technology Agency and led by Japanese astronaut Dr. Mamoru Mohri.

This museum is well worth a visit for anyone. Although it is not the biggest museum, unlike other science museums that providing history of science, it exhibits technology currently being developed.

The exhibits are very hands on which not only show and tell but you could interact with just about everything. You could touch a robotic seal to see if it makes cute noises, investigate recent earthquake activity and play some fun future technology games.

You could choose whether to go for the main galleries or the special exhibition as well from ticket machines. The special exhibitions change every 3 months and mainly focus on the elements of the future science. The main galleries are divided into 4 key areas.

Information Science and Technology for Society (computers, Internet and etc.)
Life Science (genomes, medicine and etc.)
The Earth Environment and Frontiers (deep sea, outer space and etc.)
Innovation and the Future (robotics and etc.)

You could find highly knowledgeable staff in each area to explain all of the displays and to help with the interactive exhibits. Everything in this museum is explained in Japanese and English.

One of the most outstanding items is Geo-cosmos globe. It displays near real time of global weather patterns, ocean temperatures and vegetation cover.

Another favorite is the live performance by Honda’s famous ASIMO robot. Asimo is being trained and hope that he is able to give guided tours of the museum in future.

Another highlight is space exploration. There is a full size model of a section of the International Space Station. You could walk through the station to gain an insight into life in space. Besides that, there is Dome Theater GAIA that you should explore. Reservations are required for the seats. It is recommended that you go straight to 6th floor once you arrive to pick up a ticket as the seats are very quickly filled up.

You could get to Miraikan by

5 minute walk from Telecom Center Station on Yurikamome Line
15 minute walk from Tokyo Teleport Station on Rinkai Line

Business Hours:
10.00am-5.00pm
It is closed on every Tuesday and from December 28 to January 1.

Admission Fees:
Adult - 500 yen
18 years old and below - 200 yen (free entry on Saturday)

Sensoji

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Sensoji is a very popular Buddhist temple located in Asakusa. It is also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple. “Senso” is a different reading for Asakusa and “ji” means temple. This temple was built in the 7th century, which is the oldest temple in Tokyo. According to legend, there were two fishermen found a statue of Kannon, also known as Guan Yin or the Goddess of Mercy in the Sumida River. Hence, Sensoji was built for the goddess of Kannon.

Before getting to the temple’s main hall, you have to pass through two gates. First gate is called Kaminarimon or “Thunder Gate”. You will see a huge red lantern hang under the gate.

Beyond the Kaminarimon, there is a shopping street called Nakamise-dori. It extends about 250 meters to the second gate, Hozomon or “Treasure House Gate”. You will be excited to walk along the street as you will find various typical Japanese souvenirs such as folding fans, woodblock prints, kimono and local snacks such as handmade rice crackers, traditional sweets and wasabi flavored ice-cream.

Beyond the Hozomon Gate, stand a stately five-story pagoda and the main hall, devoted to Kannon Bosatsu.

In front of the main hall, you will see a large incense burner. You will see many people at that area waving the smoke from incense over them for purification. According to Japanese custom, before entering a temple or shrine, you need purify or clean your hands and mouth. Read more on Japan Custom.

There is also a belief that the incense has healing power. You will notice people waving the smoke to their body sore part.

Next to the Sensoji temple is Asakusa Shrine, also called as Asakusa Jinja. It is dedicated to the three men who established Sensoji temple. Two of them are the fishermen named Hinokuma Hamanari and Hinokuma Takenari who found the statue of Kannon. The third one is the chief of village named Haji no Nakatomo who built the Sensoji temple.

It is easy getting to Sensoji temple. It is just a few minutes’ walk from Asakusa Station on Ginza Subway Line.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (TMG)

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The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building which is also referred as Tokyo City Hall or Tochō, is the best place for you to enjoy a full view of Tokyo from 202 meters above the ground. It is located at Nishi-Shinjuku, just a short walk from Shinjuku Station.

It is the tallest building in Tokyo, at 243 meters, and the second-tallest structure after Tokyo Tower. It houses the headquarters of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government that govern the whole Tokyo.

It has two observation decks, one in each tower on floor 45 (202 meters). They are free of charge to public. The North Observatory is open daily from 9:30 AM to 11:00 PM (closed second and fourth Mondays of each month); while the South Observatory is open daily from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM (until 11PM on the days the North Observatory is closed; closed on the first and third Tuesdays of each month). Last entry is 30 minutes before closing.

To access the observatory, you can take the Observatory Elevator from the first floor of Main Building No. 1. If you go in the morning on a clear day, you can see Mount Fuji in the distance.

Besides enjoying amazing views there, you also can find gift shops and café there.

Tokyo Tower

2012-06-25T02:46:00.000-07:00

Tokyo Tower is the world tallest self-supporting steel tower. It is modeled after the Eiffel Tower but is much higher and lighter than Eiffel Tower. It is 333 meters tall and weighs about 4000 tons. Once it was completed in 1958, it serves as a television and radio broadcast antenna, at the same time becomes a popular tourist attraction.

The tower has two observation decks. One is the main observation deck at 150m. To go up there, you need to buy ticket which cost 820 yen from the entrance on ground floor. Another one is special observation deck at 250m. You can buy ticket for another 600 yen to enter it. Both observation decks offer you the amazing 360 degree views of Tokyo.

If you visit Tokyo Tower on your birthday, you can enjoy free admission to the 150m observatory as well as a free piece of cake. Anyway, admission to the special observation deck is not included.

You also could visit the tower at night. It is very beautiful when it is lit up by 176 light bulbs.

Besides enjoying the great views of the city, you may visit FootTown which is located in the base of the tower. FootTown is a 4-storey building consists of several tourist attractions such as Aquarium Gallery, Guinness World Records Museum, Wax Museum, Hologram Gallery and Trick Art Gallery.

The Guinness World Records Museum has a lot of interesting records that have been authenticated by the Guinness Book. The Wax Museum displays wax figures such as The Beatles and Jesus Christ which imported from London. The Trick Art Gallery displays optical illusions such as paintings and objects that visitors can interact with. All of these attractions require separate entrance fees.

You also may find restaurants, convenience store and souvenir shop there. On the roof of the building, there is a small amusement park. It has a number of small rides and hosts live performances for children. If you are bringing your children, it is worth to pay a visit.

There are few ways to get to Tokyo Tower.

5-minute walk from Akabanebashi Station, Akabanebashi Gate on Oedo Line
6 minute walk from Onarimon Station, Exit No. A1 on Mita Line
7-minute walk from Kamiyacho Station, Exit No. 1 on Hibiya Line
10 minute walk from Daimon Station, Exit A6 on Asakusa Line
15-minute walk from Hamamatsucho Station, North Exit on JR Yamanote Line

Business Hours:

Main Observatory (150 m)	9:00-22:00 (Last admission 21:45)
Special Observatory (250 m)	9:00-21:30 (Last admission 21:00)

Admission Fees:

	To Main Observatory	From Main Observatory to Special Observatory
Adult	820 yen	600 yen
Children (Primary school and junior high school students)	460 yen	400 yen
Children (4 years and above)	310 yen	350 yen

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

2012-06-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

The Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is the most beautiful garden in Tokyo. It is a popular place for hanami (cherry blossom viewing). There are about 1,500 cherry trees in the garden. If you wish to see the cherry blossoms, the best time to visit is in the spring (March - April).

The garden has three different style sections: Japanese Traditional, French Formal and English Landscape. Each section has own beautiful plants and decorations. In Japanese Traditional section, you may find a traditional Japanese tea house. You can experience the Japanese tea ceremony for 700 yen.

There are three gates for you to access to the garden: Shinjuku Gate, Okido Gate and Sendagaya Gate.

4-minute walk from Shinjuku-Gyoemmae Station on the Marunouchi Line to either Shinjuku Gate or Okido Gate
5-minute walk from Sendagaya Station on the JR Line to Sendagaya Gate
10-minute walk from Shinjuku-Sanchōme Station on Fukutoshin Line to Shinjuku Gate.

The garden is open from 9.00am to 4.30pm. It is closed on Mondays, except during the cherry blossom and chrysanthemum seasons (late March–late April, early November), it opens daily.

Admission is 200 yen for adults, 50 yen for children.

Do you need to speak Japanese to travel around Japan?

2012-06-20T20:15:00.002-07:00

Don’t worry if you couldn’t speak Japanese. Most of the tourist places have signs in English and Japanese. Japanese people are nice and welcoming. They try to help you always.

However, there are certain places especially out of town area; you will find lesser signs in English. Although Japanese people are always willing to help, many of them neither speak English nor speak it well.

So, knowing some key phrases and expression would help you in reading names of places, ordering food from menu and getting directions to your destination.

Here are some examples of phrases and expressions.

Polite Expressions

Please	Onegai shimasu
Thank you	Arigatō gozaimasu
Thank you very much	Dōmo arigatō gozaimasu
Excuse me	Sumimasen
Yes	Hai
No	Iie
I don’t understand.	Wakarimasen

Asking For Directions

May I have a map?	Chizu wo morae masu ka?
Where is the Osaka station?	Osaka eki wa doko desu ka
Where is …?	… wa doko desu ka?
… bus station?	Basutei …
… train station?	Eki …
… subway?	Chika-tetsu …
… toilet?	Toire …
I want to go to Asuka Hotel.	Asuka hoteru ni ikitai desu.
How do I get to Sensoji?	Sensoji e wa dou iku no desu ka?

At The Restaurant

A table for two people, please.	Futari de onegai shimasu.
I’d like a menu, please.	Menyū o onegai shimasu
What do you like to drink?	Nomimono wa nani ni naasaimasu ka?
Wine, please.	Wain o onegai shimasu
Beer	Bīru
Tea	Kōcha, ocha
Fish	Sakana
Chicken	Toriniku

It would be a good idea to invest in a travel book Fodor's Japan (Full-color Travel Guide) which has a section on language to cover the key phrases and expressions.

If you already have a travel book but it does not cover the key phrases and expressions, you should consider getting Japanese (Eyewitness Travel Guide Phrase Books) which is a small and light phrase book that easy to carry along.

It covers topics such as everyday phrases, numbers, times, hotels, dining, shopping, banks, health and etc. It has the format that easy to read and reference. It also includes a mini-dictionary for common words. You will definitely find it very useful for your Japan travel.

Japan Customs That You Must Know Before Your Trip To Japan

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Bowing and addressing
Japanese bow to show respect. The degree of the bow and how long it lasts depend on the formality of the situation and how much respect they have for the other person. For foreigners, a nod or a token bow is fine. Besides bowing, addressing someone properly is important. Always address people as "Mr." or "Mrs." A simple way to achieve this is by adding the Japanese suffix San to their last name.

Language
You may speak English as Japanese will generally assume you are a native English speaker. Anyway, they will be complimentary if you learn and try to use Japanese language. You may start with some basic greetings like Arigatō gozaimasu (Thank you) and Summimasen (Excuse me). They are tolerant if you make any mistake. You can read more on the article Do you need to speak Japanese to travel around Japan?

Handling something
When you are handing something to someone, especially a business card, it is polite to present it by holding it with your both hands.

At restaurant

You will receive a small wet cloth. Use it to wash your hands before eating then carefully fold it and set it aside on the table. (Do not use it as a napkin or clean your face).
It is polite to say Itadakimasu (Let’s eat) before you begin eating.
It is OK if you make noise while eating or slurping noodles like ramen, it is considered polite. This shows that you are enjoying your meal.
If you are not familiar to use chopstick to eat, it is OK to raise bowl to your mouth. This is an easier way to eat with chopsticks.
When you are drinking sake or beer, it is considered polite not to fill your own glass but to allow someone else to do it. To be especially polite, hold up your own glass with both hands while someone fills it.
Do not leave your chopsticks standing vertically in your bowl because that is how rice is offered to the dead. When you are done using chopsticks, you can rest them across the edge of your bowl or plate.
Do not point things or people with your chopsticks. Also do not move plates or bowls with your chopsticks.
If you would like to pass food, deposit the food onto a plate for another person to pick it up from there. Do not pass food from one set of chopsticks to another.

No tipping
There is no tipping in any situation in Japan – cabs, restaurants, hotels. Just remind yourself a price is a price.

At public area

Do not shout or talk loudly in public places such as in trains, buses or on the street especially if you are traveling in a big group. Talking on a mobile phone on a train is considered rude.

Do not throw trash on the street. There are not many trash cans in public. You may have to carry around your trash until you see recycle bins.

Do not blow your nose in public as it is considered rude. It is fine to walk around sniffling until you can find a private place to blow your nose.

Shoes or feet are considered very dirty. Do not point your soles at anybody such as when sitting on the train. Try to restrain children from standing up on seats. Brushing your feet against somebody's clothing, even by accident, is very rude.

Threshold
Take off your shoes before entering to all homes, and most businesses and hotels. Do not walk or step on a “tatami mat” wearing shoes or even slippers.

Bathing
If you visit public bathhouses or hot springs, wash up first before you enter a bathtub.

At temple

If you visit a Buddhist temple, follow the cleansing procedure appropriately at the Chōzuya before entering. Fill the dipper with water; rinse your left hand, then your right hand. Then, cup your left hand and fill it with water, using it to rinse your mouth. Do not touch the dipper directly with your mouth. Finally, rinse your left hand again with the water remaining in the dipper.

Swastikas are Buddhist symbols representing good luck but not represent Nazism or anti-Semitism. Foreigners should not feel offended seeing a swastika in Buddhist temples.

Others

Do not back slap someone as it is considered rude. Hugging should also be avoided. For Japanese it is typically very awkward and uncomfortable.

Point with an open hand, not a finger, and tell people to come by waving your hand facing down, not up.

If you have not lived in Japn, never travel to Japan and do not speak Japanese, you should invest less than 10 bucks to get Japan - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture book.

It is a small, compact guidebook that explains the Japan customs and culture very well. You may find it very informative and give you quick understanding on Japan customs.

Osaka Metro Map

2012-04-21T22:50:00.000-07:00

Right click the image below, and click on "Save image as" to download Osaka Metro Map to your local for free.

Tokyo Metro Map

2012-04-20T23:01:00.000-07:00

Right click the image below, and click on "Save image as" to download Tokyo Metro Map to your local for free.

Save your time by traveling with Japan Bullet Train!

Where is Japan?

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Japan (Nihon or Nippon 日本 in Japanese)

The characters 日本 that make up Japan’s name means “sun-origin”. Sometimes we refer Japan as the “Land Of Rising Sun”.

View Larger Map

Japan is located in the Pacific Ocean. It lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south.