About Japan
Getting Around Japan
Getting around Japan is easy by land, air, or sea. These are the many modes of transportation you can have:
Planes
Majority of domestic flights use Haneda Airport, but for the ones going to the country's southern islands, Chofu Airport is the usual handler.
Bus
Most of the bus routes in Japan are operated by Toei. However, the bigger cities have more bus trips and they are easier to access than smaller cities. Majority of the buses come with a digital signage, which employ both the Japanese and English language.
Ferries/Boats
Ferries are good substitutes for planes, trains, and/or buses when travelling to a lot of places in Japan, especially when going to southern remote islands.
Taxi
Taxi drivers in Japan are known to provide quality service, but they can be too expensive. Because of this, most residents only turn to taxis at midnight, when trains and buses are no longer operating.
Type of Trains
Tokyo has one of the most extensive railways in the world. Almost every corner of every city is not without a nearby train station. Along with the standard, everyday subway trains, there are also bullet trains and night trains.
Subways
Being present in almost all corners of all cities, subways are one of the most typically-used trains in Japan, especially for normal commuters.
Bullet Train
More commonly known as the Shinkansen train, this type of train is popular because of its very punctual departures and outstanding speed, which may reach up to 320 kilometers per hour. The main lines are Tokaido, Sanyo, Tohoku, Joetsu, Nagano and Kyushu.
Tram
A tram, or a streetcar or a trolley car, is a train that has rails situated on ground-level. Exterior-wise, it is slightly different from other trains. As of mid-2016, there are more than 20 tram systems across Japan.
Night Train
Night trains were once regularly used by late night commuters. However, through the years, operators were unable to match with the competitors, mainly buses and planes. By early 2016, the number of night trains in Japan had decreased to one, namely the Sunrise Seto.
Travelling to Tokyo
Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport in Tokyo have long been the nation's primary landing areas for international and domestic flights, respectively. However, recent changes have allowed the latter to handle other international flights as well. Both are consistently featured in the list of the world's top airports.
Below are the estimated travel times for flights from around the world:
DEPARTURE |
EXPECTED TRAVEL TIME |
North America (East Coast) |
12-13 Hours |
North America (West Coast) |
9-10 Hours |
Europe |
11-12 Hours |
Australia |
9-10 Hours |
For Asian countries, the travel time ranges from 4-9 hours, depending on the country.
Visa Information
Japan issues several types of visas. They are as follows:
Standard Visa
All tourists from 66 countries, which includes almost all countries in Europe, are automatically given temporary visitor visas or tanki-taizai as soon as they arrive. This kind of visa usually has a 90-day validity, but there can be cases where it can be shorter or longer.
Countries that are not on said list are: UK, Switzerland, Germany, Ireland, Austria, Mexico, and Lichtenstein. The citizens of these nations can extend the validity of their visas for another 90 days, which can be done by formally applying at the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau.
Alien Registration Card
The Alien Registration Card is for individuals who are planning to stay in Japan for more than 90 days. This card needs to be in the owner’s possession at all times. In the event that the owner is asked for the card and it is nowhere to be found, the owner will most likely be brought to the police station.
Work Visa
Upon finding an employer who agreed to sponsor your visa, it is a must that you get a Certificate of Eligibility from the Japanese immigration office. They have offices across Japan and you can request the document from any branch. After getting this certificate, they can then issue the work visa, which is valid for 1 to 3 years.
NOTES:
- Completing the whole process may take up to 3 months.
- The legalities for foreign employees vary on experience, skills, and/or qualifications.
Working-Holiday Visa
You can apply for the working-holiday visa if you are citizen of UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, New Zealand, Ireland, Korea, Denmark, Norway, and Hong Kong, provided you are between the ages of 18-30. According to the Japanese tourism, this type of visa was made so young individuals from the said countries can travel and/or work part-time in Japan.
Here at Pop Japan, we pride ourselves on being one of the most passionate promoters of our nation. It is our strong belief that Japan has the ability to offer anyone a very fulfilling life.
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