Japan: Practical information

Rules For Eating Out

Lunch is usually served between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and dinner between 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Rules vary from one establishment to another, but it is generally usual to pay the bill directly at the cash desk, on entering, after ordering or after the meal. It is not commonto leave a tip. 'Gochisosama deshita' is said while leaving the restaurant.

Food Specialties

Sushi, one of the most well-known Japanese food preparations, consists of cooked rice and other ingredients, including raw seafood, vegetables or pickled products. Raw fish, when sliced and served without rice, is known as sashimi. Makizushi are generally wrapped in nori (seaweed) and can be served as temaki (a cone-shaped hand roll filled with a variety of ingredients), futomaki (a thick and large fat roll filled with several fillings and sliced into six or eight pieces) or hosomaki (a smaller cylindrical roll with typically only one filling and sliced into six or eight pieces).

Many Japanese dishes are served in bowls (known as domburi) with rice on top and meat/vegetables underneath. Some examples include: oyakodom (eggs and chicken), katsudom (fried pork chops), gyudom (eggs and beef), unadom (grilled eel), chukadon and tendon (seafood and vegetables).

Japanese cooking also includes salads (gomaae), seaweed, noodles (soba), soups, meat grilled on skewers and cheese.

Drinks

Tea is the most widely consumed beverage. Popular alcoholic drinks include: happoshu (a by-product of beer that is less strong in taste, but has the same alcohol content), sake (a spirit made from rice) and umeshu (a Japanese liqueur made from plum). Local and international varieties of beers and wines are also available.

Dietary Restrictions

None

Table Manners

Many houses or restaurants have very low tables and cushions laid directly on the floor. The Japan Guide website gives some advice on how to sit down.

The meal begins with ‘’itadakimasu" ("I gratefully receive") and finishes with "gochisosama (deshita)" (Thank you for the meal). Chopsticks are used instead of cutlery. The Japan Guide website gives some advice on how to use them.

It is good manners to finish one’s dish right to the last grain of rice, and to put one’s place setting back after the meal as it was at the beginning. It is bad manners to blow one’s nose at table, or to go to the toilet during the meal. The Japan Guide will give you further information about table manners.

Means of Transport Recommended in Town

Urban transport services

Tokyo
Osaka

Find an Itinerary

Google Maps lets you build an itinerary in every large urban centre across the world

Taxi services

Japanese Association of Independent Taxi Drivers (in Japanese)

Transportation From Airport to City Centre:

Airport	Distance	Taxi	Bus	Train	Car Rental
Tokyo Narita International Airport	65 km / 41 miles	JPY 30 000 / 60-90 min	JPY 3000 / 90 min	JPY 1000 / 75 min	Available
Osaka - Kansai Intl (KIX)	38 km / 24 miles	JPY 15 000-18 000/~50 min	JPY 400 / 45 min	JPY 900 / 40 min	Available
Nagoya - Chubu Centrair Intl (NGO)	32 km / 20 miles	JPY 13000 / 30-40 min	Available	28 min	-

Means of Transport Recommended in the Rest of the Country

Train reservation services

Japan Railways - Hokkaido
Japan Railways - East
Japan Railways - West
Japan Railways - Shikoku
Japan Railways - Kyushu

Major airlines

You Can Consult The EU Air Safety List. Look Also at the rating of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Travelling By Yourself

Car rental agencies

Tocoo
Times Car Rental

Real-time traffic conditions

Circulation

Rules of the Road

National Roads Organizations

The national road transport Bureau
Japan Automobile Federation
Drive a car in Japan

Telephone Codes

To Make a Call From Japan, Dial 00
To Make a Call to in Japan, Dial +81

Mobile Telephone Standards

Japan has its own mobile phone standards (both cell type and PHS type). Mobile phones bought in other parts of the world cannot be used in the country. You can buy a phone or also rent one for a short time, even for a single call. To avoid subscriptions, prepaid cards can be purchased.

National Mobile Phone Operators

eMobile, NTT DoCoMo, SoftBank Mobile

Availability of Internet

Internet Suffix

.jp

National Internet Access Providers

There are a great many providers; the biggest ones are NTT DoCoMo, KDDI, Softbank. Some of them offer fast and temporary connections: Live Door and Asahi Net .