In order to better accommodate the expected over 30 million foreign visitors to Japan in the near future, JNTO has certified 342 tourist information centers throughout Japan as part of the Visit Japan Information Network. These facilities are divided into four categories (Category 1, 2, 3 and Partner Facilities), with services and business hours varying for each type. Most have an English speaker available at least sometime during operating hours, and some have fulltime English speaking staff. Some offices offer help in other languages, such as Korean or Chinese as well. Many facilities offer computer access, tour recommendations and translation services.

All Category 1 through Category 3 tourist facilities must be re-certified every three years. This helps to ensure quality improvement in all offices. Partner Facilities are facilities that, while not certified, are recognized by the certification program, and are also available to visit for information.

For more information:
Tourist Information Centers in Tokyo, Narita International Airport and Osaka Kansai International Airport

Tourist Information Offices throughout Japan

What’s better than relaxing and gazing at the scenery from the comfort of your train seat? Why, stuffing your face at the same time, of course!
Ekiben, ( eki = station, ben =short for bento) the boxed lunches sold at train stations and onboard trains throughout Japan, are small universes of local flavor presented in often unique and imaginative packaging. They are a great introduction to local specialties some ekiben even include local sake or wine! Remember, you’re not driving, so you don’t have to worry about getting a wee bit giggly! Ekiben vary in their ingredients and level of detail. Some can be plain-Jane, while others rather extravagant. Some even need to be reserved in advance!

Ekiben will also make a showing at Japanese Restaurant Week in New York this year, from March 4th – March 18th. Several restaurants are planning to serve ekiben representing regional favorites from Japan that you won’t want to miss! These ekiben will also be sold at the Japan Week event held at NY Grand Central Terminal from March 19th to 21st.

So, sit back and enjoy some of Japan’s delicious food culture as the scenery unrolls outside your window!

For more information about Japan’s train travel and ekiben, please visit here.

Visiting a foreign country and taking a tour led by friendly, knowledgeable people who delight in sharing their interest and enjoyment of their country’s local history and culture is always a pleasure.

Japan currently has a special volunteer group force called the Systemized Goodwill Guide group, consisting of mainly students, retirees and housewives, all who make it their job to introduce interested visitors to the beauty and culture of Japan through their own experience and love of Japan, with a special local twist. .

SGG tours can be found all over Japan. Some ask tourists to meet at a pre-established location, while others tailor their tours to visitors’ preferences. Visitors may have a chance to enjoy not only the typical scenic spots, but perhaps drop into someone’s house for tea and cookies. This is a wonderful way to meet Japanese locals, and get an in-depth feel to the wonders of Japan.

Since the guides are all volunteers, services are free of charge. It is expected, however that visitors employing the guides’ services will cover certain fees, such as travel expenses, meals, etc. when applicable.

For more information:
Volunteer Guide and SGG in Japan
Guide Services in Japan
List of Volunteer Guide in Japan

What makes Kurokawa Onsen unique is its traditional atmosphere and abundance of nice, traditional ryokan inns. During our visit, we stayed at Noshiyu, which is one of the best-value inns that I have had the pleasure of staying at in Japan. Beautiful architecture, wonderful service and excellent food make it one of my all-time favorites.

Unlike most Japanese onsen towns that are dominated by concrete structures, Kurokawa, with its beautiful wooden buildings and earthen walls, is reminiscent of a bygone era. Dressed in lightweight yukata kimono, we strolled through the town and along the river that runs through it, stopping at whichever inns struck our fancy to enjoy their soothing baths.

Kurokawa is known for its abundance of picturesque rotenburo outdoor baths, and I was not disappointed. Visitors are encouraged to enjoy the various inns’ bathing spots, and the process is made easy through the use of a pass, which allows bathers access to three inns of their choice.

Winter is an ideal time to visit Kurokawa Onsen, as the cool, crisp Kyushu air, together with a relaxing outdoor bath in a delightful environment, will make for an unforgettable trip.

Philip Rosenfeld

In order to meet the eligibility requirements needed to purchase a JR pass, you must be a foreign tourist, or a Japanese national living outside of Japan. An exchange order is purchased outside Japan, then exchanged at a JR Rail Pass exchange office in Japan. The passes can only be purchased outside of Japan from an authorized seller, and they may be used on all forms of transportation within the JR Group with very few exceptions.

Two types of tickets are available; Ordinary, or standard fare, and Green, or first class. Each type has 7, 14 or 21 day passes, and separate rates for children (11 years of age or under). Example rates for standard 7-day passes for one adult and one child would be about $350 and $176 respectively (rates subject to change due to fluctuations in the exchange rate).

JR is internationally known for their reliability, safety, speed and service. Take advantage of the rail pass, and you can travel in complete relaxation, assured of getting to your destination punctually, comfortably and efficiently.

For more information, please visit here.

What always strikes me the most about Tokyo is the juxtaposition of the old, contemporary and the sacred. Just around the corner from Meiji Jingu are Harajuku and Takeshita Street, housing a funky youth culture and an array of shops. This leads on to the fashionable Aoyama area, created to replicate the Champs Elysee’. You can’t imagine three more different worlds existing within sight of one another.

After lunching in an architecturally stunning building eating traditional Japanese food, I made my way to Nezu Museum to enjoy their incredible gardens, rich with dozens of stone lanterns and teahouses. As the sky darkened and the onset of Tokyo’s twinkling lights approached, I ventured onward to Tokyo Skytree, a recently opened 634 meter tower and architectural phenomenon in this already technology savvy city. As the tallest broadcasting tower in the world, it boasts amazing 360-degree views of this metropolis. Best to see in the evening, I think.

To round out another eclectic day in Tokyo, I sought out an old favorite of mine, Bourbon Street, a small Cajun-style four-table eatery tucked away in the back streets of the Roppongi area. Fantastic food and conversation was enjoyed with its owner of 14 years. Speaking to a musician at the bar, it was recommended to visit several newer music establishments including The Cotton Club and Billboard Live. For next time, but who might have guessed that’s where Kool and the Gang were that night?

A terrific ending to a perfect day.

Scott Gilman

The holidays generally run from about December 29 through January 3, with schools, administrative offices, and many businesses closed during at least part of that time. In recent years, however, some businesses, such as restaurants and department stores, have begun staying open to take advantage of people in their holiday spending mood!

As the old year winds down, preparation for the new begins. Major housecleaning, which includes making your living quarters spic-and-span, tidying up your work space, paying all those unpaid bills, and taking care of any loose ends, takes place on a grand scale. This corresponds to purifying one’s environment for a “clean start.” Homes and businesses are adorned with special, meaning imbued decorations, and some people enjoying wearing kimono, or other special traditional clothing not usually worn during the rest of the year. And, of course a major highlight of the holiday is the food.

On the last day of the year, called omisoka, many folks enjoy a meal of soba buckwheat noodles, eaten just before midnight and as the New Year is rung in. This soba (udon in some regions), called toshikoshi soba (udon), is eaten in hopes of longevity and prosperity for the future.

After eating a traditional meal of ozoni (rice cakes in a hot broth whose flavors and ingredients differ considerably from region to region) on the morning of January 1, great numbers of people pay their first visit of the year to a shrine or a temple. This first visit is called hatsumoude. The first sunrise of the new year, called hatsuhinonde, is thought to bestow special energy, so many folk make a point of getting up early to pay their respects at a shrine as the sun rises. Famous shrines, such as Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya and Fushimi Inari-taisha Grand Shrine in Kyoto sees millions of visitors.

After hatsumoude, most people return home to enjoy their holiday meals. Traditional New Year’s food, called osechi ryori, is prepared a few days in advance of the holiday, but since preparation is quite time-consuming, many people nowadays choose to purchase these dishes. Osechi ryori is more strongly flavored than typical Japanese food; the point being that the liberal use of seasonings allows the food to last through the days of the New Year’s holiday, thus allowing the cook of the house a few days respite! Osechi ryori consists of a many different types of dishes, each with a special auspicious meaning (good health, good fortune, etc.). Even though osechi ryori is prepared before the New Year, it is not eaten before the first of the year.

For more information about how you can enjoy New Year’s in Japan, please visit here.

Most of the plates run from about 100 – 500 yen per piece, and the tab is calculated by the number and types of plates, either by an attendant or a counting machine, available at some restaurants. Some restaurants have a flat rate for all plates.

While kaitenzushi restaurants are welcome destinations for the budget-minded who want to enjoy sushi without it costing them an arm and a leg, they are also exceedingly popular with families with young children, who are not generally welcome at traditional sushi restaurants. Non-Japanese speaking customers also like the fact that no language skills are needed to enjoy their sushi dinner-they can just grab their choice off the conveyor belt!

Kaitenzushi has been popular in Japan for decades, and recently has been gaining an audience overseas. In the states, chains such as Kula Sushi and Sushi Land have opened several restaurants that have been very well received.

Udon are thick white noodles made of wheat flour, water and salt. While the same basic ingredients are used to create all udon, Sanuki udon are firmer, and cook up a bit chewier than other udon, and the superior quality Kagawa water and salt contributes to its outstanding flavor and texture.

Lately, Japan has been seeing a self-service udon restaurant boom. Franchise chains such as Hanamaru Udon and Marugame Seimen offer udon in cafeteria style restaurants, where customers order their udon, usually according to size, and then, after they receive a bowl with the noodles, they proceed along the counter adding various toppings, side dishes and soups or dipping sauces to their tray. Condiments such as green onions or sesame seeds are available at the end of the counter.

Udon is low calorie and easy to digest. The cost at self-service establishments for a bowl a noodles usually runs to just a few dollars, probably half of what you would pay at a sit-down restaurant. Put all that together, and you have a healthy, inexpensive and delicious way to enjoy udon!

The popularity of these stores as seen by the comments posted on current blogs, etc. by non-Japanese attests to the fact that it’s not only Japanese who love their noodles!

For more information, please visit here.

Over the next several days, we reconnected with distant relatives and schoolmates that I thought I’d never see again. We visited their homes, ate in local restaurants, and watched my children play with theirs as the buzz of vacation wore off and Japan began to feel more like home. Traveling to Japan was a big decision to make, but we knew that it was the right choice, and best trip we could have planned.

During week two of the trip, we spend much of our time outside, making the trip to Nagano, just as my oldest demanded. We also toured much of the area that was stuck by the Earthquake and Tsunami, noticing the extreme changes that had taken place and conjured up emotions knowing that so many people were affected throughout Japan when it struck. While our children didn’t seem to grasp the severity of change that we saw in Chosi, the rest of our family was shocked by the devastation that remained over a year after the tragedy.

We realized that spending time with old friends and family was more important that making sure we got to the last few destinations on our itinerary, and spent the final two days of our trip back in Tokyo, making sure we saw Akasaka and Chiyoda before departing for our return to the United States.

Traveling to Japan was the best vacation decision our family has ever made, and it created a well of memories for our children, who are already begging to go back next year. While we might have to postpone our return for a few years, it certainly won’t be another three decades before making my way back to Japan. The entire journey was amazing, from the private jet charter flight to laughing with old friends, it was a trip for the ages.