So I’m planning to fly to Japan pretty soon. Do I need anything besides a passport, such as a Visa? I’m a US citizen and will only be visiting for 8 days.
Not if you are staying less than 90 days, and will not be getting paid for any activities while in Japan.
Nope, just a passport. Customs on entering Japan is pretty fast too. The will give you a short form to fill out on the plane.
Lots of money. If you are staying in Tokyo you will find that even common things are more expensive than in most US cities.
This book will tell you all you need to know: http://www.amazon.com/Dave-Barry-Does-Japan/dp/0449908100/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252030970&sr=1-1
If you haven’t already, it may be a good idea to get travel insurance to cover medical expenses and repatriation in case you get sick or injured in an accident. You may have a very hard time getting your US health insurance company to pay for these expenses otherwise.
if you plan to travel to a lot of different areas and don’t have transportation arranged, look into getting a Jrail train pass
As for official things you need, as a U.S. citizen vacationing* there, all you need is your passport and a ticket out of Japan within 90 days. The airline will almost certainly require you to prove your exit ticket, since they are fined if they allow passengers to land without one**. A JR pass will, as mentioned above, be useful if you intend to travel much outside of the city you’re landing in, although you have to buy them before you arrive as they’re not sold domestically.
Unless you plan to eat predominantly katsu-curry, ramen and gyūdon and stay in capsule hotels, you should count on $700+ per week in expenses. If you already have a place to stay, it’s still probably a couple of hundred dollars a week to eat decently.
- I’ve usually been on business, and said so, but as mentioned above, if you intend to get paid for work there, you’ll need a visa.
** Or so I was told by an airline once when I tried to board intending to buy a return ticket once I got there.
don’t talk on a cell phone while on public transport (bus, train, etc). it’s very rude. well it’s rude universally but even more unacceptable in Japan.
Could you define an exact level of unacceptability, I’ll be sure to let all the Japanese people I see talking on their phones on the train here know.
I always believed this, too; but my daughter is currently in Japan, and will be leaving soon by boat for Korea. She couldn’t buy the boat ticket in advance, and although she was concerned about being let in without a confirmed exit ticket, there weren’t any problems.
Don’t forget to carry change to feed the schoolgirl-panty machines.
when I visited recently, it seemed like you’d see people texting alot on public transport while simultaneously listening to Ipods. I didn’t really see anyone talking on cells on trains if I remember right. Maybe I just didn’t notice.
Also, if its any help, there’s a place to rent cellphones at Narita airport. I guess most western cellphones aren’t compatible w/ the systems over there. Don’t know how much it costs
Thanks all for the info, every little bit helps.
I was going to ask about this…how exactly will this work? I mean, when I land in Japan, what happens exactly?
Also, what is the best way to exchanging US dollars for yen? Is that something all banks do? Does it cost money for the conversion?
A biiiiiig can of Raid, for Mothra.
There will always be a conversion fee. Your credit card will automatically get very good rates, so consider using it wherever possible. Airport kiosks will likely have the worst conversion rates, so consider getting some yen before you leave. Most major banks should be able to provide it.
After you land, you will have your passport examined by the immigration inspector. Since you are only here for eight days on a US passport, the Japan immigration inspector will look at your passport, check the expiration date, look at the embarkation card for foreigner that you filled out on the plane, and put a “Landing Permission” sticker with “Temporary Visitor” status in it. After, you will get your baggage and then go through customs. A customs officer will look at the customs form you filled out and ask you questions. It goes really fast. For me, all I said was that I was a student, and they waved me right through.
Just back from Japan…
Most ATMs in Japan will not take non-Japanese cards. The best place to find “international” ATMs is at the post office. Many are open 24 hours (at least to get to the ATM). Japan is a pretty safe place and with the falling dollar, I got out enough Yen on my first day to last the entire 11 days I would be in the country.
Many places will not take credit cards, though nicer restaurants and many hotels will. Beyond that, it is still very much a cash society.
I arrived and departed by boat and was never asked to show an onward ticket.
You’re right, can’t beat the convenience of using the credit card, but I did have to pay a 3% forein transactions fee when I was last there (July), which I guess most cards charge, with the exception of Capital One, and probably some others that Dopers might know.
Also, was able to get cash from ATMs at 7-11s & other 24hr convenience stores with my US ATM card, a relatively new developemnt I think, which beats having to find a post office ATM. Most of those seemed not to be available nights & Sundays. They probably charge more than the post office, but saves a potential headache of not having cash if you need it.
I can’t speak for US citizens, but as an Australian I had to show proof that I had a ticket out of Japan before they would give me my boarding pass for the Sydney to Narita flight. Since we live in the age of e-tickets, I couldn’t produce a real ticket, but had to show a print-out of my e-ticket confirmation for my onward journey. The impression I got in Sydney was that it would have been very bad for me if I could not have presented that piece of paper. Frankly it was a combination of luck plus habit from lots of business travel that I actually had taken the effort to print a copy.