How to get to Japan
2 ways to travel
direct and luxury
budget with a change
my choice of airlines
3 airlines go to Tokyo direct from Heathrow
ANA all nipon airlines
JAL japan airlines
BA british airways
Heathrow to Tokyo Haneda or Narita airports
Haneda is nearer downtown Tokyo so therefor more convenient but maybe a bit more expensive.
Here is my choice of indirect flights that include a change and are therefor cheaper
Finnair via Helsinki
Lufthansa via Frankfurt
Air France via Paris
KLM via Amsterdam
Alitalia via Rome or Milan
Asiana via Seoul
Korean Air via Seoul
Cathay Pacific Via Hong Kong
Emirates via Dubai
Quatar Airways via Doha
of these I have some favorites based on price and level of service
so my top picks are
Cathay Pacific
Lufthansa
Finnair
Air France
Klm
All these will take you to Tokyo and Osaka
table below for other destinations
For Nagoya , Finnair Lufthansa Klm Cathay Pacific
For Fukuoka , Cathay Pacific, Korean Air, Asiana
For Sapporo , Cathay Pacific, Korean Air, Asiana
Tips for good travel
The airline staff are there to help and serve you so don’t be shy to ask
Check this website for fantastic flight prices
When booking indirect flights via a changing airport check waiting times as they can vary from 2-3 hours to longer
TIPS FOR FLYING IN COMFORT
Do drink enough water not alcohol
Do wear comfortable shoes easy to slip on and off
Do get up to walk about good to stretch the legs on a long flight helps your bottom not to get numb!!
buy a sleep mask good for getting 40 winks so you can arrive refreshed
enjoy you trip !!
What is a Japan Rail Pass
7 or 14 Days unlimited travel the length and breadth of Japan
buy able in England from HIS travel or JTB
How to use
to activate at a main train station is simple. Just ask at a information desk and you will be directed to the appropriate place. Trust me Japanese customer service is legendary
You will need your passport to show this pass is only available for visitors to use, as it saves a shed load of money compared to buying individual journeys.
From the morning of activation that is counted as day 1 of your pass so activate it on the day you intend to start traveling to get the most out of it.
Japanese railways have signs in both English and Japanese simple!
One thing to bear in mind is Japanese trains are never late they run on time so leave plenty of time to get to your platform
some buses in cities are run by JR Japan Rail and are therefor included in the ticket. For example we found getting around in Kyoto was free with the JR pass as long as we used the appropriate buses and there are plenty. Its good to check wherever you go.
Some small railway stations may not have English speaking staff but show your ticket and with hand gestures and a smile you get where you want to go
For bigger trains such as the bullet train Shinkansen you may need to book a seat and therefor get a ticket, but for smaller trains and local journeys just jump on board and show your pass
I suggest you go on the internet before traveling and download a map of all the JR lines better yet print it off to take with you ,the better able to plan your journeys.
Bullet trains Shinkansen as they are called are just amazing , everything whizzes by at breakneck speed the foreground appears to disappear before your eyes, wow.
You will need to show your JR pass when going through the barrier, if you have booked a specific seat take it if not sit anywhere that is unreserved and enjoy the ride
I have never met a more on time, clean and helpful railway system in all my travels how do they do it? We could surely learn a thing or two.
In the next pages I have some wonderful destinations for you to try out
have fun go explore.
Japan is a country of contrasts both modern and ancient. It is a country of 2 major religions Buddhism and Shintoism. They sit side by side as ancient religions in a modern technology led country, great contrasts at work.
Tokyo capitol city and one of the busiest in the world, great fun quite hectic and great shopping.
Try the Asakusa district amazing temples and shrines, great shopping and hotels plus lovely zoo.
Temples are Buddhist in origin and shrines are Shinto in origin both are beautiful to look at and well worth a visit and are key to understanding Japanese culture and thinking.
Sensoji founded in 628
Kaminarimon Gate
Hanayashki Shinto shrine
Asakusa shrine after which the area has been named
Also good to visit Ueno zoo
Kakamise is a 200 meter shopping street between the Kamirimon gate and the Sesoji Temple and an awesome market
For more things to see and do in Tokyo or anywhere in Japan I recommend the lonely planet guide book to Japan very informative, good place to buy such books is AMAZON,
All these places can be accessed with your rail pass quite easily .
Have fun exploring
Nagoya my husbands hometown and therefore the place I know best
It sits below Tokyo in the Aichi prefecture, a big city with a friendly feel.
Nagoya castle atop a hill has great views of the city and is well worth a visit,interesting fact not as old as you think during world war it was bombed to bits and after rebuilt to look exactly the same.
Nagoya has Higashiyama zoo and botanical gardens and many famous department stores including Mitsukoshi, but infinitely more fun is the Osu shopping area, a giant a covered shopping district, with many delights including restaurants second hand kimono stores and Daiso Japans very own answer to the one pound store only better.
Nagoya main station has the best customer service I have found anywhere, and the metro is easy to understand and get around on.
Kyoto
was the capitol of Japan in medieval times, for many centuries and is to this day the city of temples and shrines., an absolute must for visiting.
Temples and shrines often have beautiful gardens and a lovely tranquil atmosphere, a good contrast to modern hectic life
Your Rail pass will work on some of the buses as they are run by JR the same company
Kyoto has also
Kyoto imperial palace
Nijo castle
and a bamboo forest
all well worth visiting, again consult the lonely planet guide for more things to see and do.
Nara the oldest temple city of Japan and was the capitol before Kyoto.
7 great temples reside in Nara and are very beautiful. It is also full of friendly deer which looked after by the monks take some vegetables for them to feed on and thay will reward you with friendliness.
Osaka a southern city and less hectic than Tokyo but equally fun great for food
try Osaka Namba takoyaki a delicious fried octopus ball with a lovely sauce each region has its own version and the Namba one is the yummiest soft squidgy in the middle and crisp and tasty on the outside.
Osaka Namba is great for restaurants and shopping with lots of fun things to do. Good area just for walking around and taking in the sights and sounds of urban Japan.
Osaka also has a zoo and many temples and shrines
Toba a small sea port on the coast in the Mie prefecture where Mikimoto the famous Japanese pearl company have their pearl divers and factory.
Take a boat out into the bay and throw bread up and watch the sea gulls dive for it, great fun.
There is a gift shop in which to buy pearl related goods, real pearls that do not make mikimotos strict criteria are strung into attractive jewelery and sold at a fraction of the cost. How good is that.
If you wish to go to Japan, please contact me I can help you to book Flight, Hotel, Onsen etc.
How to go to Ise Jingu
1. From Osaka- Kansai International Airport
2. How to visit Ise Jingu
Here is a link to a travel blog from Japan、written by tourists from London.
Travel from London into Japan and stay in Osaka.
こちらもお勧めのクレジットカードです。インターネットで入会すれば初年度会員費が無料になります。1枚目はホテル予約に便利なBooking.comカード。2枚めは色々な買い物でポイントが貯まるこのカードが良いですね。海外で紛失したときの対応も良さそうです。
海外に出るときは必ずクレジットカードを2枚持って出ましょう。
英国ではVisa・Mastercardがあれば、ほぼ全てのお店で、例えばマクドナルド、カフェ、地下鉄、など1ポンドから決済できます。現金よりも安全です。
←私が日本に行くときの必需品です。他の会社も試しましたが、こちらの製品が一番良かったです。スカイプ、グーグルのハングアウト、フェイスブックのメッセンジャー、Line, FaceTime などで通信可能です。グーグルのマップを使えば道に迷うこともありません。日本から海外に行く場合は、この広告の一番上の右にあるリンク Powerd by「GLOBAL MOBILE」をクリックすると世界中の物を見る事が出来ます。