Japan Trave Tips

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

https://www.expedia.co.uk/,

https://www.opodo.co.uk

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

• When you arrive at Kansai International Airport, buy a Kintetsu Railway Pass. It is very convenient and the easiest way to travel around Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Ise Jingu and Nagoya.
• This ticket will give you 5 days of unlimited travel on the Kintetsu Rail line, using economy class trains. There are five train categories ranging from stopping at all local stations, to a fast train that doesn't stop between the biggest stations. The price of the pass is usually very cheap compared to taking individual journeys. The 2015 price was around 6000Yen and 4000Yen. 6000Yen ticket will allow you ride 3 journeys on the fastest train services, including two tickets for travelling between Kansai International Airport and Osaka or Nagoya.

2. How to visit Ise Jingu

• Above are pictures from Ise Jingu, Ise Jingu is visited every year by many Japanese and is known as the heart 
• From Osaka you can use the Kintesu Railway Pass to visit Ise Jingu. The direct trains run from Uehonmachi or Namba, if you take the fastest train- Tokyu, you will get a reserved seat when you use the railway pass. This train will normally go directly to Ise Jingu or if not stop at 1 or 2 big cities. When you arrive at Ise and leave the train, you should use the bridge above the railway to leave the station at the main entrance and exit. You will notice how beautiful the station is. When you leave the station you will see the entrance for Gegu, a special Shinto shrine. Please enter and enjoy.

• If you bought the 6000Yen pass you will be able to ride the local buses and take a ride to Naigu. Please ask the driver if the bus will be going to Naigu. When you arrive in Naigu people will be going to the entrance so you may follow them, you will come to a bigger place then Gegu with an amazing and mysterious atmosphere, the feeling is extremely, happy so please enjoy!

Here is a link to a travel blog from Japan、written by tourists from London.

Travel from London into Japan and stay in Osaka.

Blog for Japan Travel.