a) National Holidays
Many international students in Japan find that the holiday period here is very short, but luckily there are a lot of national holidays. Here is a list:
January 1st : New Year's DayJanuary 2nd Monday : Coming to Age DayFebruary 11th : National Foundation DayMarch 21st : Vernal Equinox DayApril 29th : Greenery DayMay 3rd : Constitution Memorial DayMay 4th : A holiday between Constitution Memorial Day and Children's DayMay 5th : Childrens' DayJuly 20th : Marine DaySeptember 15th : Respect for the Aged DaySeptember 23rd : Autumn Equinox DayOctober 2nd Monday : Health and Sports DayNovember 3rd : Culture DayNovember 23rd : Labour Thanksgiving DayDecember 23rd : The Emperor's Birthday
Apart from these, there is Buddhist holiday during the middle of August, called the Obon when most of the shops and offices close.
*When a national holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be a holiday.
b) Climate
Being situated near the centre of the temperate zone, the Japanese islands generally have a mild climate. The four seasons are clearly marked. Summer is hot and humid due to the monsoons from S-E. Winter is quite cold because of the winds from N-W. Also, Japan has a "fifth season"-The rainy season. For most of June and the beginning of July, you will have to cope with the "wet experience. It rains all the time until it stops suddenly. The humidity is very high. Since the Japanese Islands stretch along a N-S line, the climate varies considerably according to the altitude and latitude. Tokyo lies at about 35 degrees north latitude.
c) Food
The traditional Japanese diet consists of boiled rice as a staple food and fish, meat, vegetables and others as subsidiary food. But nowadays, you can eat almost anything you can imagine since Japan has developed a great cuisine and food culture. From Chinese to Indian, from Italian to French, you can find almost any type of restaurants. It is just that you have to cope with the prices. Also, the tap water is safe to drink anywhere in Japan.
d) Shopping
You can buy whatever you can imagine in Tokyo, so as far as shopping is concerned, you do not need to worry. If you need some shopping hints you can ask the tutors or the students living in the same dormitory. When you move in your new room, you will need some items for daily purposes such as plates and cutlery. A piece of advice: try to check the prices and the stores around the dormitory before you decide to buy anything.
e) Travelling
The transportation network in Japan is very efficient and convenient. Especially Tokyo and Yokohama areas are highly developed as far as transportation means are concerned. There is usually an easy way to get anywhere you want. The only difficulties you might encounter are those of cost and language. Mainly costs-the transportation fees here are quite high but the services are alike. If you can cope with that you can reach anywhere.
Japan Railway Company (JR)
- Shinkansen: This is the famous ultra rapid "bullet train . The Shinkansen covers the 500 km between Tokyo and Osaka in only 2h 30 min. These trains connect the major cities. You may like to try it, but you will soon understand that they are one of the most expensive ways to travel.
- Other JR trains- These trains are a good alternative to Shinkansen. There are both local and express trains, so if you want to go to a small town, make sure that the train you get on stops there. Their network is highly developed and connects almost every town and city in Japan. They may be slow and sometimes crowded, but local JR trains give you a really good opportunity to see the whole country (VERY cheap compared to Shinkansen). If you want to use any of the JR trains, be it local or the Shinkansen, ask a friend or your tutor to show you how to read the Japan Rail Timetable.
- Discount tickets-there are many types of discount tickets. Please check the travel information centre for more information. Here are some of them:
- SEISHUN JUU-HACHI KIPPU-this is what most of foreign students use. It is valid only during the periods of school vacation. You can purchase it at any JR ticket counter or the travel counter at the Co-op shop of the Tokyo Tech. You get five passes for fives days of unlimited travel on all regular trains (not Shinkansen and express) on all JR lines for around 11,000 Yen.These passes do have an expiration date, but you are free to use them on non-consecutive days. Also, two or more people may travel on the same pass (this uses one day per passenger). For example, you and a friend can go to Osaka and backwards and still have one day to use on the same pass.
- Japan Rail Pass-available only for the visitors with tourist VISA. Therefore you cannot use it but it might prove very useful for visiting friends. It must be purchased outside Japan.
Long distance buses There is a network of long distance buses between major cites that can take you rather cheaply overnight to places like Nagoya or Osaka. Check with the travel counter of Co-op shop for further information.
Local buses Local buses are not recommended in Tokyo and Yokohama areas. Since there are a lot of traffic jams, you might not get to your destination on time.
Taxis Taxis in Japan are rather expensive and due to the frequent traffic jams they are not necessarily faster. The minimum fare in Tokyo is 660 Yen up to 2 km. You can get a taxi at the taxi stands in front of rail stations and near the shopping areas. It is not necessary to open or close the door of the taxi. The driver controls them automatically. Unlike other countries, tipping in Japan is not a custom.
Cars and motorcycles Owning a car or a motorcycle is a luxury in Japan, especially in Tokyo and Yokohama. You will need to pay for the parking space and this might prove VERY expensive. Moreover, since the traffic and roads of Japan are rather chaotic, you will soon find that cars and motorcycles are very poor alternatives to train commuting. Furthermore, you will have to change your driving license into the Japanese one and pay for insurance fees. If you really need a means of transportation that would satisfy your needs, you should consider a bicycle. It is the easiest way to get around and what most people use. It might prove very useful around the campus also.
For More Details:
AJISAI Business (Japanese) Language Institute & Consultancy
Durbar Marg, Teendhara Pathsala-1, Kathmandu, Nepal
(Opposite to LJ Plaza"United Finance", "NMB Bank", "Clean Energy Bank")
Ph: 977-1-4225599 E-mail:
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URL: www.ajisai.edu.np
The 3rd Japanese Language Teachers’ Seminar-2009 of JALTAN-Japanese Language Teachers’ Association of Nepal,
