Japan

Capital: Tokyo
Population:  127 million
Currency: Japanese yen (JPY)
Languages: Japanese
Drives on the: Left
Time zone: JST (UTC +9)

U.S. citizens must have a passport which is valid for at least 90 days after your return date, though we strongly recommend at least six months. U.S. passport holders do not need a visa to enter Japan for stays up to 90 days. See the U.S. Dept. of State website for more information.

If you do not hold a U.S. passport, you are responsible for obtaining any necessary visas and meeting all entry requirements. If a visa is required, we recommend using a fee-based visa service, such as our preferred provider VisaHQ.

More information about passports & visas.

There are no vaccination requirements for travelers. There is no risk of malaria.

Note: Many over-the-counter cold medicines like Vicks Inhalers and Sudafed contain small amounts of amphetamines and are illegal in Japan. 

Center for Disease Control
World Health Organization

Temperatures vary in Japan depending on location. In general, October and April are the best times to visit when temperatures are mild. May through July are the rainiest months, and June through August are hot and humid. Be sure to take a sweater regardless of where or when you are traveling. Winters can be very, very cold. 

Tipping is not a common practice in Japan and is not expected. 10% service charges are usually added to restaurant bills and no further tipping is necessary. 

ATMs generally only work for cards issued from Japanese banks, with the exception of cards using the Cirrus network. Check the back of your credit or debit card for the Cirrus symbol.

Always notify your bank prior to departure to avoid any problems using your credit or debit card abroad.

The best items to shop for in Japan are pearls, silks, pottery, cloisonné, lanterns, furniture, lacquerware, dolls, red coral, cameras, karate gear, green tea, carp kites, Imari porcelain, good-luck charms from shrines, and packaged seaweed. 

100 volts. Plugs A, B. View more information about electrical standards around the world. 

Want to take your cell phone, tablet or laptop, but not sure how to get cell service or wifi? See our blog posts on using your cell phone abroad and the top 5 ways to get Internet abroad.