Comparison of temperatures
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Tokyo | 8 | 9 | 12 | 17 | 23 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 20 | 17 | 11 |
| London | 6 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 17 | 12 | 8 |
General note:
Below is an information overview. The conditions of entry, as well as the political and health situation, can change anywhere in the world at any time. We therefore recommend checking the website of the Foreign Office (www.gov.uk) before your departure.
Geography:
Japan is located in East Asia, east of the Asian mainland and is an island state. It lies in the Pacific Ocean. The four main islands are Hokkaido, Shikoku and Kyushu.
Form of government:
Parliamentary, constitutional monarchy
Capital:
Tokyo
Religion:
Shintoism and Buddhism, also Christian minorities as a fringe religion
Language:
Japanese
Climate:
Temperate to subtropical
Electricity:
100 V alternating current, 50/60 Hz; a 2 or 3-pole type A or B adapter is required.
Local time:
Japan Standard Time (JST) without a summer/winter time changeover. The time difference to the UK is +8 hours in summer and +9 hours in winter.
Making telephone calls:
To make phone calls to the UK, predial 0044 (+44). To make phone calls from the UK to Japan, pre-dial 0081 (+81). The 0 before the area code is omitted in each case.
Country and people:
The Japanese are proud of their culture and politeness, so there are a few rules for tourists to follow. In Japanese baths, shrines & temples, on beaches, etc., tattoos should be covered with clothing, plasters or make-up. In Japan, good service is customary, but in restaurants, taxis, hotels, etc., tipping is not usually given.
Entry requirements for British citizens:
British citizens receive a free visa when entering Japan, which is valid for tourist purposes for stays of up to 90 days. Prior application is not necessary. The passport must be valid for the duration of the stay and have a blank page for the visa stamp. You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid passport or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.
Legally binding information and/or information beyond these instructions regarding entry regulations can only be obtained directly from the embassy or one of the general consulates of your destination country. You are personally responsible for applying for and presenting any necessary visas. Nationals of other countries are advised to enquire at the Embassy of Japan about the entry requirements applicable to them.
Whilst we endeavor to provide guidance where necessary, we can not be responsible for any problems encountered (whether at any point of entry or elsewhere) in the event that passport and visa requirements are not satisfied. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/.
Tour guide:
Your expert tour guides will be able to provide you with detailed information about the country, people, history, culture etc., and offer advice and assistance for organising your trip. They can also help with room allocation and look forward to welcoming you with initial information. Here you will find out all you need to know and useful information about the trip. We have put together a varied programme including numerous highlights, enabling you to experience the culture and diversity of landscape that Japan has to offer, and learn all about the country and its people.
Additional packages:
Although your trip already includes a comprehensive package, you also have the option of choosing added extras. We recommend booking the following packages:
Gourmet package: The package includes 6x dinner as a buffet or 2-course menu (day 3-8): only £169* per person.
Explorer package: The package includes the day trips ‘Kamakura & Fuji-Hakone National Park with boat tour in good weather’ as well as ‘Imperial City Kyoto (World Heritage)’: only £199* per person.
* Packages can only be booked up to 6 weeks before arrival.
Currency:
The national currency unit is the Japanese yen (JPY). 1 JPY = 100 Sen. Exchange rate (June 2025): 1 GBP = 195.71 JPY; 1 JPY = 0.005 GBP.
Banks/Credit cards:
The ATMs of most Japanese banks do not yet accept foreign cards. However, acceptance is being continuously expanded. Before travelling, ask your bank about the conditions for withdrawing cash outside Europe.
Customs regulations:
Persons aged 20 and over are allowed to import duty-free 3 bottles of alcoholic beverages (0.76 l each), 100 cigars or 400 cigarettes or 1.1 lb of tobacco (in the case of a mixture, a total maximum of 1.1 lb), and 2 ounces of perfume. Other goods may be imported duty-free up to a value of 200,000 JPY (approx. 1,000 GBP), whereby only goods with a value of over 10,000 JPY (approx. 50 GBP) per item are counted. Cash can be imported without restriction. The import and export of cash and securities with a value of more than 1 million yen and precious metals (gold with a purity of over 90%) of more than 2.2 lb are subject to a declaration requirement. The import of weapons and ammunition, drugs and stimulants, counterfeit or falsified means of payment, items that violate public safety or morals (pornography), and items that infringe intellectual property rights (patents, trademarks, copyrights, etc.) is prohibited.
For further customs information on the import of goods, please contact the embassy of your destination country. Only there can you obtain legally binding information.
Important: If you are travelling to Great Britain from outside the UK, your personal allowances mean you can bring in a certain amount of goods without paying tax or duty. If you go over your allowances you must declare all your goods and pay tax and duty on all the goods in that category. Please inform yourself about the current customs regulations: www.gov.uk/bringing-goods-into-uk-personal-use/arrivingin-Great-Britain.
Country specific safety advice:
Japan is the country on Earth with the most earthquakes per year and also has the highest number of active volcanoes. On average, around 1,500 tremors are seismically recorded annually. Southern and western Japan are frequently hit by typhoons in late summer. Travellers during this period are advised to observe the Foreign Office’s information on hurricanes abroad. The crime rate in Japan is low. Petty crime such as pickpocketing does occur in larger cities and at tourist locations. Smoking in Japan is generally prohibited on the street outside designated smoking areas.
Special criminal provisions:
Drug offences, in particular the illegal importation of drugs and stimulants, such as ‘Ecstasy’, are punished with long prison sentences. The Japanese law enforcement authorities also prosecute the possession of small amounts of illegal drugs.
Medical information:
At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the latest country-specific health advice from the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC – https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries) on the Travel HealthPro website. Each country-specific page has information on vaccine recommendations, any current health risks or outbreaks, and factsheets with information on staying healthy abroad. Prior to travelling, seek personal advice from travel health advisory centres, tropical or travel medicine specialists, and adjust your vaccination protection accordingly.
Medical care:
Medical care in Japan is comparable to Europe and poses no technical, equipment-related or hygienic problems. Although a number of Englishspeaking doctors are available in the major cities, communication with other doctors can be extremely difficult. Many hospitals only treat foreign patients if payment is made in advance.
You are urgently recommended to take out travel health insurance for the duration of your holiday which covers risks not assumed by the statutory health insurance companies (e.g. repatriation to the UK in the event of illness, treatment by private doctors or in private hospitals).
Customers must ensure that they are in good physical and mental health in line with the trip in question. Customers must enquire about the physical mobility and psychological autonomy required for this trip.
All information is subject to change/Last updated: June 2025
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