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Bookmark & shareHyperbolic, kitty-cute, switched-on, serene.
Whether you end up taking photos of a reproduction Eiffel Tower, surfing an indoor wave, musing in a Zen temple, shacking up in a love hotel or kipping down in a capsule, you'll do best to come with an open mind and be prepared to be surprised.
Somewhere between the elegant formality of Japanese manners and the candid, sometimes boisterous exchanges that take place over a few drinks, between the sanitised shopping malls and the unexpected rural festivals, everyone finds their own vision of Japan.
Travel Warning: Earthquakes
An earthquake with a 6.8 magnitude struck Japan's main island of Honshu on July 24, the second in as many months in the region. Incredibly, no deaths have been reported but there were more than 100 people injured. The quake's epicentre was more than 100km underground, a factor which minimised damage on the surface, but tremors were felt 450km away in Tokyo.
The June 14 earthquake reached a 7.2 magnitude. More than 20 people were killed and over 200 injured. The epicentre of the quake was near Yuzawa, south of Akita.
severity: Mid-level alert
Fast Facts
Country Full Name
Japan (Nihon)
Population
127,000,000
Currency
Name: Japanese yen
Code: JPY
Symbol: ¥
Electrical Plugs
100V 50Hz
Languages Spoken
Official: Japanese
Time Zones
GMT/UTC +9
Country Dialing Code
+81
Weights & Measures
Metric
Japan - Free Guidebook Chapter
Download the free Getting Started chapter or buy individual chapters from our Japan guide, in our online Shop.
› Go to the Japan download page.
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