JCSM Shareware Collection 1993 November

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GUIDANCE FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS Documents Required: A valid U.S. passport is necessary to enter and travel in Japan, and by law foreigners are required to carry their passports at all times. A visa is not needed for visits up to 90 days (with a round-trip air ticket) unless you plan to establish a business or work for a Japanese firm, in which case visa applications are available at the Japanese consulate nearest your U.S. residence. Immunization and health certificates are not required upon entrance. If you will be staying longer than 90 days, you must obtain an Alien Registration Card, available free of charge from the municipal office of the city or ward where you are temporarily residing in Japan. Arrival Procedures: Upon arriving in Japan, your passage through both immigration and customs is usually automatic as long as your passport (and air ticket if arriving without a visa) is in order. An oral declaration of personal effects is all that is required unless you arrive by ship, have unaccompanied baggage, or bring articles exceeding the duty-free allowance. If you expect unaccompanied luggage to arrive after you, in order to be exempt from paying duty later, a declaration form should be filled out when you clear customs. The duty-free allowance is roughly $1,400 (200,000 yen). You are allowed to carry up to two cartons of cigarettes, 2 ounces of perfume, and three 750 ml bottles of hard liquor into the country. Japan has very stringent regulations on admitting plants, vegetables, and other agricultural produce into the country. Since customs restrictions vary depending on country of origin, it is advisable to check before your departure with the Japanese Embassy or your nearest Japanese consulate. A few luggage carts are available at the airport, but elsewhere you must carry your own baggage. A few porters are available, but at principal rail stations only. Light packing is advised. You should exchange U.S. dollars for yen before leaving the airport, especially if you are arriving at night or on a Sunday. There is a currency exchange counter inside the customs area of Narita Airport (Tokyo). Business Hours: Businesses usually operate Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM. Some may be open later on weekdays, and many are open until noon on Saturday. Banking hours are from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Monday through Friday. Most stores are open from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, except department stores which close between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Restaurants are open from 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM. Family restaurants as well as coffee shops start serving at 10:00 AM or earlier. Bars and nightclubs open at around 5:00 PM. Public transportation is not available after midnight and taxis add an additional charge from 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM. Holidays: In addition to the holidays listed below, Japanese firms and government offices observe year-end and New Years Holidays, December 29th through January 5th; and the Bon Festival, when many Japanese return to their hometown to honor the deceased, August 13th through the 16th: January 1 New Year's Day January 15 Adult's Day February 11 National Foundation Day March 21 Vernal Equinox Day April 29 Greenery Day May 3 Constitution Memorial Day May 5 Children's Day September 15 Respect-for-the-Aged September 23 Autumnal Equinox Day October 10 Health-Sports Day November 3 Culture Day November 23 Labor Thanksgiving Day December 23 Emperor's Birthday Time: Japan occupies only one time zone. Japan Standard Time, observed all year, is 14 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time (13 hours during daylight savings time in the United States). Language: The average Japanese person does not speak English with any fluency. Although some staff members at major hotels, department stores, and restaurants speak English, it should not be expected outside of these situations. While in the business environment English is becoming more widely used, you should hire an interpreter for important business meetings. The Japan Export Information Center or the Commercial Section of the U.S. Embassy can recommend a specialist agency to fit your needs. The fee for an interpreter varies from about $230 to $615 per day (30,000 yen to 80,000 yen) depending on ability. You should carefully screen applicants as there is no guarantee of quality. Climate: Japan is characterized by a change of seasons. Summers are muggy and hot, with a rainy season that begins in June and continues until mid-July. The rainy season is followed by a period of clearer, hotter weather lasting almost without interruption until the stormy typhoon season in late August and September. In general, fall and winter are much drier than the spring and summer and little snow falls on the Pacific Ocean side of Japan's main island of Honshu. Spring is beautiful in Japan with cherry and plum blossoms in full bloom. Generally, the weather and climate in Tokyo is similar to that of Washington, D.C. Money: There are no restrictions on the amount of money brought into or taken out of Japan. Coin denominations are 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, and 500 yen and paper denominations are 1000, 5000, and 10,000 yen. Most consumer transactions in Japan are in the form of cash. Travelers checks can be exchanged at major department stores, hotels, banks, and retail establishments. Credit cards are accepted at hotels, department stores, and many shops and restaurants. U.S. credit cards can also be used in cash-dispensing machines in some banks and department stores to obtain yen. It is safe to carry cash in Japan since there is a very low incidence of street crime. U.S. personal checks are not practical to use on short visits. Telephones: Public telephones are available everywhere for domestic calls. Local calls are 10 yen per three minutes. International calls can be made inexpensively from designated public telephones available in major commercial areas. Also available and convenient are prepaid telephone cards at vending machines for use in public telephones. U.S. telephone operators can be reached for collect and credit card calls. Hotels: World-class Western-style hotels are located in all major cities and many smaller cities. Hotels are more expensive in Japan but offer excellent service and many amenities. English is universally used in these hotels. Business persons contemplating a trip to Japan should make early reservations since space is limited. Smaller, less expensive "business hotels" are also an alternative. There is a tourist information office and a hotel reservation desk at Narita Airport (Tokyo). Transportation: Japan maintains a clean, sophisticated, and efficient transit system. You can reach almost any location by using buses, subways, and taxis. The national and private railways are prompt and convenient, and the Tokyo routes can be navigated with a map and a little effort. Buses are more difficult because the routes are more complicated and the signs mostly in Japanese. If at all possible, it is best to avoid traveling at rush hour in Tokyo, as all modes of transportation are very crowded. Tokyo train and subway systems are very convenient and relatively easy to understand; in fact, train lines are color coded. Commuter trains are well connected with long distance trains. Maps of the system are free of charge and are available at subway and train stations. Fares correspond to distance traveled, and most local fares can be purchased at vending machines. Wall maps located in the station identify destinations and related fares. If you are unsure of a fare, it is best to get the lowest fare and upon reaching your destination the ticket taker will inform you of the amount remaining. Subway and commuter train service usually ends at midnight. Taxicabs are expensive but plentiful, and available around the clock. There is an extra fee added to your fare between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM. Taxicab drivers rarely speak English. You may wish to have a clerk at your hotel write your destination on a slip of paper to show the driver. In any case if your destination is not well known you should carry a map with the location marked in Japanese. Do not open or close the passenger door of the cab -- it is controlled by a lever operated by the driver. Taxi drivers do not receive tips. Restaurants: Water is perfectly safe to drink throughout Japan. Japanese hold cleanliness in high regard and even inexpensive coffee shops and restaurants are extremely well kept. A 10 percent tax is applied to bills over 2,000 yen, and a service fee of 10-15 percent is included in all hotel, nightclub, and restaurant bills. In Japan tipping is not customary. There are many different types of restaurants in Japan, including hotel restaurants, fast-food, Western-style restaurants, Chinese, and of course specialized traditional Japanese restaurants. Hotel restaurants are usually very expensive. There are many chain and independently owned family restaurants in Japan where food is good and inexpensive. The lunch meal is the best value in eating out in Japan. Upon entering a traditional Japanese restaurant or a Japanese home, shoes must be removed at the entrance and are replaced by slippers. These should be worn as long as the floor is plain wood; in the tatami (straw mat) area, slippers come off and you walk in stocking feet. When eating in Japanese restaurants, an attempt to use chopsticks will bring attention, approval, and even appreciation from waitresses and hosts. When offered sake, beer, or other drinks at a dinner party or in a club, the glass or cup should be lifted an inch or two from the table. The custom is that you fill your partner's glass or cup, not your own. Emergencies: Throughout Japan, if police assistance is needed, dial 110. The police officer who answers the phone probably will not speak English; however, he or she will transfer you to someone who does. In the event of an accident or fire, dial 119 from anywhere in Japan. Pay phones usually have a red button which is a direct line to emergency assistance. Electrical Power: Japanese electrical power is 100 volts alternating current. The frequency is 50 Hz in Tokyo, while in Nagoya and west of Nagoya (Kyoto and Osaka) the frequency is 60 Hz. Measures: The metric system is used in Japan, and temperature readings are measured in centigrade.