How do I pay for my Japan Roads tour?
You may pay the total price for the tour by personal, business or cashier check or money order. In order to reserve your place on the tour, Japan Roads requires a non-refundable deposit of US $500 per person, due 60 days before the start of the tour. The final payment is due 45 days before the first day of the tour.
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Will my electrical appliances work in Japan?
In Japan the voltage supply is 100 and the electrical sockets are the same flat 2 pin types as in North America.
The frequency of electric current is 60 Hertz in West Japan (Kansai area, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Shikoku and Kyushu) and 50 Hertz in East Japan (Tokyo, Yokohama, Tohoku, Hokkaido).
While most modern North American appliances will work fine -but maybe a little slower-in Japan, most European appliances will not. To be safe we advise you to check the specifications on the back of your appliance.
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Is travel in Japan safe?
In general, Japan is a very safe country to travel. However, in order to keep your money, credit cards, passports and other valuable items safe it might be a good idea to use a money belt or a similar travel pouch.
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Do you have non-smoking tours?
All trains are non-smoking except the 'shinkansen' (bullet trains) and express trains that offer both smoking and non-smoking cars. However, smoking is still a popular habit in Japan and many restaurants and coffee shops do not have non-smoking areas. While the modern hotels may offer non-smoking rooms, most ryokan do not.
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How physically strenuous are Japan Roads tours?
Traveling to Japan includes a lot of walking, climbing stairs and standing for long periods. There are few elevators and escalators in train stations and even fewer in popular attractions. Shrines and temples usually have very long staircases at their entrance. Furthermore, it is not always convenient to take public transport everywhere so you should be prepared to walk for up to 10 minutes, sometimes with your luggage. Roller board suitcases work fine in Japan but please bear in mind that you may need to carry them up or down stairs.
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Do you have age restrictions for your tours?
Each tour will have details for age restrictions. All travelers must be at least 20 years old to travel unaccompanied.
Our tours are adult-oriented meaning that there is a lot of focus on culture and meeting the people. As most young children would find this boring, we recommend that children are at least 12 years old.
Also, Japan Roads does not offer a tour price discount for children.
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Do you sell airline tickets?
Japan Roads does not offer airline tickets. We kindly ask you to purchase these yourself from your local travel agent or on line.
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If I have questions about the Japan Roads tour, can I contact you?
Yes, just fill out our Contact Us Form to ask any questions that you might have. Please include 2 (two) e-mail addresses to make sure we can contact you. If you do not contact you within a few days please resubmit your request with a new e-mail address as our original e-mails might have been blocked by a spam filter.
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How do I sign up for a Japan Roads tour?
After reading and agreeing to our Terms and Conditions and Cancellation
policies, please fill out the Japan Roads our Reservation Form.
A non-refundable deposit is required for each tour. Please see the tour details for the amount of the deposit.
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Should I bring extra money during the tour?
Please prepare extra cash money for meals not included in the tour package, transportation during free times, souvenirs and others. Japan is a cash society and many smaller places do not accept credit cards. Larger stores and restaurants do however accept them, so it is definitely worthwhile to bring them. Please make sure that you bring international credit cards. Tipping is not customary in Japan.
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Do I need to have a Visa?
Please contact your nearest Japanese embassy or consulate for
details about a tourist visa, documentation and other requirements to visit Japan.
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Do I need to speak Japanese?
While it is not necessary to be fluent, Japanese people are usually not very fluent in English and they will be pleasantly surprised if you master a few basics like 'please', 'thank you', or 'good morning'. You can find more information and a few basic sentences
in Greetings
and Language.
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What should I pack?
As you will be carrying your own luggage throughout the tour, it is best to pack light. Casual clothing is acceptable for traveling in Japan, unless you plan a special dinner. Shrines and temples do not have dress codes but since they are places of worship, conservative clothes should be worn.
If possible, bring slip-on shoes. In Japan, you are asked to take of your shoes when entering a home, Japanese-style accommodation, shrines and temples and even in some restaurants. You will be taking off your shoes continuously in Japan and it is much easier to do so without having to tie and untie shoe laces every time. Make sure you also bring a pair of comfortable shoes as you will be doing a lot of walking during the tour.
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Is it better to pack one large bag or two smaller ones?
We suggest you bring two smaller bags rather than one large bag.
As you might be using lockers a few times during the tour to avoid carrying your bags everywhere, it will be easier to find a luggage locker to fit two smaller bags. Also, some of Japan Road's tours will arrange for part of your luggage to be sent on by special courier to your next place of accommodation, to avoid you having to carry all your luggage. In this case, part of you luggage will need to be sent on the previous day so it might be best to keep a separate bag to carry anything you may need immediately. Please leave enough room in your suitcase to take home things you may buy in Japan.
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Do you accept single travelers?
Unfortunately, Japan Roads is unable to offer bookings for single travelers.
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Are there private baths in the rooms?
Depending on the accommodation, your room may or may not have a private bath or toilet. If the accommodation only offers public baths, the baths for men and women will be separated.
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Will the Japanese get upset if I don't follow their etiquette?
The Japanese are very forgiving and will immediately recognize that, as a foreigner, you are unfamiliar with their etiquette rules. It might be nice to know some of the basic etiquette in advance however and you should try to follow them the best you can. You can find more information
in Travel
Tips.
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