Japan is steeped in legend and myth, perhaps the greatest of which is the popular misconception that the country is simply too expensive to visit. The truth is that flights to Japan are cheaper than they've ever been, accommodation can be great value, while the warm hospitality which awaits every visitor costs nothing at all. The real secret to travelling around the country on a budget, however, is the Japan Rail Pass. Use this comprehensive guide in conjunction with a rail pass to get the most out of a trip to Japan.
* Practical information - planning your trip; when to go; suggested itineraries; what to take; festivals and events.
* City guides and maps - where to stay, where to eat, what to see in 30 towns and cities; historical and cultural background.
* Kilometre-by-kilometre route guides - covering train journeys from the coast into the mountains, from temple retreat to sprawling metropolis and from sulphurous volcano to windswept desert; 33 route maps.
* Japan Rail service schedules - Bullet trains and main routes in this guide.
* Customs, etiquette, Japanese words and phrases - with kanji- With kanji/hiragana/katakana for all place name text - readers can point to the text when asking Japanese speakers for directions.
* Extended Highlights - extra colour sections make this book even more user-friendly and attractive.
* Published in advance of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics (23 July - 8 August) What's new in this fully-updated 5th edition?
* Greater coverage of Tokyo with additional mapping for the capital
* More hot-spring resorts added (including Kinosaki, Kinugawa and Nyuto)
* More information about areas off the beaten track including the wood-carving town of Inami, Yanagawa where you can ride in a 'gondola' along its canals, Tomioka Silk Mill (where silk production was first mechanised), Okunoshima island (notorious for its WWII poison gas factory)
* Expanded colour section with 'Best' lists to help plan a trip
* Kanji and katakana are now included for all place names
About the Author
Graduating from Cambridge University, Ramsey Zarifeh, spent two years teaching in Japan. Now a journalist, he works for Reuters, Swiss Radio International and the BBC.Anna Udagawa lives in the UK and was an English teacher in Japan before getting married there. She revisits Japan regularly and now works as a travel guide-book editor.
Industry Reviews
'no visitor to Japan should be without their own copy' - Wisconsin Bookwatch (US); Reviews for previous editions: 'A must for any travel or train buff's collection... covers everything from Japanese words and phrases to railway timetables. This new edition includes recent extensions to several train lines plus further coverage of popular tourist destinations and less-traveled ares nearby'.--California Book Watch (USA) 'Excellent guide'--The Sunday Times (UK) 'A find.... Well researched'--The Japan Times (Japan) 'Practical, highly interesting and should enable the visitor to save money and add to the enjoyment of Japan'.--National Railway Museum Journal (UK) 'One of my favourite and most used guidebooks'--South China Morning Post (Hong Kong) 'A great primer'--The Daily Telegraph (UK) 'An invaluable companion'--Railway Magazine (UK) 'If you are coming from outside Japan, this is quite possibly the best single guidebook you can bring'.--Japan Visitor Guide (Japan) 'Brilliantly informative guide'--JTB Europe (Japan Travel Bureau) 'A gem'--The Daily Yomiuri (Japan)
