There are two very large travel companies in Japan, JTB and HIS. JTB stands for Japan Travel Bureau . Sounds official, doesn’t it? It was originally called the Japan Tourist Bureau, and established by the Japanese government. It is currently the largest travel agency in Japan and quite easy to find around larger train stations,…
There was recently an internet poll of three thousand people in Japan asking the following question: Which prefecture do you think of the least? The answer to the above question reveals a list of underrated, underappreciated, and undervisited prefectures… hence a great list of places off the beaten path to visit. The ranking of the…
I just got a warning from the United States Embassy for foreigners in Japan to be careful when drinking in Roppongi bars. There have been recent incidents of foreigners having their drinks spiked, then waking up without without their money or with exuberant credit card charges. Although Japan is still a relatively safe country for…
A lot of older information about traveling in Japan will tell you that credit cards are hard to use here. While it’s true that a few small businesses and supermarkets work on a cash basis, most of the shops tourists visit will accept Visa and Mastercard. Credit cards other than Visa and Mastercard are mush…