Some Interesting Facts About Japan

Public Holidays

Date 2005 Occasion
January 1 New Year's Day (Gantan)  
January 2 Bank Holiday
January 3 Bank Holiday
January 17 Coming of Age Day (Seijin-no-hi)
February 11 National Foundation Day (Kenkoku-kinen-no-hi)
March 20 Vernal Equinox(Shunbun-no-hi)
April 29 Greenery Day (Midori-no-hi)
May 3 Constitution Memorial Day (Kenpou-kinen-bi)
May 4 Holiday for a Nation (Kokumin-no-kyujitu)1
May 5 Children's Day (Kodomo-no-hi)
July 20 - 21 Marine Day, Thanksgiving to the Sea(Umi-no-hi)
September 15 Respect for the Aged Day (Keirou-no-hi)
September 23 Autumnal Equinox(Shuubun-no-hi)
October 10 Health and Sports Day (Taiiku-no-hi)
November 3 National Culture Day (Bunka-no-hi)
November 23 Labor Thanksgiving Day (Kinrou-kansha-no-hi)
December 23 Emperor's Birthday (Tennou-tanjyou-bi)
December 31 Bank Holiday
1If it falls between Monday and Friday.

Note:
Holidays falling on a Sunday are observed on the Monday following except for the Bank Holidays associated with the New Year.
The period from 29 April to 5 May is called the "Golden Week" and many people take vacation days mixed in with the public holidays with the result that businesses are often all but shut down.
Weekend - Saturday, Sunday

Electricity

100 volts, 50 Hz (Tokyo and Eastern Japan), 60 Hz (Western Japan)

Post & Communications

The Japanese postal system is very quick, efficient and reliable (what else? Japan is almost synonymous with efficiency, after all). Most post offices work 8 to 5, Monday to Friday, and 8 to 12 on Saturday (they’re closed on Sundays). Some of the larger central post offices work round the clock, 365 days a year. Within Tokyo, the best post office to go to is the central post office near the main railway station, as the staff speak English and the post office handles parcels too. Some of the smaller post offices aren’t equipped to send parcels, so keep this in mind if you’re planning to dispatch any packages through the post.

Most hotels can handle basic postal services, including supplying you with stamps. Poste Restante services are provided by the central post offices in larger cities; mail is retained for a month and then returned if unclaimed.

Public phones- for local and long distance including international calls are conveniently located and you’ll find them all over the place. Cash as well as phone cards can be used in these. For other telecommunication facilities such as faxes and telexes, you could try the `communications centres’ in shops, department stores and hotels, some of the mid-range hotels allow non-residents to use the business centre.

Weights and measures

The Metric system is used in the country.

Tipping

Like bargaining, tipping too is not a common practice in Japan; even in hotels, employees need not be tipped, unless they’ve gone out of their way to render a special service. In such a case, a tip of ¥2000-3000 should be handed- very discreetly- in an envelope. Chauffeurs can be tipped between ¥50 and ¥100 for half a day or more of work, and porters at airports or stations can be given around ¥200-300 per bag they carry for you. Other than these, service as usual need not be 'recognised’ with a tip.

Bargaining is not the norm in Japan- the most you can attempt is a polite request to lower the price, but that’s about all, and even that should be tried only in some of the electronic stores, which offer discounts.

English Language Media

English is taught in Japanese schools, and most Japanese, even those not very fluent in the language, can at least understand the rudiments of it. As an English-speaking tourist, there isn’t much choice for you when it comes to the media. There are two main Japanese newspapers in the English language: the Daily Yomiuri and the Japan Times. Both are quite accurate and dependable when it comes to reportage, both as far as news is concerned, and for events too. International and Pan-Asian publications like Time, Newsweek, and Far Eastern Economic Review are available in Tokyo and other large cities.

Radio and television have very little content in English, so there’s not much point turning to these media for help or information unless you know Japanese.