VITAL STATISTICS

Capital: Tokyo Population: 126million Language(s): Japanese Time: GMT+9 International dialling code: +81 Visas: Not required for UK travellers. Money: Japanese Yen (JPY), currently 150JPY to UK£. ATMS are widely available but foreign exchange is limited away from the big cities.

When to go:

Japan bridges many lines of longitude so the climate various hugely. Focusing on the Kansai-honshu region:

■ Spring – temperatures rise to 20ºc when cherry blossom blooms.

■ Can reach up to 30ºc plus and the rains fall. Monsoonal high temperatures and humidity dominate.

■ After the rains, the less-humid peak season of Oct-nov is famed for autumnal colours.

■ Winter is dry and cools to 9-12ºc around Osaka.

Health & safety

It’s hard to imagine a safer country with more polite people. Yet located on the Pacific tectonic plates offers ever-present natural menaces such as earthquakes and tsunamis.

Further reading

Japan Pocket Guide (Insight, 2017) jnto.go.jp – National Tourism Organization www.japan-experience.com/ rent-pocket-wifi-japan – Japan Experience arranged my Pocket Wifi (from £38/5 days) and they book JR Passes. japan-guide.com and seejapan.co.uk – excellent resources www.hyperdia.com – superb rail

travel planner.