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Would you need a visa? Look here.
If you hold a Canadian passport you do not need visa when you visit South Korea, Japan, and Thailand. However, you only have limited days to stay there. If you don't have one like me, the process and cost to attain a visa are as listed.
Visit travel.gc.ca for more information: https://travel.gc.ca/
Travel Advice for Travellers
Currency: Four Denominations
(YEN to CAD)
1000 yen = 12.12 Canadian Dollar
2000 yen = 24.24 Canadian Dollar
5000 yen = 60.60 Canadian Dollar
10,000 yen = 121.21 Canadian Dollar
Time Zone: Tokyo, Japan is 16 hours ahead of Calgary, AB
Local tax % (VAT) on purchases in Japan
Tax free shopping in Japan refers to the 8% sales/consumption tax, also known as VAT which can be claimed by foreign travelers. There is even tax-free items that are distributed among Japan stalls.
When you see a shopping stall that has a this red sticker outside, that means that they offer products that are tax-free! You will see this commonly in shopping malls near the airport.
You are eligible to purchase tax-free items if you are a foreign traveler that is about to stay in Japan for less than 6 months. Also, another way to make sure a person is eligible, there would be a stamp on their passport that indicates they are a foreign traveler.
- Items that are eligible for tax-free are the consumable items such as food, drinks, cosmetics, etc. and are not allowed to be consumed in Japan. The minimum amount of money be spent in consumable goods is 5000 yen.
- General goods such as jewelries, clothing, housewares, etc. could also be purchased tax-free but are not allowed to open in Japan. The minimum amount of money be spent in general goods is 5000 yen.
Ways to get a tax-refund
- show your passport to the shop owner for proof that you are a foreign traveler
- buy it directly to the store, then go to a tax-free counter if there's one. Make sure you have Record of Purchase
- show a Purchaser's Pledge to show proof that you agreed to take the goods you bought from Japan unopened until you arrive to your own country
'Authentic' Evening Time Activity
Tokyo: Shinjuku Drinks and Neon Nights Nightlife Tour
C$ 134.03 per person
- Enjoy happy hour at a Japanese izakaya-style eatery
- Stroll through Tokyo's most popular alleyway full of food, snacks and bars
- Learn how Kabukicho, Shinjuku's red light district, became home to over 3.000 shops, bars and restaurants
- Have drinks in one of Golden Gai's cosy bars that seat only eight people at a time
- See where locals eat and drink after hours
Meeting point
Shinjuku Sanchome Station, exit C8, in front of the BYGS Building. Shinjuku Sanchome Station is accessible by three subway lines: Toei Subway Shinjuku Line, Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line and Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line
Duration 2.5 hours - Starting time 5:30 PM
Instant confirmation - Live tour guide: English
Local Food and Beverages
Ramen is a Japanese noodle soup dish, with Chinese-style wheat or egg noodles served in a very rich broth along with cooked sliced pork, fresh scallions, and a maybe slightly-more-than-soft-boiled egg.
Green tea is synonymous with Japanese tea. It is the most consumed beverage in Japan, valued for its health and restorative properties. Drinking green tea is a custom that has been interwoven into Japanese culture, with almost every meal in Japan accompanied by a freshly brewed pot of green tea. It is a way of life and an embodiment of Japanese hospitality.
This sweet white non-alcoholic drink made from fermented rice is traditionally a summer beverage. Nicknamed 'drinkable IV' (as in 'intravenous drip'), Amazake is heralded as a remedy for natsubare (summer heat fatigue), and it's believed to offer a myriad of health benefits - some even claim it helps with hangovers. Unsurprisingly, given its superfood billing, amazake is now widely available all year round.
One of the most popular breakfast dishes in Japan is Natto (fermented beans). Even Japanese chain restaurants have "Natto teishoku" (natto meal sets) as a breakfast menu. The beans are brought to fermentation by a bacteria called Bacillus subtilis and then aged for about a week.
Top Three 'must see' Attractions
Mount Fuji has long been one of Japan's famous iconic symbols, contributing to the country's cultural and spiritual geography. Over the years the peak has evolved from an object of worship to a source of artistic inspiration, having featured in poetry, literature and countless art prints.
One of the features of Osaka Castle is the glittering golden ornamentation, including the golden carp on the roof. Osaka Castle is situated inside Osaka Castle Park. Osaka Castle Park is a huge site of roughly 106 square meters. In addition to Osaka Castle, this park abounds with nature, including Nishinomaru Garden, where there are approximately 300 cherry blossom trees, and the plum grove, which has approximately 1200 plum trees across 100 varieties.
One of Kyoto's most sacred temples and among the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan, the Fushimi Inari Shrine (Fushimi Inari Taisha) is dedicated to Inari, the God of rice. The shrine's five magnificent temples lie at the foot of the Inari mountain, and thousands of red torii gates (the Senbon torii) mark the forested trails to the top.
Vist https://www.japan.travel/en/beyond-the-clouds-there-is-always-light/ for more awesomeness!