Here is our selection of links that you may find useful for a visit to Japan.
Please email us know if you would like to suggest a link to add here.
| News - online only |
| Newspapers |
| Magazines |
| General Visitor Information |
| Guide books online |
| Other information websites |
| Forums |
| Area Guides |
| Personalized tours |
| Transportation |
| Airports |
| Food and Restaurants |
| Sports-spectator |
| Sports-recreational |
| Accommodation |
| Work |
| Business / Economy / Politics |
| Websites run by our customers |
News - online only :
Japan Today
News On Japan
Japan News Review
Kyodo News Agency
Newspapers online :
Japan Times
Daily Yomiuri
Asahi Shimbun
Mainichi Daily News
Magazines online :
Japanzine - an often zany look at Japan
Metropolis - the Tokyo listing magazine also has informative articles
Kansai Scene - Metropolis' sister is the Kansai area also has interesting features
Tokyo Journal - for arts and music
General Visitor Information :
Google map of Japan
Time in Japan
Weather - Japan Meteorological Agency
Fahrenheit to Celsius converter
Currency converter - gives the mid-point rates
Guide books online :
Fodors
Frommers
Lonely Planet
Rough Guide
Other information websites - there are so many to chose from, but here are our top picks :
JNTO - The Japan National Tourism Organization
Japan Guide - information site geared towards the expat living in Japan
Japan Visitor - has more for the tourist
Go Japan - interesting info. on things to do and see
Japan Guide Book - has a lot of useful articles
Trip Advisor - a wealth of information provide by travellers - search through the box at the top left of the page
Tokyo/Japan Practical Travel & Living Guide - made by a Japanese company with somewhat offbeat English, it has a wealth of odd information you don't usually find
Secret Japan - info. by people who have done interesting trips in the country (more of use to foreigners living in Japan)
Planet Tokyo - despite its name, this is a resourse for all the country
Japan Zone - a look at Japan culture old and new
What Japan Thinks - facts and figures about Japan and the Japanese
Forums - got a question about Japan ? Ask here :
Japan Guide - for both visitors and foreign residents
Japan Today - more for expats than short-term visitors
Gaijinpot - mainly for young foreigners living in Japan (NB criticism of employers advertising on the site is deleted...)
Let's Japan - an inside look at the English teaching industry
Area Guides :
Tokyo :
Metropolis - for events and entertainment metropolis.co.jp
Tokyo Wekender - lots of interesting features
Sunny pages - info about Tokyo by residents
Osaka :
Kansai Scene - entertainment guide
Osaka Info
Osaka City Guide
Kyoto :
Kyoto Visitor's Guide
Kyoto City Web
Kyoto Travel Guide
Personalized tours (all run by Rentafone Japan customers) :
Jack's Japan - countryside tours
Jump to Japan - tours for intrepid travellers
Kyoto Private Tour - personal tours run by Chris Rowthorn, Lonely Planet author
Kyoto Sights and Sounds - exploring the geisha world
Windows to Japan - tours in Hebrew as well as English
Your Japan Private Tours - private tours with professional guides
Transportation :
Train Route Finder
Japan Rail Pass
General transport info
Airports (Flight information, airport guide, etc) :
Kansai Airport ( aka KIX / Osaka )
Central Japan Airport ( aka Centrair / Nagoya )
New Chitose Airport ( Sapporo )
Fukuoka Airport
Haneda Airport ( Tokyo )
Naha Airport ( Okinawa ) - official Japanese site (no English version)
Naha Airport - best English page
Itami (Osaka )
Food and Restaurants :
Gournavi - many listings have links to discount coupons
Bento.com- Tokyo food guide
Happy Cow - vegetarian restaurant guide
Veggie Tokyo - Tokyo vegetarian restaurant guide
Sports-spectator :
Sports-recreational :
Golf in Japan
Outdoor Japan - hiking and more
Accommodation :
Booking services:
Rakuten Hotel Booking - English version of popular Japanese hotel booking service
Hostel Bookers - for backpacker-type accommodation
Japanese Guest Houses - help booking ryokan (traditional Japanese inns)
Alternative accommodation in Kyoto :
Apple House Kyoto - house rental
B and B Juno - B&B in traditional Japanese house
Iori Machiya Stay - refurbished Kyoto townhouses
Koke-an - small traditional Japanese house for rent in Kyoto
Suisenkyo - family-run guesthouses in Kyoto suisenkyo.com
Kyoto Vacation Rentals - for longer-term stays
Work :
Ministry of Foreign Affairs - visa info and more
Jet Programme
Interac - elementary /Junior High school English teaching
Japanzine Classifieds
Find Jobs in Japan
GaijinPot - mainly English teaching jobs
Jobs In Japan
Dai Job - for business jobs
TMC Japan - executive search and recruitment for technology professionals
Business / Economy / Politics :
JETRO - the Japanese External Trade Organization
Stone Bridge Press - for books on doing business in Japan
Venture Japan - doing business in Japan
Nikkei Business/Financial News
Japan LInks - a fairly comprehensive list of official organization websites
Websites run by our customers :
Asia Galleries - Japanese antiques in Kyoto & Boston
Canadian Spirit - homestays for Japanese
Chiiori - old farmhouse deep in the countryside
G4 Guitar - guitar schools in Australia
International Bonsai
JIm Kelso - craftsman
Kiyoko Kamio Bilingual Law
Lakehouse Photography - Chris McCooey, Canadian photographer
Move It - moving service in Kyoto
Mukashi of Japan - Japanese antiques in NZ
Naturally Morocco - tailor-made holidays in Morocco
New Zealand Wedding Services
