Note on Living Conditions - Tokyo, 2012

7/27/2019 Note on Living Conditions - Tokyo, 2012

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F o r o f f i c i a l u s e o n l y

EMBASSY OF INDIA

TOKYO

NOTE ON LIVING CONDITIONS IN JAPAN (TOKYO)

1. General

Japan, also called Nippon and Nihon in Japanese, is an island nation in East Asia. It islocated as an island chain between the NorthPacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of theKorean Peninsula and is separated from the Asian mainland by 160 km (100 miles) of sea. It consists of four main islands from North toSouth – Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku andKyushu together accounting for ninety seven per

cent of Japan’s land area – and has a total of 6852 islands extending along the pacific coast of East Asia constituting the Japanese archipelago.The total area of Japan is 3,77,944 sq. kms which is about the size of Madhya Pradesh.

The major cities of Japan are the capital city of Tokyo, the second largest city in terms of population - Yokohama, the commercial capital– Osaka, the historical and cultural capital

Kyoto, Hiroshima, Nagoya and Kobe, all of which are located on Honshu. Nagasaki is the most

important city on Kyushu, Kochi in Shikoku and Sapporo in Hokkaido.

The Japanese islands are covered by mountains; most of them are heavily forested andcrisscrossed by short swift rivers. Mountainous and hilly areas account for over 75% of total area with532 mountains over 2000 meters high. Mt. Fuji, Japan’s most famous and highest mountain rising upto 3776 meters is a dormant volcano, located on Honshu island about 100 kms southwest of Tokyo.

The Japanese archipelago is located in an area where several continental and oceanic platesmeet. This is the cause of frequent earthquakes and also explains the presence of many volcanoes andhot springs across Japan. High tidal waves (Tsunami ) occasionally result from undersea earthquakes,and typhoons also sometimes hit Japan as they move north from the South Pacific.

2. Climate

The climate of Japan is predominantly temperate, and varies greatly from north to south. Thelength of Japan provides for great variation in climate, from the sub-frigid to the sub-tropical. On themain islands, there are four distinctive seasons: Winter from December to February, Spring fromMarch to May, Summer from June till August and Autumn from September to November.

In Tokyo, winters are moderate with occasional snowfall. However, because of the wind chillfactor, heavy woolens are advisable. Summers can be quite hot and humid, requiring air-conditioning.



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The average winter temperature in Japan is 5.1°C and the average summer temperature is 25.2°C.Osaka is generally colder in winter and hotter in summer than Tokyo.

3. People

Japan’s total population is 127.799 million (as on Oct 1, 2011), a decrease of 0.2% from the year earlier, according to Government data. The net population loss in recent years is due to

falling birth rates and almost no net immigration, despite having one of the highest lifeexpectancies in the world at 81.25 years of age as of 2006. The aging of Japan outweighs all othernations with the highest proportion of elderly citizens, 21% over the age of 65 in 2005.

The Japanese society is linguistically and culturally homogeneous, with the people considering themselves a unified community wherein there is no room for social disparity. The Japanese are not very comfortable with the western system of society. They like to follow their own culture in all spheresof life. Japanese people lay a lot of stress on customs and follow them strictly. They are a very industrious community and the idea of dependency is looked down upon.

The Japanese people are also very particular about their traditional language and so most of

them do not take interest in learning foreign languages. The Japanese are characterized by their uniqueblend of discipline, hard work, conformity and politeness. The younger generation, however, exhibitsmore individuality. Overall, people tend to be relatively reserved and formal in their social behaviour,particularly vis-à-vis foreigners. Courtesy and hospitality form key elements of their interaction withothers.

4. Language

More than 99% of the population speaks Japanese as their first language. Japanese language isrelatively uniform though they themselves can discern regional variations. In contrast to the oneuniform spoken language throughout Japan, there are three types of written characters: kanji – Chinese

ideographs with added Japanese readings; and the indigenous hiragana and katakana scripts, in whicheach character represents a syllable. Mastery of Kanji is key to learning written Japanese. The spokenlanguage is also very complex and formalistic.

It is not hard to get a basic grip of the language though. Japanese pronunciation is easy tomaster – unlike some Asian languages, it has no tones – and the grammar is fairly simple.

Most urban Japanese study English for six years in school but nevertheless hesitate speaking toforeigners. The number of English speaking Japanese and English signs in Tokyo however has grownsignificantly. It is still difficult to manage everyday life in Japan without some elementary grasp of Japanese language. Life without knowledge of Japanese language is even more difficult outside Tokyo.

5. Religion

The main religions of Japan are Buddhism, Shintoism and Christianity. Buddhism came to Japan in 6th century AD via China and Korea. However, it is still popularly perceived as forming animportant link with India. Shintoism is a uniquely Japanese religion, combining nature and ancestor worship, and has close links with the emergence of the Japanese nation state. Portuguese and Spanishmissionaries introduced Christianity in the 16th century. In their daily life, most Japanese combineelements of these religions, often observing Shinto birth functions, Christian marriage style andBuddhist funeral rites. Thus, it is typical for one person or family to believe in several Shinto gods and



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at the same time belong to a Buddhist sect. Intense religious feelings are generally lacking except among the adherents of some of the new religions. Japanese children usually do not receive formal religioustraining.

Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines are part of the Japanese way of life, and no locality iscomplete without them. It is customary for Japanese, even those who are non-religious, to visit them onset occasions and anniversaries such as New Year, Equinox etc.

There are two Hindu places of worship in Tokyo – an ISKCON temple and another run by theSatya Sai Foundation. Some religious groups have also established regular meeting places. There aresome mosques and churches of different denominations. Kobe, which is the center of the Indiancommunity in Japan, has some temples and gurudwaras.

6. Food

As Japan is an island nation, its people eat a lot of seafood. Meat eating has been rare untilfairly recently due to restrictions of Buddhism. Japanese cuisine offers a very large variety of dishes andregional specialties, which is generally unfamiliar to most Indians.

Its most internationally known cuisine are Sushi and Sashimi which consists of raw fish eaten with rice, soy sauce etc. The Indian palate is normally more comfortable with Tempura , a dish of deepfried seafood in batter. Also well known are Sukiyaki and Teppanyaki , both of which are based onbeef. Among the more popular and inexpensive options are Yakitori (skewered chicken) and noodlesof various kinds. Strictly vegetarian food is rare, since even vegetable dishes are flavoured with theubiquitous dashi stock, usually made with katsuobushi (dried skipjack tuna flakes).

Tokyo has a wide choice of Indian, Chinese, French, Italian and other restaurants in addition to Japanese. There are over a thousand Indian restaurants with considerable variation in cost, quality andlocation, although Indian fine dining options are limited. Restaurants tend to be very expensive by

international standards with the cheaper ones running to ¥1200 per person for a not-too-elaboratebuffet lunch. Dinner menus are far too expensive, starting at around ¥3500 per person.

Japanese generally tend to eat out much more than other societies and Tokyo carries this to theextreme. It is quite common for people to eat out almost everyday. The normally cautious Japaneseare adventurous when it comes to food, and even small towns boast of a variety of restaurants including international cuisine. A significant segment of representational entertainment takes place in restaurants. Vegetarians find it very difficult to eat at restaurants, particularly outside Tokyo.

There are a number of supermarkets and food shops, which carry a wide variety of bothimported and domestic foodstuff. Japanese tend to lay great weight on fresh food and therefore do not

cater to freezers. Every locality has its own shopping area for food while bulk purchases are possiblefrom discount stores. For Indians, limitations include seasonal restriction on vegetables, non-availability of dal , non-Basmati rice and some spices in the local market and difficulty in procuring mutton.Overall, food costs are very high as compared to international standards, including those in thedeveloped countries.

7. Consumer items

All kinds of consumer goods are available in Japan, although it takes a little time to get adjustedto the shopping pattern. Most items required in daily life are of Japanese origin though there are now



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increasing amount of foreign goods also available. Prices reflect the high cost of living with evenimported goods being priced well above their comparable cost elsewhere.

The Embassy maintains a Commissariat, which caters to the demand for Indian provisions viz.,basmati rice, atta, milk powder, oil, ghee, spices, tea and other misc. food items (except dal and non-Basmati rice due to GoI restriction) by making one time bulk purchase from India every year. TheCommissariat places order for individual requirements in the month of October/November every year

and the consignment is generally received by the next February.

There are quite a few Indian grocery shops in Tokyo but the prices are fairly high. It isadvisable for incoming India-based officials to bring dal , non-Basmati rice, spices and other Indiancondiments as unaccompanied cargo from India while on transfer depending on their requirements.

8. Clothes and Shoes

In modern Japan you have western clothing ( yofuku ) and Japanese clothing (wafuku ). Western clothing is worn more often in day-to-day life. Japanese wear western style clothesin the work place, and while walking down the street. Both men and women favor "western-style"

clothing in their daily lives due to the comparative convenience and the influx of global fashion.

Japanese clothing is exotic in style and nature. The traditional Japanese clothing is theKimono , worn by Japanese women and men, which has been an international favorite since long ago. Apart from outfits, footwear is also given equal importance in Japan.

Suits are worn almost throughout the year, woolen in winter and light suits in the summer. Japanese tend to stick to dark colours, usually blue, grey or black, and even brown suits look non-conformist. Clothes and shoes are very expensive in Japan and large sizes of clothes and of undergarments are hard to come by.

Leather products including shoes, handbags, etc. are expensive as they are imported. It isrecommended that shoes should be ‘slip-on’ rather than laced as they are taken off when entering a house or a restaurant.

Japan is an extremely brand conscious society when it comes to consumer goods in general andapparel in particular.

9. Laundry facil i t ies

Laundry facilities are very expensive in Japan. A suit costs ¥1200 for dry cleaning whilelaundry of a shirt is about ¥500. The rates are much cheaper in suburban areas. Most Japanese urban

neighborhoods have a Laundromat (coin randori ), the commercial-clothes-dryer method, that costsabout ¥500 for 7kg of clothes. Interestingly, hanging clothes in the balcony, which is frowned upon inmost of the western world, is common in Japan as an eco-friendly measure.

10. Transport – Air

Tokyo has two Airports: Narita, which handles primarily international traffic, and Haneda, which is located within the city limits, handling both international and domestic flights. Customs andImmigration procedures are usually straightforward. Non-Japanese visitors are fingerprinted andphotographed on arrival. Diplomatic passport holders are, however, exempt from this requirement.



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N a r i t a A i r p o r t ( www.narita-airport.jp/en) is 80 km east of central Tokyo. It is a modernairport with a plethora of services. Getting into central Tokyo from Narita Airport can take anything from 50 minutes to a couple of hours, depending on traffic and mode of transport. Narita can also bereached through an airport limousine bus and by train. It is divided into two terminals, which areconnected by a free shuttle-bus service. Taxi services are quite expensive in Tokyo and taxi servicesfrom Airport to Tokyo will set you back by approximately ¥30,000 and battling traffic all the way, will

usually take longer than the train.

The approved route for India-based officials is Delhi – Tokyo by Air India (Delhi-Osaka by AirIndia for CGI, Osaka). Presently, there are five flights per week to Tokyo except on Mondays andThursdays and three flights a week to Osaka (via Hong Kong) on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Japan Airlines (JAL) also operates five flights a week from Delhi to Tokyo except on Mondays andSaturdays. Air India has offices both in Tokyo and Osaka.

Haneda Airport ( www.tokyo-airport-bldg.co.jp/en), is Tokyo’s main airport for flights within Japan; so if you are arriving into Narita you may well find yourself transferring to Haneda for yourconnection. With the opening of a new international terminal in Haneda in 2010, it now connects

several cities of the world.

The nearest seaport for Tokyo is Yokohama, which handles incoming and outgoing sea baggage.

Local Transport : Tokyo’s public transport system is efficient, clean and virtually crime-free.Travel within Tokyo is best accomplished by using the extensive subway and rail lines, which aresupported by a bus network. Underground train system has English signs and takes only an initial effort to get familiar. One can use the colour signs and pocket map to reach the destination.

Most residents and visitors use the metro rail system far more than any other means of

transport. It is reasonably priced and frequent (generally five minutes at most between trains on majorlines at Central Tokyo). The system shuts down only at midnight or 1 a.m. and starts again around 5a.m. Inter-city travel is best undertaken using the state-of-the-art Shinkansen (Bullet Train) network, if one does not have budget constraints (prices comparable with airfare!). A ticket from Tokyo to Osaka costs ¥17,750 for first class and ¥13,750 for economy class. Road travel may encounter unpredictabletraffic and heavy toll charges.

Rail travel or bus travel in the metropolitan area can be better facilitated by using Pasmo , a convenient transportation system card, which allows repeated use of a single chargeable card. This canbe used at more than 100 transportation facilities including private railways, subways and buses and alsocan be used for payment as electronic money when making purchases at participating ‘PASMO’

electronic money stores.

Taxi: The taxis uniformly impress visitors to Tokyo: white gloved drivers, seats covered withlace doilies, doors that magically open and close. However the service comes at a price. Fares start at ¥710, which takes you 2 kms and then the meter rises by ¥80 every 275m. It also goes up by about ¥80every two minutes while you relax in a typical Tokyo traffic jam.

Car hire : Cars can be rented from car-hire agencies upon production of an InternationalDriving Licence. Small cars average ¥8,000 per day. Hired car with driver is pretty expensive as hiring charges are around ¥46,000 for eight hours.



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Bicycle : Despite the tangled traffic and often-narrow roads, bicycles are still the cheapest andprobably the quickest and most common forms of transport in Tokyo.

Specifically in Tokyo, very few streets have names and one looks basically for the locality. It iscustomary to obtain a map of your destination before leaving for it.

11. Health and medical facil i t ies

As a developed city, Tokyo enjoys an excellent standard of medical care. There is animpressive choice of hospitals and doctors available in Tokyo. Medical treatment is extremely good,efficient and of course, expensive. Most hospitals and clinics do not have doctors and nurses who speak English, which is a limiting factor. The Embassy has an approved panel of hospitals and doctorsincluding those more familiar with English.

Air pollution (particularly pollen allergy) could be a health issue, but this is unlikely to affect most travellers apart from those with chronic lung conditions. If you have a lung condition such asasthma, ensure that you have enough of your regular medication with you.

Pharmacies: Pharmacies are located throughout Tokyo, although a bit of Japanese helps ingetting the medication or item you need, as most pharmacists only speak basic (if any at all) English. Although Japanese law prohibits pharmacists from selling medications from other countries, they willgenerally be able to help you find a Japanese medication that is either identical or similar to the one youtake at home. Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are limited, and it is essential to have prescriptions fromauthorized medical practitioners to purchase medicines, particularly antibiotics and scheduled drugs.In any case, doctors in Japan are hesitant to prescribe antibiotics. Those depending on homeopathic or Ayurvedic medicines are advised to bring these along, as alternative medicine in Japan is limited toChinese traditional medicine.

No vaccination is required for Japan, though flu shots in early Spring is common. Tokyo is a low-risk destination and the tap water is safe to drink.

12. Education

The basic school system in Japan is composed of elementary school (lasting six years), middleschool (three years), high school (three years) and university (four years). In Japan, education iscompulsory at the elementary and lower secondary levels. Tokyo has excellent international schools.The following seven International Schools are on the panel of the Mission of which four are co-educational:

1. St. Mary’s International School (All Boys)2. Seisen International School (All Girls)3. International School of the Sacred Heart (All Girls)4. The American School in Japan (Co-ed)5. The British School in Tokyo (Co-ed)6. AOBA-Japan International School (Co-ed) – Up to Grade 9 only 7. Nishimachi International School (Co-ed) – Up to Grade 9 only

International Baccalaureate (IB) is offered at St. Mary’s International School and SeisenInternational School. Advanced Placement (AP) is offered at The American School in Japan and



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International School of the Sacred Heart. The British School in Tokyo follows the English NationalCurriculum (O-level).

All schools are well connected by subway, which is the preferred means of transport for ourchildren. The school term starts towards end of August and ends in June.

13. Tokyo Construction Project: Renovation of Embassy building and other

Government of India properties in Tokyo.

The Tokyo Construction Project, the largest undertaken by MEA abroad, has provided a new look to all the Government owned properties in Tokyo (8 buildings at 6 sites). Launched in April 2007,the project was completed on schedule in March 2009, following which the Embassy became fully operational at its new premises and all India-based members of the Mission were accommodated innewly constructed/renovated Government-owned housing.

Chancery: The old Chancery built in 1962 was totally demolished and rebuilt under this Project. Thenew Embassy building is arguably one of the best that we have anywhere in the world. It is an ultra

modern structure featuring state-of-the-art equipment/fixtures. The building is a harmoniouscombination of natural stone and glass, while wood accents embellish the exteriors, which also includea water body and Japanese style gardens. Its main feature is the security system that makes use of a seismic isolation system. 29 seismic isolation devices located 10 meters below the ground level ensurethat the energy of an earthquake is not directly transferred to the building. The base isolation systemutilized in the Embassy building is the most advanced among existing seismic isolation measures. This was duly tested in March 2011 when a magnitude 9.0 earthquake rocked East Japan. The damage tothe structure was negligible.

The Chancery (2-2-11, Kudan Minami, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0074) is not far from theImperial Palace and is very much in the heart of the city. The imperial moat and the famous cherry

blossom tree-lined street “Chidorigafuchi” is just across the Embassy. It has a sub-way station(Kudanshita) and an Indian Restaurant (Mumbai) in its proximity. Most major Government Ministriesand business centers are within 15 minutes drive from the Chancery.

Office hours are from 9.00 am to 5.30 pm from Monday to Friday with a break from 12.30 pmto 1 pm for lunch.

India Cultural Centre (ICC): ICC, located in the Embassy premises, has modern facilities including a state-of-the-art auditorium, a multi-purpose room, an art gallery, dance and music rooms and a library.Regular courses in Indian music, dance, yoga and languages are on offer. Apart from culturalprogrammes, ICC organizes art exhibitions, film shows, seminars and workshops on a regular basis.

The Embassy’s Library has a collection of around 3,000 books going back to the 1950s.

Embassy Residence and other residential buildings: The Embassy Residence, built by ToshiatsuNambu, the 43rd Head of the Morioka Nambu Clan in 1927 was passed into the ownership of theGovernment of India on 23rd February 1953. The residence has now been fully refurbished, and isconsidered one of our finest and functionally modern properties. The Embassy Residence is located at a distance of 6 kms from the Chancery.

The DCM’s residence, which was rebuilt as an elegant and modern home in Daizawa is locatedat a distance of 10 kms from the Chancery. The building features a large wood finished



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representational area centered around a garden with two ancient cherry blossom trees, making it perfectly suited for diplomatic entertainment.

A nine-storey apartment block was constructed for senior officers at Shiroganedai in a poshexpat locality in Central Tokyo. At their higher floors, the apartments offer views of central Tokyo onone side and Mount Fuji on the other. The junior officers apartments in Moto Azabu were rebuilt around a new earthquake resistant steel frame with design and interiors similar to Shiroganedai.

In addition, a three-apartment building was constructed at Nishihara and a new four-storey building was built within the Chancery complex for staff residences. The existing staff residences in theChancery premises were renovated and made earthquake resistant.

14. Public Util i t ies

Gas is the main source for hot water, regular heating and cooking . All houses and flats havegas connection, with cooking and heating mainly done on gas. Charges for water, electricity and gas are very high and even the small apartments pay an average of ¥20,000 per month during non-heating period.

15. Electricity and domestic appliances

Electricity supply is 100V AC with 50 cycles. This is unique to Japan and consequently,appliances purchased elsewhere will not be operative in this country. Japanese plugs are the type withtwo flat pins.

All domestic appliances are available in Japan. However, with several manufacturing unitsrelocating outside the country, the “Made in Japan” products are progressively on the decline. Multi- voltage appliances can be found in duty-free shops. Those who already own 200-220V appliances cancontinue to use them with transformers, which are easy to find at Japan’s plentiful electronic shops but are fairly expensive. Alternatively, these could also be brought from India.

16. Telephone

The Japanese Public Telephone System is well developed and there are pay phones in most public places. Public Telephones can be accessed through telephone cards (terehon kado ), which areavailable in any convenient store in ¥500 and ¥1000 denominations, or by using coins.

International calls are best made using a prepaid international phone card. Economy ratesapply from 11 pm to 8 am throughout the year; these discounts also apply to domestic calls. Thecountry code for Japan is 81: Tokyo’s area code is 03. Calls to mobile phones are significantly moreexpensive than local calls.



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For an extended stay in Japan, a mobile (cell) phone is vital. Japan has fully switched over to a 3-G network, so if your phone does not have 3G technology it will not work in Japan and SIM cards arenot easily available. After factoring in roaming and per-minute charges, it may be less expensive to rent or even purchase a phone in Japan than use phones on foreign networks. On Japanese mobile phones,incoming calls are free.

17. Car

It is possible to get both new and used cars in Japan, with considerable choice in variety andmodels. The cost of new Japanese cars is high domestically than of their export models. Used cars arereasonable, fairly well maintained and reliable. Diplomats are exempt from the extremely expensiveperiodic checks, which are mandatory for automobiles. The cost of servicing and repairs is very high.

Parking space is limited and expensive. Most vehicles are equipped with GPS (GlobalPositioning System), although these are invariably in Japanese.

Motor vehicles registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are exempt from all relevant taxes. Plates with diplomatic numbers are issued at the time of registration. Exemption from the

consumption tax (5%) is also granted to Embassy vehicles. In Japan customs duties are zero forimported motor vehicles. Duty exemption on petrol is provided for diplomats.

18. Domestic Servants

RG officers are encouraged to bring India-based servants to meet their representationalrequirement. Local full time and part time servants are not only expensive but also difficult to get andkeep. Part time maids, mostly Filipinos, charge ¥1,500 – 2,000 per hour. Diplomats could also availthe facility of sponsoring housemaids (usually Filipinos) for part-time employment.

19. Diplomatic Privi leges

The privileges accorded to diplomats are the same as elsewhere in the world. Non-diplomatsare allowed relatively free imports on their first entry but not after that. Handling charges at customsare so high that generally, imports after entry are not worthwhile.

As part of bilateral visa waiver arrangement, diplomatic passport holders are exempt fromobtaining visa before entering Japan to assume their posts. All other members of Mission shall obtainprescribed visa prior to their entry into Japan. No plant or fresh food may be imported to Japan unlessit carries an attached phyto-sanitary certificate.

Diplomats are authorized to make duty-free purchases from designated stores using a Duty-Free

Card issued by the Foreign Ministry, provided the purchase in a single invoice is over ¥5000 (US$60approx.). However, given the 5% consumption tax (which is among the lowest in the developed world),the benefit from tax exemption is minimal.

20. Currency & Banking

The unit of currency in Japan is Yen, denoted by the sign ¥. There is considerable fluctuationin the value of the Yen vis-à-vis other currencies. At present, emoluments for India-based officials arepartly drawn (50% of FA) in local hard currency (Japanese Yen) and the remaining portion in USdollars as a safeguard against the frequent currency rate fluctuations. The official rate of exchange as on



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May 2012 is ¥80.46 per US$ and ¥1.547 for one Indian Rupee. The emoluments rate for salary forthe current FA accounting year (Sept 2011 to Aug 2012) is US$ 1 = Rs.44.95 & Re.1= ¥1.749.

The Embassy and its officials maintain their bank accounts with Bank of India, which also offersremittance facility to India at nominal charges.

21. Indian Community

The arrival of Indians in Japan for business and commercial interests began in the 1870s at thetwo major open ports of Yokohama and Kobe. Following the great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, most of the Indians in Yokohama relocated to the Kansai region (Osaka-Kobe), and the city hosted the largest migrant Indian population in Japan. Until 1970, Kobe maintained the largest Indian population in Japan. According to the current statistics maintained by the Japanese Government there areapproximately 3,000 Indians living in the Kansai area.

In recent years, there has been a change in the composition of the Indian community with thearrival of a large number of professionals. These include IT professionals and engineers working forIndian and Japanese firms as well as professionals in management, finance, education and S&T

research who are engaged with multinationals as well as Indian and Japanese organizations. Over 7000IT professionals working in 80 different IT companies including Indian IT majors, are based in Japan.The Nishikasai area in Tokyo is emerging as a ‘mini-India’.

The community is engaged in a range of cultural and social activities and is actively engaged inevents organized by the Embassy. Their growing numbers prompted the opening of two Indian schoolsin Tokyo and one in Yokohama. The number of Indian restaurants in Japan has increased perceptibly and extremely popular among Japanese. They have emerged as a source of support for community activities.

22. Public Sector Units

PSUs in Japan include State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of India (BOI), Air India, New India Assurance Co., Government of India Tourist Office (GOITO) and Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA).

23. Hotel

The Embassy has an approved panel of hotels. Mostly incoming delegations are put up at Hotel New Otani, Hotel Okura, Hotel Imperial, Hotel Prince Park Tower or in any other hotel onrequest depending on the venue of Conference/Seminar/Event being attended.

Officers and members of staff are accommodated in transit apartments on first arrival.

24. Recreation

Japan has a wide variety of participative and spectator sports, cultural activities and other formsof recreation. The main participative sports are swimming and tennis, though cricket teams have alsonow been established. Golf is very popular, prestigious and consequently, very expensive. Each wardhas its sports facility and Embassy personnel could enroll themselves to make use of the facilities there.Facilities usually include gym, tennis and swimming pool.



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Traditional arts associated with Zen Buddhism continue to flourish. This includes Ikebana flower arrangements, tea ceremony and martial arts of different kinds.

25. Gifts

Gift giving in Japan is a complex art form, fraught with symbolism and design. It is customary in Japan to carry gifts when visiting even casual friends. It is therefore advisable for all, particularly

representational officers, to bring Indian gifts with them. If invited to someone’s home (Japaneseusually entertain in restaurants as dwelling units are small and cramped), it is customary to take a smallgift as a gesture of appreciation. Flowers are a good choice, as is a pretty package of sweets. Bringing along some trinkets and specialty items from your home country will delight the Japanese.

There is also a tradition of RG officers having to send out New Year Gifts to their officialcontacts in December. Space being a limitation in Japanese houses and cooking not very often, give a gift which can be consumed readily and can be shared e.g. dry snacks like gazzak or a box of biscuits. Avoid anything in sets of unlucky four or nine and don’t wrap gifts in funeral white. When offered a gift, the polite response is to initially refuse before accepting. Conversely, when you offer a gift expect todo a bit of gentle urging before it is accepted. It is a good form to give and receive gifts with both

hands. And unless the giver insists, politely resist the temptation to tear into it – until later.

26. Visiting / Invitation Cards

The meishi , or name card, is an integral part of the Japanese personality. It is recommendedthat the card be printed in English on one side and Japanese on the other. Since the cards areindispensable on first arrival, it is recommended that they are either printed in India in small quantitiesor that a sample bilingual card be obtained from the Mission in advance for printing in India. M/s R.Khullar & Co, New Delhi has the capability to print bilingual cards if provided with a sample. Thecards can also be printed initially with the technical support available with the Embassy.

Invitation cards for RG officers may also be printed in India. It would suffice if these were inEnglish only.

27. Tipping

Despite the high quality of customer service in Japan, tipping is not expected or requiredanywhere in Japan, even in the most expensive restaurants and bars. Bargaining is not customary either, with the exception of outdoor markets. However, particularly in high-end restaurants andhotels, a 10% service fee is added to the bill.

28. Media

Tokyo is Japan’s media capital. TV networks based here include NHK (the nationalbroadcaster), Fuji TV, Nippon TV, TBS and TV Asahi. Broadcasts vary from sober reporting of worldnews, cooking chat shows for housewives and late afternoon anime for kids. Infotainment, variety quizshows are popular night-time fare. Programming from overseas is typically dubbed, but many JapaneseTVs have a ‘bilingual’ button for watching shows in their original language.

Television channels are mainly in Japanese, though cable connections (Sky Perfect TV), whichcould cost about ¥5000 per month allow access to BBC, CNN, and some other English channels.There are some private companies which offer Indian channels through Internet at around ¥4000 per



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month. For this, one has to buy a STB (Set Top Box), which costs around ¥20,000. There are alsobilingual programmes on TV. The system for TV/VCR is NTSC 3.58.

Japanese are voracious readers and the country’s newspapers have the world’s highest circulation rate. The Japan Times, Daily Yomiuri , and Asahi Shimbun /International Herald Tribuneare the three English dailies which serve the city’s international community. They provide for a mix of Japanese news and international items. There is also a weekly English economic newspaper, the Nikkei .

29. Safety

Japan is relatively a safe place to live-in, with strict control of firearms and narcotics. There ishardly any incidence of violence. Generally speaking, personal safety and safety of houses can be takenfor granted. It is possible for children and women to travel by public transport without concern.

30. Public and work etiquette

There is a strong sense of etiquette in Japanese society. It is generally considered rude to openly contradict, differ with or question others. Politeness should however not be taken as assent. Undue

aggressiveness is best avoided in this country.

Japanese are extremely punctual and expect others to be so as well. Promises should becautiously made as inability to keep up commitments can be damaging to one’s reputation in thissociety.

Appointments are normally made well in advance in Japan, some times even a few monthsahead. They are expected to be adhered to scrupulously. Even social invitations are issued well inadvance, the minimum period being about 15 days.

In public behaviour, there is a strong civic sense. Littering is strongly discouraged, common

areas are kept clean by cooperative efforts and it is expected that the high local standards of cleanliness would be adhered to.

31. Entertainment

Representational entertainment is essentially work related in Japan. It is very rare for an officialor business contact to bring their spouse on such occasions, though it is not uncommon for a colleagueor secretary to accompany the invitee. Japanese tend to be more comfortable in larger groupings andlook for their peer group on such occasions. As a result, official entertainment usually takes the form of buffet dinners. The concept of cocktails/drinks is not prevalent. Lunchtime entertainment is also quitecommon, usually at restaurants.

On their part, Japanese entertain invariably at restaurants, it is rare to be invited to a Japanesehome.

32. Holidays

Japan has 15 national public holidays. Japanese take their holidays seriously, whether these arefestivals/anniversaries or vacations, it is now increasingly common for these periods to be used fordomestic and international travel. Important vacation times include New Year (shogatsu) from 29

th



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December to 6th January, the Golden Week from 29 th April to 5th May and the O-Bon festival in mid- August.

Most businesses and many shops and restaurants shut down during holidays, particularly soduring Shogatsu, when Tokyo comes to a virtual halt during the first few days of the year.

33. Time difference

Tokyo is nine hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Japan Time is 3 ½ hours aheadof IST. Daylight Saving Time is not applied in Japan.

34. The Great Eastern Japan Earthquake & aftermath

In many ways, Japan is still reeling from the devastating earthquake and tsunami of March 11,2011, and the nuclear crisis and huge leaks of radiation it set off. When the earthquake struck off thecoast of Japan, it churned up a devastating tsunami that swept over cities and farmland in the northernpart of the country and prompted warnings as far away as the West Coast of the United States andSouth America. Recorded at 9.0 on the Richter scale, it was the most powerful quake ever to hit the

country. As the nation struggled with a rescue effort, it also faced the worst nuclear emergency sinceChernobyl. Explosions and leaks of radioactive gas took place in three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station that suffered partial meltdowns, while spent fuel rods at another reactoroverheated and caught fire, releasing radioactive material directly into the atmosphere.

Japanese officials turned to increasingly desperate measures, as traces of radiation were found inTokyo’s water and in water pouring from the reactors into the ocean. While the Japanese people werestoic as usual in the face of severe adversity, panic among the expatriate community was fairly pronounced. Several expatriate families either left Tokyo or moved south to Osaka within days of theFukushima nuclear crisis. After a month, with the situation improving, some returned but many withsmall children chose to relocate out of the country. The sharp fall in enrolment in international

schools during the academic year 2011-12 reflected the extent of panic among the expatriatecommunity.

In many respects, Japan is already on the road to recovery from the huge earthquake andtsunami. The northeastern coastal towns that were flattened by the waves have cleaned up millions of tons of debris and are now beginning to rebuild. However, the post-Fukushima fear factor continues tohaunt even one year after the nuclear crisis. Even now, while shopping for vegetables, milk and milk products, meat, fish and other edibles, the practice is to check the origin or, more specifically, theprefecture from which it is sourced. There is a certain comfort level in procuring such items if sourcedfrom the southern island of Kyushu or imported. Japanese are equally careful but make their enquiriesdiscreetly so as not to set off panic among gaijins (foreigners).

While the situation is definitely not back to normal, the official radiation check mechanism forfruits, vegetables, milk, etc. have been considerably tightened. However, given the magnitude of theproblem, it will take years before the situation fully stabilizes. Until then, it is advisable to exercisesome form of caution while effecting purchases of daily necessities.

35. Classification

Classification of Tokyo is ‘B’ w.e.f. June 2011, subject to review after a period of two years.



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36. Suggested Reading List

(i) The Chrysanthemum and the Sword by Ruth Benedict (ii) Japan: The Story of a Nation by Edwin O. Reischauer(iii) Japan: A country study, Area Handbook Series, Edited by Frederica M. Bunge, Foreign

Area Studies, The American University (iv) A Call for Peace: The implications of Japan’s war-renouncing Constitution by Charles M.

Overby (v) Japan’s Lost Decade by Hiroshi Yoshikawa (vi) The Cause of Japan by Togo Shigenori(vii) Made in Japan by Akio Morita (viii) The Japanese by Jack Steward(ix) The Making of Modern Japan by Marius B Jansen(x) Embracing Defeat: Japan in the wake of World War II by John W. Dower(xi) The Rising Sun by John Toland(xii) The Clash: A History of US-Japan Relations by Walter Lafeber(xiii) Japan’s Imperial Conspiracy by David Bergamini(xiv) Princess Masako: Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne by Ben Hills

(xv) The Enigma of Japanese Power by Karel van Wolferen(xvi) One Man’s Justice by Akira Yoshimura (xvii) Understanding Japanese Society by Joy Hendry (xviii) A Gaijin’s Guide to Japan: An alternative look at Japanese life, history and culture by Ben

Stevens(xix) Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat by Naomi Moriyama & William Doyle(xx) Shutting Out the Sun: How Japan created its own Lost Generation by Michael Zielenziger

……………….

May 2012

Documents

Note on Living Conditions - Tokyo, 2012