Why travel to Japan? Top 10 reasons to go

Posted on | September 12, 2009 | No Comments

I am from Australia and recently travelled to Japan for a holiday. In terms of traditions, we borrow from elsewhere, in terms of historical architecture there is nothing older than 220 years. Travelling to Japan was a chance to visit a country that is most steeped in tradition and culture of their own country – deeply proud and very generous people. It is a challenge and a massive reward holidaying here. So much so that I am now planning on returning to live.

Here are the top ten reasons why you should travel to Japan.

1. City, night lights and shopping.

2. Festivals.

3. Robots, gadgets and all things tech.

4. Castles, temples and shrines.

5. Efficient transport and the shinkansen (bullet train).

6. Japanese food and drink (especially Yebisu beer).

7. Manga and anime.

8. Astro boy.

9. Architecture.

10. Origami, ancient traditions and art.

This post marks the beginning of a series of posts, about my trip to Japan. I went to Japan for a holiday for about 1 month. Almost daily I would go to an internet cafe to find something to do – being in a non-English speaking country meant things to do were hard to find on the internet. My site ‘Japan travel guide in English’ aims to provide information on what to do and how to do it when you are in Japan.

But first, what to do before you get there…

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Get a new Australian passport to visit Japan

Posted on | September 19, 2009 | No Comments

How to get a new Australian Passport, from someone who did it. To fly outside of Australia and into Japan, you need a current Australian passport. This article is part of the Japan Travel Checklist series.

This article gives detailed information on how to apply for a new Australian passport.

Get your passport 6 months before you plan on travelling to Japan. Although I got mine only 3 months before, it is stated that a traveller must have had their valid passport for 6 months before travelling outside of the country. This was not enforced in my case, however border controllers do have the right to enforce this if they wish.

Requirement for application:

To apply for a passport you must be able to prove your Australian identity. When submitting your completed passport application form you must have an original copy of your Australian birth certificate, Australian citizenship certificate or previous passport if you have one.

If you do not have an original copy of either of these documents, contact the state government where you live and apply for one.

Applying for a passport:

To begin an application, the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a handy online Australian Passport Application Form, you should begin the process at this site. You will complete the application online, on completion you need to print the form and sign it, then lodge the form in person at an Australia Post outlet.

Note that you can also pickup an empty application form at Australia Post outlets.

Photograph requirement:

When lodging your application, you need to provide a recent photograph of yourself. This is best done by calling a local Australia Post outlet and making an appointment to have a passport photo taken, as they will make sure the photo meets the requirements for the passport application.

Once you have received your photos, you need to have the guarantor from your application form endorse it. This is done by them writing on the back of one of the photos, “This is a true photo of (your full name)” and then signing it.

Cost of Australia passport (the application fees):

For the cost of a new Australian passport, visit the Passport – Fees information page. I am a 25 year old adult and a standard 32 page passport cost me $208. Pages in a passport are used for visa’s – so unless you plan on heavy international travel (more than once per year) then a standard passport is all you need.

Australia passport interview:

Make sure you have completed the application form correctly. This is vital and the easiest way to get your passport quickly and make sure you do not waste money! Check the instructions on the form, because the application fee is non-refundable, so if you have made a mistake you won’t get your money back and if you have provided false information then criminal action may be taken.

Then call your local Australia Post office and make an appointment to lodge your form.

Take your completed form, Australian birth or citizenship certificate, endorsed photograph, enough money to cover the application and any other documents that the form specifies along to your interview. The interview does not take very long, duration of around 10 or 15 minutes. Once the application has been lodged you will be provided with a tracking number to check your application’s status.

How long does it take to get an Australian passport:

1. Fill out the Australian Passport Application Form – day 1.
2. Print the form you just completed online – day 1.
3. Get a passport photo taken at an Australia Post outlet – day 1.
4. Get a friend to signature your photo – day 1.
5. Attend an interview at an Australia Post outlet and pay the cost of your application fee – day 2
6. Once approved, your Australian passport will be sent to your local post office for pickup – day 14 to 21.

Once your application is approved (which could take up to 10 working days) your new passport will be delivered with 5 working days after that. So realistically it should take about 2 – 3 weeks for your passport to arrive.

Delivery of and receiving your passport:

The passport will then be sent to your local post office via registered mail. You need to go in person to the office, show ID and sign for the passport.

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It is interesting – Japrish

Posted on | October 4, 2009 | No Comments

Understood.

This is a photo of a poster which was taken near Okayama JR train station.

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