by Sean Lindsay

Created on: February 07, 2007   Last Updated: April 17, 2007

I recently received an email from a Ukranian friend of mine back home in Canada with a very keen interest on making it to Japan someday. I had a moment and thought I would post my reply, a short question and answer based on my personal experience and knowledge attained thus far while roaming the 'Land of the Rising Sun'. Here was my reply (please bear in mind this response was predominantly an Osakan perspective):

> What's the best time to fly to Japan in terms of getting the cheapest airfare, and enjoying good weather as well?

Good question. I wouldn't recommend coming in the summer months (July-September). Its VERY HOT here at that time, pushing well above 35 degrees on occasion (unless you plan to visit Hokkaido, which more bearable), so if you don't like heat, it would be a bad time to come. My best advice would be to travel here sometime between the months of mid-May to the end of June (I think prices are reasonable this time as well). November is probably the cheapest month to come here, with temperatures between 15-20 degrees. I paid $950 (CDN) to come here in November 2005.

> How much are the hotels or other places where people are staying?

Again, this varies, depending on how many stars you want. A five star hotel here is VERY expensive, getting as high as $500/night (or so I've heard if staying in Tokyo). However, if you stay at the cheaper `business` hotels, they can be quite reasonable, anywhere between $80-$120 a night. Of course, if you stay at a hostel, it gets even cheaper, but the tradeoff is a more 'no frills' atmosphere.

> What would be the best places to visit?

if you have any interest in Japanese culture, YOU MUST go to Kyoto, the cultural hub of Japan. Highly recommended. If city sights is what you seek, of course, I recommend Tokyo, the glitz and glamour capital of Japan. If you are seeking more of a `tropical` setting, the answer is Okinawa. On the other hand, if you are more interested in things like hiking and outdoor activities, Hokkaido is definitely the place to go. I live in Osaka, kind of in the middle of Japan. Its an excellent hub for travelling in central Japan, but most definitely a `stripped` version of Tokyo, with all the glitz and glamour peeled away, a true blue collar city. Dirty and chaotic, but SO much fun if you know your way around!

> What do Japanese do for fun?

Shopping! The national pastime of Japan! All they do is shop! Whether its for clothes or electronics, I can assure you 8/10 Japanese do this `for fun`!

> Are there

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