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While
Japan is gradually becoming known to divers around the
world, it has been well known to locals for many years.
This island nation sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean
to the west and the Sea of Japan to the east, boasts
spectacular ice flows in the Sea of Okhotsk to the north
to the tropical waters of Okinawa.
Japan has the most diverse climate in Asia which is
evident in the weather patterns from north to south
as well as the temperatures underwater. A warm tropical
current rushes in from the south from the tropics while
a cold current brings icy waters south from the Arctic
ocean.The end result is that divers can enjoy everything
from tropical coral reefs to kelp forests, and even
ice diving.
The Izu Peninsula is the most popular dive area and
has the largest number of dive sites on the mainland,
while on the west coast, Osezaki is known as the number
one dive site in Honshu.
If you’re looking for tropical waters, the popular Okinawa
Islands are the place to be. Further East, the Ogasawaras
(also known as the Bonin Islands) consist of four island
groups: the Keitas, the Chichijimas, the Hahajimas,
and offer some excellent warm water diving as well.
Diving is also gaining in popularity in northern Japan,
especially around Aomori and on Sado Island in the Sea
of Japan. For ice diving head up to Hokkaido and the
spectacular ice drifts in the Sea of Okhotsk.
Japan
covers a large north/south area. These are averages
for different regions.
Sapporo (North) Winter 26.4F -3.1C Spring 43.0F 6.1C
Summer 72.0F 22.2C Fall 52.9F 11.6C
Tokyo (Central) Winter 45.7F 7.6C Spring 58.1F 14.5C
Summer 81.9F 27.7C Fall 65.8F 18.8C
Naha (Okinawa) Winter 64.2F 17.9C Spring 69.3F 20.7C
Summer 82.4F 28.0C Fall 79.2F 26.2C
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Dive
Services
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Blue
Ocean Scuba
2-1-8 Yamauchi
5 stop lights out of Gate 5 of Kadena AB at the corner
of route 85 and 24.
Okinawa , Japan
Phone: 090-3123-7903
info@blueoceanscuba.com
http://www.blueoceanscuba.com
Blue Ocean Scuba offers PADI programs to fit your needs.
We offer the full spectrum of dive classes from Open
Water to Divemaster along with many specialties.
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Travel/Tips
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Getting
There
Travel
to Japan
New Tokyo International (Narita) Airport and Kansai
International Airport are the two main international
airports in Japan. Tokyo International (Haneda) Airport
handles mainly domestic flights linking these airports
to various other cities across Japan.
Airport fees are included in the flight fares to all
overseas destinations if departing from Narita Airport
or Kansai Airport (Adult: 2,650 yen and Child (age
2 to 11): 1,330 yen). Airport fees are not charged
at Haneda Airport or any other airport in Japan. There
is no need to pay airport fees if leaving Japan within
24 hours from your arrival time.
Flight time between Tokyo and major international
cities:
Tokyo - Seoul 2 hours 30 minutes
Tokyo - Beijing 4 hours
Tokyo - Hong Kong 5 hours
Tokyo - Bangkok 7 hours
Tokyo - Vancouver 8 hours 30 minutes
Tokyo - Los Angeles 9 hours 30 minutes
Tokyo - Sydney 9 hours 30 minutes
Tokyo - Moscow 10 hours
Tokyo - Frankfurt 12 hours
Tokyo - Vienna 12 hours
Tokyo - New York 12 hours 30 minutes
Tokyo - Rome 12 hours 30 minutes
Tokyo - London 13 hours
Tokyo - Paris 13 hours
Narita Airport
The largest airport in Japan, New Tokyo International
Airport, is located 60 km to the east of central Tokyo.
Kansai Airport
The second largest airport in Japan, Kansai International
Airport, is located in southeast Osaka Bay, 5 km off
the coast and about 60 km. from JR Shin-Osaka Station.
Haneda Airport
Mainly handles domestic flights and China Airlines
international flights to and from Taipei.
If you are flying to Japan with one of the country's
national carriers, Japan Airlines or All Nippon Airways,
and intend to take a domestic flight during your stay,
it is worth buying your domestic ticket in conjunction
with your international ticket. Both JAL and ANA can
offer considerable savings on the cost of internal
flights purchased in this way.
International Airlines servicing Japan
Aeroflot Russian Airlines
Air Canada
Air China
Air France
Air Japan
Air New Zealand
Air Nippon
Air Niugini
Air Pacific
Air Tahiti Nui
Air-India
Alitalia
All Nippon Airways
American Airlines
Asiana Airlines
Austrian Airlines
Biman Bangladesh
British Airways
Cathay Pacific Airways
China Airlines
China Eastern Airlines
China Northern Airlines
China Northwest Airlines
China Southern Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Micronesia
Delta Air Lines
EgyptAir
EVA Air
FAIRINC
Finnair
Garuda Indonesia
Iberia
Iran Air
J-AIR
JALways
Japan Air System
Japan Airlines
Japan Asia Airways
KLM
Korean Air
Lufthansa
Malaysia Airlines
Mexicana Airlines
Miat Mongolian Airlines
NAKANIHON AIRLINES
Northwest Airlines
Pakistan International
Philippine Airlines
Qantas Airways
SAS
Singapore Airlines
SriLankan Airlines
Swiss International Air Lines
Thai Airways
Turkish Airlines
United Airlines
Uzbekistan Airways
VARIG-Brazilian Airlines
Vietnam Airlines
Virgin Atlantic Airways
Entry
Requirements
Any foreign visitor who wishes to enter Japan must
have a passport, which will remain valid during the
period of stay.
Nationals of many countries are eligible to enter
Japan without a visa unless the purpose of the visit
is to reside in Japan, to obtain employment or to
otherwise engage in remunerative activities.
The following is a list of nationals of countries
that have "Reciprocal Visa Exemption Arrangements"
with Japan:
For a period of 6 months or less -
Austria, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Mexico,
Switzerland and the United Kingdom (UK citizens only)
For a period of 3 months or less -
Argentina, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia,
Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Rep.,
El Salvador, Finland, France, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras,
Iceland, Israel, Italy, Lesotho, Luxembourg, Macedonia,
Malta, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal
(except when the passport was originally issued in
present or former Portuguese colonies), San Marino,
Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Surinam, Sweden, Tunisia,
Turkey and Uruguay
For a period of 90 days or less -
Andorra, Australia, Barbados, Czech Rep., Estonia,
Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Monaco, New Zealand, Poland
and the U.S.A.
For a period of up to 14 days -
Brunei
Nationals of countries that do not have "Reciprocal
Visa Exemption Arrangements" with Japan must
obtain a visa.
A "Temporary Visitor's Visa" is usually
required as permission to stay in Japan for a period
of up to 90 days for non-remunerative activities such
as sightseeing, participating in amateur sports, visiting
relatives, taking inspection tours, participating
in lectures or research, attending conferences, making
business contacts or other similar activities.
Needless to say, the "Temporary Visitor's Visa"
cannot be used for any remunerative purposes, which
involve profit making or payment acceptance within
Japan by the visitor.
To apply for a visa, the applicant must apply in person
to a Japanese Embassy or a consulate, usually in his
or her home country. The following documents must
be submitted whatever the purpose of visit you are
going to make:
(1) Valid passport;
(2) Two passport photos taken within the six months
previous to the date of application;
(3) Two official visa application forms, available
at the embassy or consulate;
(4) Documents certifying the purpose of the visit.
As the type of documents required for the application
may differ according to the purpose of your visit,
the applicant is advised to check with the Japanese
Embassy or consulate beforehand.
Visa Fee Exemption: The nationals of some 60 countries
around the world are exempted from visa fees.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan Home Page
http://www.mofa.go.jp
Inoculations
There are no inoculations required for entering Japan
from anywhere around the world.
Rental Cars
Because of urban traffic congestion, renting a car
for intra-city travel is not recommended.
In Japan, cars travel on the left hand side of the
road. Know your route in advance, because road signs
may not have alphabet lettering. All expressways are
toll roads. Traffic regulations are very strict and
orderly. Availability of road atlases in English is
limited.
Car rental services are available in most large and
medium-sized cities as well as at airports and major
train stations. When you apply to rent a car, you
will be asked to produce your international driver
license.
If you wish to drive in Japan, you must possess one
of the following driving permits.
1. A Japanese Driver's License
2. An International Driver's License (90 member countries)
based on the Treaty of Geneva (Convention of 1949)
3. A Driver's License of Switzerland, Germany or France
(must inquire about conditions to the institution
issuing the driving permit of respective countries)
Electricity
The voltage used throughout Japan is uniformly 100
volts, A.C. There are two kinds of frequencies in
use; 50 Hertz in eastern Japan and 60 Hertz in western
Japan (including Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka).
A convertible type of electrical appliance such as
a hair dryer, travel iron and shaver will therefore
be handy; otherwise a step-down transformer is required
to convert the voltage.
There are no columnar-shaped plugs or 3-pin plugs
used in Japan but 2-flat-pin plugs are used instead.
It is therefore advised to purchase a plug adapter
beforehand.
Drinking water
Tap water is safe to drink anywhere in Japan. Mineral
water including major imported brands can be easily
obtained from super markets, convenience stores and
other similar places.
Mail Service
Postcards and stamps are available from post offices,
convenience stores and kiosks at train stations all
over the country. Post boxes are located by street
crossings, buildings and public facilities. The opening
slot of the post box may differ depending on the size
of mail that the post box is designed to accept.
Time Difference
Europe
Moscow -6 hrs
Frankfurt -8 hrs
Geneva -8 hrs
Paris -8 hrs
London -9 hrs
Asia & Oceania
Sydney +1 hr
Seoul 0 hr
Hong Kong -1 hr
Beijing -1 hr
Singapore -1 hr
Bangkok -2 hrs
Jakarta -2 hrs
America
Sao Paulo -12 hrs
Toronto -14 hrs
New York -14 hrs
Chicago -15 hrs
Mexico City -15 hrs
Los Angeles -17 hrs
Hospitals
Medical systems and facilities in Japan are well established
so that you can expect to receive a high standard
medical treatment, should you have a problem with
your health during your stay. |
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