General Tour Information
Note: The information presented here is an abbreviated version of our formal General Information for Tours to Japan. Its purpose is solely to give readers a sense of what might be involved if they take this tour. Although we do our best to make sure what follows here is completely accurate, it should not be used as a replacement for the formal document which will be sent to all tour registrants, and whose contents supersedes any information contained here.
ENTERING AND LEAVING JAPAN: Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your planned return from Japan. United States citizens intending to stay in Japan for 90 days or less do not require a visa. Citizens of other countries should check with their Japanese embassy or consulate about entry requirements. No airport tax is required when leaving Japan.
MAPS AND COUNTRY INFORMATION: You can view maps of Japan in the University of Texas series here. You can review the US Department of State’s background notes on Japan here.
HEALTH: Visits to Japan generally require no special precautions. Tap water is safe to drink throughout Japan, and bottled water is widely available, as is a wide variety of soft drinks. Most types of medication are readily available in cities, though they are often manufactured under a different brand name and can be difficult to identify. If you take any prescription medication, it is wise to ensure that you have a sufficient supply for the trip. Please note that any health/medical information contained herein is gleaned by WINGS from websites that are dedicated to traveler’s health issues. Advisories and recommendations by agencies such as the CDC can and do change frequently. We urge you to consult with your physician, local health department, or the CDC for the most up-to-date health advisories for travel to Japan. Information on vaccinations and other health precautions may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747); fax 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299); or on the CDC website.
CLIMATE: The climate in Japan varies dramatically, with the most extreme weather encountered on Hokkaido. Here we can expect to find most places covered in snow. Daytime temperatures at the time of our visit may rise above freezing, especially if the skies are clear; as the day draws to a close, however, temperatures drop dramatically, and as the days are relatively short, it is very likely that we will be out until dusk on many days. We will also be spending some time out at night looking for owls, and can expect temperatures to be well below freezing at this time. If it is a good year for sea ice, then we will take a boat out to the edge of the ice; being out on the water makes the air feel even colder. Please see the section on Field Clothing in the printed General Information for suggestions on what to wear. Farther south we may encounter milder weather, although we can expect snow in the mountains of Honshu, and the wind chill on Kyushu can make every day a cold one. All the places we stay are well heated.
PACE OF TOUR: This is not a particularly strenuous tour. The amount of daylight at this time of year is not great, so we will be making the most of it. This will mean having breakfast early before first light and staying out until dusk. On a few nights we will be going out after dark to look for owls. There are a few longer walks along well-marked trails, but these are not expected to be very strenuous. On Hokkaido we can expect to spend some time walking over ice and snow, so footwear appropriate to the conditions is essential. Breakfasts and evening meals will be taken at our hotels or in a restaurant. Lunches will vary, but will mainly consist of picnics with food purchased at convenience stores.
ACCOMMODATION: Our accommodation will vary depending on the remoteness of our birding locations, and will include both western and Japanese-style hotels. The experience of staying in the latter is part of the attraction of the tour. Futon mattresses are rolled out on tatami mats before you go to bed and rolled up again and put away in sliding cupboards in the walls (often by hotel staff). A small table and cushions usually make up the furniture in the bedroom. At some of these places the bathrooms might be shared. In a few of the traditional inns it may not be possible to get single rooms, and we may have to use dormitory-style accommodation.
FOOD: One of the delights of visiting Japan is the wonderful array of food, although those people who do not like to eat strange or unusual food can usually be accommodated. Some ingredients and tastes will be strange to most people, and this is one area where you need a sense of adventure. Rice is the staple diet and, along with miso soup, is served with many meals. Different areas have local specialties, but fish should feature high on our menus. Some places will offer a “western” breakfast of eggs and toast. Chopsticks (often disposable) are used in restaurants; participants unaccustomed to using chopsticks should practice or bring their own cutlery on the tour. Traditional restaurants and lodgings do not always have western-style tables and chairs; there may be occasions where, like the locals, we take our lunch or evening meal sitting cross-legged on the floor at a low table.
DRINKS: Bottled water and/or a soft drink, wine, or a beer is provided at lunch and dinner, as is coffee or tea. All other drinks or “personal” drinking water for use in your room and during the day is the responsibility of the individual. Drink dispensers offering hot and cold drinks are widely distributed in Japan
DRESS: Informal throughout the tour.
TRANSPORT: Transportation is by coach or minibus, and we also take a number of internal flights. There are several drives, but in the main they are not too long and are broken by stops for birdwatching. Seating in the vehicle will rotate, and participants should be able to ride in any seat in tour vehicles.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: Travel insurance is essential, and we insist that you take out suitable coverage as soon as your tour is booked. If you are bringing expensive optical equipment or other valuable items, please make sure that they are also adequately insured on your home contents policy, as most travel insurance policies do not cover very expensive individual items. You may wish to consult your insurance broker regarding coverage. Please also ensure that your policy covers you in the event of a medical emergency, cancellation of a trip, or severe delays. Medical costs abroad can be extremely high. Please note that WINGS is not liable for any medical or repatriation costs resulting from injury or illness during a tour or for covering any costs resulting from a flight delay, such as extra hotel accommodation.
SMOKING: Smoking is not allowed in the vehicles or when the group is gathered for meals, checklists, etc. If you are sharing a room with a non-smoker, please do not smoke in the room. If you smoke in the field, do so well away and downwind from the group. If any lodge, accommodation, or location where the group is staying or is gathered has a more restrictive smoking policy than the WINGS policy, that more restrictive policy will prevail.
GENERAL INFORMATION AND CONDITIONS OF WINGS TOURS: Please take a moment to read the WINGS General Information and Conditions. This section contains important information about how we conduct tours, e.g., what is included in the tour price, refund and cancellation policies, pace of the tours, and other information that will help you prepare for the tour.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A more complete General Information for Tours to Japan will be sent to each registrant on receipt of booking. Final information with instructions for meeting the group, hotel addresses, etc., will be mailed about three weeks before trip departure. Other news will be communicated as necessary. If you have any questions, please let us know.
Updated 2/08
Updated: March 2008