hi guys,

im going to jap on 24/12/12-04/01/13. cant wait for it but after i did some research, i found out many people said that during the new year, japan is basically shut down. they claim most shops or places of interest are usually close from 29/12 to 04/01. besides temples and shire.

is that true? now im kinda worried that i wont be able too see much stuff in jap due to the holiday season.

im planning to go to osaka, nara, kyoto, kobe on my first week. the 2nd week, will be toyko and nagono to see snow monkey and experience the snowy weather.

please advise me on the places im about to go. i dont want to go there and realise everything is close and whole town is quiet. then it will be a waste

im sorry if this is a repeated question as i did not read through the whole thread

thank you so much in advance

My proper hotel in Nihonbashi near Tokyo stn (Horidome) Only ~ RM220/room/nite and I squeezed in 3 persons 

Hi,

I think there shouldn't be any problem. If you check the visa application requirements on the Japan embassy website, you will see the list of required documents (assuming you are applying for a tourist visa) and one of it is a letter from your employer stating your employer's name, duration of employment and position. In my opinion, it's just to show that you are currently employed, in receipt of a regular salary, and that you won't be "jumping ship" in Japan

For your second question, it's a good idea to pump in some money to your current/savings account (any amount you deem sufficient for your trip), coupled with proof of any other liquid assets that you have (eg. fixed deposits, etc.). Just remember to get the copies certified by the bank before you submit them to the Japan embassy.

last time i apply for the visa that time, they din even see the last 3 month bank statement that i have, all they wanna see is the balance u have in ur acc... not as strict as we tot...   

Got some info from other sources & japanese, they said they are very strict on this matters.
"They don't spy on you, but it will be quite clear by TV Monitors and front desk near the elevators. As soon as they find out that you are in room with an unregistered / unpaid person, be it male or female, you will be in serious trouble as some places declare outright that they call the police right away if found so.

You should pay for the number of people in a room. In Japan, rules are generally the last word, there is really no room for negotiation or bargaining, or bribing. If you break it, and if found out, you would be in serious trouble. You shouldn't risk things just for saving money."

hi,

first of all, i'm in japan currently. thanks for this forum, i got lots of useful tips from LYN.

for google map, the price, duration, and transit, i can say as far as i use these several days, mostly are accurate. things i learnt to make life easier (sorry if this is a repeat if somebody already mentioned):

- always observe what is the exit number of the train station. i.e. one train station may have several exits, and sometimes to go to the closest place is using that exit. take the wrong exit, you'll still find that place, but you'll go round and round abit.
- take note of the train lines, the train direction, and the train station to make the transfers
- use Street View, it's helpful to visualize what is the landmark to go to certain place
- sometimes, the google map shows the duration based on Express train, not Local train (google whats the difference of Local, Rapid, Express, Limited Express). try check later and earlier trips to see the duration patterns.

have fun. (and rest assure, no matter how much we prepare, we still have to ask locals for direction )

yes, mastercard is widely accepted. do call up OCBC to inform them that you will be using CC there.