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General Information Area: 377,873 sq km (145,897 sq miles). Population: 126,925,843 (official estimate 2000). Population Density: 340 per sq km. Capital: Tokyo. Population: 12,064,101 (official estimate 2000). GEOGRAPHY: Japan is separated from the Asian mainland by 160km (100 miles) of sea. About 70 per cent of the country is covered by hills and mountains, a number of which are active or dormant volcanoes. A series of mountain ranges runs from northern Hokkaido to southern Kyushu. The Japanese Alps (the most prominent range) run in a north–south direction through central Honshu. The highest mountain is Mount Fuji at 3776m (12,388ft). Lowlands and plains are small and scattered, mostly lying along the coast and composed of alluvial lowlands and diluvial uplands. The coastline is very long in relation to the land area, and has very varied features. The deeply indented bays with good natural harbours tend to be adjacent to mountainous terrain. Government: Constitutional monarchy. Head of State: Emperor Akihito since 1989. Head of Government: Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi since 2001. Language: Japanese is the official language. Some English is spoken in major cities. Religion: Shintoist and Buddhist (most Japanese follow both religions) with a Christian minority. In Okinawa, however, people believe in Niraikanai, the realm of the dead beyond the sea. Time: GMT + 9. Electricity: 100 volts AC, 60Hz in the west (Osaka); 100 volts AC, 50Hz in eastern Japan and Tokyo. Plugs are flat two-pin and light bulbs are screw-type. Communications:   Telephone Full IDD service. Country code: 81. Outgoing international code: 001. KDDI produces phonecards for international calls which can be bought at convenience stores for ¥1000, ¥3000 and ¥5000. Mobile telephone The Japanese mobile network uses PDC (Personal Digital Cellular System) technology, which is not compatible with GSM or other mobile services. Visitors to Tokyo can hire handsets under NTT’s ‘Do Co Mo’ agreement. For more information contact NTT Hibiya Building, First Floor, 1-1-6 Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8019 (tel: (0120) 506 506 (toll free in Japan). Handsets can also be hired from a number of other companies in Japan, including Japan Handy Phone (tel: (3) 5225 2125; fax: (3) 5225 2124; website: www.japanphone.com) and Rentafone Japan (tel: (0909) 272 8987 (toll free in Japan); fax: (7) 5812 6214; website: www.rentafonejapan.com). Fax Sending and receiving can be arranged at any hour at major hotels. KDDI (Kokusai Denshin Denwa Co Ltd) offers facilities in Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama and Nagoya. Internet There are many Internet cafes in Tokyo and in the main cities in Japan. The main ISPs include ASCII (website: www.ascii.co.jp), Starnet and Jeton. Some hotel telephones and the new grey telephones have modular sockets for computer network access. Telegram These can be sent from the main hotels and from the above company, also from larger post offices in major cities. Two rates are available. Overseas telegrams can also be sent from the Central Post Office in Tokyo until midnight. Post Letters can be taken to the Central Post Office in front of Tokyo Station or the International Post Office, near exit A-2 Otemachi subway station, which provide English-speaking personnel. Airmail to Europe takes four to six days. All main post offices have Poste Restante facilities and will hold mail for up to ten days. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700. The International Post Office and Central Post Office are open weekdays until 1900 and Saturday until 1700. Press The English-language daily newspapers in Tokyo include The Asahi Shimbun, The Daily Yomiuri, The Japan Times and The Mainichi Daily News. BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change. BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice): MHz 15.28 11.95 9.740 6.195 Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov): MHz 17.74 11.71 9.645 6.110 From www.columbusguides.com, Copyright © 2004 Highbury Columbus Travel Publishing Terms and Conditions apply.