HYPER JAPAN 2011

Fancy a trip to Japan this summer – in London?

Hyper Japan comes to Olympia again 22 – 24 July. They call it “Creative. Cool. Cute and Crazy.” See the Hyper Japan  website for details.

UK FCO lifts ban on travel to Tokyo

The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has now amended its travel advisory for Japan. There is now no advice against non-essential travel to Tokyo. Great news for everyone planning a trip to Japan!

From the FCO:

“We no longer advise against non-essential travel to Tokyo. However, we continue to advise against all non-essential travel to those areas north east of Tokyo most directly affected by the earthquake and the tsunami.”

 

Japan Rail Pass refunds

Rail Pass Exchange Orders  bought before 14th March:

Our policy of waiving the normal 10% cancellation charge for refunding these when returned to us un-used will continue as long as the FCO advice against non-essential travel to Tokyo remains in place.

Japan Rail Pass – refund policy

Because of the exceptional situation following the Japan Earthquake disaster, and the FCO (Foreign Office) advice against non-essential travel to Tokyo, we have waived the normal 10% cancellation charge on refunding Exchange Orders for the Japan Rail Pass.

If you have bought a Japan Rail Pass from us (JTB UK) and were intending to travel to Japan from now until 31st Mar but are cancelling or postponing your trip, you can return your unused Exchange Order to us with an explanatory note for a full refund.

Fuji Rock July 2011

THE FIRST ACTS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED, and there are some great names in the lineup:

Arctic Monkeys, The Chemical Brothers, Coldplay, Buddy Guy, Todd Rundgren and Wilco, to name a few…

Get there with JTB UK: contact us on 020 8237 1605 or visit www.japanspecialist.co.uk

Fuji Rock Festival 2011 – dates announced

The Fuji Rock Festival will be held in Naeba 29-31 July 2011. No word about the line-up of artists at the moment, but we’ll put them on here or our website news as soon as we hear.

Festival tickets and travel to the event will be available from us. Be there in 2011!

http://www.japanspecialist.co.uk

Great value for Tokyo museums – the Grutt Pass

The Grutt Pass gives free admission to all the main museums in Tokyo, and reduced admission to many of the museums’ special exhibitions too. At Yen 2,000 it’s great value (some of Tokyo’s museums entrance fees are Yen 1,000 p/adult) and it’s valid for 2 months. The Grutt Pass can be bought from any JTB shopfront travel agency in Tokyo – or if you’re buying a travel package to Japan from us (JTB UK in London), you could even request the Grutt Pass to us in advance, and pay for it before you go!

New website

Our new re-vamped website is www.japanspecialist.co.uk.

Visit the site for all our 2011 tours and prices, including our package for the Tokyo Anime Fair in March, Tastes of Japan food tour in April, and our proposals for year-round packages and tailor made trips to Japan.

Shinkansen train extending to Kagoshima Mar 2011

On March 12, 2011, the gap in the Bullet train line in Kyushu between Hakata and Shin-Yatsushiro stations will be joined up by a new Shinkansen line, resulting in dramatically reduced travel time by rail to southern Kyushu.

On the same day, new direct trains will start operating all the way between Osaka and Kagoshima. The trains will be called Mizuho and Sakura, with the Mizuho being slightly faster than the Sakura. Initially there will be only four Mizuho trains per day; the Sakura trains will run hourly and are expected to eventually replace the Hikari Rail Star trains along the line from Osaka.
Tsubame trains will operate hourly as the slowest train service between Hakata and Kumamoto, and will be complemented by an additional hourly Sakura service between Hakata and Kagoshima that will serve all stations south of Kumamoto. All Nozomi and Hikari Rail Star trains will have convenient connections with the Sakura or Tsubame services at Hakata Station. Here is a map summarising the new services:

Map of Bullet train Osaka - Kagoshima

New train rolling stock for the new service

The new Mizuho and Sakura services will use newly-designed 8-car trains, with luxurious green car seats (4 per row), and in Ordinary class, a marked difference between reserved (4 per row) and unreserved (5 per row) – see photos.

The new trains and rail passes

Although nothing has been announced yet (as of December 17), it is likely that the Japan Rail Pass, JR West Sanyo Pass and Kyushu Rail Pass will be valid on the new services – probably on the Sakura trains, but not on Mizuho trains.

However, the JR West Sanyo Pass is likely to cover both Sakura and Mizuho trains (as it currently covers both Hikari and the faster Nozomi trains).

Reduction in travelling times

The completion of the Kyushu Shinkansen brings dramatic reductions in travel time to reach various places in Kyushu. For example:
Hakata – Kumamoto is currently 1hr 10mins, which will reduce to 30mins.
Hakata – Miyazaki is currently 4hrs 30mins, reducing to 3hrs 40mins.

Tastes of Japan tour

Our 13-day tour exploring the cuisine of Japan with Kate Crockett, Association Editor of Food and Travel Magazine and an expert on Japan food, will now be departing the UK on 10th April 2011.

BOOK NOW for a unique tour offering an insight into the varied tastes of Japan, from everyday home cooking to the special cuisine of the southern islands of Okinawa.

See our website for details.